http://www.boredpanda.com/veterinary-nurse-cat-hugs-shelter-animals-radamenes-bydgoszcz-poland/
My Miho looked like this. It is long gone...
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Letters to the People of the Dioceses of San Francisco
and New York, Washington D.C., Germany, and elsewhere, from today's Office of Readings.
Revelation 3:1-22
The Message to Sardis
3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the holy one, the true one,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
who shuts and no one opens:
8 “I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
The Message to Laodicea
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin[a] of God’s creation:
15 “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.21 To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
St. David on Perfection
From today's Sext:
Psalm 118
67 Before I was humbled I offended; therefore have I kept thy word.
68 Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach me thy justifications.
69 The iniquity of the proud hath been multiplied over me: but I will seek thy commandments with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is curdled like milk: but I have meditated on thy law.
71 It is good for me that thou hast humbled me, that I may learn thy justifications.
From A Reader
https://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/100-prominent-crisco-catholics-call-of-pope-francis-to-remove-archbishop-cordileone/
Write to the Nuncio, write to the Pope. Say fifteen decades of the rosary for this cause.
We need to be the Church Militant.
Here is the Nuncio's address.
Here is the Nuncio's address.
The Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
3339 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington DC, 20008-3687
From The Apostle John
Bullet points from today's Gospel in the NO.
- Those who believe in Christ, have life everlasting-which is the promise of salvation and eternal life with God in heaven;
- Those who do not believe, will not get to heaven; all people are given sufficient grace for salvation, remember.
- Not only do those who do not believe in Christ not see eternal life in heaven, but they are punished. The wrath of God, rather than the Trinity, dwells within.
- From Romans 1:18 on the wrath of God:
Romans 1:18Douay-Rheims
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice.- Ungodliness is sin, which stops the truth from being seen; an injustice against God and man.
- Hard but true words from the beloved apostle.
John 3:36 Douay-Rheims
36 He that believeth in the Son, hath life everlasting; but he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Spe Salvi Seven
The Pope Emeritus has much to say about suffering and hope. Perhaps to some, suffering and hope seem contradictory, but suffering actually leads to real hope, not false optimism or fantasy.
36. Like action, suffering is a part of our human existence. Suffering stems partly from our finitude, and partly from the mass of sin which has accumulated over the course of history, and continues to grow unabated today.
Suffering comes from our humanity, Original Sin, and personal sins. We cannot avoid it and still be authentic human beings. Justice demands that we try and help those who are suffering either physically, or spiritually-hence the corporal and spiritual works of mercy all are called to do.
Sadly, Catholics are less likely to be really involved in either. Why this is, can only be sin, the sin of complacency.
Certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering: to avoid as far as possible the suffering of the innocent; to soothe pain; to give assistance in overcoming mental suffering. These are obligations both in justice and in love, and they are included among the fundamental requirements of the Christian life and every truly human life. Great progress has been made in the battle against physical pain; yet the sufferings of the innocent and mental suffering have, if anything, increased in recent decades. Indeed, we must do all we can to overcome suffering, but to banish it from the world altogether is not in our power. This is simply because we are unable to shake off our finitude and because none of us is capable of eliminating the power of evil, of sin which, as we plainly see, is a constant source of suffering.
The age-old question of why suffering has been answered-we all have free will. Many people choose evil, as I see daily, even in this small neighborhood. Only God has the ability to end suffering by ending sin. But, to Him, our free wills are sacred. And, we do make daily choices for good or for evil.
Only God is able to do this: only a God who personally enters history by making himself man and suffering within history. We know that this God exists, and hence that this power to “take away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) is present in the world. Through faith in the existence of this power, hope for the world's healing has emerged in history. It is, however, hope—not yet fulfilment; hope that gives us the courage to place ourselves on the side of good even in seemingly hopeless situations, aware that, as far as the external course of history is concerned, the power of sin will continue to be a terrible presence.
Keeping our eyes on Christ, especially on the Passion and Resurrection, give us hope. But, we hope in eternal life, not merely comfort zones on earth. We hope for salvation.
37. Let us return to our topic. We can try to limit suffering, to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it. It is when we attempt to avoid suffering by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt, when we try to spare ourselves the effort and pain of pursuing truth, love, and goodness, that we drift into a life of emptiness, in which there may be almost no pain, but the dark sensation of meaninglessness and abandonment is all the greater.
To me, it is frightening how many people just drift, just follow the paths of least resistance to sin instead of embracing suffering. Life is hard, period, and for those of us who suffer willingly, graces follow.
