August 2019 – On God's Payroll

Discovering the Pattern of Our Life in the Paschal Mystery BY MSGR. CHARLES POPE

Discovering the Pattern of Our Life in the Paschal Mystery

We ponder many things on the Feast of the Transfiguration, among them the pattern of our life. Peter, James, and John saw the glory of Christ there, but only after a difficult climb up Mount Tabor. Peter wanted to remain there, but the Lord said, in effect, “No, we must go down this mountain and eventually up another, Calvary, which is the way to true and lasting glory.” We, too, go through this pattern of climbing (the cross) followed by beholding success and glory (the resurrection). This is the Paschal mystery and it is the pattern of our life, gor we are immersed into the life of Christ.

St. Paul speaks often of the Paschal mystery, the Christian life. Let’s consider one brief example on two levels: the individual and the Church.

Level One: The Individual

We are frequently asked, “How are you?” and often respond by saying, “I’m doing OK,” but consider, fellow Christian, the truest answer to this question, which St. Paul supplies:

Always carrying about in our bodies the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifest in us (2 Cor 4:10).

As Christians, the Paschal mystery is our life. We are immersed in the dying, rising, and ascending of Jesus. At every moment of our life, the great Easter mysteries of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection are at work. With Jesus, we are ascending to the Father.

This cycle may go on several times each day as both good and bad things happen to us or around us. The pattern is also evident in the longer term: there are challenging and difficult years in our life as well as ones that are more serene and joyful. Yes, we die, and we rise with Christ. This is the Paschal mystery; this is our life.

We experience trials, difficulties, disappointments, losses, and even devastation. This is the dying of Christ. That dying, however, leads to new life, and so we rise with Christ. It may take “three days” in the tomb, but if we are faithful, we rise, not just to where we were before, but more alive in Christ Jesus. As the old Adam dies in us, we gradually experience the New Adam, Christ Jesus. The old life that dies is replaced by the fuller life of Christ.

Unless the gain of wheat falls to earth and dies to itself it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies it [rises and] produces abundant fruit (Jn 12:24).

Consider how much greater the mighty oak tree is compared to the acorn that fell to earth and “died.” There is hardly a resemblance at all. So it is that the life of the New Adam is incomprehensibly greater than the life it replaces: the dying life of the old Adam.

We are dying, and we are rising, but it is not a simple trade off, for in all of it we are ascending higher and higher with Jesus. The next time someone asks you how you’re doing, surprise him with a paraphrase of St. Paul’s answer: “Always carrying about in my body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifest in me.” Yes, the Paschal mystery is writ into the life of each one of us.

Level Two: The Church

In the same passage, St. Paul writes on another level, that of the Body of Christ, the Church. Referring to himself and his sufferings, imprisonments, and difficulties, he says,

So death is at work in us, but life in you. … We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; … Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God(2 Cor 4:12, 8-9; 15).

St. Paul views his suffering (and that of others in the apostolic band) as being for the sake of others in the Church. He suffers so that they might have faith and life. Historically this has been the case: The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church(Tertullian). Some in the Church have suffered and died so that others might have faith and life. One of the hard but freeing truths of life is that your life is not about you. The ink of the Creed is the blood of martyrs. We ought never to forget how much others have suffered so that we might have faith.

This is the Paschal mystery writ large: some in the Church are suffering while others are thriving and experiencing growth. The Church, the Body of Christ, is dying and rising. St. Paul says,

For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake … (1 Cor 4:9-10).

Indeed! Of the first thirty-three popes, thirty died as martyrs, two died in exile, and only one died in his own bed. Today’s bishops, at least in the United States, typically live a comfortable life, protected and surrounded by layers of staff; yet many of them are cautious in the face of conflict. St. Paul calls bishops and pastors to be willing to suffer for the flock if necessary.

Many in the Church today are suffering, although this is often goes unnoticed by the vast majority of people (to remedy this, read regularly here: Today’s Martyrs). Through their sufferings the Church obtains mercy and continues to grow. The blood of martyrs is still seed for the Church. In the often-decadent West, we should be somewhat embarrassed at how others are willing to suffer loss, imprisonment, and even death for the faith, while we can barely get ourselves out of bed in time to go to Mass on Sunday.

The Lord has designed His Body, the Church, such that some do suffer, do carry the weight, so that others may thrive and grow. We should be grateful for these sacrifices, often hidden from us, though not from God. From them comes life for the rest of us. It is the Paschal mystery writ large! End Quotes

The “Game called Truth” A Reflection by Patrick Miron

The “Game called Truth”

A Reflection by Patrick Miron

John 1:17 “because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”

This books final lesson aims to alert us Catholics to what lies surround us. I wish to make us aware of the challenges that faces us; which will require Supernatural and Sacramental graces to overcome. Each of us, in the manner called by our God, is commanded and in some fashion determined by the Holy Spirit [1^st. Corinthians Chapter 12], equipped to have a role in the “New Evangelization.” Each of us is called to come to the aid, of the, at present sick body of Christ. Our gifts and our talents are from God; on loan, not our very own possessions, to build up, and to restore Christ Church to its potential glory and prominence.

What I share below is a candid overview of the crisis that we are in the midst of. Prayer, sacrifices and being actively involved, in the midst of the today’s amoral society are Christ expectations for each and every one of us. Let us not dear friends, not sin by omission. The Body of Christ needs us now. Right now!

Matthew 28: 16-20 “Now the eleven disciples [remaining apostles after Judas hung himself] went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. [This was before Pentecost] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [And I now pass it on to you: see also John 17: 18 & 20:21] YOU Go therefore and make disciples of a ll nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded YOU![meaning both taught and commanded] ; and lo, I am with YOU always, to the close of the age.”

There was a time, when logic ruled; or was at least considered more relevant. When commonsense, regularly made sense. When right WAS right; and when wrong WAS wrong. Those times dear friends were “The good old days.” The title I choose for this Lesson sadly reflects today’s “new reality.”

Pope Francis: [There can be] “No peace without truth”

Pope Benedict XVI: Upon being elected as our Pontiff shared this thought in his first public address as our then; “New Pope” … “There cannot be your truth and my truth or there would be no truth.”

“Truth is not determined by a majority vote.”
― Pope Benedict XVI

“In this way it became clear to me how important it is that we don’t lose the concept of truth, in spite of the menaces and perils that it doubtless carries with it. It has to remain as a central category. As a demand on us that doesn’t give us rights but requires, on the contrary, our humility and our obedience and can lead us to the common path.”
― Pope Benedict XVI

“The human person finds his perfection “in seeking and loving what is true and good.”
― Pope Benedict XVI

So what’s happened to change the once bright light of truth? Today’s benchmark for “truth,” much like the setting sun at day’s end just keeps getting lower. Why and how this happened is an important heads-up to those of us, now in the minority, who remain concerned about the fate of truth, and its consequences upon humanity. We who understand that salvation cannot rest on the foundation of man-made; human engineered [which is a precise term] faith-beliefs which are accepted because they call for a more simple; a less taxing; a far easier, make me feel good path to salvation, based on half- truths, lies and misunderstandings. … The “narrow gate” [Mt. 7:123-15] is hidden, bypassed, overlooked, or not even sought, and even at times unknown.

What some might find surprising are the large numbers who “buy into,” what ought to clearly be, and obviously are false philosophies and religious teachings, on which rest the outcome of their eternal Soul. God is One; so how can One God hold more than just one set of faith beliefs on long defined issues? And could our Perfect God actually have waited for King Henry VIII; Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin or Smith; and a time-lapse of more than a thousand years after Christ earthly visitation to introduce His truth? How absurd, illogical and presumptions these human-engineered upstart faiths are.

Their exist a myriad of differing sets of faith-beliefs which compete, contradict, and redefine God’s necessarily, and completely logical, singular truths; His one true Catholic faith [Eph. 4:5].

