Keep
your eyes open!...
June 29, 2018
(Deu 30:19) I
call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both
thou and thy seed may live:
BISHOP TOBIN:
"The sight of so many politicians scurrying around to protect abortion
is truly sad. Self-professed Catholics pols who do so should be ashamed
of themselves. Note well: Support of abortion is contrary to God’s
will, a betrayal of the faith, and a cause of scandal".
CATHOLIC PHILLY: Supreme Court says law on crisis pregnancy centers violates free speech
RNS: Justice Kennedy, key vote on abortion and gay marriage, quits Supreme Court
AJC: Political fight swiftly accelerates over Supreme Court vacancy
CATO INSTITUTE: Justice Kennedy’s Retirement Leaves Big Gap, Heralds Major Shift at Supreme Court
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement was not unexpected
but is still major news in the direction and leadership of the country.
Kennedy spent more than 30 years on the Court and for much of that
time, particularly the last decade, has been the deciding or “swing”
vote on so many controversies, ranging from campaign finance to gay
marriage, the Second Amendment to abortion. Throughout that time, his
judicial philosophy couldn’t be pigeonholed as “conservative” or
“liberal,” and indeed is hard to describe in conventional terms. Most
terms he agreed with Cato’s position more than any other justice and so
he’s also sometimes known as the Court’s “libertarian” justice. There’s
some truth to that, even though he often reached results that
libertarians liked for reasons that sounded in dignity and civility rather than classical-liberal or natural-rights theory.
Kennedy was the strongest defender of the First Amendment that the
Court has probably ever seen, whether in the context of political or
artistic expression made by students, workers, or any citizens. He was
also a careful guarantor of the Constitution’s structural protections
for liberty. Whether federalism, the separation of powers, or any of
the other “less sexy” parts of constitutional design, he recognized
that they were there as a means to protect and secure our liberties,
not as a dry technical exercise.
By retiring now, Kennedy hands President Trump a golden opportunity to
put his stamp on the Court. All of the people on the White House list of 25 potentials
could be considered more reliably conservative than he has been—which
means that Chief Justice John Roberts will become the median justice.
Given that the Democrats pushed the Republicans to eliminate the
filibuster, any Trump nominee should be able to be confirmed without
too much fuss (assuming the most moderate GOP senators approve). That
will have a significant impact on all the sorts of cases where Kennedy
joined the more liberal justices to form a 5-4 majority—of which there
were actually none this term.
In short, it was a momentous term that was made all the more momentous by this announcement.
EXCERPT CNA: Kennedy's retirement from the Supreme Court prompts pro-life hopes
Pro-life advocates are hopeful that Kennedy’s retirement could set in
motion the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade - the 1973 Supreme Court
decision that required legal abortion throughout the U.S.
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannefelser called the
announcement a “pivotal moment for the fight to ensure every unborn
child is welcomed and protected under the law.”
“The most important commitment that President Trump has made to
the pro-life movement has been his promise to nominate only pro-life
judges to the Supreme Court, a commitment he honored by swiftly
nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch,” said Dannefelser.
Catherine Glenn Foster, CEO and president of Americans United for Life,
said in a statement that Kennedy’s retirement sets the stage for Trump
to nominate a “committed constitutionalist to the Supreme Court who
will hew to the intended meaning of the nation’s charter and refrain
from employing it as a means of social engineering.”
“The Supreme Court, and the American people, need Justices who
understand that the Constitution is the Nation’s highest form of
precedent and that the Court should allow space for rearmament of
poorly reasoned precedent, rather than prematurely declaring permanent
victors in divisive constitutional spaces.”
Foster’s comments were echoed by Students for Life President Kristan
Hawkins, who said that while she had been disappointed by some of
Kennedy’s past decisions, she believes that Trump will appoint someone
who is pro-life to the Court.
“We expect that President Trump will live up to his promises and
appoint a justice in the tradition of Justice Antonin Scalia who
respects the law as written and who understands that Life is the
foundation for all other rights,” said Hawkins.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
2. Meekness is an unchangeable state of mind, which
remains the same in honour and dishonour.
June 28, 2018
(Mat 4:3-4) And
the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that
these stones be made bread. Who answered and said: It is written, Not
in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from
the mouth of God.
CATHOLIC OUTLOOK: Growing in Holiness Series: Fasting helps Matt turn to God
CATHOLIC EXCHANGE: The Liberating Power of Fasting
EXCERPT SIGN.ORG: The Secret Weapon We Need to Utilize!
“And he said to them, because of the littleness of your faith; for
truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you
will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move
and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out
except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:20-21).
There are hundreds of verses in the Old and New Testament that speak of
fasting. Many of those verses are around epic stories of how Israel won
battles where the circumstances were not in their favor. The Lord was
clearly showing that through fasting, the destiny of a nation can
change. In the verse directly above, the words “nothing will be
impossible to you” is used. If you were to dwell on that phrase alone,
it is a mighty big promise from the Lord Himself.
So the question must be asked, why do we not fast more often? I think
there are many answers to that question, but one conclusion is that we
lack the discipline. Laziness, lack of belief, a busy schedule,
headaches, fatigue, sloth, unwillingness to deny a simple pleasure to
our body, not fervent enough to conquer a personal prayer request, not
wanting something bad enough, seeing too big an obstacle….are just a
few reasons why we don’t fast. But, when the history of the entire
bible is viewed through the pages of scripture, fasting is a key
spiritual weapon for the salvation of nations and souls.
