Saturday Meditations on The Second Coming, continued

Revelation 19 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

19 After these things I heard as it were the voice of much people in heaven, saying: Alleluia. Salvation, and glory, and power is to our God.

² For true and just are his judgments, who hath judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication, and hath revenged the blood of his servants, at her hands.

³ And again they said: Alleluia. And her smoke ascendeth for ever and ever.

⁴ And the four and twenty ancients, and the four living creatures fell down and adored God that sitteth upon the throne, saying: Amen; Alleluia.

⁵ And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Give praise to our God, all ye his servants; and you that fear him, little and great.

⁶ And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned.

⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath prepared herself.

⁸ And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications of saints.

⁹ And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are true.

¹⁰ And I fell down before his feet, to adore him. And he saith to me: See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, who have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Faithful Catholics, Be of Good Cheer

Revelation 19:11-16Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and with justice doth he judge and fight.

¹² And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems, and he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself.

¹³ And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood; and his name is called, THE WORD OF GOD.

¹⁴ And the armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

¹⁵ And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two edged sword; that with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God the Almighty.

¹⁶ And he hath on his garment, and on his thigh written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) Bible Gateway

A Psalm in Times of Chaos

Psalm 93 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) from Bible Gateway

93 The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.

² Lift up thyself, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.

³ How long shall sinners, O Lord: how long shall sinners glory?

⁴ Shall they utter, and speak iniquity: shall all speak who work injustice?

⁵ Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.

⁶ They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.

⁷ And they have said: The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob understand.

⁸ Understand, ye senseless among the people: and, you fools, be wise at last.

⁹ He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?

¹⁰ He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?

¹¹ The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain.

¹² Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.

¹³ That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.

¹⁴ For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.

¹⁵ Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.

¹⁶ Who shall rise up for me against the evildoers? or who shall stand with me against the workers of iniquity?

¹⁷ Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell.

¹⁸ If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.

¹⁹ According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.

²⁰ Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?

²¹ They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.

²² But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.

²³ And he will render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

by Public Domain

Some Choice Sections from Vatican I-Part Three

http://wpcontent.answcdn.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Pio9vat1.jpg/300px-Pio9vat1.jpg

From the same source as the other two posts today.

Chapter 4. On the infallible teaching authority of the Roman pontiff

1. That apostolic primacy which the Roman pontiff possesses as successor of Peter, the prince of the apostles, includes also the supreme power of teaching.
   • This holy see has always maintained this,
   • the constant custom of the church demonstrates it, and
   • the ecumenical councils, particularly those in which East and West met in the union of faith and charity, have declared it.
   [councils]
2. So the fathers of the fourth council of Constantinople, following the footsteps of their predecessors, published this solemn profession of faith:
   • The first condition of salvation is to maintain the rule of the true faith. And since that saying of our lord Jesus Christ, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church [55] , cannot fail of its effect, the words spoken are confirmed by their consequences. For in the apostolic see the catholic religion has always been preserved unblemished, and sacred doctrine been held in honour. Since it is our earnest desire to be in no way separated from this faith and doctrine, we hope that we may deserve to remain in that one communion which the apostolic see preaches, for in it is the whole and true strength of the christian religion [56] .
   What is more, with the approval of the second council of Lyons, the Greeks made the following profession:
   • "The holy Roman church possesses the supreme and full primacy and principality over the whole catholic church. She truly and humbly acknowledges that she received this from the Lord himself in blessed Peter, the prince and chief of the apostles, whose successor the Roman pontiff is, together with the fullness of power. And since before all others she has the duty of defending the truth of the faith, so if any questions arise concerning the faith, it is by her judgment that they must be settled." [57]
   Then there is the definition of the council of Florence:
   • "The Roman pontiff is the true vicar of Christ, the head of the whole church and the father and teacher of all Christians; and to him was committed in blessed Peter, by our lord Jesus Christ, the full power of tending, ruling and governing the whole church." [58]
   [Holy See]
3. To satisfy this pastoral office, our predecessors strove unwearyingly that the saving teaching of Christ should be spread among all the peoples of the world; and with equal care they made sure that it should be kept pure and uncontaminated wherever it was received.[Custom]
4. It was for this reason that the bishops of the whole world, sometimes individually, sometimes gathered in synods, according to the long established custom of the churches and the pattern of ancient usage referred to this apostolic see those dangers especially which arose in matters concerning the faith. This was to ensure that any damage suffered by the faith should be repaired in that place above all where the faith can know no failing [59] .[Holy See]
5. The Roman pontiffs, too, as the circumstances of the time or the state of affairs suggested,
   • sometimes by
     • summoning ecumenical councils or
     • consulting the opinion of the churches scattered throughout the world, sometimes by
     • special synods, sometimes by
     • taking advantage of other useful means afforded by divine providence,
   • defined as doctrines to be held those things which, by God's help, they knew to be in keeping with
     • sacred scripture and
     • the apostolic traditions.
6. For the holy Spirit was promised to the successors of Peter
   • not so that they might, by his revelation, make known some new doctrine,
   • but that, by his assistance, they might religiously guard and faithfully expound the revelation or deposit of faith transmitted by the apostles.
   Indeed, their apostolic teaching was
   • embraced by all the venerable fathers and
   • reverenced and followed by all the holy orthodox doctors,
   for they knew very well that this see of St. Peter always remains unblemished by any error, in accordance with the divine promise of our Lord and Saviour to the prince of his disciples: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren [60] .
7. This gift of truth and never-failing faith was therefore divinely conferred on Peter and his successors in this see so that they might discharge their exalted office for the salvation of all, and so that the whole flock of Christ might be kept away by them from the poisonous food of error and be nourished with the sustenance of heavenly doctrine. Thus the tendency to schism is removed and the whole church is preserved in unity, and, resting on its foundation, can stand firm against the gates of hell.
8. But since in this very age when the salutary effectiveness of the apostolic office is most especially needed, not a few are to be found who disparage its authority, we judge it absolutely necessary to affirm solemnly the prerogative which the only-begotten Son of God was pleased to attach to the supreme pastoral office.
9. Therefore,
   • faithfully adhering to the tradition received from the beginning of the christian faith,
   • to the glory of God our saviour,
   • for the exaltation of the catholic religion and
   • for the salvation of the christian people,
   • with the approval of the sacred council,

