Many older, even elderly people are being shocked by the news. Some old people told me that they do not want to be around to see the fall of Western Civilization.
At least they recognized this is happening. The vast majority of people, including 40 and unders, I meet daily have no clue, nor do they want to have a clue.
As in the days of Noah, they are acting as if life will continue, as if sinning does not matter.
The sad part of this blindness is that people no longer believe that they are responsible for their own sins.
They psychoanalyze every action in order to exonerate themselves. "Well, I never had Catholic education. Well, my mom was mean and my dad absent. Well, I do not know how to be a Catholic."
Sorry, but adults are responsible for their own faith and the adult appropriation of that faith.
No one is excused unless they are mentally incompetent.
It is beyond my ability to speak or write about the blindness I see daily with regard to people living as if they do not have souls, and there is no afterlife.
Maybe, these people do not care.
God cares.
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Friday, 29 August 2014
The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
The priest at Mass this morning had an excellent sermon.
He reminded us that we live in a world where people choose evil, like Herod did.
St. John is one of our models for holiness.
Detail from Caravaggio's great masterpiece in Malta.
He reminded us that we live in a world where people choose evil, like Herod did.
St. John is one of our models for holiness.
Detail from Caravaggio's great masterpiece in Malta.
Divisions
I am not sure how to describe times of persecution except to say that we shall see very soon great divisions in our countries.
Those who choose Christ and His Church will become saints, while those who do not will fall into deep darkness, brought about by their own choices.
No amount of psychological talk about healing of family trees or the release of curses, or the lack of Catholic education can exonerate us from not choosing Christ. God gives all the graces necessary for salvation.
We are all guilty concerning our decisions or lack of decisions.
Some Catholics are floating into lives of sin because they are not willing to suffer what is needed for perfection-study, prayer, conversion.
One does not have to be an intellectual or a scholar to be a saint.
I have met two more saints recently.There is no doubt in my mind that these two women are holy.
One gets up daily at 4:30, prays four rosaries and Lauds before morning Mass, reads Catholic newspapers and watches EWTN, prays for others, and lives simply. She is in her 80s.
The other prays the rosary daily, does the same reading and praying, going to Adoration once a week, and genuinely loving people. Her discernment is incredible.
Both women grew up with the Baltimore Catechism and claim that is one reason why they are not confused.
They are sisters and have been graced from little on.
They admit that they had to move away from the Democratic Party, and they did not vote for Obama because of the Dem platform supporting abortion.
After that, they grew in grace.
However, in their families are divisions; those who follow God and those who do not.
They see this and they pray.
Divisions cannot be denied or papered-over.
This is the time of division.
Direction of This Blog
So, from the beginning of 2007 until 2009, taking a break after the beginning of that year, and starting up again in January 2012, I have been blogging,
As my regular readers know, contemporary issues were big in the first two years, with an emphasis on the growth of holiness in the second set of years.
Many other sites which are more famous than my little blog are now taking over themes, as people are waking up.
I really do not have to write about tribulation or persecution, as those issues are now painfully obvious.
I have written all I can write at this time on the way to perfection.
Lately, in my private studies, I have been reading about the overlap of mental illness and healthy spirituality. I am, as you regulars know, reading Father Chad Ripperger's monumental work.
In the past several months, what is obvious to me are these points, which have formed the background of so many posts.
1) People are becoming either better to best, or worse to worst. There is no longer any leisure for the middle ground among Catholic.
2) Many Catholics are bound up by sin and family sins, including curses and habits of sin. Those who are willing to break away and cooperate with the code-breakers will accept the Truth. Others will not.
3) The time of mercy is coming to an end, with the time of great tribulation looming.
4) We are all called to holiness. The remnant will and are responding. I meet saints daily, including three here in this area; true saints.
5) Community is a necessity. Where it does not happen, people will be truly isolated and caught in the midst of great evils
6) Those who are waking up are choosing the "better way" of Mary of Bethany-contemplation.
7) The nations of the world are becoming prisons, interfering with the freedom of travel of many, if not most citizens, either because of war and tensions, or new rules. We are losing freedoms daily.
