Keep
your eyes open!...
September 29, 2023
(Dan 12:1-2) But
at that time shall Michael rise up, the great prince, who standeth for
the children of thy people: and a time shall come, such as never was
from the time that nations began, even until that time. And at that
time shall thy people be saved, every one that shall be found written
in the book. And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth,
shall awake: some unto life everlasting, and others unto reproach, to
see it always.
CATHOLIC CULTURE: Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels
THOMAS À KEMPIS: The Imitation of Christ — Resisting Temptation
THE TIMES HERALD: Understanding the archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel
The Church celebrates the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
on September 29th. The Roman Catholic Church confirms the existence of
angels and that they are active in our lives. In fact, the Catechism of
the Roman Catholic Church defines angels as: “The existence of the
spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls
‘angels’ is a truth of faith.” The etymology of the word “angel” comes
from the Greek “aggelos” which means “messenger.” The Bible states that
there are “nine choirs” of angels and each choir has a name and a
purpose. The Bible also mentions that there are archangels, which are
depicted as leaders and given special responsibilities and duties by
God. The Bible and the Church recognize seven archangels; however, only
three are named — Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Michael means “one who is like God.” This powerful archangel is also
described as the “great prince” in the book of Daniel. His duty is to
accomplish goodness as he is the protector of souls and defends with
his sword the aspirations of the devil who Jesus calls a “murderer from
the beginning” and the “father of lies” in the Gospel of John. In the
book of Jude Michael the Archangel argues with the devil over the body
of Moses and in Revelation, he leads the other angels in a battle
against the wicked dragon.
St. Michael visited the three children — Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta —
in 1917 at Fatima to prepare them for the appearance of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. He said to them, “Fear not, I am the Angel of Peace. Pray
with me.” Then, he knelt and said, “My God; I believe, I adore, I hope,
and I love Thee! I beg Thee forgiveness for those who do not believe.”
Pope St. John Paul II described Michael the Archangel’s task as “The
battle against the devil is the principal task of this archangel.” In
the Book of Revelation Scripture narrates that “The war broke out in
heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.” Although
the dragon and the angels fought back, the angels were overpowered.
However, the huge dragon, known as Satan, was driven out and he was
hurled down to earth and his minions with him.
Gabriel means “God is my strength.” He is possibly the most recognized
archangel as he had the privilege of appearing to Mary to reveal to her
that she would bear the Christ Child in the Gospel of Luke. He was sent
from God to Nazareth “to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph and
the virgin’s name was Mary.
Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote, “Gabriel came to announce the One who
appeared as a humble man to quell the cosmic powers. Thus, God’s
strength announced the coming of the Lord.” Most significant are
Gabriel’s two mentions in the New Testament to announce the birth of
John the Baptist to his father Zacharias and the Incarnation of the
Word in the womb of Mary. Christian tradition suggests that he appeared
to St. Joseph and the shepherds at the birth of Jesus and also that it
was he who strengthened Jesus during his agony in the garden of
Gethsemane.
Raphael means “God is health.” He is one of the seven angels “who enter
and serve before the Glory of the Lord” according to Tobit. The meaning
of this name reflects that he touched Tobit’s eyes in order to heal
them of blindness. His office is generally accepted by tradition to be
that of healing and acts of mercy. Raphael is identified as the angel
in the Book of John who descended upon the pond and bestowed healing
powers upon it so that the first to enter into it would be healed of
whatever infirmity he was suffering.
Each of these angles has different responsibilities. Michael is a
warrior, Raphael is a guardian and Gabriel is a messenger. However,
their common purpose is that they act on behalf of God to help his
people and bring God glory. St. Augustine teaches that the angels’
office is not their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is
a spirit. In other words, the office of the angels is the one of
mission, as messengers of God while their nature is defined as
non-physical, personal spiritual beings created by God. The Catechism
teaches that the angels’ office is that they are “servants and
messengers of God. Because they always behold the face of the Father in
heaven. They are the mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the
voice of his word.”
Every moment of each day, the faithful guardian angels stand by our
side, focusing on our well-being. Let us thank God each day for their
protection and guidance, giving us clarity in our lives. God has
commended to each of us an angel of our own. We give thanks to the
angels who guide us to love God.
Pope John Paul II (1994):
"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle we are told about in
the Letter to the Ephesians: "Draw strength from the Lord and from His
mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this
same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St. Michael the
Archangel (Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had a very vivid
recollection of this scene when, at the end of the last century, he
introduced a special prayer to St. Michael throughout the Church.
Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask
everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle
against forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
45. Poeman said, 'Do not live in a place where some are jealous of you; you will make no progress there.'
September 27, 2023
(Heb 12:5-8) And
you have forgotten the consolation which speaketh to you, as unto
children, saying: My son, neglect not the discipline of the Lord:
neither be thou wearied whilst thou art rebuked by him. For whom the
Lord loveth he chastiseth: and he scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth. Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his
sons. For what son is there whom the father doth not correct? But if
you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are
you bastards and not sons.
OUR LADY AT La SALETTE:
"If my people will not submit, I shall be forced to let fall the arm of
my Son. It is so strong, so heavy, that I can no longer withhold it.
For how long a time do I suffer for you! If I would not have my Son
abandon you, I am compelled to pray to Him without ceasing; and as to
you, you take no heed of it".
A MOMENT WITH MARY: Jesus at San Nicolás de los Arroyos: "Souls will come to me through the means of Mary’s Immaculate Heart."
The warnings said that mankind is "in the process of
falling into a progressive self-destruction" and the Virgin Mary
represents hope. "It is up to you to set your eyes and your heart on
God," she said.
The diocese's successive local bishops have discussed the apparitions
several times. Bishop Domingo Salvador Castagna ordered the
construction of a shrine as the Virgin had requested. Construction
began in 1987 and the shrine was consecrated in 1990. That year, he
approved the publication and dissemination of the messages of Our Lady
of the Rosary in San Nicolas.
It is unique that the bishops have approved the apparition messages (on
May 22, 2016) from 1983-1990, even though the apparition is continuing
today.
CATHOLIC CULTURE: The Mystery of Punishment and Suffering
God usually intervenes in history
with the subtlety of grace. He lavishes grace upon us in the
Sacraments, honoring our God-given freedom, and directing us,
especially with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. In rare instances, His
interventions are bold and astonishing. He miraculously heals us, and
the Church often credits the intercession of saints for the favor. We
can also expect His rare and mysterious intervention in dramatic acts
of Divine wrath.
