Sometimes, loving seems dull and ineffective. Sometimes being silent and calm seems hopeless.
Sometimes, the solid view of the truth creates a stark landscape in the mind of long, cold, grey deserts.
Sometimes, we are not what we need to be for a certain situation to turn away from evil and turn to good.
Sometimes, all we can do is surrender to God again and again, even when He is silent.
Sometimes, our prayers fly up like tired birds.
Sometimes, the City of God seems like a far away vision, lost in fog, but one knows it is solid.
This is called the Dark Night of the Soul.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Please Remember To Pray for Me, Thanks
Prayer for Bishop Alvaro del Portillo's intercession
Prayer for private devotion.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be to the Father.
In conformity with the decrees of Pope Urban VIII, we declare that there is no intention of anticipating in any way the judgment of the Church, and that this prayer is not intended for public use.
http://www.opusdei.us/art.php?p=7547
Positive Thoughts on A Saturday Afternoon
The good are getting better and the bad are getting worse.
But, this is not a negative thought, but a positive one.
God has called all of us to be saints and we are being given grist for the saintliness mill.
Today, I had lunch with a young man who will be made a transitional deacon next year. He and so many seminarians have changed as they have pursued the priesthood. The formation guidelines of the Pope Emeritus are beginning to bear fruit. The seminarians of today are not like those of the past forty years. They are serious about becoming holy.
So, too, are more and more laity beginning to realize that one cannot merely be a mediocre Catholic today. God is calling us all to deeper holiness through trials and purification.
Those who are willing to be violent to themselves will inherit the kingdom. Those who avoid suffering and who only want to stay in their comfort zones will not find God.
But, the really positive thought is that more and more people are turning towards God in suffering and accepting this as part of the process of purification. This is wonderful.
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
More Decadence in the EU
You can already imagine the rest: The 13-15 year olds are exposed to homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality "and indeed made familiar with methods of contraception, abortion and the" different expressions of sexuality " in that order. Teachers should respond to alleged questions like: "How can I become a good lover", "How do I get a girl to orgasm", "Which is the best position for sexual intercourse" (perhaps among men), "Swallowing?" The Swiss educators place the value of semen, indeed, on a high level of education for the children in their care. Of course, the crucial element such as chastity or values such as self-giving love instead of sex, procreation, loving affection are completely absent.
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2013/11/state-sponsored-child-pornography-in.html
“Often, when it is the king or some other monarch or potentate that he (the judge) has to deal with, he finds that there is no soundness in the soul whatever; he finds it scourged and scarred by the various acts of perjury and wrong-doing ...; it is twisted and warped by lies and vanity, and nothing is straight because truth has had no part in its development. Power, luxury, pride, and debauchery have left it so full of disproportion and ugliness that when he has inspected it (he) sends it straight to prison, where on its arrival it will undergo the appropriate punishment ... Sometimes, though, the eye of the judge lights on a different soul which has lived in purity and truth ... then he is struck with admiration and sends him to the isles of the blessed” Spe Salvi footnote 525a-526c.
Remove all things from your children which would endanger their purity. Their immortal souls are at stake.
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2013/11/state-sponsored-child-pornography-in.html
“Often, when it is the king or some other monarch or potentate that he (the judge) has to deal with, he finds that there is no soundness in the soul whatever; he finds it scourged and scarred by the various acts of perjury and wrong-doing ...; it is twisted and warped by lies and vanity, and nothing is straight because truth has had no part in its development. Power, luxury, pride, and debauchery have left it so full of disproportion and ugliness that when he has inspected it (he) sends it straight to prison, where on its arrival it will undergo the appropriate punishment ... Sometimes, though, the eye of the judge lights on a different soul which has lived in purity and truth ... then he is struck with admiration and sends him to the isles of the blessed” Spe Salvi footnote 525a-526c.
Remove all things from your children which would endanger their purity. Their immortal souls are at stake.
Repeat Post about Us
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2012/01/cradle-of-modernist-heresies.html
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
The Cradle of Modernist Heresies
In 1983, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, who was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, now Pope Benedict XVI, issued a document under the name of the Declaration on Masonic Associations. The link is on the name.
In that document, the long history of the condemnation of Freemasonry by the Church, since 1738, was reiterated and clearly defined. The original condemnation of Clement XII, In eminenti apostolatus specula was upheld.
Since that time, I have had many Catholics, in the United States and in Europe claim that the Church had removed the automatic excommunication on a Catholic who joined the Masons. This is not and has never been so. One has to understand that the Church's condemnation of Masonry is based not merely on the fact that it is a secret organization, but that it upholds several Modernist heresies. Firstly, Cardinal Ratizinger wrote that:
Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.
He went on to state that no bishop had any right to change this. It is interesting that the SSPX press, Angelus Press, has one of the best books on the evils and pitfalls of Masonry. One can find ithere. However, I want to concentrate on a few of the Modernist heresies found in Freemasonry.
