Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Several Prayer Requests
Please pray for K, J, E, J, D, S, R, and C. I get many prayer requests sent to me privately.
Also, pray for me and my immediate needs.
Also, pray for me and my immediate needs.
Answer me this question, please..
Why is Japan, and now the States, working so hard on sophisticated robots, while exterminating the human race via abortion, contraception, or just plain abstinence for selfish reasons?
A Plea
I have to move from this area in ten days. I have two possibilities for housing, but no money to get to these places, which are not close. I would have to fly and pay extra for luggage. Please considering helping.
STM
STM
From SPUC
Friday, 13 June 2014
In loving memory of Margaret Ann Harris
Earlier this year, on 18th February, one of SPUC's staunchest supporters, Mrs Margaret Ann Harris, died. May she rest in peace!
Her life-time of work for the Society has been remembered and reflected in a most generous gift of £500 from monies (in lieu of flowers) collected at Margaret Ann's local church. Thus, through Mrs Harris's legacy - that is, her legacy of inspiring others to act to protect the lives of unborn children - a significant gift has been made which enables SPUC to continue our educational and political work in defence of those who cannot defend themselves.
David, her husband, tells me that a lot of the donations made at the church were from people unknown to him. On behalf of SPUC, I thank you all. We will not stop our work until every unborn child enjoys the full protection of the law.
I am sure that many of my readers will join me in prayer for the repose of Margaret's soul and will pray too that God may comfort and strengthen David, her husband, and all their family, at this difficult time.
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
Her life-time of work for the Society has been remembered and reflected in a most generous gift of £500 from monies (in lieu of flowers) collected at Margaret Ann's local church. Thus, through Mrs Harris's legacy - that is, her legacy of inspiring others to act to protect the lives of unborn children - a significant gift has been made which enables SPUC to continue our educational and political work in defence of those who cannot defend themselves.
David, her husband, tells me that a lot of the donations made at the church were from people unknown to him. On behalf of SPUC, I thank you all. We will not stop our work until every unborn child enjoys the full protection of the law.
I am sure that many of my readers will join me in prayer for the repose of Margaret's soul and will pray too that God may comfort and strengthen David, her husband, and all their family, at this difficult time.
Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
New Story ....The Brothers of Malta
Let me tell you all a story: in a nation far away, there
lived two brothers. They were both members of the Order of St. John
The first and younger brother was named Frederico, and the
second brother,the elder was named Tomas. Tomas had three children and used his
position to find them careers of power and influence.
Frederico remained devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who
he saw as his lady and love.
Daily, Frederico said his rosary. The two represented the
best and the worst of the Knights.
Both worked in the many roles of the Hospitallers. Both took
care of hospitals under their care. Both, as of yet, did not fight any battles
for their country, which was, at the moment, at peace. However, the proverbial storm clouds of war
were gathering on the horizons of their beloved nation. They lived in relative
ease and peace. However, Frederico, worshipping God with his whole heart and
soul, could see that there time of peace was coming to an end. Tomas saw
nothing in the future. He missed all the signs of the times, such as the failed
trips of the ambassadors to the countries threatening invasion. Tomas kept busy, organizing his huge staff, re-decorating
his villa on the sea, and having dinners for his children and their new
employers, both in the state and in the Church.
Frederico had to be busy as well, as his hospital also was a
garrison for soldiers, the true Knights who were training for invasion.
Frederico oversaw this training himself. He began to realize that time for
preparation was shorter than previous thought.
His intuitions pushed him to a point of surety, but Tomas doubted every
word, every vision, and prayer in general.
The elder brother was a realist, a pragmatist, and sadly,
utilitarian. All his friends were “contacts” and all his “connections” brought
him success. He owned two galleons himself, and supplied all the weaponry as
well as the wages for the sailors, as these were, unusually, all free men.
Tomas owned the biggest villa in the city, rivaling even the
palace of the Grand Master. His estates yielded the best wine and his horses
the fastest runners. But, those he kept in Sicily
Frederico had taken a vow of poverty and took that vow
seriously. Tomas called him “The Monk”, but many of their fellow Knights loved
and admired the quiet, prayerful man.