Jesus gave an unchangeable, exclusive command to the Apostles, [Mt. 28:18-19] cf. “You Go! teach the world, all that I personally taught to YOU”… The Apostles and their successors alone are fully guided and guarded by both Jesus [Mt. 28:20] and the Holy Spirit. [Jn. 14:26]; in doing so. Christ, when issuing this command, used clear and precisely chosen words, so as not to be easily misunderstood, and yet many obviously are unaware of the existence of Satan’s mighty influence on their chosen beliefs.

This is the handiwork of Satan who used prideful; pride-filled men to attempt to destroy that which is indestructible: cf. and the gates [plural] of hell shall not prevail against “it” [singular].

We must be aware however, that the further one gets from their “founding-fathers”; the less culpable they are. Now they are “only” being taught errors; then they were inventing lies and falsehoods. It is God who permits their hardened hearts and minds. Until one makes an attempt to seek God and His truths; God seems uninclined to grant them the necessary and essential graces to break the bond that is holding them back.

Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI spoke of the critical importance of “truth” if society is to exist as a free and healthy society.

“Truth must be the foundation stone, the cement to solidify the entire social edifice.”
& … “Truth Cannot Contradict Truth” ― Saint John Paul II

“The truth is not always the same as the majority decision.” ― Saint John Paul II

“Life is entrusted to man as a treasure which must not be squandered, as a talent which must be used well.” ― Saint John Paul II

“Faith and Reason are like two wings of the human spirit by which is soars to the truth.”
― Saint John Paul II

“True freedom is not advanced in the permissive society, which confuses freedom with license to do anything whatever and which in the name of freedom proclaims a kind of general amorality. It is a caricature of freedom to claim that people are free to organize their lives with no reference to moral values, and to say that society does not have to ensure the protection and advancement of ethical values. Such an attitude is destructive of freedom and peace.” ― Saint John Paul II

“Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn’t misuse it” ― John Paul II

Awhile back my life-long mentor and friend; Al purchased for me a subscription to “The Wanderer;” a weekly “Very Traditional” [real] Catholic newspaper. In Volume 146 NO.18; may 2, 2013 there is an article by Donald De Marco entitled: “The Holy Spirit Interpreter of Scripture” The title really got my attention because while it’s true; its reality seems to me, to be largely unrecognized by a large segment of the “Christian” population, worldwide.

Here’s some of what he wrote.

“Saint Augustine observed that although he has met people who have been deceived, he never met anyone who wanted to be deceived.”

“The natural inclination toward truth {and away from deception} is fundamental. In fact, one can say that the human being is the one who seeks the truth. Why then is deception so wide spread and such a common occurrence? We may begin to understand this curious phenomenon from the standpoint of human weakness and the immensity of truth.

Human Weakness: Although man is naturally inclined to seek the truth, his search will be in vain if he is not equipped with a number of virtues. The first and most important of these is humility. The humble person recognizes that truth is not of his own making, but something that exist prior to and apart from him. God’s created order stands against man’s subjective preferences. “The Fall” was preceded by deception. Our primal parents’ original sin was the pride that obscured the fact that the serpent had deceived them. Humility then is needed to avoid the blindness of pride.

[The second needed virtue is] Docility: It is the virtue that allows us to be teachable. ….

The Immensity of truth: According to Socrates, the Father of Moral Philosophy, and a person of firm integrity, ‘when people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblances to that truth.’ It is easy consequently, for human beings not to distinguish between a whole truth and a partial truth that resembles truth but does not fully coincide with it.

When the great Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky , submitted his manual script, “Crime and Punishment,” to the publisher, he appended a succinct and accurate description of his masterpiece. It was according to the author, a story of a university student whose mind is infected with incomplete ideas that float on the wind. Ideas may seem true because they partake of a wider truth, though they do not represent it fully.

“Faith and Reason:” [ADDED by PJM… here’s the entire document for anyone interested http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_15101998_fides-et-ratio_en.html%5D

In his encyclical letter, “Fides et Ratio” [Faith & Reason] now Saint John Paul II states that it is becoming increasingly commonplace in today’s world for people to ”rest content with partial and provisional truths, no longer seeking to ask radical questions about the meaning and ultimate foundation of human personal and social existence.” ….

Scripture provides a reliable test where by the truth of Christ can be distinguished from the deceptions of false messiahs. This involves recognizing the different effects of fruits that proceed from the people of God and those who have been deceived. In Gal.6:7-8 we read: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.” And in Matthew 7:15-20 we find: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.”

The Need for the Holy Spirit: Saint Thomas Aquinas in his “Suma Theologica” …”On the necessity for Grace”

“Every truth from whomever spoke it is from the Holy Ghost . As bestowing natural light and moving us to understand and speak the truth. ….

The Holy Spirit safeguards the coherence of faith and reason, knowledge in this world and the entire plan of Revelation. By their Faults: The action of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the Catholic Church offer invaluable aids in protecting man from deceptions. END OF QUOTED Article

It is because truth is; must be and shall always be “singular” that we Informed and fully practicing Catholics need to recognize the exalted gift of God’s Mercy in our lives; as we alone, have God’s chosen Leader and the holder of the very key’s to heaven access Matthew 16:15-19; we alone have the fullness of God’s truth Matthew 28: 16-20; and we are exceeding blessed with the seven Sacraments Instituted by Our God.

Searching for “the truth” can be challenging; even a daunting task. It remains a massive effort to find “suitable passages” than can be skewed to prove that they [we Catholics] are wrong and I’m right. … Protestants founders, theologians and pastors have already decided; having determined that I do know more, and that I do know better, than God, His Bible and of course the Catholic Church, and seem unaware that what they hold is “my”, not “the” truth,” which requires ignoring what else the Bible has to say on this or that particular teaching. 2^nd. Timothy 3:16-17 and Matthew 4:4, which articulate that the entire bible is to be utilized.

It’s not really a game. The second aspect of “the contest” revolves around “one-up-man-ship.” the constant struggle to be different; to be “better than,” more appealing; easier than that other church, the other faith or the other flock. It’s a constant fight for bodies. What begin as a fight with those “damned catholics,” has evolved to a fight with everyone “Christian” who is teaching anything I don’t agree with. It’s all about what “I believe.” AND it doesn’t often leave room for “truth.” Like Pilot exclaimed ”WHAT IS TRUTH?” John 18: 38.

Plenty of clear, concise warnings are regularly by passed and ignored; presumed to be not applicable to themselves and their flocks.

2^nd. Peter 1: 16-21 “You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Matthew 4:4 “Who answered and said: It is written, not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God“.

2^nd. Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture, [is] inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work”

In closing this Lesson I will quote Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “Truth remains “the truth” even if no one believes it; while “a lie” remains a lie even if everyone beliefs it.”

The lesson for US, is to not become discouraged. Truth is singular; and we Catholics have it in its Fullness on ALL matters of Faith-beliefs, and or Moral Teachings. When God grants the opportunity; share it clearly; factually and always with charity. Look for God’s Truth where it can be found. In His Catholic Church. Know my friends that a “partial truth” is much closer to being “a lie” than it is to being “The Truth.”

While some of my comments may seem perhaps uncharitable; that is not my intent. I feel it is essential to the lesson to point out with clarity; the quicksand foundation many choose to build upon, and what we are up against. Keep in mind that only God can cause a conversion; and while He permits us to assist Him; He is to get the gratitude and Glory; never us. Much of this lessons apply also to lapsed and apostate catholics as well as our non-Catholic-Christian friends.

God will, because God must, make Judgment not on our personal beliefs; but on what He makes possible for us to Know and Believe. We must pray for the Mercy of God for all of these endangered Souls. May God grant His Wisdom and Understanding to both them and us. Amen!

God Bless you,

Pat Miron

The Significance of Mary as the Gate of Heaven STEPHEN BEALE

The Significance of Mary as the Gate of Heaven

STEPHEN BEALE

The Church teaches that Mary is the way to Jesus, but is this grounded in Scripture?

As Catholics we can point to the gospel stories of the Annunciation, the wedding at Cana, and the cross and demonstrate through a close, faithful readings of these texts that Mary is indeed the ‘way’ to the Way.

