Thursday, 21 November 2013
Praise God in The Arena
luke 19:41-44
As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
I have just learned through a painful experience something I did not know before. Those who are godless or those who are lacking in Faith find themselves envious of those of us who have both the virtue of faith and the gift of the Church, the one, true, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.
I did not realize that this envy made people hate us for our peace in the face of chaos. This is most likely one reason why the martyrs were killed, because they could praise God in the arena.
Praise God in the arena, always.
Year of Faith Coming to A Close
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| St. Paul's Grotto, Rabat, Malta |
This past liturgical year, the Church has celebrated and pondered on the gift of faith, as well as The Faith. We are blessed as Catholics to have both the gift of faith given to us in baptism, and The Faith, passed down to us through the Teaching Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
I would like to ask you, dear readers, in these last few days before the ending of this Year of Faith, to pray for three serious, special intentions for me.
I am not free to share these with you at this time, but I shall do so at some point.
Thank you, and here is a passage on which to meditate in these next few days.
Hebrews 11
Douay-Rheims
11 Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.
2 For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the world was framed by the word of God; that from invisible things visible things might be made.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice exceeding that of Cain, by which he obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his gifts; and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Henoch was translated, that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had testimony that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and is a rewarder to them that seek him.
7 By faith Noe, having received an answer concerning those things which as yet were not seen, moved with fear, framed the ark for the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world; and was instituted heir of the justice which is by faith.
8 By faith he that is called Abraham, obeyed to go out into a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he abode in the land, dwelling in cottages, with Isaac and Jacob, the co-heirs of the same promise.
10 For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God.
11 By faith also Sara herself, being barren, received strength to conceive seed, even past the time of age; because she believed that he was faithful who had promised,
12 For which cause there sprung even from one (and him as good as dead) as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 All these died according to faith, not having received the promises, but beholding them afar off, and saluting them, and confessing that they are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.
14 For they that say these things, do signify that they seek a country.
15 And truly if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they had doubtless time to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is to say, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered Isaac: and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son;
18 (To whom it was said: In Isaac shall thy seed be called.)
19 Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.
20 By faith also of things to come, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and adored the top of his rod.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents; because they saw he was a comely babe, and they feared not the king's edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, denied himself to be the son of Pharao's daughter;
25 Rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have the pleasure of sin for a time,
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of the Egyptians. For he looked unto the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the fierceness of the king: for he endured as seeing him that is invisible.
28 By faith he celebrated the pasch, and the shedding of the blood; that he, who destroyed the firstborn, might not touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land: which the Egyptians attempting, were swallowed up.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, by the going round them seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers, receiving the spies with peace.
32 And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David, Samuel, and the prophets:
33 Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners:
35 Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.
36 And others had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bands and prisons.
37 They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted:
38 Of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth.
39 And all these being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise;
40 God providing some better thing for us, that they should not be perfected without us.
Happy Feast of The Presentation of Mary
Dear Lady Mary was presented to God in the traditions of the Latin Catholic Church, the Byzantine Catholic Church, and the Orthodox Church.
Let us stop and thank her parents, the holy Joachim and Anna, for bringing her to God, who is her true Father, Bridegroom and Son.
Mary, on this feast of your presentation, pray for us and hear our prayers. And, with a special tug in my heart, I remember my lovely sisters in Tyburn on this special memorial day for enclosed orders.
More on Bishop Thomas Paprocki And Exorcism
“Prayers of Supplication and Exorcism in Reparation for the Sin of Same-Sex Marriage,”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-illinois-gay-marriage-law-draws-exorcism-in-springfield-20131120,0,2874258.story.
God bless this brave bishop. Pray for his safety and protection.
Spiritual warfare can get really nasty.
from the article.... Paprocki also charged that “politicians responsible for enacting civil same-sex marriage legislation are morally complicit as co-operators in facilitating this grave sin.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/clout/chi-illinois-gay-marriage-law-draws-exorcism-in-springfield-20131120,0,2874258.story.
God bless this brave bishop. Pray for his safety and protection.
Spiritual warfare can get really nasty.
from the article.... Paprocki also charged that “politicians responsible for enacting civil same-sex marriage legislation are morally complicit as co-operators in facilitating this grave sin.”