Indifferentism leads to a relativism about religion, stating that all are either the same, or so subjective as to mean only what a person sincerely believes. This pluralism leads to another aspect that because all religions are relative and the same, these beliefs have no role in the public life, cannot affect politics, or governmental decisions. Of course, as the Catholic Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, this heresy is condemned as contrary to both Revelation and Tradition. Indifferentism leads to a denial of the supernatural, as if all beliefs are equal or subjective, there is no hierarchy, no Revelation from God. Also denied in this heresy would be dogma, for the same reasons. It is interesting that in the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1907, itself peppered with some Modernist heresies, that this statement from Newman is quoted in the section on indifferentism:
No truth, however sacred, can stand against it (the Catholic Church) in the long run; and hence it is that in the Pagan world, when our Lord came, the last traces of the religious knowledge of former times were all but disappearing from those portions of the world in which the intellect had been active and had a career" (Apologia, chap. v).
The second heresy of many in Masonry is eirenism.This is what I call the forgotten heresy. The condemnation of eirenism is found in Pope Pius XII's encyclical, Humani Generis. This great work condemns existentialism, historicism (Gramsci watch), immanentism and other isms. The point of eirenism is, in the words of the Pope: setting aside the questions which divide men, they aim not only at joining forces to repel the attacks of atheism, but also at reconciling things opposed to one another in the field of dogma. And as in former times some questioned whether the traditional apologetics That branch of the science of theology which explains the reasons for the Church's existence and doctrine of the Church did not constitute an obstacle rather than a help to the winning of souls for Christ, so today some are presumptuous enough to question seriously whether theology and theological methods, such as with the approval of ecclesiastical authority are found in our schools, should not only be perfected, but also completely reformed, in order to promote the more efficacious propagation throughout the world among men of every culture and religious opinion. This heresy clearly seeks after a type of syncretism, a religion of unity, wherein divisions vanish and people come together to worship some sort of agreed upon god. I would venture to say that eirenism leads directly to Worship of the State. This is the atmosphere of religion and philosophy in the United States at this very moment. The State declares that there is no religious right to conscience, thereby setting up its own standards for so-called moral or ethical behavior. To use an example, abortion is ok because a Supreme Court decision determined it was so, and because further legislation supports it. The State has substituted itself for the Church in matters of conscience. Wake up, American Catholics. So, the heresies sleeping in Masonry have awakened and taken over the mind-set of the nation's leaders. Simple and neat. What is happening and has happened in Catholic education, wherein schools are rebelling against the Teaching Magisterium (look here in California today, this minute) is a direct result of the concepts of eirenism. Schools and other facilities play down differences for the sake of community unity to the detriment of Catholic Teaching. It is too late to change this huge momentum, hidden in Masonry by choice, and held in some minds by lethargy and laziness. To take the easiest way out, to placate, to be politically correct is eirenism. As Catholics, we do not have much time to read all of these documents, but what is happening today in America, with the attack on the Church from the present administration concerning freedom of religion and freedom on conscience is an attack prophesied by all the documents above. If Church leaders knew their own teaching, they would have seen this coming, or even better, stopped these idealistic heresies from fomenting in the people in the pews. And, as laymen, we only have ourselves to blame if we find ourselves marginalize, persecuted, imprisoned, martyred. See my post below on the stages of persecution and the ideologies which push these heresies. The one I have left for this posting is Freemasonry, which seems to hold many of the Modernist heresies and is able to produce these in the market place as goods.  "When asked by a young monk if they were of the greatest generation because they saw and cast out devils, and prayed, fasted, and converted and healed people, the Abba answered. 'No, we are not the greatest generation. We have obvious power. The next generation will see Christ establish His Kingdom among the Nations, and there will be unity for awhile. But, the greatest generation is the one, which under great persecution, will survive. They are the greatest and the last.'" |
A short prayer to St. Andrew, today
St. Andrew, have mercy on those who died in Scotland, the injured, and their families.
Andrew, you responded quickly to Christ's call and brought others to Him. Please bring others to God, today and inspire them to bring others as well.
Andrew, you responded quickly to Christ's call and brought others to Him. Please bring others to God, today and inspire them to bring others as well.
A Quiet Masterpiece
I have written about this book by Benson before as well-None Other Gods. As I wrote about it a long time ago, and have many new readers, I thought I would tie this book in with the perfection series.
Benson understood, and in my humble opinion, experienced the Illumination State, if not the Unitive. No one could have written with the insights he had without some experience.
This book is the clearest novel I have ever read about the three last stages of holiness-the Dark Night, the Illuminative, and the Unitive States.
The last time I wrote about this book, the Evil One who Hates was beginning his onslaught in Ireland. I had read this book for the first time in Ireland in the convent in the Winter of 2011, and was amazed at the similarities between St. Benedict Labre and the main character, Frank. Now, many people who have read this book have not understood the way of perfection, and the last three stages of growth in holiness, therefore, missing the point.
The choices Frank makes are those contrary to the world, the flesh, and the devil. His choices reveal his desire for unity with God.
Please buy it, read it, pass it on. I think it is a quiet masterpiece. Also, if you want to understand supertradmum, you will after reading this book.
Benson understood, and in my humble opinion, experienced the Illumination State, if not the Unitive. No one could have written with the insights he had without some experience.
This book is the clearest novel I have ever read about the three last stages of holiness-the Dark Night, the Illuminative, and the Unitive States.