8) Most priests miss the signs of the times and are not leading the sheep or feeding them as the sheep need.
9) Many people's lives will be changed in the next several months, so that the normal life of Catholicism we have experienced for years in free countries will seem like a happy dream.
10) I am not sure what else I can share, except that we must free the captives of sin NOW through prayer, action, suffering, penance.
Pray for me as I find the new direction to which God is calling me on the blog and off this blog.
Thursday, 28 August 2014
Review of Brain Death Posts for D., on Request
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/father-ripperger-on-brain-death.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/proves-my-point-on-brain-death.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/several-articles-on-brain-death-in.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/superb-comment-on-brain-death-post.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/proves-my-point-on-brain-death.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/several-articles-on-brain-death-in.html
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/01/superb-comment-on-brain-death-post.html
Prayers Needed, Please
Please take a moment to pray for me and my family, including son today. Thanks.
In The Trenches
Must rely on re-posts today and here are some of the ones from the past on St. Augustine:
27 Feb 2013
I
am presenting bits of the City of God by St. Augustine. After Augustine
I shall highlight SS. Jerome and John Chrysostom, as part of the
section on the Classical Doctors of the Church. Of course, those of you
who have been ...
09 Dec 2012
Here
is a commentary and a quotation from St. Augustine on the Feast of the
Maccabees, August 1st Sermon 300. (Other Fathers of the Church commented
on the Maccabean martyrs as well). Let no one think that before
there ...
27 May 2014
St.
Augustine and his companions brought Christianity again to England at
the order of Pope St. Gregory, who saw the beautiful Angle-Saxons slaves
in Rome and called them "Angels, not Angles." May God in His Mercy
let ...
04 Jan 2013
Do
you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a
vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility.
The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.
St. Augustine
01 Mar 2013
One
forgets the world of St. Augustine was very much like ours today. He
grew up and went to a classical school. He went to the theatre most
likely in or near Tagaste (Thagaste). He went to the University at
Carthage and went ...
07 Aug 2012
From
St. Augustine. Posted by Supertradmum. Whenever we suffer some
affliction, we should regard it both as punishment and as a correction.
Our holy Scriptures themselves do not promise us peace, security and
rest.
13 Nov 2013
Many,
many years ago, in a great on line college, I taught some of the works
of St. Augustine for beginners. I covered Confessions and the City of
God . I had great fun and was sad when the course ended. I had
taught ...
01 Mar 2013
Looking
at a sermon of St. Augustine's (his works took over long aisles in the
Notre Dame library when I was there), one can perceive this dialectic in
his thought. In this perfection series, I am addressing the laity, so
that we ...
18 Aug 2014
...
to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest. Labels: doctors of the
Church, Illuminative State, latin doctors, perfection, perfection again,
perfection series II, perfection series III, perfection series IV, St.
Augustine of Hippo ...
27 Feb 2013
Sadly,
I leave the great and sweet St. Bernard behind and move to the Doctors
of the Church in the Classical Period. St. Augustine will be the focus
for a few days. May I state that he has most likely been one of the
greatest ...
28 Aug 2013
St.
Augustine of Hippo, Pray for Us. Posted by Supertradmum. If you have
not read the Confessions or the City of God, do. I actually, years ago,
was asked to teach the City of God at a small Catholic college.
04 Mar 2013
On
to St. Ambrose, the great teacher of St. Augustine....to be continued.
There are other postings on Augustine on this blog as well. And, I
recommend the older Peter Brown biography. One should always start, of
course, with ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
16 Jan 2013
(14)
The fact that God foresees our salutary and meritorious acts
presupposes, according to the teaching of St. Augustine, the decree of
the divine will as regards these acts.(15) Father Portalié considers
that St. Augustine ...
22 Jul 2014
Basically,
the Church has accepted and made into teachings the insights of St.
Augustine against the Pelagians and Semipelagians. There is Original
Sin, grace is necessary and gratuitous, and we are absolutely
dependent ...
28 Feb 2013
I
know I started the postings on St. Augustine, which will continue on
Friday, but today I was reading in the sermon of St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, On Detraction. I am only going to refer to two ideas, both
repetitions on this blog.