Saint Alphonsus de Liguori said, “God has given us the goods of the
earth, not only that we may enjoy them, but also that we may have the
means of …showing Him our love by voluntary renunciation of His gifts,
and by the oblation of them to His glory. To abandon, for God’s sake,
all worldly enjoyments, has always been the practice of holy souls.”
Through fasting we renounce the body, and simultaneously we heighten
our spiritual senses. We also become more cognizant of our speech and
actions. Throughout all of biblical history, fasting has been a staple
of an individual or a nation that wants to turn the tide of current
events. It is the biblical and historical greats that have made it a
part of their spiritual regimen to fast. Today, it is a highly
neglected spiritual practice among even the most faithful. If you were
to google fasting, hundreds of examples pop up, and those verses are a
very small part of the whole story being told.
Fasting is a part of the biblical narrative from start to finish. Just
before Jesus began His earthly ministry, He went into the desert to
fast and prepare Him for His public ministry. Think of how profound it
was, that God Himself would do this. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit
out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty
days and forty nights after which he was very hungry, and the tempter
came to Him (Matt. 4:1-2). When one does fast, it shows they are in
serious prayer for an intention.
While the young Hebrew nation was slowly marching towards the land of
milk and honey, “Yahweh said, Moses, put these words in writing, for
they are the terms of the covenant I am making with you and Israel. He
stayed there with Yahweh for forty days and forty nights, eating and
drinking nothing. He inscribed on the tablets the words of the Covenant
—the Ten Commandments.” (Exodus 34:27-28).
Above are two of the most significant events in world history. Yahweh
is prescribing for His people while wandering in the desert a new
covenant, a new way of living for His people that will last thousands
of years, — and for some people until this very day. Then, when the
Lord gives us a New Covenant that came through His Son Jesus, fasting
is the fundamental action needed to get the purity of the event
transcribed to the people. Moses and Jesus each fasted for forty days.
This defies all rational and modern era reasoning that fasting could
alter the destiny of all mankind. If we talked less, and fasted more,
we would see more answers to our prayers. Through our actions we would
be saying to the Lord, you take over, it is bigger than me. My faith is
in You Jesus to cast this mountain into the sea.
Queen Esther knew that her people were in trouble and could be
destroyed through an evil authority figure of the King of Persia.
Knowing the threat was very real, she became very dtermined and said,
“Go, gather all the Jews, to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my
behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I, and my
young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king,
though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).
The Lord heard their cry, and the Jewish people were spared.
Fasting has spiritual and physical components that can prevent us from
evil or impure thoughts. Fasting is a method to acquire purity of heart
because it gives us the needed grace for prayer. St. John Chrysostom
said, “Prayer and fasting are like two wings that carry a person to the
heights of God.” Fasting is also a sign of expectation. We are in
active supplication and petition asking in faith and in expectation for
an answer due to our action because we are trusting God for the
outcome. Fasting is an outward sign that we are serious to have a
prayer answered. Fasting is for protection. Fasting helps us to become
free from what prevents our growth because we are often stagnant and
not growing spiritually.
There are numerous scriptures that indicate fasting is a sign of
repentance. Fasting is a sign of humility. We have in essence thrown up
our hands saying, I am at my wits end, and it is time for Your glory to
be manifested as this event is too big for me to do, and You alone can
change it. We face many of these difficulties in our lives on a daily
basis, yet we fail to fast or pray hoping we can change on our own
merit alone. First and foremost, fasting requires a discipline and
reorienting priorities.
For those who are unable to fast for physical reasons, there are other
ways of mortification or immolation. The Lord is not a bureaucrat
requiring ritualistic formula’s constricting the work of the Holy
Spirit. He alone knows our heart when we fast for the correct reasons.
He alone is judge. Ascetical reasons alone are not good enough, as many
people use fasting as a form of dieting. You will know if you are on
the right path if you are exhibiting kindness and mercy. It will curb
the sin of Adam and as Saint Peter Chrysologus wrote, “Fasting is the
soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. So if you pray,
fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard,
hear the petition of others. If you do not close your ear to others,
you open God’s ear to yourself” (Sermo 43: PL 52, 320, 322).
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 24- "On meekness, simplicity and guilelessness"
1. The morning light precedes the sun, and the
precursor of all humility is meekness.
June 25, 2018
(Gal 6:10) Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
POPE FRANCIS: “The Lord will not leave us by ourselves. I say that the Middle East is a hope: a hope that we must cultivate.”
EXCERPT NEWS REPORT: Christians in Iraq Are Hopeful, But Their Plight Continues
Fewer than 250,000 Christians are estimated to still live in Iraq, a
decline of approximately one million people since 2002. Most live in
the Nineveh Plains and Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
ISIS entered the plains in 2014, and tens of thousands of Christians
fled. Many went to Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, settling in churches and
parks. They feared refugee camps run by the United Nations would not
protect them from jihadists.
Christians, says Edward Clancy of the nonprofit Aid to the Church in
Need, "were given the ultimatum of paying the jizya [a tax levied on
non-Muslims], being subjugated to that, or leaving." The last option
was "staying and probably dying."
Then-secretary of state Rex Tillerson declared ISIS's actions against
Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq to be genocide in
2017.
Rebuilding efforts have begun, but progress is slow and uneven. The
Nineveh Reconstruction Committee states that over eight thousand
families have returned to the Nineveh Plains—still less than half of
the number of families living there prior to 2014. Moreover, less than
40 percent of all properties have been rebuilt.
In some places, few Christians have returned. Only two families have
come back to the town of Batnaya. Ines San Martin of Crux reported that
"there's virtually nothing to go back to, raising the question of why
any of its former residents would ever want to return."
