Thursday, 13 December 2012
From The Tablet
David Cameron's faith and communities minister, Baroness Warsi, has expressed concern at the Coalition's proposed gay marriage legislation, saying it needs greater clarity and could lead to a string of "unintended consequences".
In a letter leaked to the Daily Mail, the former Conservative Party chairman asked Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary who unveiled the planned legislation earlier this week, how the proposed laws would protect religious freedom.
The Muslim peer, who attends Cabinet, also asked what legal advice the Government had received in relation to the compatibility of gay marriage legislation with "domestic and European law".
Lady Warsi, who held talks on the issue this week with Church of England leaders, asked: "What consideration has been given to the teaching of equal marriage in schools, both faith schools and non-faith schools?"
More than 100 Tory MPs are threatening to vote against the legislation in the New Year.
Multiple posting day
In the past few weeks, I have been taking advantage of the fact that I am in an Internet zone and not a dead zone. Please take time to read all the posts. I do all of this for you.
Here is a cutie as a reminder of a big posting day...
Here is a cutie as a reminder of a big posting day...
Subjectivity, relativism, Satanism and anarchy
Last year, a baby Jesus was vandalized in Pennsylvania. The statue was made to look like Satan and had satanic symbols on the back of it. The anarchist symbol is clearly visible on the front. What strikes me about this situation is the complete logic of the connections between the hatred of religion, Satanism and anarchy.
I am truly, truly concerned about the Millennials. I am truly, truly concerned that if the youth of the West do not rise up and take the lead in converting others, we shall not only lose our culture and more so, our civilization, but lose the opportunity to catechize the entire world.
The horror of subjective thinking has created an entire generation of relativists who span the earth.
This is one reason why Islam is attractive. Relativism is a philosophical position based on materialistic views of life, history, philosophy. So is Islam.
But, I digress. Relativism and subjectivity has ruined the youths' ability to believe in critical thinking.
Many of these youth no longer believe in reason. They do not believe in free will, the soul, or reason. This is a serious development, planned by the social engineers from the 19th century who do not want a thinking public.
They have now got it. It some countries, this lack of the belief in man's ability to reason is completely gone, except for a few.
So many young people will go to hell because they do not believe in reason and free will.
Are you surprised at this statement?
On my blog and especially in the perfection series, I have said over and over that in order to become a saint, one must become objective. This is essential. If one cannot stand back and see one's own sin and the state of one's own soul, a person lacks the humility and impetus to come to God.
All the saints, as I have said many times, were objective. Subjectivity is the mind of evil-why?
Non servium. The real relativist cannot serve any laws, rules, or hierarchy outside of himself. The logical consequence of subjectivism is anarchy, but sadly, the real relativist cannot reason about consequences.
I am very concerned, not for myself, but for all of those whose subjectivity will lead them to moral anarchy.
One cannot argue with most relativists as they cannot think. They deny reason. They deny rational discourse.
Pray for these youth when you meet them. Their souls, which, with free will and reason, were made in the image and likeness of God. They refuse that image and likeness. They are culpable in that they choose lifestyles which follow their subjectivity.
God never gives up on any of us. He pursues us until the last moments of our lives. He is Faithful. But, we have free will.
John the Baptist and Perfection
Today's Gospel in the NO is from Matthew 11:11-15.
| 11 | Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. |
| 12 | From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. |
| 13 | For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; |
| 14 | and if you are willing to accept it, he is Eli'jah who is to come. |
| 15 |
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Those who follow this blog know that this passage is one of my favourites from the Scriptures. Last year, a Jesuit priest told me that he did not believe that John the Baptist was the greatest of men. This priest was contradicting Christ Himself. Christ is telling us who John and and what we are to become.
Why did the Jesuit demean John? Because John was counter-cultural; he called people out of their comfort zones; he prepared the way for perfection.
Repentance must come before perfection.
John knew why he was on earth. To prepare people for the coming of Christ. His words used by the Church in Advent, allow us to see the depth of his love and commitment to Christ. He is the Best Man to the Bridegroom.
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My Meditation on the Crib and the Cross
From the earliest times in Catholicism, we have had artists and poets link the Crib to the Cross.
The entire reason for the Incarnation and the Birth of Our Lord is Christ's Redemptive Passion and Death, resulting in the Resurrection.
Christ in art in the Harrowing of Hell is shown taking up into Heaven our first parents. SS Adam and Eve await us there. In the painting immediately below, St. Francis places a little Jesus in the manger under the Cross.
In the old days, the feast of Adam and Eve was celebrated on Christmas Eve, December 24th. The old collect was the same as the refrain during Holy Week. These three days may be connected in our minds. We hear this on Holy Saturday night in the Exsultet.
