I write for my fellow Catholics who still believe in this government. I write for my fellow Catholics who voted for Obama twice. I write for my fellow Catholics who do not seem to know that all the Popes for over one hundred years have condemned socialism.
You have not been paying attention. A marriage tax in Obamacare...
Wake up!
http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-wedding-tax/
Socialism undermines the family on purpose and takes away the sacredness of marriage.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Ireland Abortion Alert
25 SEPTEMBER 2013
ACTION ALERT:
Late term abortionist to speak in Dublin: RTÉ presenter chairing talk
Dear Lynda,This Saturday, a US based late-term abortionist, Shelley Sella, will speak at the Irish Film Institute before the screening of a movie paying homage to those who specialise in late-term abortion.Sella has been accused by a former abortion nurse, Tina David, of stabbing to death a 35 week old baby who survived an abortion in her care. She, and three other late-term abortionists are feted in the movie, After Tiller, which glosses over the horror of late-term abortion.One of those three is LeRoy Carhart, an abortionist based in Maryland, where Jennifer McKenna Morbelli, and her 33-week-old preborn daughter, Madison Leigh, died in his clinic of February of this year.Let's be clear: Sella and her colleagues perform abortions right up until birth. This is grim, horrific stuff - yet it is all santised in the movie, After Tiller, which portrays late-term abortionists as kindly, compassionate doctors.No mention is made, of course, of Kermit Gosnell or other 'house of horrors' abortion clinics where almost full term babies are killed every day. The Irish media have, predictably, done all they can to promote the movie - with the Irish Times running a wholly uncritical and sympathetic interview with Sella last week, where adoption, foetal pain, and better options for mothers were all dismissed with standard propoganda statements from the abortion industry.Keelin Shanley will interview Sella prior to the screening; no doubt another soft conversation where abortionists are held up as modern-day saints.
SPEAK UP FOR UNBORN BABIES AND AGAINST THIS PROMOTION OF LATE-TERM ABORTION.
Call or email the following organisations and tell them you wish to complain about their sponsorship of an event which is condoning and praising the barbaric practice, and practitioners, of late-term abortions, and indeed the fact that your taxes are funding it.Ask them, as a taxpayer, to demand that this film - and its 'protagonist' - which commends this sickening practice be withdrawn from the program. Should this be refused, demand that your taxes are withdrawn as sponsorship.PLEASE CALL / EMAIL THE FOLLOWING:
Irish Film Institute (IFI) on: 01 679 5744 or info@irishfilms.ieArts Council of Ireland (who fund the IFI) on: 01 6180200 or reception@artscouncil.ieBroadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) on: 01 6441200 or info@bai.ieRTÉ on: 01 2083111 or complaints@rte.ieThe Irish Film Board on: 091561398 or info@irishfilmboard.iePlease call us on 01 8730465 to let us know how you have got on. Many thanks!Read an excellent analysis of the movie here.*On foetal pain, an anesthesiology professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Ray Paschall, who has done more surgeries with foetal anesthesia than any doctor in the world, said that babies feel pain not only before birth but before viability.His statement follows the work of Dr. Kawaljeet Anand, who has argued that a foetus or premature newborn may actually feel pain more intensely than an older newborn. He asserted in a 2007 congressional testimony on foetal pain legislation that a "foetus at 20 to 32 weeks of gestation would experience a much more intense pain than older infants or children or adults" because certain pain mechanisms are in play much earlier, while "fibers which dampen and modulate the experience of pain" are delayed until between 32-34 weeks.
Weep, pray....
When a wave of attacks on churches and Christian properties swept across Egypt last month, this city was hit the worst.