It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love.
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote that a man knows how to suffer and accepts suffering. One can see the problem of too many "boys" who refuse to accept and take on suffering-not wanting to move out in courage and take responsibility for life.
In this context, I would like to quote a passage from a letter written by the Vietnamese martyr Paul Le-Bao-Tinh († 1857) which illustrates this transformation of suffering through the power of hope springing from faith. “I, Paul, in chains for the name of Christ, wish to relate to you the trials besetting me daily, in order that you may be inflamed with love for God and join with me in his praises, for his mercy is for ever (Ps 136 [135]). The prison here is a true image of everlasting Hell: to cruel tortures of every kind—shackles, iron chains, manacles—are added hatred, vengeance, calumnies, obscene speech, quarrels, evil acts, swearing, curses, as well as anguish and grief. But the God who once freed the three children from the fiery furnace is with me always; he has delivered me from these tribulations and made them sweet, for his mercy is for ever. In the midst of these torments, which usually terrify others, I am, by the grace of God, full of joy and gladness, because I am not alone —Christ is with me ...
I asked a priest to pray for me a few days ago as I have to move again and do not know where. I have four weeks here. The priest wrote to me and said, "You are not alone.." No, I am not, although I have no persons helping me with permanency which is also freedom.
Christ is with me, but the suffering Christ, the Christ Who sees my desires and needs and suffers with me, in me, around me. The Cross becomes my focus. I can only pray to rest in God, even if my rest is at the foot of the Cross.
How am I to bear with the spectacle, as each day I see emperors, mandarins, and their retinue blaspheming your holy name, O Lord, who are enthroned above the Cherubim and Seraphim? (cf. Ps 80:1 [79:2]). Behold, the pagans have trodden your Cross underfoot! Where is your glory? As I see all this, I would, in the ardent love I have for you, prefer to be torn limb from limb and to die as a witness to your love. O Lord, show your power, save me, sustain me, that in my infirmity your power may be shown and may be glorified before the nations ...
The martyrs give us courage. If they could endure out of love, would not God help me endure out of love?
Beloved brothers, as you hear all these things may you give endless thanks in joy to God, from whom every good proceeds; bless the Lord with me, for his mercy is for ever ... I write these things to you in order that your faith and mine may be united. In the midst of this storm I cast my anchor towards the throne of God, the anchor that is the lively hope in my heart”
God never asks the impossible. Therefore, if He puts us in tremendous suffering, He wills us grace as well. This martyr shares his grace with us.
[28]. This is a letter from “Hell”. It lays bare all the horror of a concentration camp, where to the torments inflicted by tyrants upon their victims is added the outbreak of evil in the victims themselves, such that they in turn become further instruments of their persecutors' cruelty. This is indeed a letter from Hell, but it also reveals the truth of the Psalm text: “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there ... If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light' —for you darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day; darkness and light are the same” (Ps 139 [138]:8-12; cf. also Ps 23 [22]:4). Christ descended into “Hell” and is therefore close to those cast into it, transforming their darkness into light. Suffering and torment is still terrible and well- nigh unbearable.
The Harrowing of Hell is a credal belief-"He descended into hell". Hell did not all of the sudden become clean and bright, joyful and glorious for Christ's descent. No, He went down to lead those who had waited for His Redemptive Action on the Cross to free them.
So, too, we wait and hope, wait and hope.
Yet the star of hope has risen—the anchor of the heart reaches the very throne of God. Instead of evil being unleashed within man, the light shines victorious: suffering—without ceasing to be suffering—becomes, despite everything, a hymn of praise.
A grateful and generous heart finds praise amidst suffering. Sometimes this praise is merely being with Christ on Golgotha, just being, silent, watching, waiting.
38. The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and for society. A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through “com-passion” is a cruel and inhuman society.
Our own nation lets women and men kill their Down's Syndrome children in the womb, in order to avoid suffering. Our own nation is moving towards euthanasia, in order to avoid taking care of the suffering. The poor are ignored and the homeless made illegal in order for people to avoid seeing and responding to suffering.
Many nations have become cruel. Another name for this approach is utilitarianism. If a person seems useless, kill them, says the utilitarian. Society only wants the strong, the rich, the beautiful. But, this attitude creates a false paradise.
Yet society cannot accept its suffering members and support them in their trials unless individuals are capable of doing so themselves; moreover, the individual cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth in maturity, a journey of hope.
Here it is..the great theme of this blog...purification and maturity only come through suffering.