God demonstrates His sovereignty by
dispensing His justice. God did not punish before the Fall because
there was no need to change good behavior. The disobedience of Adam and
Eve introduced sinful patterns (sinful inclinations and personal sin),
mysteriously inflicting innocent suffering and the pain of correction.
Punishment—or its prospect—helps change bad behavior. God’s
chastisement of the Israelites and others in the Old Testament
testifies to punishment as an individual and communal warning, sparing
the just from ultimate condemnation.
God’s punishment is terrible but
purposeful. “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside
me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal, and there is none that
can deliver out of my hand.” (Dt. 32:39) God gives life, and He
destroys it. He extinguishes entire armies that threaten His Chosen
People. His agent—Elijah the Prophet—slashes the throats of apostate
prophets with impunity. God’s violence is brutal and illustrates, by
contrast, the even greater horror of sin and disobedience to His will.
The wrath of God in the Old
Testament prepares the way for the mercy of Jesus the Redeemer, Who
forgives the repentant and saves us from the eternal fires of hell.
“For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but
that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn. 3:17) Jesus took upon
himself the totality of eternal punishment for our sins: “For our sake
he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:2) But He didn’t take upon himself
the totality of the temporal punishment for our sins: “Now I rejoice in
my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is
lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the
church.” (Col. 1:24)
We cannot ignore God’s wrath in the
Scriptures by emphasizing the one-sided mercy of Jesus. “For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the
Lord.” (Is. 55:8) God is supreme, and St. Paul says: “Do not be
deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap.” (Gal. 6:7) His expressions of wrath express His perfect justice
and Divine will. He need not persuade us of its appropriateness.
ROBERTO DE MATTEI: Divine Warnings to an Unfaithful Europe
A circle of sorrow seems almost to be tightening around unfaithful
Europe. It seems to be one of God’s final warnings in the face of the
outrages he receives every day around the world. It is time for
reflection. The chastisement is not only war, which could spread to the
whole of Europe, but also a series of devastating natural cataclysms,
which would be the dramatic denouement of a human stubbornness too long
endured by the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth, infinitely patient and
merciful, but also infallibly just.
THE CATHOLIC THING: Get Ready for Some Explosions
POPE PIUS XII:
To know Jesus crucified is to know God’s horror of sin; its guilt could
be washed away only in the precious blood of God’s only begotten Son
become man.
Perhaps the greatest sin in the world
today is that men have begun to lose the sense of sin. Smother that,
deaden it – it can hardly be wholly cut out from the heart of man – let
it not be awakened by any glimpse of the God-man dying on Golgotha’s
cross to pay the penalty of sin, and what is there to hold back the
hordes of God’s enemy from over-running the selfishness, the pride, the
sensuality and unlawful ambitions of sinful man? Will mere human
legislation suffice? Or compacts and treaties?
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
44. Joseph asked Poemen, 'How should we fast?' Poemen said, 'I suggest
that everyone should eat a little less than he wants, every day.'
Joseph said to him, 'When you were a young man, didn't you fast for two
days on end?' He said to him, 'That's right, I used to fast three days
on end, even for a week. But the great hermits have tested all these
things, and they found that it is good to eat something every day, but
on some days a little less. They have shown us that this is the king's
highway, for it is easy and light.'
September 25, 2023
(Psa 46:10) Be still and see that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth.
CARMELITE QUOTES: Quote of the day, 16 September: Brother Lawrence
SPIRITUALDIRECTION.COM: Struggling With Idea Of Practicing The Presence Of God: What To Do?
ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY: In Times of Tribulation, He will be our only Protection if only we Remain Faithful to Him
Confusion, bewilderment and anxiety seize the souls of people not only
at challenging and confusing times, but also in everyday life. The
thing is that all our fears, in one way or another, resurface and
become evident at the moments of particular instability or danger. So,
how should we continue with our lives? How can we endure those times?
Generally speaking, a human soul always anticipates the imminent
approach of certain events and sometimes shows a certain level of
anxiety beforehand. What’s important here is to prepare ourselves in
the right way. God is the source of our spiritual power. Of course, if
we leisurely waste our time, what we get as a result is something like
a spiritual inner revolt. Man begins to flounder, or even grossly
overestimate the scale of this or that problem in his life.
The holy fathers counsel us to live life according to faith. As for the
fears resulting from certain events and personal situations in life,
they arise from mistrust towards God and the lack of living faith.
It is easy to talk and think about it, but in practice, everything is
much more complicated. We can see how some people, seemingly devout
Christians, suddenly break down once they end up feeling pain or have
some emergency. This is also a kind of test of the firmness of our
faith, whether it is a living faith, as we typically spend much time
talking about it. But in actual practice, it often happens that we
distrust God and lose ourselves in this cycle of events.
So, what are we to do? Above everything else, we should make an effort
to pray. Even if we don’t want to, we must force ourselves to pray, and
the Lord will see our zeal and bestow the gift of true prayer upon us,
along with the power to cope with difficulties.
Archimandrite John Krestiankin says:
“Anything that comes from our enemy expels peace of mind and our hope
in a better outcome. Why don’t we live in peace, pray to God and trust
Him! Doesn’t the Lord know how to protect His children from times of
calamity, as long as our hearts stay faithful to Him? A life replete
with adversities teaches us how to pray. It was during my time in
prison that I learned to pray genuinely, and it happened that way
because I was on the brink of death every day.” This also tells us that
we are now learning to pray genuinely, not just with our lips, but also
in our hearts, and we direct our prayer up towards God, with every
breath and every word.
Even in our time, many people wonder: “Why do we need all these
tribulations? Why can’t God take it all from our life at once? He is
God, after all, and He can do this!” But have we fulfilled His
commandments? Ah, how many more questions can we ask ourselves?
Woefully, the answers will be far from positive.
The elder says the following in response:
“By no means, this is an idle question, and all men face it sooner or
later; and our life itself provides an answer for us. It is because
life is taught by life. Besides, the answer depends on one essential
point, namely: “What kind of faith do you have?" I will not tire of
saying the words of the holy fathers who walked the arduous path of a
life full of sorrows and discovered peace and joy in God. The core of
our strength hinges on their teachings, so that we don’t grow weak:
‘There is nothing that was created on earth that was not created by
God, because God is at the beginning of it all’."
Nothing happens in this world without God, and we must acknowledge this
before all else. The Lord knows what we are supposed to have, and we
shouldn’t blame one another for anything. Moreover, we shouldn’t murmur
against God.