Minya's streets are now lined with burned-out hulks. Church interiors have been reduced to ash. The once-cheerful turquoise exterior of a Christian orphanage is now streaked black from the fire that gutted it. Destroyed wheelchairs sit outside a burned-out Jesuit center that worked with disabled people. Torched schools, shops, and monasteries lie in ruins. On one street, several Christian-owned shops are reduced to scorched rubble. Nearby, an untouched snack shop blares a song that proclaims “Egypt is Islamic ...
more herehttp://www.copticworld.org/articles/2617/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Wishful Thinking
Pray for seminarians in America, Europe, Africa, South America, etc. They need to have the mental training to fight modernism and the evils of the day not only with prayer and fasting, but with their good minds.
The classical education reinstated by St. Anselm in the seminaries has all but disappeared.
I. Mental Philosophy.
I. The Influence of Plato on the Early Christian Church.
II. The Influence of Aristotle on the Mediæval Church.
III. The Neo-Platonists.
IV. The Argument in St. Augustine on the Immortality of the Soul. (Is it Tenable?)
V. The Atomic Theory of Democritus, and the Modern Discoveries in Astronomy.
VI. The Influence of the Inductive Philosophy on Modern Disbelief.
VII. Was Spinoza an Atheist?
VIII. Is Descartes the Father of Modern Rationalism?
IX. St. Anselm's Proof of the Existence of God.
X. The Cosmological Argument of St. John Damascene.
XI. The Argument from Intuition.
XII. Aspects of Modern Pantheism.
XIII. Christian Idealism.
XIV. Malebranche and Fénelon.
XV. Boëthius.
XVI. Catholic Philosophers of the Nineteenth Century.
XVII. The Connection between Soul and Body (Tertullian).
XVIII. The Chaldæan Doctrine of the Soul (εσσαμενοσ πυριρυρ).
XIX. The Idea of Personality.
XX. The Identification of Life and Motion.
XXI. Maine de Biran.
XXII. The Popularization of Catholic Philosophy.
II. Ecclesiastical History.
I. The Alexandrian School.
II. The Writings of Clement.
III. Origen, and his Works.
IV. Ephrem the Syrian, and his Works.
V. The Apologists.
VI. The Three Cappadocians.
VII. Julian and his Contemporaries.
VIII. The Council of Nicæa.
IX. St. Augustine and the Donatists.
X. The Saints of the Catacombs.
XI. The Discipline of the Secret.
XII. The Libyan and Nitrean Anchorites
XIII. The Stylites.
XIV. Communion in the Early Church.
XV. Mediævalism.
XVI. The Case of Honorius.
XVII. Hildebrand.
XVIII. Alexander VI. and Savonarola.
XIX. Origin and Spread of Monasticism.
XX. The Influence of the Irish Monks on the Continent of Europe.
XXI. Schools of Philosophy.
XXII. Port-Royal, Pascal, Nicole, Arnauld.
XXIII. The Rise and Progress of Jansenism.
XXIV. Gallicanism and National Churches.
Can one imagine having such discussions today with the local pp?
