Malta Thoughts on The Moon Tonight

Public Domain

Sinai is the Place of Sin, and Sin is the Babylonian name for the moon-god, worshipped by some ancient peoples of the Sinai.

Tonight, as I look at the beautiful full moon, which always reminds me of the Eucharist, as if the sky is a huge monstrance for Christ, I think also of those ancients who worshipped Sin. The god Sin was seen as larger than the sun and therefore, by these people seen as the male god and the sun as the female goddess. Other pagans reversed this order.

Several historians of this period write that the Arabs worshipped the moon-god. Among those believing this are the famous historians of the ancient world Tuch, Goldziger and Osiander. One can look up their references.

Other peoples, such as the ancient Peruvians, the Greeks and the Natives of Vancouver Island also worshipped the moon as the first god among many. The god was worshipped in Ur as well, the city which Abraham left in obedience to the one, true God.

R. W. Rogers discovered cuniform praising the moon as well.

References are at the end of this post.

Macrobius on the Saturnalia, wrote that women dressed like men and men dressed like women for this feast of the moon, a custom soundly condemned by St. Paul.

It is, therefore, no accident that God revealed Himself on Mt. Sinai, to set the record straight, as to whom was real worship to be established. God revealed Himself as the God, not one of many, and not merely one without power, but the Creator, the Lawgiver, the giver of peace and order.

The name of the specific Arab tribe which is known to have worshipped the moon is Hagarites, or sons of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael from whom the Arabs claim descendence. During Saul's kingship over Israel, the tribe of Rueben conquered the Hagarites, as written in the first book of Chronicles. They are also mentioned in one of the psalms.

More on the moon-worshipping Hagarites may be found here. http://nabataea.net/hagar.html

As I look at the bright moon tonight through the back window of my flat, I am so grateful that I am a Catholic and know the one, true God, the Holy Trinity.

For revelation and my parents passing on to me the Faith, I am eternally grateful.

The Muslims, btw, see this as they lineage, which is why some scholars think they worshipped the moon god as well. Those who have seen Lawrence of Arabia, or read any of his biographies will recognize the last tribe mentioned under the 12 Sons of Ismael, the Howietat.

http://nabataea.net/hagar.html

http://www.varchive.org/itb/moonwor.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Mount_Sinai

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7023-hagarenes-hagarites

Slavery of the Will; Freedom of the Will Part Twelve

I am adding to the heresies which seem to be coming out of America and Germany as seen at the Synod.

The one I am adding is the heresy of "naturalism". Pelagianism, which I have already discussed in this series, is one of the forms of naturalism, but I want to address modern naturalism. I did refer to this earlier, but want to make it absolutely clear for all readers.

Here is Garrigou-Lagrange on this.

Naturalism denies that the Christian life is beyond natural powers; in other words, it declares that what is in reality achieved by it can be achieved without interior grace. Indeed it maintains that the human intellect in its natural development is capable of attaining to the possession of every truth and good, even to the intuition of God. (Denz.,no. 1808.)

Pseudo-supernaturalism denies that the Christian life is above the requirements of nature; in other words, human reason is so weak that it necessarily stands in need of revelation, which accordingly is not properly supernatural, and its exaltation to a participation in the divine nature was due to it for the integrity of its original state.

In both errors there is a confusion of the two orders, but the first confusion sins by exaggerated optimism in regard to the powers of human nature, and the second by exaggerated pessimism in regard to the destitution of nature.

It is this second type which is plaguing the synodal fathers and many Catholics in the pews.

Why bishops and cardinals want to allow those is sin to receive Communion is that they do not believe people can convert, that it is too hard to be a good Catholic.

This is a heresy I have mentioned before but want to empahsize by referrring to specifics

Here is "the" specific....

One of the greatest tragedies of our times is the falling away of cradle-Catholics.

I have seen this trend in very country I have visited over the past four years, in the States, Ireland England, Malta, France.

Thinking about the reasons has led me to one conclusion--it is entirely the fault of those who have chosen to leave the Catholic Church.

I have seen saintly parents lose their children to Protestantism, Buddhism, atheism.

