I am looking for a pamphlet condemining all the secret societies which are anti-Catholic: Mason, Elks, Rotarians, Moose, Grange or Grangers et al.
I ask readers for feedback and have received none. Here is one which includes Ratzinger's notice.
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/modernproblems/freemasonry/cathason.htm
Here is one example, but I want one which is more inclusive.
http://www.catholicpamphlets.net/pamphlets/FORBIDDEN%20AND%20SUSPECT%20SOCIETIES.pdf
Here is another one which is not inclusive enough.
http://catholicpamphlets.net/pamphlets/Catholics%20and%20Freemasonry.pdf
And in a threefold form...
http://www.evangelizationstation.com/Pamphlets/056%20Catholicism%20Vs%20Freemasonry.pdf
Can you believe some are only found in rare book rooms in libraries?
http://www.lib.cua.edu/rarebook/node/14866
Saturday, 13 September 2014
Repeat of a repeat on three examinations of conscience
Confession leaflet for children
- A5 leaflet suitable for children aged 7-10.
- A5 leaflet suitable for children aged 7-10.
Confession leaflet for teenagers
- A4 tri-fold leaflet suitable for young people 11-16.
- A4 tri-fold leaflet suitable for young people 11-16.
Confession leaflet for adults – A4 tri-fold
leaflet for adults.
leaflet for adults.
The Best Catholic Paper in Great Britain
Main Stream Catholic Media is going downhill fast. I have given up reading both the liberal and conservative newspapers, as most are becoming rabid on either end of the spectrum. I read online msm, like the Catholic Register, but realize, like Mr. Voris, that most msm are not upholding the sanctity of the Church, not reporting on the coming schism, or just trashing the Pope.
No thanks.
The best Catholic online newspaper in Great Britain in The Catholic Herald. Other news outlets allow personal opinion to trump Catholic teaching, which is not the point of the Catholic media.
The Catholic Herald is the most objective. There is room for improvement, but out of all the msm in GB, it is the best.
However, the weaknesses are those of most msm: refusal to address mediocre, compromising Catholic schools which rarely create vocations; the lack of strong, strong support for Humanae Vitae; and the missing ongoing reporting of why there are mass persecutions of Christians in the world. Most of us know why, and who are the persecutors, because we know our history.
But, TCH is the best on line and I hope the editors become more sensitive and less ameliorating to our Protestant brethren, who have many other, truly wishy-washy newspapers to follow.
God bless The Catholic Herald.
No thanks.
The best Catholic online newspaper in Great Britain in The Catholic Herald. Other news outlets allow personal opinion to trump Catholic teaching, which is not the point of the Catholic media.
The Catholic Herald is the most objective. There is room for improvement, but out of all the msm in GB, it is the best.
However, the weaknesses are those of most msm: refusal to address mediocre, compromising Catholic schools which rarely create vocations; the lack of strong, strong support for Humanae Vitae; and the missing ongoing reporting of why there are mass persecutions of Christians in the world. Most of us know why, and who are the persecutors, because we know our history.
But, TCH is the best on line and I hope the editors become more sensitive and less ameliorating to our Protestant brethren, who have many other, truly wishy-washy newspapers to follow.
God bless The Catholic Herald.
The Place of Passings
It is a shame that when people say "New York" that most Americans think of the big city.
New York outside of the City proves to be a beautiful, strange state. I have been to Albany and areas around, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Lake George, and various small towns at various times.
The lakes and rivers of northern New York must be some of the most beautiful in America. One cannot imagine so many isolated areas, full of bear, coyote, deer, porcupine, (saw one on Wednesday), heron, loon, and even the occasional puma, (which I have not seen) in such a populated, crazy state.
The pine and fir forests seem almost untouched, and the old farmhouses, as well as ancient barns, remind one of Amish territory further south and west.
One thing I rarely see is the sky, unless I am by water, a lake, or river. The forests are dense, with little bits of sky peeping through, small puzzle pieces taunting the eye. I miss the big sky. I miss watching the clouds build up and roll across the prairie like giant spirits ruling the skies, None of that here. The clouds pass over the huge pines and firs quickly, as if looking for a place to be seen and admired. I never see stars.
I do not mind the dark of the forests, but I am, as a Midwest girl, use to big horizons, plains and views, which may be over twenty miles away in all directions. I miss the constellations, the planets, the meteors.
One cannot see that far in any direction here, unless one climbs up the hills and mountains and looks out.
Cold is coming in with a vengeance. Winter is rumored to be worse than last year, and the locals tell me last year was bad. Ice storms broke many branches, which still lay where these fell.
I do hear birds, like the chickadees, blue jays, and still, the odd goldfinch, but some have left the area already. Even the crows have left, with a racket. The deer pass the house, snorting and scaring the cats. A big animal walks above the house, on the ridge, at night, but I cannot identify it. Under the darkness of the trees, it seems like a shadow, not an animal.
All the small, red squirrels have disappeared.
I have not heard the loon for many days.
I do think winter is going to shut up this place, pushing a huge dome of silence over the soil, which is not like Iowa dirt, but red and sandy. Obviously, glaciers came through here and the scattered boulders in odd places here and there remind one of the power of the ancient ice flow.
I always need to live near water to feel like I am at home, as I grew up on the Mighty Mississippi, which I miss. The rivers here, although beautiful, with small waterfalls and rapids, cannot rival the Father of Waters. The rivers here have no romance, no stories to tell, but are just what they are. In this part of New York, there are no poets, no novelists, no story-tellers to weave magic around the rivers.
New York here is a strange place, almost pristine. It is a land at odds with itself, not able to decide whether it wants people or not, despite centuries of natives and pioneers marking the land with small tools or temporary homes. It is not "hospitable".
Two days ago, I passed a pumpkin patch. It was nestled between two red farmhouses. Some of the houses look pre-Civil War. But, many houses lack care and tlc. There is a run-down, almost sad feeling to so many small communities,which, indeed, are dying for lack of employment and children.
This land will sink back into pre-pioneer settlements, I believe, with the ferns and Queen Anne's lace, the milkweed and birches taking over the once tilled lands. Mulleins, cornflowers, and flea-bane encroach upon the edges of the roads as if to say, we shall take over again, just wait and see. As the giant oaks throw acorns everywhere, I am told that wild boar have been seen not too far away, following the acorns for food from states west and south.
This is not a country which is tamed. It never has been. The people all seem like passengers in boats, cars, campers, wandering through the forests and glens, temporary visitors, ready to give the land space to be wild, which it is. These people do not seem "at home", but like pilgrims, on their way to somewhere else, restless, men and women waiting to be told to move on, somewhere else.
Man is not master here. Perhaps, he is in the City, but not here. The animals still walk the old instinctual paths and the dark, deep forests still belong to these creatures. One has a healthy respect of the wild here.
I may have to move on soon, sooner than I expected, or face an early winter of illness, as asthmatics do not do well in cold and still places. We need warmth and fresh air. The air here, like the land, is wild, solid, almost a thing, not ethereal, not breezy, not helpful to those who are not use to sand, mold, and decaying bark shifting in the harsh wind.
I shall only miss the silence, which I love.
The wilderness will never reveal that I was here. I am just another passing biped, inconsequential, leaving no prints on the soil. If and when I return, the land, the rivers, the woods will be unmoved, not surprised, but ever calm and still. The firs may sigh and whisper, another stranger has returned, but we shall push her out, as we did so many before. She, too, will move on.
This is the land which belongs to itself, to no one, even though persons may have deeds over a hundred and fifty years old or even older. This New York is nothing like Old York, but something which belongs to no time and no history. Roads, houses, businesses seem plunked down, like small pieces on a monopoly board, to be moved again by chance.
It is a land between time. I wonder at the edges of these times which seem to have little grace and much shadowed mystery. I do not think I shall be here to see a unraveling of the story of these parts. Like all people here, I have stood at the edge of the ancient woods and turned my back on the wilderness wondering if any light brought by humans could ever pierce this darkness.
If, before a storm, I saw Henry Hudson's men playing ninepins, I would not be shocked. They seem more real in fable than so many people I have met, who just have not settled this land. Maybe the land belongs only to fable, but few read or write here now.