I. The Influence of Plato on the Early Christian Church.
II. The Influence of Aristotle on the Mediæval Church.
III. The Neo-Platonists.
IV. The Argument in St. Augustine on the Immortality of the Soul. (Is it Tenable?)
V. The Atomic Theory of Democritus, and the Modern Discoveries in Astronomy.
VI. The Influence of the Inductive Philosophy on Modern Disbelief.
VII. Was Spinoza an Atheist?
VIII. Is Descartes the Father of Modern Rationalism?
IX. St. Anselm's Proof of the Existence of God.
X. The Cosmological Argument of St. John Damascene.
XI. The Argument from Intuition.
XII. Aspects of Modern Pantheism.
XIII. Christian Idealism.
XIV. Malebranche and Fénelon.
XV. Boëthius.
XVI. Catholic Philosophers of the Nineteenth Century.
XVII. The Connection between Soul and Body (Tertullian).
XVIII. The Chaldæan Doctrine of the Soul (εσσαμενοσ πυριρυρ).
XIX. The Idea of Personality.
XX. The Identification of Life and Motion.
XXI. Maine de Biran.
XXII. The Popularization of Catholic Philosophy.
II. Ecclesiastical History.
I. The Alexandrian School.
II. The Writings of Clement.
III. Origen, and his Works.
IV. Ephrem the Syrian, and his Works.
V. The Apologists.
VI. The Three Cappadocians.
VII. Julian and his Contemporaries.
VIII. The Council of Nicæa.
IX. St. Augustine and the Donatists.
X. The Saints of the Catacombs.
XI. The Discipline of the Secret.
XII. The Libyan and Nitrean Anchorites
XIII. The Stylites.
XIV. Communion in the Early Church.
XV. Mediævalism.
XVI. The Case of Honorius.
XVII. Hildebrand.
XVIII. Alexander VI. and Savonarola.
XIX. Origin and Spread of Monasticism.
XX. The Influence of the Irish Monks on the Continent of Europe.
XXI. Schools of Philosophy.
XXII. Port-Royal, Pascal, Nicole, Arnauld.
XXIII. The Rise and Progress of Jansenism.
XXIV. Gallicanism and National Churches.
Can one imagine having such discussions today with the local pp?
A Predominant Fault in Some Men
As those who follow this blog know well, I have written on the three types of men in our present society. The protector, the predator and the peter pan male represent either maturity and goodness, evil, or stunted growth.
I have been contemplating the reason why so many young male youths fall away from the Church here in Ireland. The numbers of non-practicing youth are staggering. Yesterday, I posted the article on statistics of belief and non-belief among college age youth.
The hidden root of some of this disaffection is weak male leadership in the home, the Church, and in government and business.
The protector male protects not only his wife and children, but society and culture. He has a stake in the national consciousness of being individuals with a common heart, a common purpose.
Negativity is not part of the attitude of the protector, nor is cynicism, signs of the peter pan syndrome.
Here in Ireland, peter pans dominant. Some women have told me they would never marry an Irishman because they do not take their place as heads of families, but prefer passivity to leadership.
Yesterday, a good priest told me that a major evil in the priesthood is sloth. Sloth is the hardest predominant fault to combat and finally destroy according to Garrigou-Lagrange.
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 on the rocks of sin. This is the case here. The Church has been greatly weakened by sloth and laxity. I think in some places such lax men are called "couch potatoes".
How many men do we know who do not engage in necessary conflict as it is too painful or disturbing for them? They want a quiet life. Sadly, the days of the country curate living a quiet life fishing and reading the classics, doing the minimum for his parish are days gone by, only to be found in literature.
The Church finds Herself in the midst of the worst battles seen for centuries. Sloth does not win battles. Hard work and simplicity do.
Slothful men lay down the staff of leadership and like the bad shepherd allow the wolves to enter the fold.
That one priest can criticize some of his fellow priests shows the depth of the problem here. Youth can spot a hypocrite a mile away and the bad priests and neglectful husbands and fathers will have to face God as to why they did not work on their predominant fault.
Being a Catholic man, like being a Catholic woman, entails hard work.
We are battling for our soul and the souls of others. There is no time for sloth. This quaint phrase from a popular old book on country curates is not true in 2013: 'T WILL BE ALL THE SAME IN A HUNDRED YEARS.
No, it will not, despite all those who dream of the old days when men did not necessarily have to measure up to the great role of protector.
I shall do a post on Friday on the predominant faults of women.
I have been contemplating the reason why so many young male youths fall away from the Church here in Ireland. The numbers of non-practicing youth are staggering. Yesterday, I posted the article on statistics of belief and non-belief among college age youth.
The hidden root of some of this disaffection is weak male leadership in the home, the Church, and in government and business.
The protector male protects not only his wife and children, but society and culture. He has a stake in the national consciousness of being individuals with a common heart, a common purpose.
Negativity is not part of the attitude of the protector, nor is cynicism, signs of the peter pan syndrome.
Here in Ireland, peter pans dominant. Some women have told me they would never marry an Irishman because they do not take their place as heads of families, but prefer passivity to leadership.
