Articles from SPUC

Population control won't save the planet, admit experts
Top stories: Population control won't save the planet, admit experts Population control will not cure the so-called ‘crisis’ of a perceived shortage of resources for future generations, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Corey Bradshaw from the University of Adelaide said: "Even if we had a third world war in the middle of this century, you would barely make a dent in the trajectory over the next 100 years" [BBC, 27 October] Scientists such as the late Julian Simon argued that a growing population would adapt to the growing number of humans on the planet. Safe at School condemns government plans on alleged homophobic bullying SPUC's Safe at School campaign has condemned plans to sink £2 million into dealing with alleged homophobic bullying in schools. The move was announced by Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, in an interview with a homosexual news service. Antonia Tully of Safe at School said: "Tax-paying parents will soon become aware that their money is actually being spent on the promotion of homosexuality. [SPUC, 29 October] Mother speaks after legal battle to kill daughter The mother has spoken of her relief after winning a legal battle to allow her disabled daughter to be dehydrated to death. Charlotte Fitzmaurice said: "Although I will live with the guilt forever, I know I have done everything I can for her and she is at peace." Nancy, her daughter, was not terminally-ill and was able to breathe unaided. Dr Andrew Ferguson, chairman of Care Not Killing, said: "It is never ethical to speed up the process of dying by any intervention which has the primary intention to end life".  [Express, 27 October] Legal bid launched against sex-selective abortions The Christian Legal Centre is backing a legal bid by a young pro-life activist against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Aisling Hupert instructed solicitors to bring action after it was announced that the CPS would not press charges against two medics who were filmed by undercover journalists, agreeing to abort babies because they were girls. Andrew Minichello Williams, director of the Christian Legal Centre said: "The Director of Public Prosecutions has refused to enforce the law and this sends the wrong message to the medical world. This case shines a spotlight on this grave injustice against women." [Telegraph, 24 October]

Because I have young readers.....

http://existentialcomics.com/comic/51

When is someone culpable for sin?

In the past few days, some people have asked me when a person is responsible for sin.

We are always culpable to some extent for sin.

Always.

Now, when a person plans a murder, it is a more serious sin than if a person murders out of anger. However, anger is a sin to begin with and one is culpable for harboring anger and not dealing with a violent nature.

The Catholic Church teaches that God gives grace to all persons for salvation.

We may have circumstances which ameliorate certain levels of responsibility, but we are always responsible to some extent.

One of the greatest heresies now is the denial of free will.

We cannot psychoanalyze away sin, Sin is against reason. That is the problem with so many people who want to rationalize away sin. They cannot do so.

When we die, God is not going to ask us how remiss our parents were in teaching us the Catholic Faith. That omission will be part of the parents' particular judgment.

We see our sins and basically judge ourselves in the light of truth.

See the other posts on general and particular judgment.

And, from the CCC.

II. THE DEFINITION OF SIN

1849 Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law."¹²¹
1850 Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight."¹²² Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become "like gods,"¹²³ knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself even to contempt of God."¹²⁴ In this proud self- exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.¹²⁵
1851 It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world,¹²⁶ the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.

More here--http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm

Recommended Book by A Friend of Mine

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Language-Dissent-Answering-Catholic

Prayer for A and B, Gibraltar, and Malta

“Grant us, O Lord, a Shepherd according to your heart, who incessantly works for your
glory and the good of the Church in a spirit of wisdom and knowledge, in a spirit of strength
and gentleness, in a spirit of humility and patience. Lord hear us.” from the Church in Malta.

Father Z's Reminder on Indulgence This Sunday

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2014/10/action-item-all-souls-day-indulgences/

and Fr. Z. refers us to Fr. Tim Finegan on detachment from venial sin...

http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2006/05/plenary-indulgences-not-impossible.html

Pay attention...

http://www.moneynews.com/MKTNewsIntl/stock-market-crash-warren-buffett-indicator/2014/10/03/id/598461/?dkt_nbr=ufos34vz&utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral

Raissa, continued

I am begging for a huge favor. I gave away my copy of Raissa's diary in 2003, but would love to have a copy now.