“We must pray for forgiveness of these sins and deliverance from this evil which has penetrated our state and our church,” Paprocki said.
Paprock said the church “stands ready to extend God’s mercy to those who confess their sins with true repentance.”
There is a “key point which the secularists are missing: they think that stressing God's mercy means that sins are no longer sins. On the contrary, God's mercy is a great gift of grace precisely because sins are sins and they call for repentance and forgiveness,” he said.
The Great Evil of Entertainment
For a long time, I have been pondering the effect of too much entertainment in the Western cultures. I cannot speak of other cultures, but it is clear to me that the preoccupation with sports, movies, computer games, and other forms of entertainment cause a blindness to the growth of the spiritual life not only among youth, but those of middle age and elderly people.
The seeking of entertainment destroys several aspects of the pursuit of the spiritual life.
I hope my readers can see through these problems and be honest with themselves concerning the amount of time and money which is spent on entertainment.
Bread and circuses killed the Roman Empire, as entertainment became more important that work or the interior life.
People think they need entertainment weekly, even daily. They think they need entertainment.
Now, there are novels and movies which teach morals and may be helpful for people to understand the spiritual life and the need for redemption in humanity. We all know these great books and some of the movies which have been made from them.
However, entertainment takes us away from the real reason we are here, to become holy, to gain salvation, to become one with Christ and to lead others to Christ.
We are addicted to entertainment, which feeds the passive part of us which should used for meditation and contemplative prayer.
I have shared on this blog the great insight of Thomas Merton on the biggest danger of television-that the passivity which one approaches tv is the aspect, the gift of the mind and soul for passive prayer. The television takes over this part of the human soul and mind and perverts the natural course of learning to be passive in the Presence of God.
"I am certainly no judge of television, since I have never watched it. All I know is that there is a sufficiently general agreement, among men whose judgment I respect, that commercial television is degraded, meretricious and absurd. Certainly it would seem that TV could become a kind of unnatural surrogate for contemplation: a completely inert subjection to vulgar images, a descent to a sub-natural passivity rather than an ascent to a supremely active passivity in understanding and love. It would seem that television should be used with extreme care and discrimination by anyone who might hope to take interior life seriously." (86) Seeds of Contemplation
Think of this--that the capacity for contemplation, the capacity which God created in each person for an intimate relationship with Him, has been perverted by television and other passive forms of entertainment.
God created us for Himself, and we must protect our imaginations, minds, souls, bodies from the pollution of false ideals which flood into us through all types of entertainment.
But, more than that, the actual act of passivity, the interaction of the passive and the soul, is being destroyed by this incursion into a part of us created by God to bring us into union with Him.
I want you to ask yourself a few honest questions today.
How much time do I spend on entertainment per week?
How much time do I prepare for going or engaging in entertainment?
How much time do I spend in prayer, learning to be passive before God in order to be purified and to receive His Love?
Do I clutter my imagination and my soul with too many statistics, too many games, too many hours of entertainment?
Do I understand that the greatest stress release is actually prayer and not entertainment?
Does the entertainment I am involved with bring me closer to God, or take me away from God?
Am I willing to give up entertainment in order to become a saint?
Pope Francis on Grandparents
Pope Francis spoke strongly and kindly of grandparents today for international grandparents day. The sad plight of so many old parents is that their children have marginalized them by putting them in homes instead of carrying for them.
However, there is another side to this sadness and that is the generation who aborted or contracepted their children and now find themselves alone. The decisions many women made when young will haunt them in old age. I feel for these women, but the consequences of sin is death and there is a death in being alone.
Grandparents are to be praised for being involved in their children's lives and the lives of their grandchildren.
Grandparents are to be praised for having children and nurturing them. Pray for those parents who destroyed their children and now find themselves alone. God can heal any broken heart through repentance and prayer.
God bless all parents and grandparents. Let us honor them today and always.
However, there is another side to this sadness and that is the generation who aborted or contracepted their children and now find themselves alone. The decisions many women made when young will haunt them in old age. I feel for these women, but the consequences of sin is death and there is a death in being alone.
Grandparents are to be praised for being involved in their children's lives and the lives of their grandchildren.