The last time I wrote about this book, the Evil One who Hates was beginning his onslaught in Ireland. I had read this book for the first time in Ireland in the convent in the Winter of 2011, and was amazed at the similarities between St. Benedict Labre and the main character, Frank. Now, many people who have read this book have not understood the way of perfection, and the last three stages of growth in holiness, therefore, missing the point.
The choices Frank makes are those contrary to the world, the flesh, and the devil. His choices reveal his desire for unity with God.
Please buy it, read it, pass it on. I think it is a quiet masterpiece. Also, if you want to understand supertradmum, you will after reading this book.
Coming to A Head
The book in on line here http://archive.org/stream/lordofworld00bens#page/n5/mode/2up
I have given away copies of this in the past. I hope my friends read it.
It is one of the Pope's favorite books as the Holy Father mentioned recently.
Short of writing about the End Times, I do write that the Church is entering one of the darkest periods of persecution She has ever seen.
I see it in America. I saw it in Europe. Please read my notes on how to prepare for tribulation. Please read the perfection series.
You and I do not have much time.
Signs?
No daily Mass in the closest parish to me. I cannot get to daily Mass.
No Adoration in most churches in this diocese.
The impoverishment of the Church, resulting in closings and the dilapidation of buildings.
The taking over of Catholic hospitals by the pro-death governments-see Ireland.
The hatred of children and mothers, something many of my friends experience almost daily.
The horrible scenes from Argentina, the Macy's parade shambles I linked here, the porn on EU tv.
The mindlessness of Americans, who simply do not see what is happening to undermine the Constitution, the freedoms of individuals and the Church.
The absolute blindness of Obama Catholics.
The evils of lax and even seriously sinning clergy. Why is my pp in Las Vegas on vacation, one of the most evil cities in America?
Priests who refuse to do more than the bare minimum.
The political movements in the EU based on Marxism gaining ground.
The rise of "organized anarchy".
The communism behind the US government policies.
The use of military tactics by the police and the ignoring of the Constitutional rights of search-Boston after the bomb, for example.
The breaking down of the religious aspects of the military, separating duty from duty towards God first.
I appeal to the laity to become holy and accept all suffering as God honoring your prayers for holiness.
Those who are suffering now are being prepared for the worst. BTW, Msgr. Benson pegged the German Church correctly in 1907.
This is my goal
Philippians 4:12-13 ‘I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.’
For many people, this week has been extremely difficult. There are many Catholics who are suffering for various reasons, including financial crises, difficulties with children, marriage troubles, serious illness.
Some Catholics feel isolated and cut off from community and friends.
Stop and say a prayer for these good people.
Thank you.
For many people, this week has been extremely difficult. There are many Catholics who are suffering for various reasons, including financial crises, difficulties with children, marriage troubles, serious illness.
Some Catholics feel isolated and cut off from community and friends.
Stop and say a prayer for these good people.
Thank you.
Christ's Passion, The Passion of The Church, Our Passion
Again, if we follow Garrigou-Lagrange in his thoughts on the Passion, we see that Christ endured a suffering which encompassed the suffering of those who are betrayed, humiliated, hated, tortured, killed.
He lowered Himself, as God, to the most abject sufferings. In this manner, we may have to come to such a place of accepting a tiny bit of the Lord's Passion.
That the Church will and has suffered with Christ, there is no doubt.
If we come to this type of suffering, not exactly, of course, as we are so far below God, but perhaps sharing in a bit of His suffering, can we do this with love? These brief meditations are merely the beginning of a larger series on such a topic.
The Extreme Sufferings Of The Passion
He lowered Himself, as God, to the most abject sufferings. In this manner, we may have to come to such a place of accepting a tiny bit of the Lord's Passion.
That the Church will and has suffered with Christ, there is no doubt.
If we come to this type of suffering, not exactly, of course, as we are so far below God, but perhaps sharing in a bit of His suffering, can we do this with love? These brief meditations are merely the beginning of a larger series on such a topic.
The Extreme Sufferings Of The Passion
Reply. Christ did not endure all sufferings specifically, because many of them are mutually exclusive, such as burning and drowning. It did not become Him to suffer interior bodily sicknesses, for, as St. John Chrysostom says: "It did not befit Him who healed the infirmities of others to have His own body afflicted with the same."[1780]
But Christ endured every human suffering, because: (1) He suffered something from Jews and Gentiles, from the chief priests and their servants, from the mob, even from friends and acquaintances; (2) He suffered from His friends who abandoned Him, in His reputation, His honor, in His soul from sadness and weariness, in His body from wounds and scourgings; (3) He suffered in all His bodily members, from head to foot, and in all His senses.
Reply to second objection. "As Christ was uplifted above others in gifts of graces, so He was lowered beneath others by the ignominy of His sufferings."
Reply to third objection. "The very least one of Christ's sufferings was sufficient of itself to redeem the human race from all sins." However, because of His great love for us, He willed to offer Himself as a most perfect holocaust for us, and generically endure all sufferings.
To be continued....
To be continued....
I love learning new things
I had missed the publication of Paul Kengor's new book The Communist, on the life of Frank Marshall Davis, Obama's supposed mentor in Hawaii.
Kengor is a writer for Townhall Magazine. I get some of the stuff through email, but I do not have a subscription. The theory is interesting. If anyone would like to get this for me, even having a second-hand copy I could use, let me know. Thanks.
