Etheldredasplace: 03/08/15

Sunday, 8 March 2015

Reposts

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/09/grieving-over-lost-generations.html

Here it comes, folks--I have warned you!

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/city-of-san-fran.-tells-archbishop-his-school-reform-is-discriminatory-cons

Remember many days ago when I wrote a post on the fact that the ancient gods and goddesses were demons?

Here is that post. http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2015/02/demonsgods.html

Father Xavier shared that the demons who were all once glorious angels now do the opposite of what they were created to do.

For example, if a demon was an angel made to adore God in the highest realms of heaven, he would now be a demon who blasphemes and hates worship. And so on.

One of the demonic influences has been the purposeful misunderstanding that the gods and goddesses of the ancient world are not demonic. Yes, they are.

Father told us of a demon who was created to love seminarians and foster vocations--a caring, nurturing angel who would have brought many men into the priesthood.

Guess what? This angel fell and is now a demon who stops vocations, hinders vocations, and attacks those who want to be priests.

The name of the is demon is Loki. Yes, you heard correctly, the god of mischief and deceit in the ancient Norse world. Years ago on this blog, I wrote about the Poetic Edda, which I studied for one of my degrees. Loki is nasty, period.

To know how powerful this demon is may be seen in the fall of vocations across the world. He is responsible for mischief...making a man think of money or business or women instead of looking at his vocation. Loki is a liar, of course, as all demons are, but in a particular way, leading men into the pursuit of success and comfort in the world instead of the hardships of being a priest.

To know the name of the demon shows us the darkness of those ancient pagans who worshiped these fallen angels, and to see how these types of demons work in the world today.

There is a way to combat this demon, which Catholics in sanctifying grace can do. Apparently, shared Father Xavier, demons hate specific sacramentals. Loki hates anything to do with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. He gets upset with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you want to pray, as I do, for those who are neglecting or having trouble with their vocations, Father said to do a holy hour to the Sacred Heart for these men. There is too much worldliness and such a holy hour is a main way to combat Loki.

This demon is also sensitive to reparation made to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

When I was in Tyburn, one of the things I loved was the devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.

Marie Adele Garnier saw this overlap, an insight given to her by God, of the Sacred Heart and Adoration of the Eucharist.

This is what I want to do in my house of adoration exactly--pray for priests, especially for vocations and the Latin Mass, pray for seminarians.

Now, I know one thing I am up against.

Interestingly, in connected with this, I met two ladies who started what is now a Vatican recognized organization, an Association of the Faithful. Two started the whole thing. One of the foundresses told me yesterday that one only needs to start with two. I know this....

A house was given to them by a kind person and now the group which serves this order numbers thirty people, living in proximity, and serving God.

Pray for me and that one other person...if this is God's Will. I was correct, she said, in discerning that one only needs two...

posts on authority and virtues coming up later...

Becoming Perfect

Posted by Supertradmum

Matthew 5:48 Douay-Rheims

48 Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.

Those who are my regular readers can imagine how pleased I was that Father Xavier told us in the audience, about two hundred people for the weekend, that we are all called to perfection. I wanted to tell him I had been writing about this for years and ask him some questions, but I did not have a chance to speak with this good priest, who is very popular in the state where I went for this retreat.

He quoted the Scripture which I have highlighted so many times here.

The route to perfection involves a daily walk with Christ. Father Xavier emphasized again and again how powerful Our Lady Mary is against demonic influences. To invoke her in prayer under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows is recommended by this good priest. As Mary suffered at the foot of the Cross, Father Xavier told us that she gained merit to be at such a high level of heaven that God has shared with her secrets of humans and demonic influences beyond the knowledge of any other human being. This was foretold by the prophet, Simeon, in the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. The secret thoughts of others would be laid bare to her. Therefore, she is our intercessor for freedom from oppression and obsession, the two most common types of attacks of the devil. If we go to Mary, our way shall be much easier, and devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is one good way of moving towards perfection.

I also wanted to share with the priest that I belong to the Third Order of the Most Sorrowful Mother, but again, I did not have a chance to personally speak with him.

It is important, states Father, to engage in mortification. He referred to the new laws of fasting and abstinence in the Church and noted that these newer, less stringent rules do not help us all to form a habit of fasting and abstinence. The habit of fasting, Father stressed, is an absolute necessity for overcoming the temptations and the sins of the flesh, as these are from demonic suggestions. Again, as emphasized in Garrigou-Lagrange, and all the saints, the emotions cannot be relied upon, but are the place where demons deceit us the most.

Mortification controls the body where concupiscence lies since Original Sin, and mortification helps with complete detachment, again defined on this blog earlier, so that one can love God first, with one's whole heart, mind, soul, and will.

Father Xavier pointed out that a life of habitual fasting allows one to become strong in one's inner self, being able to say "no" to temptations. Such little things, like chocolate, can be a temptation to a greater thing, if one does not have a habit of saying no.