23 Mar 2013
St.
Thomas, following St. Augustine and opposing Pelagian or semi-Pelagian
naturalism, grasped the depth and the height of our Lord's words:
"Without Me you can do nothing," [1] and of St. Paul's words: "For it is
God Who ...
http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/
27 Aug 2012
Happy
Feast of St. Monica. This is my favourite painting of St. Monica and
St. Augustine. God bless all mums and sons today and bring them all
closer to God. A mother's influence is great, for good or for evil. Let
us pray for all ...
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Taking Christ Seriously
We cannot. We must immerse ourselves in the Gospels, understanding that the words of Christ are real, true, exact. Christ is God, the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity.
Those who do not take His words seriously do not believe Christ is God Incarnated.
Here are some of the passages for meditation and boldface highlights are mine:
Mark 1:22-27
"22 And they were astonished at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes.
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus threatened him, saying: Speak no more, and go out of the man.
26 And the unclean spirit tearing him, and crying out with a loud voice, went out of him.
27 And
they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves,
saying: What thing is this? what is this new doctrine? for with power he
commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
That is from Mark 1:22-27. Here are some others.
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” Matthew 19:24.”“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword” Matthew 10:34.
“Another of his disciples said unto him, Lord suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury the dead” Matthew 8:21.
“All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men; and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it” Matthew 19:11-12.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” Matthew 5:48.
And, perhaps the hardest saying from Christ, as so many people do not believe this, from John 6.
"51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
52 If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.
53 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
54 Then
Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.
55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.
56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.
57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.
58 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.
59 This
is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat
manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever.
60 These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.
61 Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it?
62 But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: Doth this scandalize you?
63 If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.
65 But
there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the
beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that
would betray him.
66 And he said: Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father."
How To Prepare for Martyrdom Part Two
May I continue with the previous post, adding to the list, a list I pray I can implement with God's graces?
Eighteen, pray daily for final perseverance. The Hail Mary is a good start, "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death..."
Nineteen, accept the sufferings God decides to give you humbly, rather than looking for other types. God knows what you need.
Twenty, be realistic that things are going to get a lot worse, a lot. Realize that God does not spare Christians when He punishes those who hate Him.
Twenty-one, know that patience comes from humility.
Twenty-two, never, never compare yourself with someone else in holiness, and never, never say, "Why me?" but "Why not me?"
Twenty-three, learn to think like a member of the Church Militant. Never rest, never go "off guard".
Be alert and know that discernment allows one to know when one has to be a martyr and when one does not. Prudence is the mark of a saint.
Twenty-four, be devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows.
How To Prepare fo Martyrdom Part One
I think this is possible. May I make a list of suggestions on how to get ready for, perhaps, the ultimate sacrifice?
One, let God purify you. Let God deal with your predominant fault. Pursue perfection.
Two, do sacrificial actions and mortifications daily. This could include fasting daily and other things which bring discomfort to the body and humble the soul.
Three, realize that God gives grace, and that one's own strength is severely limited. Only God can make a martyr ready.
Four, learn to pray constantly, even at work or in a parking lot, or waiting in line at the store. Learning to concentrate on prayer and God in any place leads to mental discipline.
Five, surround yourself with holy, good people so that you know you have "back-up" spiritually. Today, I phoned a holy friend for advice. She said she would be my prayer-back-up. We are not in this persecution alone.
Six, go to regular, even weekly confession.
Seven, get to Mass and Adoration as much as possible.
Eight, read the Scriptures and meditate on the Life of Christ, our model in suffering.
Nine, accept suffering, all types, daily, peacefully, gratefully.
Ten, meditate specifically on the Passion of Christ and desire to be joined with Him.
Eleven, realize that detachment and objectivity allow one to love one's enemies, forgive them and even pray for them. Martyrs are not angry or unforgiving.
Twelve, die to self daily so that it becomes a habit of being.
Thirteen. be honest about how many people hate the Church, the Pope and, therefore, you.
Fourteen, accept physical pain and suffering. Learn to endure it, instead of rushing for ibuprofen or whatever. Learn to transcend pain for the sake of others, as intercessory prayer.
