Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Chaos vs. Discernment
Dante appropriately defines the concept of contrapasso in his presentation of divisive shades, the most clear-cut manifestation of a logical relationship between the offense and the punishment: as they divided institutions, communities, and families in life, so these figures are physically--and repeatedly--sliced apart for eternity in hell (Inf. 28.139-42). The contrapasso for the thieves, on the other hand, is arguably the most conceptually sophisticated of the poem. The tenuous hold on one's identity--with dramatic transformations of human and reptilian forms--suggests that no possession, no matter how personal, is safe in the realm of theft. Slightly less subtle is the contrapasso for the falsifiers, whose corrupting influence--on metals (alchemists), money (counterfeiters), identity (imposters), and truth (liars)--is reflected in their diseased bodies and minds in the tenth and final pit of circle 8, the realm of fraud. from http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/circle8b.html#fraud
Many Christians understand and have seen at work the demons of Discord. These malicious spirits stir up the Church ladies to argue about whose flower arrangements will go on the main altar, or the parish councils as to the dates of the parish fete.
Discord stalks the Church in small and large matters. Heretics follow Discord. Schismatics follow Discord.
But, there is another demon, called Chaos, who is being allowed by God to work on earth for the greater good. That greater good would be the conversion of sinners, especially agnostics.
Chaos creates division as does Discord, but in a different manner. Chaos clouds the mind, makes people hear words spoken as these were not said, and enters into families to interfere with peace, harmony, order and focus. Chaos makes people busy about many things so that they cannot concentrate on Christ.
Judas allowed Chaos to manipulate him and cause the greatest crime in history-the betrayal of God. But, as we all know, God brought good out of chaos.
The way to stop chaos from entering into your family is a threefold attack. The first is prayer. All members of the family must be praying, dad, mom, children.
Secondly, using the gift of discernment. If you feel you do not have discernment read the link below.
Thirdly, by reconginizing chaos and stopping Chaos....this can be done.
That God is letting Chaos and other demons come into the world in power is not only part of His plan for the salvation of millions, but also as punishment owing to sin.
Violent anarchy is a symptom of chaos.
Addictions are symptoms of chaos.
Misinformation in the media is a symptom of chaos.
Lack of scheduling, order, discipline are symptoms of chaos.
Your home is your place of peace and your fortress against evil. Do not compromise your strengths.
More later....
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/02/why-catholic-cannot-discern.html
Congratulations to Father Alan Williams
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/04/14/father-alan-williams-has-been-named-the-new-bishop-of-brentwood/
God bless the new bishop-elect of Brentwood.
God bless the new bishop-elect of Brentwood.
Two Reposts on Tenebrae Plus
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Pueri Hebraeorum and Tenebrae Responses for Meditations
Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta prosternebant in via et clamabant dicentes: Hosanna Filio David, benedictus qui venit in nomini Domini.
O vos omnes qui transitis per viam:
attendite et videte
si est dolor sicut dolor meus.
Attendite, universi populi, et videte dolorem meum.
Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.
And my article on Tenebrae from 2012:
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Tenebrae
If you are fortunate enough to live near a church which has Tenebrae, I encourage you to go. I miss this special Holy Wednesday service, which begins with a procession of lit candles and proceeds through the singing of theLamentations of Jeremiah, with a candle being extinguished until the entire church is in darkness. Then, the congregation takes the hymnals and bangs them on the pews to create the sound of the earthquake which happened when Christ died.
Tenebrae means shadow or darkness. The ancient form was, as this note from Catholic Encyclopedia states, On the three days before Easter", says Benedict XIV (Institut., 24), "Lauds follow immediately on Matins, which in this occasion terminate with the close of day, in order to signify the setting of the Sun of Justice and the darkness of the Jewish people who knew not our Lord and condemned Him to the gibbet of the cross."
The simplicity of the service, which is only a meditation on the Death of Christ, is a fitting beginning to the grand liturgies of the Triduum.
"How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people; How is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow; the princess of provinces made tributary! Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, they are become her enemies."
Several of the Psalms are also sung, with some readings from St. Augustine on the Psalms.