     ---

   • we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that
     
     • when the Roman pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA,
       • that is, when,
         1. in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians,
         2. in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority,
         3. he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole church,
     • he possesses,
       • by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter,
     • that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals.
     • Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the church, irreformable.

     ---

   So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be anathema.

A Few Choice Statements from Vatican I-Part Two

Again, numbers are not as in original text found in same source as post below....

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm

1. And so faith in itself,
   • even though it may not work through charity,
   • is a gift of God,
   • and its operation is a work belonging to the order of salvation,
     • in that a person yields true obedience to God himself when he accepts and collaborates with his grace which he could have rejected.
2. Wherefore, by divine and catholic faith all those things are to be believed
   • which are contained in the word of God as found in scripture and tradition,
   • and which are proposed by the church as matters to be believed as divinely revealed,
   • whether by her solemn judgment
   • or in her ordinary and universal magisterium.
3. Since, then, without faith it is impossible to please God [21] and reach the fellowship of his sons and daughters, it follows that
   • no one can ever achieve justification without it,
   • neither can anyone attain eternal life unless he or she perseveres in it to the end.
4. So that we could fulfil our duty of embracing the true faith and of persevering unwaveringly in it, God, through his only begotten Son,
   • founded the church,
   • and he endowed his institution with clear notes to the end that she might be recognised by all as the guardian and teacher of the revealed word.
5. To the catholic church alone belong all those things, so many and so marvellous, which have been divinely ordained to make for the manifest credibility of the christian faith.
6. What is more,
   • the church herself
     by reason of
     • her astonishing propagation,
     • her outstanding holiness and
     • her inexhaustible fertility in every kind of goodness, by
     • her catholic unity and
     • her unconquerable stability,
   • is a kind of great and perpetual motive of credibility and an incontrovertible evidence of her own divine mission.