O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
O certe necessárium Adæ peccátum,
quod Christi morte delétum est!
O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem!
In these very hard times, let us rejoice in suffering and accept the times as part of our own salvation.
Here is a quotation from LifeSiteNews
Totalitarian tactics by Western governments to advance a worldwide de-population, anti-life and anti-faith agenda are accelerating. This is very alarming to those of us who understand the implications of these developments....
There are still battles to be played out, but we know the final outcome. Our role it NOT to avoid the hard truths and the battles, but to engage with full confidence so that in the end our Maker will be able to say to each one of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your reward.” LSN
How to help a relativist think....
One of the greatest problems in evangelising is knowing when to stop the metaphysical and epistemological arguments and go for the jugular.
I use the Socratic Method. I ask the non-believer what they do believe. They want to always tell me what they do not believe, but all non-believers believe in something.
It is rather easy to start a conversation using popular culture.
Example: the Sherlock series is very popular. The acting is above average and although there are some irritating photographic techniques, and the music is horrid, the interpretations of the stories have dramatic value. Some of the story-lines are based on the originals, but deviate quickly, which is fine.
The college bunch like Sherlock. So, my question to a bunch of relativists would be, "Why do you believe that murder is wrong and horrible, and even perhaps betraying your country is wrong?"
"If you do not believe that spying and betrayal are wrong, why do you watch the show?"
"Are Chinese gangs evil, as portrayed? Why do you think violence is wrong or right depending on who is being violent or receiving violence?"
Make the relativist begin to think that maybe there is a natural law.
Secondly, if they back off, it is because they are lazy thinkers. Help them along.
"Why do you like Sherlock?" OK, he is cool, (You can tell he is not an INTJ by the way as he needs to get a reaction.) and smart and always right, mostly. But, ask the relativist why it is important for Sherlock to be correct in his thinking. Another question could be "Why do you think Sherlock is a good guy and Moriarity is a bad guy?" Because one is psychotic...?
As I wrote in an earlier post in the past few days, too many people think that success means goodness. Hmmm.
The writers of Sherlock are a bit confused on the moral issues themselves, but that is another issue.
It is full of relativistic nonsense as one could see in the first series in 2010. Being gay is OK, as is fornication and nudity and sadism...well, almost.
The simple truth is that the relativist young person makes decisions daily on likes and dislikes based on moral principles which most young people do not realize they make.
Relativism is a moral stand.
Individualism is a moral stand.
So, even those who think they do not have opinions and do not want to foist them onto anyone else, do.
So, is it OK if a S/M flirts with the virginal Sherlock and he almost succumbs? Or, is it OK that he lies to get to get a reaction? And, he needs to impress. Too bad-that is his weakness.
And don't tell me it is not a series of stories about murder mysteries and merely a "thriller". That is the Millennialist cop-out.
Natural law is always there, hidden or not...we just need to help these young ones pull it out of the dark cave of indifference, anti-intellectualism and sloth.
The real reason why people fall away from the Church, and youth raised in Ireland, who are call themselves atheists fall into that category, is usually not for rational reasons. Most likely, the person has decided to live with his girlfriend or be gay, or think that cheating on exams is fine. The intellectual arguments of a real intellectually convinced atheist are rare.
By the way, Sherlock thinks both logically and analogically. His going into his mind-palace is analogical thinking as the logical thinking has failed to solve the problem. When I taught logic, I discovered that most girls in America thought analogically and most guys, logically. However, (I first taught college in 1979 and stopped in 2010 with a hiatus as a stay-at-home-mom in between there somewhere) that changed over the years. More and more men were thinking analogically. Sad. That is the creativity which depends on memory and associations of an excellent observer. Enough said....
DISCLAIMER: I am writing about secular humanists and not Catholics. The Catholic trad youth are logical and more so, as they are more traditional.
I use the Socratic Method. I ask the non-believer what they do believe. They want to always tell me what they do not believe, but all non-believers believe in something.
It is rather easy to start a conversation using popular culture.
Example: the Sherlock series is very popular. The acting is above average and although there are some irritating photographic techniques, and the music is horrid, the interpretations of the stories have dramatic value. Some of the story-lines are based on the originals, but deviate quickly, which is fine.
The college bunch like Sherlock. So, my question to a bunch of relativists would be, "Why do you believe that murder is wrong and horrible, and even perhaps betraying your country is wrong?"
"If you do not believe that spying and betrayal are wrong, why do you watch the show?"
"Are Chinese gangs evil, as portrayed? Why do you think violence is wrong or right depending on who is being violent or receiving violence?"