Other towns and villages offer reasons for hope. In Bakhdida, almost
half of the Christian community has returned. Juliana Taimoorazy,
president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, said when she visited
Bakhdida in January, "life had not returned back to normal, as normal
as one can get post-ISIS."
"It looked dead, garbage piled up everywhere. It was just awful," she continued.
Taimoorazy's assessment brightened after returning a few months later.
"Life had returned to the streets of Bakhdida, shops were open,
nightlife had returned to the city," she told the Free Beacon. Despite
evident progress in Bakhdida, residents remain uncertain about the
future.
"A lot of hope is in their hearts and minds," says Taimoorazy. But new
homes are not enough. "Providing food or building houses only goes so
far because," she adds, "first and foremost, what is on their minds is
security."
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER: Aid Worker: Persecuted Christians in Middle East Continue to Need Aid, Support
FATHER RUTLER COMMENTARY:
The recent dedication of our parish’s shrine of Our Lady of Aradin for
persecuted Christians evoked a powerful response. We heard the Our
Father prayed in our Lord’s native Aramaic, which is still spoken in
northern Iraq along the Nineveh Plain. When the ISIS militants finally
were driven out from that area, 1,233 houses of Christians had been
totally destroyed, another 11,717 were partially wrecked or burnt, 34
churches were totally destroyed and 329 partially ruined.
Some years ago, I did a television program in Canada with the author
Pierre Berton, who had published a book in 1965 called The Comfortable
Pew. He was an atheist, albeit one of natural virtue sufficient to
disdain the self-satisfaction of those who called themselves Christians
but who had become relaxed about the Gospel imperative. A generation
before, the ethicist H. Richard Niebuhr had described that sedated kind
of Christianity as: "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a
kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without
a cross." An English theologian whom I knew, summed up most of the
preaching he had heard in the United States: “Might I suggest that you
try to be good?”
Laodicean lukewarmness (Revelation 3:16) tends to be discomforted by
reports of men and women actually sacrificing all they have for the
Faith. In one survey of issues that concern Catholics in the United
States, economic matters and changes in the climate are prominent,
while the persecution of Christians ranks last.
Saint Francis of Assisi went to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade to
convert the Muslim caliph who had him beaten and imprisoned, but then
released him with some token gifts. The next year, five friars were
beheaded in Morocco. The sight of their bodies, ransomed by the King of
Portugal and returned to Coimbra, determined Saint Anthony to become a
friar. He made the trip to Morocco, but returned after a grave illness.
The great little man of Assisi wrote in his First Rule for the Friars
Minor an instruction just as applicable today for dealing prudently
with persecutors of the Faith:
"The brothers who are to live among the Saracens and other
non-believers will enter into spiritual contact with them in one of two
ways: The first way is by avoiding every conflict or discussion, and
being subject to every human creature for God’s sake, while confessing
at every moment that they are Christians. The second way is, at that
moment when it is seen to be the will of God, to proclaim the word of
God . . . because, as the Lord says in the Gospel: 'Everyone who
recognizes me before men, I will recognize before my Father in Heaven
And everyone who is ashamed of me and my doctrine, the Son of Man will
be ashamed of him when He comes clothed in the glory of the Father and
of the holy angels.'”
RELATED: NYC Inaugurates First Shrine in World for Persecuted Christians
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
31. A proud monk has no need of a devil; he has
become a devil and enemy to himself.
June 22, 2018
(1Pe 3:12-14) Because
the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers
but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things. And who
is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good? But if also you
suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid
of their fear: and be not troubled.
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE: Religious freedom in U.S., around world focus of June 22-29 observance
HEADLINE: Christian law school loses religious freedom fight at Canadian Supreme Court
NEWS.COM.AU: ‘It doesn’t affect us’: Priests to defy child sex abuse confession law
The South Australian Catholic Church will not adhere to a change in law
requiring priests to report confessions of child sex abuse, the Acting
Archbishop of Adelaide says.
Under the new law, set to take effect in October, priests who hear
confessions about child abuse will have a legal obligation to report
the matter to police. “Politicians can change the law, but we can’t
change the nature of the confessional, which is a sacred encounter
between a penitent and someone seeking forgiveness and a priest
representing Christ,” Bishop Greg O’Kelly told ABC Radio Adelaide on
Friday.
“It doesn’t affect us,” he said.
“We have an understanding of the seal of confession that is in the area
of the sacred.” The law forms part of the South Australian government’s
response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child
Sex Abuse, released by Attorney-General Vickie Chapman on Tuesday.
It was widely publicised by Attorney-General Chapman last month when
Archbishop Philip Wilson stood aside amid public outcry after his
conviction for covering up child sexual abuse.
Canon (Church) law lays down that “it is absolutely forbidden for a
confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and
for any reason”.
The penalty for violating the seal of confessional is excommunication,
as every priest knows. The law also stipulates that anyone else who
happens to hear or overhear someone confessing sacramentally is also
obliged to observe the seal.
Not reporting abuse will carry a maximum $10,000 fine, and brings
expectations of priests in line with those of social workers, teachers,
medical professionals and others in positions of authority.
An Attorney-General’s Department spokesman said authorities intend to
follow up instances where the law has been broken, and prosecution may
result. “Where there is clear evidence to indicate a minister of
religion … has failed to abide by their mandatory reporting
requirements, the matter would need to be investigated by authorities,
with further action — including prosecution — taken as appropriate,” a
statement read.
Bishop O’Kelly said the church had not been made aware of the change, which was legislated last year, until Thursday.
RELATED: Tasmania rules priests must reveal child abuse confessions
THE IRISH CATHOLIC: Catholic hospitals must reject abortion ‘at all costs’
Catholic hospitals need to resist performing abortions “at all costs”
and medical professionals should have the right to oppose carrying them
out, an Irish bishop has said.