Archimandrite John Krestiankin repeatedly taught:
“Our hope and strength is in the
unshakeable conviction that there is absolutely nothing in the world
that happens without God, but that everything that happens is either
according to His will, or He allows it to happen. It is by His will and
by His action that all good things are made. The opposite happens only
because He allows it to happen, when the omnipotence of God leaves us
alone because of the filthiness and hardness of our hearts, and allows
the devil or unrighteous passions of the flesh have tyranny over us. It
so happens that it is in these heart-wrenching moments when we should
unshakably realize that God is all-encompassing love and blessing.
Anything that comes from Him is for our benefit. As for the Lord’s
method, it can’t be scrutinized, but we should never get discouraged or
murmur when we cannot understand what is going on with us. It is in
such moments that man manifests the work of faith and aquires the crown
of salvation.”
May the Lord give us all the spiritual and physical strength to survive
these times. Send, O Lord, Thy mercy to every one of us. Enlighten all
of us, O Lord, and give us enough time for the salvation of our souls
through repentance.
Glory to God for everything!
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
43. Joseph asked him about the same subject. Poemen said, 'If you shut
a snake or a scorpion in a box in the end it will die. Wicked thoughts,
which the demons scatter, slowly lose their power if the victim has
endurance.'
September 22, 2023
(Eph 4:3-6) 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.
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT: On the illogic and insanity of sedevacantism
MARK MALLET BLOG: The Final Trial?
GLORIA DEI: Bishop Schneider: About the Validity of the Pontificate of Pope Francis
There is no authority to declare or
consider an elected and generally accepted Pope as an invalid Pope. The
constant practice of the Church makes it evident that even in the case
of an invalid election this invalid election will be de facto healed
through the general acceptance of the new elected by the overwhelming
majority of the cardinals and bishops.
Even in the case of a heretical
pope he will not lose his office automatically and there is no body
within the Church to declare him deposed because of heresy. Such
actions would come close to a kind of a heresy of conciliarism or
episcopalism. The heresy of conciliarism or episcopalism says basically
that there is a body within the Church (Ecumenical Council, Synod,
College of Cardinals, College of Bishops), which can issue a legally
binding judgment over the Pope.
The theory of the automatic loss of
the papacy due to heresy remains only an opinion, and even St. Robert
Bellarmin noticed this and did not present it as a teaching of the
Magisterium itself. The perennial papal Magisterium never taught such
an option. In 1917, when the Code of Canon Law (Codex Iuris Canonici)
came into force, the Magisterium of the Church eliminated from the new
legislation the remark of the Decretum Gratiani in the old Corpus Iuris
Canonici, which stated, that a Pope, who deviates from right doctrine,
can be deposed. Never in history the Magisterium of the Church did
admit any canonical procedures of deposition of a heretical pope. The
Church has no power over the pope formally or judicially.The surer
Catholic tradition says, that in the case of a heretical pope, the
members of the Church can avoid him, resist him, refuse to obey him,
all of which can be done without requiring a theory or opinion, that
says that a heretical pope automatically loses his office or can be
deposed consequently.
Therefore being it so, we must
follow the surer way (via tutior) and abstain from defending the merely
opinion of theologians (even be them Saints like St. Robert Bellarmin),
which says that a heretical pope automatically loses his office or can
be deposed by the Church therefore.
The pope cannot commit heresy when
he speaks ex cathedra, this is a dogma of faith. In his teaching
outside of ex cathedra statements, however, he can commit doctrinal
ambiguities, errors and even heresies. And since the pope is not
identical with the entire Church, the Church is stronger than a
singular erring or heretical Pope. In such a case one should
respectfully correct him (avoiding purely human angerand disrespectful
language), resist him as one would resist a bad father of family. Yet,
the members of a family cannot declare their evil father deposed from
the fatherhood. They can correct him, refuse to obey him, separate
themselves from him, but they cannot declare him deposed.
Good Catholics know the truth and
must proclaim it, offer reparation for the errors of an erring Pope.
Since the case of a heretical pope is humanly irresolvable, we must
implore with supernatural faith a Divine intervention, because that
singular erring Pope is not eternal, but temporal, and the Church is
not in our hands, but in the almighty hands of God.
We must have enough supernatural
faith, trust, humility, spirit of the Cross in order to endure such an
extraordinary trial. In such relatively short situations (in comparison
to 2000 years) we must not yield to a too human reaction and to an easy
solution (declaring the invalidity of his pontificate), but must keep
sobriety (keep a cool head) and at the same time a true supernatural
view and trust in Divine intervention and in the indestructibility of
the Church.
POPE BENEDICT XVI
(2005): The power that Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors
is, in an absolute sense, a mandate to serve. The power of teaching in
the Church involves a commitment to the service of obedience to the
Faith. The pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires
are law. On the contrary: the pope’s ministry is a guarantee of
obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own
ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience
to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it
down, and every form of opportunism. … The pope knows that in his
important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all
times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout
the Church’s pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above the Word of
God, but at the service of it. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that
this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in
its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in
usage.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
42. Isaiah questioned him about the same subject. Poemen said, 'Cloth,
if it is too long in a chest, becomes rotten. If our bodies do not
bring those thoughts into the daylight, then they will rot or be
destroyed.'
September 20, 2023
(1Ti 4:1-2) Now
the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error and doctrines of
devils, Speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared,
MARK MALLET BLOG: Hidden in Plain Sight
CRISIS MAGAZINE: Living in a Messy Church
THE CATHOLIC THING: ‘Outing’ the Liberal Catholic Project
CATHOLIC REVIEW ARCHIVES: ‘Those who place their confidence in me will be saved’: The message of Our Lady of Akita
July 6, 2023 marked the 50th
anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Akita. On June 12,
1973, Sister Agnes Sasagawa of the Handmaids of the Eucharist began
receiving heavenly visions in a convent located in Akita, Japan. At
first she saw angelic beings worshipping the Eucharist, but then, on
July 6, 1973, Sister Agnes reported a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary
speaking, relaying a powerful message similar to what the three
shepherd children received in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.
The statue soon after began to
bleed and tears started to flow down her cheeks. Around 2,000 people
witnessed the tears, and the liquid was gathered and sent to a
laboratory for testing. A professor from the Akita University
Department of Biochemistry studied the liquid, as well as a
non-Christian forensic specialist, Dr. Kaoru Sagisaka. The blood was
confirmed to be of human origin, as were the tears.