Make the relativist begin to think that maybe there is a natural law.
Secondly, if they back off, it is because they are lazy thinkers. Help them along.
"Why do you like Sherlock?" OK, he is cool, (You can tell he is not an INTJ by the way as he needs to get a reaction.) and smart and always right, mostly. But, ask the relativist why it is important for Sherlock to be correct in his thinking. Another question could be "Why do you think Sherlock is a good guy and Moriarity is a bad guy?" Because one is psychotic...?
As I wrote in an earlier post in the past few days, too many people think that success means goodness. Hmmm.
The writers of Sherlock are a bit confused on the moral issues themselves, but that is another issue.
It is full of relativistic nonsense as one could see in the first series in 2010. Being gay is OK, as is fornication and nudity and sadism...well, almost.
The simple truth is that the relativist young person makes decisions daily on likes and dislikes based on moral principles which most young people do not realize they make.
Relativism is a moral stand.
Individualism is a moral stand.
So, even those who think they do not have opinions and do not want to foist them onto anyone else, do.
So, is it OK if a S/M flirts with the virginal Sherlock and he almost succumbs? Or, is it OK that he lies to get to get a reaction? And, he needs to impress. Too bad-that is his weakness.
And don't tell me it is not a series of stories about murder mysteries and merely a "thriller". That is the Millennialist cop-out.
Natural law is always there, hidden or not...we just need to help these young ones pull it out of the dark cave of indifference, anti-intellectualism and sloth.
The real reason why people fall away from the Church, and youth raised in Ireland, who are call themselves atheists fall into that category, is usually not for rational reasons. Most likely, the person has decided to live with his girlfriend or be gay, or think that cheating on exams is fine. The intellectual arguments of a real intellectually convinced atheist are rare.
By the way, Sherlock thinks both logically and analogically. His going into his mind-palace is analogical thinking as the logical thinking has failed to solve the problem. When I taught logic, I discovered that most girls in America thought analogically and most guys, logically. However, (I first taught college in 1979 and stopped in 2010 with a hiatus as a stay-at-home-mom in between there somewhere) that changed over the years. More and more men were thinking analogically. Sad. That is the creativity which depends on memory and associations of an excellent observer. Enough said....
DISCLAIMER: I am writing about secular humanists and not Catholics. The Catholic trad youth are logical and more so, as they are more traditional.
To tweet or not to tweet
On Father Z's blog, there is a poll on whether the Pope should tweet or not. I voted in the minority who said yes with zeal.
Americans may not realize the importance of tweeting to youth in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. That the media uses it consistently is one thing. That young people have as many as 800 contacts is another. I am not exaggerating when I say that tweeting seems to be getting much bigger than chat, way more than e-mail, which is the oldies way of communicating, and more popular than skype. Like facebook, twitter is the social networking mode. Texting is most common.
I have a problem in that most of my friends e-mail or chat or skype. However, tweeting is convenient. I do not use it much, as most of my friends do not use it. Bother.
The only real problems are my friends who only use the telephone. Maybe they have a mobile. That is a huge problem, as phoning from a mobile to a mobile in Europe is way more expensive than using skype or twitter.
Which is the reason why college students twitter or skype-these are cheap or free.
As to the Pope using twitter, you can look at my comment on Fr. Z where I listed the Popes who used radio, television and movies for the first time. But, here is the original link for information. Cool, huh? First Pope on film: Leo XIII in 1896. First pope to make a radio broadcast: Pius XI c. 1931. First pope to have a ‘full-length movie made about him: Pius XII in 1942 . First pope to speak on TV: Pius XII http://popes-and-papacy.com/wordpress/?p=2765
Wishes and The Christ Child
When Grandma Ludmilla was a little girl, six, in 1906, she wanted a beautiful porcelain doll dressed like in silk and taffeta with a big hat. In her family, no decorations were put up before Christmas. There was a large second living room, with the pocket doors leading to a foyer. Those doors were shut for days before Christmas and the children would not be allowed to enter the room.
It was being prepared for the Christ Child. Not Santa, but the Christ Child brought gifts to my Grandmother's generation of Catholics in the southern edge of the Midwest. The children would be excited and nervous.
If they were good, the Christ Child would bring gifts. If not, well...
Little Ludmilla, and Vasha, and Jara, and Vaclav and Mohimir and Bohumil were waiting, and being very good.
Then, on the morning of Christmas, Mama and Papa would open the pocket doors. The fairyland behind the doors had to come from Jesus. The tree was decorated with candles lit with real fire, ornaments from Germany and toys from Austria and Germany. There were bowls of fruits and candies.