A Few Choice Statements from Vatican I--Part One

This numbering is off from the original text-from this site:

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm

1. Everybody knows that those heresies, condemned by the fathers of Trent, which rejected the divine magisterium of the church and allowed religious questions to be a matter for the judgment of each individual, have gradually collapsed into a multiplicity of sects, either at variance or in agreement with one another; and by this means a good many people have had all faith in Christ destroyed.
2. Indeed even the holy Bible itself, which they at one time claimed to be the sole source and judge of the christian faith, is no longer held to be divine, but they begin to assimilate it to the inventions of myth.
3. Thereupon there came into being and spread far and wide throughout the world that doctrine of rationalism or naturalism, - utterly opposed to the christian religion, since this is of supernatural origin, - which spares no effort to bring it about that Christ, who alone is our lord and saviour, is shut out from the minds of people and the moral life of nations. Thus they would establish what they call the rule of simple reason or nature. The abandonment and rejection of the christian religion, and the denial of God and his Christ, has plunged the minds of many into the abyss of pantheism, materialism and atheism, and the consequence is that they strive to destroy rational nature itself, to deny any criterion of what is right and just, and to overthrow the very foundations of human society.
4. With this impiety spreading in every direction, it has come about, alas, that many even among the children of the catholic church have strayed from the path of genuine piety, and as the truth was gradually diluted in them, their catholic sensibility was weakened. Led away by diverse and strange teachings [4] and confusing
   • nature and grace,
   • human knowledge and divine faith,
   they are found to distort the genuine sense of the dogmas which holy mother church holds and teaches, and to endanger the integrity and genuineness of the faith.
5. At the sight of all this, how can the inmost being of the church not suffer anguish? For
   • just as God wills all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth [5] , just as Christ came to save what was lost [6] and to gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad [7] ,
   • so the church, appointed by God to be mother and mistress of nations, recognises her obligations to all and is always ready and anxious
     • to raise the fallen,
     • to steady those who stumble,
     • to embrace those who return, and
     • to strengthen the good and urge them on to what is better.
   Thus she can never cease from witnessing to the truth of God which heals all [8 ] and from declaring it, for she knows that these words were directed to her: My spirit which is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth from this time forth and for evermore [9] .
6. And so we, following in the footsteps of our predecessors, in accordance with our supreme apostolic office, have never left off
   • teaching and defending catholic truth and
   • condemning erroneous doctrines.

News Update from SPUC

3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk
Fears for safety of vulnerable people as assisted suicide is debated in House of Lords
JOHN SMEATON, SPUC DIRECTOR Friday, 18 July 2014 Fears for safety of vulnerable people as assisted suicide is debated in House of Lords Baroness Jane Campbell Fears for the safety of vulnerable people - terminally-ill, disabled or elderly - figured strongly in the House of Lords debate on Lord Falconer's Assisted Dying Bill today. Regrettably, the bill was allowed to proceed for further consideration by the House of Lords, though its ultimate outcome remains uncertain. The bill's opponents gave excellent speeches and focused on the bill's many dangers and problems. Regrettably, those opponents did not call for a vote, which could have stopped the bill. Those who favoured the bill pointed to the ultimatum in the Supreme Court's recent Nicklinson judgment. The Supreme Court threatened that if Parliament did not debate assisted suicide, the courts might declare the current law incompatible with human rights, thereby forcing the government to introduce legislation. Many speeches in today's debate rehearsed issues which had been raised in Lord Joffe's assisted suicide bills (2004-2006) and Lord Falconer's previous attempts to change the law. Lord Tebbit argued forcefully that weakening the protection of terminally-ill people would leave them at the mercy of "vultures" – money-grasping relatives. Baroness Kennedy said that, while the bill offer 'choice' to those in terminal illness, the modern popular notion of 'choice' was both a lure and a snare. The Anglican Bishop of Bristol and others pointed to the change of mind of Dr Theo Boer of the Netherlands, previously a supporter of euthanasia, who now wishes it were possible to "put the genie back in the bottle." Viscount Colville noted how the bill failed to provide any adequate check that people supposedly choosing freely to die were of sound mind. The slippery slope argument – that the bill will lead to much more extensive killing – was widely canvassed by both sides. Some rejected this argument outright, but others, such as disabled peer Baroness Campbell asserted it forcefully. Baroness Cumberledge said the bill was not so much a slippery slope as an ice-cliff. Many peers on both sides of the debate mentioned the many letters they had received from members of the public and how these had influenced their thinking. A number of peers quoted personal stories from letters, and several indicated that correspondence had helped to shape their thinking on the bill. Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk

For STS One has words

Sophie's Choice in Baghdad

http://news.yahoo.com/convert-pay-tax-die-islamic-state-warns-christians-181415698--business.html

Why I Need A Miracle

On December 22nd, 2010, the visa route was closed to new overseas applicants.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/e14f0cb8-0ce0-11e4-90fa-00144feabdc0.html

News

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2696975/Putin-blames-Ukraine-loss-Flight-MH17-298-innocent-souls-DOESNT-deny-Russian-separatists-shot-missile-McCain-warns-Hell-pay.html

"Wrongfully Fired?"