"Think not, therefore, that the wicked are in this world without a purpose, and that God worketh no good out of them. Every wicked man liveth, either that he many himself be corrected, or that through him some good man may be exercised."
The simplicity of the service, which is only a meditation on the Death of Christ, is a fitting beginning to the grand liturgies of the Triduum.
"How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people; How is the mistress of the Gentiles become as a widow; the princess of provinces made tributary! Weeping she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. There is none to comfort her among all them that were dear to her: all her friends have despised her, they are become her enemies."
Several of the Psalms are also sung, with some readings from St. Augustine on the Psalms.
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/tenebrae.html
Another painting of a real man
Wherefore to dignity and wisdom we must add
virtue, the proper fruit of them both. Virtue seeks
and finds Him who is the Author and Giver of all
good, and who must be in all things glorified;
otherwise, one who knows what is right yet fails
to perform it, will be beaten with many stripes
(Luke 12.47). Why? you may ask. Because he
has failed to put his knowledge to good effect,
but rather has imagined mischief upon his bed
(PS. 36.4); like a wicked servant, he has turned
aside to seize the glory which, his own
knowledge assured him, belonged only to his
good Lord and Master. It is plain, therefore, that
dignity without wisdom is useless and that
wisdom without virtue is accursed. But when one
possesses virtue, then wisdom and dignity are
not dangerous but blessed. Such a man calls on
God and lauds Him, confessing from a full heart,
'Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy
name give glory' (PS. 115.1). Which is to say, 'O
Lord, we claim no knowledge, no distinction for
ourselves; all is Thine, since from Thee all things
do come.'
A painting of a real man....
St. Thomas More, defender of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the primacy of the pope, the truth of the Catholic Church as the one, true, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
Tying Two Themes Together
I have been reading the Pope Emeritus on the agnostic society we now have, and listening to Father Chad Ripperger on raising men.
I can put together two themes here. The agnostic is the peter pan. Those men, and I have heard this in my own family, who say "Catholicism is too hard" have fallen into being babies or have never been real men.
The agnostics avoid suffering. They choose the easy way out by not practicing the virtues and by avoiding responsibility.
Therefore, the peter pans frequently have no faith, are seculars, are caught in the flesh and the world.
Those men who do not grow up will not choose the hardest way, the way of martyrdom. Here are some thoughts from St. Thomas More.
I can put together two themes here. The agnostic is the peter pan. Those men, and I have heard this in my own family, who say "Catholicism is too hard" have fallen into being babies or have never been real men.
The agnostics avoid suffering. They choose the easy way out by not practicing the virtues and by avoiding responsibility.
Therefore, the peter pans frequently have no faith, are seculars, are caught in the flesh and the world.
Those men who do not grow up will not choose the hardest way, the way of martyrdom. Here are some thoughts from St. Thomas More.
"What men call fame is, after all, but a very windy thing. A man thinks that many are praising him, and talking of him alone, and yet they spend but a very small part of the day thinking of him, being occupied with things of their own."
"I will not mistrust [God], though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear... I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning."
"If any man marvel that God made all His creatures such as they should always need aid of His grace, let him know that God did it out of His double goodness. First, to keep them from pride by causing them to perceive their feebleness, and to call upon Him; and secondly to do His creatures honor and comfort."
"Often, actually very often, God allows his greatest servants to make the most humiliating mistakes."
"A man buys hell here with so much pain, that he might have heaven with less than one-half. Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be."
"If I am distracted, Holy Communion helps me to become recollected. If opportunities are offered by each day to offend my God, I arm myself anew each day for the combat by the reception of the Eucharist. If I am in special need of light and prudence in order to discharge my burdensome duties, I draw nigh to my Saviour and seek counsel and light from him."
Please listen and pray about....
...the last posted two talks. These are serious meditations on themes on the blog, and see my themes in the tags.
Pain and suffering create maturity. Those boys who avoid or complain about such will not grow up to be a man.
Pain and suffering create maturity. Those boys who avoid or complain about such will not grow up to be a man.
More from The Holy Priest Ripperger
An important comment on the subsidiarity and control towards the end............