Yesterday, a good priest told me that a major evil in the priesthood is sloth. Sloth is the hardest predominant fault to combat and finally destroy according to Garrigou-Lagrange.
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 on the rocks of sin. This is the case here. The Church has been greatly weakened by sloth and laxity. I think in some places such lax men are called "couch potatoes".
How many men do we know who do not engage in necessary conflict as it is too painful or disturbing for them? They want a quiet life. Sadly, the days of the country curate living a quiet life fishing and reading the classics, doing the minimum for his parish are days gone by, only to be found in literature.
The Church finds Herself in the midst of the worst battles seen for centuries. Sloth does not win battles. Hard work and simplicity do.
Slothful men lay down the staff of leadership and like the bad shepherd allow the wolves to enter the fold.
That one priest can criticize some of his fellow priests shows the depth of the problem here. Youth can spot a hypocrite a mile away and the bad priests and neglectful husbands and fathers will have to face God as to why they did not work on their predominant fault.
Being a Catholic man, like being a Catholic woman, entails hard work.
We are battling for our soul and the souls of others. There is no time for sloth. This quaint phrase from a popular old book on country curates is not true in 2013: 'T WILL BE ALL THE SAME IN A HUNDRED YEARS.
No, it will not, despite all those who dream of the old days when men did not necessarily have to measure up to the great role of protector.
I shall do a post on Friday on the predominant faults of women.
Memory, Understanding and Will
I have written many times on this movement in the perfection series. Just use the labels below. However, this morning, I want to note that the understanding can lead one to more gratitude in one's life.
This process is found in the Psalms of David. David remembers the goodness of the Lord and thinks of all the graces he has received. Then, he understands Who God Is and who he, one of God's beloved creatures, is.
Understanding is the beginning of gratitude. The praises in the Psalms can reflect our gratitude as well. We think of the good things the Lord has done for us and we embrace great thankfulness.
Thanking God for graces becomes part of meditation. It is also part of the Dark Night of the Soul, when God reveals Himself as He really is. The smallness of the human condition and the reality of the fact that we must rely on God alone and not ourselves comes from gratitude. In other words, real humility, bubbling forth from the truth of who we are makes us grateful.
What does one will? This process leads to love. The grateful heart is one which loves God first. Willing love means following God's Will and not one's own. Willing equals the regime of prayer, fasting, worship. and charity.
Memory, understanding and will demand reflection. A half-hour of Scripture reading, one's Lectio Divina, is all that is necessary.
Psalm 8
Unto the end, for the presses: a psalm of David.
2 O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! For thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens.
3 Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise, because of thy enemies, that thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger.
4 For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded.
5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
6 Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour:
7 And hast set him over the works of thy hands.
8 Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts also of the fields.
9 The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea.
10 O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in all the earth
I hate to write on this, but
It has been brought to my attention that there are many, many, many covens of witches in Ireland as well as in Great Britain. I knew about some in England, as friends of mine live in Kent, where this sort of thing proliferates.
But, I did not expect the numbers here. Now, I know that New Agey stuff and neo-paganism is popular in Ireland, as I came across this last year in March and in December. Some friends of mine had pointed out the number of solstice gatherings in the summer and in the winter.
Also, there is a great number of new agey stuff surrounding poor St. Brigid, whose devotion has been taken over by the feminists and those who think she was a priest. Well, I wrote about this before here.....on this blog. http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2012/02/real-st-brigid-mary-of-gael.html
But the reason I am referring to the covens is twofold.
Firstly, not enough parents are talking to their children about the evils of the occult. One of my friend's boys came home from secondary school today and started asking his dad about satanism. Apparently, it is becoming the rage in certain parts of rural England.
Thankfully, my friend, being a catechist and also being a good father could explain things in a doctrinal, yet simple matter. He simply went through the Ten Commandments and showed how satanists did the opposite in each case, starting with the First Commandment.