Waterford’s and Lismore’s bishop, Alphonsus Cullinan said that many
Irish people working in healthcare entered the profession to do good
rather than harm, and that these professionals have the right to refuse
to participate in a procedure or administer a treatment which, in their
professional opinion, is unethical or simply not good medicine.
“Forcing the staff in a Catholic hospital to act against their ethos is
not consistent with tolerance, openness and respect. And the Catholic
institution should resist, at all costs, being forced to act against
deeply held beliefs, Dr Cullinan told The Irish Catholic.
The comments come in the wake of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s statements
last week to the Dáil in which he said hospitals with a Catholic ethos
will be required to perform abortions after new legislation comes into
effect.
The bishop said that a Catholic hospital in an “open and tolerant
society” should be respected and be allowed to uphold its ethos in
full, adding that it is his sincere hope that the right to
conscientious objection will be truly “cherished and respected”.
“Isn’t it strange that, on one side people who voted ‘Yes’, are being
lauded for following their conscience and now we are trying to coerce
people into doing something against their conscience? This is unjust,”
he said.
Commenting on the Taoiseach’s statement, a spokesperson for the Dublin
archdiocese said: “There is nothing new in Taoiseach’s statement. It is
the law in Ireland since 2013. The Archbishop is unaware of any
conflict situation in that time. Hospitals can only carry out
procedures for which they are commissioned and have specific capacity.”
RELATED: Irish Catholic hospitals 'will have to perform abortions'
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
30. The proud man is a pomegranate, rotten inside,
while outwardly radiant with beauty.
June 20, 2018
(Eph 4:1-6) I
therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of
the vocation in which you are called: With all humility and mildness,
with patience, supporting one another in charity. Careful to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body and one Spirit: as
you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one
baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all,
and in us all.
EXCERPT VATICAN NEWS: Pope’s Geneva visit: “Ecumenical pilgrimage", also pastoral
June 21 trip will be the 4th time a pope is visiting the Swiss city. It
will also be the third time that Geneva will become the destination of
a papal trip. Blessed Paul VI visited Geneva on June 10, 1969, on the
occasion of the 50th anniversary of the International Labour
Organization (ILO) but he also visited the WCC headquarters.
Pope St. John Paul II visited Geneva on June 15, 1982, during which he
visited the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and
representatives of the Conference of International Catholic
Organizations. Two years later, on June 12, 1984, he visited the WCC
and the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey.
During his visit to the WCC, Pope Francis will also meet a delegation
from North Korea which, together with the Christians of South Korea,
are participating in the great Central Committee meeting, June 15-21.
The Korean Christians will be present when the pope arrives.
As the spiritual head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis
will also have time for the Swiss Catholics. He will celebrate Mass at
the Palaexpo for Catholics from all over Switzerland. Pope Francis is
scheduled to deliver three speeches during the June 21 visit, including
his homily at Mass.
MORE VIA VATICAN NEWS: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-06/pope-francis-geneva-wcc-ecumenical-institute-bossey.html
VIA SWITZERLAND (THE LOCAL): Why Pope's visit to Protestant heartland of Geneva is important
The 81-year-old Argentine will visit the City of Calvin on Thursday at
the invitation of the global inter-church organisation, which
represents some 350 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches with
around 500 million believers among them.
"It is a very important decision he made when he accepted the
invitation. (It) says that the Roman Catholic Church has the same
agenda as these other churches," said WCC chief Olav Fykse Tveit, a
Norwegian Lutheran pastor.
"It is Christian unity in practice," he added, in an interview ahead of
the pope's visit to help celebrate the WCC's 70th anniversary.
Over the WCC's 70 years, "we definitely see a lot of changes towards
openness," Fykse Tveit said, hailing that the time of wars between
Christians appears to be over.
He acknowledged though that "it is not difficult to find issues that
are still dividing Christians," pointing to attitudes towards "human
sexuality and family life".
But he said "there is a kind of momentum for being more united, and the pope's visit is a sign of that".
All Christians shared a common identity as believers, and should be
able to rally around the pope's messages of love, tolerance, justice
and peace, he said.
"I think that many Christians, whether they are Catholics or not, see
him as a strong voice for what we want to say as Christians today."
"We want to ask for justice, work for peace, and give a message of the
love of God, of inclusiveness, of giving hope to those who need it."
"In that sense, he speaks for all Christians," he said.
CATHOLIC SPIRIT: Papal trip to Geneva marks ‘new spring’ in ecumenism
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
28. Forgetfulness of our falls is the result of
conceit, for the remembrance of them leads to humility.
June 18, 2018
(Rev 22:18-20) For
I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that
are written in this book. He that giveth testimony of these things,
saith: Surely, I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
ACN NEWS: In Madagascar, Church faces corrupt rule, Islamization
BREITBART: Erdogan Predicts ‘War Between the Cross and Crescent’ over Austria Mosque Closures
CATHOLICCITIZENS.ORG: A Turning Point in History
CRISIS MAGAZINE: The Burqa, the Baker, and the Bishops
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER BLOG: Children or Slaves? The Abyss of Difference Between Islam and Christianity
Can Islam and Christianity be seen as being the same, or similar, or as
complementing each other, or are they so radically opposed and at
loggerheads that it is a grievous error to see them as having anything
meaningful in common?
At one extreme there are the “ecumenists” who like to speak about
Christians and Muslims as “people of the Book”, united in their belief
in the One God and, as such, a positive force for good in the world. At
the other extreme, there are the atheists who endeavor to demonize both
religions as being “people of the Book”, united in their belief in a
non-existent tyrannical monolith called “God” and, as such, a negative
force responsible for much of the hatred and discord in the world.