Perhaps, this place will never belong to men. Perhaps God made it for himself and His irrational creatures. I hope this is the case, as I believe this is the land of nature's sovereignty, not man's.
Even the large flatbed trucks carrying logs seem out of place, as if the owners, loggers, someone, somewhere was trying to destroy the unwritten, silent song of this place with the noise of saws and cranes. But, one knows the machines, the businesses will go, fade away, leaving scars on the sides of the hills, but no more. The weeping linden will cover the scars in time.
Once the Mohawks walked through these forests, once missionaries held meetings under these trees, once entrepreneurs created small Edens, but no efforts of men have changed the air, the trees, the soil under the layers of needles.
As I walk down the hill towards the river-lake, I know my footprints will be gone with the new rain which is coming tomorrow. So, it has ever been here, in this place of passings.
New York outside of the City proves to be a beautiful, strange state. I have been to Albany and areas around, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Lake George, and various small towns at various times.
The lakes and rivers of northern New York must be some of the most beautiful in America. One cannot imagine so many isolated areas, full of bear, coyote, deer, porcupine, (saw one on Wednesday), heron, loon, and even the occasional puma, (which I have not seen) in such a populated, crazy state.
The pine and fir forests seem almost untouched, and the old farmhouses, as well as ancient barns, remind one of Amish territory further south and west.
One thing I rarely see is the sky, unless I am by water, a lake, or river. The forests are dense, with little bits of sky peeping through, small puzzle pieces taunting the eye. I miss the big sky. I miss watching the clouds build up and roll across the prairie like giant spirits ruling the skies, None of that here. The clouds pass over the huge pines and firs quickly, as if looking for a place to be seen and admired. I never see stars.
I do not mind the dark of the forests, but I am, as a Midwest girl, use to big horizons, plains and views, which may be over twenty miles away in all directions. I miss the constellations, the planets, the meteors.
One cannot see that far in any direction here, unless one climbs up the hills and mountains and looks out.
Cold is coming in with a vengeance. Winter is rumored to be worse than last year, and the locals tell me last year was bad. Ice storms broke many branches, which still lay where these fell.
I do hear birds, like the chickadees, blue jays, and still, the odd goldfinch, but some have left the area already. Even the crows have left, with a racket. The deer pass the house, snorting and scaring the cats. A big animal walks above the house, on the ridge, at night, but I cannot identify it. Under the darkness of the trees, it seems like a shadow, not an animal.
All the small, red squirrels have disappeared.
I have not heard the loon for many days.
I do think winter is going to shut up this place, pushing a huge dome of silence over the soil, which is not like Iowa dirt, but red and sandy. Obviously, glaciers came through here and the scattered boulders in odd places here and there remind one of the power of the ancient ice flow.
I always need to live near water to feel like I am at home, as I grew up on the Mighty Mississippi, which I miss. The rivers here, although beautiful, with small waterfalls and rapids, cannot rival the Father of Waters. The rivers here have no romance, no stories to tell, but are just what they are. In this part of New York, there are no poets, no novelists, no story-tellers to weave magic around the rivers.
New York here is a strange place, almost pristine. It is a land at odds with itself, not able to decide whether it wants people or not, despite centuries of natives and pioneers marking the land with small tools or temporary homes. It is not "hospitable".
Two days ago, I passed a pumpkin patch. It was nestled between two red farmhouses. Some of the houses look pre-Civil War. But, many houses lack care and tlc. There is a run-down, almost sad feeling to so many small communities,which, indeed, are dying for lack of employment and children.
This land will sink back into pre-pioneer settlements, I believe, with the ferns and Queen Anne's lace, the milkweed and birches taking over the once tilled lands. Mulleins, cornflowers, and flea-bane encroach upon the edges of the roads as if to say, we shall take over again, just wait and see. As the giant oaks throw acorns everywhere, I am told that wild boar have been seen not too far away, following the acorns for food from states west and south.
This is not a country which is tamed. It never has been. The people all seem like passengers in boats, cars, campers, wandering through the forests and glens, temporary visitors, ready to give the land space to be wild, which it is. These people do not seem "at home", but like pilgrims, on their way to somewhere else, restless, men and women waiting to be told to move on, somewhere else.
Man is not master here. Perhaps, he is in the City, but not here. The animals still walk the old instinctual paths and the dark, deep forests still belong to these creatures. One has a healthy respect of the wild here.
I may have to move on soon, sooner than I expected, or face an early winter of illness, as asthmatics do not do well in cold and still places. We need warmth and fresh air. The air here, like the land, is wild, solid, almost a thing, not ethereal, not breezy, not helpful to those who are not use to sand, mold, and decaying bark shifting in the harsh wind.
I shall only miss the silence, which I love.
The wilderness will never reveal that I was here. I am just another passing biped, inconsequential, leaving no prints on the soil. If and when I return, the land, the rivers, the woods will be unmoved, not surprised, but ever calm and still. The firs may sigh and whisper, another stranger has returned, but we shall push her out, as we did so many before. She, too, will move on.
This is the land which belongs to itself, to no one, even though persons may have deeds over a hundred and fifty years old or even older. This New York is nothing like Old York, but something which belongs to no time and no history. Roads, houses, businesses seem plunked down, like small pieces on a monopoly board, to be moved again by chance.
It is a land between time. I wonder at the edges of these times which seem to have little grace and much shadowed mystery. I do not think I shall be here to see a unraveling of the story of these parts. Like all people here, I have stood at the edge of the ancient woods and turned my back on the wilderness wondering if any light brought by humans could ever pierce this darkness.
If, before a storm, I saw Henry Hudson's men playing ninepins, I would not be shocked. They seem more real in fable than so many people I have met, who just have not settled this land. Maybe the land belongs only to fable, but few read or write here now.
Perhaps, this place will never belong to men. Perhaps God made it for himself and His irrational creatures. I hope this is the case, as I believe this is the land of nature's sovereignty, not man's.
Even the large flatbed trucks carrying logs seem out of place, as if the owners, loggers, someone, somewhere was trying to destroy the unwritten, silent song of this place with the noise of saws and cranes. But, one knows the machines, the businesses will go, fade away, leaving scars on the sides of the hills, but no more. The weeping linden will cover the scars in time.
Once the Mohawks walked through these forests, once missionaries held meetings under these trees, once entrepreneurs created small Edens, but no efforts of men have changed the air, the trees, the soil under the layers of needles.
As I walk down the hill towards the river-lake, I know my footprints will be gone with the new rain which is coming tomorrow. So, it has ever been here, in this place of passings.
Parents
Parents, especially home schooling parents who can add some curriculum to this, I highly suggest showing this movie to your children twelve and over.
El Cid. It is available here....
http://www.amazon.com/El-Cid-Two-Disc-Deluxe-Edition/dp/B000WMFZMY
How Do We Obtain Merit?
Again, the greatest Doctor of the Church explains how one gets merit, but may I add that only those who are purged of sin can really merit. The Church, for example, tells us that we must be free of the desire to sin even venially in order to obtain a plenary indulgence. Here is Aquinas on how to gain merit. Merit must involve charity or love of neighbor. It must involved something difficult and not easy, like extra prayers and extra devotions, as well as love.
And, we merit reward for loving for the sake of Christ and not for the sake of the person involved.
As we may gather from what has been stated above (Article 1), human acts have the nature of merit from two causes: first and chiefly from the Divine ordination, inasmuch as acts are said to merit that good to which man is divinely ordained. Secondly, on the part of free-will, inasmuch as man, more than other creatures, has the power of voluntary acts by acting by himself. And in both these ways does merit chiefly rest with charity. For we must bear in mind that everlasting life consists in the enjoyment of God. Now the human mind's movement to the fruition of the Divine good is the proper act of charity, whereby all the acts of the other virtues are ordained to this end, since all the other virtues are commanded by charity. Hence the merit of life everlasting pertains first to charity, and secondly, to the other virtues, inasmuch as their acts are commanded by charity. So, likewise, is it manifest that what we do out of love we do most willingly. Hence, even inasmuch as merit depends on voluntariness, merit is chiefly attributed to charity.