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/17/lawsuit-kansas-city-catholic-diocese-gay-marriage

Remember, sin has no rights. And....from the CCC.

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.<sup>143

Notice the footnotes:</sup> 

139 Cf. Gen 4:10.
140 Cf. Gen 18:20; 19:13.
141 Cf. Ex 3:7-10.
142 Cf. Ex 20:20-22.
143 Cf. Deut 24:14-15; Jas 5:4.

Apostasy Watch

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=25186#.U8lGgAFVPHE.twitter

Heresy Is The Sin of Sins

Are you saying "no" to the Church in any way, large or small? Do you mock or have pride concerning a teaching of the Church? Are you totally faithful to the Magisterium?

If not, you are in rebellion and unorthodox, and your immortal soul is in danger.

If you are not a devout, orthodox, obedient Catholic, you cannot commit the big sins. But, if you depart from Church teaching in ANY way, then you will be open to great temptation and mortal sin.

Think about this.

Here is the Merriam-Webster definition:

her·e·sy

 noun \ˈher-ə-sē, ˈhe-rə-\

: a belief or opinion that does not agree with the official belief or opinion of a particular religion

plural her·e·sies

Full Definition of HERESY

1

a :  adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma

b :  denial of a revealed truth by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church

c :  an opinion or doctrine contrary to church dogma

2

a :  dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice

b :  an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards

Salvation Within A Context

When my son was a child, one of his favorite stories was Rip Van Winkle. Rip falls asleep after drinking magic ale with the "ghosts" of the crew of Henry Hudson's ship, the Half-Moon. When he wakes up twenty years later, he is in a very different world.  He slept through the American Revolution and the election of General Washington as the first president.

Almost daily, I meet Catholics and other Americans, who like Rip, are sleeping. They fell asleep 20 years ago, in 1994, and have not awakened yet to the era of persecution of Catholics, the seemingly triumph of evil in our country, the loss of international prestige for America, the apostasy of bishops and cardinals, the loss of religious liberties, the continued slaughter of unborn children, the financial distress of many middle-class families, and the warring countries of the world which seem to proliferate daily.

I know people who have buried themselves in the 1990s. They do not want to face reality. But, God demands that we face reality. We are saved within a context.

From all eternity, God planned, in His Divine Providence, that we shall live in a particular time, and in a particular place. Salvation is worked out daily in our families, or at work. And, most importantly, we are all given particular graces to live in our time and place.

One of my favorite quotations from literature is from Tolkien:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Gandalf is a realist. He is a warrior sent for the times and places in the story. We are warriors, the members of the Church Militant, sent by God, created by Him, for a certain time and place.

Accept this, work for these times and places, ask for more grace. God is there, as He always has been, thinking of you from and for all eternity.

Bishops And The Party of Death

Why Do Trads Trust The Media?

One of the most serious problems among Catholic Traditionals in America is that they read either the wrong sources, or do not understand the media at all. I want to make a few points on the recent problems again with reports from the, mostly, Italian, media concerning statements from the Pope.

Here are my bullets for consideration:

• Not all popes are scholars or saints. Some are more spontaneous and less reflective.
• The Italian media, even the official Vatican newspaper, has been infiltrated by Marxists and even atheists for years and years and years.
• Americans never read foreign newspapers as they are so provincial and do not go to the sources. This is a serious problem among trads who naively trust American news sources, which are also anti-Rome.
• Trad newspapers also have agendas. Some are uncharitable, incorrect, and do not check their sources. Some publish knee-jerk articles.
• This Pope has made no doctrinal statements and has only published one encyclical. He has, therefore, only one infallible document, which is that encyclical, as all encyclicals are infallible.
• This Pope is not European and is not part of the European in-crowd, many of whom are not happy with a New World Pope.
• Trads who say he is not a real Pope have excommunicated themselves as sedevacantinists. 
• One does not have to LIKE every Pope. The Church has been blessed with saintly men as popes for over a hundred years. This pope may become a saint in office, so pray for him.
• The world-wide media hates the Catholic Church so much all statements, photo-ops etc. are ammo. So? What is new? The media hated the Pope Emeritus as well, and St. John Paul II.
• One must not accept disinformation from any source. There is no such thing as a completely objective newspaper or TV presenter. In fact, some trads listen daily to presenters who absolutely hate Catholics. Pay attention, pray, reflect.