After a lengthy investigation, the
local bishop, John Shojiro Ito of Niigata, approved the apparition to
be of supernatural origin and “worthy of belief.” The Vatican has not
made an official statement, leaving it up to the local bishop’s
discretion.
The primary messages of Our Lady
given to Sister Agnes focused on praying the rosary and doing penance
for the sins of humanity in order to secure peace for the world. The
rosary was seen as the key to prevent any future calamities from
happening.
She also revealed a troubling
message concerning a period of trial that the church would endure: “The
work of the devil will infiltrate even into the church in such a way
that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against
bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by
their confreres … churches and altars sacked; the church will be full
of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests
and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. … Pray very
much the prayers of the rosary. I alone am able still to save you from
the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me
will be saved.” Our Lady of Akita warns the world against a life
divorced from God and what harm that can do within the church. Yet,
even through a great crisis of faith, it is prayer, penance and trust
that will save humanity.
While these revelations are
technically “private revelations,” and Catholics are not bound to
believe in them, the message is not much different than any other
prophetic message throughout history. God desires that we turn back to
him and is ready to receive us.
LIFESITENEWS.COM: A startling new take on the prophecy of Our Lady of Akita
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
41. Ammon questioned Poemen on the subject of the impure thoughts
within the heart, and on the subject of vain desire. Poemen said, 'Can
the axe do harm unless th woodman is using it? Do not reach out your
hands to use those things, and they will do you no harm.'
September 18, 2023
(Pro 6:16-19)
Six
things there are, which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul
detesteth: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent
blood, A heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run
into mischief, A deceitful witness that uttereth lies, and him that
soweth discord among brethren.
VICTIMS OF ABORTION NEWSLETTER: Broken Branches Issue 158 – Sept/Oct 2023
SANDRO MAGISTER: Jérôme Lejeune, or the Battles That Pope Francis Fights No More
ARCHBISHOP CARLO MARIA VIGANO: Abortion: "Sacrament" of Satan
You can go to prison because of abortion: prison is the penalty imposed
in some nations for those who stop in silent prayer in front of a
clinic where children are killed. But you do not go to jail if you kill
an innocent creature.
You can be discriminated against because of abortion: discrimination is
the social stigma placed on those who are concerned about the life of
the child killed in the womb, which is considered “a clump of cells”
until the moment before it is born, and for some murderers in our
governments is still considered such even after being born.
They do not call it abortion: they call it “reproductive health,”
“terminated pregnancy.” It is the obligation imposed by political
correctness with its Orwellian Newspeak. And those who conceal this
horrible crime against innocent lives behind an aseptic expression are
also in favor of mutilating people – also pre-pubertal children – to
make them look like what they are not by means of amputations and
destructive treatments: they call it “gender transition.” Those who are
in favor of abortion and the mutilation of children are also in favor
of killing the sick, the elderly, the demented, the disabled and
anyone, at any age that the State or the individual deems them unworthy
of living: it is not called legalized murder, but rather “euthanasia,”
“accompaniment on their journey.” During the psychopandemic farce, a
Northern European country also invited the elderly not to burden the
Health Service by sending them home a kit to help them “get out of the
way” without disturbing anyone and ensuring them that the government
would pay for their funeral.
Death. Only death. Death before birth. Death during life. Death before
dying naturally. Significantly, those who are in favor of the death of
the innocent – of children, the sick, the elderly – are against the
death penalty. A person may be found to be unworthy of living because
they are poor, because they are old, because they are not wanted by
those who conceived them; but if people are massacred or horrendous
crimes are committed, the use of capital punishment against such
criminals is considered barbaric.
Curiously, in this frenetic incitement to suicide and murder, in this
imposition of death on life, the exception is the elderly caste of the
globalist elite, these powerful old billionaires who, barricaded in
their fortresses guarded by armed guards, do not resign themselves to
death, and resort to everything – even the most abominable means – to
look young, to keep their bodies from decaying, to ensure “eternal
life” in the cloud of transhumanism. The elite would also like to rule
over life, old age, and illness.
We should begin to understand that the theorists of this immense
massacre, that has been perpetuated for decades and plunges us back
into the barbarism of the worst paganism, do not consider themselves
part of the extermination. None of them has been aborted; none of them
was left to die without treatment; none of them was forced to die by
court order. It is us, it is you and your children, your parents, your
grandparents who must die, and it is you who must feel guilty because
you are alive, because you exist and produce carbon dioxide.
In the Middle Ages the frescoes of some churches, monasteries, and
public buildings proposed the theme of the Triumph of Death as a
reference to the Last Things. Death is a certainty of the human
condition that must spur us to live well, to die well, and to deserve
eternal bliss, knowing that after death there is an unappealable
Judgment with which we will be destined forever to Heaven or Hell,
depending on how we lived. The reason for this hatred for the lives of
others by the elite is not the result of a utilitarian mentality; the
“throwaway culture” evoked by “someone” is not due to the Triumph of
Death, which has been defeated forever by the Lord of Life. It is
rather caused by the satanic delirium of wanting to take the place of
God, after having denied and betrayed Him. This has been openly
confessed by one of the ideologues of globalist thought, Yuval Noah
Harari: Jewish, homosexual, “married” to a man, vegan, a theorist of a
transhuman and Luciferian religion that erases God from the human
horizon and allows the tyrants of the New World Order to take His place
in deciding what is right and what is not, who must live and who must
die, who can travel and who cannot, how much each of us can spend, how
much carbon dioxide one can produce, if and how many children one can
have and from whom he must buy them, after slaughtering his own by
sucking their brains out or tearing them to pieces before leaving the
womb. They also decide that a child can be aborted up to an instant
before delivery, because they have found a way to make money by selling
its organs and tissues to laboratories or pharmaceutical companies:
this is one of the most flourishing markets for abortion clinics, in
addition to public and private subsidies enabling them to continue
killing babies.
Our Nations, once Christian, have now apostatized from the Faith by
which our fathers built Christian Civilization on the ruins of paganism
and idolatry. It is only thanks to faith in Christ that peoples have
stopped killing their children through abortion, just as they once
sacrificed them on their altars to propitiate demons. It is only thanks
to our holy religion that mothers have had as their model the Blessed
Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother: Mater misericordiæ, Mater divinæ
gratiæ, Mater purissima, castissima, inviolata, intemerata, amabilis,
admirabilis. Today the very name of “mother” unleashes the hatred of
the Serpent to the point of wanting to erase it from the mouths of our
children: because in that word is contained that ineffable and divine
bond that made possible the Incarnation of the Son of God in the womb
of the Immaculate Virgin, that humble, obedient and generous Fiat that
sanctioned the end of the reign of sin and death.