Have any readers read this book? Comments welcome.
Here is Kengor's website. http://townhall.com/columnists/paulkengor/
Kengor is a writer for Townhall Magazine. I get some of the stuff through email, but I do not have a subscription. The theory is interesting. If anyone would like to get this for me, even having a second-hand copy I could use, let me know. Thanks.
Have any readers read this book? Comments welcome.
Here is Kengor's website. http://townhall.com/columnists/paulkengor/
More on St. Thomas Aquinas, Suffering And Us
Fourth Article: Whether Christ Ought To Have Suffered On The Cross
Reply. The answer is that it was the most fitting for Christ to have suffered on the cross; (1) because Christ gave us an example of virtue, so that no kind of death ought to be feared by an upright man; (2) "so that whence death came [from the tree], thence life might arise, and that He who overcame by the tree, might also by the tree be overcome";[1773] (3) and (4) that dying on a high rood, He might purify the air and prepare our ascent into heaven; (5) the fact that Christ died with outstretched hands signifies the universality of redemption; (6) because, as St. Augustine says, "The tree on which were fixed the members of Him dying was even the chair of the Master teaching";[1774] (7) because there were very many figures in the Old Testament of this death on the cross.
First objection. In this kind of death the fire pertaining to holocausts is wanting. St. Thomas replies by saying that, "instead of material fire, there was the spiritual fire of charity in Christ's holocaust."[1775]
Second objection. Death on the cross is most ignominious. St. Thomas replies to this by quoting St. Paul: "He endured the cross, despising the shame,"[1776] so that by His humility, He made reparation for our sins of pride.
Third objection. Death on the cross is a death of malediction. St. Thomas again quotes the following text from St. Paul: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us,"[1777] that is, He took upon Himself the penalty of sin.
All these remarks clearly manifest the fittingness of the Passion, and they better illustrate both God the Father's love and Christ's love for us. As the Evangelist says: "For God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten Son."[1778] As St. Paul says: "He that spared not even His own Son but delivered Him up for us all."[1779] Therefore our redemption is predominantly a mystery of love.
Again, to clarify the purpose of this mini-series of posts, I can point out that what Christ experienced in the Passion is what we are all called to do under times of severe trial.
Look at these points from Garrigou-Lagrange and recall that in the long perfection series, which was based on one of his books, the need for perfection dictates that we cannot truly suffer as we ought to do without undergoing purification first.
The type of extreme suffering endure by Christ demanded an Innocence, a Purity unknown to men before His Coming.
The curses of death and the law were lifted from all the souls of all men who follow His way.
The mystery of love for us is this-that if we love Christ and His Church, we shall be willing to undergo purification and severe suffering.
To be continued....and more here.
Again, to clarify the purpose of this mini-series of posts, I can point out that what Christ experienced in the Passion is what we are all called to do under times of severe trial.
Look at these points from Garrigou-Lagrange and recall that in the long perfection series, which was based on one of his books, the need for perfection dictates that we cannot truly suffer as we ought to do without undergoing purification first.
The type of extreme suffering endure by Christ demanded an Innocence, a Purity unknown to men before His Coming.
The curses of death and the law were lifted from all the souls of all men who follow His way.
The mystery of love for us is this-that if we love Christ and His Church, we shall be willing to undergo purification and severe suffering.
To be continued....and more here.
Friday, 29 November 2013
I hope your kids did not watch the Macy's Parade
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/29/kinky-boots-macys_n_4360035.html
Not for kids, again.....
So, Catholics are still asleep?
Not for kids, again.....
So, Catholics are still asleep?
VERY Big Post Day Again
As I do not know when I am on line, or even where I shall be, I am giving readers tons to digest....enjoy.
Persecution Watch, Great Britain
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christian-bb-owners-lose-supreme-court-appeal-forced-to-sell-business-after
What about Catholic b and bs? What about b and bs run by charities?
What about Catholic b and bs? What about b and bs run by charities?
Real Men
http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/culture-war-and-joy-of-gospel.html
Thanks to Father Tim Finigan for this horrible video. God have mercy-coming to a church near you.
NOT for children. Warning: vivid sex. Sadly, there are too many Catholics who do not want to know about the reality of persecution.
Thanks to Father Tim Finigan for this horrible video. God have mercy-coming to a church near you.
NOT for children. Warning: vivid sex. Sadly, there are too many Catholics who do not want to know about the reality of persecution.
Father Z and the Apostolic Exhortation Economic Section
A superb discussion on the economic part of the Papal exhortation is found here. There is one comment from this blogger there.
The fact that all the Popes of the last 150 years have condemned socialism is a fact ignored by the vast majority of the Catholics with whom I have briefly discussed this document. That some Catholics want a government to do what each one of us should be doing, that is, giving to charities and personally being involved in charity is a serious aberration of the Teaching of the Church back to Pius IX.
That this discussion includes both sensitivity to the horrible poverty in Latin America (I think of the Garbage Dump People who live off the refuse of the rich) and the problem with confusing a capitalist solution with a socialist one is excellent.
One other problem I see in my area is the Politics of Envy, which should be addressed by clergy. That is, those who are lower or middle, middle-class frequently fall into hatred of the rich, which is just another prejudice. The Politics of Envy has been stoked by the Obama administration.