I have seen adults who have stellar Catholic educations fall away.

I have seen people who had wonderful priests leave the Church.

An adult cannot blame someone else for his or her own decisions.

The sign that someone has grown-up is that they quit blaming others for their faults and take responsibility for their own decisions and the consequences of those decisions.

To accept the spiritual consequences of leaving the one, true, holy, apostolic and Catholic Church seems not to be a reality for most of those who have fallen away.

And, the main reason why lapsed Catholics are so, imo, boils down to one reason.

Sex.

That a person cannot live on one's own, or endure the pain of a divorce and annulment, or not enter into a lustful relationship either hetero or homosexual leads to the denial of the authority of the Church in his or her life.

Actually, it has always been the case that most people fall into mortal sin through the deadly sin of lust. Greed and gluttony follow a close second, with sloth coming up in third place, it seems.

St. Therese of Liseaux wrote that all the people in hell had sinned against the Sixth Commandment.

Interesting.

So, one walks away from the Eucharist, sanctifying grace and community because of the sins of fornication and adultery.

So sad, so unnecessary....

One must stop blaming wishy-washy priests, bad catechesis, poor parenting and so on, all of which are results of the consequences of Original Sin.

I think parents have a right to confront their adult children on these bad decisions, reminding them that the consequences include the loss of eternal life.

A man I know died on the way home from daily Mass. He has a heart attack in his car.

Can one imagine dying on the way home to fall into sin, yet again, with someone who is not a lawful wife, or with a gay or lesbian partner?

Intention is sin, as well as action.

Prayer, fast and do penance for those who have fallen away, but do not blame yourselves if you are good, Catholic parents.

Let God work through the merit of your intercessory prayers.

There is hope until someone dies for repentance. Therefore, the denials that people can leave a sinful relationship through conversion and that they can grow in holiness is the form of the heresy of modern naturalism. It is not impossible to be a good, holy Catholic.

I know I am repeating what I wrote in this series a few days ago, but some people's comments have reminded me that this idea of needing to lower the standards which Christ commanded is getting more and more popular appeal.

A dangerous consequence of compromise from the top and from the pew....

to be continued...

A Universal Church?

Public Domain

On Sunday, some dioceses celebrated Epiphany, some the Second Sunday in Christmas Time, and some TLMs, the Holy Name of Jesus, which was the third of January here.

Personally, I hate this crazy development that Roman Catholics are not celebrating the same feast on the same day.

January 6th should be the day we all celebrate the Epiphany. Moving it does not make sense.

The readings in the NO for the Second Sunday in Christmas Time, which I highlighted on this blog, are too fantastic to miss.

As to the TLM schedule, well that is usually different.

I do think we need one schedule and that holy days of obligation should not be moved, ever.

Ranting, I know.....

I shall write about the Epiphany tomorrow.

ARRGGHH.

Rant over....

Meeting Saints

I have met some saints in Malta. Most are over the age of 75. These are women and men who go to daily Mass, daily Adoration, pray at home, reach out in real ways to help those around them, do volunteer work for the Church and are orthodox, not believing in modernist heresies or false seers.

They are few and far between but they are here. Sadly, they are a dying breed of those Maltese and Gozitans who learned the love God through suffering and penance.

They are do mortification.

I pray that you meet saints, as it is encouraging to see their faith in this hard world.

Saints Who Were Converts

..from Islam are rare. I found a few and want to share there stories with you.

Three were brother and sisters, SS. Bernard, Mary and Zayda.

Bernard was called Achmed. He was born in Spain and after his conversion, he entered the Cistercian monastery at Poblet, at Tarragona.

Bernard, his sister Zayda and sister Zoraida, who also converted, were children of the Moslem Caliph Almazor of Lerida in Catalonia. Bernard also had another brother, Almanzor, who he tried to convert.

Zoraida became a Catholic changing her name to Mary on converting. The saints traced their lineage back to Mohammed, all the way back to Ishmael, Abraham and Hagar's son. The brother Almanzor betrayed the two and had them beheaded for converting. The other sister, Gracia Zayda, who was the princess of Seville, became a saint as well.