Reply to Objection 1. Charity, inasmuch as it has the last end for object, moves the other virtues to act. For the habit to which the end pertains always commands the habits to which the means pertain, as was said above (Question 9, Article 1).
Reply to Objection 2. A work can be toilsome and difficult in two ways: first, from the greatness of the work, and thus the greatness of the work pertains to the increase of merit; and thus charity does not lessen the toil--rather, it makes us undertake the greatest toils, "for it does great things, if it exists," as Gregory says (Hom. in Evang. xxx). Secondly, from the defect of the operator; for what is not done with a ready will is hard and difficult to all of us, and this toil lessens merit and is removed by charity.
Reply to Objection 3. The act of faith is not meritorious unless "faith . . . worketh by charity" (Galatians 5:6). So, too, the acts of patience and fortitude are not meritorious unless a man does them out of charity, according to 1 Corinthians 13:3: "If I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
What Is Merit?
Here is the great saint on this point. God is not our debtor at all, but we give glory to him through the use of our own free will in obtaining from God that which He has.
Hence man's merit with God only exists on the presupposition of the Divine ordination, so that man obtains from God, as a reward of his operation, what God gave him the power of operation for, even as natural things by their proper movements and operations obtain that to which they were ordained by God; differently, indeed, since the rational creature moves itself to act by its free-will, hence its action has the character of merit, which is not so in other creatures.
Reply to Objection 1. Man merits, inasmuch as he does what he ought, by his free-will; otherwise the act of justice whereby anyone discharges a debt would not be meritorious.
Reply to Objection 2. God seeks from our goods not profit, but glory, i.e. the manifestation of His goodness; even as He seeks it also in His own works. Now nothing accrues to Him, but only to ourselves, by our worship of Him. Hence we merit from God, not that by our works anything accrues to Him, but inasmuch as we work for His glory.
Reply to Objection 3. Since our action has the character of merit, only on the presupposition of the Divine ordination, it does not follow that God is made our debtor simply, but His own, inasmuch as it is right that His will should be carried out.
and more here...
The Holy Spirit moves us to do acts of charity which gain merit, such as loving those who hate us and doing good for those who cannot pay us back, such as the poor.
Suffering patiently and with peace brings merit.
Man's meritorious work may be considered in two ways: first, as it proceeds from free-will; secondly, as it proceeds from the grace of the Holy Ghost. If it is considered as regards the substance of the work, and inasmuch as it springs from the free-will, there can be no condignity because of the very great inequality. But there is congruity, on account of an equality of proportion: for it would seem congruous that, if a man does what he can, God should reward him according to the excellence of his power.
If, however, we speak of a meritorious work, inasmuch as it proceeds from the grace of the Holy Ghost moving us to life everlasting, it is meritorious of life everlasting condignly. For thus the value of its merit depends upon the power of the Holy Ghost moving us to life everlasting according to John 4:14: "Shall become in him a fount of water springing up into life everlasting." And the worth of the work depends on the dignity of grace, whereby a man, being made a partaker of the Divine Nature, is adopted as a son of God, to whom the inheritance is due by right of adoption, according to Romans 8:17: "If sons, heirs also."
Reply to Objection 1. The Apostle is speaking of the substance of these sufferings.
Reply to Objection 2. This saying is to be understood of the first cause of our reaching everlasting life, viz. God's mercy. But our merit is a subsequent cause.
Reply to Objection 3. The grace of the Holy Ghost which we have at present, although unequal to glory in act, is equal to it virtually as the seed of a tree, wherein the whole tree is virtually. So likewise by grace of the Holy Ghost dwells in man; and He is a sufficient cause of life everlasting; hence, 2 Corinthians 1:22, He is called the "pledge" of our inheritance.
As adopted sons and daughters through baptism, we can do actions or pray to gain merit...
to be continued...
Who Can Merit?
(b) The agent who merits must fulfil two conditions: He must be in the state of pilgrimage (status viœ) and in the state of grace (status gratiœ). By the state of pilgrimage is to be understood our earthly life; death as a natural (although not an essentially necessary) limit, closes the time of meriting.
Only in England did I hear an odd idea that the souls in purgatory can merit good things for us. NO.
I tried to explain at the time that we must gain merit for the souls in purgatory, who are not able to help either themselves or us.
The time of sowing is confined to this life; the reaping is reserved for the next, when no man will be able to sow either wheat or cockle. Comparing the earthly life with day and the time after death with night, Christ says: "The night cometh, when no man can work [operari]" (John 9:4; cf. Ecclesiastes 11:3; Sirach 14:17). The opinion proposed by a few theologians (Hirscher, Schell), that for certain classes of men there may still be a possibility of conversion after death, is contrary to the revealed truth that the particular judgment (judicium particulare) determines instantly and definitively whether the future is to be one of eternal happiness or of eternal misery (cf. Kleutgen, "Theologie der Vorzeit", II, 2nd ed., Münster, 1872, pp. 427 sqq.).
Death ends one's chances for both salvation and for merit. Our particular judgment, mentioned earlier this week, ends all time of merit.
Baptized children, who die before attaining the age of reason, are admitted to heaven without merits on the sole title of inheritance (titulus hœreditatis); in the case of adults, however, there is the additional title of reward (titulus mercedis), and for that reason they will enjoy a greater measure of eternal happiness.
In addition to the state of pilgrimage, the state of grace (i.e., the possession of sanctifying grace) is required for meriting, because only the just can be "sons of God" and "heirs of heaven" (cf. Romans 8:17).
Only those in sanctifying grace can gain merit for themselves or others.
In the parable of the vine Christ expressly declares the "abiding in him" a necessary condition for "bearing fruit": "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit" (John 15:5); and this constant union with Christ is effected only by sanctifying grace. In opposition to Vasquez, most theologians are of opinion that one who is holier will gain greater merit for a given work than one who is less holy, although the latter perform the same work under exactly the same circumstances and in the same way. The reason is that a higher degree of grace enhances the godlike dignity of the agent, and this dignity increases the value of the merit. This explains why God, in consideration of the greater holiness of some saints specially dear to Him, has deigned to grant favours which otherwise He would have refused (Job 42:8; Daniel 3:35).
I know a woman who died who intercedes for her friends, as prayers to her are answered, and readers may remember the story of her husband's conversion and entrance into the Church less than 48 hours after her death, he, receiving his First Holy Communion at her funeral.
(c) Merit requires on the part of God that He accept (in actu secundo) the good work as meritorious, even though the work in itself (in actu primo) and previous to its acceptance by God, be already truly meritorious. Theologians, however, are not agreed as to the necessity of this condition. The Scotists hold that the entire condignity of the good work rests exclusively on the gratuitous promise of God and His free acceptance, without which even the most heroic act is devoid of merit, and with which even mere naturally good works may become meritorious. Other theologians with Francisco Suárez (De gratia, XIII, 30) maintain that, before and without Divine acceptance, the strict equality that exists between merit and reward founds a claim of justice to have the good works rewarded in heaven. Both these views are extreme. The Scotists almost completely lose sight of the godlike dignity which belongs to the just as "adopted children of God", and which naturally impresses on their supernatural actions the character of meritoriousness; Francisco Suárez, on the other hand, unnecessarily exaggerates the notion of Divine justice and the condignity of merit, for the abyss that lies between human service and Divine remuneration is ever so wide that there could be no obligation of bridging it over by a gratuitous promise of reward and the subsequent acceptance on the part of God who has bound himself by His own fidelity. Hence we prefer with Lessius (De perfect. moribusque div., XIII, ii) and De Lugo (De incarnat. disp. 3, sect. 1 sq.) to follow a middle course. We therefore say that the condignity between merit and reward owes its origin to a twofold source: to the intrinsic value of the good work and to the free acceptance and gratuitous promise of God (cf. James 1:12). See Schiffini, "De gratia divina" (Freiburg, 1901), pp. 416 sqq.