But we can also look at her traditional title as the ‘Gate of Heaven’ which is biblically based. This title serves as further clear confirmation of Mary’s significance.

Quite literally, Mary is the ‘gate’ through which Christ enters the world. This title is one that is actually applied to her in Scripture. Ezekiel 44:1-3 records that,

Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary facing east, but it was closed.

The LORD said to me: This gate must remain closed; it must not be opened, and no one should come through it. Because the LORD, the God of Israel, came through it, it must remain closed. Only the prince may sit in it to eat a meal in the presence of the LORD; he must enter through the vestibule of the gate and leave the same way.

What was the holy gate through the Lord entered and which must remain closed? Who else could it be but Mary Immaculate who remained ever virgin after giving birth to Jesus? Church Fathers like St. Ambrose and St. Augustine and more contemporary authorities like St. Louis de Montfort and Blessed John Henry Newman all draw the obvious inference from this text.

It’s worth noting that similar prophetic language about gates and the entrance of a divine king can also be found in Psalm 24:7 and Isaiah 26:2.

(INSERTED by PJM)

Psalm 24: 7 “[7] The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember. According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.”

Isaiah 26:2 “. [2] Open ye the gates, and let the just nation, that keepeth the truth, enter in.” End QUOTED

The portal to heaven

A gate is quite simply a way of getting in or out of somewhere. Usually they are two way. So if someone came out of a gate it’s a safe bet that we can go where they came from using the same way. (Emphasis PJM)

In our collective imagination, gates can be portals to other worlds. Ancient mythology is steeped in stories of other worlds through which one must enter through a gate. Often the gate is as mysterious as the other realm itself—and finding the gate is akin to discovering the world beyond itself. In more modern times, the wardrobe of C.S. Lewis was a gate to Narnia. In the Canadian-American television series Stargate the so-called ‘stargates’ were portals or shortcuts through space-time to other worlds.

Certainly these characteristics of gates apply to Mary as Catholics understand and venerate her. St. Louis de Montfort describes her as the shortest way to get to Christ: “the sure means and the straight and immaculate way” and again as “the most easy, the most short, and the most perfect means by which to go to Jesus Christ.” Likewise, Pope St. Pius X: “There is no surer or easier way than Mary in uniting all men with Christ.”

The biblical background of city gates teaches us even more about what it means that Mary is the Gate.

In the ancient world in general, walled cities, by their very nature, meant that there were limited ways of getting in and out—the gates. People familiar with sprawling cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, or Houston may not be able to relate, but anyone who has been to Manhattan perhaps can—there are only so many bridges, or tunnels, leading onto and off the island. You are dependent on them for access.

But gates were more than just important passageways.

Gates: prophecy, justice, and mercy

The gates also served as places where important business was done. They were seats of justice, marketplaces, public squares from which prophets spoke, and vantage points from which the king appeared to the public, according to the International Bible Encyclopedia and Haaretz.

The legal-commercial function of gates is evident in Genesis 23:17-18, where the gates of the city of Hebron are the context in which Abraham makes a legal purchase of some land:

Thus Ephron’s field in Machpelah, facing Mamre, together with its cave and all the trees anywhere within its limits, was conveyed to Abraham by purchase in the presence of the Hittites, all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city.

The city gate as a place where the ideals of justice and mercy are to be carried out comes to the fore in Amos 5:12 and 15:

Yes, I know how many are your crimes,
how grievous your sins:
Oppressing the just, accepting bribes,
turning away the needy at the gate.
Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.

The implications are immense for our understanding of Mary. They reinforce the many titles and associated roles she has in our lives, as a conduit of God’s mercy and lovingkindness, a place of refuge for sinners, and a source of prophetic words.

A place for sorrow and triumph

In 2 Samuel, the gates play an intriguing role in the drama of King David. First, in 2 Samuel 19:1, he takes to an area of the gates seeking consolation amid his sorrow over the death of his son Absalom:

The king was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate and wept. He said as he wept, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

The gate also becomes a site for David to assert himself. A few verses later, Joab tells him to make a public appearance or his army will desert him. Eventually, in Verse 9, David relents,

So the king got up and sat at the gate. When all the people were told, “The king is sitting at the gate,” they came into his presence.

As Haaretz explains, this was the key moment in which David maintained control over the throne.

The city gates thus encompass a wide spectrum of human experience, from sorrows to triumph.

Mary too embraces us in all our circumstances. To her do we cry, ‘poor banished children of Eve,’ and through her we find mercy and a vision of the blessed fruit of her womb, Jesus, as the old hymn says.

The beautiful gate

Finally, the gates were beautiful. In order to fortify them some were solid stone, which, according to the International Bible Encyclopedia, lent itself to rich biblical imagery about jeweled doors:

O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones

(Isaiah 54:11-13).

The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone; the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass

(Revelation 21:19-21).

These texts point to one more role Mary has: as a refuge, a safe place. Once inside the ‘city of God’ she ensures we stay there. And what wonderful images Scripture has given us of her maternal protection!

Whatever it is that we are looking for, we should fly to the Gate of Heaven, because there we can be confident we will find Christ.

Mary, Gate of Heaven, pray for us!

✠

By Stephen Beale

Stephen Beale is a freelance writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. Raised as an evangelical Protestant, he is a convert to Catholicism. He is a former news editor at GoLocalProv.com and was a correspondent for the New Hampshire Union Leader, where he covered the 2008 presidential primary. He has appeared on Fox News, C-SPAN and the Today Show and his writing has been published in the Washington Times, Providence Journal, the National Catholic Register and on MSNBC.com and ABCNews.com. A native of Topsfield, Massachusetts, he graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a degree in classics and history. His areas of interest include Eastern Christianity, Marian and Eucharistic theology, medieval history, and the saints. He welcomes tips, suggestions, and any other feedback at bealenews at gmail dot com. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StephenBeale1

Here’s a question Pat .. Why do I need the RCC for salvation ..

In an absolute sense you MIGHT not. Our Catechism numbers; then again, you MIGHT.

1260 “Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery.” Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, [1] but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

[2] Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, {THE ONLY ONE FOUNDED BY, GUIDED BY; PROTECTED BY CHRIST} , a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church.[3] He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of {HIS} faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

[4]Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation

848 [5] “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.

Permit me my new friend to explain each of the points of our teachings which I have for the sake of reference numbered.

[1] [1] but seeks the truth and does the will of God {practice Charity}

Expresses that even the unbaptized {John 3:5 ; Mt 28:18-19} those unbaptized who do not of their own freewill know that absolute necessity of Sacramental Baptism MIGHT be saved if through NO FAULT of their own; they do not know Christ and His Catholic Church & it’s empowered, {Mt 10:1-8; Mt 16:15-19; Mt 28: 19-20} guided :{Jn. 16:13; Jn. 14:26}and protected teachings {Jn. 17:18-20}.

1^st. Tim. 2: 3-4 “[4] who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

It is of critical importance to not underestimate “the truth” {singular per defined issue.} {Jn. 14: 6-7} [6] Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. [7] If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also”; {Mt. 16:18 “That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church….” {Singular}

No longer surprised, I am nevertheless amazed at the lack of simple logic common to all Protestant’s.

Glossing over single tense words &

[2] Not knowing, or denying that the Bible is a Catholic Book: It was Catholics who guided by the HS selected the 46 OT books; & it is Catholics who authored the entire 27 book NT. In its origin, the bible was “by” Catholics and exclusively for Catholics who were the ONLY Christians for the 1^st 1,000 years. {1054 the Great Eastern Schism}

As ALL “churches” are self-identified by their freely chosen SET of faith-beliefs; Mt. 16:18 And the unerring Christ proclaiming “MY CHURCH” =’s also MY singular set of faith beliefs. {Jn. 17: 17-20; Mt 28:20}

Nowhere in history, or the bible does GOD ever approve of competing sets of faith-beliefs; which is exactly what all Protestant faiths are and do.

[3] Please take careful note of ALL of the singular tense words used here. These teachings are biblically provable.