It was warm and where little Ludmilla lived, there was no snow. But her mother made her wear her coat. And a little coat for Marianne was produced, magically, to match Ludmilla's coat.
Outside, on the sidewalks of the city, Ludmilla pushed the carriage, but within minutes, the test of her young life occurred. There, on the pavement, were the neighbour children playing with old toys and wearing old clothes.
Ludmilla stopped. She knew the little girl. The family had little. Ludmilla stopped pushing Marianne. "What did you get for Christmas, Clara?" She asked, boldly. Clara answered, "Nothing,"and she looked at the doll.
Ludmilla returned home in a short while without the carriage or the doll. Her father asked her where her new doll was and her mother looked at her searchingly. "I gave Marianne to Clara, for she has nothing for Christmas and I have so much."
Great-Grandma looked at Great-Grandpa. He took Ludmilla's little hand in his and said. "That was good, but you know, you will not get another doll." Ludmilla answered in a strong, determined voice. "I know."She realized that the Christ Child was back in heaven and would not come down for another year.
This is a true story. My Grandmother died a long time ago, but her story lives on. Such is the power of memory and writing, and the beauty of a Catholic Christmas.
There are several books I would like and I shall make a wish list soon. Several are by Robert Hugh Benson, including his Friendship of Christ, None Other Gods, and Bernard of Clairvaux's complete Sermons on the Song of Songs. I f anyone has any extra pennies in this hard year...
Blindness and Sin: between a rock and a hard place
That generation can text, tweet, use all the social networking available and yet cannot find out about basic questions concerning their own Catholic Faith. Infused knowledge is great and comes in prayer but, we must try and find out as much as our busy schedules allow concerning the doctrines of our own religion.
There is NO excuse, except sin.
It is harder to lose one's self for all eternity.
Begging God to show me my sin requires energy and time. It requires a harsh objectivity.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away. Matthew 11:12 DR
Make your own coffee at home and use the Net to read the Divine Office daily, to check out the Catholic Encyclopaedia and the Vatican website. I have given you the links on the names, guys.
Sloth, by the way, is a sin. A serious sin, one of the Deadly Sins....we forget those. I did an examination of those in the perfection series. Here is one link-
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2012/08/more-on-perfection-some-capital-sins.html
and you can follow the tags. I have done all the work for you, kids!
Have a nice day!
Sloth, by the way, is a sin. A serious sin, one of the Deadly Sins....we forget those. I did an examination of those in the perfection series. Here is one link-
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2012/08/more-on-perfection-some-capital-sins.html
and you can follow the tags. I have done all the work for you, kids!
Have a nice day!
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Heads up from Fr. Ray Blakes's Blog
Statement on the government response to the same sex marriage consultationBishops Conference of England and Wales
'The meaning of marriage matters. It derives that meaning from its function as the foundation of the family. The union of one man and one woman for love and mutual support and open to procreation has over the centuries formed a stable unit we call the family.
Marriage is the enduring public recognition of this commitment and has been rightly recognised as unique and worthy of legal protection. The government has chosen to ignore the views of over 600,000 people who signed a petition calling for the current definition of marriage to stay, and we are told legislation to change the definition of marriage will now come to Parliament. We strongly oppose such a Bill.
Furthermore, the process by which this has happened can only be described as shambolic. There was no electoral mandate in any manifesto; no mention in the Queen’s speech; no serious or thorough consultation through a Green or White paper, and a constant shifting of policy before even the government response to the consultation was published today.
We urge everyone who cares about upholding the meaning of marriage in civil law to make their views known to their MPs clearly, calmly and forcefully, and without impugning the motives of others. We urge all parties to ensure their Members have a free vote. It is not too late to stop this Bill.'
Thomas Aquinas in the Present Age of Nice
My generation was raised with more manners than the present youth. We knew how to act in various social settings. We were kind and considerate to the old and very young, women and babies. But, we also knew when to speak clearly about truth and nonsense. Perfection does not come to those who are squeamish. I suggest a good look at this, unfortunately grainy take, from Jesus of Nazareth.
I published this article in January of this year, on the 9th, under the same title; and I am posting it again. It was part of the beginning of the series on Perfection.
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I taught college in the late 70s and 80s, was a stay at home mom for many years, and went back into the classroom in the late 90s, until 2010. In a period of eleven years, the difference in the ability of the students to make decisions struck me as apocalyptic. Since 1996, when I re-entered academia, until 2010, when I left the classroom, my observations included the fact that my students has no moral framework from which to decide right or wrong. The heresy of relativism had changed two generations of minds, so that the rational ability to chose virtue over pleasure, depravity, sin was gone. Without reason, none of us can be truly virtuous. Thomas Aquinas in his sections on virtue in the Summa, notes that, natural reason perfected leads to virtue. Virtue cannot be developed or lived without the perfection of natural reason. Intellectual and moral virtues assumes, as we know in the teaching of the Catholic Church, an ability to reason, set usually at the age of seven. At that age, traditionally, children begin to establish a perception of good and evil, virtue and vice, which allows them to chose. Now, the passions come into play here, but that is not the emphasis of this post.