Grandparents are to be praised for having children and nurturing them. Pray for those parents who destroyed their children and now find themselves alone. God can heal any broken heart through repentance and prayer.
God bless all parents and grandparents. Let us honor them today and always.
Wake Up, Europeans
Belgium is mooting an unprecedented law that would allow the voluntary euthanasia to children.
On 26 November, the Belgian Senate will vote on legislation that will allow Euthanasia on minors without consent. This cannot be allowed in Europe and must be stopped.
Join us in stopping this legislation. Sign the petition here.
If enacted, this radical legislation would cause Belgium to have the most liberal euthanasia laws in all of Europe.
One thing after another -- from abortion as a fundamental right, same sex marriage, euthanasia permitted for those who want it, and now euthanasia of children with or without their consent. A clear and directly pattern is being established, coming next:"anything goes laws.”
This is the downfall of society and civilization. Liberal parties within other European nations are discussing similar laws. Factually speaking, if your country has current laws that are favourable towards same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia – if this law passes in Belgium -- liberals in your country will be placing it on their agenda.
Please help us fight this now. If defeated in Belgium, we can put an end to all discussions of euthanasia to minors throughout all of Europe.
Sign the petition now: http://www.citizengo.org/en/860-no-euthanasia-europe
Thank you,
Gregory Mertz and the whole CitizenGO team
P.S. Help us bring change to Europe. Please share this petition with others.
For more information on the negative effect of the law, visit: http://www.euthanasiestop.be/article-en/ euthanasia-for-children-is- wrong-214#_suite
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Cannot pass this up....
and I am living in dire poverty, as are so many others in the States. I know widows and other elderly people who have not eaten like this in years-living on ramen noodles and canned milk. The food banks cannot keep up with the demand for good, stressed families, and the enemies of freedom eat like princes, laughing at the dhimmis.
"Boston Bomber 'Tortured' With Catered Islamic Meals," from Investor's Business Daily, November 18:
War On Terror: The ACLU claims jailers are "torturing" Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by keeping him in solitary confinement. Please. The man charged with terror bombing gets catered Islamic meals.Just when we think we've reached the limits of tolerance for Muslim terrorists, we learn that one of the jihadist punks who confessed to killing and maiming hundreds of marathoners, then terrorizing and shutting down an entire major U.S. city, all in the name of Allah, has been getting meals prepared for him in accordance with Islamic dietary requirements.His special halal menu includes such dishes as baked lasagna, salad and garlic bread. Tsarnaev also gets copies of the Quran and other Islamic texts to brush up on his hatred for infidels, fellow Americans most especially included.Yet the American Civil Liberties Union has the gall to petition a federal judge for his release from isolation at the federal lockup at Fort Devens, Mass. The liberal group, which seems now to be run by a stable of Muslim lawyers who are alarmingly sympathetic even to confessed and convicted terrorists, has likened his jail restrictions there to "torture." They complain the terrorist suspect has been denied TV and radio and can't pray with other Muslim inmates. His outside communications are also limited and monitored by the feds.And there's good reason for that. Tsarnaev made it clear in his confession note that he wanted to inspire other Muslims to commit acts of terrorism against Americans.Here's what he penned to fellow Muslims: The "U.S. government is killing our innocent civilians, but most of you already know that. As a Muslim I can't stand to see such evil go unpunished. We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all. The ummah (the global brotherhood of Muslims) is beginning to rise."Tsarnaev added, in a warning to U.S. military and law enforcement: "Know you are fighting men who look into the barrel of your gun and see heaven. Now how can you compete with that? We are promised victory and we will surely get it."Authorities wisely are cutting off any channels this Islamic fanatic might use to recruit jihadists or propagandize their cause. They don't want him inciting violence.Unfortunately, the judge hearing his case is lending his lawyer a sympathetic ear. Though he barred the ACLU from making its outrageous "torture" statement at Thursday's hearing, U.S. District Judge George O'Toole questioned the "fairness" of the restrictions. "I agree enough with the defendant," he said.Yes, let him out of solitary to preach at the fort chapel.This reminds us of the Fort Hood case. Military brass bowed to the religious "needs" of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who praised Allah as he shot 14 soldiers, including a pregnant woman as she begged for her baby's life.They actually agreed to let Hasan wear a full Islamic beard to trial, in violation of military regulations. Only now is the convicted mass murderer being forcibly shaved, as he awaits the needle on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.But he and his lawyers are suing the military, arguing it's a breach of his religious freedom. You'd think the jihadist would be grateful for the free grooming before he meets his 72 virgins.Meanwhile, down at Gitmo we helpfully point prostrate al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists to Mecca, fete them with Harry Potter movie nights, and even reorder fitness equipment made in Muslim countries after they complain about the infidels who made the first batch.Enough! Stop running Islamic daycares for terrorists.