May I add one more point? The Papal view is not that of the American Dream, a dream which has failed miserably because Americans have forgotten Who is behind prosperity-not themselves, but God, Divine Providence. Too many Americans read Francis in light of the American Dream, which has denied the value of suffering and created discontent among those who feel cheated. Only a foundation in Catholicism, which accepts financial suffering as not an intrinsic good, but one which can lead to holiness can change the Politics of Envy.
We need a lot more discussion on the Papal exhortation and we need to be able to look at the world, and not just the States for solutions. But, socialism, communism and unbridled capitalism are not the answers.
Evangelii Gaudium could be read alongside of Nostis et Nobiscum, Quod Apostolici Muneris, Graves de Communi Re, Notre Charge Apostolique,Ad Beatissimi Apostolorum, Mater et Magistra, (the first encyclical I ever read), Centesimus Annus, Deus Caritas Est and other documents from past popes.
For Parents Who Still May Not Be Listening
I was one line and I saw a pink Ouija board for little girls for sale. I was astounded.
The other things I saw were Harry Potter games and Twilight paraphernalia in a toy section of a drug store near things for little girls, like Hello Kitty stuff.
For over 13 years, there have been warnings, including my own a long time ago in a home schooling magazine.
Did you know, American Catholics, that Cardinal Ratzinger, now our dear Pope Emeritus, made a statement on Harry Potter books? The report was in Europe, but not here.
Please parents, listen to both Fr. Chad Ripperger and Fr. Gabriele Amorth on such topics.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/mar/06030104
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/mar/06030104
http://www.sensustraditionis.org/
There is nothing which is neutral in the world.
Either something brings us closer to God or something brings us far away from God.
The occult and anything connected to it is not neutral.
Boycott this store to start with....... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266493
The other things I saw were Harry Potter games and Twilight paraphernalia in a toy section of a drug store near things for little girls, like Hello Kitty stuff.
For over 13 years, there have been warnings, including my own a long time ago in a home schooling magazine.
Did you know, American Catholics, that Cardinal Ratzinger, now our dear Pope Emeritus, made a statement on Harry Potter books? The report was in Europe, but not here.
“It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.”
Cardinal Ratzinger
Also, the Vatican warned against Twilight and, frankly, I am tired of pointing this evil out to parents who should know better. These tales confuse good and evil.
Monsignor Franco Perazzolo of the Pontifical Council of Culture, "The theme of vampires in Twilight combines a mixture of excesses that as ever is aimed at young people and gives a heavy esoteric element. It is once again that age-old trick or ideal formula of using extremes to make an impact at the box office. This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and as such should be of concern."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/mar/06030104
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/mar/06030104
http://www.sensustraditionis.org/
There is nothing which is neutral in the world.
Either something brings us closer to God or something brings us far away from God.
The occult and anything connected to it is not neutral.
Boycott this store to start with....... http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266493
Lies and Myths
Something happened to three friends of mine who are all highly intelligent, delightfully charming, and attractive male persons.
Something happened and I do not understand exactly what did happen, but I know this.
All three of them, all of them from another country, grew up surrounded by lies and myths regarding their own families. These lies and myths were either exaggerations of reality regarding the importance of their families, lies covering up serious sins in their parents and grandparents' lives, and lies concerning the identity of their respective families. They either tried to rebel against these lies and failed, or they tried to make reparation and failed, as in either case, they were not free.
To break out of familial lies takes a gigantic move of courage and will-power. I can say that all three of these highly talented men have lived lives in a half-light, half-shadow reality.
Because of the lies and even hatred of their mothers, or fathers, they have been unable to see who they are and who God is. They all had completely unrealistic expectations of themselves, not because they are not extremely talented, but because they came from dysfunctional families.
I know these men very well. They have been my close friends. I have loved them dearly and have wanted to see them free from the past evils of the lies and myths of their families.
Two have lost their parents; one of these men has become freer since the passing of a parent who did not let him be who he really is.
The other two men live in the grey, shadow world of living, but not really living. The sins perpetrated against them in their dysfunctional families scarred them to the point where they are older middle-aged, alone, unhappy.
I pray for them. They need the power of the Resurrection in their lives.
A special courage is necessary to break away from family myths of grandeur or greatness. One must find a central core of being which is peaceful and humble to withstand such lies and, yes, psychological abuse.
I am sure you know people like my friends, who, sadly, are now separated from me by great distances.
Courage is a virtue. One must step back and say, "My family has lived in lies." Sometimes, this type of honesty seems so drastic, so scary, that people think they will lose themselves by admitting the past was full of lies and myths.
To break away and to create alternative ways of living can seem like miracles. I have come to realize that some homeless people are homeless, because, either they had the courage to break away, or they were discarded by these dysfunctional families.
Pray for my dear friends and those like them, so that they can discover who they really are, and rejoice in the creation God has made when He made them. In all cases, these men never found their true vocations. They have not known who they are, and what they were supposed to do in this life. They are the lost souls of dysfunction. They are not mentally ill, but spiritually bound up by the sins of others.
I quote Newman's prayer....
God knows me and calls me by my name.…
God has created me to do Him some definite service;
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission—I never may know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes…
I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection
between persons.