Against both of these extreme positions, there is a third position,
which simply states that Islam and Christianity are as radically
opposed to each other as each of them is opposed to atheism.
In a practical sense, each of these three positions will radically
affect, and indeed effect, our view of the world. How we see the global
situation, politically and culturally, will be determined by which of
these three positions we believe to be true.
Let’s consider Islam. The inscription in the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem states that Jesus “was only a Messenger of God”. He was not
God’s Son. “Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty the He
should have a son. It befits not God that He should take to Himself a
son.… Praise be to God, who has not taken unto Himself a son, who has
no partner.” Compare this with Christianity: “No one who denies the Son
has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.” Cf. 1
John 2:23.
In a program called The Creed, hosted by Mike Aquilina and Scott Hahn
on EWTN, Dr. Hahn spoke of his encounter in a restaurant with an
Islamic scholar. When Hahn referred to God as “Father”, the scholar
pounded his fist on the table and said, “Do not blaspheme. That is
human, not divine.”
“So we changed the subject,” said Hahn, “and we were talking about
Jesus, and I referred to Him as ‘Son’.” Down came the fist even louder.
“Stop blaspheming,” the scholar demanded. “Sonship is human, not
divine.”
Hahn then asked why we cannot speak of the love of God, in terms of
analogy, as the love of a Father. “God is not love as a father,” the
Islamic scholar replied. Instead, he employed the analogy as that of
the love that an owner of a dog has for his pet, i.e. not fatherhood
but ownership. For a moment, Hahn thought he was joking. He wasn’t. “He
didn’t smile. He said what he meant and he meant what he said. And I
realized that Allah does not love as a father. It is a master/slave
relationship. It is a religion of divine slavery. [Islam means
“submission”.] And if we don’t like it, we have to realize that’s how
they define their own religion. Those were the terms he was using. And
to say that God is Father and we His children is not only a
presumption, it is blasphemy.” A couple of minutes later, Hahn again
referred to God as Father and the Islamic scholar pounded his fist on
the table, stood up and stormed out of the restaurant.
Whether we like it or not, Christianity and Islam are separated by an
abyss of difference. The “God” that Muslims and Christians worship is
not the same God. One God might be the true God but, if so, the other
is a false god. They cannot co-exist as true gods. It’s a question of
being logical, not theological. And as for atheism, there is at least
one thing it shares with Islam. Neither the atheist nor the Muslim
believes in the Son of God, nor the love of the Father for the Son, nor
that the Father so loved the world the He gave us His only begotten Son
that we might not perish but can have eternal life. In this sense, we
can say that Muslims and atheists share the same radical
impoverishment. They need our prayers.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
25. A monk is one who is conditioned by virtues
as others are by pleasures.
June 15, 2018
(Rom 7:22-25)
For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my
mind and captivating me in the law of sin that is in my members.
Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself,
with the mind serve the law of God: but with the flesh, the law of sin.
POPE FRANCIS:
In the Ten Commandments, read in the light of Christ, we will find a
door through which we can follow Jesus to the fullness of life: his own
life and our life as God’s children.
INSIDE THE VATICAN SPECIAL: Ross Douthat and the Catholic Crisis (Part One)
HOMILY BY FATHER ALTIER: Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the Gospel reading today our Lord states that if a house is divided
against itself, it cannot stand. The context of this statement is the
accusation leveled against Jesus that He was driving out demons by
Beelzebul. So our Lord said if Satan has risen against himself, he
cannot stand; it is the end of him.
Unfortunately, the vile creature does not appear to be divided against
himself at the present time. Instead, it appears he has been granted a
fair amount of leeway to cause havoc for God’s people and for the
world. If he has been given this ability to cause trouble for us, then
we must realize we are under siege and being tempted to be divided.
In the first reading we hear about the aftermath of choice made by our
first parents when they were tempted by the serpent. They were in the
State of Grace when Satan tromped into the Garden. They knew God’s will
and His command to them, but they chose to listen to the subtle lies of
the devil and fell prey to his wiles. In doing this they became divided
within themselves, as well as with God, one another, and all of
creation.
They were created for union with God and one another, but by listening
to the serpent and failing to trust God, they chose to disobey God and
sinned. This choice had tragic consequences for them and for their
offspring. Among those consequences, our bodies and our wills tend to
be at odds with what is good. Couple that with the darkening of the
mind and the weakening of the will and we find ourselves in a rather
precarious situation.
We have the spirit of faith, of which St. Paul writes in the second
reading, so we believe in God and in what He has revealed. At the same
time, St. Paul talks about our outer self wasting away while our inner
self is being renewed. Once again, we see this conflict going on within
our own self. But St. Paul explains why this is happening: our earthly
tent (the body) will be destroyed, but we have a building from God
which is eternal in Heaven.
So, there are several aspects of our lives which seem to be in
opposition to one another. There is the body and the soul, there is the
choice between God and what He has revealed and Satan and his subtle
temptations, and there is the struggle between what is of earth and
what is of Heaven.
If we profess to have the spirit of faith, then it is necessary to live
in accordance with that spirit. Our society pays more attention to the
body than it does to the soul. We live in a world where God is escorted
out while the red carpet is rolled out for Satan. We are often very
much attached to the things this world has to offer while rejecting the
things God gives us to make us more holy and lead us to Heaven.