If a child is being raised in complete relativism, with no basis for judgement, such as the Ten Commandments, the Laws of the Church, the conscience will lack that reasonable ability which can be perfected. When was the last time you heard a sermon on the virtues and the life of virtue?
Knowledge leads to action, unless one lives in the knee-jerk world of the passions unbridled. Knowledge is partly built upon natural law, a concept denied by our Post-Modernist atheists and Christians. Revelation, that is the Old and New Testaments, builds on natural law, and the Tradition of the Catholic Church builds on Revelation. Reason is capable of absorbing these teachings, as we are rational beings. The monkey wrench in the machine is this "nice" attitude that all "values" are equal and that passions may be followed without rules-anarchy of the mind and will.
My former students on the whole did not have parents who raised them with any consequences or rules. Most of them were making up rules for relationships and life goals as they went along. Poor things. Like the Existentialist who sees life as pain because there is no meaning unless one creates that meaning, these young people just lurch from one idea of popular Post-Modernist narcissism to the next.
Our present Pope is the Pope of Reason, and he has written and spoken of the rational aspect of humanity, and the beauty of the overlap of reason and Faith-the pillars of the formation of a moral framework, leading to the perfection of reason, which is virtue.
Many arguments on line have been criticized for not being nice, or lacking tact.
My generation was raised with manners, but we never used this word "tact"to criticize strong feelings regarding heaven, hell, or the four last things.
Some Millenials do not want to hear the Truth unless is comes in a nice package. Here are a few quotations upon which to meditate for my young friends. I do not address you, but your teachers and priests in these phrases; consider the world in which we live and listen carefully. This is God speaking.
Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean. Matthew 23:26
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness. Matt. 23:27
Peer Pressure and Lot's Wife
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town. --Matthew 10:14-15
Many commentators of the Bible in year's past have stated that Lot's wife was punished for desiring her old life. She was missing her friends, house, grieving for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Some commentators state that she died from a lack of faith. She had to look.
That Lot's wife was instantly turned into a pillar of salt means that she lost her salvation.
I think she was taken up by what we call peer pressure. What do I mean?
Let me start with analogous situations and a disclaimer. I was not ever attracted to the group or the gangs. I was a leader in college, and I was not attracted to peer pressure even in high school. Maybe it is because I am an INTJ. Maybe it was a grace. Maybe, like all in my family, I was so independent minded that to run with the crowd was never an option. Also, as a Catholic adult, I have had to stand up for my faith many, many times in many different venues. I am not afraid.
However, Lot's wife has intrigued me, as she was the only one in her family to look back. Lot and his daughters continued to follow the Angel to safety. One alone looked back.
Curiosity is a morbid feature, perhaps, of this true story from the Scriptures. But, why would a grown woman mourn over the justice of God on the day of ruin? Her mind and heart had been corrupted by the people with whom she lived.
She looked back in a false compassion, a false sense of sorrow. Now, this sounds harsh to those younger than myself. But, one must walk away from evil and peers who would bring you evil if you have spoken to them about the Truth and they refuse to listen. Why?
Your own soul is at stake.
Perhaps it is because so many young people do not come from large families and crave acceptance. Maybe only children or children with one other sibling feel the need for companionship to the point of giving in on their own morals and values.
America is a comformist society. But, the signs have been that the Millenials are less comformist. I have not seen this, in fact, the opposite. They conform in a different way-virtually, on line. And, they are reticent to discuss contentious subjects with each other. They do not want to rock the boat, as it were.
And, because of bad catechesis, too many do not know nor do they want to know the Faith.
Lot's wife was not converted. She did not think like God. She was conformed to Sodom and Gomorrah. That is the message of "looking back".
In Luke 17:32, Christ is speaking of the Day of the Lord, and He refers to Lot's Wife. He used her as an example of one who was damned. And, her sin could be that she longed to be with her friends, rather than with God's Truth.
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| Halite in Death Valley similar to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah--thanks to Wiki |
Many commentators of the Bible in year's past have stated that Lot's wife was punished for desiring her old life. She was missing her friends, house, grieving for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Some commentators state that she died from a lack of faith. She had to look.
That Lot's wife was instantly turned into a pillar of salt means that she lost her salvation.
