Keep
your eyes open!...
September 29, 2019
(Rev 12:7-9) And there was a great battle in heaven: Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought, and his angels.
And they prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in
heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is
called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world. And he was
cast unto the earth: and his angels were thrown down with him.
OSV: What do we know about angels?
EXCERPT CATHOLIC HERALD: Angels live in perfect harmony with God. But being human has its advantages too
Angels, as the
Lord says, always see the face of God (Matthew 18:10). Raphael
says that he offered Tobit’s prayer “in the sight of God” (Tobit
12:12). Seeing the face of God, being “in his sight”, is both
knowledge of and perfect submission to God’s will. So complete is
their submission that it’s hard to tell in Scripture whether it’s an
angel or God who speaks (cf Exodus 3:2-6). Perfect harmony.
That’s how angels, persons without
limiting bodies, see things and then act. We, persons with
bodies, limited by our physical senses and unable immediately to see
the essence of things, must strive by reason with the help of authority
and the grace of faith to discern and submit to God’s will.
Speaking of Michael, his name means
“Who is like God”? We are not like God. We are not like
angels. We are like ourselves, in our humanity that the Son took
into an unbreakable bond with His divinity. You can receive
Communion and holy angels can’t. You can receive absolution for
sins. Fallen angels can’t. You will experience the
resurrection of the flesh. Marvelling angels will rejoice.
God gives missions to angels and to us. Angels might always
succeed, but as the angelic Teresa of Calcutta said, “God doesn’t ask
that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful.”
EXCERPT FR. RUTLER'S WEEKLY COLUMN:
In thinking of angels, you need humility, for a couple of
reasons. First of all, a cynical culture mocks anyone who
believes that angels exist in any way that is real rather than
sentimental. Secondly, since angels, who were created before
humans, are intelligent beyond any material measurement, that means
they are smarter than any human. And so, by comparison we must
seem very stupid.
But angels are humble too, although for a different reason. They
can actually see God, so they are perpetually aware of their
inferiority. In their perfect humility, they rejoice in that
fact, and their subservience to their Creator makes them shine in
glory. Chesterton rallied symbolic language to say that angels
can fly because they take themselves lightly.
At each Mass, angels gather at the altar. This Sunday in our
church there will be a special kind of holy commotion because it is our
parish’s patronal feast, with our patron never failing to be
present. Saint Michael, as an archangel along with Gabriel and
Raphael, has a symbolic name. (Michael means “Who is like God?”.)
Surely it was by some inspiration, when the parish was established in
1857 with boundaries originally from 28th to 38th Streets and from 6th
Avenue to the banks of the Hudson River, that Saint Michael, who casts
“into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl through the
world,” was made protector of what the police would come to call
“Hell’s Kitchen.”
BLOG:
God takes care of the little ones, those who count for nothing in the
eyes of the world. To each of them He assigns an angel to care
for him, to guide and protect him, even as a man protects his own
eye. God honors us to the extent of entrusting us to one of the
princes of heaven, who will represent us before His throne. These
princes stand at the throne of God and always behold His glory.
They are the intimates and adorers of Him for whom they glow with love;
in the hour of testing they kept faith and fought for His interests
with sacrificial zeal.
How encouraging it is to remember that God has given His Church this
holy intercessor, this mighty conqueror of Satan, as her
protector. She now has nothing to fear from the evil one’s
attacks, nor from his world, no matter how many despise her.
LINK: How to pray the Chaplet of St Michael
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
37. As by nature we cannot live without food, so
up to the very moment of death we cannot, even for a second, give way to
negligence.
September 26, 2019
(Luk 18:7-8) And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and
night? And will he have patience in their regard? I say to you that he
will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh,
shall he find, think you, faith on earth?
CARDINAL MULLER: "To
keep silent about these and the other truths of the Faith and to teach
people accordingly is the greatest deception against which the
Catechism vigorously warns. It represents the last trial of the Church
and leads man to a religious delusion, “the price of their apostasy”
(CCC 675); it is the fraud of Antichrist".
OSV: Texas bishop says he is saddened that defending the Gospel is considered ‘bold’
NCR: Cardinal Sarah’s Cri de Coeur: The Catholic Church Has Lost Its Sense of the Sacred
BLOG EXCERPT: THE DAYS ARE COMING, AND ARE ALREADY HERE… by the late Cardinal Giacomo Biffi
The Antichrist, says Solovyov, […] believed in goodness, and even in
God. […] He gave "the greatest possible demonstrations of moderation,
disinterest, and active beneficence." […] The book that had gained for
him universal fame and consensus bore the title: "The Open Road to
Universal Peace and Prosperity.” […]
It is true that some men of faith wondered why the name of Christ did
not appear even once, but others replied: "If the contents of the book
are permeated with the true Christian spirit, with active love and
universal benevolence, what more do you want?" […]
Where Solovyov's presentation shows itself to be particularly original
and surprising – and merits greater reflection – is in the attribution
to the Antichrist of the qualities of pacifist, environmentalist,
ecumenist. […]
In this description of the Antichrist, Solovyov […] alludes above all
to the "new Christianity" that Leo Tolstoy was successfully promoting
during those years. […]
In his "Gospel," Tolstoy reduces all of Christianity to five rules of conduct which he derives from the Sermon on the Mount:
1. Not only must you not kill, but you must not even become angry with your brother.
2. You must not give in to sensuality, not even to the desire for your own wife.
3. You must never bind yourself by swearing an oath.
4. You must not resist evil, but you must apply the principle of non-violence to the utmost and in every case.
5. Love, help, and serve your enemy.
According to Tolstoy, although
these precepts come from Christ, they in no way require the actual
existence of the Son of the living God to be valid. [...]
Of course, Solovyov does not specifically identify the great novelist
with the figure of the Antichrist. But he intuited with extraordinary
clairvoyance that Tolstoy's creed would become during the 20th century
the vehicle of the substantial nullification of the gospel message,
under the formal exaltation of an ethics and a love for humanity
presented as Christian "values." [...]
The days will come, Solovyov tells us – and are already here, we say –
in which the salvific meaning of Christianity, which can be received
only in a difficult, courageous, concrete, and rational act of faith,
will be dissolved into a series of "values" easily sold on the world
markets.
The greatest of the Russian
philosophers warns us that we must guard against this danger. Even if a
Tolstoian Christianity were to make us infinitely more acceptable in
the living room, at social and political gatherings, and on television,
we cannot and must not renounce the Christianity of Jesus Christ, the
Christianity that has at its center the scandal of the cross and the
astonishing reality of the Lord's resurrection.
Jesus Christ, the crucified and
risen Son of God, the only savior of mankind, cannot be transformed
into a series of worthwhile projects and good inspirations, which are
part and parcel of the dominant worldly mentality. Jesus Christ is a
"rock," as he said of himself. And one either builds upon this "rock”
(by entrusting oneself) or lunges against it (through opposition): "He
who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on
any one, it will crush him" (Mt. 21:44). [...]
So Solovyov's teaching was simultaneously prophetic and largely
ignored. But we want to repropose it in the hope that Christianity will
finally catch on to it and pay it a bit of attention.
IN THE NEWS: Decline in baptisms, marriages seen as harbinger, call to community
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
36. As it is impossible to destroy a wild beast
without a weapon, so without humility it is impossible to obtain freedom
from anger.
September 24, 2019
(Rom 16:17-18) Now I beseech you,
brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offences contrary to
the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. For they that are
such serve not Christ our Lord but their own belly: and by pleasing
speeches and good words seduce the hearts of the innocent.
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT REVIEW: Synods and Sausages: Making a mess in Germany
CNA: Marx says German 'synod' will proceed despite Vatican objections
BREITBART: Vatican Experts: German Catholic Church Moving Toward ‘Schism’
The liberal Catholic Church in Germany seems to be taking steps toward
a schism with Rome under the banner of “synodality,” according to
veteran Vatican observers.
Under the leadership of Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich-Freising, “the
Church in Germany is poised to pursue a radical ‘binding synodal path’
that seeks to dislodge settled Church teaching in the name of
‘synodality,’” warn the editors of the U.S.-based National Catholic
Register Sunday.
In open opposition to Pope Francis and senior Vatican officials, the
German Church has pushed a controversial plan that includes the
creation of a “Synodal Assembly” in close partnership with the Central
Committee of German Catholics, “a lay group that has demanded the
ordination of women, an end to clerical celibacy, the blessing of
same-sex unions by the Church and rethinking of all Catholic teachings
on sexuality,” the editors state.
In response to the German scheme, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of
the Congregation for Bishops, declared that the proposals for the
proposed unilateral synodal process are contrary to the pope’s stated instructions and are “not ecclesiologically valid.”
The editors note the extreme irony that while liberal Catholics toss
around accusations of “schismatic intentions” against faithful U.S.
Catholics, the real threat of schism lies in Germany, not in America.
NCR: Threat of Schism Comes From Germany, Not United States
RELATED
‘Marxism’ Pervades Catholic Church in Germany
Theologian withdraws from German synodal path
Vatican fears German bishops trying to reform church teaching
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
35. As one spark has frequently set fire to much
wood, so it has been found that one good dead can wipe out a multitude
of great sins (cf. James 3:5; 5:20).
September 19, 2019
(1Pe 1:13-16) Wherefore, having the loins of your mind girt up, being
sober, trust perfectly in the grace which is offered you in the
revelation of Jesus Christ. As children of obedience, not fashioned
according to the former desires of your ignorance, But according to him
that hath called you, who is holy, be you also in all manner of
conversation holy: Because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am
holy.
SIGNS & WONDERS: Scripture Verses for Our Times by Fr. Joseph M Espers
REVIEW: How we perceive the cross depends on our level of holiness...