He has not created me for naught. I shall do good,
I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth
in my own place, while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments
and serve Him in my calling.
Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him;
In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him;
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be
necessary causes of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.
He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life,
He may shorten it;
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends,
He may throw me among strangers,
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide the future from me—
still He knows what He is about.…
Let me be Thy blind instrument. I ask not to see—
I ask not to know—I ask simply to be used.
from Meditations and Devotions,
"Meditations on Christian Doctrine,"
"Hope in God—Creator", March 7, 1848
Something happened and I do not understand exactly what did happen, but I know this.
All three of them, all of them from another country, grew up surrounded by lies and myths regarding their own families. These lies and myths were either exaggerations of reality regarding the importance of their families, lies covering up serious sins in their parents and grandparents' lives, and lies concerning the identity of their respective families. They either tried to rebel against these lies and failed, or they tried to make reparation and failed, as in either case, they were not free.
To break out of familial lies takes a gigantic move of courage and will-power. I can say that all three of these highly talented men have lived lives in a half-light, half-shadow reality.
Because of the lies and even hatred of their mothers, or fathers, they have been unable to see who they are and who God is. They all had completely unrealistic expectations of themselves, not because they are not extremely talented, but because they came from dysfunctional families.
I know these men very well. They have been my close friends. I have loved them dearly and have wanted to see them free from the past evils of the lies and myths of their families.
Two have lost their parents; one of these men has become freer since the passing of a parent who did not let him be who he really is.
The other two men live in the grey, shadow world of living, but not really living. The sins perpetrated against them in their dysfunctional families scarred them to the point where they are older middle-aged, alone, unhappy.
I pray for them. They need the power of the Resurrection in their lives.
A special courage is necessary to break away from family myths of grandeur or greatness. One must find a central core of being which is peaceful and humble to withstand such lies and, yes, psychological abuse.
Courage is a virtue. One must step back and say, "My family has lived in lies." Sometimes, this type of honesty seems so drastic, so scary, that people think they will lose themselves by admitting the past was full of lies and myths.
To break away and to create alternative ways of living can seem like miracles. I have come to realize that some homeless people are homeless, because, either they had the courage to break away, or they were discarded by these dysfunctional families.
Pray for my dear friends and those like them, so that they can discover who they really are, and rejoice in the creation God has made when He made them. In all cases, these men never found their true vocations. They have not known who they are, and what they were supposed to do in this life. They are the lost souls of dysfunction. They are not mentally ill, but spiritually bound up by the sins of others.
I quote Newman's prayer....
God knows me and calls me by my name.…
God has created me to do Him some definite service;
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission—I never may know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes…
I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection
between persons.
He has not created me for naught. I shall do good,
I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth
in my own place, while not intending it,
if I do but keep His commandments
and serve Him in my calling.
Therefore I will trust Him.
Whatever, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him;
In perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him;
If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him.
My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be
necessary causes of some great end,
which is quite beyond us.
He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life,
He may shorten it;
He knows what He is about.
He may take away my friends,
He may throw me among strangers,
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink, hide the future from me—
still He knows what He is about.…
Let me be Thy blind instrument. I ask not to see—
I ask not to know—I ask simply to be used.
from Meditations and Devotions,
"Meditations on Christian Doctrine,"
"Hope in God—Creator", March 7, 1848
On The Suitability of Certain Suffering-The New Passion of The Church
Those of you who have read this blog know that I have in hundreds of posts, tried to unpack Garrigou-Lagrange's book on the way to perfection.
This great Dominican is also known for his excellent commentary on the Summa. I do not know if I shall have time to cover his examination on this blog in the near future, but I do want to highlight today the commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas on the Passion of Christ.
I am quoting a selection here and will unpack this a bit, as we are going into a new era of persecution. Those Catholics in the past, who endured suffering, isolation, marginalization, exile and even death, came to understand the Passion of Christ in their own minds, spirits and bodies.
Unless we can join with Christ in His Passion, we shall not be able to withstand the winds of hatred which have begun to blow across the entire world.
I shall put the sections I want to highlight in boldface type. From this site--http://www.thesumma.info/saviour/saviour59.php
Third Article: Whether There Was Any More Suitable Way Of Delivering The Human Race Than By Christ's Passion
Reply. The answer is that there was no other way more suitable; (1) because by Christ's passion man knows how much God loves him and is thereby incited to love Him in return;[1769] (2) because thereby Christ gave us an example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the other virtues;[1770] (3) because Christ by His passion not only delivered man from sin, but also merited grace and glory for him; (4) because thereby man is all the more bound to refrain from sin;[1771] (5) because in this way, it was in Christ that as man by dying, He conquered the devil and vanquished death.[1772]Suitable is a wonderful word for the acceptance of suffering which Christ endured for our sake. For something to be suitable, it must be appropriate, for a particular purpose.
The Passion of Christ absolutely fulfills this definition-and only God could have arranged the perfect means of salvation for us.
Look at this passage above-Christ's Passion freed us from sin, merited grace and merited glory. His Passion completely conquered the legions of hell, and, in addition, Christ overcame death. We can look forward to life everlasting because of this Passion.
What has this to do with the times? We are all heading for a new Passion of the Church. We shall be part of this, and, indeed, some are already experiencing this Passion.