Again, on Grace
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Follow the tags for many posts on grace. I am reminded by a friend today that only those in sanctifying grace can obtain merit. She was referring to some people she knows who do not always go to church on Sunday and to some Protestant members of her family.
One cannot be in mortal sin, which does not only mean living in sin, but having committed one mortal sin unconfessed, and gain merit.
My friend, who had old-fashioned Catholic teaching remembered her heritage and corrected herself.
Practicing Catholic can merit blessings for the next life. Non-practicing Catholics cannot merit grace, which will be clearer in the next post. And, here is a reminder of the definition of grace from CE.
Grace (gratia, Charis), in general, is a supernatural gift of God to intellectual creatures (men, angels) for their eternal salvation, whether the latter be furthered and attained through salutary acts or a state of holiness. Eternal salvation itself consists in heavenly bliss resulting from the intuitive knowledge of the Triune God, who to the one not endowed with grace "inhabiteth light inaccessible" (1 Timothy 6:16). Christian grace is a fundamental idea of the Christian religion, the pillar on which, by a special ordination of God, the majestic edifice of Christianity rests in its entirety. Among the three fundamental ideas — sin, redemption, and grace — grace plays the part of the means, indispensable and Divinely ordained, to effect the redemption from sin through Christ and to lead men to their eternal destiny in heaven.
Now, sanctifying grace is only one type of grace. But, it is necessary for salvation. Here is CE again...
The Protestant conception of justification boasts of three characteristics: absolute certainty (certitudo), complete uniformity in all the justified (aequalitas), unforfeitableness (inamissibilitas). According to the teaching of the Church, sanctifying grace has the opposite characteristics: uncertainty (incertitudo), inequality (inaequalitas), and amissibility (amissibilitas).
Uncertainty
The heretical doctrine of the Reformers, that man by a fiduciary faith knows with absolute certainty that he is justified, received the attention of the Council of Trent (Sess. VI, cap. ix), in one entire chapter (De inani fiducia haereticorum), three canons (loc. cit., can. xiii-xv) condemning the necessity, the alleged power, and the function of fiduciary faith. The object of the Church in defining the dogma was not to shatter the trust in God (certitudo spei) in the matter of personal salvation, but to repel the misleading assumptions of an unwarranted certainty of salvation (certitudo fidei). In doing this the Church is altogether obedient to the instruction of Holy Writ, for, since Scripture declares that we must work out our salvation "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12), it is impossible to regard our individual salvation as something fixed and certain. Why did St. Paul (1 Corinthians 9:27) chastise his body if not afraid lest, having preached to others, he might himself "become a castaway"? He says expressly (1 Corinthians 4:4): "For I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me, is the Lord." Tradition also rejects the Lutheran idea of certainty of justification. Pope Gregory the Great (lib. VII, ep. xxv) was asked by a pious lady of the court, named Gregoria, to say what was the state of her soul. He replied that she was putting to him a difficult and useless question, which he could not answer, because God had not vouchsafed to him any revelation concerning the state of her soul, and only after her death could she have any certain knowledge as to the forgiveness of her sins. No one can be absolutely certain of his or her salvation unless--as to Magdalen, to the man with the palsy, or to the penitent thief--a special revelation be given (Trent, Sess. VI, can. xvi). Nor can a theological certainty, any more than an absolute certainty of belief, be claimed regarding the matter of salvation, for the spirit of the Gospel is strongly opposed to anything like an unwarranted certainty of salvation. Therefore the rather hostile attitude to the Gospel spirit advanced by Ambrosius Catherinus* (d. 1553), in his little work: "De certitudine gratiae", received such general opposition from other theologians. Since no metaphysical certainty can be cherished in the matter of justification in any particular case, we must content ourselves with a moral certainty, which, of course, is but warranted in the case of baptized children, and which, in the case of adults diminishes more or less, just as all the conditions of, salvation are complied with--not an easy matter to determine. Nevertheless any excessive anxiety and disturbance may be allayed (Romans 8:16, 38 sq.) by the subjective conviction that we are probably in the state of grace.
Inequality
If man, as the Protestant theory of justification teaches, is justified by faith alone, by the external justice of Christ, or God, the conclusion which Martin Luther (Sermo de nat. Maria) drew must follow, namely that "we are all equal to Mary the Mother of God and just as holy as she". But if on the other hand, according to the teaching of the Church, we are justified by the justice and merits of Christ in such fashion that this becomes formally our own justice and holiness, then there must result an inequality of grace in individuals, and for two reasons: first, because according to the generosity of God or the receptive condition of the soul an unequal amount of grace is infused; then, also, because the grace originally received can be increased by the performance of good works (Trent, Sess. VI, cap. vii, can. xxiv). This possibility of increase in grace by good works, whence would follow its inequality in individuals, find its warrant in those Scriptural texts in which an increase of grace is either expressed or implied (Proverbs 4:18; Sirach 18:22; 2 Corinthians 9:10; Ephesians 4:7; 2 Peter 3:18; Revelation 22:11). Tradition had occasion, as early as the close of the fourth century, to defend the old Faith of the Church against the heretic Jovinian, who strove to introduce into the Church the Stoic doctrine of the equality of all virtue and all vice. St. Jerome (Con. Jovin., II, xxiii) was the chief defender of orthodoxy in this instance. The Church never recognized any other teaching than that laid down by St. Augustine (Tract. in Jo., vi, 8): "Ipsi sancti in ecclesia sunt alii aliis sanctiores, alii aliis meliores." Indeed, this view should commend itself to every thinking man.The increase of grace is by theologians justly called a second justification (justificatio secunda), as distinct from the first justification (justificatio prima), which is coupled with a remission of sin; for, though there be in the second justification no transit from sin to grace, there is an advance from grace to a more perfect sharing therein.
Sometimes called second conversion, as in the mystics and the perfection series.
If inquiry be made as to the mode of this increase, it can only be explained by the philosophical maxim: "Qualities are susceptible of increase and decrease"; for instance, light and heat by the varying degree of intensity increase or diminish. The question is not a theological but a philosophical one to decide whether the increase be effected by an addition of grade to grade (additio gradus ad gradum), as most theologians believe; or whether it be by a deeper and firmer taking of root in the soul (major radicatio in subjecto), as many Thomists claim. This question has a special connection with that concerning the multiplication of the habitual act.
As in habitual virtue.....or the habitual response to grace.
But the last question that arises has decidedly a theological phase, namely, can the infusion of sanctifying grace be increased infinitely? Or is there a limit, a point at which it must be arrested? To maintain that the increase can go on to infinity, i.e. that man by successive advances in holiness can finally enter into the possession of an infinite endowment involves a manifest contradiction, for such a grade is as impossible as an infinite temperature in physics. Theoretically, therefore, we can consider only an increase without any real limit (in indefinitum). Practically however, two ideals of unattained and unattainable holiness have been determined, which nevertheless, are finite. The one is the inconceivably great holiness of the human soul of Christ, the other the fullness of grace which dwelt in the soul of the Virgin Mary.
Amissibility
In consonance with his doctrine of justification by faith alone, Luther made the loss or forfeiture of justification depend solely upon infidelity, while Calvin maintained that the predestined could not possibly lose their justification; as to those not predestined, he said, God merely aroused in them a deceitful show of faith and justification. On account of the grave moral dangers which lurked in the assertion that outside of unbelief there can be no serious sin destructive of Divine grace in the soul, the Council of Trent was obliged to condemn (Sess. VI, can. xxiii, xxvii) both these views. The lax principles of "evangelical liberty", the favourite catchword of the budding Reformation, were simply repudiated (Trent Sess. VI, can. xix-xxi). But the synod (Sess. VI cap. xi) added that not venial but only mortal sin involved the loss of grace. In this declaration there was a perfect accord with Scripture and Tradition. Even in the Old Testament the prophet Ezechiel (Ezekiel 18:24) says of the godless: "All his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die." Not in vain does St. Paul (1 Corinthians 10:12) warn the just: "Wherefore he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall"; and state uncompromisingly: "The unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God...neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers.... nor covetous, nor drunkards...shall possess the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9 sq.). Hence it is not by infidelity alone that the Kingdom of Heaven will be lost. Tradition shows that the discipline of confessors in the early Church proclaims the belief that grace and justification are lost by mortal sin. The principle of justification by faith alone is unknown to the Fathers. The fact that mortal sin takes the soul out of the state of grace is due to the very nature of mortal sin. Mortal sin is an absolute turning away from God, the supernatural end of the soul, and is an absolute turning to creatures; therefore, habitual mortal sin cannot exist with habitual grace any more than fire and water can co-exist in the same subject. But as venial sin does not constitute such an open rupture with God, and does not destroy the friendship of God, therefore venial sin does not expel sanctifying grace from the soul. Hence, St. Augustine says (De spir. et lit., xxviii, 48): "Non impediunt a vita Aeterna justum quaedam peccata venialia, sine quibus haec vita non ducitur."Mortal, as in mortis, mort, dead...the soul is dead in mortal sin, not alive in Christ and not in sanctifying grace....