Why are there so many Peter Pans and Peter Pams? Because these people run away from suffering. Women know that if a man cannot suffer when they are dating, that man is not marriage material. Waiting is love.
Why are there so many men and women who refuse to get married, make commitments, have children, endure illness in others and so on? Because they refuse to take on suffering. To choose to really love is to choose to die to self.
Indeed, to accept the “other” who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love.
In America, suffering isolates people, because most people do not want to reach out of their comfort zones in order to share with someone else's suffering.
This is why so many of us who suffer find ourselves alone. We become invisible.
The Latin word con-solatio, “consolation”, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude. Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme.
Why do those who refuse to stand up for Truth hate those who do? Because deep down inside, they know they are avoiding suffering and they do not want to be reminded of this. Solitude becomes the life of too many people who suffer because there are no consolers.
Truth and justice--first. Seeking security and safety leads to great sin-deceit, lust, fear, avarice...then a nation loses its soul.
Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie.
Daily I see and meet people living lies. Their entire lifestyle is one of deceit. They lie because they refuse to face justice and truth.
Deceit leads to greater sins of addiction to porn, fantasy, lust, and most obviously here in the States, avarice. If one cannot ever be uncomfortable, one will lose one's soul.
In the end, even the “yes” to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my “I”, in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.
Benedict has just summarizes the entire perfection series in one paragraph.
"Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it become pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love."
Adultery, sodomy, graft, abortion, contraception, and all mortal sins come from pure selfishness.
To love is to be wounded, to be open to pain. If one is not, one will never experience real love. Never...and never is a long time.
to be continued...
Spe Salvi Six
Hope grows out of the realization of one's own sin and God's love for each one of us.
Hope must be based on reality-the reality of sin and redemption.
Here are words from the encyclical again, and more later. My comments in blue, as usual.
Certainly we cannot “build” the Kingdom of God by our own efforts—what we build will always be the kingdom of man with all the limitations proper to our human nature. The Kingdom of God is a gift, and precisely because of this, it is great and beautiful, and constitutes the response to our hope. And we cannot—to use the classical expression—”merit”
Those who think they are building the Kingdom of God have not been purified of egotism. Only God builds through a person, if that person is pure in heart. Self-knowledge, as the great saints tell us, is key.
Heaven through our works. Heaven is always more than we could merit, just as being loved is never something “merited”, but always a gift. However, even when we are fully aware that Heaven far exceeds what we can merit, it will always be true that our behaviour is not indifferent before God and therefore is not indifferent for the unfolding of history.
The right use of creation grows out of prudence, temperance, justice and courage.
Also, the goal of eternal life cannot be set aside or lost.
We can open ourselves and the world and allow God to enter: we can open ourselves to truth, to love, to what is good. This is what the saints did, those who, as “God's fellow workers”, contributed to the world's salvation (cf. 1 Cor 3:9; 1 Th 3:2). We can free our life and the world from the poisons and contaminations that could destroy the present and the future. We can uncover the sources of creation and keep them unsullied, and in this way we can make a right use of creation, which comes to us as a gift, according to its intrinsic requirements and ultimate purpose. This makes sense even if outwardly we achieve nothing or seem powerless in the face of overwhelming hostile forces. So on the one hand, our actions engender hope for us and for others; but at the same time, it is the great hope based upon God's promises that gives us courage and directs our action in good times and bad.
The very proud and the very self-deceived think that they can live without God. Our hope is in God alone, working through the Church, through the saints. If our actions are good and true, these "engender" hope in ourselves and others.
to be continued...
Hope must be based on reality-the reality of sin and redemption.
Here are words from the encyclical again, and more later. My comments in blue, as usual.
Certainly we cannot “build” the Kingdom of God by our own efforts—what we build will always be the kingdom of man with all the limitations proper to our human nature. The Kingdom of God is a gift, and precisely because of this, it is great and beautiful, and constitutes the response to our hope. And we cannot—to use the classical expression—”merit”
Those who think they are building the Kingdom of God have not been purified of egotism. Only God builds through a person, if that person is pure in heart. Self-knowledge, as the great saints tell us, is key.
Heaven through our works. Heaven is always more than we could merit, just as being loved is never something “merited”, but always a gift. However, even when we are fully aware that Heaven far exceeds what we can merit, it will always be true that our behaviour is not indifferent before God and therefore is not indifferent for the unfolding of history.
The right use of creation grows out of prudence, temperance, justice and courage.
Also, the goal of eternal life cannot be set aside or lost.