“I AM the way & the Truth” {singular}

“MY Church” singular

“One TRUE Faith” {Eph. 4:5}

Cf. “YOU go and teach the entire WORLD ALL that I have taught & commanded YOU.” {Mt 28:19-20} & {John 17:17-20}; among the most critically important teachings in the bible: [17] Sanctify THEM in {MY} truth. Thy word is truth. [18] As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent THEM into the world. {which Godly authority & Powers Mt.10:1-2} } [19] And for THEM do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. {Only the RCC can claim Jesus as their PERSONAL WARRANTY on teaching HIS Truths} [20] And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through THEIR WORDS shall believe in me”

[4] “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church….”

This means NOT feigned ignorance; NOT my personal choices and preference based on what I prefer for any reasons.

God in order to BE GOD must be both Fair and Just; hence GOD will make final Judgment not on what we personally have chosen to believe & practice; NO! It will be on what GOD has made possible for every Soul to know, believe and practice. And that my new friend is frightening!

[5] 848 [5] “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him….”

My new friend, CAN YOU still claim to be ignorant without fault?

REASONS to BE an Informed & fully practicing RC

It is the One True Church & faith founded and desired by Jesus Christ; logically, historically and Biblically provable
Only in the RCC can one Validly & Licitly receive the Seven Sacraments that Christ Instituted; notably Sacramental Confession {1 Jn. 5:16-17; John 20:19-23}; Jesus Christ in Person in the Most Holy Eucharist {John 6:47-58; 4st Cor 11: 23-30}
Because truth can only be {logically} what it is: SINGULAR per defined issue: Pope Benedict XVI taught: “THERE CANNOT BE YOUR TRUTH & MY TRUTH OR THERE WOULD BE NO TRUTH.”
Denial of TRUTH is not ignorance of it
Sadly but evidenced; Protestant faiths, all of them, are founded on false, very human, and “recent” 500 year old revisions, innovations and personal interpretations of the bible; {SEE of what Jesus Himself Ordained, Commands and protects.{SEE 2^ND. PETER 1: 16-20; 3: 14-18}.

God Bless you my new friend, and may He Guide your life’s Faith path.

Pat

St Jean Vianney versus the Counterfeit Priests Julia Meloni (With ORIGINAL Emphasis)

St Jean Vianney versus the Counterfeit Priests

Julia Meloni (With ORIGINAL Emphasis)

PREFACE: I shall not endeavor to explain how these two letters fell into my hands. I shall only note how curious their contents are in light of the debates surrounding the upcoming Amazon Synod.

My dear Wormwood:

I am gravely troubled by your slackening efforts against priests. You proceed as if they are equal to our other patients, as if they require no greater spiritual battering. I shall thus endeavor to write to you about the priesthood: how we despise it, how we abhor it, how we plan to attack it.

Did you know that this month, the Enemy celebrates the great boast of His priesthood, St. John Vianney? When that detestable one was young, he once asked the definition of a priest. A priest, he was told, is a man who’d die so he could be one.

And how he did die — daily! — in spite of all our wiles. He fasted for days at a time and then subsisted on musty potatoes. He taught his flock to abhor sin — the “executioner of the good God and the assassin of the soul” — and then offered reparation with the most frightful penances. He modeled the most burning love for the Eucharist, exclaiming, “Oh, beautiful life!” at the mere thought of it.

For this he suffered terribly at the hands of us, the diabolical ones. As one of the Enemy’s priests summarizes:

‘Vianney! Vianney! potato eater! Ah! You are not yet dead! I shall get you all right!’ The sound rattled and overturned furniture. Sometimes it growled like a bear or snarled like a dog; when it did speak it spoke the local dialect[.] …

Sometimes the spirit, or spirits, felt like rats running over him, and sometimes they tried to toss him out of bed. On other nights the straw mattress became suddenly soft, and the voice sang a lullaby or seductive tune. In the next morning, the Curé would arrive at Mass pale and shaken. In 1826 as he walked to Saint-Trivier to preach, the atmosphere took on a sinister glare, and the roadside bushes glowed a sickly red color; when he arrived to begin the mission, four witnesses watched his bed get tossed about and deposited in the middle of the room accompanied by shrill squeals[.] …

When his visiting sister heard the noises, he calmed her with words we would not consider a consolation: ‘It is the grappin. He cannot hurt you; as for me he torments me in sundry ways. At times he seizes me by the feet and drags me about the room. It is because I convert souls to the good God.’ [i]

I relate this all to you to remind you of what it is that we hate. We hate the priest’s asceticism and purity in reparation for his people’s sins. We hate his ethereality, his otherworldliness, in testimony to a life beyond this one. We hate his power to enrapture souls with love for the Eucharist which he makes present. Do you not see how powerless our assaults were on this hated one, Vianney? As one of us, possessing a woman, snarled at him: “If there were three like you on earth, my kingdom would be destroyed. You have taken more than eighty thousand souls from me.”

Never, my dear Wormwood, underestimate the power of the priest to snatch souls away from Our Father’s house. Never forget to attack the priest first, for he will drag innumerable souls down with him.

I look forward to hearing of your renewed efforts against these loathsome foes.

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE

My dear Wormwood,

I was heartened to hear you ask more specifically about our tactics against the priesthood. They are sly and manifold.

We are in a war to replace St. John Vianney, the glory of the priesthood, with the “caricature-priests.” This term “caricature-priests” comes from one of the Enemy’s bishops, who used it to describe the “aid workers, NGO employees, socialist syndicalists, eco-specialists,” and priestesses of nature who will try to seize the priesthood, forming a kind of “sect.” We are in a war to turn the priesthood into a caricature of itself, a mockery.

One of the Enemy’s cardinals laments that so many souls are leaving the Church “in the same spirit as one cancels membership of a secular organization.” They apostatize, and they have no more dread than they’d have at leaving a community club! This cardinal warns that those who promote women’s ordination “consider the Church to be at best a secular institution and subsequently fail to recognize the ordained office as a divine institution.” He warns that any attempt to confer such ordination would be “invalid” — in other words, another mockery.

Note, too, what this foe says about celibacy:

In a Church which – as a mere human institution with purely secular goals — has abandoned her identity as the mediator of salvation in Christ, and who has lost all transcendental and eschatological reference to the Coming Lord, the freely chosen celibacy ‘for the sake of the kingdom’ (Mt. 19:12), or, in order to be able ‘to concern himself with the Lord’s work’ (1 Cor. 7:37) is perceived now as an embarrassment — like an alien element or a residual waste from which one has to be freed as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. At best, this celibacy might be granted to some exotic people as a masochistic form of an extremely autonomous self-determination.

Celibacy, that font of graces which we hate, is now being successfully mocked as a masochistic holdover from a primitive past! Do you see, my dear Wormwood, how we are eviscerating the Church’s supernaturalism and strangling graces by directly attacking the priesthood? “When people wish to destroy religion,” Vianney once said, “they begin by attacking the priest, because where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.”

And yet we shall not leave the people with no priests; we shall leave them with the caricature-priests. The caricature-priests are the practitioners of no asceticism, the foes of no grappin, the presiders over a mock “religion without a Cross, a liturgy without a world to come, a religion to destroy a religion, or a politics which is a religion” — to borrow a line from the Enemy’s soon-to-be Blessed Fulton Sheen. We shall let their play-religion of eco-politics kill whatever vestigial thirst the people may have for real Catholicism.

May this letter impel you to redouble your efforts against Vianney’s heirs.

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE

PS: One last word, my dear Wormwood: Can you not feel it hanging in the air — the thick, electric sensation of a coming showdown? Things accelerate toward the end.

Image: Fr. James Bradley via Flickr.

From Fr. George Rutler’s The Curé D’Ars Today: Saint John Vianney.

Julia Meloni

Julia Meloni writes from the Pacific Northwest. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale and a master’s degree in English from Harvard.