These kinds of dichotomies within our lives leave us very vulnerable to
being a house divided. We know we are to live according to the spirit
of faith, but the things of the body appear more appealing than the
things that are good for the soul. To go along with the crowd seems to
be easier than following God and being rejected by the crowd. Material
things we can see, touch, and amass are often more attractive to us
that the spiritual exercises that can be dry, painful and leave us
feeling abandoned by God. The pleasures of the senses can be mistakenly
preferred over the sufferings which, according to St. Paul, produce an
eternal weight of glory.
The Saints have told us about the spiritual life and the way God works.
We know it is only through the Cross that we are purified and by death
that we enter into eternal life. Today there are so many ways to be
distracted from the things of the Spirit that it can be hard for us to
live fully the faith we profess. People today want to call themselves
Catholic, but then turn around and say “but I don’t believe this or
that.” Many try to excuse immorality because it is so commonplace and
we want to fit in.
God’s truth and His ways have not changed, so if there is something
which gravitates against God and His truth, it is a lie. We know the
enemy of our souls will use anything to confuse us, but if we give into
the devil’s lies, we are a house divided. If we live by the spirit of
faith, we are God’s house, the strongman’s house that cannot be
plundered because the Strongman dwells within.
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[Rom. 7:14-8:2; Matt. 10:9-15] The
Lord also said to the apostles that if a city does not receive them,
and will not hear their words, then It shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
And what will happen to us for our not hearing the words of Divine
Revelation? It will be immeasurably intolerable be for us. To
disbelieve the truth of God after so many tangible proofs is the same
as reviling the Holy Spirit, and blaspheming. And yet we have no fear.
The spiritists [and Hindus] say,
“What judgment! We just have to be born a few more times.” The
scientists say, “Whom is there to judge? Everything is made of atoms;
they will fly apart and that will be the end.” But, my friends, the
hour of death will come; these dreams will fly away like phantoms, and
we will all be faced with inevitability reality. What then?... What
wretched times we live in! The enemy has contrived to destroy our
souls. He knows that fear of death and judgment is the strongest means
for sobering up a soul — and so he makes every attempt to drive this
away; and he succeeds. But extinguish the fear of death and fear of God
will disappear; and without the fear of God the conscience becomes
mute. The soul becomes empty, it becomes a waterless cloud, carried by
any wind of teachings and various fits of passions.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
24. A monk experiences unceasing rapture of mind
and sorrow of life.
June 12, 2018
(Mat 5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
REVIEW: For many South Korean Christians, reunification with the North is a religious goal
EXCERPT ASIANEWS.IT: Pope invokes Our Lady, Queen of Korea for talks between Trump and Kim Jong-un
Two days ahead of the meeting between the US president and the North
Korean leader, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore, Pope Francis
has expressed his attention and concern for "the beloved Korean
people". Speaking to the pilgrims gathered today in St. Peter's Square
for the recitation of the Angelus, after the Marian prayer, he
entrusted the "Dialogue of these days" to "Our Lady, Queen of Korea",
to ensure "a future of peace for the Korean peninsula and for the whole
world ".
His call was followed by an invitation to those present to recite the
Hail Mary together. It is not the first time that Francis has mentioned
or prayed for peace in Korea: he had already recalled the inter-Korean
dialogue on April 29th, at the Regina Caeli. He also sent a letter to
the Korean Church to pray for the success of the talks. At the general
audience on May 30th, he taekwondo athletes from North and South Korea
had performed for him, displaying a banner saying "Peace is more
precious than victory”.
VATICAN NEWS: Catholics pray for North Korea-US summit in Singapore
Around Asia there is strong attention on this summit. In Japan, the
Catholic Church regularly speaks out against nuclear weapons, pointing
out that the people of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki know more
than anyone about the human cost of nuclear war.
In South Korea, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea says it
believes God is giving Koreans the gift of peace. In a statement
several weeks ago it said it hopes the U.S.-North Korean summit will
transform the peninsula into a land of hope, and will build peace in
Asia and worldwide.
And last week Archbishop William Goh of Singapore urged Catholics to
pray for the summit's outcomes, and for a world in which people have
concern and charity for one another. "May nations learn to trust each
other," the Archbishop wrote.
MORE: Catholics hopeful ahead of US-North Korea summit
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
23. A monk is he who calls his enemies to combat
like wild beasts, and provokes them as they flee from him.
June 11, 2018
(Rom 12:2) And
be not conformed to this world: but be reformed in the newness of your
mind, that you may prove what is the good and the acceptable and the
perfect will of God.
TIMES OF MALTA COMMENTARY: ‘Too much God in Ireland’ - Fr Joe Borg
CHURCH MILITANT: Cafeteria Catholics
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Fr. George William Rutler:
The Internal Revenue Service would not be impressed by someone who paid
taxes not in the formal way, but in a spiritual sense. Yet the
equivalent of that has be come an esoteric mantra among many who
identify as Catholics but reject Catholicism as their religion. The Pew
Research Center found that 13 percent of those surveyed, who regard
themselves as “indelibly Catholic by culture, ancestry, ethnicity or
family tradition,” do not practice the precepts of the Faith.
That “cultural Catholicism” does not work when challenged by
Catholicism’s despisers. There is much to be said for inheriting the
faith of ancestors, but ancestors are betrayed when that faith is a
patrimony that is squandered by a spendthrift heir. In the Middle East
there are Christians who can trace their religious identity back to the
apostles, but theirs is not a mere cultural religion. A year after
Christian towns of northern Iraq were liberated from the Islamic State,
many families still live in refugee camps. Various organizations are
providing assistance, but the challenge is to encourage resettlement,
not by temporary financial relief, but by restoring and developing
local economies to revive ghost towns. The pope’s creation of the
Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Sako of Baghdad, as a Cardinal affirms hope
of revitalization.