We can open ourselves and the world and allow God to enter: we can open ourselves to truth, to love, to what is good. This is what the saints did, those who, as “God's fellow workers”, contributed to the world's salvation (cf. 1 Cor 3:9; 1 Th 3:2). We can free our life and the world from the poisons and contaminations that could destroy the present and the future. We can uncover the sources of creation and keep them unsullied, and in this way we can make a right use of creation, which comes to us as a gift, according to its intrinsic requirements and ultimate purpose. This makes sense even if outwardly we achieve nothing or seem powerless in the face of overwhelming hostile forces. So on the one hand, our actions engender hope for us and for others; but at the same time, it is the great hope based upon God's promises that gives us courage and directs our action in good times and bad.
The very proud and the very self-deceived think that they can live without God. Our hope is in God alone, working through the Church, through the saints. If our actions are good and true, these "engender" hope in ourselves and others.
to be continued...
How, Again, To Prepare for Persecution
I have several posts from the last four years floating around this blog on how to prepare and live in persecution.
However, with the days becoming darker, here are, again, a few hints.
However, with the days becoming darker, here are, again, a few hints.
- Learn to trust in Divine Providence-read the posts on Providence
- Cultivate the virtue of hope, which is needed in dark times...I shall get back to Spe Salvi later today.
- Understand that the graces given in baptism and confirmation give one great power and strength.
- Stay in sanctifying grace.
- Learn humility, which is self-knowledge, so that you can know your limitations and beg God for help.
- Find strong Catholics to live close to and with. One cannot endure great suffering in isolation without particular graces from God.
- Memorize Scripture, You may not be allowed Bibles or books at some time.
- Learn to love suffering as a gift of purification and intercession for others.
- Learn patience, which is a sub-virtue of humility. Impatience comes directly from the great sin of pride.
- Learn how to pray anywhere and everywhere-in cars, waiting for trains, walking--Pray always
- Teach your children to be saints.
- Learn to listen to discerning thoughts from your guardian angel. Mine remind me to pray or do something which God wants done.
- Beg God for everything you need and learn to go without if He withholds certain comforts.
- Stop wasting time....wasted time leads to a lack of readiness, a lack of zeal.
- Know that God made you for this time and, therefore, your salvation is connected to these times
- Pray for those who are far away from God. Many people will be lost when things get really tough.
- Cooperate with grace-do not turn down opportunities for prayer, Mass, adoration.
- Again, do not waste time...time is very short.
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Abraham and Lot
Abraham did not live in Sodom, but his nephew Lot did.
Lot had to flee Sodom. Abraham, of course, did not.
Did you ever think that once the SCOTUS passes ssm, none of us here will have a place to run to and hide from God's wrath?
No place....where is the land of holiness, now?
Countries with ssm or civil unions:
Netherlands
Belgium
Spain
Canada
South Africa
Norway
Sweden
Portugal
Iceland
Argentina
Denmark
Brazil
France
Uruguay
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Luxembourg
Finland
Slovenia
Areas of Mexico and some states in USA
Countries which are moving towards ssm:
Australia (parts do already)
Colombia
Israel does not have but recognizes marriages made in other countries which allow it.
More Doctors of the Church on Hell
The great saints show us the way to God.
"It is granted to few to recognize the true Church amid the darkness of so many schisms and heresies, and to fewer still so to love the truth which they have seen as to fly to its embrace." St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church
Since I have come back to America, the obvious sins of this nation have crushed my heart, as I realize how many people have turned away from God.
"Do you not perceive how many qualities a priest must have that he may be strong in his teaching, patient, and hold fast to the faithful word which is according to doctrine? What care and pains does this require! Moreover, he is answerable for the sins of others. To pass over everything else: If but one soul dies without Baptism, does it not entirely endanger his own salvation? For the loss of one soul is so great an evil that it is impossible to express it in words. For if the salvation of that soul was of such value that the Son of God became man and suffered so much, think of how great a punishment must the losing of it bring." St. John Chrysostom, Doctor and Father of the Church
So few follow the rigorous steps necessary for salvation. If we aim for purgatory, we shall find ourselves in hell; if we aim for heaven, we may find ourselves in purgatory.
"Since their eternal happiness, consisting in the vision of God, exceeds the common state of nature, and especially in so far as this is deprived of grace through the corruption of original sin, those who are saved are in the minority. In this especially, however, appears the mercy of God, that He has chosen some for that salvation, from which very many in accordance with the common course and tendency of nature fall short." St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
"It is granted to few to recognize the true Church amid the darkness of so many schisms and heresies, and to fewer still so to love the truth which they have seen as to fly to its embrace." St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church
Since I have come back to America, the obvious sins of this nation have crushed my heart, as I realize how many people have turned away from God.