I think she was taken up by what we call peer pressure. What do I mean?
Let me start with analogous situations and a disclaimer. I was not ever attracted to the group or the gangs. I was a leader in college, and I was not attracted to peer pressure even in high school. Maybe it is because I am an INTJ. Maybe it was a grace. Maybe, like all in my family, I was so independent minded that to run with the crowd was never an option. Also, as a Catholic adult, I have had to stand up for my faith many, many times in many different venues. I am not afraid.
However, Lot's wife has intrigued me, as she was the only one in her family to look back. Lot and his daughters continued to follow the Angel to safety. One alone looked back.
Curiosity is a morbid feature, perhaps, of this true story from the Scriptures. But, why would a grown woman mourn over the justice of God on the day of ruin? Her mind and heart had been corrupted by the people with whom she lived.
She looked back in a false compassion, a false sense of sorrow. Now, this sounds harsh to those younger than myself. But, one must walk away from evil and peers who would bring you evil if you have spoken to them about the Truth and they refuse to listen. Why?
 |
| The Pillar of Lot's Wife in |
Perhaps it is because so many young people do not come from large families and crave acceptance. Maybe only children or children with one other sibling feel the need for companionship to the point of giving in on their own morals and values.
America is a comformist society. But, the signs have been that the Millenials are less comformist. I have not seen this, in fact, the opposite. They conform in a different way-virtually, on line. And, they are reticent to discuss contentious subjects with each other. They do not want to rock the boat, as it were.
And, because of bad catechesis, too many do not know nor do they want to know the Faith.
Lot's wife was not converted. She did not think like God. She was conformed to Sodom and Gomorrah. That is the message of "looking back".
In Luke 17:32, Christ is speaking of the Day of the Lord, and He refers to Lot's Wife. He used her as an example of one who was damned. And, her sin could be that she longed to be with her friends, rather than with God's Truth.
Thoughts on Idolatry
This is a hard thing to write, but write it I must. I was listening to Venerable Fulton J. Sheen on Mary and, by extension, the Church as the Bride of Christ. The saint stated clearly that one of the reasons that a woman cannot be a priest is the reality of Christ, as Man, giving life to the Church and the Church receiving it as a Bride. His imagery was striking.
Those of us who know the symbolism and truth of the relationship between Christ and His Church know it is one of love. St. Bernard of Clairvaux in his great sermons on the Bride in the Song of Songs, notes that the Church is Christ's Bride.
Many of the so-called womynpriests are also liberals in other ways. The Anglican Church, which has accepted womnypriests since 1992 also accepts gay men and women as priests. There is a gender confusion based on a huge misunderstanding of the relationship of Christ as Groom to Church as Bride.
How many women who want to be priests are also pro-gay, pro-lesbian? Is there a connection between the sin of homosexual acts and the horrible misunderstanding of the priesthood? Could it be that the blurring of the gender of Christ, the God-Man, is part of the confusion of sin?
I think so.
In a Church which cannot accept Christ as God Incarnated as a Man and as priest who are alter Christus, is there not an acceptance of same-sex marriage?
The two are connected in the pysches of those who want to make the Church in their own image and likeness. The photo is of two lesbian priests who got "married" last year at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass. attended by 400 people. One is dean in a divinity school.
That is the goal of both the gay agenda and the push for womynpriests-to remake the Church into an image of confusion and sin, rather than love and beauty.
When we try and make God into our image and likeness, we are committing the sin of idolatry, the sin against the first commandment. That fact that it is the first commandment, I am the Lord Thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before Me, means it is the most important and the commandment underlining all the others.
Homosexual and lesbians acts are idolatry, as one is only loving one's self as mirrored in another person, rather than loving the other; the other is the other gender.
I think that it is not an accident that the womynpriest movement and the movement for gay and lesbian rights overlap in the churches which are departing from the Gospels. I think these are psychologically and philosophically connected.
Those of us who know the symbolism and truth of the relationship between Christ and His Church know it is one of love. St. Bernard of Clairvaux in his great sermons on the Bride in the Song of Songs, notes that the Church is Christ's Bride.
Many of the so-called womynpriests are also liberals in other ways. The Anglican Church, which has accepted womnypriests since 1992 also accepts gay men and women as priests. There is a gender confusion based on a huge misunderstanding of the relationship of Christ as Groom to Church as Bride.
How many women who want to be priests are also pro-gay, pro-lesbian? Is there a connection between the sin of homosexual acts and the horrible misunderstanding of the priesthood? Could it be that the blurring of the gender of Christ, the God-Man, is part of the confusion of sin?
I think so.