Hints of Greatness; path to Glory: by Patrick

Another I AM Catholic

Shared Lesson By Patrick Miron

“God’s Will on earth IS being done as it is in heaven” Scott Hann

********************* Hints of GREATNESS

And the Path to GLORY *************************

“Glory be to The Father, and The Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, IS Now, and Forever Shall be.. AMEN!”

Question: Are “hints” the same as “clues”?

Answer: While similar they may not by themselves be as clear and evident

These EIGHT Old Testament Covenants; with varying degrees of perfection and longevity lead to the One New Testament Covenant; which completes, fulfills and perfects them. The New Covenant in Christ own Blood.

The Eight Old testament Covenants…

Uncover the Mystery; why One Radically New Covenants replaced Eight

Adam fertility and dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:28-30: “2. Noah and the earth. The earth will never be destroyed by flood waters again (water will become a sign of salvation)

Genesis 6:18; 9:9-17 3. Abraham , (continues with Isaac, Jacob and descendants) and, nation (descendants) and world wide blessing. Genesis 12:3, 15:1-18, 17: 1-27, 18:18 and 22:18, 26:3-5, 28:10-14. 4. Moses and Israel. Sinai Covenant establishing divine liturgy and covenant sacraments. Exodus 19-24; 34:10, 27, 28; 5. Aaron and Sons. perpetual ministerial priesthood of the Levites. Exodus 40:15. 6. Phinehas; perpetual priesthood in Covenant of Peace

(prefigures Christ) Numbers 25:11-15; Sirach 45:24.” 7. David and descendants dynasty and throne forever secure. 2 Samuel 7:11-17, 23:5; Sirach 45:25.” 8. Jesus (Yah-shua = Yahweh saves or I save) also written Yehosua = Joshua. He is the fulfillment of all the covenantal promises. Isaiah 55:3; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 12:24. “…This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you.” Luke 22:20 … “”…This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.” 1 Corinthians 11:25

The Unfolding of a Divine Mystery

HINT # 1. Gen.. 14: 14-16 “When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his goods, and the women and the people. Gen.17: 5-7 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.”

HINT # 2. Gen. 14 18-20 “And Melchiz’edek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

HINT # 3. Exo. 16: 31, 33, 35 Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer [A MEASUREMENT] of manna in it, and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations.” And the people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land; they ate the manna, till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

HINT # 4. Exo. 16: 4, 8:12 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. “And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him — what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD.” …”I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'”

HINT # 5. “Take Aaron [The HIGH PRIEST] and his sons [also priest] with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

HINT # 6. Num.4: 7 “And over the table of the bread of the Presence [They are speaking here of the 12 loafs of unleavened bread baked fresh each day thought to contain The Spiritual — PRESENCE of Yahweh] …they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put upon it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; [WINE] the continual bread also shall be on it;

HINT # 7. 1Kgs.17: 12, 14, 16 “And she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, `The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'” The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Elijah.

HINT # 9 Rev. 21:3 “and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;” Mt. 28: 20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

HINT # 10 Matt. 15: “I [Jesus] have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over”

Multiplication of the Loafs and Fish done TWICE to make the point clear: God has complete mastery over nature, and all Created things… [His Glorified Body included]

HINT # 11 Exo. 16 :7-8 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your murmurings against the LORD. For what are we, that you murmur against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him–what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD.”

HINT # 12 John 6:52 “ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56* He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”

agapebiblestudy.com

Have you ever experienced a holy site that is an axis point between heaven and earth?

Answer: Yes, this avenue between the natural and supernatural is opened in the priest’s words of consecration over the bread and wine that become, through the descent of God the Holy Spirit from heaven, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. If we are watching with spiritual eyes wide open and unhindered by the material world, we would all see the angels of the Glory Cloud descending and ascending above the altar as God the Son is present on the altar.

CCC #156 “What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived”. So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.” Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility”, which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind”.

The Seven Sacraments; [the number means perfect], ALL INSTITUTED by a Perfect God; are FOR OUR BENEFIT! … God already Perfect, cannot be made “more perfect.”

Each Sacrament is given for a precise reason and is a specific grace for needs that God chooses to help us with, and also a personal sign of God’s Benevolent Love, manifesting God’s desire to be “in us as we ARE in Him.” God’s most profound desire is to be in an Intimate and personal relationship with EACH of us. John 6: 36. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” It is the reality and truth that ought to make unbelievers into God’s “Chosen Ones,” so they too may be in Intimate relationship with our God who challenges each of us to Faith:

Faith is to belief, as water is to fish….

Matt.9: 28 “When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Mark.1: 15 “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Luke.8: 12-13, The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. John 1:12 “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” Paul Rom.9: 33 “as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”1Cor.13: 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Eph.1: 13, 19 “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”

WHO is saying this? Who is Teaching, and who are the students? It is God: & it is US!

“The Gospel ;The GOOD-NEWS,” according to JESUS“…

Some clues to right understanding of the Bible:

No one part of the Bible can contradict another part. Such would invalidate the entire Bible.

Ask “who’s Teaching?” and “to whom.” Factor in the local language and practices of the period. If it is Christ Teaching, then the FIRST understanding is to always be assumed to be literal. If the Teaching is a direct Teaching; not a fable; not a moral-parable; then a literal understanding is all that logically remains. If part of the Teaching is true, then the ENTIRE TEACHING is to be taken as Literal Truth. Faith like God -Himself is a Mystery.

When or IF in doubt refer back to Sacred Tradition; which cannot be wrong. [Do not ignore this]. Sacred Tradition and history are the SOURCE of the Old Testament; and given the FACT that the Bible was not completely written until the end of the First Century; there were MANY years of Church existence and growth based of Tradition and Word of Mouth Only Teachings.

The Bible can be viewed as a “Training / Instruction Manual.” Consequently those just coming into the entity now called the Catholic Church must in humility be open to thoughts and ideas foreign to them. While this “manual was not literally written by God,” nevertheless, Divine Inspiration is deeply embedded in the end- result. [2 Tim. 3:16-17].

Understanding that God being God cannot; and does not change. Most of what is found in the NT is a completion and perfection of what took place in OT Times. This also adds to the validity of Christ Teachings. Very little “new” and a GREAT AMOUNT of now complete; now made perfect happenings form the New Testament.

Put yourself in Christ Sandals: If you were to start One New Faith; With One God; and One Church; would you not logically give the Person YOU CHOSE [and successors] ALL the tools, authority; and talents to insure it’s longevity and to maintain it’s integrity? Of course you would. So why are we surprised that this is exactly what Christ did?

Luke.7: 40 “And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?” God is perfect because God MUST BE PERFECT. Do we not understand that “perfect” means with no possibility of error? The idea that Christ would not be clear on One of the MOST IMPORTANT teachings of His Entire Ministry is ludicrous. The fulfillment of the Old Testament typology; Manna = spiritual presence is now Perfected; into unleavened Bread that is REALLY CHRIST HIMSELF, and wine That Is the VERY BLOOD of the GLORIFIED CHRIST, now Risen; a reality Because God WILLS IT and WANTS is because WE; YOU, ME, ALL OF US ABSOLUTELY NEED IT, AND THE GRACE THAT FLOWS FROM Christ THROUGH IT.

If I believe in God; REALLY believe that He Loves me; I’ll accept Jesus at His WORD. We all are GRAVELY obligated to LISTEN to Jesus;… He is the Son of God! It is Christ who reveals to us the Trinity; who reveals the Father’s Will and the Holy Spirit so that we can Know them too. So that we can without fear or trepidation be in a VERY personal; even INTIMATE relationship with our God. This is what God wants, and …. what God wants us to want!

“Do this in Memory of Me ….. Just As “I AM” in You; so too You are in Me.”

How do we “enter into God.?” Not merely His presence; but GOD HIMSELF?

We Catholics CAN meet God; as often as we attend Holy Mass worthily and receive Catholic Holy Communion. While non-catholic’s must wait in Faith and Hope until [and if] they reach heaven.