He lived in Mdina, is a small apartment, when he was not in
the garrison. His own body guard took private oaths to defend him to the death.
Frederico would have been scandalized by their fierce loyalty, which he would
have said belonged to God, only. And, he would have been right.
Long ago, as a tall, thin youth, Frederico began “seeing”
visions, which he, at first, spoke of only to the old holy Father Muscat
One day, after seeing St. Michael hovering over Valletta new city
The Knights got involved, interrogated poor, young
Frederico, but to the surprise of the embarrassed family and the cynical Tomas,
decided in a tribunal that Frederico had been favored with visions from heaven.
The family was temporarily, and to the relief of Frederico,
silenced. Not even the youths’ mother believed her youngest son. But, one
sister, the beautiful and gracious Claire, did.
Claire listened to Frederico’s heart and she learned to hear
the words of wisdom coming from this young man. She was convinced of her
brother’s special call, which was to defend Malta
Tragically, God decided to take Claire away from the family
when she was sixteen, drowning in the great sea, coming back from a visit to
Tomas’ new estate in Sicily
However, the winds of war forbade this custom this year, as
fleets were being prepared, both in the lands of the Sultan and the small
Catholic island.
Frederico’s thoughts came back from the floating roses on
the sea to his meal with Tomas. Frederico suddenly burst out, “But, Tomas, what
is you are wrong? What if there is a siege and the people have no food, no
water, no wine? You would be to blame for not planning for such an exigency.”
Tomas frowned. “I? To blame? What of these stupid priests
who tell us that God will bring peace? No, I do not think I would be
blamed.” But, a small seed of doubt
concerning his great reputation had been planted by Frederico’s comment. Tomas
would think about this possible blame. He would consider planning farms on the
island, but he would not yet tell Frederico he would ponder the younger man’s
words.
“And, what about Immanuael?” Frederico drank his large glass
of water. A servant immediately filled his goblet up again.
“So, is he your son? What do you know about having a son,
getting him placed in a good situation, away from danger? What do you know of a
father’s concern, anxiety, sleepless nights?”
Frederico sighed. “I am sorry. Or course, I know nothing of
these things, but we need him here. We need his many talents. Can you not see
that he could be one of the men of the hour, as they say, right here?
“A man of the hour planting cabbage in Gozo? You astound me,
Frederico, but then, you have always been more than a bit stupid about the
world.”
Tomas stood up. “I need to go. I have a meeting at two and
it is half-past two. I shall send you a message before I go with Immanuel to Milan
The two brothers embraced, briefly and Frederico watched
Tomas rush away. A meeting. What woman would be waiting for Tomas and where
this time? Frederico would go to the old cathedral and pray, while Tomas ignored
his immortal soul.
Attributes: Continuation Using St. Angela
Earlier this year, I wrote a bit on the Attributes of God.
As I am finishing up The Book of Divine
Consolation Of The Blessed Angela of Foligno (now saint), I can return to
this theme, using some of her great insights given to her as infused knowledge
from God in her Illuminative and Unitive States.
God revealed Himself to her after her purgation is
extraordinary ways. Like Julian of Norwich, Angela experienced the universe as
God’s creation and the earth as very small. She experienced the great love and
mercy of God, thereby given infused knowledge into His attributes.
So she learned of God as All Goodness, first. Then, she
experienced God as Pure Love and Mercy.
God revealed Himself to her as Beauty. After that, God
showed Himself to her as Invincible Omnipotence, followed by God as
Humility.
What is clear up to this point in her visions and times of
union with God is that she perceived God are pure objectivity.
God then revealed Himself to her as Power. And, then, as the
Trinity in the Eucharist, making her worthy to receive the Trinity, God came to
her.
These are but the beginnings of her consolations and this
pattern fits that of other saints, as well as the listing of stages from
Garrigou-Lagrange. One meditates first, on the Life of Christ, particularly His
Passion. Then, from meditation, one is led to experiencing the Passion in a
deep purgation followed by the sharing of Christ’s own pain.