In a Church which cannot accept Christ as God Incarnated as a Man and as priest who are alter Christus, is there not an acceptance of same-sex marriage?
That is the goal of both the gay agenda and the push for womynpriests-to remake the Church into an image of confusion and sin, rather than love and beauty.
When we try and make God into our image and likeness, we are committing the sin of idolatry, the sin against the first commandment. That fact that it is the first commandment, I am the Lord Thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before Me, means it is the most important and the commandment underlining all the others.
Homosexual and lesbians acts are idolatry, as one is only loving one's self as mirrored in another person, rather than loving the other; the other is the other gender.
I think that it is not an accident that the womynpriest movement and the movement for gay and lesbian rights overlap in the churches which are departing from the Gospels. I think these are psychologically and philosophically connected.
He shall gather the lambs with His arms..........
Advent Meditation on the Good Shepherd from Tuesday's reading.
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs
with His arms, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are
with young. (Isaiah 40:11)
Come unto Him, all ye that labour, come unto Him that are heavy laden, and
He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He
is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
(Matthew 11:28-29)
The timing of vocations
Talking with a priest last week and a young person this week on the importance of timing in discerning vocations, let me share with you some thoughts.
Firstly, a young person who does not have a clear idea of whether God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life, should discern this before they get into courtship.
Now, I do not believe in dating for entertainment. Dating is for finding a mate. And, a better word would be courtship. This is an old idea revived by many of us home schooling parents in the 1980s and 1990s, which now is a happy topic on Catholic radio, to which I do not have access, but so people tell me.
One does not date in order to discern a vocation. That is bad advice if one receives that from a priest.
If one has a strong attraction to the priesthood or religious life, a young person should seek out the vocations director of a diocese or the head of the monastery or convent in one's area and discern by looking and staying.
Secondly, if one has a vocation, it is wrong to lead someone of the opposite sex astray by dating. This is deceitful. Now, I had a friend a long time ago who had a vocation to the priesthood and wanted to go to concerts and stuff and wanted a safe friend with whom to go. I was it. I had no intentions of getting married and as we had a mutual understanding, it was fine. If a person knows themselves well enough, then this may be ok but I would not recommend it.
Go out with friends of the same gender, in groups; but do not get into exclusive dating
Thirdly, there is a timing for discerning vocations and I am convinced of this. I have seen this over and over. Sometimes vocations are lost through procrastinations and hemming and hawing-not taking the risk or even foolish fear of family reactions.
There is a time when God knocks at the door and asks someone to follow Him totally. If you are a young person and feel this could be true in your case, but you are hesitant, hesitate no longer. God stands at the door and knocks but we all have free will.
If you follow this blog, you all know I recently lived in a monastery for two months discerning a late vocation. I had to do this. I had to put a niggling idea to rest one way or the other. Thankfully, God helped me discern that He wanted me, one in the world, but two, having a life of meditation and contemplation in the world.
This is hard but not impossible. God makes all things possible.
Fourthly, if you are a young person and you are not discerning and do not know, do so. Your entire life of happiness and peace is at stake.
Fifthly, it would be very wrong for a young person to know they have a religious vocation or a call to the priesthood and date. It would be equally wrong for someone to sense that the person they like has a call and date that person. Be a real friend and help them by encouraging them to get a spiritual director and figure it all out now!
Lastly, if your parents are against you following a vocation, think clearly. They may be wrong, or they may be right. But, 50% of the priests ordained in 2010 in America, said that they had no support from their families--on the contrary.
Be careful and be holy. Listen to the Holy Spirit and do not run away from God.
The Metaphysics of Love--Repeat of Perfection Series continued
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In my mini-series on perfection, Garrigou-Lagrange repeats that all Catholics are called to this higher call of oneness with God. This call, as I have described on this blog before now, is for the many, not the few.
In the time of middle-age, the pursuit of the active, exterior life should melt away into an inner energy of the building of the interior life. Now,in this day and age of financial unrest, many middle-aged people, including myself, find that we must keep working longer than we thought, as pensions have been cut, or have disappeared entirely. The restless pursuit of the necessary, food, lodging and so on, must continue later than the baby-boomers planned. This is a serious threat to our interior growth, so important for learning and obtaining love.
The society is against us, with the false, siren call of early retirement or incessant travelling. In fact, a financial crisis may help some people my age simply stay at home, and read, pray or wow, even study their Faith.
The restlessness of youth must be supplanted by a time of reflection and withdrawal from the world. If this does not happen, the Catholic cannot grow.
Being involved in parish duties is fine, but unless there is the awareness that the interior life is like a plant which needs tending on a daily basis, the spiritual life will wither and die in the spiritual life, there is no status quo--only going forward or going back.