The two martyrs died in 1180. and the current royal family in Spain claim them as descendants, as well as another family descendant, Saint Ferdnando, who died in 1252. Some say St. Fernando, patron of engineers, was a descendant of Joseph of Arimathea. He is related to a slew of other saints: SS. Ethelbert, Arnulf, Itta, Sigebert, Dagobert, Beggue, Liuthwin, another Beggue, Sexburga, Pepin (Blessed), Cloduf, Matilda, Elgiva, Edgar, Henry II, Cunegunda, Stephen and Margaret. St. Fernando is also supposed to be related to Mohammed, which would make St. Joseph Arimathea related to Mohammed.

As to the saints who converted, I think we can pray to them today.

They are patrons of Alcira, Valencia, Spain, present day Alzira. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/MuralladeAlzira001.JPG/800px-MuralladeAlzira001.JPG

More saint stories later....

OK, Not Science But...

A seminarian remarked to me a few days ago that he thought mom's of seminarians shared lots in common. I wonder what the apostles' moms had in common? Did Levi's mom go to the synagogue and beg God for a miracle for her son to stop being a horrid tax collector, despised by the Jews? Did she stay up nights weeping over her son's life?

Of course, being a mom of a seminarian, I asked what he meant.


He went on to say that he could spot a real vocation from a false one by watching the moms.

Hmmm, now this is anecdotal, but here is what this young man said.

First of all, he said that all the moms he had met were really strong practicing Catholics. Not so much the dads, but the moms...of course, I thought of St. Monica.

He noted that the moms knew what was going on in the Church, followed ecclsiastical news, and were, well, 'nerdy' and not typical.

Second, by not typical he meant that they were idea people, did not like to go shopping, and were pray-ers.

This gets more interesting.

I have this icon in a box in Silvis....

They shared a love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and many were or are active in the Church, in various roles, such as catechesis. choir, on Adoration lists, and so on.

Third, they have distinctly unique ideas about education.

Fourth, the moms know priests and frequently, bishops, by name, as in friends and acquiantances.

Fifth, moms who were more like "normal" women, who talked about vacations rather than vocations, and money and stuff, rather than spiritual topics seemed to have sons who left or were leaving the seminary. In other words, those young men who did not have ecclesiastical or prayful talk at home, but came from more secular famlies, especially, and those with secular homes not only had a harder time, but would leave.

The moms seem to be more important than the dads, and I agree with this. Years ago, a mom complained to me over and over again about her only son choosing the priesthood. After several years of being a priest, he left.

She was openly anti-clerical, but more than that, she did not love the Church.

This to me is the key factor--women who love the Church will have boys who love the Church.

Why? Because the Church is the Bride of Christ and this is the relationship a young man as a priest has with the Church. Women teach this principle with love and example.

Moms, if you want a son of yours to be a priest, love the Church and be obedient to the Church, which leads me to the last point.

Sixth, sems with moms who are absolutely obedient to the Church in all things, have more love for the Church. The ones who are rebellious regarding contraception or false seers undermine their sons' vocations.

Simple, really. Do not blame priests for the lack of vocations. Blame parents, and maybe, especially moms. If you are taking your kids shopping all the time and talking about fake apparitions, clothes, sports, movies, and stuff, rather than taking them to Adoration and talking about God and His Church, you, Mom, have only yourself to blame for those boys in your family not taking a vocation seriously.

I think this seminarian has an insight into real vs. false vocations. Those moms who have taught their sons to be servants have helped create servant-priests. not prima donna priests.

This is all very interesting....I have noticed that families involved in the Church and those who have had vocations in their families in the past are more likely to have new vocations.

Some families are just more "ecclesiastical" than others. I think of the holy moms of saints...and there are many.

Blessed Aleth, mother of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and several other blesseds...all her childen becoming monks and one a nun. St. Gerard, Blessed Nivard, St. Bernard, Blessed Guy, and Blessed Humbeline are her saintly children...

Here is a link about Bernard's holy sister, Humbeline...http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2013/02/saints-of-february-continuedhumbeline.html

Blessed Joan of Aza, mother of St. Dominic and Blessed Mannes...