Young people need parents who can discuss these things. On my previous blog, I had a series on this, as I was living in a place in Iowa where there were too many covens. One of my fellow professors at a college was head of one. I had to deal with students involved, getting involved, or wanting to get out of covens.
But, here, it is the cool thing to do, sadly, which brings me to my second point.
Most young people who get involved do not fully understand what they are doing until it is too late.
They fall for the lies of power and fellowship, coming to a realization that they have damned themselves by cooperating with evil too late.
Sex and drugs are, of course, involved as well. But, the spirit of rebellion leads many young people astray.
Parents must watch for signs of occult involvement. This is one of our duties.
Here are some hints:
One, is your child not telling you where he is going and is not introducing you to his new friends?
Two, is he becoming more reclusive and even moody? Are there personality changes? Is he having identity changes?
Three, has he changed his manner of dressing, wearing animal amulets, or other new jewelry? Is he attached to an animal and buying statues or other representations of that animal? Does he have new tattoos?
Four, is he interested in kabalism, or the ancient religion of the Egyptians, into symbolism and the gods and goddesses of such in a fanatic way?
Five, does he stay overnight with friends you not know and whose parents you do not know?
Six, is he going to Mass every Sunday? Does he go to Communion? Has he stopped doing this?
Seven, is he into tarot cards or deviant art?
Eight, has he dropped his old Catholic friends for a set of new ones?
Nine, does he has new adult friends you have not met and should meet?
Ten, is he going to meetings at night and not talking about these?
Most parents tragically do not pay attention to the adult children living in their home. But, wicca usually starts in secondary school or college. Pay attention. Some kids get introduced to these things on line or at camp. I knew a boy of 12 who was doing blood sacrifices of animals with his friends and following on line wicca sites.
I hate to write about this, but it is a reality in our world. Pray, think, act.
PRAYER TO
SAINT MICHAEL
THE ARCHANGEL
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Quotation Summing Up The Perfection Series
"We shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavoring to know God; for, beholding His greatness, we realize our own littleness; His purity shows us our foulness; and by meditating upon His humility we find how very far we are from being humble." Teresa of Avila
Read and catch up
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/series/glenn-greenwald-security-liberty
http://rt.com/news/brazil-roussef-nsa-usa-278/
Snippet from article............
http://rt.com/news/brazil-roussef-nsa-usa-278/
Snippet from article............
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff lambasted US spying on her country at Tuesday’s UN summit, calling it a “breach of international law.” She further warned that the NSA surveillance, revealed since June, threatened freedom of speech and democracy.
“Meddling in such a manner in the lives and affairs of other countries is a breach of international law and as such it is an affront to the principles that should otherwise govern relations among countries, especially among friendly nations,” Rousseff declared.
“Without the right to privacy, there is no real freedom of speech or freedom of opinion,” Rousseff told the gathering of world leaders. “And therefore, there is no actual democracy,” she added, criticizing the fact that Brazil had been targeted by the US.
“A country's sovereignty can never affirm itself to the detriment of another country's sovereignty,” she added.
“A country's sovereignty can never affirm itself to the detriment of another country's sovereignty,” she added.
From France 24--Prayers Needed
Nuns, orphans trapped in Syria's Maalula: church
AFP - Nearly 40 nuns and orphans are trapped inside a convent in the Syrian Christian town of Maalula, where regime troops are battling rebel forces, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate said Tuesday.
The famed town, where residents still speak Aramaic, the language Jesus Christ is thought to have spoken, has been the scene of clashes since earlier this month.
"The Mar Takla convent is living through painful days because it is in the middle of the zone where fire is being exchanged, which makes getting supplies difficult and dangerous," the Damascus-based Patriarchate said in a statement
More here
http://www.france24.com/en/20130924-nuns-orphans-trapped-syrias-maalula-church
.
Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham
O Mary, recall the solemn moment when Jesus, your divine son, dying on the cross, confided us to your maternal care. You are our mother, we desire ever to remain your devout children. let us therefore feel the effects of your powerful intercession with Jesus Christ. make your name again glorious in the shrine once renowned throughout England by your visits, favours, and many miracles.