Is there a reader who has a copy or would like to get one for me?

It was called, in English, Raissa's Journal. My copy was in a red cover.

Recueillement

Recueillement is a French word which was hijacked by poets such as Baudelaire. But, the word originally did not mean a poet device, but a spiritual state of meditation, of reflection, of one going into one's interior world and thinking in the presence of God.

Today, I was reminded of recueillement by a priest-friend of mine. I first read the French meaning of the term over 30 years ago when I was meditating on the diary of Raissa Maritain, who practiced recueillement.

Now, we Anglo-Saxon trained minds think that meditation is something to be attacked in an active manner, and to a certain extent, one must learn meditation based on Scripture.

But, the French seem to understand that the passivity involved in recueillement involves a surrendering to God at the moment of reflection.

Raissa practiced recueillement in the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, as she was allowed the Real Presence in her home, in her little chapel. She wrote of this grace as needed as she found the separation of her husband's mission to the world a suffering only to be met in the suffering of Christ.

The priest and I were discussing the necessity of silence after the reception of Holy Communion, a perfect time for recueillement. Too many parishes, despite the advice of the Pope Emeritus, stuff hymns into that space in the Mass, which demands silence.

Recueillement is retiring into the cell of your soul and mind. It is a discipline as well as a grace.

One throws off distractions and allows time for God to speak, or not to speak to one.

Recueillement leads to contemplation. Is it not ironic that the French poets took this beautiful idea and twisted it into something profane?

Raissa wrote in her diary that she went into the state of recueillement after Communion.

Here is Raissa on this point. My highlights...in bold.

Poetic meditation

We believe that some intelligibility as some remain in darkness all true poetry. Intelligibility, darkness, marking the origin of the work developed in the depths of the soul where intelligence and desire, intuition and sensitivity, imagination and love have their common source ... As soon as it begins to emerge from this background generator and foster the work appealed, each time in a different way, these powers of the soul, each with their own way to achieve real and say.The source of all poetry and creative intuition is some experience might be called "knowledge" dark and delicious, with a flavor all spiritual, because at these depths all is spirit and life, every poet knows that it enters through a recollection of all his senses, no matter how fleeting, the first condition of poetic conception. We here in the passive sense of contemplation quiet and not voluntary and active concentration.

This meditation is the first gift given to the poet, and it is also a natural disposition that must be cultivated. It is because of this, it is in this sense, I suppose, that Rimbaud wrote: "the first study of the man who wants to be a poet is his own knowledge, whole. He seeks his soul, he inspects it, he tries, he learns. " ( Letter from the light .)

This meditation is a common psychological phenomenon analogy to the poetic state and mystical contemplation. Similarly, the dark and delicious knowledge that accompanies it. It is the similarity of these statements which tell John Royère: "Poetry ... is religious. San essential darkness just what it is the story of a soul and she wants to watch the mystery; but the darkness is light ... "(Curious recall and nox illuminatio mea deliciis meis in Psalm 138.) Robert Desnos does not believe in God, but he in turn wrote: "... no one has the most religious spirit that me ... "But it's also what's Henry Bremond that " poetic activity is a natural draft full of mystical and secular activity ... blank confused, clumsy, holes or white, till at last the poet would be a mystic or a fleeting mystical failed "(1). There is in all this, it seems to me, more confusion. And first it is necessary to protest in the name of poetry: it is not because of some missed; say it is the mystical missed is doing it too and not enough honor. It is not mystical; it is a particular species, a being that has its own nature, its origins and its ontological laws. Secondly we must consider that the sort of obscure knowledge or emotional experience which is that poetry does not affect in the same way that the dark knowledge of mystical experience to the common source of all that exists. All the sources are in You ... Here, in the mystical experience, the affected object is the uncreated abyss, the life-giving God and savior, known darkly as present and united to the soul of the beholder; while the obscure knowledge is that of the poet, and key, as known object, things, and the real world rather than God himself, the result of a union of another order, more or less intense in God the creator and organizer of nature.