"Do you not perceive how many qualities a priest must have that he may be strong in his teaching, patient, and hold fast to the faithful word which is according to doctrine? What care and pains does this require! Moreover, he is answerable for the sins of others. To pass over everything else: If but one soul dies without Baptism, does it not entirely endanger his own salvation? For the loss of one soul is so great an evil that it is impossible to express it in words. For if the salvation of that soul was of such value that the Son of God became man and suffered so much, think of how great a punishment must the losing of it bring." St. John Chrysostom, Doctor and Father of the Church
So few follow the rigorous steps necessary for salvation. If we aim for purgatory, we shall find ourselves in hell; if we aim for heaven, we may find ourselves in purgatory.
"Since their eternal happiness, consisting in the vision of God, exceeds the common state of nature, and especially in so far as this is deprived of grace through the corruption of original sin, those who are saved are in the minority. In this especially, however, appears the mercy of God, that He has chosen some for that salvation, from which very many in accordance with the common course and tendency of nature fall short." St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
Some Doctors of the Church on Hell
"What do you think? How many of the inhabitants of this city may perhaps be saved? What I am about to tell you is very terrible, yet I will not conceal it from you. Out of this thickly populated city with its thousands of inhabitants not one hundred people will be saved. I even doubt whether there will be as many as that!"St. John Chrysostom, Doctor and Father of the Church
St. Augustine states that most people will go to hell. The Church does not hold this as doctrine, but several other saints have seen hell and written about it. And, many Doctors of the Church agree with him.
"Not all, nor even a majority, are saved. . . They are indeed many, if regarded by themselves, but they are few in comparison with the far larger number of those who shall be punished with the devil." St. Augustine, Doctor and Father of the Church
A few....and if you want to be one of the few, as St. Alphonsus states, go live with the few. We need excellent companions to help us be holy. Pursuing holiness on one's own can be extremely difficult.
"The saved are few, but we must live with the few if we would be saved with the few. O God, too few indeed they are: yet amongst those few I wish to be!'" St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Doctor of the Church
'If you would be quite sure of your salvation, strive to be among the fewest of the few. Do not follow the majority of mankind, but follow those who renounce the world and never relax their efforts day or night so that they may attain everlasting blessedness." St. Anselm, Doctor of the Church
"Even if bishops are driven from their Churches, be not dismayed. If traitors have arisen from among the very clergy themselves, let not this undermine your confidence in God. We are saved not by names, but by mind and purpose, and genuine love toward our Creator. Bethink you how in the attack against our Lord, high priests and scribes and elders devised the plot, and how few of the people were found really receiving the word. Remember that it is not the multitude who are being saved, but the elect of God. Be not then affrighted at the great multitude of the people who are carried hither and thither by winds like the waters of the sea. If but one be saved, like Lot at Sodom, he ought to abide in right judgment, keeping his hope in Christ unshaken, for the Lord will not forsake His holy ones. Salute all the brethren in Christ from me. Pray earnestly for my miserable soul." St. Basil the Great, Doctor and Father of the Church
...the Elect are much fewer than the damned, for the reprobate are much more numerous than the Elect." St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Doctor of the Church
Remember, only the perfect see God.
"Only a small number of souls achieve perfect love." St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church
more saints on hell may be found here...
Sins Which Cry Out to God for Vengeance
Today, I am reminded of these sins, as I have been witnessing PDAs (public displays of affection), right here in suburbia, between lesbians, several who live in this neighborhood.
God will not be mocked. He created us and gave us natural law, which is being spurned by those who accept such lifestyles.
I repeat the CCC on these sins:
1867 The catechetical tradition also recalls that there are "sins that cry to heaven": the blood of Abel,139 the sin of the Sodomites,140 the cry of the people oppressed in Egypt,141 the cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan,142 injustice to the wage earner.14
These are considered the sins which will bring down God's vengeance on all of us.
Those people who are violent---look at the news; those people who are sodomites--look in your own areas; those people who are abandoned to poverty, loneliness, even penury--look here; those who receive unjust wages to we can buy cheap goods--look at most of the stores and name brands and what they pay for goods, as opposed to what they charge; slavery, such as sexual abuse of children, (as in Great Britain), sexual slavery of women, slavery of those who are under tyrannies--look at the news.
God will not ignored these sins much longer. Reparation is needed.