Pray, O holy mother of God, for the conversion of England, restoration of the sick, consolation for the afflicted, repentance of sinners, peace to the departed.
O blessed Mary, mother of God, our Lady of Walsingham, intercede for us.
Amen.
I wanted to be in Walsingham today, but had to change my plans. This is the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. If you want to learn more about Our Lady and the history, read my play here.
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/06/walsingham-drama-in-three-acts.html
and more information...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/04/the-martyrs-of-walsingham.html
Continue to pray for a House of Adoration there. The house is still for sale.
http://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/17463066?search_identifier=2d43b978d76d437ed9001f65faefe874
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/08/ah-someone-was-thinking-of-me-in.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.ie/2013/05/cast-your-bread-upon-waters-for-after.html
Interesting....Russia is interesting
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-russia-koran-idUSBRE98J0YW20130920
Try and find a Bible in Saudi Arabia, where Mass is forbidden.
Try and find a Bible in Saudi Arabia, where Mass is forbidden.
St. Thomas Aquinas on Hell (in part)
99. God's mercy and justice towards the damned
Article 4. Whether the punishment of Christians is brought to an end by the mercy of God?
Objection 1. It would seem that at least the punishment of Christians is brought to an end by the mercy of God. "For he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Now this applies to every Christian. Therefore all Christians will at length be saved.Objection 2. Further, it is written (John 6:55): "He that eateth My body and drinketh My blood hath eternal life." Now this is the meat and drink whereof Christians partake in common. Therefore all Christians will be saved at length.
Objection 3. Further, "If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15), where it is a question of those who have the foundation of the Christian faith. Therefore all such persons will be saved in the end.
On the contrary, It is written (1 Corinthians 6:9): "The unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God." Now some Christians are unjust. Therefore Christians will not all come to the kingdom of God, and consequently they will be punished for ever.
Further, it is written (2 Peter 2:21): "It had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them." Now those who know not the way of truth will be punished for ever. Therefore Christians who have turned back after knowing it will also be punished for ever.
I answer that, According to Augustine (De Civ. Dei xxi, 20,21), there have been some who predicted a delivery from eternal punishment not for all men, but only for Christians, although they stated the matter in different ways. For some said that whoever received the sacraments of faith would be immune from eternal punishment. But this is contrary to the truth, since some receive the sacraments of faith, and yet have not faith, without which "it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). Wherefore others said that those alone will be exempt from eternal punishment who have received the sacraments of faith, and professed the Catholic faith. But against this it would seem to be that at one time some people profess the Catholic faith, and afterwards abandon it, and these are deserving not of a lesser but of a greater punishment, since according to 2 Peter 2:21, "it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back." Moreover it is clear that heresiarchs who renounce the Catholic faith and invent new heresies sin more grievously than those who have conformed to some heresy from the first. And therefore some have maintained that those alone are exempt from eternal punishment, to the end in the Catholic faith, however guilty they may have been of other crimes. But this is clearly contrary to Holy Writ, for it is written (James 2:20): "Faith without works is dead," and (Matthew 7:21) "Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of My Father Who is in heaven": and in many other passages Holy Scripture threatens sinners with eternal punishment. Consequently those who persevere in the faith unto the end will not all be exempt from eternal punishment, unless in the end they prove to be free from other crimes.
Reply to Objection 1. Our Lord speaks there of formed faith [Cf. II-II, 4, 3] "that worketh by love [Vulgate: 'charity'; Galatians 5:6]": wherein whosoever dieth shall be saved. But to this faith not only is the error of unbelief opposed, but also any mortal sinwhatsoever.
Reply to Objection 2. The saying of our Lord refers not to those who partake only sacramentally, and who sometimes by receiving unworthily "eat and drink judgment" to themselves (1 Corinthians 11:29), but to those who eat spiritually and are incorporated with Him by charity, which incorporation is the effect of the sacramental eating, in those who approach worthily [Cf.III, 80, 1,2,3]. Wherefore, so far as the power of the sacrament is concerned, it brings us to eternal life, although sin may deprive us of that fruit, even after we have received worthily.