In those areas, the faithful have had to resist attempts to make them
renounce the Gospel by force. In decadent Western cultures, such
surrender has been voluntary. Much of Europe has long since abandoned
Christ through indifference. More recently, the illusion of Ireland as
a Catholic country was shattered by the overwhelming vote for abortion,
following the vote in 2015 for redefining marriage.
Cultural Catholicism abandons the Holy Spirit for the Spirit of the
Age, a seductive chimera that haunts once-holy halls. Saint Patrick
could say once again: “I dwell amongst barbarians, a proselyte and an
exile, for the love of God.” He preached Christianity as a vocation and
not as an avocation: “That which I have set out in Latin is not my
words but the words of God and of apostles and prophets, who of course
have never lied. He who believes shall be saved, but he who does not
believe shall be damned. God has spoken.”
Here in New York, the virtual evaporation of candidates for the
priesthood, while vocations have grown in many other parts of the
country, is like the canary in a coal mine. Facts are shrewd mentors,
teaching that cultural Catholicism is not enough. Yet consider some of
the most significant and diverse figures in the history of the Church
in New York: Elizabeth Ann Seton, Isaac Hecker, Orestes Brownson, Paul
Wattson, Rose Hawthorne, Thomas Fortune Ryan, Joyce Kilmer, Dorothy
Day, Thomas Merton, Clare Boothe Luce, Avery Dulles, Bernard Nathanson.
As converts, they were counter-cultural, and they did not degrade the
Sacrifice of Christ by being Catholic in a cultural, but not a
religious sense.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
22. A monk, properly speaking, is he whose soul's
eye does not look haughtily, and whose bodily feeling is unmoved.
June 8, 2018
(Joh 19:33-34) But
after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear
opened his side: and immediately there came out blood and water.
POPE FRANCIS:
I invite you to pray to the Heart of Jesus during the month of June and
to support your priests with closeness and affection, so that they are
the image of this Heart full of merciful love.
CATHOLIC GENTLEMAN: 7 Ways to Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus
ALETEIA: 4 Visionaries who saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the messages they received
ST. GERTRUDE PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART:
“I salute thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and vivifying source of
eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, ardent furnace of
Divine love; Thou art the place of my repose and my refuge. Enkindle in
my heart the fire of that ardent love with which Thine own is all
inflamed; pour into my heart the great graces of which Thine is the
source, and grant that my heart may be so closely united to Thine, that
Thy will may be mine, and that my will may be eternally conformed to
Thine, since I desire that henceforth Thy holy will may be the rule of
all my desires and all my actions. Amen.”
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION TO THE SACRED HEART (St. Mary Margaret):
“I (N.), give and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus
Christ, my person, my life, my actions, my pains and sufferings, so
that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being save to
honor, love, and glorify the Sacred Heart. It is my unchanging
intention to be all His and to do all for love of Him. I renounce at
the same time with all my heart whatever can displease Him.
I, therefore, take You, O Sacred Heart, for the only object of my love,
the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my
weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for the faults of my life, and
the secure refuge at the hour of my death.
Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father,
and turn away from me the punishment of His just anger. O Heart of
love, I put confidence in You, because I fear everything from my own
sinfulness and weakness. I hope for all things from Your mercy and
generosity.
Destroy in me all that can displease or resist Your holy Will. Let Your
pure love impress You so deeply upon my heart that I may never forget
You or be separated from You. May my name, by Your loving kindness, be
written in You, because in You I desire to place all my happiness and
all my glory in living and dying in very bondage to You.”
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
21. We should constantly be examining and comparing
ourselves with the holy Fathers and the lights who lived before us, and
we should then find that we have not yet entered upon the path of the ascetic
life, and have not kept our vow in holy fashion, and in disposition are
still living in this world.
June 6, 2018
(2Co
11:14-15) And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an
angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be
transformed as the ministers of justice, whose end shall be according
to their works.
POPE FRANCIS:
The Devil tries to destroy the presence of Christ in Christians, and
the image of God in men and women. He tried doing this from the very
beginning, as we read in the Book of Genesis: he tried to destroy that
harmony that the Lord created between man and woman, the harmony that
comes from being made in the image and likeness of God.
CERC: The Devil, the Fallen Angel by Fr. William Saunders
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA A Moment with Mary: This does not come from God
Saint Philip Neri had a great devotion to Mary and he was often
consulted by bishops to discern the authenticity of mystics. His
practice of humility and obedience, in imitation of the Virgin, allowed
him to infallibly test false mystics, because the demon is proud and
independent.
One day in 1560, the cardinals were divided about a nun who claimed to
have visions. St Philip Neri’s advice was solicited. He observed the
nun as she arrived, and greeting her congenially, exclaimed:
"Oh, you are not the one I wanted to see; I wanted to meet the saint!"
- "But I am the saint, Father!" - "Ah! So you are the saint? Thank
you." He turned on his heels and said to the cardinals: "This does not
come from God."
MORE: How this saint could tell true from false apparitions
Philip Neri, an Italian saint (1515-1595) was often consulted by bishops to help discern authentic mystics.
One day, one of his penitents shared that the Blessed Virgin came to
see him at night in his room, which filled him with joy and light! The
saint said to him: “Listen, the next time she comes, I want you to spit
in her face.”
The following night, the apparition started talking to him about God,
but remembering the promise made to his director, the man spat in her
face ... prompting the vision to disappear in a sulfurous cloud (it was
the devil).
