Saturday, 10 May 2014

Praxis vs. Grace: It is easier to be a Pharisee than a saint.

We are living in a time of Donatists and Neo-Calvinists within the Catholic Church. These heresies are always connected to a misunderstanding of grace and practice.

Jansenism is also rearing its ugly head. Why?

Because it is easier to a Pharisee than to be a saint.

Anything material is a gift from God and the Catholic Church has sacralized the pagan world. Some things which have roots in the occult, and that is different. Most of the occult we witness today is new, from the last century. 

We are both material and spiritual not merely spiritual. To remove ourselves from the material world is impossible unless someone is insane. To deny our physicality in this world is not to be a Catholic.

Remember this: we are not totally spiritual, but body and soul.

What so many Catholics do is fall into rules for salvation, instead of becoming holy through grace.

The idea of grace has been misunderstand by many who have joined the Trad communities. Grace is given through the sacraments, whether done by a Trad priest or a NO priest. 

One does not get more "grace" by doing things in the traditional mode; one may get merit; one can have more easy access to grace through the traditional movement. One may be made more open by attending the Latin Mass, and one may hear better sermons. But, one has access to the same grace of the Eucharist of sanctifying grace.

For example, one can be more humble in the Latin Mass because of the Liturgy. But, it cannot a become gnostic situation. Falling into the cult of personality, one can also fall into gnosticism.

 Yes, there is more actual grace, no doubt. But, to think that one is saved by simply going to the TLM is a position of heresy.

But, one cannot think one is holier than those who do take part in secular things which has been sacralized by the Church.

The Western culture was created by the Church. One must not create a Calvinistic culture but rediscover the lost Catholic culture.