We have been warned for over 100 years of this coming time of trial. We should be surprised or taken unaware.
Christ prepared for His Passion, and if we are to face the suitable passion which God will allow us to experience, we must prepare.
To be continued....on Saturday
I am not going shopping today
Ok, can anyone remember what individuals and families did on the day after Thanksgiving before Black Friday became so important?
I remember having parties on the Friday night with my teen friends. I also remember the beginning of the Christmas cookie baking season as initiated on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
With my Byzantine friends, the Saturday after Thanksgiving was a great day for starting the making of pierogies, sold by the parish all through Advent. I love making and eating pierogies.
As an older youth, I remember getting together with friends and going out to a movie, or a concert on that Thanksgiving weekend.
Shopping was not such a big deal, although when I was a teen, there use to be a shopping train between Chicago and Davenport. One could go up for the day and back again.
I did that once with my mom when I was about 17. I got frostbite in my fingers....the Windy City can be really cold and catch people off guard.
What do you remember before Black Friday was "it", or can you not remember that there was such a time?
Repeat Post for A Friday
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
A quick post on being Benedictine and lay
Someone asked me today how to incorporate the Rule of St. Benedict into the lay and even family life.
First of all, do not read any books on this, as there are none which are not contaminated by New Age nonsense.
Second of all, the idea is not new and for years there have been Oblates, who are lay men and women connected to a monastery. The problem is that one has to live within at least driving or train distance in order to be involved.
So, here are a few ideas, which are not connected to the Oblation.
One, simplify your life. Benedict knew that poverty allowed for energies and time to be dedicated to prayer.
Too much stuff and too many activities ruin the Benedictine atmosphere, even in monasteries. Some monasteries are just too busy.
Two, set aside, daily, regular time for prayer and the reading of Scripture. If you cannot manage an hour, manage a half hour of each, meditating, for example, on the Mass readings, one of those, of the day. Meditation should be, at first, active, using the imagination and not contemplation.
Three, make a schedule. Benedict, as I have noted elsewhere, invented time management. Without a schedule, there is no discipline for prayer and work.
Four, understand that the prayer time overflows into the work time, if one can maintain both silence and a reflective manner and mood. Talking ruins the rhythm of work and prayer.
Five, cultivate silence in the home, even with children. Children do not have to be loud all the time. They, also, need to learn reflection and being silent, which is possible at ages earlier than most people realize.
Six, get rid of the television. As Thomas Merton notes, we are geared to passive intake of knowledge, which happens at the contemplative stage, but if our minds are full of goo from the television, we shall never learn either meditation or contemplation.
Seven, stay in one place, or simplify your travel. This is very hard in our day because of the need for commuting, but one must learn to be still and stay put.
Eight, learn to cultivate the quiet space in your mind and soul and not to let things around distract you. This requires patience and practice, but is a very useful tool for praying during the day.
Nine, value working with your hands. Sewing, cooking, gardening, cleaning, etc. can all be part of the rhythm of prayer and work. Benedict knew the value, as well as the necessity, of labour.
Ten, do not pretend to be a hermit. Being a recluse does not automatically make one holy. One is made holy in relationships with other people and with God.
Eleven, read the Rule.
Twelve, have family meals together and discuss things quietly. Try to discuss God and holy things.
Thirteen, eat well, but simply.
Fourteen, be honest with yourself and others in your family or circle of friends. Humility is the mark of the Benedict soul.
Fifteen, never pass up the chance to go to frequent Confession and daily Mass is possible. Pray at least morning prayer or evening prayer as in the Breviary. Make a habit of prayer.
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Schism Time?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/german-bishops-will-defy-vatican-on-divorced-remarried-receiving-communion
The Protestant mind-set looks at "concrete reality" and gives in.
The Catholic mind-set looks at God's Will for human kind and challenges all.
The Protestant mind-set looks at "concrete reality" and gives in.
The Catholic mind-set looks at God's Will for human kind and challenges all.
Eighteen Post Day
...just in case you want to read something instead of watching television or movies......and I am somewhere with wifi all day.
God bless you all!
God bless you all!
The Hatred of Joy
Some people learn this lesson in families with loved ones who experience depression and want others to experience their sadness, attempting to manipulate others into their state of mind and spirit.
Some people learn this in dysfunctional families which exhibit great negativity and criticisms.
Some people learn that there are those in the work place who want others to be unhappy because they are unhappy.
Those who are in sin or darkness do not want Christians to have hope in God. They do not want anyone to feel real joy. Some Bible passages indicate how we are to respond to questions as to why we are joyful. Note verse 15 of 1 Peter 3 below. St,. Peter understood what it was like to live among the grumpy and hateful. He was martyred.
Remember, the demons from hell want you and I to be miserable with them for all eternity and will use others in their clutches to try destroy our faith. This is why it is so important to have good Catholic, orthodox friends-for support against the spirit of the age.
The hatred of joy is the hatred of the good and the beautiful. I think of the saints who were so beautiful and joyful, such as St. Gemma Galgani, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Philip Neri and more, like the Carthusian Martyrs, one of whom is St. John Houghton.
To be joyful in the face of negativity and gloom is our call in the world today.
Douay-Rheims
8 And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.
11 Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it:
12 Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things.