St, Monica, of course, mother of St. Augustine...

St. Emilia, mother of SS. Basil and Gregory and Ven. Macrina...

St.Bridget of Sweden, mother of St. Catherine of Sweden...

Blessed Gerturde of Altenburg, mother of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Louis...

SS, Agnes of Bohemia and Wenceslaus were brother and sister saints...whose saintly grandmother is St. Ludmila.

Ludmilla, family name...

SS. Sanchia, Malfada and Teresa of Portugal are sister saints...

SS. Isabel of France and Louis IX, King, are brother and sister saints-- they are related to Mohammed, St. David, through his son Nathan and St. Joseph of Arimathea, as well as the list plus more under St. Ferdinand...some say that the daughter of Joseph of Arimathea married Blessed Bran, who was a descendent of Ephraim, son of Joseph the Patriarch, and Anna of Arimathea, Josephs' mother,(another holy mom), goes back to Simon the Just and Judah. Down another seven generations is Blessed Bernard of Baden. St. Ferdinand is also related to St. Francis Borgia, as an ancestor to this humble superior of the Jesuits.

St. Margaret of Hungary has two Blessed siblings, Jolenta and Cunegunda, as well as being a descedant of SS. Isaac Pahlav and Gregory the Enlightened. St. Joan of Valois is related to the two latter saints as well.

St. Olga is grandmother to the great saint Vladimir and a descendent is St. Michael of Chernigov.

St. Andrew Barlow Venerable has St. Margaret of Scotland as an ancestor, and her son, St. David, King of Scotland. Guess who they all have an ancestor. St. John Southworth is also related.

Blesseds Zelie and Louis Martin, with one saint already, and two most likely "in the queue".

There are many, many more...

I had a gold version of this from Russia
St. Olga

Of course, some saints had saintly fathers, such as Etheldreda, who had three sisters who are saints, and a holy dad, King Anna of East Anglia.

St. Edward. Confessor, is said to be a descendent of St. King David of Israel, and Blessed Seraphina Sforza is seven generations down a saint, whose husband tried to poison her and she escaped to a convent, eventually becoming an abbess.

Blessed Margaret of Savoy is eight generations down from the illustrious St. Humbert III, who is descended from one of the sons of King David, Chileab.

Blessed Margaret Pole is related to the long list above, including SS. Joseph of Arimathea, Helen, mother of Constantine, David and Judah.

If you are a saint in Europe, it seems that you could most likely be related to Joseph of Arimathea or King David.

St. Pius V's brother is related to St. Charles Borromeo's sister...

And, so on....

Point? Holy families create holy kids.....vocations most likely, (but not all), come from religious families. Grace can be passed down for generations, just as sin can be...this is our choice to cooperate with grace.

Thoughts on a cold Monday in January, and some, but not all, notes taken from a  old book I found; Ascent of the Saints Whose Lineage is Known by Brian Daniel Starr, which I assume is out of print.

Slavery of the Will; Freedom of the Will Part Eleven

All of us have been predestined for a place in heaven. As I noted in the previous posts on this theme, all humans ever created have been given sufficient grace for salvation. All.

No one has been denied this.

Those who are demanding recognition of sin in their lives, or those cardinals who are allowing people to stay in sin are denying grace and not being faithful to grace.

The first thing we must always do to be holy is to stop sinning. This is possible as all of us are given grace to do this. Pain and suffering do not matter.

We are to be like God, and to remain in sin is to reject God's invitation to be like Him.

I wish one cardinal who is confused on these issues would read Thomas Aquinas, Garrigou-Lagrange and listen to such Thomists as Father Ripperger.

Beg for grace, all grace, actual, sanctifying, in order to give glory to God, to merit heaven, and to serve others in the Church.

My entire perfection series in on purgation. That is what our life is now...of which Father Ripperger reminds us, to be purged of sin and adorn our selves in virtue.

Accept suffering, either here or in purgatory....that is what some of the synodal fathers are forgetting.

Posting Attention

There will be twenty postings altogether by tomorrow early morning on the problems affecting some of the cardinals at the Synod.