But does venial sin, without extinguishing grace, nevertheless diminish it, just as good works give an increase of grace? Denys the Carthusian (d. 1471) was of the opinion that it does, though St. Thomas rejects it (II-II:24:10). A gradual decrease of grace would only be possible on the supposition that either a definite number of venial sins amounted to a mortal sin, or that the supply of grace might be diminished, grade by grade, down to ultimate extinction. The first hypothesis is contrary to the nature of venial sin; the second leads to the heretical view that grace may be lost without the commission of mortal sin. Nevertheless, venial sins have an indirect influence on the state of grace, for they make a relapse into mortal sin easy (cf. Sirach 19:1). Does the loss of sanctifying grace bring with it the forfeiture of the supernatural retinue of infused virtues? Since the theological virtue of charity, though not identical, nevertheless is inseparably connected with grace, it is clear that both must stand or fall together, hence the expressions "to fall from grace" and "to lose charity" are equivalent. It is an article of faith (Trent, Sess. VI, can. xxviii, cap. xv) that theological faith may survive the Commission of mortal sin, and can be extinguished only by its diametrical opposite, namely, infidelity. It may be regarded as a matter of Church teaching that theological hope also survives mortal sin, unless this hope should be utterly killed by its extreme opposite, namely despair, though probably it is not destroyed by it second opposite, presumption. With regard to the moral virtues, the seven gifts and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, which invariably accompany grace and charity, it is clear that when mortal sin enters into the soul they cease to exist (cf. Francisco Suárez, "De gratia", IX, 3 sqq.). As to the fruits of sanctifying grace, see MERIT. my next post is on merit
Back to the Protestants.
Is it possible without the life of the sacraments in the Church to avoid mortal sin? Unlikely....Do Protestants contracept, divorce and remarry, skip Sunday observance, not receive the Eucharist? Yes for most....sanctifying grace given at baptism has been lost.
But, here is the clincher passage from Christ Himself: John 6.
[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven. [52] If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. [53] The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? [54] Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. [55] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
Without receiving the Eucharist, there is no life within a person, including lasped Catholics and Protestants, Hindus, Jews, Muslims. We have stopped preaching this truth which comes from the mouth of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Why have we stopped teaching this long-held Catholic truth?
Salvation is given to all men and women. Some reject it. Some reject grace to become Catholics. Some do not think to become Catholics. God is merciful, and some will be saved by the merits of the Catholic Church. What that means will be examined in the next post.
to be continued...
Prayer More Than Good Works
But, for obtaining temporal favours, prayer is more effective than meritorious works, provided that the granting of the petition be not against the designs of God or the true welfare of him who prays . The just man may merit de congruo for others (e.g., parents, relatives, and friends) whatever he is able to merit for himself: the grace of conversion, final perseverance, temporal blessings, nay even the very first prevenient grace (gratia prima prœveniens), (Summa Theol., I-II, Q. cxiv, a. 6) which he can in no wise merit for himself. St. Thomas gives as reason for this the intimate bond of friendship which sanctifying grace establishes between the just man and God. These effects are immeasurably strengthened by prayer for others; as it is beyond doubt that prayer plays an important part in the present economy of salvation.
Friday, 12 September 2014
The Fifth And Last Art Rant
Well, I think I am almost finished with the subject of true, objective, religious art. But, let me add this. Just because someone can paint a religious subject does not mean that artist has capture the essence of holiness, of virtue.
If I were in the classroom, I would give myriad examples of "religious art" which moves the soul not only into an aesthetic experience, but an experience of God. Excellent art can help the soul, be a tool for the soul to transcend into the spiritual realm. I have experienced this and in the good old days of graduate school, this is a subject we would sit around with coffees and discuss.
Excellent art is meant to be transcendent. It is not meant to draw attention to itself but to lead one on to a higher plane of reality.
I have experienced this in the face of true beauty. This has happened to me through art and music, more so when I was younger than now, as I no longer go to galleries nor do I listen to music. I mostly live in simplicity and silence.
But, the true artist does not want to draw attention to himself or his artwork. He wants the artwork to bring joy, yes, but always move the mind and the soul.
Excellent art is rational.
That is why Bach is superior to Rap. (DUH!)
If a piece of art disturbs the soul and the mind, it has been painted in pure sensuality, in the senses only and not in the spirit. That is why I am objecting to some of the work on EWTN. I have not listed all the paintings which disturb me. Three which are particularly sensual and not spiritual depict Christ in the Garden, in a facial piece stuck in somewhere, and in the Ascension. The artists missed the point and just show a man, not a God-Man. Can it be done? Approximately, yes.
Some of the greatest have done this. But, sadly the appetites have been fed for too many years not to effect even Christian artists. Perhaps, the artists have never met a Godly, righteous man. Perhaps, they do not know what the face of a saint who is a man can look like. Innocence is the first trait, followed by purity and a deep inner peace.
An opportunity for witnessing the Truth has been lost.
I shall not even begin on the music, which is almost totally sensual and not rational and, as the Pope Emeritus would point out, therefore defective for worship. Gregorian Chant would have been the logical choice for the entire series.
Again, the day for true discernment in art may be gone.
If I were in the classroom, I would give myriad examples of "religious art" which moves the soul not only into an aesthetic experience, but an experience of God. Excellent art can help the soul, be a tool for the soul to transcend into the spiritual realm. I have experienced this and in the good old days of graduate school, this is a subject we would sit around with coffees and discuss.
Excellent art is meant to be transcendent. It is not meant to draw attention to itself but to lead one on to a higher plane of reality.
I have experienced this in the face of true beauty. This has happened to me through art and music, more so when I was younger than now, as I no longer go to galleries nor do I listen to music. I mostly live in simplicity and silence.
But, the true artist does not want to draw attention to himself or his artwork. He wants the artwork to bring joy, yes, but always move the mind and the soul.
Excellent art is rational.
That is why Bach is superior to Rap. (DUH!)
If a piece of art disturbs the soul and the mind, it has been painted in pure sensuality, in the senses only and not in the spirit. That is why I am objecting to some of the work on EWTN. I have not listed all the paintings which disturb me. Three which are particularly sensual and not spiritual depict Christ in the Garden, in a facial piece stuck in somewhere, and in the Ascension. The artists missed the point and just show a man, not a God-Man. Can it be done? Approximately, yes.
Some of the greatest have done this. But, sadly the appetites have been fed for too many years not to effect even Christian artists. Perhaps, the artists have never met a Godly, righteous man. Perhaps, they do not know what the face of a saint who is a man can look like. Innocence is the first trait, followed by purity and a deep inner peace.
An opportunity for witnessing the Truth has been lost.
I shall not even begin on the music, which is almost totally sensual and not rational and, as the Pope Emeritus would point out, therefore defective for worship. Gregorian Chant would have been the logical choice for the entire series.
Again, the day for true discernment in art may be gone.