EXCERPT ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: Sainthood, the church and the call to holiness
Before I was a bishop and even before I was a priest, I became a
Capuchin Franciscan. The Capuchins were a reform movement within
the Franciscan community. They wanted to get back to the real St.
Francis; the radical, simple St. Francis. History calls Francis
the vir Catolicus — the embodiment of everything a Catholic believer
should be; a person filled with faith, joy, simplicity, courage,
charity, and zeal for Jesus Christ. And so he was.
But what many people overlook is
that Francis lived in an age very much like our own. Francis was
not just a loving man. He was also a formidable one, because he
had to be. The 13th century was a time of great political unrest,
and deep confusion and corruption in the Church. Francis began
his life submerged in that world. He was comfortable. He
was selfish. He was shallow. But finally, he was also
hungry for something more in his life — and once he found it, he
pursued it without compromise. Francis wanted to live the Gospel
sine glossa — without gloss, without excuses, without interpretations
to make discipleship easier or more comfortable.
Francis was a revolutionary in the
truest sense. He wanted a radical commitment to holiness from his
brothers, holiness in the root meaning of the word “holy.” Holy doesn’t
mean good, and it doesn’t mean nice — although holy people are always
good, and they’re also frequently nice. Holy comes from the
Hebrew word qados, meaning “other than.” Francis wanted to be
different, just as Jesus was different. Francis wanted to live in
the presence of God, just as Jesus did. He wanted to live and act
in ways “other than” the ways of this world.
What distinguished Francis from
many of the other reformers of his day was one simple thing. He
understood that he could never live out his love for God alone, or even
with a group of friends. He needed the larger family of faith
Jesus founded. He needed the Church. So he never allowed
himself or his brothers to separate the Gospel from the Church, or the
Church from Jesus Christ.
Francis was always a son of the
Church. And as a son, he always insisted on fidelity and
obedience to the Holy Father and reverence for priests and bishops —
even the ones whose sins meant they didn’t deserve it. What
Francis heard from Jesus on the Cross of San Damiano was not “replace
my Church” or “reinvent my Church,” but “repair my Church.” And Francis
did that in the only way that lasts — one stone at a time, with the
living stones of his own life and the lives he changed through his
personal witness.
So the lesson is this: If we want
to be disciples and make disciples; if we want to repair the Lord’s
Church in the shadow of today’s scandals and confusion; we need to
understand that without saints, nothing we do will work. Without
holy men and women on fire with Jesus Christ, in love with his Church,
and zealous in preaching the Catholic faith through their words and
actions, nothing will work. We can’t give what we don’t
have. If Jesus Christ and a real Catholic identity don’t burn in
the interior cathedral of our hearts, we can never possibly rebuild the
external life of the Church in the world.
We each need to ask ourselves today: How do I serve God? With
pious words, or with a holy, committed life? On my terms or
his? Scripture says that we serve God best by following his will
with our whole body, mind and soul, and the one reliable teacher and
guide we have to knowing his will is the Church. And I don’t mean
the Church as we’d like her to be, but the Church Jesus intended her to
be — his bride and our mother.
Christ sent his disciples out in his name, with his authority, to
continue his work in the world as the Church — and only through the
Church can we even be talking about Jesus today. The fidelity of
Catholics to the Church, generation after generation, even when her
leaders have been foolish or weak or sinful — that fidelity is what
carries the message of the Gospel through time. Without the
Church, Jesus Christ cannot be known. So fidelity to the Church
and faithfulness to her teaching are not forms of servitude; they’re a
choice to participate in the act of giving life to the world.
Without the Church, we have only the world, and as every great saint
knew very well, the world is not enough to feed the hunger in our
hearts.
The Church is not an it. The Church is a she. St.
John XXIII described the Church as our mater et magistra; our mother
and teacher. We can love our mother; we can’t love an
institution. And while the Church has institutional forms, she is
always much more than the offices that serve her mission. She is
always much more than the sins of her children — whether they be popes
or bishops or priests or laypeople.
Vatican II, in Lumen Gentium 68, reminds us that Mary, “the mother of
Jesus … is the image and beginning of the Church as [she] is to be
perfected in the world to come. Likewise [the Church] shines
forth on earth until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. 2 Pt
3:10), a sign of certain hope and comfort to the pilgrim people of
God.” That’s the image we need to nourish in our hearts — especially in
times of confusion and scandal — to keep us focused on the reality of
the Church that gives life to her institutional forms.
ROMAN CATHOLIC MAN: America Needs an Elijah Movement by Fr Richard Heilman
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
34. As fire does not give birth to snow, so those
who seek honour here will not enjoy it there (in Heaven).
September 17, 2019
(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:
LATE CARDINAL CAFFARRA:
"Legalized abortion signifies calling what is good, evil, what is
light, shadow. It is a Satanic attempt to produce an "anti-Revelation,"
to generate an “anti-creation.” By ennobling the killing of
humans, Satan has laid the foundations for his ‘creation’: to remove
from creation the image of God, to obscure His presence therein".