The same night, he woke up again, finding his room full of light and
seeing a new apparition that smiled on him. This time the Virgin was
not sitting on the bed, but stood in a corner of the room. As he
prepared to spit again, she said: “You may spit if you want.” She was
too far for him to succeed, but the apparition congratulated him on
obeying his spiritual director. “This was indeed the Virgin Mary,”
Father Neri declared.
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[Rom. 4:4–12; Matt. 7:15–21]
Beware of false prophets (Matt.
7:15). From the beginning of Christianity and to this day there has not
been a time when this warning was not applicable. The Lord did not
indicate exactly which false prophets to beware of, for how could they
be pinpointed? They change like fashions and are continually generating
more like them.
They always appear in sheep's
clothing, with a likeness of good will in their deeds and a mirage of
truth in their speech. In our time their clothing is sewn of progress,
civilization, education, freedom of thought and deed, a personal
conviction which does not allow for faith, and such like. All of this
is a deceptive cloak. Therefore, if you come across this show of
clothing, do not be hasty to open your ears to the words of “prophets”
dressed in such clothes. Examine closely whether there is a wolf
concealed under this sheep's clothing.
Know that the Lord is the only
motivator toward true perfection, the sole softener of hearts and
customs, the sole educator, the sole giver of freedom and filler of the
heart with a feeling of the truth which forms a conviction so strong
that nothing in the world has the power to shake it. Therefore, as soon
as you perceive in these new “prophets's” talk some shadow of
contradiction to the teaching of the Lord, know that they are predatory
wolves, and turn away from them.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
20. Even if we endure ten thousand deaths for Christ,
even so we shall not repay all that is due. For the blood of God, and the
blood of His servants are quite different, and here I mean the dignity
and not the actual physical substance.
June 3, 2018
(Mar 14:22-24) And
whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke and gave
to them and said: Take ye. This is my body. And having taken the
chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it.
And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall
be shed for many.
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: "The
Real Presence is a treasure of infinite value. May God grant us the
zeal to acknowledge that in our words, our actions, and our lives".
VIDEO (2017): Corpus Christi Procession in Manhattan, New York City
VIDEO: Eucharistic Procession on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi from Cologne 31 May 2018 HD
AUSTRALIA: Walk with Christ 2018 coincides with 200 years of the Blessed Sacrament
OVERVIEW: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
VIA CATHOLIC.NET: The feast of Corpus Christi…reminds me of the time…
It was Corpus Christi in 2010. I was in Orvieto, a small hilltop town
in the Umbria region of Italy. Orvieto is famous for its white wine and
more famous for a relic of a Eucharistic miracle. During the middle
ages a priest doubted the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as he was
celebrating mass, and the host started to bleed. The blood fell onto a
large white cloth, called a “corporal”. This cloth is venerated in
Orvieto, and the townspeople actually built a whole Cathedral to hold
it. Every year on the feast of Corpus Christi, there is a really
special mass, and then there’s a several-mile-long procession around
the town with the miraculous piece of cloth.
I went with a bunch of my seminarian friends for the mass and
procession. The mass itself was about two hours long, plus we waited in
the Church for about an hour afterwards as the procession formed. So
when we finally started walking, we were really tired, to say the least.
And it was a typical Italian day: hot and sunny. At first everything
went fine. We were in the back of the procession just in front of the
miraculous cloth, which was carried by four big strong guys in a huge
gold holder. But after a mile or so of trudging along cobblestone
streets, the heat and the sun started to get to me. I was thirsty and
tired, and getting burnt. The beautiful procession was turning – at
least for me – into an inferno.
And then it happened. It was only a moment, but what a glimpse of
paradise I had! It was on one of the back streets of the town, just by
a cliff. The brown stone houses had blended together in my mind into
one drab row of baking rock. When all of a sudden I felt a cool breeze
blowing on my left cheek. It was so refreshing. I turned and caught a
view of heaven. I was looking into a small Church. Candles lit the
walls, and candles in the shape of a huge heart were spread across the
floor. Up by the altar were arrayed row upon row of sisters – poor
clare sisters I think– the kind who stay cloistered all the time and
only come out for the Corpus Christi procession. They were singing some
angelic hymn, and the whole Church was resonating like some gigantic
speaker with their beautiful song. Strewn around them and across the
floor and around the heart shaped candles were rose petals – thousands
of them.
It was but a moment, but one beautiful, glorious moment. And then it
was gone. We kept walking, the drab brown stone reappeared, the heat
and the sun beat down upon us again, and the procession continued.
And I had seen what heaven must be like.
This earth is a valley of tears. Blood, sweat, mud, muck, sorrow, and
tears. Yes, there are beautiful moments, but nothing compares to what
will come hereafter. So often we live for what we find here below –
money, possessions, pleasure, power, honor, glory… and those things
never fill us up. They leave us empty.
We were made for heaven. And anything short of heaven will not fill us.
We will never find true happiness here below. Our life here, and all
the tough moments it is made of, only makes sense as a preparation for
heaven. Heaven, which isn’t some sort of dry, dull, endless sitting
around. No! Heaven is life like it should be, life with no end, romance
with no limits, beauty with no boundaries. Fullness. Completeness. True
happiness and peace. I had a little taste of it there in Orvieto, and
I’d be willing to bet many of you have had similar experiences.
One of the most wonderful parts is being able to be so close to the
Eucharist. Being a priest doesn’t make you any holier than anyone else
nor does it make it easier for you to get to heaven. But so often you
are closer to the One who is in heaven, who will bring us there, the
One who is truly present in the bread and wine. What a gift!
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 23- "On mad pride and unclean, blasphemous
thought"
18. Do not lift up your neck, creature of earth!
For many, though holy and spiritual, were cast from Heaven.
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