But this apostasy, presented as the progress of civilization and
democracy; celebrated in the name of human dignity and religious
freedom; exalted by a corrupt Hierarchy subservient to the elite, is
not neutrality before God and Morality: it is in fact a Satanic
rebellion against God, a Non serviam shouted from parliaments and
courtrooms, from the halls of academia, from the pages of newspapers,
and from operating rooms.
Abortion is an act of worship to Satan. It is a human sacrifice offered
to demons, and this is proudly affirmed by the very adepts of the
“church of Satan,” who in American states where abortion is forbidden
demand to be able to use aborted fetuses in their infernal rites. On
the other hand, in the name of secularism, the Crosses and statues of
Our Lady and the Saints have been torn down, but in their place
gruesome images of Baphomet begin to appear.
Abortion is a horrendous crime because beyond depriving the child of
earthly life, it also deprives the child of the beatific vision,
destining him for limbo, because he is deprived of the grace of
Baptism. Abortion is a horrendous crime because it seeks to snatch from
God the souls He desired to exist, whom He created and loved, and for
whom He offered His life on the Cross. Abortion is a horrendous crime
because it makes the mother believe that it is licit to kill the
creature she ought to defend most of all, even at the cost of her own
life; and with this crime that mother becomes an assassin, and if she
does not repent she condemns herself to eternal damnation, very often
living also in her daily life the most excruciating remorse. Abortion
is a horrendous crime because it attacks the innocent precisely because
of his innocence, recalling the ritual murders of children committed in
the sects of yesterday and today. We know well that the globalist cabal
is bound by the pactum sceleris of pedophilia and other horrendous
crimes, and that members of power, high finance, entertainment, and
information are bound to that pact.
The world is dripping with innocent blood that has been shed by an
elite of subversives devoted to Satan and declared enemies of Christ.
When I hear certain prelates legitimize laws – like Law 194 in Italy –
that allow abortion under certain conditions, I wonder how they can
consider themselves Catholics. No human law can ever trample on the
divine and natural Law, which commands: Thou shalt not kill. No nation
can hope for prosperity and harmony as long as it allows this daily
massacre accompanied by the complicit silence of politicians who call
themselves “Catholics” but who contradict the Gospel by approving
iniquitous laws. Banning abortion must be the first initiative of any
ruler who wants to oppose the New World Order subservient to Satan.
Fighting for this must be an imperative commitment of every Catholic
worthy of Baptism.
Our Lord said of Himself: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The
motto of the Prince of this world could be: I am the Abyss, the Lie,
and the Death. Let us reject abortion, and thus we will have taken away
from the Adversary the main instrument of his apparent, infernal
triumph. Let us reject abortion, and we will thus have millions of
souls who can love and be loved, accomplish great things, become holy,
fight alongside us, and merit Heaven.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
34. Macarius said, 'If we remember the evil that men have done us, we
close our minds to the power of remembering God. But if we remember the
evil which the devils cause, we shall be undisturbed.'
September 15, 2023
(Isa 5:20) Woe
to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter.
CRISIS MAGAZINE EDITORIAL: Francis, Fatima, and Garabandal
LIFESITENEWS.COM: Cardinal Müller: ‘False prophets’ will try to use Synod on Synodality to push UN’s 2030 Agenda
NCR EXCLUSIVE: Archbishop Fernandez Warns Against Bishops Who Think They Can Judge ‘Doctrine of the Holy Father’
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Frank Rega:
Dr. John R. T. Lamont is a Canadian Catholic philosopher and
theologian. He studied philosophy and theology at the Dominican College
in Ottawa and at Oxford University, and has taught philosophy and
theology in Catholic universities and seminaries. He has published
widely on theological questions, in journals that include New
Blackfriars, Nova et Vetera, Recherches de Théologie et Philosophie
Médiévales, and The Thomist.
The Significance of Pope Francis for the Church By Dr. John Lamont
"Francis is ideologically committed to the total attack on Catholic faith and practice."
"He has been described and explained as a Peronist, a modernist
heretic, a Jesuit who exhibits the worst failings that characterize
members of that order. These descriptions are not wrong, but they do
not get to the important truth about him. The extremity of his evil
acts identifies him as outside the normal order of things, as a
phenomenon that does not belong to the natural or supernatural
structure of human life."
The author's last line:
"The significance of Pope Francis is that Catholic priests and bishops
as a body have betrayed Our Lord and the Catholic faithful, and that
they must repent, make atonement for their sins, and work to undo the
harm they have done."
BISHOP STRICKLAND RELATED NEWS AND COMMENTARY
Bishop Strickland reaffirms that unrepentant homosexuals, adulterers cannot receive Communion
The Last Warrior-Monk?
Resisting Papal Overreach: The Story of Bishop Isidore Borecky
ROME REPORTS SUMMARY:
Bishop Strickland says he won’t resign if Pope Francis requests, which
is within his right. This will force Pope Francis to canonically depose
him, which is a radical and unlawful move, considering the bishop has
done nothing wrong, other than encourage Catholics to remain faithful,
which increasingly appears to be a crime under this pontificate.
If Francis goes ahead with this insane move, then it would be morally
justifiable for +Strickland to ignore it and continue on as the Bishop
of Tyler, Texas. This would force Francis to excommunicate him, but he
could not be physically removed, because this is the United States and
the United States government does not recognize Roman Catholic Canon
Law. +Strickland would remain the the chancery and Francis would just
have to cope.
Francis could set up a missionary outreach to the 13 Catholics in the
Diocese of Tyler who actually agree with him, but the rest of the
faithful there likely won’t care and continue on with their lives as
normal. These are Texans after all, nobody but Jesus tells them what to
do.
The bottom line is this. Americans hate tyrants. The more Pope Francis
moves in that direction, the more he loses American approval and his
papacy becomes increasingly impotent.
VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hImOOI2J9M
ST. PIUS X:
“Let priests take care not to accept from the liberal any ideas which,
under the mask of good, pretend to reconcile justice with iniquity.
Liberal Catholics are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The priest must
unveil to the people their perfidious plot, their iniquitous design.