NEWS REPORT: 2,246 fetal remains found on property of abortion doctor who recently died
THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY: Pro-choice equals No-choice by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP
ALETEIA: She kept the baby she conceived when raped and today he’s a priest who defends life
My mother’s greatest pride was having defended life,” Father Alfar
Antonio Vélez recounts. Originally from Colombia, Fr. Vélez is now a
missionary priest who serves as pastor for two parishes in Argentina.
He decided to go public with his personal testimony
to Valores Religiosos, an Argentinian Catholic news outlet, in 2012 in
reaction to legislation permitting abortion in various Latin American
countries.
“My mother was a
woman of great faith, very faithful and very holy. She used to say
that, despite the terrible circumstances, she was carrying in her womb
the miracle of a new life, a life which God had given her and which,
because of her convictions, she could not abort. She said that if God
had given it to her, she had to discover the reason.”
Fr. Vélez’s mother was raped at the age of 27 by a group of work
colleagues after they drugged her during a party. To cover up the
pregnancy, her family forced her to marry a widower, who later became
abusive. She had a child with him as well, and was forced to stay with
him for years, but to protect Antonio she sent him to live with his
grandmother.
Fr. Vélez continues the story:
“My mother told
me what had happened. She said that many people wanted her to have an
abortion. Others suggested that she should sell me or give me up for
adoption. She said some people were interested in taking me in … For
me, [discovering all of this] was very hard. I was just 10 years old.”
One day, young Alfar Antonio Vélez confronted God about the situation.
“I went to a church to complain to God, to ask him why this had
happened to me. Since I was shouting at God, a priest came up to me and
told me that I was asking the wrong question: ‘Don’t ask why, but
rather, to what end,’ he said. He said that precisely because of my
situation, God was calling me to do great things.”
The priest told Alfar Antonio that God writes straight with crooked
lines, and that he could be an instrument of the Lord. Then, he read to
Alfar Antonio the passage from the book of Jeremiah in which God calls
him and he resists, so the Lord tells him, “Don’t worry, I will do
everything for you.” Fr. Vélez remembers how “that conversation marked
me deeply. That priest ended up being like a father to me.”
Alfar Antonio eventually became a catechist, and after a while, a
seminarian. Today, that boy who was conceived in a violent and terrible
act is a happy priest who defends life.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
33. Just as thieves will not attack a place where
they see royal weapons stacked, so he who has united his heart to prayer
will not lightly be raided by spiritual thieves.
September 13, 2019
(2Th 2:15) Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions, which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle.
THE MOYNIHAN LETTERS: Letter #49, 2019: The Matter of Schism
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER: Cardinal Burke, Bishop Schneider Announce Crusade of Prayer and Fasting
Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider have issued an
eight-page declaration warning against six “serious theological errors
and heresies” they say are contained in the Amazonian Synod working
document, and calling for prayer and fasting to prevent them being
approved.
Cardinal Burke, patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, and Bishop
Schneider, auxiliary of Astana, Kazakhstan, have also published the
appeal so Pope Francis may “confirm his brethren in the faith by an
unambiguous rejection of the errors” in the working document.
They propose that clergy and laity “pray daily at least one decade of
the Holy Rosary and to fast once a week” for such intentions over a 40
day period, from Sept. 17 to Oct. 26.
The working document, called an instrumentum laboris, is meant to guide
discussions during the upcoming Oct. 6-27 synod of bishops whose theme
is: Amazonia, New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology.
BLOG: The
significance of Cardinal Brandmüller's latest condemnation of the
Amazon Synod: "A situation never before seen in the Church's history"
By now (6th September 2019), many
media outlets (among them Catholic Herald and Catholic News Agency)
have reported on the latest broadside against the upcoming Amazon Synod
(and its Instrumentum Laboris) by Cardinals Raymond Burke and Walter.
This is not the first time that either Cardinal has denounced this
horrid document. What is new is Brandmüller's declaration that the
current crisis surpasses even the Arian Crisis in severity:
"We must face serious challenges to the integrity of the Deposit of the
Faith, the sacramental and hierarchical structure of the Church and its
Apostolic Tradition. With all this has been created a situation never
before seen in the Church’s history, not even during the Arian crisis
of the fourth and fifth century," Brandmüller added.
That the Church is today facing its
worst crisis ever -- worse than the Arian crisis, worse than the
Reformation -- is not a new verdict. Many a Traditionalist layman and a
handful of clerics have said as much for decades. For a Cardinal to say
pretty much the same thing (even if limited to the current pontificate)
is entirely something else.