From SPUC
Friday, 12 September 2014
Yesterday Dr Thomas Ward, founder and former President of the National Association of Catholic Families (NACF), addressed the major pro-family conference
which was held this week in the Kremlin, Moscow. SPUC staff, as well as
many colleagues from other pro-life/pro-family, are in Moscow, made a
major contribution to the conference. Here is the text of Dr Ward's
address on "Parents the Primary Educators of their Children; Parents
from legal outcasts to outlaws"
Parents from legal outcasts to outlaws: Dr Tom Ward's address to Moscow family conference
"Madame Chairman,Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
Christian families of Russia thank you for your call to the generosity and joy of large families. It is a counter-revolutionary call to build a new Civilisation of Love and Life. It is a call to our families to replace today's dying Culture of Death with all its attacks on normality: on life, love, sexuality, marriage, family and Christianity itself. A culture of contraception, abortion, homosexualism and their indoctrination subtly enforced on our families at home and brutally imposed upon poor families abroad. A culture of planned demographic collapse. A culture in which the only protectors of children are their parents, their Primary Educators who may have little moral alternative to civil disobedience and imprisonment. But parental rights are the Achilles heel of the Culture of Death. It is here we must attack.
Having worked over forty years defending families I am convinced that the root of the Culture of Death is the artificial separation in sexual intercourse of love from life in contraception. Contraception is associated with a rise not a fall in the abortion rate. Hormonal contraceptives have been known to have an intrinsic abortifacient pharmacological action since 1926!
This separation of life from love has spread from contraception, to in vitro fertilisation and now logically, even theologically to homosexual "marriage ".
Ladies and gentlemen, contraception is the gateway to the culture of death and it is of itself wrong.
Contraception alienates life from love in a second unrecognised way. Secret contraceptive indoctrination and provision to children without parental knowledge or consent, by governments, separate our children from our protective love.
But if we parents contracept, how can we convincingly protect our children from contraception?
Revealingly both separations are promoted by one of the largest multi-nationals in the world, the birth control lobby.
Who removed our parental rights?
In 1922 Lenin initiated what was to become the Frankfurt School of Western cultural Marxism. His intention - to destroy the obstacle of Western Christian culture. The methods - the use of sexual instinct and overwhelming negative destructive cultural criticism. They targeted our families against the background of growing liberalism in church and state.
The same message different messengers:In 1974 the British Government prohibited doctors from contacting "parents of a child of whatever age" when she requested contraceptives.Parents legally challenged this in the courts. Law Lords ruled that when a doctor decided a child fully understood what was proposed the child could consent to all treatments and parents' rights stopped. This now covers abortion.
- “Communist society will take upon itself all the duties involved in the education of a child.” Alexandra Kollontai, the first Soviet People's Commissar for Social Welfare, 1920
- "Children have to be freed from… religious and other cultural “prejudices” forced upon them by parents, civil and religious authorities […] sex education should be introduced in the 4th grade, (i.e. 9 to10) eliminating “the ways of elders” by force if necessary.” Brock Chisholm, who became the first director of the World Health Organisation in 1948
- "It is now the privilege of the Parental State to take major decisions - objective, unemotional, the State weighs up what is best for the child....” Lady Helen Brook, who started the “secret” provision of contraceptives to the young - the very first step in the usurping of parental rights on education and medication.
- “Parents – the most dangerous people of all.” A Family Planning Association spokeswoman
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women has instructed nations to ensure the right to sexual education, to contraception and abortion for girls and adolescents without parental knowledge or consent.
IPPF, based in London, is the nerve-centre of the world reproductive law reform. London is the centre of Common Law jurisdiction which covers one-third of humanity, the former British Empire. It operates in 189 countries including Russia.
Parents.. from legal outcasts to outlaws
Because of same-sex "marriage" legislation, Catholic adoption agencies ...caring in loco parentis for our most vulnerable Catholic children, have been outlawed.
The Education Act 1996 imposes a duty on state schools, including religious schools, to teach about marriage in the National Curriculum. With the legalising of same-sex "marriage", parents who object to this being taught in general classes have no right to withdraw their children. The school, because of its legal obligation to promote equality, is itself obliged to refuse permission. Because of same-sex "marriage" legislation, the exercising of the parental primary right to educate has been outlawed.
And on the teaching of Christian sexual morality in schools, the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has said:"a curriculum which teaches a particular religion’s doctrinal beliefs as if they were objectively true… is likely to lead to unjustifiable discrimination”Because of same-sex marriage legislation, the the right to teach Christian sexual morality as objective truth in educational institutions has been outlawed.
Never before in the history of free men has our human right to be the primary educators of our children been removed. It is enshrined in Genesis, in the New Testament, in the doctrine of the Orthodox and of the Catholic Church, in Aristotle and the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, the demographic recovery of your great country will depend disproportionately on generous large families. They will depend upon legally-enforceable guarantees of their God-given, inalienable human right as Primary Educators.
Through these families Russia will, please God, become a Christian beacon of hope to all humanity.
A new civilisation of Love and Life will begin.
Начнется новой цивилизации любви и жизни.
It will be our civilisation.
Она будет нашей цивилизации
It will be God's civilisation.
Это будет цивилизации Бога
Christian Families of Russia, thank you.
Христианские семьи России, спасибо"
Why Not Mass Time for Workers?
UPDATE FROM PETER AND PAUL:
UK High Court judges Sabbath observance is not an important Christian belief
The Daily Telegraph reports:
The judgment was issued by Mr Justice Langstaff as he ruled on an
appeal brought by a Christian woman who was sacked after she refused to
work on Sundays at a care home.
Celestina Mba claimed
the council she worked for pressured her to work on Sundays and
threatened her with disciplinary measures – even though other workers
were willing to take the shifts.
The 57 year-old, from Streatham Vale, south London, worships every Sunday at her Baptist church, where she is also part of the ministry team offering pastoral care and support to the congregation.
She said that when she took the position in 2007 providing respite care for children with severe learning difficulties at the Brightwell children’s home in Morden, south-west London managers initially agreed to accommodate the requirements of her faith.
But within a few months of starting the job, Miss Mba said managers began pressuring her to work on Sundays.
She found herself repeatedly allocated Sunday shifts and threatened with disciplinary measures unless she agreed to compromise her church commitments, meaning she had no alternative but to resign from the job she loved, she said.
The care worker launched an unsuccessful legal claim in February this year and this month lost her appeal in the High Court.
Mr Justice Langstaff, who as president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal is the most senior judge in England and Wales in this type of case, upheld the lower tribunal’s ruling which said it was relevant that other Christians did not ask for Sundays off.
The fact that some Christians were prepared to work on Sundays meant it was not protected, the court said.
The senior judge said that a rule imposed by an employer which affected nearly every Christian would have a greater discriminatory impact than one which only affected a few.
There was evidence that many Christians work on Sundays and this was relevant in “weighing” the impact of the employers’ rule, and the earlier decision did not involve an error of law, he added.
Andrea Williams, director of Christian Concern, said of the latest ruling: “The court in this case created an unrealistic test which means that people like Celestina who wish to respect the Sabbath will be forced out of the workplace.
“The court seems to be requiring a significant number of adherents of the Christian faith to observe a particular practice before the court is willing to accept and protect the practice.
“In the past year we have seen mandatory tests of faith in relation to the wearing of crosses by Christians, belief about marriage between a man and a woman and now observing the Sabbath when in all cases reasonable accommodation could have been made.
“Such tests do not appear to be similarly applied to Muslims who are permitted to wear the hijab and observe prayers and Sikhs with the kara bracelet.”
Protect the Pope comment: This latest ruling means that the Catholic obligation to participate in the celebration of the Mass on Sunday is no longer protected by law. Employers can now insist that Catholic employees work Saturday and Sunday, if they so wish. The freedom of Catholics to fulfill their religious obligation is now totally at the discretion of their employer. Another fundamental religious freedom has been removed from us. Yet again UK law is presuming to overturn the law of the Church. What will be the response of our bishops to this unjust legal ruling?
“Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church” (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (CIC, can. 1247).
The Catechism states:
The Sunday obligation
2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.”117 “The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.”118
2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#2192
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9770825/Christians-have-no-right-to-refuse-to-work-on-Sundays-rules-judge.html
The 57 year-old, from Streatham Vale, south London, worships every Sunday at her Baptist church, where she is also part of the ministry team offering pastoral care and support to the congregation.