We cannot lose the virtue of being shocked by sin. Complacency deadens the soul. We should be intolerant of our own sin, first, and then not tolerate sin in a society. But, as Fulton J. Sheen stated, intolerance is the only sin most Americans believe in. And, he said and wrote about this two generations ago. God will not be mocked.
http://www.northamericanmartyrs.org/pdf/Plea-for-Intolerance.pdf
What Month Is This?
I shall have to post much later today, as I think I have the flu, which is rather startling, as it is April.
Wing a prayer up to God for me today.
Pax vobiscum.
STM
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Persecution Watch Again
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/04/pakistan-after-identifying-him-as-christian-muslims-set-young-boy-on-fire
http://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/ISIS-demands-30-million-in-exchange-for-Assyrian-hostages-396838
and persecution of another kind..
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/09/reported-child-sexual-abuse-has-risen-60-in-last-four-years-figures-show
http://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/ISIS-demands-30-million-in-exchange-for-Assyrian-hostages-396838
and persecution of another kind..
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/09/reported-child-sexual-abuse-has-risen-60-in-last-four-years-figures-show
Spe Salvi and Perfection Five
The Pope Emeritus refers to purification in this section from Spe Salvi, an encyclical to which I shall refer again tomorrow.
Here are a few paragraphs for consideration and, as usual, my comments are in blue.
I. Prayer as a school of hope
32. A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, he can help me[25]. When I have been plunged into complete solitude ...; if I pray I am never totally alone. The late Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, a prisoner for thirteen years, nine of them spent in solitary confinement, has left us a precious little book: Prayers of Hope. During thirteen years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope—to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude.
In my limited experience, it is only in prayer and solitude where one can truly find hope. Suffering, as the Pope Emeritus will note later in this work, also helps one learn hope. But to perceive God's gift of hope to us, and to hone the virtue given in baptism, solitude, silence, prayer are necessary.
33. Saint Augustine, in a homily on the First Letter of John, describes very beautifully the intimate relationship between prayer and hope. He defines prayer as an exercise of desire. Man was created for greatness—for God himself; he was created to be filled by God. But his heart is too small for the greatness to which it is destined. It must be stretched. “By delaying [his gift], God strengthens our desire; through desire he enlarges our soul and by expanding it he increases its capacity [for receiving him]”. Augustine refers to Saint Paul, who speaks of himself as straining forward to the things that are to come (cf. Phil 3:13). He then uses a very beautiful image to describe this process of enlargement and preparation of the human heart. “Suppose that God wishes to fill you with honey [a symbol of God's tenderness and goodness]; but if you are full of vinegar, where will you put the honey?” The vessel, that is your heart, must first be enlarged and then cleansed, freed from the vinegar and its taste. This requires hard work and is painful, but in this way alone do we become suited to that for which we are destined[26]. Even if Augustine speaks directly only of our capacity for God, it is nevertheless clear that through this effort by which we are freed from vinegar and the taste of vinegar, not only are we made free for God, but we also become open to others.
Some of this is repetition as I have referred to the Doctors of the Church on the enlargement of the heart. One must not be stingy with God, but generous in time and thought. Of course, the way is painful. One desires God, but God withholds Himself, as noted here many times. Waiting for God, as experienced by the saints, and other writers, such as Simone Weil, must be part of the growing of the yearning for God alone. For those who are more generous of heart, the process may be short. Benedict here relates the same process of purification as Garrigou-Lagrange and others. One cannot take shortcuts or detours in the spiritual life. Many spiritual commentators state that sloth is the worst vice, the hardest one to break out of for those caught up in this.
Remember in the retreat in March I attended, Father Xavier taught us about the aversion to spiritual things. The aversion comes from the vice of sloth. Hagiosthenia follows the vice of sloth. One can read the posts from that retreat under the tag "retreat March 2015", about 13 posts.
The opposite of sloth is diligence and hard work. Sloth also forms the basis for mediocrity or lukewarmness-
The opposite of sloth is diligence and hard work. Sloth also forms the basis for mediocrity or lukewarmness-
Revelation 3:15-17Douay-Rheims
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot. I would thou wert cold, or hot.
16 But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest: I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing: and knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.
I post some of my articles on sloth at the end of this section.