13 And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good?
14 But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled.
15 But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.
16 But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better doing well (if such be the will of God) to suffer, than doing ill.
The Pope on Persecution-Thank God for His Awareness!
This is important, readers....
"Times of Persecution Mean the Lord Is Near"
November 28, 2013 (Zenit.org) - part of the sermon from Zenit..my boldface type.
Speaking on the final battle described by Jesus, the Pope said that there is an underlying temptation that will be faced by all which he called “the universal temptation”: the desecration of the temple, the desecration of faith.
“What does this mean? It will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God. It seems that in that final moment of calamity, he will take possession of this world, that he will be the master of this world,” he said.
An example of this desecration of faith can be shown in the book of Daniel who is condemned to death for adoring God. This desecration has a specific name: “the prohibition of worship.”
“[There] religion cannot be spoken of, it is something private, no? Publicly it is not spoken about. Te religious signs are taken down. The laws that come from the worldly powers must be obeyed. You can do so many beautiful things except adore God. Worship is prohibited,” the Pope said.
“This is the center of this end. And when this arrives in its fullness - to the ‘kairos’ of this pagan attitude, when this is fulfilled - then yes, He will come: ‘And they will see the Son of man come on a cloud with great power and glory.’ Christians who have suffered in times of persecution, in times of the prohibition of worship are a prophecy of that which will happen to all.”
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis called on the faithful to be loyal and patient. The times of persecution mean that that the victory of Jesus Christ is near.
more at the site linked above...................
“What does this mean? It will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God. It seems that in that final moment of calamity, he will take possession of this world, that he will be the master of this world,” he said.
An example of this desecration of faith can be shown in the book of Daniel who is condemned to death for adoring God. This desecration has a specific name: “the prohibition of worship.”
“[There] religion cannot be spoken of, it is something private, no? Publicly it is not spoken about. Te religious signs are taken down. The laws that come from the worldly powers must be obeyed. You can do so many beautiful things except adore God. Worship is prohibited,” the Pope said.
“This is the center of this end. And when this arrives in its fullness - to the ‘kairos’ of this pagan attitude, when this is fulfilled - then yes, He will come: ‘And they will see the Son of man come on a cloud with great power and glory.’ Christians who have suffered in times of persecution, in times of the prohibition of worship are a prophecy of that which will happen to all.”
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis called on the faithful to be loyal and patient. The times of persecution mean that that the victory of Jesus Christ is near.
more at the site linked above...................
Live hangout for watching the comet today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q03I1B_yrPg&feature=youtu.be&a
UPDATE: The comet broke up into little pieces and is gone.....about one hour ago, at 1:47 or so. Someone can verify the time for me.
UPDATE 2: This morning (EST), Battams succinctly summarized the latest images he saw: “Based on a few more hours of data, comet #ISON appears to be… well, behaving like a comet!”, he wrote on Twitter.
Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/106832/zombie-ison-behaving-like-a-comet-stunned-astronomers-say/#ixzz2m4mO6UUd
UPDATE: The comet broke up into little pieces and is gone.....about one hour ago, at 1:47 or so. Someone can verify the time for me.
UPDATE 2: This morning (EST), Battams succinctly summarized the latest images he saw: “Based on a few more hours of data, comet #ISON appears to be… well, behaving like a comet!”, he wrote on Twitter.
NASA issued a status update this morning saying it’s unclear if this leftover is debris or an actual nucleus, but added that “late-night analysis from scientists with NASA’s Comet ISON Observing Campaign suggest that there is at least a small nucleus intact.” NASA, as well as Battams, pointed out that comet has behaved unpredictably throughout the 15 months scientists and amateurs have been observing it
Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/106832/zombie-ison-behaving-like-a-comet-stunned-astronomers-say/#ixzz2m4mO6UUd
Be Grateful!
Speak about goodness and beauty, if you can...do not complain...lessons we all need today.
Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose to grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose to grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Some of us live this............
St. Matthew vi. 25.
JESUS said, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Happy Hanukkah
May you all have peace in your lands, in your families.
Psalm 26
26 The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
2 Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.
3 If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
5 For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.
6 He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.
8 My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
9 Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.
10 For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.
11 Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.
12 Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.
13 I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.
Thanksgiving Request
All of you Americans who can get to Mass today, please remember those of us who will not be able to attend Mass, either because there is none in our areas, or because the public transit is not "on" today.
God bless you on Thanksgiving.
God bless you on Thanksgiving.
Wake up, Britain....and the world
LONDON, November 25, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The UK's National Director of Health and Wellbeing warns that there is an increasing and potentially catastrophic HIV epidemic in homosexual men in every part of the world.
Speaking at the British HIV Association's Autumn Conference earlier this month, Professor Kevin Fenton said that despite an increasing number of tools to combat HIV infection, the incidence and prevalence of the disease in MSM (men who have sex with men) is increasing rather than decreasing globally......
Dr. Fenton noted with some bewilderment that statistics show that, in the developed world, the US has the highest rate of new infections, the UK has highest overall number of infected men, and several central European countries have the highest rate of increase in numbers of infected men.
Dr. Fenton laid the blame for the MSM HIV epidemic squarely on the two most obvious characteristics of homosexual sex: anal intercourse and promiscuity.
More here....