Reply to Objection 3. In this passage of the Apostle the foundation denotes formed faith, upon which whosoever shall build venial sins [Cf. I-II, 89, 2] "shall suffer loss," because he will be punished for them by God; yet "he himself shall be saved" in the end "by fire," either of temporal tribulation, or of the punishment of purgatory which will be after death.
Article 5. Whether all those who perform works of mercy will be punished eternally?
Objection 1. It would seem that all who perform works of mercy will not be punished eternally, but only those who neglect those works. For it is written (James 2:13): "Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy"; and (Matthew 5:7): "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."Objection 2. Further, (Matthew 25:35-46) we find a description of our Lord's discussion with the damned and the elect. But this discussion is only about works of mercy. Therefore eternal punishment will be awarded only to such as have omitted to practiceworks of mercy: and consequently the same conclusion follows as before.
Objection 3. Further, it is written (Matthew 6:12): "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors," and further on (Matthew 6:14): "For if you will forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offenses." Therefore it would seem that the merciful, who forgive others their offenses, will themselves obtain the forgiveness of their sins, and consequently will not be punished eternally.
Objection 4. Further, a gloss of Ambrose on 1 Timothy 4:8, "Godliness is profitable to all things," says: "The sum total of aChristian's rule of life consists in mercy and godliness. Let a man follow this, and though he should suffer from the inconstancy of the flesh, without doubt he will be scourged, but he will not perish: whereas he who can boast of no other exercise but that of the body will suffer everlasting punishment." Therefore those who persevere in works of mercy, though they be shackled with fleshly sins, will not be punished eternally: and thus the same conclusion follows as before.
On the contrary, It is written (1 Corinthians 6:9-10): "Neither fornicators . . . nor adulterers," etc. "shall possess the kingdom of God." Yet many are such who practice works of mercy. Therefore the merciful will not all come to the eternal kingdom: and consequently some of them will be punished eternally.
Further, it is written (James 2:10): "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all." Therefore whoever keeps the law as regards the works of mercy and omits other works, is guilty of transgressing the law, and consequently will be punished eternally.
I answer that, As Augustine says in the book quoted above (De Civ. Dei xxi, 22), some have maintained that not all who have professed the Catholic faith will be freed from eternal punishment, but only those who persevere in works of mercy, although they be guilty of other crimes. But this cannot stand, because without charity nothing can be acceptable to God, nor does anything profit unto eternal life in the absence of charity. Now it happens that certain persons persevere in works of mercy without having charity. Wherefore nothing profits them to the meriting of eternal life, or to exemption from eternal punishment, as may be gathered from 1 Corinthians 13:3. Most evident is this in the case of those who lay hands on other people's property, for after seizing on many things, they nevertheless spend something in works of mercy. We must therefore conclude that all whosoever die in mortal sin, neither faith nor works of mercy will free them from eternal punishment, not even after any length of time whatever.
Reply to Objection 1. Those will obtain mercy who show mercy in an ordinate manner. But those who while merciful to others are neglectful of themselves do not show mercy ordinately, rather do they strike at themselves by their evil actions. Wherefore such persons will not obtain the mercy that sets free altogether, even if they obtain that mercy which rebates somewhat their due punishment.
Reply to Objection 2. The reason why the discussion refers only to the works of mercy is not because eternal punishment will be inflicted on none but those who omit those works, but because eternal punishment will be remitted to those who after sinning have obtained forgiveness by their works of mercy, making unto themselves "friends of the mammon of iniquity" (Luke 16:9).
Reply to Objection 3. Our Lord said this to those who ask that their debt be forgiven, but not to those who persist in sin. Wherefore the repentant alone will obtain by their works of mercy the forgiveness that sets them free altogether.