I am writing these to clear away the cobwebs. I shall write more. Sadly, I am not over the virus I caught Tuesday night, and am very worn out. Prayers would be appreciated. I may have to rest more tomorrow.

The problem is getting to daily Mass and Adoration when my flat is so far away from those chapels. If I ever come back to Malta, I shall absolutely rent where I did before, when I did not have to walk, take a bus, and walk some more.

However, I am very grateful for the opportunity to do this. Very.

Take time and read these twenty or so posts on the faulty thinking of some of the synodal fathers.

We are headed for some really bad times, I am afraid. These posts are for you to use as resources.

Slavery of the Will; Freedom of the Will Part Ten

We are reminded in Father Ripperger's talk on Spiritual Theology that mortal sin removes one's ability to grow in grace.

If one is in mortal sin, such as living in an irregular marriage or living in a homosexual relationship, one can merit nothing.

Why? Because justice demands that we give God His due worship. Due worship is actually loving God, and God sees this love and love of Himself. God wants to see Him in us.

No one can give due worship, that is love God in justice, if one is in mortal sin.

Therefore, going to Holy Communion when one is in mortal sin not only denies God justice, but also due worship.

God does not see His love in the person who is living in disobedience to Him. Justice, therefore, is denied to God.

Disorder in the will because of sin must be dealt with in Confession. Mortal sin means that God sees that one has turned away from God, one breaks the union with God. The soul is unsuited for God, says Thomas Aquinas.

God deserves due worship. He deserves our love. If He looks at us and does not see a soul facing Him, He is not worshipped correctly.

Why admit people in mortal sin to Communion when these people get NO merit and they are not giving due worship to God?

That creates the sin of sacrilege. God retracts the causation of grace in the soul when one is in mortal sin. Prayers for friends and family members are useless for the person in mortal sin. The person in mortal sin cannot intercede for anyone. We need grace to intercede, to do holy things, to actuate the virtues, to do good works.

In mortal sin, we lose the love of God, which Thomas Aquinas states.

Why is it that so many of the synodal fathers do not know these basic teachings of the Church?

In mortal sin, first to go is love of God, second is hope, then faith. So teaches Fr. Ripperger using Thomas Aquinas.

The only way to get out of mortal sin is to return to God in the sacrament of Confession and repent of the sinful lifestyle. Period. Father Ripperger gives us a simple set of points,which I have shared here, which help us understand the effect of serious sin.

I have a friend in Tunisia

http://news.yahoo.com/media-watchdog-concern-tunisian-army-jails-blogger-004005963.html

"Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem"

Earlier last year,
I had another version of this
on the blog....

New Cardinals from around the world

from Pope Francis..comments from readers appreciated...

“As was already announced, on February 14 next I will have the joy of holding a Concistory, during which I will name 15 new Cardinals who, coming from 13 countries from every continent, manifest the indissoluble links between the Church of Rome and the particular Churches present in the world.

“On Sunday February 15 I will preside at a solemn concelebration with the new Cardinals, while on February 12 and 13 I will hold a Consistory with all the Cardinals to reflect on the orientations and proposals for the reform of the Roman Curia.

“The new Cardinals are:

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura

Archbishiop Manuel José Macario do Nascimento Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon (Portugal)

Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M., of Addis Abeba (Ethiopia)

Archbishop John Atcherley Dew of Wellington (New Zealand)

Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli of Ancona-Osimo (Italy)

Archbishop Pierre Nguyên Văn Nhon of Hà Nôi (Viêt Nam)

Archbishop Alberto Suàrez Inda of Morelia (Mexico)

Archbishop Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., of Yangon (Myanmar)

Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok (Thailand)

Archbishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento (Italy)

Archbishop Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, S.D.B., of Montevideo (Uruguay)

Archbishop Ricardo Blázquez Pérez of Vallodolid (Spain)

Bishop José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán, O.A.R., of David (Panamá)

Bishop Arlindo Gomes Furtado, of Santiago de Cabo Verde (Archipelago of Cape Verde)

Bishop Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga (Island of Tonga)

“Additionally, I will join to the Members of the College of Cardinals five Archbishops and Bishops Emeriti who are distinguished for their pastoral charity in the service of the Holy See and of the Church. They represent so many Bishops who, with the same pastoral solicitude, have given witness of love for Christ and for the people of God in particular Churches, in the Rome Curia, and in the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See.