You will be called Papist, clerical, retrograde, intolerant, but pay no
heed to the derision and mockery of the wicked. Have courage; you must
never yield, nor is there any need to yield. You must go into the
attack whole-heartedly, not in secret but in public, not behind barred
doors, but in the open, in the view of all.”
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
31. A brother asked Joseph, 'What shall I do? I cannot bear to be
tempted, nor to work, nor to give alms'. He said to him, 'If you cannot
do any of these, at least keep your conscience clear from every sin
against your neighbour, and you will be saved, for God looks for the
soul that does not sin.'
September 12, 2023
(Gen
3:14-15)
And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this
thing, thou art cursed among all cattle, and beasts of the earth: upon
thy breast shalt thou go, and earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy
life. I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and
her seed: she shall cursh thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her
heel.
CATHOLIC STRAIGHT ANSWERS: What is the origin of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, September 12th?
INSIDE THE VATICAN: Letter #123: Letter from La Salette
SIGNS & WONDERS: The Miraculous Medal and an Unknown Story
A MOMENT WITH MARY: Why the Rosary, why now?
In 1973, Cardinal Albino Luciani — then-archbishop of Venice who would
go on to become Pope John Paul I — gave a homily that identified a
“crisis of prayer” in the world — adding that part of the reason was
due to the fact that “noise has invaded our existence.”
We also face an abundance of internal noise. We are distracted by
interior barriers to prayer that often manifest themselves in the form
of pride and self-centeredness. In all of these moments of difficulty,
we can turn to the rosary. The meditative quality of the devotion can
help focus us and break through the external noise. At the same time,
by praying this simple prayer frequently, faithfully and with humility,
we can break down our internal barriers.One of the intellectual,
spiritual and even media giants of the 20th century was Archbishop
Fulton J. Sheen. Archbishop Sheen also had a deep devotion to the
Blessed Mother, and he dedicated a book to her called “The World’s
First Love, Mary, Mother of God.”
He also spoke much about her in public. In a talk titled “The Woman I
Love,” Archbishop Sheen indicated how Mary and the church were
intertwined because “as we discontinue our devotion to the Blessed
Mother, there is always a decline in the love of the church.”
Fascinating, isn’t it? The less we pray to and venerate Mary, the less
we are connected to the church. It would follow, then, that the
opposite also is true. The more we honor and pray to Mary, especially
in her signature prayer of the rosary, the more our love for and
devotion to the church will increase.
And this is a devotion that we desperately need today. Catholics in the
21st century are experiencing a massive decline of love of the church.
The country is experiencing a massive decline of love of the church.
The country is experiencing a rise in the religiously unaffiliated, or
“nones.” It also is facing a large — and growing — gap between the
moral teachings of the church and the evolution of our secular society.
Recent years have seen an increase in cultural mores and public
policies at odds with church teaching, which means that church teaching
is increasingly at odds with the laws of the land. Part of the problem
is widespread lack of faith formation, particularly for many adult,
cradle Catholics.
The universal call to holiness is expressed in the Second Vatican
Council’s “Lumen Gentium” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) — which
reminds us that we are called to “be perfect as your heavenly father is
perfect.” When wanting to achieve holiness, where else is it better to
look than to those men and women who have already done so — that is,
the saints themselves.
“The saints and blesseds of paradise remind us, as pilgrims on Earth,
that prayer, above all, is our sustenance for each day so that we never
lose sight of our eternal destiny,” St. John Paul said. “For many of
them the rosary … was the privileged instrument for their daily
discourse with the Lord. The rosary led them to an ever more profound
intimacy with Christ and with the Blessed Virgin.”
The Devil to famed exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth:“I
am more afraid when you say the Madonna’s name, because I am more
humiliated by being beaten by a simple creature, than by Him.”
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks
: Discretion
26. Theodore said, 'Many choose the repose of this world before God gives them His rest.'
September 10, 2023
(Joh 15:12-13) This
is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for
his friends.
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT: “Greater love has no man than this…”: On the beatification of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma
VATICAN NEWS: Israeli Ambassador Schutz: Sacrifice of Ulma family a 'light for all'
VATICAN NEWS: Beatification Mass
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of
Saints, presided over the beatification Mass in Markowa, which was
concelebrated by 7 Cardinals and 1,000 priests, with over 32,000
faithful registered to attend.
The beatified family members are
Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma, and their children Stanislawa, Barbara,
Wladyslaw, Franciszek, Antoni, Maria, and an unnamed child who was born
at the moment of Wiktoria's martyrdom.
In his homily at the Mass, Cardinal
Semeraro said the Ulma’s family home became “an inn where the despised,
outcast, and death-stricken was welcomed and cared for.” He said Jozef
and Wiktoria lived “a holiness that was not only marital but was fully
embedded in their entire family.”
Blessed unnamed-babe
Cardinal Semeraro also upheld the Christian witness of the newly-beatified unnamed child.
“Without ever having uttered a
word,” he said, “today the little Blessed cries out to the modern world
to welcome, love, and protect life, especially that of the defenseless
and marginalized, from the moment of conception until natural death.”
He said the child’s “innocent voice seeks to shake the consciences of a
society where abortion, euthanasia, and contempt for life seen as a
burden and not a gift are rampant.” “The Ulma family,” said the
Cardinal, “encourages us to react to that throwaway culture, which Pope
Francis denounces.”
ALETEIA: The Ulma family Bible had 3 verses underlined
In an extensive interview at Our Sunday Visitor with the postulator of their beatification cause, we learn that the family Bible of the Ulmas had just a few verses underlined.
Father Witold Burda explained to OSV:
There are two [two sections;
technically three verses, editor’s note] underlined verses in the Bible
found in their home, and they’re under the title of the parable of the
Good Samaritan. It is necessary to speak out about it and even more so
about the fact that there is the word “yes” added in pencil next to it.
We want to live this way.
“Yes”
What are those verses, underlined by either the father, Jozef, or the mother, Wiktoria, of the family?
“You
must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as
yourself” (Lk 10:27, quoting Deuteronomy 6)
and
“A Samaritan traveler who came upon
him was moved with compassion when he saw him: He went up to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him
onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him” (Lk
10:33-34).
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
25. Once one of the monks came to Theodore and said, 'Look here, that
brother has gone back to the world.' Theodore said to him, 'Don't be
surprised at that. Be surprised when you hear that a man has been able
to escape the jaws of the enemy.'