The problem with Catholics reading and listening to......
Hey, do we need more information on yet more scandals in the Church and in the great problems of the lack of people in the pews? Do we need more statistics as to how many Catholics practice birth control and support abortion? Do we need to look towards the bishops' conferences to do our work for us? Do we need to complain about the lack of leadership in the Church?
Should one be obsessed with the local media and national media?
No.
We need to work on personal holiness. Again and again, as I wrote last week, too many Catholics are looking towards politics for answers instead of God.
Only God has the answers to our problems. Only conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church, including the Scriptures and Tradition will solve the evils of humankind.
The perfection series on this blog is over 400 postings, including works related to the Doctors of the Church. The Dark Night series is also very long.
Use the tags.
Creepy Uncle Sam Ads And The Under Thirties
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/what-the-brosurance-and-creepy-uncle-sam-ads-dont-get-about-millennials/281667/
Hey, not everyone is immoral in the Millennial Generation. Slaps in the face and being "edgy" are condescending to some.
Amazingly stupid ads....
Hey, not everyone is immoral in the Millennial Generation. Slaps in the face and being "edgy" are condescending to some.
Amazingly stupid ads....
The Necessity for Perfection in Tribulation: Or, How Would You Respond in A Shipwreck?
I see around me, including in myself, how people respond to terrible things in their lives.
Here are some reactions and then, the Catholic answer to how we must learn to respond to hard times.
One, people shut down. This can mean that they totally stop communicating and withdraw into themselves, or that they go into tight family circles which are inward looking and do not reach out to anyone else.
Two, people panic and turn into emotional whirlwinds, trying this and that, not being focused, causing chaos in themselves and in their families. Sometimes this chaotic response causes odd behavior, like projection.
Three, some fall into a depression and gloom, and make very bad decisions, such as leaving families, quitting jobs, or even turning to drink and drugs.
Four, some become impatient, angry and aggressive. This seems to be the most common response among men, but women can also resort to such.
Five, gross negativity and just plain meanness are other types of reactions. These types of reaction spreads like a cancer and results in murmuring, the great sin of the Israelites in the desert. Complaining creates a miasma of unfaithfulness and turns people to evil by doubting God's Divine Providence.
What should be the real Catholic response?
One, the cooperation with God and grace to go through the stages of purification so that the virtues and gifts of the spirit can be released.
Two, the release of the virtues begins in the Dark Night but becomes full in the Illuminative State. Do not procrastinate.
Three, the virtues, as I have written many times here, are given at baptism and the gifts at confirmation, but are blocked by sin and the tendency to sin. Therefore, those virtues, which one can read about from the tags, must be nurtured through suffering, purification, prayer.
Four, now is the time to develop these virtues, gifts, which lead to the fruits: faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, charity, temperance, wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
St. Paul was shipwrecked, scourged, imprisoned and so on. Do you think he was anxious, crabby, rude, impatient, angry? No.
If you are not working on being virtuous in your daily life, how will you respond in very hard times?
More below on this theme....
19 Jul 2013
Two, she could not understand why the army of St. Joshua had to kill Canaanites. (Also connected to this, would be the slaughter of the Philistines by St. David.) Good questions. Yes, God did punish many of those who built ...
26 Jul 2013
Caleb and Joshua are two of my favourite Old Testament heroes. But, I tend to like the John Wayne men, such as David and the Maccabees. It is interesting that some of the most numinous and direct revelations of God and ...