My advice is to simplify. Husbands and wives in the empty nest, help each other pray and meditate. If one must work, the other must help that one to time and energy for this interior life. This must be considered a priority.
The metaphysics of love demands that we are purified by active and passive transformation. We can cooperate with God in the active purification, by giving time and energy to prayer and study.
As I have said before here, we need to cooperate with grace, and God only comes to those who ask Him to come. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given to all Catholics in the sacraments of the Church. But, the Holy Spirit will not work against our will. Actively, we seek God. Then, passively, we receive His gifts, His Love. But, this takes focus, the focus of the interior life.
St. Benedict Labre, thank you
One of my personal patrons is St. Benedict Labre. The most beautiful nun in my school was named after him, but she left before final vows. I think of her today and Dear Benedict.
Here is where he is buried, the Chapel of Santa Maria dei Monti in Rome
And here is an amazing list of his beliefs:
Here is where he is buried, the Chapel of Santa Maria dei Monti in Rome
And here is an amazing list of his beliefs:
Thirty useful sentiments of the St Benedict Joseph Labre, drawn from the history of his life.
- By the grace of God we can do everything. We can remain unhurt in the midst of the fire, like the three holy youths in the furnace of Babylon.
- Everything may be done by the help of God, provided we have a sincere goodwill.
- To communicate through obedience is better and more pleasing to God, than to abstain from it through humility.
- It is never allowable to use or keep anything when we know it has been stolen.
- It is never lawful to tell a lie; we ought always to speak the truth, whatever it may cost us.
- We offend God, because we do not know his greatness.
- He who knows what God is, studies to avoid sin.
- The want of proper examination, true contrition, and a firm purpose of amendment, is the cause of bad confessions, and of the ruin of souls.
- In this world we are all in a valley of tears. Our consolation is not here; we shall have it eternally in Paradise, if we suffer tribulations on earth.
- God afflicts us because he loves us; and it is very pleasing to him, when in our afflictions he sees us abandon ourselves to his paternal care.
- Where fraternal charity is concerned, everything should be sacrificed.
- Those only are to be called poor and unhappy, who are in hell, who have lost God for eternity, not those who are poor on earth.
- However much we suffer for the love of Jesus Crucified, it is but little.
- Let him who seeks true humility, employ two means: mental prayer, meditating on the greatness of God, and his own nothingness; vocal prayer, asking it of God, through the merits of Jesus and Mary.
- By talking and irreverence in churches, we show disrespect to Almighty God in his own house.
- Acts of irreverence in churches are sins which greatly displease God; they horrify the angels, and do great harm to the soul.
- If there were only one person to be condemned, each should fear to be that one.
- We should often meditate on the pains of hell, in order to abhor mortal sin, which casts us into it for all eternity; and think of the small number of the elect, that we may live in fear.
- The Providence of God is never wanting to him who confides in God as he ought.
- With regard to corporal provision, we should not think of a future day, according to the advice of our blessed Redeemer: "Be not solicitous for the morrow." God who provides for today, will also provide for tomorrow.
Particular sentiments concerning true poverty, which the Servant of God wonderfully loved and practised.
- The poor should live by alms.
- A little suffices for the support of the body; what is superfluous, will only serve to furnish the worms with a greater feast.
- A poor man does not seek a bed in order to sleep, he throws himself down anywhere.
- Conveniences are not for the poor.
- Poor people should not use a loaf; they should be content with fragments.
- The poor should not carry money in their travels.
- The poor should not eat dainties.
- The poor should not be well clad.
- The poor should not drink wine: it is not necessary; water suffices to appease thirst.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Hell-the right position and the wrong position
Originally posted on December 9th. See updates.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column.php?n=2383 Wrong!
Above Video--Right! And which man is in charge of one of the most prestigious seminaries in America?
UPDATE ON MONDAY: the vast majority of comments on the original article are against the modernist position. Good thing, too. But, people, when talking about hell, do not resort to private revelations, but the doctrines of the Church. Just look at the Creed and the CCC.
UPDATE ON TUESDAY: I am putting links in the commentary box for more follow-up on other sites on this. Take a look.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column.php?n=2383 Wrong!
Above Video--Right! And which man is in charge of one of the most prestigious seminaries in America?
UPDATE ON MONDAY: the vast majority of comments on the original article are against the modernist position. Good thing, too. But, people, when talking about hell, do not resort to private revelations, but the doctrines of the Church. Just look at the Creed and the CCC.
UPDATE ON TUESDAY: I am putting links in the commentary box for more follow-up on other sites on this. Take a look.
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