A person at the retreat who did not share her experience with the entire group, was once addicted to impulse shopping. She finally decided to get rid of her credit cards and only pay cash for things which was a mortification for her. This discipline worked, but Father warned us against excesses.

Father told us that demons loves excesses. Moderation is key, he noted, quoting Aristotle and the saints, that excesses can cause dangerous tendencies in the soul.

Two things which struck me from this talk were, one, that the embers of the flesh, the undertow of sin, is in one until one has reached a perfection, a freedom from all sin, which Father said is possible on this earth.

He told us to pray to Mary, Our Mother of Sorrows to show us each our predominant fault.

Those who read this blog recognize that there is a series on this subject. Follow the tags.

The second thing which struck me in this part of the retreat was a Father's reference to "hagiosthenia", which I may be spelling incorrectly, as I could not find a reference and do not have a Catholic Encyclopedia at hand. It is not in the one online.

This is the aversion to sacred things, such as holy cards, holy pictures, devotions, etc. brought about because of an excess of such. Apparition chasers, I add, may experience such a burning out of devotion, because moderation is necessary even in the spiritual life.

Moderation and mortification must go together as well, but a habit of fasting and abstinence is much more powerful than occasional mortification, which trains the body, mind, imagination and will to say "no".

The next posts, later today, with be on the importance of authority to combat demonic influences, again something written about here in the past, but needing fleshing out. And, the necessity of the life of the virtues in combating demonic influences.

I want to quote two saints which the priest did not refer to on mortification because of something Father said. He noted that if one is being awakened in the middle of the night, it means that God wants that person to get up and make a vigil with Him. I know many people who are experiencing this...including myself, for about four years.

Father Xavier said to get up and pray if this is happening, as it is mortification.

Saint Alphonsus d Ligouri -- "Some will say that perfection does not consist in the mortification of the body, but in the abnegation of the will. To them I answer with Father Pinamonti, that the fruit of the vineyard does not consist in the surrounding hedge; but still if the hedge be taken away, you will seek in vain for the produce of the vine."

"If we read the lives of the saints and see the works of penance that they performed, we shall be ashamed of the delicacy and of the reserve with which we chastise the flesh... Our pilgrimage on earth will not be of long duration: our home is eternity, where he who has practiced the greatest mortifications during life shall enjoy the greatest glory."

and

Saint Jean Marie Vianney: Oh, how I like those little mortifications that are seen by nobody, such as rising a quarter of an hour sooner, rising for a little while in the night to pray! but some people think of nothing but sleeping. There was once a solitary who had built himself a royal palace in the trunk of an oak tree; he had placed thorns inside of it, and he had fastened three stones over his head, so that when he raised himself or turned over he might feel the stones or the thorns. And we, we think of nothing but finding good beds, that we may sleep at our ease. We may refrain from warming ourselves; if we are sitting uncomfortably, we need not try to place ourselves better; if we are walking in our garden, we may deprive ourselves of some fruit that we should like; in preparing the food, we need not eat the little bits that offer themselves; we may deprive ourselves of seeing something pretty, which attracts our eyes, especially in the streets of great towns."

Quick One Post on A Retreat Talk

Posted by Supertradmum

The main theme of this retreat is protecting one's self from demonic influences, as well as becoming freed from such.

In this short post, four things are necessary for a person to keep free of demonic influences, which happen to everyone, says Father Xavier.

The first is the breaking away of all mortal sin as mortal sin can open the door even to possession.

One mortal sin can allow a person to be vulnerable to oppression, obsession and possession.

Two, staying in sanctifying grace. The priest gave an example of a Catholic couple which was experiencing an infestation because of the neighbors being involved in witchcraft. When the exorcist came to the house, he asked the couple if they were married. They said no, that they were just living together, The exorcist told the couple that he could get rid of the infestation in their house, but the demons would come back in even more numbers, (today's EF reading by the way), as the couple were living in mortal sin.

The good priest told them that until the couple repented and got married, there was nothing he could do.

Sanctifying grace, the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity in the soul, is necessary to keep away from all demonic influences. One must also try to be free of venial sin, (coming post). The saints recommend, of course, regular prayer and meditation on the Scriptures and on the Life of Christ in order to be free from all sin.

Three, those who have experienced demonic influences and are freed, must pray daily and regularly. This is an absolute necessity for maintaining freedom. Father Xavier noted that we are all in the Church Militant, and that daily prayer must be said to stay free and clear of demonic involvement.

Four, frequent reception of Holy Communion, and regular Confession. Father suggested daily Mass as much as possible, and monthly Confession as the minimum. He said that weekly Confession is best.

More later...just a taste of the talks this weekend.

GOSPEL Luke 11:14-28

At that time, Jesus was casting out a devil: and the same was dumb. And when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes, were in admiration at it. But some of them said: "He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils." And others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven. But he seeing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation; and house upon house shall fall. And if Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he come upon him and overcome him, he will take away all his armour wherein he trusted and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself: and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first."