27 Jul 2013
Joshua and Caleb had pure hearts, as did those who were the children of the slaves of Egypt. A new standard was necessary to enter, and conquer the Promised Land. That standard was purity of heart. Even though Moses is ...
26 Jul 2013
But, the GPS kicks in at one time and there is a narrow escape which needs angelic intervention-angels on horses may not work....studying Joshua and Maccabees for backup and see some very handsome, well-armoured ...
08 Dec 2012
Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and many others asked God for great things, including the revelation of the Glory of God. We do not ask because we are afraid to lose our own judgement. When we ask for God to do great things ...
09 Sep 2013
We call these men and women saints-Judith, Esther, Ruth, Joshua, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, the prophets, the Maccabees, etc. They believed in the promise without the fullness of revelation. These were the ...
What is happening?
America is one of the richest countries in the world. Americans on the whole enjoy lifestyles beyond the expectations of most people in the world.
And, yet, in the ten days I have been in the States, I have met with more rudeness and ugly behavior than I have in years elsewhere.
People in a McDonald's in Oak Park began arguing, cursing and spitting at one another.
A young person on a phone hung up on me when I made a polite inquiry about someone who lives, as far as I know, at that address.
A conference in a hotel involved people up all night talking in the hallways, shouting, and singing loudly. The hotel room I had was 137 USD for one night, as it was outside the main airport.
Several people let doors slam on others and myself, instead of holding them open for the next person.
Men on trains and buses who are healthy and youngish did not get up and give older women seats. I give older women seats.
I am amazed. The bad behavior of adults seems to be not only out of control, but accepted.
I am reminded of a mother I knew years ago who was sending her two year old to baby aggressiveness training classes. I am not making this up.
She told me her husband wanted the son to grow up strong and with the ability to say no. I was stunned. I questioned a pre-school, baby class in aggression. She said the world was horrible and one had to train children to be hard.
I am sure those parents created a monster, unless he rebelled and became a sweetie-pie. I think I have met some monsters this past week.
It seems as though anger is also acceptable. Those who are angry feel they have a right to express anger in anyway and at any time. There is an aggressiveness about all this rude behavior.
Without Christianity, there can be no civilized behavior. Without God, people revert to acting like barbarians.
I am ashamed of some of my fellow Americans today.
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Noblesse Oblige or Not
One of the distinctions of the upper classes in ages where there was a semblance of a shared morality was the ideal of noblesse oblige. This phrase indicated that those who were wealthy and in power had a responsibility to the lower classes in raising the standards of living and in also taking leadership positions, which entailed sacrifice.
This ideal goes back to classical times, when the sons of nobility were expected to fight in the military exploits of Greece or Rome. Indeed, Ulysses was a king, as were most of the characters who took part in the Trojan Wars. In fact, it was the duty of the lords to fight with their colleagues. Even though this ideal changed over the centuries to include a more voluntary giving of services, the ideal remained until recently.
What has changed in the upper classes, who filled the rosters of the civil services and upper echelons of the military of many countries, is the lack of training in the Ten Commandments and the idea of natural law philosophy.
If law is merely what a government decides and not an ideal which shapes the lives of all men for all time, and if law is no longer based on the morals placed in men and women by God, Who made them in His image and likeness, then those in power do not feel the need to support a common morality. One only needs to work for one's self, and not for the common good.
The ideal of the common good must be based on a common natural law philosophy, otherwise, there is no "common". Without a shared vision of who men and women are and Who God is, there can be no obligation of nobility. Obligation means a duty which is perceived by a person who has a vision for both the City of God and the City of Man.
Without a transcendent vision, based on the Judeo-Christian Tradition, people fall into man-made ideologies. An ideology does not demand nobility only conformity.
What we are witnessing is a huge split in the basic approach to morality and civic duty. Those who share a common vision based on the Gospel of Christ will come more and more into conflict with those who work from completely subjective criteria.
Noblesse oblige, which was the sharing of resources of those who had with those who had not, has disappeared with the Christian culture.
This ideal goes back to classical times, when the sons of nobility were expected to fight in the military exploits of Greece or Rome. Indeed, Ulysses was a king, as were most of the characters who took part in the Trojan Wars. In fact, it was the duty of the lords to fight with their colleagues. Even though this ideal changed over the centuries to include a more voluntary giving of services, the ideal remained until recently.