She said that when she took the position in 2007 providing respite care for children with severe learning difficulties at the Brightwell children’s home in Morden, south-west London managers initially agreed to accommodate the requirements of her faith.
But within a few months of starting the job, Miss Mba said managers began pressuring her to work on Sundays.
She found herself repeatedly allocated Sunday shifts and threatened with disciplinary measures unless she agreed to compromise her church commitments, meaning she had no alternative but to resign from the job she loved, she said.
The care worker launched an unsuccessful legal claim in February this year and this month lost her appeal in the High Court.
Mr Justice Langstaff, who as president of the Employment Appeal Tribunal is the most senior judge in England and Wales in this type of case, upheld the lower tribunal’s ruling which said it was relevant that other Christians did not ask for Sundays off.
The fact that some Christians were prepared to work on Sundays meant it was not protected, the court said.
The senior judge said that a rule imposed by an employer which affected nearly every Christian would have a greater discriminatory impact than one which only affected a few.
There was evidence that many Christians work on Sundays and this was relevant in “weighing” the impact of the employers’ rule, and the earlier decision did not involve an error of law, he added.
Andrea Williams, director of Christian Concern, said of the latest ruling: “The court in this case created an unrealistic test which means that people like Celestina who wish to respect the Sabbath will be forced out of the workplace.
“The court seems to be requiring a significant number of adherents of the Christian faith to observe a particular practice before the court is willing to accept and protect the practice.
“In the past year we have seen mandatory tests of faith in relation to the wearing of crosses by Christians, belief about marriage between a man and a woman and now observing the Sabbath when in all cases reasonable accommodation could have been made.
“Such tests do not appear to be similarly applied to Muslims who are permitted to wear the hijab and observe prayers and Sikhs with the kara bracelet.”
Protect the Pope comment: This latest ruling means that the Catholic obligation to participate in the celebration of the Mass on Sunday is no longer protected by law. Employers can now insist that Catholic employees work Saturday and Sunday, if they so wish. The freedom of Catholics to fulfill their religious obligation is now totally at the discretion of their employer. Another fundamental religious freedom has been removed from us. Yet again UK law is presuming to overturn the law of the Church. What will be the response of our bishops to this unjust legal ruling?
“Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church” (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (CIC, can. 1247).
The Catechism states:
The Sunday obligation
2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.”117 “The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.”118
2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#2192
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9770825/Christians-have-no-right-to-refuse-to-work-on-Sundays-rules-judge.html
Why is it that priests cannot have Masses at times when working people can get to Mass? When my dad was working, he could get Mass at 6:30 a.m. before work. Now, most daily Masses in England and America are at 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. Why? Only about 20 elderly retired people go here.
And, more and more, some people in retailing and factories, cannot get to Mass at all in the week, and even on Sunday if times are not in consideration of the working class.
Catholic priests should also state from the pulpit that Sunday obligation must be the priority over work.
And, why do not Catholics rebel and demand, like Hindus and Muslims the right to have time off for religious observance. It is a mortal sin not to go to Church on Sunday. And, daily Mass strengthens one's faith absolutely.
This blog is the result of a conversation with an Englishman who told me the courts there have not upheld Sunday observance as a right for Christians.
Can someone send me that link? I cannot find it. Time for Catholics to stand up for their own Faith.
Who Gets Hurt?
http://online.wsj.com/articles/expats-left-frustrated-as-banks-cut-services-abroad-1410465182
Earlier this year, I discovered that my son could not get money from me anymore as American banks were stopping money exchanges. He has no financial support in England from family. Now, EU banks are doing the same, but American banks started this. Bank to bank transfers for ordinary people have ended.
What Americans do not understand is that America is becoming a financial prison while letting in people who have no money. Normal people and the wealthier, many who are good people, (I am not into the sin of envying the rich), are having restrictions on finances for the first time in history.
If readers do not understand what all this means, I can tell you. As two of my smart female friends and one of my male friends told me, America is becoming a prison state. If you are in America, your freedoms are being limited daily, and if you are out, living as an ex-pat, your freedoms are limited.
Great Britain did something similar years ago, not that long ago, btw, by changing immigration rules regarding Commonwealth members. Commonwealth citizens, long having excellent freedoms of residency based on history, had their rules changed as GB became more EU friendly and less Commonwealth friendly. Many people I know from New Zealand, Australia and Canada lost rights and had to follow EU regulations as GB changed "loyalties".
Why should you care, you may ask? As nation-states give up power to banks, the EU, and the UN, less and less movement and freedoms are allowed to individuals. People in Medieval times had more freedom of movement than we do now, and Renaissance financiers had more freedom than monied people now.
Americans have been too insular, not caring about relationships with Europe, as seen by our leaders in Washington, who have lost respect in Europe almost on purpose.
America is creating a prison. I am convinced that those in power do not want people to have freedom of movement or freedom of finances.
Think about this. You may not realize how this will affect your children, your grandchildren.
And, what is the most universal institution in the entire world? The one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
A friend of mine in Australia told me that missionaries, like the Missionaries of Charity, are having a hard time getting in to set up ministries. The same thing has been happening in GB over the last three years. Ask those orders who have had to send priests, monks and nuns back to America without any chance of renewal of visas. St. Augustine of Canterbury would not get into GB unless Italy was in the EU.
Get it?
Who gets hurt?
Repost of Reposts on Predominant Fault
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Thoughts from The Dark Night-Reviewing the Predominant Fault Posts
The knowledge of self and one's sins is one of the reasons for purification. If one is attempting to cooperate with grace regarding the destruction of the predominant faults, one may find that the fault is connected to another and another.
For example, pride can morph into vainglory and presumption. Sloth may be easily attached to Gluttony and Greed. Envy, Anger and Lust sometimes "work together". One sees a pattern.
Now, because of concupiscence, we shall be tempted all our lived until the moment of death. Even the greatest of saints experienced trials in the last months of their lives. St. Therese the Little Flower is only one example.
One must learn to avoid temptations as these occur immediately. Here is a reminder from Garrigou-Lagrange on the predominant fault. I have already written on the predominant fault, but this truth bears repeating. My highlights....
DEFINITION OF THE PREDOMINANT FAULT
The predominant fault is the defect in us that tends to prevail over the others, and thereby over our manner of feeling, judging, sympathizing, willing, and acting. It is a defect that has in each of us an intimate relation to our individual temperament.(1) There are temperaments inclined to effeminacy, indolence, sloth, gluttony, and sensuality. Others are inclined especially to anger and pride. We do not all climb the same slope toward the summit of perfection: those who are effeminate by temperament must by prayer, grace, and virtue become strong; and those who are naturally strong, to the point of easily becoming severe, must, by working at themselves and by grace, become gentle.
Before this progressive transformation of our temperament, the predominant defect in the soul often makes itself felt. It is our domestic enemy, dwelling in our interior; for, if it develops, it may succeed in completely ruining the work of grace or the interior life. At times it is like a crack in a wall that seems to be solid but is not so; like a crevice, imperceptible at times but deep, in the beautiful facade of a building, which a vigorous jolt may shake to the foundations. For example, an antipathy, an instinctive aversion to someone, may, if it is not watched over and corrected by right reason, the spirit of faith, and charity, produce disasters in the soul and lead it to grave injustice. By yielding to such an antipathy, it does itself far more harm than it does its neighbor, for it is much more harmful to commit injustice than to be the object of it.
The predominant fault is so much the more dangerous as it often compromises our principal good point, which is a happy inclination of our nature that ought to develop and to be increased by grace. For example, a man is naturally inclined to gentleness; but if by reason of his predominant fault, which may be effeminacy, his gentleness degenerates into weakness, into excessive indulgence, he may even reach the complete loss of energy. Another, on the contrary, is naturally inclined to fortitude, but if he gives free rein to his irascible temperament, fortitude in him degenerates into unreasonable violence, the cause of every type of disorder.