John.8 Verses 43 to 47: “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Give us this day “our daily bread” … What does it mean? God himself tells us not to be overly concerned about our daily sustenance. Luke.12: 6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”…. This petition is FIRST about “thee Bread OF LIFE”, Jesus Himself! Because we MUST be without Serious sin in order to receive Him worthily; Christ provides the graces to make it possible for us to avoid serious Mortal sins.

God Himself makes it happen ….

The Holy Spirit offers the Son; Jesus to the Father through the hands and words of God’s priest. Are we to question if God can do ANY Good-Thing? Are we going to presume to know more, or know better than Christ? The Apostles [excluding Judas of course], and the early Church Fathers, and countless Martyrs …. gave there very life’s in belief of and support of this Dogma revealed by and brought into being by, God Himself.

EP III “Eucharistic Prayer” Option Three, of four Options given for this part of the Mass

“Bless and approve our offering; make it acceptable to you, and offering in spirit and in truth. Let is become for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your only Son, our Lord. Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that they may become for us the body + and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you. When supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said: Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me” ….

JOHN 15: 7-14 If YOU … abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, … [Jesus Himself] and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. And if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
John.6 “The BREAD of Life Discourse” LISTEN TO YOUR GOD!

…. [4] Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. [5] Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” … [8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, [9] “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” [10] Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. [11] Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. [12] And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” [13] So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

The number TWELVE is highly significant: It refers to the twelve tribes to IMPLY the ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD. It signifies the number of Apostles God selected to Lead and administer His One Church and One Faith “to this same ENTIRE-WORLD.” and from http://www.agapebilbestudy.com: “TWELVE: Perfection of government. Twelve is the number of the Church, both the Old Covenant Church of Israel founded by 12 physical fathers (the 12 sons of Israel) and the New Covenant Church founded by 12 spiritual fathers (the 12 Apostles). This number also has a relationship to rule along with multiples of 12.

12 signs of the zodiac (these ancient symbols are found in Jewish synagogues of the 1^st century AD)

The circle of the heavens = 360′ (12 x 30)

The product of 3 (perfection of divinity) x 4 (the number of the earth)

12 tribes of Israel

12 months of a year

Jesus is 12 when He questions the scholars in the Temple [Luke 2:41]

12 legions of angles [Matthew 26:53]

12 Apostles [Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:13]

12 foundations of the Heavenly Jerusalem Revelation 7:4; 21:16, 17 “

Back to John 6. Verse [14] When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!” So the population proclaims Jesus as ‘The long Awaited Messiah?”

19-20 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

[26] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. [Meaning: Christ was aware that even though they “saw him“ as the long awaited Messiah; it was a PHYSICAL KING that they sought; and thought he was it. … Jesus tells them clearly????? [27] “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; [28] Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” [29] Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

[30] So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? [31] Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” [32] Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”

[35] Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. [36] But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

We can’t surprise God; BUT God certainly can and DOES surprise us! So often in-fact that we ought to be expecting Him too.

[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;

[40] For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” [One does not believe IN HIM WHO DOES NOT LISTEN TO HIM]

[42] They [the “Jews”] said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven’?”

So friend; are we too ones of these Jews?

[47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

[49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

Yes they sinned and died! Christ speaks here not so much physical life; but of eternal life. And the BREAD THAT I Give [is Me; is a GRACE to help you [us] avoid sin].

[50] This is [“I AM“] the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. “ I AM” Exod.3: 6, 14-15 “And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, `I AM has sent me to you.'” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, `The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: this is my name for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.“[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” [53] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; [55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

My dear friends; how could Christ possibly have been more specific? IMPOSSIBLE!

[60] Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

So they up and left Him. NO SURPRISE HERE?

[61] But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?

[63] It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. [64] But there are some of you that do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.

Was Jesus being Literal ONLY in the ONE SINGULAR VERSE 63? And the rest of chapter Six is Metaphorical? Sounds kind of silly when I put it this way doesn’t it? AND WELL IT SHOULD…

* So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.

* [26] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. [Meaning: Christ was aware that even though they “saw him“ as the long awaited Messiah; it was a PHYSICAL KING that they sought; and thought he was it. … Jesus tells them clearly????? [27] “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; [28] Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” [29] Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

How can anyone profess to “believe in God” and at the same time disbelief what he teaches and commands? It’s simply NOT POSSIBLE!

* 32] Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”
* [42] They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven’?”

* [47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.

* [49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

Yet they sinned and died! Christ speaks here not so much of physical life; but of eternal life. And the BREAD THAT I Give [is Me; is GRACE to help you avoid sin].

* [51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.“[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

And what is the response of Jesus; of God? He didn’t say “OPP’S!” I didn’t mean it; I used the wrong words. Please come back…… NO GOD let them decide for THEMSELVES where they would spend Eternity and He does the same with Us today!

[53] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; [55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

[65] And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” [Speaking here of RIGHT UNDERSTANDING: faith is always a gift from God.]

Review carefully and prayerfully and you’ll see the “clues” Jesus gave knowing full well that MANY would be unbelievers…. NOT BELIEVING JESUS WORDS, IS NOT BELIEVING IN GOD!

Jesus knew from the response of the crowd that MANY thought he was indeed the Messiah; BUT their understanding of “the Messiah” was a PHYSICAL KING! … “a BREAD KING” [Fulton Sheen] READ again verses: 26-29; 32-33; 42; 52; and 65

In verse 63 where Christ say’s ‘the FLESH IS OF NO AVAIL” the message is: that REAL HUMAN FLESH … w/o God ..mind, cardinal-body, and soul are useless: [cannot attain salvation! By themselves]…. “Thou art dust and to DUST Ye Shall return!” That friends is the ENTIRE message of the verse. Because they could see Jesus as Messiah BUT NOT AS GOD SENT FROM THE FATHER…they could not; and would not believe. ….Still in doubt? LOOK closely AT CHRIST RESPONSE…

[66] After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. [deserted and abandoned him… to be clear: unbelief in this Teaching is UNBELIEF IN GOD!]

[67] Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Where my friends is the “Opp’s?” …. God was asking “DO YOU ALSO WISH TO ABANDON ME?” AND THAT IS PRECISELY THE QUESTION FOR YOU AND FOR ME TO ANSWER.

[68] Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. ”
1^ST. Cor. 1: 26-31 ¹⁰ Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast ¹¹ before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” AMEN

What should one’s relationship with God be FOUNDED ON? … Why GOD of course!

agapestudybible.com

Answer: “During His temptation Jesus quoted fromDeuteronomy 6:16, telling Satan: Do not put the Lord your God to the test. Jesus was quoting from a passage in the book of Exodus that referred to an incident during the Exodus journey to Mt. Sinai when the children of Israel did not trust God to provide for them but instead made demands upon God. A relationship with God must be based on faith and trust in good times and in times of trial and suffering.”

UNTIL we have personally Committed to God; god is only the god of our parents or of our past. In order to make God; OUR GOD; present and future we must have a theophany …. [Appearance of God to a person]; an event that changes who and what we are, to who and want we want to be and God wants us to be. JOHN 14: 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 6: 55-56 “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. EVEN GOD CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE Personal; a more Intimate Relationship with His Created. …. This is “The Sum and the Summit” of our catholic Faith… This is LOVE!… And it can be YOURS!

That friends is the simple and simply PROFOUND reason God does it.

AGAPEBIBLESTUDY.COM

“In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in 30 AD is present on the altar; heaven and earth become joined and time’past, present and future is suspended in the perfect sacrifice of the Redeemer Messiah”

God Blessings to all… As always you have my love and my prayers,

To Jesus THROUGH Mary,

Patrick

The Path to GLORY is clearly marked for those humble enough; and close enough to Christ to know and to believe that He is; He is the Way; the Truth, and OUR Life” If we permit it?

“When you look at the Cross you see how much Jesus LOVED you.. …. When you look upon the sacred HOST…. you see how much Jesus loves you NOW!… “ Mother Theresa of Calcutta Not ONLY did Christ stay with us; he stayed In US! John.6: 29 “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Baptizing Infants, Ordaining Women? My Road to Rome, … Steven D. Greydanus

Baptizing Infants, Ordaining Women? My Road to Rome, …

My varied background in Protestant denominations left me with a healthy respect for differing points of view — but there were two divisive issues I couldn’t ignore.