Following the acceptance of the experience of the sufferings
of Christ, contemplation of the attributes of God occurs. One moves in this
pattern for a reason-purity of heart and complete rejection of all sin happen
before infused contemplation.
By this time, St. Angela
had seen only three visions, but these seem to be long and intense.
Part of these visions is the incomplete revelation of God as
Bridegroom to His Bride, and God told Angela this. He wanted her to hunger and
thirst for Him, so He withheld some of His Love. In later visions, to which I
shall refer in another post to come, God revealed more of His Love. He also
revealed specifics about His Passion.
How wonderful it is that St.
Angela is called “The Teacher of The Theologians” as what she experienced is
what logically, rationally others came to through reason and revelation, rather
than direct experience.
To be continued…
Do Not Trust in Princes
How often did Our Lord and His Mother suffer because of the powers that be?
The other day, I told someone I could not trust an atheist
or agnostic. This shocked the person. But, Cardinal Manning in his chapter on
the gift of understanding, states the idea much more strongly.
“This gift of intellect or understanding, as it is a gift of
the Holy Ghost, is found in no man who is out of the grace of God; and
therefore in no one who is an unbeliever in the revelation of God, and
therefore in no one who is out of charity with God and his neighbour. It is a
special intellectual power or perfection given to those who, corresponding to
the light of faith and to the Spirit of God working within them, receive, over
and above the light and power of natural reason, a further supernatural gift
which becomes habitual like a special faculty."
Why would anyone choose a politician, a world leader, or
even a spouse from among those who have darkened intellects because of sin or
unbelief?
Understanding helps each one of us perceive supernatural
truths. Manning writes this of understanding, that it penetrates, “…into the
reasons and the motives of faith” and that it helps to “exhibit and to prevail
on others, by the exhibition of the truth, to believe in the same.”
It is a discernment, an “intuition”. Manning notes that as when we read the words
of a book, our intellect picks up more than just the letters on the page. We
understand combinations, suggestions.
As I have noted from his previous book examined on this
blog, and now, from this chapter, “Reason is the preamble of faith.” Faith is rational and unbelief is irrational.
So, how could anyone trust someone who is living in a lack of rationality?
We come to understand the meaning of the Scriptures, of
Tradition. Understanding, states
Manning, leads to contemplation, which goes beyond an orthodox acceptance of
revelation. One learns the answer to the Catechism questions, but one must
return to ponder these truths, to understand.
I know people who do not believe in the Incarnation. They
are Christian Scientists and Moslems. They do not believe that Christ is the
God-Man. In the Gospel of John, we see
the phrase, “the Word made Flesh”. Manning points out that this is merely the
beginning of the use of our intellect, which then absorbs the truths of the
Nicene Creed, the Summa Theologica and
so on. From the acceptance and then the beginning of understanding of the
Incarnation, one moves to the doctrine of the Holy Sacrament, the Real Presence
and so on.
The gift of understanding allows us to move from the basics
to the sublime.
Would you trust your life to an atheist? Would you trust the
words of someone who completely lacks understanding of who man is and Who God
Is?
I believe, as did Cardinal Manning, the Doctors of the
Church, the saints who defended the doctrines of the Church. I believe in those who witnessed by their
blood in the Church, in the Papacy, in Christ. I believe in the Church. But,
then, I have chosen to develop the gift of understanding by seeking Truth, Who
Is a Person, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
In our day, we are surrounded by those who demand our trust
but who are not believersor who are separated by choice from the Church. They
are involved in, as Manning puts it, “the complex pretensions of error”.
The Truth is simple and certain as it is from God, as Jesus
called Himself, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.
To trust in Christ using the gift of understanding is to
choose life.
“We must choose between one of two things: we must either
believe the Catholic faith, or find a rational and intellectual solution of the
unity of truth, and of its adaptation to human nature and of the existence of
the Christian world.”
Cardinal Manning speaks to us today.
Of course, as no one can do this, relativism and
subjectivism are rife.
To be continued…