“They are:

José de Jesús Pimiento Rodriguez, Archbishop Emeritus of Manizales

Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, Major Pro-Penitentiary Emeritus

Archbishop Karl-Joseph Rauber, Apostolic Nuncio

Luis Héctor Villaba, Archbishop Emeritus of Tucumán

Júlio Duarte Langa, Bishop Emeritus of Xai-Xai

Curious, What Liturgy Did You Have Today?

Second Sunday after Christmas

or

Epiphany

or something else?

We Are Not Equal Part Seven

There is no such thing a coincidence, only God-incidences.

Returning to the theme of predilection, today's reading of the Te Deum praises God for choosing and watching over His People.

O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy
Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.

V.  Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R.  Govern them, and raise them up forever.

V.  Every day we thank Thee.
R.  And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.

V.  O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R.  Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.

V.  Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R.  O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.

---

Te Deum laudamus: te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli; tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni: quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

V.  Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
R.  Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.

V.  Per singulos dies benedicimus te.
R.  Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

V.  Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
R.  Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri.

V.  Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.
R.  In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum.

(note...whenever I play Gregorian Chant, no matter what time of day or night, 

the birds in the courtyard and 

neighborhood here in Malta begin to sing. 

This has happened over and over in the months I have been here.)

We Are Not Equal Part Six

One of the readings in today's Divine Office is from Maximus the Confessor. One small paragraph contains the kernel of truth reiterated in the readings of the Mass.

 For surely the word of the Law and the Prophets when it is understood with faith is like a star which leads those who are called by the power of grace in accordance with his decree to recognise the Word incarnate.

The great teacher, Maximus, shows us that "those who are called by the power of grace" are given power in grace to respond to God's Will. These who are called and given power "in accordance with is decree", that is, according to God's Will, recognize Christ as the Savior, as the Incarnated Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Those in the Synod who want to change Church teaching need to read Maximus today, as they must as priests, and ponder their own position.

The heresies I pointed out three days ago are here anticipated by Maximus--sin is not natural, which is against the Semi-Pelagians, as is the last statement, referring to man's pre-Original Sin nature.

Do the synodal fathers hear what they read today? Do they reflect on sin, grace, human nature and the call to holiness, which is possible in Christ, but not outside of Christ?

Here is the reason why God became a perfect man, changing nothing of human nature, except to take away sin (which was never natural anyway). His flesh was set before that voracious, gaping dragon as bait to provoke him: flesh that would be deadly for the dragon, for it would utterly destroy him by the power of the Godhead hidden within it. For human nature, however, his flesh was to be a remedy since the power of the Godhead in it would restore human nature to its original grace.

We Are Not Equal Part Five

Today's Gospel, well-known especially to those who attend the TLM, brings home the point that not all people are equal.

Note verse 5-not all to whom Christ is revealed "comprehend" or accept Him.

The pertains not only to the Jews at the time of Christ, but to all those who hear the Word of God and reject Him.

Verses ten through twelve could not be more specific in relating the rejection of the Jews and the acceptance of the Gospel who hear the Word of God, who hear Christ and accept His Truth. Those who accept Christ become "sons of God" and those who do not are not "sons of God".

Those who are enlightened, the same term used by St. Paul in the second reading, are given power to become sons of God.  And, those people, the new chosen, are born of the Will of God, God's Will not man's will.

Again, we are faced with the mystery of predestination, of predilection.

Christ alone reveals the Father to us, no one else does this. Therefore, those who accept Christ, those who become Christians, either through their parents at baptism or older, become the chosen ones of God, preordained from all time.

Let me here quote, again, Garrigou-Lagrange. What he explains is the Teaching of the Catholic Church, and, again, you may go back to the two long selections I placed on the blog in order for you to understand that not all are equal according to God's Will.