September 8, 2023
(Mat 1:18-23) Now
the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was
espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with
child, of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just
man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away
privately. But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of
the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived
in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son: and thou
shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their
sins. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord
spoke by the prophet, saying: Behold a virgin shall be with child, and
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
CATHOLIC ART: The Birth of the Virgin by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682)
A MOMENT WITH MARY: "Today, from the earthly nature, a Heaven has been formed on earth"
CATHOLIC DAILY REFLECTIONS: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On December 8, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception. That solemnity highlights the singular grace bestowed upon
the Blessed Virgin Mary at the moment she was conceived. The Church
dogma states, “…in the first instance of her conception, by a singular
grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of
Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all
stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to
be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful” (Pope Pius IX,
1954).
Today’s Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated
exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception,
just as Christmas is celebrated nine months after the Church remembers
the Incarnation of the Son of God on the Solemnity of the Annunciation.
The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of three liturgical feasts
in which we celebrate a birth: Christmas, the Birth of Saint John the
Baptist, and the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Only the three most
consequential figures in the Bible receive the honor of a liturgical
celebration to commemorate their births.
Nothing is known for certain about the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
or of her upbringing, since the Bible only introduces the Mother of God
to us for the first time during the Annunciation. However, an early
second-century apocryphal text called the Protoevangelium of James (The
Gospel of James), paints a detailed picture of her conception, birth,
early years, and betrothal to Saint Joseph. Though the account is not
part of the canon of Scripture, it has been a source of reflection
throughout the centuries and is the source of the traditional names of
the Blessed Mother’s parents, Joachim and Anne.
The actual feast we celebrate today is believed to have been first
celebrated in the fifth or sixth century in the East and was tied to
the dedication of a Byzantine church near the Pools of Bethesda in the
Old City of Jerusalem. The church was built over what was believed to
be the birthplace of Mary and the home of Joachim and Anne, just a
short distance from the Temple. In the twelfth century, the current
Basilica of Saint Anne was built on the same site. Beneath the basilica
lie what are believed to be the caves in which the Mother of God was
born and lived.
Regardless of whether the apocryphal Gospel of James presents accurate
historical truths regarding the conception, birth, and early life of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is not difficult to prayerfully ponder the
importance of her birth and childhood. Saint Andrew of Crete
beautifully relates that on this day, the “Creator of the world
constructed His temple…” Mary is that temple, that Arc of the New
Covenant, the tabernacle and first dwelling place of God Incarnate. Her
soul was born pure, spotless, and holy. As she grew, she manifested
every virtue perfectly. All who knew her as a child would have been
deeply impressed by her sanctity.
Birthdays celebrate people. They are occasions to rejoice in and honor
the whole life of that person. The other memorials, feasts, and
solemnities of the liturgical year honor various specific aspects of
Mary’s life. Today’s feast honors her whole life, her personhood, and
the gift of who she was and is.
UNIVERSALIS: From a discourse by Saint Andrew of Crete
The old has passed away: all things are made new
‘The fulfilment of the law is Christ himself, who does not so much lead
us away from the letter as lift us up to its spirit. For the law’s
consummation was this, that the very lawgiver accomplished his work and
changed letter into spirit, summing everything up in himself and,
though subject to the law, living by grace. He subordinated the law,
yet harmoniously united grace with it, not confusing the distinctive
characteristics of the one with the other, but effecting the transition
in a way most fitting for God. He changed whatever was burdensome,
servile and oppressive not what is light and liberating, so that we
should be enslaved no longer under the elemental spirits of the world,
as the Apostle says, nor held fast as bondservants under the letter of
the law.
This is the highest, all-embracing benefit that Christ has bestowed on
us. This is the revelation of the mystery, this is the emptying out of
the divine nature, the union of God and man, and the deification of the
manhood that was assumed. This radiant and manifest coming of God to
men most certainly needed a joyful prelude to introduce the great gift
of salvation to us. The present festival, the birth of the Mother of
God, is the prelude, while the final act is the fore-ordained union of
the Word with flesh. Today the Virgin is born, tended and formed and
prepared for her role as Mother of God, who is the universal King of
the ages.
Justly, then, do we celebrate this mystery since it signifies for us a
double grace. We are led towards the truth, and we are led away from
our condition of slavery to the letter of the law. How can this be?
Darkness yields before the coming of the light, and grace exchanges
legalism for freedom. But midway between the two stands today’s
mystery, at the frontier where types and symbols give way to reality,
and the old is replaced by the new. Therefore, let all creation sing
and dance and unite to make worthy contribution to the celebration of
this day. Let there be one common festival for saints in heaven and men
on earth. Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in
festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity
of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly
prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.
POPE JOHN PAUL II:
Dear brothers and sisters, before the cradle of the Infant Mary, let us
respond with renewed awareness to the duty that behoves us all to
protect and defend all innocent children and to build them a future of
peace. Let us pray together that the conditions for a serene and safe
life may be created for them.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
20. "Evagrius said, 'A wandering mind is strengthened by reading, and
prayer. Passion is dampened down by hunger and work and solitude.
Anger is repressed by psalmody and long-suffering and mercy.
But all these should be at the proper times and in due measure.
If they are used at the wrong times and to excess, they are
useful for a short time. But what is only useful for a short
time, is harmful in the long run.'
September 6, 2023
(Eph 5:31-33)
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother: and shall
cleave to his wife. And they shall be two in one flesh. This is a great
sacrament: but I speak in Christ and in the church. Nevertheless, let
every one of you in particular love for his wife as himself: And let
the wife fear her husband.
BLOG: Why Catholics must promote traditional gender roles in marriage
CATHOLIC ANSWERS: Wives Be Subject to Your Husbands
ELEISON COMMENTS: Women in Scripture
Of multiple treasure God is the infinite hoarder,
But man would replace God with man’s own disorder.
The feminisation of men and masculinisation of women, so widespread in
today’s poor world, is such a universal and radical upheaval for human
nature that it would take many issues of these one-page “Comments” to
do it justice. However, the propaganda in favour of this particular war
on human beings is so heavy all around us that common sense needs all
the help that it can get, and perhaps at least one more issue of these
“Comments,” to help readers to frame the problem as it needs to be
framed – in God.
For indeed, as a number of readers may already have understood, here is
the most important point of all to decipher how a whole world can fall
into such madness as feminism and anti-masculinism. If God exists and
if it is He who designed all creatures, spiritual and material, then of
course He designed human beings as man and woman to live on earth like
all other material animals, male and female, but with a spiritual soul,
with reason and free-will, unlike all the purely material animals, so
that he and she alike could respond to His creative love and deserve to
share in His eternal bliss. Human beings are meant for eternity, no
less.