What has changed in the upper classes, who filled the rosters of the civil services and upper echelons of the military of many countries, is the lack of training in the Ten Commandments and the idea of natural law philosophy.
If law is merely what a government decides and not an ideal which shapes the lives of all men for all time, and if law is no longer based on the morals placed in men and women by God, Who made them in His image and likeness, then those in power do not feel the need to support a common morality. One only needs to work for one's self, and not for the common good.
The ideal of the common good must be based on a common natural law philosophy, otherwise, there is no "common". Without a shared vision of who men and women are and Who God is, there can be no obligation of nobility. Obligation means a duty which is perceived by a person who has a vision for both the City of God and the City of Man.
Without a transcendent vision, based on the Judeo-Christian Tradition, people fall into man-made ideologies. An ideology does not demand nobility only conformity.
What we are witnessing is a huge split in the basic approach to morality and civic duty. Those who share a common vision based on the Gospel of Christ will come more and more into conflict with those who work from completely subjective criteria.
Noblesse oblige, which was the sharing of resources of those who had with those who had not, has disappeared with the Christian culture.
Second Letter to Parents
Dear Parents,
Many readers are in denial about teaching their children that they, as well as you, are part of the Church Militant. Too many parents are still in a mode of denying that their children will not face great tribulation as Catholics. Too many parents are letting their children live in a false security, the City of Man, and not addressing the real reality of the building of the City of God.
Children must become saints early, as early as possible. To wait to discuss the long history of the persecution of the Church, and to wait to discuss the lives of the martyrs both betray a false protective attitude which is not of God.
It is our duty, Parents, to pass on the Faith to our children. It is our duty to form our children in the virtues from baptism. It is our duty to form saints, nor merely "ordinary" children.
If we are not preparing our children for persecution by teaching them all the truths of the Catholic Church, by not teaching them to pray daily, by not leading them to a personal relationship with Christ, God will judge us severely at our particular judgement.
Many of you know my personal witness concerning raising my child in the Faith. I add that story found in the first letter at the end of this second one.
I am shocked in my return to the States at how many Catholic parents are not teaching their children about the reality of what it means to be a Catholic. To be a Catholic is to be counter-cultural, and children must learn this as soon as possible. They must learn that they will have to make decisions contrary to those of their peers, to those of adults, to those of the government.
If you are over-protecting your children by not explaining the times, you are not allowing them to grow in grace. If you are compromising about the truth in your life and allowing your children to compromise, both you and your children will not be able to withstand the winds of hatred which will come against all of us as Catholics.
God will hold you responsible for the souls of your children.
Many readers are in denial about teaching their children that they, as well as you, are part of the Church Militant. Too many parents are still in a mode of denying that their children will not face great tribulation as Catholics. Too many parents are letting their children live in a false security, the City of Man, and not addressing the real reality of the building of the City of God.
Children must become saints early, as early as possible. To wait to discuss the long history of the persecution of the Church, and to wait to discuss the lives of the martyrs both betray a false protective attitude which is not of God.
It is our duty, Parents, to pass on the Faith to our children. It is our duty to form our children in the virtues from baptism. It is our duty to form saints, nor merely "ordinary" children.
If we are not preparing our children for persecution by teaching them all the truths of the Catholic Church, by not teaching them to pray daily, by not leading them to a personal relationship with Christ, God will judge us severely at our particular judgement.
Many of you know my personal witness concerning raising my child in the Faith. I add that story found in the first letter at the end of this second one.
I am shocked in my return to the States at how many Catholic parents are not teaching their children about the reality of what it means to be a Catholic. To be a Catholic is to be counter-cultural, and children must learn this as soon as possible. They must learn that they will have to make decisions contrary to those of their peers, to those of adults, to those of the government.
If you are over-protecting your children by not explaining the times, you are not allowing them to grow in grace. If you are compromising about the truth in your life and allowing your children to compromise, both you and your children will not be able to withstand the winds of hatred which will come against all of us as Catholics.
God will hold you responsible for the souls of your children.
Proverbs 22:6
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.
Supertradmum
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.