The Supreme Principles

Nothing comes to pass, either in heaven or on earth, unless God either brings it to pass in mercy, or then in justice permits it. This principle, taught in the universal Church, shows that there is in God a conditional and antecedent will, relative to a good which does not come to pass, the privation of which He permits in view of some higher good.

To this principle we must add another: [1457] God does not command the impossible. From these two revealed principles derives the distinction between God's efficacious consequent will and His antecedent will, which is the source of sufficient grace.

All that God wills, He does. This principle has no exception. All that God wills (purely, simply, unconditionally) comes to pass without our freedom being thereby in any way forced, because God moves that freedom sweetly and strongly, actualizing it, not destroying. He wills efficaciously that we freely consent and we do freely consent. The supreme efficacy of divine causality, says St. Thomas, [1458] extends to the free mode of our acts.

Many repeat these principles, but do not see that they contain the foundation of the distinction between the two kinds of grace, one that is self-efficacious, the other simply sufficient which man may resist, but not without divine permission.

Hence we find that in the ninth century, to terminate the long controversy with Gottschalk, the Council of Thuzey (860): at the instance of the Augustinian bishops, harmonized God's will of universal salvation with the sinner's responsibility. That Council's synodal letter [1459] contains this sentence: Whatever He has willed in heaven or on earth, God has done. For nothing comes to pass in heaven or on earth that He does not in mercy bring to pass or permits to come to pass in justice.

Since God's love is the cause of created goodness, says St. Thomas, [1460] no created thing would be better than another, if God did not give one a great good than He gives to another. This is equivalent to St. Paul's word: [1461] What hast thou that thou hast not received?

Have the synodal cardinals who are fighting the long teaching of the Church regarding marriage understand or even know the teaching of the Church on these matters? Are they rebellious? Have they lost their faith in grace and God's Will? Do they understand that all have sufficient grace, and that some say "no" to this grace? See my long series on January 1st and follow through with reading the two long selections from Garrigou-Lagrange, who merely recapitulates the Church's teaching on grace and predilection, seen in today's Gospel.

John 1:1-18Douay-Rheims 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.

9 That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.

13 Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.

16 And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

We Are Not Equal, Part Four

Ephesians 1:15-18 Douay-Rheims 

15 Wherefore I also, hearing of your faith that is in the Lord Jesus, and of your love towards all the saints,

16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making commemoration of you in my prayers,

17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation, in the knowledge of him:

18 The eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what the hope is of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Today's reading from the New Testament continues with the mystery of the proclamation of the Gospel being appropriated by the Ephesians, resulting in love for the community.
  
What follows is St. Paul's happy note that he is grateful for what he hears of the faith of this Church in Ephesus.

Note that this Jewish scholar understands that wisdom, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the revelation of Christ, as well as knowledge, another gift, lead each member to holiness, through "enlightenment", which is illumination of the self., giving hope.

Now, the word "inheritance" reminds us that the Church is the New People of God, the chosen. Those who are chosen, who listen to the Word of God, inherit the Kingdom of God, which is heaven.

In order to be chosen, one must admit that there are some who are not chosen.

We are not all equal. Do those bishops and cardinals who listen and ponder these words today apply these pastorally? I am coming to the conclusion that some have lost their own faith, and departed from the Word of God, the Word Made Flesh, in Whose feast we celebrate today.

With these passages in mind from the last few posts, go back and read the long selections from Garrigou-Lagrange and apply his clear commentary on Church teaching to these passages, with the Synod in mind.

(apologies for the spacing...blogspot problem)

We Are Not Equal, Part Three

Today's second reading, from Ephesians, reveals the mystery of God's Church as the New Chosen People.

Looking at the beginning of the reading, one sees again the idea of selection, of God's Will for a People. In verse 3, St. Paul immediately refers to God the Father giving us a special blessing through and in Christ. Verse 4 indicates that those in the Church are chosen from all time, referring to God's Will for those in the Church to become holy, and perfect--"unspotted".  Verse 5 is even more specific, when the great Apostle of the Gentiles uses the word, "predestinated" or predestined. This is not a poetic word-choice, but the reality of God's predilection.

"According to the purpose of his will" cannot be a clearer statement that God, in Christ, calls the members of the Church on purpose, from all time, to holiness.