Every great vocation gives one called the ability of a certain union with God, by a special relationship with him whose essence is transcendent to the multiplicity of its attributes; and very marked vocations differ from each other by their relatedness to a particular divine attributes which divides the eyes of intelligence created the Supreme Simplicity.

Poets and other artists, all great inventors and saints, all derive from the same divine source, but with different provisions, and as essentially distinct types of relationship to that source. They are each other imitators of God, but some are called especially to increase the human treasure of beauty and science, they are imitators of God the Creator; others are especially called to enter into the mystery of the Godhead itself and to communicate in this world, some image and some resemblance, the holiness of God, in imitation of Jesus Christ, by the abnegation of self and all that is of this world. Nature and grace have skilled workers, and who mutually mysterious relief for the ascent and the spiritualization of humanity. It is therefore quite rightly that some are called "creators" and other "saints".

The following these various calls, these distinct experiences in essence, despite their proximity in the same divine source results are also quite different for the poet and contemplative. Whenever there is natural or supernatural contemplation, it is itself the fruit and rest, and in the mystic contemplation itself the dark and delicious knowledge tends to superabound in immanent acts. While the poetic state in the dark experience, if it reaches a high degree of intensity, tends to grow into an object. The poet out of his contemplation will write a poem - but the mystic moved, moved by his God, his theological life intensify (or rather it has been intensified in him), and the acts of the virtues and gifts that God join He better love God and men. But if the mystic is also a poet he will act according to his many gifts, and generously share with us his experience divine abundance.

Generally, in order of mystical contemplation it is above all to know and love - love to know. In the case of poetry it is indeed some knowledge of the creation and countless mysterious reports and between human beings, but all this knowledge is knowledge of connaturality does not tend to self-love, it tends to create beautiful works in the case of the poet to do a book of words; these words and take them so they act as the flute under the breath as an instrument of poetic state. So the poem is a vehicle of poetic inspiration as the flute music is a vehicle; and brush the vehicle of vision.

Poetry is the result of a contact of the mind with reality itself ineffable and its source we believe to be God himself in the movement of love which leads him to create images of beauty . Which reads in the mysterious recesses of being expressed with some tasty illogical, that is not nonsense but overabundance of sense.

Singing, poetry in all its forms, seek to liberate substantial experience. (And perhaps because of this, the life of a saint is she signed ...) The reflection that provides such an experience is like a bath of refreshment, rejuvenation and purification of the mind.Is this the secret principle of catharsis Aristotle? We can not overestimate the depth of repose then have all our faculties. It is a concentration of all the energies of the soul, but concentration peaceful, tranquil, which assumes no tension; the soul enters into his rest, in this place of refreshment and peace than any sense (2). She died "Death Angels," but it is to relive in the excitement and enthusiasm in this state that is wrongly called inspiration, because inspiration was already the rest himself Similarly, where it has gone unnoticed. Now mind refreshed and invigorated into a happy business, everything seems so easy to be given the time and as outside.Actually everything was there, in the shadows, hidden in the mind and in the blood, all that will be implemented was there, but we do not know. We knew neither discover nor do we use it before we have retrempés in the tranquil depths.

Raissa Maritain,

in "Illuminations and droughts"

Carmelite Studies , 22 ^th year

vol. II, in October 1937.

Happened in Malta!

A Catholic priest was verbally attacked by a Libyan who was insulted and upset because the priest was wearing a cross.

The priest knows Arabic well and managed to calm the situation, but to have this happen in Malta is astounding, and in public.

I wear a cross daily and proudly. What is a Libyan man or any other Muslim claimed my cross offended him?

Quiet Day Today

I need an especially quiet day today reviewing my mini-Solzhenitsyn experience, which happened exactly one year ago today.

Pray for me, please.  Mary, Mother Most Sorrowful, pray for us.

And pray for priests.

I shall post some things later today.

A Note to Disgruntled Reader

Catholicism is the only true religion (The Orthodox included according to Dominus Iesus). There are only two revealed religions, Catholicism and Judaism.