Thus before God, man and woman have an equal destiny in Heaven and an
equal spiritual dignity, but, for our brief life on earth, God has
appointed not equality between man and woman but complementary roles,
to create families, which are little societies, which require not
equality but a head, with authority to lead and decide for all the
family. And gifts of the head He gives in general to men, while women
He usually compensates with gifts of the heart, by which to spread love
and happiness throughout the family. Thus an earthly and temporary
inequality for women is meant to lead to an eternal equality in Heaven.
But imagine now that human beings on a worldwide scale cut God out of
their lives. There is no more Creator, no more Designer of human life
and nature, no more eternity or eternal life. We are the random
products of an “Evolution” which could not care less as far as design,
destiny, eternity are concerned. Now mankind learned from Christ,
through Christendom, all about the dignity and equality of all men, and
this heritage gave human beings a keen sense of their own worth. That
much they enjoyed, and they do not want to let it go. But without God,
it no longer has any backing from the past or guarantee for the future.
Therefore an equality of divine dimension must be crammed into this
little life of human dimension, into which it cannot fit, any more than
a quart of liquid will fit into a pint bottle. Hence, in all kinds of
ways, the dissatisfaction of modern life. Godless people, but formerly
godly, want the fruits of God without the roots. It cannot work. It
will not work. But human beings insist on trying to make it work,
rather than, by returning to God, live this life on God’s terms instead
of their own. In fact they are choosing Hell, and they are turning this
world into a vestibule of Hell.
Here is a strong argument for the existence of God. If cutting Him out,
as mankind is doing today, could make everybody abidingly happy and
prosperous, that might confirm that man neither comes from God or is
meant to go to Him. On the contrary, if men today are deep down
restless and dissatisfied, as indicated by their politicians
continually promising change in one form or other, but always change,
is that not an indication that men are not meant just for liberalism
and materialism, or for liberty from the Ten Commandments and for the
unchecked pursuit of money? If men could make liberalism and
materialism succeed, that is when we would have to despair of human
life. As it is, we have a natural sense that there must be more to
human life than just what is “nasty, poor, brutish and short” (in the
words of Thomas Hobbes, 1588–1679), and so the despairing condition of
men all around us is even a sign of hope!
The feminists and anti-masculinists are visceral warriors in the great war on God. But they will not win!
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
17. "Daniel said, 'If the body is
strong, the soul weakens. If the body weakens, the soul is
strong.' He also said, 'If the body is prosperous, the soul grows
lean; if the body is lean, the soul grows prosperous'."
September 4, 2023
(1Th 5:19-21) Extinguish not the spirit. Despise not prophecies. But prove all things: hold fast that which is good.
INTERVIEW: Garabandal: response to concerns
CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT (2022): Spanish bishop makes statement on alleged apparitions at Garabandal
DING CERVANTES: Prophecy update: Pope to possibly land in Moscow either Aug 31 or Sept. 4
INSIDE THE VATICAN: Letter #123, 2023, Saturday, September 2: Letter from Garabandal
I write this letter to bear witness to three things I have seen and heard:
--five centuries of the Rosary in Garabandal;
--the profound silence of The Pines which have grown up above the village;
--the remembrance and sharing of kisses given by the Virgin to four girls 60 years ago, which continues to be shared even today.
The rosary of centuries
In the small church in the middle of the Spanish village of Garabandal,
a rosary has been recited every evening for the past 500 years.
(The rosary is a Catholic prayer which focuses attention on the coming
into the world of the Logos, the Word of God, Jesus Christ. In five
joyful mysteries, the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary is recalled;
in five sorrowful mysteries, the passion and death of Christ is
recalled; in five glorious mysteries, the resurrection of Christ, his
triumph over death itself, is recalled.)
In the rosary, 10 Hail Marys are prayed with each mystery, totaling 150
Hail Marys for the 15 traditional mysteries; this is the same number as
that of the Psalms of King David, which number 150. Three other Hail
Marys are prayed at the beginning of each Rosary, for faith, hope and
love. So the total of the Hail Marys is 153, which is the same number
as the number of fish caught by the disciples in the Sea of Galilee
after Christ's resurrection, when they had fished all night and caught
nothing, but then cast their nets on the other side of their fishing
boat, and caught 153 fish, which John says were poured out on the
beach, and counted. Many Church Fathers later interpreted this number
as symbolic of all the species of fish, but also symbolic of the number
of all the nations in the world, which would be drawn into the nets of
the evangelists by the preaching of the disciples in the centuries up
until today.
A century of the pine grove
Above the village of Garabandal, there is a grove of pine trees.
The tress were planted from seeds given to children making their first
communions in the 1920s. So the trees are now 100 years old.
This is a place of profound peace.
It is said that a miracle will someday occur in this place, a miracle
which will be visible to the entire world, which will leave a permanent
sign until the end of time.
The kiss of the Virgin
Each time the four girls of Garabandal saw the Virgin, and spoke with
her, she spoke with them as a mother speaks to her children.
She was familiar, gentle, encouraging, loving.
And each time she left them, the children said, she kissed them, to show her love for them.
So, at the center of the Garabandal apparitions was the Virgin's maternal kiss.
The love of a mother for her children.
I spoke briefly today with Jacinta, and with her husband, Jeffrey, who
has my same name, Moynihan, and whose father was named Dr. Robert
Moynihan.
She showed me a crucifix that she has kept for more than 60 years. She
told me that the Virgin had kissed the crucifix when she had held it up
to her.
She held out the crucifix to me, so that I too might kiss it.
In this way, the maternal kiss of the Virgin of Garabandal was shared
also with me; in this letter, it is my hope that such a kiss may also
be shared with each of you.
MESSAGE FROM CONCHITA (03/19/2020):
God is detaching us from the securities of this world. In the silence
of the Church or in our house, we are now able to make an examination
of conscience so we can clean what prevents us from hearing the voice
of God clearly. With sincerity we can ask God to tell us what he wants
of us today, and continue to do that every day, and spend as much time
as possible with God at Church or somewhere in your home or where you
find the silence.
He is all we need.
The
Desert Fathers: sayings of the Early Christian Monks: Discretion
13. "Agatho said, 'If an angry man were to raise the dead, God would still be displeased with his anger'."
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