From SPUC

3 Whitacre Mews, Stannary Street London, SE11 4AB, United Kingdom Telephone: (020) 7091 7091 Email: information@spuc.org.uk http://www.spuc.org.uk
A moving account why Lord Falconer's assisted suicide bill is wrong
JOHN SMEATON, SPUC DIRECTOR Friday, 18 July 2014 A moving account why Lord Falconer's assisted suicide bill is wrong Matthew Schellhorn, a highly-regarded classical pianist, has kindly given me permission to reproduce below his moving account of his late mother's terminal illness and his insightful arguments against Lord Falconer's assisted suicide bill, beingdebated at Second Reading today: Living life to the full When my mum was diagnosed with late-stage cancer she turned to me and said, ‘We will get through it.’ At the time, I did not know what that could possibly mean. Looking after my mum disrupted my normal life. Being her carer took away my time. It made me lose interest in music and endangered professional opportunities. It also dragged my pregnant wife and young son into a world of commodes, hoists, medication and round-the-clock worry. But amidst the difficulties we all built our motivation on one solid belief, that life was something precious, something to be celebrated, cherished and affirmed. As mum’s health declined and the opportunities for ‘normal life’ decreased, the possibilities expanded. We lived the paradox that when there are limits to life the freedom is greater. Mum also knew that positive experiences would sustain the bereaved left behind: that further altruism also gave her life some meaning. I am so glad I did not have to discuss the Assisted Dying Bill with my terminally ill mother. I think that if my mum had lived to know about this Bill it might well have destroyed all our happy experiences. I think she would have been terrified to know that the same doctors so keen to see her enjoying life, even in a limited way, might be perfectly willing to help her to end her life, should she have so chosen. It would have destroyed the relationship of trust to know that there were no boundaries between healthcare professionals and patients. And it would have demoralised her carers, who together worked towards making life comfortable, to think that their efforts might be considered futile. It would also have increased my mother’s vulnerability. As she lay in bed for 23 hours a day in our living room I knew she was already self-conscious about the enormous strain put on us. Numerous times she took decisions about routine and food that she presumed would alleviate any difficulties in our family life. The sanctioning of that inclination, the condoning of any despair, might well tip the balance in favour of a fatal outcome ahead of further positive experiences. As I tried enormously hard to remove all suggestion that her presence was an unwelcome burden, there could have been an altogether more powerful tacit force undermining me. Although it has made for uncomfortable reading, I have considered the arguments in favour of this Bill. Lord Carey and Desmond Tutu have given their reasons why it is ‘compassionate’ to provide an exit door to the terminally ill ahead of their natural demise. The Care Minister, Norman Lamb, thinks people should be able ‘to make their own decision about their life’. These ways of thinking contradict established medical ethics and fly in the face of all logic. The life of a physically sick person is worth as much as a physically healthy person. Importantly, the person in question gains happiness from experiencing that truth. Now that the dust has settled, I see we ‘got through’ terminal illness, each in our own way. That is why I oppose this Bill. Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk

Hey, Guess What?

Everything the Catholic Church teaches is true!

We shall be judged on junk

In the past eight months, I have been in many American houses. One thing which has struck me here, coming from being in Europe for three years, is the amount of "stuff" people collect in their houses. Most of those people lived through the depression and are afraid to not have things. Some are afraid of death, and think that things will keep them from facing the inevitable. Some  find solace in things because they were poor as children.

Attics, basements, spare rooms, and even living spaces are full of small decorations, too many dishes and glasses, nick-nacks and even too much art.

Americans seem to want to collect stuff beyond what they need and beyond what is attractive.

We shall be judged on junk

Millions of people in the world and in the USA go to sleep hungry daily and Americans still buy nonsense daily.

I do not want to be judged on how much stuff I bought and did not use, or bought and stuffed in closets and attics.

God forgive us for greed, for that is the sin behind stuff.

William Morris, in The Beauty of Life (1880) said, "If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."