Reply to Objection 4. The gloss of Ambrose speaks of the inconstancy that consists in venial sin, from which a man will be freed through the works of mercy after the punishment of purgatory, which he calls a scourging. Or, if he speaks of the inconstancy of mortal sin, the sense is that those who while yet in this life fall into sins of the flesh through frailty are disposed to repentance by works of mercy. Wherefore such a one will not perish, that is to say, he will be disposed by those works not to perish, through grace bestowed on him by our Lord, Who is blessed for evermore. Amen.
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/5099.htm
Partial Answer to A Priest on Noise in The Mass
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| Mary and Martha-thanks so wikimedia |
http://blog.adw.org/2013/09/pastoral-perspectives-on-silence-in-church/
A smart friend of mine sent me this article. Take time to read it. Not only is it shocking, but it shows the depth of the falling away of the sense of Fear of the Lord and persistence of people centered worship. Humanism is alive and well in the Church.
I am only going to correct a few of the errors I see in this priest's thinking. I have not read the comments, either, but only the article.
First, large Churches existed from day one and from day one, contrary to popular belief, the Masses were mostly solemn high Masses. Small, intimate Masses only happened after the Church was heavily persecuted, and the simplicity of the Liturgy corresponded either to the need for hiding, or for the need of the displacement of the Mass from the urban areas to the country. Catholicism, as we see in Revelation, was urban from the start and the Mass would have been ornate. Contrary to Protestant belief, the Mass was more complicated and an expression of "high liturgy" for many reasons, including the main one, which was that the Bishop presided.
Now, the idea of silence was already common in both pagan and Jewish liturgical celebrations. We see St. Paul reminding the women to be silent in Church, not because they wanted to read, but because they were gossiping about who was getting married, who was pregnant again and who got a new donkey.
The ideal of silence in the Liturgy has, for centuries, been connected to Fear of the Lord, and the understanding of Transcendence.
This sense of Transcendence was part of the congregations sense of the sacred. God was God and duty plus appropriate worship was due to Him. The idea of respect would have been prevalent in the early Christian times, as the people were used to hierarchies and the appropriateness of behavior.
Which leads me to my second point. The moderns have no sense of appropriateness in dress, speech, eating, drinking, praying and so on. They have no sense of the sacred. How this happened is a combination of many things, including the changes in the Liturgy, but I blame the entire cultural shift in the past thirty years to the ideal and, indeed, idolization, of CASUAL.
Being casual is equal to sincerity, and sincerity is not a virtue. As I noted a few posts ago, one can make a heresy out of sincerity. Being casual indicates several psychological problems, such as a lack of boundaries and a certain type of narcissism which allows a person to think that they never need to conform to outside, cultural values.
This priest is also confused on then nature of our relationship with God. We are creatures, sons and daughters of the Most High, owing God worship which is due to Him because He is God and because we are not gods.
That people go to Church on Sunday for community is the another point I want to cover. Wrong, wrong, wrong,
as community should be happening daily, during the week, with people building community. Some of you may remember that after many frustrating Sundays in parishes where the noise level was worse than in Marks and Spencers, it dawned on me that the reason why people talked so much before and after Mass, was that they did not have real relationships during the week. If there was real community, as in the old TLM days, people would not need to talk on Sunday, as they would be fraternizing, helping each other out and so on during the week.
One last point-when do people listen to God? If we do not have silence in our lives, we cannot hear God. and there are times when the entire community should be listening to God.
I can write more and maybe I shall, but not tonight. God bless this priest and may he learn to love God more than people. We love people because we love God, not for their own sakes. This idea is missing in this article.
A Reminder of What We Are Up Against in The Media
Reminder of Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky
- “Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have."
- “Never go outside the expertise of your people.”
- “Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy.”
- “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules.”
- “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
- “A good tactic is one your people enjoy.”
- “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.”
- “Keep the pressure on. Never let up.”
- “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.”
- "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition."
- “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.”
- “The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.”
- “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”
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