Steven D. Greydanus

The 13th Question: Pretty much unasked and unanswered up till now. “How can ANY ‘Catholic’ remain in such a scandal-plagued Church?”

The 13^th Question: Pretty much unasked and unanswered up till now.

“How can ANY ‘Catholic’ remain in such a scandal-plagued Church?”

The 4 “Marks” (self-identification markers) of the Roman Catholic Church to which I belong (perhaps a bit less than proudly than in times past), as taught in our Catechism #865 “The Church is ultimately one, holy, catholic, and apostolic in her deepest and ultimate identity, because it is in her that “the Kingdom of heaven,” the “Reign of God,” already exists and will be fulfilled at the end of time. …….. The “Perversion-PLAGUE” seemingly about to SWAMP “the Bark of Peter,” a euphemism for the Catholic church, is still taking on dirty-water; will it bring Her (the Catholic Church) down? Will the scandals EVER end?

The answer to the last question is “only God knows.’ The answer to the preceding sinking question is No. Certainly scandals are nothing new to the now 2,000 year old Catholic Church which Christ promised Satan would never prevail at sinking. (Mt 16: 18-19) “That thou art Peter; and upon this (YOU-Peter) rock I will build my church (singular), and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.[19] And I will give to thee (All of) the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven”

So here’s what Jesus is teaching all of us here. Clearly (with graced understanding) Jesus intends to establish a single New world-wide, universal- Religion; and this one is intended to replace, and override every other religion in existence, as well as every new religion; an every competing “faith” that will ever-come into existence; is what is desired and what GOD had in mind in the passing 0f all the Key’s to heaven’s gate to Peter and his successors. (1 Tim.2: 3-4: Mt. 16:18-19; Mt. 10: 1-8 & Mt. 28:18-20)) …

Jesus wasn’t inventing a “new wheel” here; nearly 4,000 years ago Yahweh also attempted to establish a New single religious belief system with Just one True God; who had just One True set of faith-beliefs through His then One “Chosen People” , who sadly failed to recognize the Messiah in their midst; and missed the opportunity of a lifetime. (Exodus 6:7), and this effort amid the plethora of pagan gods, man invented faith beliefs and strange humanistic (make me feel good) practices. Each dependent upon man alone; upon the “Self”; without a recognized need for humility and was therefore doomed for many failures.

Jesus displays here His Pragmatic side, and anticipates that what “He wants, due to man’s inherent sinful nature, and past history isn’t going to be what he wishes (Commands and Ordains), and knows that despite His Life; Death and Resurrection, given as visible evidence of its TRUTH, it too will fall far short of what He will actually desires it to be. Such is man’s lack of Faith. Otherwise why would He, in the same breath tell us that Satan does not win in the end? God undeterred then proceeds to tell Peter; Cf.“I’m going to entrust you with all the Keys to My Heavenly Kingdom.” And then grants Peter and his successors the necessary powers of governance. (Mt. 16:19). He assures Peter that He’ll remain with him and His New Church (singular) until the end of time. (Mt. 28:20)

God has promised and cannot lie: He will not, and is not abandoning His Church. … Which raises an interesting question: Is GOD telling US that because He will not abandon US, that expects all of US, in turn, not to abandon Him. YES-Indeed. He even goes so far as to warn each of us what our future will hold for us, if we should be so rash, so impetuous, and dare I say so “stupid” to do such a foolish thing. “Life is short; ETERNITY is forever.” (Hebrews 6:4-8) “[4] For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, (HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED) have tasted also the heavenly gift, (CATHOLIC HOLY COMMUNION-Jesus in Person) and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,(SACRAMENTAL CONFIRMATION, and its Covenant Bond)[5] Have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,(BEEN RIGHTY INSTRUCTED IN THE CATHOLIC FAITH)[6] And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, (REFUSE TO REPENT AND TURN BACK TO GOD IN HUMILITY) crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery. [7] For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing (OFFERED-GRACES) from God. [8] But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is reprobate, and very near unto a curse, whose end is to be burnt.” ….(DAMMED) IF THEY DO NOT REPENT AND CONVERT amidst sufficient but nevertheless LESSING GRACES.)

DOUAY Catholic Bible explanation: “[4] “It is impossible”: The meaning is, that it is impossible for such as have fallen after baptism, to be again baptized; and very hard for such as have apostatized from the faith, after having received many graces, to return again to the happy state from which they fell.” (Not “impossible”, but because it would require great humility, very hard, very difficult.) End Quoted parts

In my dreams about this I sometimes envision our Protestant Brothers saying things like: “SEE!!! I told you so; or No-WAY they can be the One True Faith and Church”; or “huuumph! And THEY think THEY are better than US?” or, “If THEY really were God’s True Church GOD wouldn’t let them be so perverted; He would surely protect them better.”

And I think about the many week kneed, weak faith “catholics” wringing their hands, moaning and groaning;being more concerned about what others think of THEM, then oh yea, “my church.” Really thinking “Can OUR GOD actually allow this?” Or “man this Church STINKS like “hell”; I want no part of this! “I’m outa-here!”

Mt.7:13-15 “[13] Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. [14] How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! [15] Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

NEWS FLASH

Get a grip! “Truth” remains “The-Truth even” if no one agrees with it.”

“Truth” can (logically & morally) only be “objective”; (what it in reality is), and cannot logically or morally be made “subjective; (what one wish it was.)” Were this not clearly God’s “Truth”, Jesus couldn’t proclaim that He, Like His Church; are notable in singularly truths. (John 14:6) [6] Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and (=) the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” And then ask US in John 8:46-47 “[46] Which of you shall convict me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe me? [47] He that is of God, heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God.” … Friends, this can logically, morally, and even biblically be read as ONLY there being only one GOD-Approved way; only one -BEST-way; and it’s not yours, and it certainly not mine either; only GODS WAY is BEST; and that one way hasn’t changed in 2,000 continuous; unabated years of “My Church” … (Mt. 16:18) [18] And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock “I will build (and PROTECT; it does not say that it’s a work in progress) “my church”, and the gates of hell shall not PREVAIL.” (It also does not say “will NOT be TESTED”.)

Christ was TESTED unto death; “DEATH upon the Cross” (in His human nature); Mary His Mother faced and PASSED a humongous “Faith Test,” standing in unwavering-FAITH at the foot of the Cross in a world gone crazy, intent on killing Her Innocent Sont; She accepted the Fate of Jesus, and like Him even forgave us for what we had done to Him. Saint Joseph after being told that his bride Mary was impregnated by GOD; accepted this mystery; but what must he have wondered when in (Luke chapter 2) we are told: “[6] And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. [7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn (that he HAD TO PERMIT his Wife to give birth to GOD in a CAVE.” What must he been thinking about that? What a TEST of his Faith; but very shortly thereafter Joseph’s Faith was vindicated in SPADES. (Luke chapter 2: 8-15) “[8] And there were in the same country shepherds (who like “little children” believed what they could not grasp logically) watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. [9] And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.[10] And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: [11] For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: [14] Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.” … [15] And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.”

In these times of creped- moral decay “personified” by Priest, Bishops and even Cardinals “Princes of the RCC), we ought to be SHOCKED and dismayed. But we are to be ever mindful that GOD remains always Present and “in charge.” That the “Church” Herself, being the “Bride of Christ” cannot; that is, being literally incapable of sinning. As the “Bride of Christ”, Mother Church too is perfect.” So what some propose to do is abandon Jesus and His “Perfect Mother”, because of some (even “many in notoriety”); though not in so much so in number. Some have fabricated as an excuse seeking justification, for an inexcusable unconscionable act. How so? Where else do you propose to be able to literally meet GOD “face to face” while here on earth? The elementary tenet of Moral Theology is: “Never can two wrong s make a right.” You’re Creator God; Jesus in Person is in every reservation-tabernacle, in every Catholic Church throughout the entire world. Is your faith so weak that you can refuse to Trust God? Where can you turn and actually receive Jesus in Person in Catholic Holy Communion. THAT is what you’re considering giving up, to your shame.