A Cardinal who is not an ordinary
prelate, but one of the most accomplished ecclesiastical historians of
our time: President of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences
from 1998 to 2009, one of the foremost experts on the history of the
Ecumenical Councils, author of the definitive history of the
extraordinarily convoluted Council of Constance, a scholar who was
written on some of the worst episodes of the Church's story, a man
whose red hat was widely seen as Benedict XVI's recognition of his
brilliant historical work.
One is almost embarrassed to have to say against the inevitable
naysayers and self-decorated apologists that Brandmuller does know his
Church history.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
32. As mere hearsay does not provoke violent desire
to taste what the eye has not seen, so those who are chaste in body get
great relief through their ignorance.
September 11, 2019
(Isa 58:5-9) Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict
his soul for a day? is this it, to wind his head about like a circle,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes? wilt thou call this a fast, and a
day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this rather the fast that I have
chosen? loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress,
let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden. Deal
thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into
thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not
thy own flesh.
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall
speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory
of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord
shall hear: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt
take away the chain out of the midst of thee, and cease to stretch out
the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not.
VATICAN STATEMENT:
“His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the devastating
impact Hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas, and he expresses his spiritual
solidarity and deep pastoral concern to those affected by this
catastrophe. The Holy Father offers heartfelt prayers that
Almighty God will grant eternal peace to those who have died and
consolation and strength to the homeless, injured and suffering.
Expressing his hope that the international community will respond with
prompt and effective assistance His Holiness invokes upon all engaged
in this massive work of relief and rebuilding the Lord's is of strength
and generous perseverance in the service of their brothers and sisters."
ANGELUS NEWS: Nassau archbishop assesses post-hurricane challenges in Bahamas
VATICAN NEWS: Church in Bahamas reaches out to victims of Hurricane Dorian
Archbishop
Patrick Pinder of Nassau, the capital, appealed for help for the
affected people, describing the tragedy as a “massive destruction on a
scale we’ve never before seen in the history of our little nation.” In
a video message on the archdiocesan website,
Archbishop Pinder said that many are rendered homeless and some 70,000
people have been hit. Infrastructure, institutions and businesses
have been severely damaged, and many lives have been lost and the death
toll is likely to rise as more bodies are found. The Bahamas, he
noted, is in the hurricane zone, and people need to be prepared to be
in a better position to respond when such disasters strike.
The first response, he said, is to
provide the very basic needs of the people, namely, food, water,
shelter, clothing, etc. Archbishop Pinder said that his
archdiocese is calling on its Catholic partners overseas to help
provide some of the basic needs of the affected people. But the
scale of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Dorian is so enormous
that their rebuilding effort is going to take a very long time.
Hence the immediate response of the Church is very important and the
long term response is also going to be equally important.
Archbishop Pinder pointed out that it not only a question of providing
material help. People also need spiritual, mental and
psychological help, which, he said, the archdiocese needs to pay close
attention to.
CNS: Catholic organizations in Florida marshaling aid for Dorian victims
In the wake of Hurricane Dorian's
brutal blasting of the Bahamas, Catholic organizations in Florida
continued to raise funds to aid victims there. The best aid from
individual Catholics is monetary donations. Money can be used to
buy supplies in bulk and get them delivered promptly, and to reboot the
local economy, enabling communities to start getting back on their
feet. Money also ensures the items sent are actually the items
needed -- not just immediately after the disaster but months later,
when recovery is ongoing.
"It's the agencies that are on the
ground providing the help, they really know what is needed. So
it's best to give them the resources so they can purchase locally what
is needed. It helps to get businesses back up and running
locally," Peter Routsis-Arroyo, director of the Archdiocese of Miami's
Catholic Charities, told the Florida Catholic, Miami's archdiocesan
newspaper. Arroyo noted the "tremendous amount of manpower" and
agency funds required to organize, pack and ship donated items.
"If we had just turned that money over to them, there's none of those
costs involved in that," he said.
Not to mention that some items may only be needed the first few days. "Maybe
they need MREs (meals ready to eat) for the first two days, but that's
it," he said. Other needs will arise as reconstruction begins,
Arroyo added.
The Catholic Church has a distinct
advantage, though, when disaster strikes anywhere: an interconnected
network of churches and agencies with deep roots and deep knowledge of
the affected communities.
Hurricane relief donations to CRS can be sent here: https://support.crs.org/donate/hurricane-dorian and to Catholic Charities USA here: https://app.mobilecause.com/form/RTKRvQ?vid=1snqm.
Cross Catholic Outreach is working with Catholic Charities of Miami and
the Archdiocese of Nassau to provide much-needed food and medical
supplies to affected families and children.
Join Cross Catholic Outreach in helping to provide emergency relief to victims of Hurricane Dorian today at https://crosscatholic.org/hurricane-dorian-donations/.
ALETEIA: The Knights of Columbus sending money to Bahamas
The Knights also are donating at least $250,000 to the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
K of C members have already begun
to help the islands’ more than 70,000 residents who are coping with the
massive destruction caused by the natural disaster. They are
helping to coordinate relief efforts — along with the Archdiocese of
Nassau, Catholic Charities, Crossroads Alliance, Aerobridge and Angel
Flight — to fly and ship supplies into the various islands of the
Bahamas.