All Protestants denominations are in error, departing from the Truth as given to us by Christ.

The list of heresies in the Protestant denominations include these (not an exhaustive list):

1. Denial of Christ's salvific action on the Cross of completely taking away the sins of the world.
2. Denial of the sacraments, specifically the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and Confession.
3. Denial of the Teaching Magisterium of the Church and the tradition handed down through the working of the Holy Spirit in the one, true, holy and apostolic Church.
4. Denial of the priesthood as established by Christ (see 2) and denial of the papacy as instituted by Christ through Peter.
5. Denial of the Immaculate Conception, Mary as Ever-Virgin, and the title, Theotokos, Mother of God. Denial of the Assumption and of Mary's role as Mediator.
6. Denial of the types of grace, types of sin, and the acceptance of divorce and remarriage, homosexual relations, contraception and even abortion in some denominations.
7. Denial of the particular judgment, and purgatory
8. Denial of Christ's Hypostatic Union in some denominations.
9. Denial of hell in some denominations, and the acceptance of universalism-all people going to heaven
10. Denial of free will, with a false idea of predestination is some denominations
11. Denial of the priesthood belonging only to men and the acceptance of false female priests.
12. Denial of the Judaic tradition by de-emphasizing the Old Testament because of false Bible criticism a la the historical method
13. Denial that the Jesus of History is the same as the Christ of Faith (see 12)
14. Denial of the teachings concerning merit and personal holiness as an ongoing process of steps and believing, instead, holding the idea, "once saved, always saved".
15. Denial of the honoring of the Church Triumphant in the persons of the saints in heaven.
16. Denial of the Holy Mass as the center of true worship.
17. Denial that the Church is the only source of sanctifying grace, given through the sacraments. 
18. Denial in some denominations of the Nicene Creed.
19. Denial of the apostolic succession of the bishops from the apostles down to the present day.
20. Denial that the Church has the power to impose both indulgences and, also, punishment in the form of excommunication or interdict.
21. Denial that the Church created the Canon of the Scriptures and has the only right to determine what is Holy Scripture.
22. Denial of the authority of the Pope regarding infallibility.
23. Denial that one mortal sin destroys the life of grace in the soul given at baptism, which would mean that many Protestants are no longer in the Holy Spirit, which they receive at baptism.

Not an inclusive list....

There is no room for Protestant thought in the Catholic Church because, by definition, Protestants are "protesting" some truth held by the Catholic Church, and therefore, denying some truth given to us by Christ Himself while He walked on this earth. To think that the Catholics and Protestants merely disagree on points of doctrine indicates a denial of objective truth given to us by Christ through Revelation and Tradition. These points above are not "disagreements" but falsehoods.

Christ's words on one subject:

John 6:53

So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you have no life in you.

400 plus posts

in October...I hope you take time to read them. I am throwing these out like messages in a bottle.

This dates me...I was in grad school at ND in 1979, but I think Sting's voice improved with age.

This is FANTASTIC-Watch, Please

Thanks to R and M...

Check This Out, Europeans

http://www.europeanlifenetwork.org/index.php/about-us

English Translation of Synod Doc from Voice of The Family

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html

http://voiceofthefamily.info/wordpress/?p=503

If you have money, send some to these excellent people!

Good article imho

http://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/will-popes-defense-faith-synod-ease-anxious-minds

A BIG Reminder Today at Mass

Gospel lk 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Christ abandoned the Jews because they rejected Him.

But, He will not abandon His Church.

Get that?

McDonald's Earnings Down-No Wonder!

Horrid Place! Thanks to wikicommons for photo

Well, I can say for sure that the McDonald's in St. Julian's is great, but the one in Valletta is horrible.

I had the absolute worst chicken "big and tasty" I have ever had, eating at Macs in 26 states and two other countries (Dublin Macs are fantastic). The coffee was horrible as well, and the two girls waiting on customers were surly and downright rude.

Will not go there again. Also, I am learning where not to shop, and the nicest people seem to work in chemists (that is drug stores for Yankees). I shall just go back to the places where the customer service is tops.