It is only by becoming children of God, that we can be with our common Father. To pray is not to step outside history and withdraw to our own private corner of happiness. When we pray properly we undergo a process of inner purification which opens us up to God and thus to our fellow human beings as well. In prayer we must learn what we can truly ask of God—what is worthy of God. We must learn that we cannot pray against others. We must learn that we cannot ask for the superficial and comfortable things that we desire at this moment—that meagre, misplaced hope that leads us away from God. We must learn to purify our desires and our hopes. We must free ourselves from the hidden lies with which we deceive ourselves. God sees through them, and when we come before God, we too are forced to recognize them. “But who can discern his errors? Clear me from hidden faults” prays the Psalmist (Ps 19:12 [18:13]).
Those of us who pray the Monastic Diurnal repeat this verse from Psalm 19 frequently. For me to be saying this prayer of being freed from my hidden, or in some translations, "secret" faults, is my prayer for purgation. Once one has passed on from seeking superficial comforts, one can see one's desires being purified, until one only wants God and His Will.
Failure to recognize my guilt, the illusion of my innocence, does not justify me and does not save me, because I am culpable for the numbness of my conscience and my incapacity to recognize the evil in me for what it is.
Self-deceit seems to be one of the most common of faults today. Lies surround us, in the culture of advertising, manipulation and narcissism.
If God does not exist, perhaps I have to seek refuge in these lies, because there is no one who can forgive me; no one who is the true criterion. Yet my encounter with God awakens my conscience in such a way that it no longer aims at self-justification, and is no longer a mere reflection of me and those of my contemporaries who shape my thinking, but it becomes a capacity for listening to the Good itself.
Another good prayer is that of St. John the Baptist. He prayed that he may decrease and Christ increase.
Now, the Pope Emeritus examines further purification.
34. For prayer to develop this power of purification, it must on the one hand be something very personal, an encounter between my intimate self and God, the living God. On the other hand it must be constantly guided and enlightened by the great prayers of the Church and of the saints, by liturgical prayer, in which the Lord teaches us again and again how to pray properly. Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, in his book of spiritual exercises, tells us that during his life there were long periods when he was unable to pray and that he would hold fast to the texts of the Church's prayer: the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the prayers of the liturgy[27]. Praying must always involve this intermingling of public and personal prayer. This is how we can speak to God and how God speaks to us. In this way we undergo those purifications by which we become open to God and are prepared for the service of our fellow human beings.
Note that the Pope Emeritus agrees with the great spiritual mentors, like Garrigou-Lagrange, on the fact that we cannot serve others until we allow God to get rid of egotism. I have many posts on this in the perfection and dark night series. Hope follows. But, we cannot give what we have not merited through grace and perseverance. To be continued....
We become capable of the great hope, and thus we become ministers of hope for others. Hope in a Christian sense is always hope for others as well. It is an active hope, in which we struggle to prevent things moving towards the “perverse end”. It is an active hope also in the sense that we keep the world open to God. Only in this way does it continue to be a truly human hope.
23 Jun 2013
The antidote to Sloth, according to Prudentius, is the virtue called Diligence, which may be seen as connected to Justice, Prudence and Temperance. Diligence is zeal for the Faith and industry-hard work, in other words.
12 Sep 2014
(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 ...
22 Jul 2012
Lust and Sloth (who has beads) point to the need for deep, persistent prayer, as do all the other Deadly Sins. Garrigou-Lagrange writes that we must ask God, seek Him, for enlightenment as to one's predominant fault.
15 Nov 2014
The great sin of men who are refusing the call is one of sloth. It is too easy to just be single, go with the flow, live a completely self-centered life. Those who are answering the call understand that the day of the comfortable ...
21 Aug 2013
For others, the cause could be sloth, not cultivating a prayer life, or not receiving the sacraments frequently. A habit of sin can destroy faith. One of the greatest enemies of faith is materialism, the belief that the life on earth is ...
14 Sep 2014
This causes sorrow, but only for the person who has not put the nail in the predominant faults of vainglory, pride, presumption. sloth, gluttony, anger, and so on. When one is made holy, one is no longer upset about people ...
19 Nov 2014
Yesterday, I wrote about sloth in daily life. But, after pondering overnight on this huge phenomenon, I have come to some conclusions about the fact that many, many Catholics refuse to study and instead rely on private ...
10 Feb 2014
Perseverance is not easy: a struggle must be carried on against self, against spiritual sloth, against the devil, who inclines us to discouragement. Many souls, on being deprived of the first consolations which they received, turn ...
25 Jul 2012
Under Pride and Self, these are listed: vainglory, disobedience, boasting, hypocrisy, contention, rivalry, discord,, singularity, stubbornness, sloth (acedia), hatred of spiritual things, malice, rancor, pusillanimity, discouragement, ...