In every man there is a mixture of good and bad inclinations; there is a predominant fault and also a natural quality. If we are in the state of grace, we have a special attraction of grace, which generally perfects first of all what is best in our nature, and then radiates over that which is less good. Some are thus more inclined toward contemplation, others toward action. Particular care must be taken that the predominant fault does not snuff out our principal natural quality or our special attraction of grace. Otherwise our soul would resemble a field of wheat invaded by tares or cockle, of which the Gospel speaks. And we have an adversary, the devil, who seeks to foster the growth of our predominant fault that he may place us in conflict with those who work with us in the Lord's field. Christ Himself tells us: "The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way." (2)
Christ explains that the enemy is the devil,(3) who seeks to destroy the work of God by creating disunion among those who, in a holy manner, ought to collaborate in the same work for eternity. He is skillful in exaggerating in our eyes the defects of our neighbor, in transforming a grain of sand into a mountain, in setting up, as it were, a magnifying glass in our imagination, that we may become irritated at our brethren instead of working with them. Considering all this, we can see what evil may spring up in each of us from our principal fault if we are not most attentive to it. At times it is like a devouring worm in a beautiful fruit.
When one is attempting to live in community, the devil attacks by putting the predominant faults of others "in one's face" constantly. If one is aware of what is happening, one can avoid this deception and turn to prayer and compassion for the other.
to be continued...
08 Apr 2014
Firstly,
St. Alphonsus reveals that anyone who gets upset with sin in one's own
life is not humble, but proud, and may be exhibiting the predominant
fault of anger. Anger is not merely focused on other or events, but one
can ...
07 Apr 2014
Use
the tags and labels to read the posts on one's predominant fault, if
you have not done so already. Hard stuff, but necessary for the road to
perfection. There are 45 posts dealing with that topic directly. And,
speaking of ...
27 Nov 2013
But
later the predominant fault is less apparent, for it tries to hide
itself and to put on the appearances of a virtue: pride clothes itself
in the outward appearances of magnanimity, and pusillanimity seeks to
cover itself with those ...
18 Sep 2013
The
predominant fault is the defect in us that tends to prevail over the
others, and thereby over our manner of feeling, judging, sympathizing,
willing, and acting. It is a defect that has in each of us an intimate
relation to our ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com
21 Jul 2012
Garrigou-Lagrange
states that "it is of primary importance that we recognize our
predominant fault and have no illusions about it. This is is so much the
more necessary as our adversary, the enemy of our soul, knows it
quite ...
23 Jul 2012
Perfection
Series continued-the predominant fault--four. Posted by Supertradmum.
St. Augustine tells us, using Garrigou-Lagrange, that God never asks us
to do the impossible. If God desires us to be one with Him and He ...
25 Sep 2013
Youth
can spot a hypocrite a mile away and the bad priests and neglectful
husbands and fathers will have to face God as to why they did not work
on their predominant fault. Being a Catholic man, like being a Catholic
woman, ...
20 May 2014
In
Chapter 22, the great Dominican writes of "The Predominant Fault".The
holy priest lists most of the obvious sins, but I want to highlight one,
but in a different manner. We know that Pride is most likely the worst
of all sins and .
18 Sep 2013
The
greatest fault is pride. Thinking that one knows better than a bishop
or that one can judge a liberal bishop as unauthorized to make a
statement on a visionary is pride. Period. But, those with a predominant
fault of sloth or ...
18 Sep 2013
Garrigou-Lagrange
helps us on our way. The graph at the very end of this post indicates
how to break the sins of the predominant fault. This is hard work. This
takes time and reflection. One must be ruthless with one's self to a ...
18 Sep 2013
For
without dealing with our predominant fault, there is no moving on into
the Dark Night, Illumnative and Unitive states. Later on, I can show how
the predominant fault, unless dealt with in this life, is the reason we
go to ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
26 Sep 2013
The
Predominant Fault of Some Women. Posted by Supertradmum. Just to be
fair, I have been talking with lovely, good Catholic women who want to
become saints. They would be in the category of the really beautiful
women ...
26 Sep 2013
The
second most common predominant fault of women could be pride. This is
the primordial sin and one easy to fall into. But, if this is the main,
underlining fault of all faults, it must be rooted out through serious
attention, ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
21 Jul 2012
Predominant
Fault Three-perfection series. Posted by Supertradmum. Promptness of
will and intolerance of our faults are part of the battle against our
predominant faults. This is a battle from which we cannot escape if
we ...
05 Dec 2013
For
those interested in most of the postings on the predominant fault, I
have tried to find most of the links on this subject, which is a
Catholic idea, btw, and not a protestant one. As one who is being
dragged into looking at my ...
08 Apr 2014
St.
Francis de Sales on His Predominant Faults-Two. Posted by Supertradmum.
After being greatly insulted by a Knight of Malta for not giving a
benefice to one of his servants, “the bishop‟s brother …asked him how it
was he ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
03 Aug 2014
As
we have already spoken of the predominant fault, we here insist on
precipitation to be avoided or, as the expression goes, on
impulsiveness, which inclines one to act without sufficient reflection.
With rash haste many ...
13 Jul 2014
It
is very good to find a devotion which specifically leads to the removal
of our predominant fault. We all need to crack the deep sin, deep
weakness which keeps us from God, stops virtue, hinders grace. I now
belong to a third ...
28 Jul 2014
However,
some physical and mental pain is given by God for our purification, for
the removal of the predominant fault. Too often I hear people say, "Oh,
she is a suffering soul, or a victim soul" when in reality, the person
is ...
29 Sep 2013
one
can have more than one predominant fault. A good priest and I were
discussing this today. He said that if the faults are close in nature,
it is easy to have two. This makes it much harder to cooperate with
grace and burn the ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
27 Sep 2013
Obviously,
a mother may have the same predominant fault as her girls or girls.
When the Bible states that a woman is saved by child-bearing, one of the
meanings of that pregnant (pun intended) phrase is that one sees
one's ...
06 Feb 2014
The
Dark Night is the time of purgation of the predominant fault or faults.
I have written about these here and one can follow the tags. The call
is to cooperate with grace so that one can move into the Illuminative
State, which is ...
05 Nov 2013
Unless
one has had spiritual director for years, one who can tell one the
predominant fault, one needs to do this on one's own. A sign of the
movement towards the Dark Night is the movement into regular
meditation, ...
30 Jan 2013
More
than fear as a great evil, the state of living in a hidden sin,
allowing one to keep on sinning and not dealing with the predominant
fault, keeps people from the Truth, Who is a Person. Garrigou-Lagrange
makes it clear in ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
31 Jan 2014
But,
sloth is the great sin which is hidden in our society. It is "too ok"
to have a lot of down time these days. . For my friend who is working to
get rid of this predominant fault, God bless you. Remember, a lukewarm
Catholic is ...
02 Sep 2013
Want
to overcome the predominant fault and be brutally honest with one's
self. Want to become love for the sake of Love, not for one's own sake,
but for God's alone, Want all who one meets to experience not the "me"
but the ...
20 Jul 2012
In
Chapter 22, the great Dominican writes of "The Predominant Fault".The
holy priest lists most of the obvious sins, but I want to highlight one,
but in a different manner. We know that Pride is most likely the worst
of all sins and ...
17 Sep 2013
Subtle
temptations are connected to our predominant fault, about which I have
written many times. If we know what are main fault is, we can catch the
temptations and stop the process which leads to sin. Satan, as St.
Ignatius ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
25 May 2014
This
could be a predominant fault for some. The old phrase, "Let go and let
God" applies to the egoist, if he wants to attain heaven. Egoism is like
a cancer of the will, which ravages it more and more, whereas
sanctifying grace ...
12 Apr 2014
beg
God to reveal your predominant fault beg God to take the suffering for
repararton of your sins offer the suffering for the sins of others,
especially family members be patient be calm be resigned read the lives
of the saints
10 Feb 2014
The
predominant fault is discussed at length on my blog, when I did an
unpacking of Garrigou-Lagrange and other writers on perfection and in
the Doctors of the Church series on perfection. Over 600, more than 10%
of my ...
21 Mar 2014
Eight,
the predominant fault has been utterly destroyed. Nine, the person
walks in light, and is no longer affected by the dark, but transcends
the darkness with the awareness that God is always with him. Ten, good
works, great ...
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