Fifteen, learn to forgive anyone immediately, knowing that, except for grace, one could be the persecutor.
Sixteen, ask God to take away all fears of suffering, abandonment, rejection and replace those with His Love.
Seventeen, love, love, love....
to be continued....
St. Monica's Legacy
One of the things I learned from St. Monica is to never stop praying, never to give up hope.
She is the emblem, the model of perseverance in prayer.
For all of us who have been praying for years and years for loved ones, she represents hope and persistence.
Can you imagine if she had given up on her prayers for her son?
No St. Augustine, no Augustinians, perhaps no Pope Emeritus....
No Confessions, no City of God, no sermons...
No correction of the Manicheans, no end of the Donatists...
No St. Augustine of Canterbury, no Canterbury, no Mottisfont Abbey, no Walsingham Priory, plus the other 133 Augustinian houses in per-Reformation England...
No St. Rita, no Augustinian martyrs of Japan, no St. Nicholas of Tolentino...
No Angela of Foligno, no Augustinian martyrs of Africa...and more.
One woman's prayers began all of this.
Persevere.
Why Consumerism Is So Evil
As I have been traveling, I have seen the devastation in America brought about by the great sins of greed and lust. Consumerism, the relentless desire and accumulation of things, has killed the souls of so many Catholics.
The reason why consumerism is so evil is simply that it is idolatry.
The things made by humans cannot bring life to the soul, and, in fact, take life from the soul.
Consumerism hides many other sins, such as materialism, the belief that there is no afterlife, but only the here and now.
Of course, most of us know that things cannot make us happy, so why the relentless striving after things?
I am so sick of psychological double-speak about people being deprived of love in youth so they seek compensation in things.
Americans are among the richest people in the world. I hear people say to me that they are "poor" when in any other country, their lifestyle of eating too much, drinking too much, buying too much and having too much entertainment would be the lifestyle of the rich.
I know people who have food, clothing, housing, entertainment, alcohol, more food, more clothing, complaining that they are poor.
Consumerism has made them lose perspective.
Every American should travel to other countries and see the lower standards of living.
Consumerism has killed creativity as well. It deadens the imagination, the mind, the will.
It kills love.
James 4:3-4 You don't get what you want because you don't ask God for it. And when you do ask he doesn't give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit--you only want to satisfy your own desires. You are like unfaithful wives, never realizing that to be the world's lover means becoming the enemy of God! Anyone who chooses to be the world's friend is thereby making himself God's enemy.
Do you want to know who your god is? What do you think about most of the day? Self? Pleasure? Things? Another human? Status? Comfort?
God?
Fear Culture
They live in fear of strangers.
They live in fear of the "outside".
They live in fear of change, growth, repentance.
They live in craven fear of God.
Fear is a natural response to real danger. When a fear exists outside reasonable expectations, that fear is irrational. Some people with mental illness experience irrational fears.
Humans need to fear God, in a healthy realization that He is God, Almighty, Justice and Mercy.
We need to fear the devil and his minions.
We need to fear falling into sin.
But, perfect love does cast out fear.
The more one is drawn closer to God in love, the less one fears. Love does drive out fear.
Fear of others is demonic. Years ago, when I was in Ireland, my host had a television show on about home invasions. A couple who experience this were being interviewed. The documentary was two hours long.
When I looked up the statistics on Irish home invasions, I was not surprised to discover the low number of crimes in this category.
The television program producers were creating more fear than necessary. Fear breaks down communities and even causes families to have a "moat mentality", which can be extremely unhealthy.
I think today of St. Paul shipwrecked on the Island of Malta. The locals came out and helped all those in the terrible disaster. They fed and took care of St. Paul, who healed their sick and preached the Gospel.
Malta became, until recently, a beacon of light in a dark world, a great center of Catholicity.
What if those original people had feared St. Paul and the Romans?
Christianity created friendships, families, communities, even nations. Christianity created schools, universities, monasteries, convents.Christianity created beauty, art, architecture, music.
Christianity created "friendship in the Lord." Christianity brings about healing and new life.
Fear drives away love and healing.
Do not be afraid.
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