“The funds we announce today
complement the work that our members are carrying out on the ground,”
said Anderson. “When disaster strikes, we strike back with
service.”
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
31. As winds stir the deep, so, more than all other
things, bad temper disturbs the mind.
September 9, 2019
(1Ki 18:21) And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you
halt between two sides? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal,
then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word.
NEWS REPORT: Half of Catholics attending Mass 28 years ago no longer do, figures show
COMMENTARY: Losing Our Religion by Fr. Shenan J. Boquet
EXCERPT MSGR POPE BLOG: Time to Decide – A Reflection on a Question from Elijah
Elijah appealed to all the people and said, “How long will you straddle
the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”
The people, however, did not answer him (1 Kings 18:21).
At a critical moment Elijah thus asked his question. In effect he
told them that they needed to decide whether to serve the Lord God out
of courageous fidelity or the Baals out of cowardly fear.
We, too, must decide. In our times, the true faith has been
undermined in the hearts of many by plausible liars, cultural war, and
political correctness. Those who strive to hold to the true faith
are called hateful, bigoted, and intolerant. A legal framework is
growing that seeks to compel compliance to the moral revolution and
abandonment of the biblical worldview. Social pressures are at
work as well, seeking to force compliance through political
correctness, through suppression of speech and ideas, and through the
influence of music, cinema, and art.
The same question must be asked of us: How long will you straddle
the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him (whatever the
cost). If Baal is your god, follow him! If you prefer what
is popular, trendy, politically correct, and safe, go for it. But
understand that if you do so, your decision is increasingly for Baal,
not the Lord. In a culture that insists you celebrate
fornication, homosexual acts, transgenderism, abortion, euthanasia, and
all sorts of intemperance, realize that your decision to comply amounts
to a choice for Baal.
Some claim that they are not really making a fundamental choice against
God and for the modern Baals. Rather, they prefer to think that
they are being “tolerant,” that they are pleasant moderates seeking to
build bridges and keep the faith “mainstream.” Today the lines are
starkly drawn. The choices required of us are clear. The
ancient maxim has never been more true: tertium non datur (no third way
is given). Jesus says, You cannot serve God and mammon (Mat
6:24). James adds, Adulterers! Do you not realize that a
friendship with the world is enmity at God? (James 4:4) Elijah’s
question cannot be watered down. There are two sides in the moral
battle of our times: choose a side.
In Elijah’s time, the people did not want to answer. The text
says that they just stood there, silent. But silence does not
make the question or the choice go away. Indeed, prolonged
silence to so fundamental a question becomes an answer in itself.
Silence and fence-sitting are not valid answers when the lines are so
clearly drawn.
To the fence-sitters is directed this warning in the form of an old story:
A man once refused to take sides in the critical and disputed matters
of his day, nobly declaring that he was tolerant of all views.
Taking his seat on the fence he congratulated himself for his
moderation and openness; others did too. One day the devil came
and said, “Come along now, you’re with me.” The man protested, “I don’t
belong to you. I’m on the fence!” The devil simply replied: “Oh,
but you do belong to me. I own the fence."
“How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”
EXCERPT FR JOSEPH ESPER: Where Are We Going?
It seems many people today are not only distracted by this world’s
pleasures and concerns; they give no thought whatsoever to what will
happen to them when this life ends, and are completely unprepared for
death and judgment. As Christians and especially as Catholics, we
are supposed to know better than this; our faith teaches us that every
passing day brings us 24 hours closer to our entry into eternity.
When Jesus refers to being ready for this experience as “entering
through the narrow gate”, He means that to be successful, we must keep
our eyes on the goal and stay focused on what really matters.
Among other things, this requires us to attend Mass every weekend, so
that we can grow in grace by worthily receiving Holy Communion; pray
every day, even if just for a few minutes; pray not only when we need
something, but also to praise and thank God; pray not only for our own
intentions, but also for the needs of others; receive the Sacrament of
Reconciliation whenever we’re conscious of serious sin, and once or
twice a year even if we only have venial sins; forgive others so that
we may be forgiven; treat others as we wish to be treated; seek God’s
guidance in all our important decisions; pay more attention to
Scripture and the teachings of the Church than to the values of this
world; and place Jesus at the center of our lives by striving to be
humble, loving, and compassionate.
By trying to live in such a manner, we ensure that, through God’s
grace, we won’t lose sight of our goal or stray from the proper
path. It doesn’t really matter when or how we die, as long as we
are prepared when the moment arrives—and if we are, our lives will have
been a success, and we will rejoice to be numbered among those who
recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
30. As the sun makes gold glitter, so virtue makes
manifest the man who possesses it (cf. Mat 5:14).