23 Jun 2013
And, I state that sloppiness is Sloth. In the past 30 months, I have had the sad experience of meeting some priests who are anti-intellectual and think it a virtue. These priests, and they number four, are into private revelations, ...
25 Jan 2013
I do not mind liberals having good arguments but if they refuse to read or study, I have no time for such laziness of mind. The sin of sloth is a deadly sin. We forget that this sin applies to the mind as well as the body.
27 Nov 2013
(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 ...
15 Jul 2014
The Seven Deadly Sins are Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth. The Four Sins Which Cry Out to God for Vengeance are Willful Murder, Sodomy, Oppression of the Poor, Defrauding Laborers of Their ...
13 Aug 2014
The list of this pre-saint's sin is staggering: lust, pride, curiosity, wastefulness of time, spiritual sloth, anger, heresy, and so on. I have actually, heard from the mouths of priests, that St. Augustine was too hard on himself.
19 Oct 2014
Twice I started theses on Newman and have not, for good reasons, not sloth, not been able to finish these. I have been studying him off and on for over 30 years, but only really read this phrase today. Amazing how when one ...
15 Sep 2014
They live in shadow-lands of fear or depression, sloth or lukewarmness. None of us want to be forgotten after death. Some can imagine a spouse or children remembering one with fondness. For some, there is no one to ...
04 Apr 2015
Leisure? Money or shopping? These thoughts could indicate Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Avarice and so on without one even sinning except in thought. Such preoccupations most likely point to the predominant fault. Ask your mum.
18 Sep 2013
If the predominant fault is sloth, one will not study the Catholic teachings, but want others, like seers, to tell them truths. Of course, this is a laziness. Garrigou-Lagrange states that sloth is the hardest fault of all to destroy as a ...
28 Jan 2013
The necessity of this purification, as the saint shows in the same book,(3) arises from the defects of beginners, which may be reduced to three: spiritual pride, spiritual sensuality, and spiritual sloth. St. John of the Cross teaches ...
27 Jul 2012
According to St. Gregory and St. Thomas,(12) pride or arrogance is more than a capital sin; it is the root from which proceed especially four capital sins: vanity or vainglory, spiritual sloth or wicked sadness which embitters, ...
24 Jun 2013
UPDATE: see Michael Voris' video on the Angel of Death, who is Gabriel, according to the Judaic tradition. His video overlaps on these posts on sloth and greed (that one to come). When I hear priests say they do not like the ...
26 Mar 2014
Could be a sign of spiritual sloth. Posted by Supertradmum. Lay people are in the world to make the world holy. We are called to convert, to evangelize those who are falling away. We are the salt of the world. Christ said this of ...
25 Sep 2013
Sloth leads to abdication of roles, a nine to five attitude towards duty, a curtailing of personal growth. That sloth can be found in some who are priests is a tragedy for the laity. Without leadership, the ship of the Church crashes ...
06 Aug 2012
According to St. Gregory and St. Thomas,(12) pride or arrogance is more than a capital sin; it is the root from which proceed especially four capital sins: vanity or vainglory, spiritual sloth or wicked sadness which embitters, ...
24 Jul 2012
Under Pride and Self, these are listed: vainglory, disobedience, boasting, hypocrisy, contention, rivalry, discord,, singularity, stubbornness, sloth (acedia), hatred of spiritual things, malice, rancor, pusillanimity, discouragement, ...
19 Dec 2014
The first is the lack of study, (see post last week on the virtue of studiosity), and the second is sloth. Sloth must be one of the most common evils among Catholics, both laity and clergy alike. To not study the Faith, to ignore the ...
13 Aug 2014
(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 ...
21 Dec 2013
Those adult Catholics, who do not study their faith and persist in ignorance fall into intellectual sloth, leading to ignorance, for which one is culpable. In America and in Europe, I do not believe there is such a thing as invincible ...
01 Feb 2014
These are reviews of repeats this past week and long ago, but someone mentioned sloth to me and I guess I wanted to encourage this person on the way to perfection. Most Americans are work-alcoholics. We have the ...
21 Jun 2013
I have noted that anti-intellectualism is not only dividing the Church into groupings, but weakening the Church's ability to evangelize. Sloth is behind this anti-intellectualism, as sloth is not only a sin of the body but of the mind.
21 Jun 2013
Hence sloth implies a certain weariness of work, as appears from a gloss on Psalm 106:18, "Their soul abhorred all manner of meat," and from the definition of some who say that sloth is a "sluggishness of the mind which ...
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