Supertradmum
Thursday, 17 October 2013
A Letter to Parents
Dear Catholic Parents,
The time has come when you must take over the entire religious education of your children. This education includes faith and virtue formation. One cannot allow the schools, colleges, and universities now mostly run by Modernist Heretics to form your children. You have no choice but to find orthodox, Catholic schools, or to home school.
The souls of your children are your responsibility until they are adults and on their own. Your children owe you obedience while they are under your roof, including attending Church and living the Catholic lifestyles. If you allow them to live outside the Church while they are under your roof, you have abdicated your role as a father or mother.
Catholic Parents, if you do not take the responsibility of passing on the Faith to your children, the Church may die in your area. Catholic leadership has never been more necessary. And, most importantly, your children must, like you, become perfect, even as Our Heavenly Father is perfect.
The personal salvation of each one of us is in our own hands. Think like a Catholic, pray like a Catholic, and live daily life in the counter-culture which is true Catholicism.
God gave us His Son, Who established the Church on earth to help us in our salvation. Do not waste this great grace.
God bless you, fellow parents. Be clear and be strong. If you allow your children to conform to the world, God will judge you accordingly at the end of your life. To be a parent is a huge responsibility, not only in providing physical needs, but spiritual needs.
As I heard from God so clearly when my son was only 9 hours old, "When you die, I shall ask you one question. Did you pass your Faith on to your son?"
Supertradmum
The time has come when you must take over the entire religious education of your children. This education includes faith and virtue formation. One cannot allow the schools, colleges, and universities now mostly run by Modernist Heretics to form your children. You have no choice but to find orthodox, Catholic schools, or to home school.
The souls of your children are your responsibility until they are adults and on their own. Your children owe you obedience while they are under your roof, including attending Church and living the Catholic lifestyles. If you allow them to live outside the Church while they are under your roof, you have abdicated your role as a father or mother.
Catholic Parents, if you do not take the responsibility of passing on the Faith to your children, the Church may die in your area. Catholic leadership has never been more necessary. And, most importantly, your children must, like you, become perfect, even as Our Heavenly Father is perfect.
The personal salvation of each one of us is in our own hands. Think like a Catholic, pray like a Catholic, and live daily life in the counter-culture which is true Catholicism.
God gave us His Son, Who established the Church on earth to help us in our salvation. Do not waste this great grace.
God bless you, fellow parents. Be clear and be strong. If you allow your children to conform to the world, God will judge you accordingly at the end of your life. To be a parent is a huge responsibility, not only in providing physical needs, but spiritual needs.
As I heard from God so clearly when my son was only 9 hours old, "When you die, I shall ask you one question. Did you pass your Faith on to your son?"
Supertradmum
On Dying to Self
John 12:24
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Dying to self means DEATH to the ego.
Dying to self means not getting one's way.
Dying to self means giving up dreams and plans.
Dying to self means not using one's talents and gifts.
Dying to self means not carrying what other people think.
Dying to self means giving up memory, understanding and will.
Dying to self means completely trusting in God and His Divine Providence.
Dying to self means conforming one's mind to the mind of the Church, which is the Mind of Christ.
Insane That The American Government Hates Research
SRC Funding Update
The NSF withdrew funding for the University of Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center in 2011. This decision was made in spite of a history of outstanding evaluations. Unusually, the SRC community of scientists was not given the opportunity to openly discuss the closure of the facility with a peer review committee. In fact, there has never been a peer review committee recommendation to end NSF support, and the only peer review committee statement on closure (December 2008, as an aside in a report on a separate R&D proposal) was that "closing the University of Wisconsin accelerator complexes would be a terrible mistake."
With the NSF ending its stewardship of the SRC, the University of Wisconsin has stepped in with funding through the end of 2013. In January of 2012, user fees were put into place to supplement the University contributions. The superconducting RF electron gun, as a vital component of a next generation light source based on free electron lasers, is moving forward vigorously with first beam tests, and a renewal proposal for this program has been submitted to the Department of Energy. The idea of a user consortium and/or participating research teams to fund continued operations of Aladdin is being actively pursued. Interested parties should contact SRC User Gary Findley, findley@ulm.edu, or User Advisory Committee chair Tomasz Durakiewicz,tomasz@lanl.gov.
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