September 5, 2019
(1Pe 4:12-14) Dearly beloved, think
not strange the burning heat which is to try you: as if some new thing
happened to you. But if you partake of the sufferings of Christ,
rejoice that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may also be glad
with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you
shall be blessed: for that which is of the honour, glory and power of
God, and that which is his Spirit resteth upon you.
VATICAN NEWS HEADLINE: Eritrea: 150 Christians arrested on account of their faith
ZENIT: Martyr Catechists of Mozambique on Path to Beatification
EXCERPT CRISIS MAGAZINE: The Paradox of Persecution by Fr. Benedict Kiely
The persecution of Christians throughout the world is one of the great
evils of our time. The twentieth century saw the death of more
Christians under the atheistic Nazi and Communist regimes than all the
previous centuries combined. The first decades of the 21st century have
seen ancient persecutors of the Faith reemerge—something Belloc
predicted after the defeat of the Ottoman empire at the end of World
War I.
The threat is posed, not only radical Islam (certainly the most deadly
and widespread cause of Christian persecution today), but also radical
Hinduism and Buddhism. Although not yet experiencing persecution to the
point of death, the new and ugly phenomenon of aggressive secularism in
the West brings persecution of a different sort.
Preaching an empty message of tolerance, the smiling agents of freedom
find it intolerable to allow Christians to live their faith and,
increasingly, to be employed in certain occupations. This will only get
worse. From Iraq to Indonesia, from Syria to Nigeria, in Pakistan,
Egypt and Mali, Christians are being martyred for their faith on a
daily basis. Europe is not immune; one only has to think of the elderly
Fr. Jacques Hamel, martyred in Normandy while celebrating Mass. There
is little reason to doubt such assaults are likely to increase.
Yet, despite the tsunami of persecution flooding across so much of the
world, there are very few prophetic voices addressing this evil. The
mainstream media is remarkably silent about attacks on Christians. In
the same week as the awful attack on the mosque in Christchurch, New
Zealand—a heinous and unconscionable crime—more than two hundred
Christians were killed in Nigeria. There was hardly any mention of the
latter in the news. There were no marches for martyred Christians, no
tolling of church bells ordered by governments, no “Je suis Charlie”
t-shirts… no public outrage at all.
It could be argued that one of the functions of an effective media
would be to exercise some of the prophetic qualities identified by Knox:
to see and name the evils of the day. Perhaps for some, the assault on
Christians is not an evil. Even those actually charged by their
vocation to exercise the prophetic office—namely, bishops and
priests—seem peculiarly silent about the ongoing slaughter of our
fellow believers.
It might be ignorance, or the more deadly sin of indifference, that
keeps the sentinels silent. But, as European Union envoy on religious
freedom Jan Figel has said, “ignorance and indifference are allies of
evil.”
Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil identifed another reason for the
silence of so many clerics about the persecution: fear of being labeled
“politically incorrect”—especially with regard to any criticism of
Islam. Yet the followers of Christ have been persecuted from the
beginning. Christ, in fact, promised that faithful Christians would
receive the same treatment He received.
The Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Damascus, Ignatius Ephrem, often
refers to persecution as a “mark” of the Church; she is One, Holy,
Catholic, Apostolic, and Persecuted. She regards martyrdom, the
shedding of one’s blood for Christ, as the greatest act of witness. The
very “cloud of witnesses” described in St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews
has always been for the Church a source of inspiration and
encouragement.
From the earliest martyrs of Rome to the English martyrs of the
Reformation and through to the martyrs of the present age, the stories
of these men and women’s heroic fidelity are meant to revive and
strengthen the faith of lethargic and slothful Christians. And it’s not
only the martyrs who inspire. So, too, do the confessors—those willing
to lose property and position because of the Faith. Consider the
Christians of Iraq who persevere in their homeland, or the bakers and
florists here in the West who won’t cater to same-sex marriages, or the
doctors and nurses who refuse to facilitate abortion.
These modern-day martyrs and confessors also pose a curious question
regarding how Christians ought to face persecution: fight or flight?
It’s an ageless question, and one that speaks to what we might call the
paradox of persecution. Except in those instances where persecutors
succeed in nearly annihilating the Church, as in Enver Hoxha’s Albania
or present-day North Korea, the persecuted Church tends to exhibit the
supernatural energy and fidelity depicted in the Acts of the Apostles.
(Think of the Church in Poland during the communist years, or the
underground Ukrainian Catholic Church.) Yet the freedom to practice the
Faith without mass persecution leads to assimilation with societal
norms. A steady drip of apostates, particularly young people and
intellectuals, slowly drains the Church.