I find it amusing that if one asks for a bag, as I usually forget my shopping bag, being in a hurry to get to Mass, catching the bus on time and so on, that I get a lecture from the shop-keepers.

Twice now I have been told how fortunate I am that they just happen to have plastic bags and to keep those as I shall not find them any place else. Hmmm. 

I use the plastic bags for garbage, of course, and I have to buy special bags for recycling. I must remember to bring my big Malta shopper's bag, however, when I get supplies.

And, if you come to Malta, one cannot drink the tap water in most places. Buying water is a necessity. I am used to that after four visits.

One very sad thing is that young men and young women do not give up their seats in the buses for very old people. I do. 

I am ashamed that this Millennial generation has no regard for the elderly. 

Obviously, these young people have not been raised to be Catholics with hearts.

And, I see women standing all the time while men sit. Very odd.

A sad day for manners and good will. But, I was given two plastic bags by my very nice storekeeper, Sandra in Valletta, who is so accommodating that I go out of my way to shop at her little establishment, Genail. I have shopped there now since 2011. Her shop is just across from the Church of the Circumcision side door. The Church is one of my favs for popping in and praying when I am in Valletta.

Excellent Place!

BTW,,. although I wish I could eat there daily, Il-Gabanna in Sliema has the best full English breakfast for 5.95 Euros. Two huge sausages, two fried eggs. two pieces of toast, two large pieces of bacon, mushrooms fried in garlic, one entire large fried tomato and a small bowl of baked beans for that amazing price. If I had more money, I would eat there more often.

And the young waiting staff are great! They are friendly and watch out for one's needs.

Love the place. I have not tried Il-Gabanna's for dinner, as that is at this moment outside my budget, and I usually do not go out after dark. It is dark by seven.

I imagine the food is great.

And Il-Gabanna knows how to make real Americano coffee.

The Changing of the Seasons in The Church

The season is changing from summer to winter here now. In fact, the locals tell me it is colder than last year and I know this for a fact, as I was here last year until November 7th. It is much colder, with many more storms and rain.

But, I have also been thinking of my meditation on the Epistle of Jude on the 28th, which I hope you all did not miss. Mortification must now be part of our daily lives, Real penances, not false ones, must be accepted or chosen, or both.

Looking at the Mariners' Forecast reminded me that real penances are not the same as false penances.

First, a look...a one day coming up and some thoughts following:

Weather: cloudy with thundery showers which may be with gusts and hail.

Visibility: good except in precipitation

Wind: North to Northeast Gale Force 4-5 locally Force 5-6

           locally East Northeast at first and overnight

Sea: moderate to rough becoming locally rough.

Swell: Negligible becoming low to moderate overnight

Now, suppose you are a shrimp fisherman and you have to look this forecast up daily. This week would be the changing of the season for sure, which started a few days ago. I have seen a shrimp boat out at sea. Those men must be ready for bad weather now, especially on Saturday. And, most shrimp fishing takes place at night. Gale Force 6 creates difficulties for fishermen. But, one must work. Those men cannot grumble, complain, or choose to do something else if this is their job, their livelihood. Not grumbling is a real penance. Working in the rough seas is part of life. For us Catholics, there are real penances and false penances. We must choose the real ones. And, we must choose mortification. Real penances may be these, a short list:

1. loosing status and friends because one stands up for the truth;
2. being misunderstood for being obedient to the Church;
3. not complaining when those around you either stop being your friends or ignore you because you are a loyal Catholic; 
4. doing extra hard things, like being silent in a conversation when you want to speak;
5. giving money out of your need, not merely your excess;
6. praying more than the normative one hour a day, especially for others;
7. leaving all you love in order to be with Catholics who will strengthen your faith.
8. These are real penances. I give up some foods to add to intercessory prayer, but my real penance is when I do not have enough money for more than one full meal a day.

God sometimes, as in my case, chooses the penances for us. Like the shrimp fisherman, I can either grumble or thank God for this complication in my daily life. The season of the Church is changing  and we must change with the Church, accepting more and more suffering. That is the call of the real Catholic.