Ephesians 1:3-6Douay-Rheims

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ:

4 As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity.

5 Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will:

6 Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he hath graced us in his beloved son.

to be continued....

We Are Not Equal, Part Two

The Old Testament reading for today's Mass is from the 24th Chapter of Ecclesiasticus. The entire chapter is here below repeated in order to understand the meaning of this selection.

Here, one sees that God called a "privileged people"  or "honorable people" as some translations read. Israel was not equal to the other nations surrounding her. God had created His Own People through Abraham.

Look at verse 3. The Douay-Rheims translations makes the connection between the People of God and the Church. In verse 4, the word "elect" indicates that there is predilection, a choice of God, a chosen group, set apart to become holy.

Wisdom personified here as a female, has been seen as Christ Himself, the "firstborn before all creatures" , the Incarnate One, which is one reason this passage is read today.

Sion and Jerusalem represent not only the Jews, but the Church, the New Jerusalem.

Again, the DR refers to the Chosen People as the "saints", those called by God to become holy, and given the grace to do so.

Verse 25 employs the word "grace".  But, notice, Wisdom calls all to Himself, that is Christ calls all, but only those who desire Him receive the Spirit. Again, the mystery of grace indicates that "many are called, but few are chosen".

Over and over again in the Scriptures, we are reminded of God's choice, His Will regarding the elect. the Jews, the Chosen People, turned against the Messiah, Christ, Wisdom, and He created His Church from those who did follow Him, and the Gentiles.

But, not all are equal. Those who do not follow Christ, who do not embrace Wisdom, do not become part of the honorable people. Here is Chapter 24.

Wisdom praiseth herself: her origin, her dwelling, her dignity, and her fruits.

[1] Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people, [2] And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power, [3] And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly. [4] And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying: [5] I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:

[6] I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth: [7] I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. [8] I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea, [9] And have stood in all the earth: and in every people, [10]And in every nation I have had the chief rule:

[11] And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. [12] Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle, [13] And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.[14] From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him. [15] And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.

[16] And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints. [17] I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion. [18] I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho: [19] As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. [20] I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:

[21] And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm. [22] I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace. [23] As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. [24] I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. [25] In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

[26] Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. [27] For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. [28] My memory is unto everlasting generations. [29] They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. [30] He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.

We Are Not Equal (What Some Synodal Fathers Forget)

One of the great lies coming from the pulpits and in the institutions of the modern Church seems to be this idea that we are all equal in grace or holiness. We most certainly are not. The Parable of the Talents teaches us this, as well as the pericope in Scripture where Christ corrects the other apostles for wanting to know the future of John.  Even the apostles wanted all the same graces and position in Christ's Kingdom. They questioned Christ as to the role of John, as they could see that he was "the beloved disciple".



John 21:23New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition 

23 So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"

I do not have the same graces as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, for example, and if I desired to be him, I would be committing two serious sins--pride and presumption. St. Peter and St. James were not equal in grace, nor Our Blessed Lady and other saints.

Some of the cardinals want everyone to be the same, with the same grace and life.

This is part of the faulty thinking behind wanting those living in sin to be able to receive Communion. Those who are not in communion with Christ in their lifestyles either have refused grace, recevingin grace sufficient to salvation, but not converting.

Really, it is none of our business to apply these thoughts to certain couples, but to state that a person who has gone through the annulment process is the same as one who has not denies grace. To ignore the discipline of the Church regarding the sanctify of marriage is to deny grace working in people's lives. Are some of the cardinals so cynical or without faith? Perhaps so....

This is my point over and over again in the synod series posted last week. We cannot deny grace or individual responses to grace. To do so denies several teachings of the Catholic Church concerning God's Will, predestination and predilection. To deny the mystery of grace in a person's life actually insults God, Who is not bound by human ideas of equality.

I think of all the women in Jerusalem watching Christ in His horrible suffering on the way to Golgotha. Yet, only one woman responded in compassion, wiping His Face with her veil.

For this bravery and kindness, Christ left the imprint of His Face on her piece of cloth. One woman, one veil, one miracle of grace....

to be continued..