“It is not what a man suffers, but the cause for which he suffers, that
makes a man a martyr,” wrote Ronald Knox. It’s a scandal that those who
proclaim the religion of human rights do not raise their voices in
defense of persecuted Christians. The scandal is even graver for those
who are meant to speak for their fellow believers. Defending the
persecuted, whatever the cost to ourselves, isn’t an option for those
who call themselves Christians: it’s the only path available to us. Yet
the paradox of persecution means that, without those martyrs and
confessors, we may forget what true witness looks like.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
29. As he who wears perfumes makes his presence
felt by the fragrance whether he wants to or not, so he who has the Spirit
of the Lord is known by his words and his humility.
September 3, 2019
(Mat 25:37-40) Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did
we see thee hungry and fed thee: thirsty and gave thee drink? Or when
did we see thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee?
Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee? And the
king answering shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did
it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.
VATICAN NEWS: Pope in Africa, a witness to hope:
On Wednesday, the Pope sets out on the 31st apostolic journey of his
pontificate outside Italy, which will take him to Mozambique,
Madagascar and Mauritius. Expectations are high regarding the
September 4 to 10 visit. Some point out that the Pope is visiting
a continent that is often wounded but which is capable of building a
present and a future of hope.
FIDES.ORG: A priest killed while going to mediate in the conflict between two rival populations
A Nigerian priest was killed who
was mediating in a conflict between ethnic groups in central-eastern
Nigeria. On August 29, Fr David Tanko was stopped by armed men on
the way to the village of Takum, where he was to attend a meeting to
mediate a peace agreement aimed at ending the crisis that opposes the
Tiv and Jukun populations.
According to local sources, the
criminals, perhaps belonging to a Tiv militia, after killing Fr.
Tanko set fire to the body of the priest and his car.
His Exc. Mgr. Charles
Michael Hammawa, Bishop of Jalingo, condemned the killing of Fr.
David Tanko: "As soon as we heard the news of his death we were
shocked. The diocese is in mourning". The Bishop added: "We
preached peace and made efforts to bring both sides to the negotiating
table. State police promised me they are investigating the case,
we pray that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. "Our
main concern now is to give him a proper burial. We do not want
there to be retaliation that would only worsen the situation", warned
Bishop Hammawa. The priest's funeral will be held on September 2,
while the burial will take place on September 3 in the diocesan
cemetery of Jalingo.
According to reports, this is the 11th Catholic priest killed in Africa this 2019.
PASTORAL LETTER: "Intervene to protect the population from violence; otherwise national unit is at risk"
EXCERPT ACN: As Boko Haram’s campaign of Islamist terror in Nigeria marks 10th year, faith of Christians persists
It has been 10 years since Boko
Haram began its reign of terror in northeastern Nigeria, with inroads
into Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Since 2009, in clashes with the
Nigerian army and in attacks on towns, churches and mosques, some
40,000 people have died and two million have been left homeless, with
millions more dependent on humanitarian aid. Hundreds of people,
particularly women and girls, have been kidnapped, tortured and forced
to convert to Islam. The Diocese of Maiduguri in Borno State, the
birthplace of Boko Haram, has been particularly hard hit by Boko Haram,
which has remained active despite recent military setbacks. Aid
to the Church in Need (ACN) spoke with Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of
Maiduguri about the current situation.
How is the Diocese of Maiduguri presently doing?
For much of the past ten years the
Church in Maiduguri has experienced severe persecution at the hands of
Boko Haram. But, at the moment, things have improved
greatly. Many, though not all, of our people who were displaced
have returned to their ancestral homes. The faith of the faithful
is becoming stronger. Some of the destroyed structures have been
rebuilt. We give thanks and praise to God for his mercy and
kindness towards His children in the Catholic Diocese of
Maiduguri. To God be the glory.
The
diocesan Cathedral of St. Patrick’s, which had been gravely
damaged by Boko Haram, was rebuilt and rededicated in July. What
does that mean for the local Church?
Our cathedral and other structures
within the compound suffered two bomb blasts in 2012. Thanks be
to God, no lives were lost. The dedication of the newly rebuilt
cathedral is a clear sign that victory has been won by God for his
people and it marks the beginning of the Church’s recovery from the
crisis. In 2014, more than half of the territory that comprises
our diocese was under Boko Haram control. At that time we could
not have imagined a rebuilt cathedral.
Amazingly, the parishioners of
St. Patrick’s Cathedral Maiduguri were able to raise up to
three-quarters of the funds needed to rebuild the cathedral. The
greatest asset the Church possesses in the midst of persecution is the
faith of the people. ACN has been a huge help as well.
What is your message to ACN and its donors?
ACN has been the backbone of the Church in our diocese. Without
the support we have received from ACN, the Church in our diocese would
have long collapsed. We are indeed grateful to the staff of ACN
and its numerous donors for the tremendous support they have been
giving the suffering Church in the Diocese of Maiduguri. The
suffering Church is praying for all of you. May the good Lord who
can never be outdone in generosity reward you all with his peace in
this world and with eternal life in His.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 26- "Brief Summary on Discernment"
28. As water in a strait often rises, so the soul
that is straitened by dangers ascends to God by repentance and is saved.
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