Not a human Soul is Created that is not, has not, or will not be by our GOD; FAITH- tested…. The purification that the Roman Catholic Church is at present going through is the result of a sinister plot by Machiavellian-perverted-Satan controlled minds, aimed at accomplishing what others had failed to do; namely DESTROY Christ Catholic Church. Attempts have been made to do so for 2,000 years, and despite many duplicitous attempts, including the 16^th. Century Protestant Revolution which were made to replace Her; all of them failed.

In the early parts of the 20^th Century the Devil converted a genius or “two” and collectively they determined to try a NEW approach; ATTACK from within; not from without (alone that is), so this devious, twofaced, conniving group decided to plant priest within the Church and when enough of them had attained sufficient positions of POWER and AUTHORITY in order to be to RAM through their agendas they would put their Plan into action. Vatican II saw many of these fruits (no pun intended); OK, maybe just a bit of one, become Ripe. Somewhere along the line a second; and even more devious, and they think even more devastating plan was hatched, to ALSO plant as many homosexual priest and seminarians as they could muster (and MUSTER they DID), as evidenced by the now infamous “Mc Carrick Saga’s” now playing on the Net. What is, and yes, is likely to continue for a time to unfold. Know that this is and was no “accident”, no “coincidence”, not “mere happenstance.” This was a PLANNED full-fledged FRONTAL attack from within the ranks Mother Church; within the very bowels of the Bride of Christ. …. “SURELY this will sink the Old Girl.” But they got One Thing wrong. (DON’T YOU MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE), they thought; and they still think that they are in charge and have everything under control; and are as gleeful as pigs in mud. …. NOPE! God remains in complete charge. This may seem to us as a mysterious (even a weird) way for GOD to test America and in particular “American Catholics”; but is it really? NOPE!

Quote: 70,412,021

There are 70,412,021 registered Catholics in the United States (22% of the US population) as of 2017, according to the American bishops’ count in their Official Catholic Directory 2016. End Quote (Slightly more than half of which voted for the National Candidate of the Democrat Party and its party Platform of Aborting and Gay “rights”; in Mortal sin., in the last Presidential election)

Quote: “The percent of U.S. Catholics who say the clergy sex abuse crisis has them questioning whether to leave the faith has jumped 15 points since the last major crisis in the early 2000s, a poll released Wednesday finds. Thirty-seven percent of Catholics told Gallup that “recent news about sexual abuse of young people by priests” has them personally questioning whether to remain Catholic, compared with 62 percent who said it had not (Washington Post)” End quote

Quote: “Since the early 1970s the percentage of the population counting itself as Catholic has remained stable at around 25 percent. But according to Pew, no other major faith has experienced greater net losses with 31.4 percent of U.S. adults saying they were raised Catholic and about one in 10 describing themselves as former Catholics.” End quote (That’s in excess of 3 MILLION likely lost Souls IF they don’t repent and convert..) Do you think “just maybe” that statistic has garnered God’s attention; and that he’s likely seeking retributions from Bishops, priest, religious and PARENTS (US) who failed to teach the Faith as He commands? This seems to me to be a safe bet; and I am not excluding myself from this.

GOOGLES tells me that there are RIGHT Now “

331,950,826

Current population of the USA

Not knowing how or having the time to check the veracity of the “10%” of the population claim to be “former catholics”….. So 30+% of Americans could have been; SHOULD BE, “Catholic.”…. (Maybe the MASTER Scheme IS working better than I (me here) thought. THAT”S HUGHE!!!!! (I confess I’m the ONLY fully-practicing Catholic remaining in MY family.)

God in order to “Be GOD” must be “Every good thing perfected.” As our Creator, and our GOD He has committed to OFFERING every human Soul “sufficient-grace” to merit our individual salvation. To those whom He actually call’s to the Catholic Priesthood, are OFFERED even more than just “sufficient” graces; making their sins abominations. But think about how the Father TESTED the humanity of Jesus; and how Jesus TESTED “Mom and pop.”…. Is the way we are being tested REALLY that much harder if a TEST? I think not. Bottom Line: Either God is (fully) in charge or we are; and the responsibility can’t be split or shared. AMEN!

So we ALL need to get past the “Booo -SOB SOB’s”; and to accept ALL the Graces God desires to OFFER us; increase our prayer and sacramental life, and get ourselves and ALL those we care about to heaven. Being an “IFPC” (Informed, Fully, Practicing Catholic) is the surest (and the ONLY-God-made; GOD-approved) way to accomplish that.

For our Protestant Brethren; well the Good news is that you TOO could be an “IFPC” and greatly increase your odds (yea I know this isn’t what you want to hear; BUT dear friends, it IS what you NEED to hear (and pray about.) Jesus didn’t BECAUSE Jesus CAN”T (because He promised that He never would and can’t lie) leave His One True Church: (Mt 28:18-20) QUOTED HERE FROM YOUR KING JAMES BIBLE:

Keeping in mind though that the Bible is a Catholic book assembled (OT) and authored (NT) by Catholics and at the time exclusively for Catholics:

King James Version

Matthew 28:19-20

“19 Go ye (My Catholic Apostles and successors) therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: (My Catholic Apostles and their successors) and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” End Quoted

May Almighty God lead each of us to the place He desires we find and call “Home.”

Patrick Miron

The Eucharist: Foretaste of Heaven MARY ANN FATULA, O.P.

The Eucharist: Foretaste of Heaven

MARY ANN FATULA, O.P.

Our loving reception of the Lord in the Eucharist is the most intimate way in which the Trinity allow us to taste heaven on earth. This precious sacrament truly is the “pledge of future glory.”

St. John Paul II describes with heartfelt emotion how we are raised to heaven when we are present at Mass, as we “become part of that great multitude which cries out: ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev. 7:10).” As we are raised to heaven, heaven itself comes down to us. Indeed, the sacrament of the Eucharist, the most wondrous fruit of the Mass, is the sweetest taste and “glimpse of heaven on earth.”

In writing about her first Holy Communion, St. Thérèse tells us that “all the joy of Heaven” entered her heart when she received the Lord. Unable to hold back her tears, she realized that when she received the Lord in the Eucharist, “heaven itself” was in her soul.

St. Thomas Aquinas, too, tenderly contemplates the power of the Eucharist to raise us to heaven and to enable us to live in heaven here on earth. The Eucharist is the greatest of all the sacraments, the culmination and purpose of every other sacrament, precisely because in it we receive the precious Body and Blood of God the Son.

This article is from Heaven’s Splendor. Click image to preview other chapters.

Because Jesus is “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), the Eucharist is the very cause of our eternal life in heaven: “Whoever eats of this Bread will live forever” (John 6:51).

Since the Lord is the font of all grace (John 1:16), devoutly receiving the Eucharist also deepens sanctifying grace and charity within us, “inebriating” us with heavenly delight. Meditating on the Scriptural words that “blood and water came out” of the pierced side of the crucified Lord (John 19:34), St. Thomas Aquinas reiterates the sentiments of St. John Chrysostom: “When you draw near to the awe-inspiring chalice, approach as if you were going to drink from Christ’s own side.”

Closeness with Jesus in the Eucharist

St. Thomas Aquinas loved the Lord’s beautiful words at the Last Supper, at which He instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist: “I do not call you servants any longer . . . but I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

We naturally want to spend time with a beloved friend, and only our friend’s physical presence is enough to content our heart. In a special way, we treasure deeply the presence and final words of a beloved friend. It is at this precious time, when a loved one is about to die, that his or her words are seared into our memory, and our most profound affection is enkindled deep in our soul.

This is why the Lord chose to give us the sacrament of His most sacred Body and Blood at the Last Supper, before He was about to suffer His Passion and death for us.

Having become man for our sake, the Lord has given us the exquisite gift of His physical presence in the Eucharist as a source of strength and comfort now, until we can enjoy His physical presence in an unhindered way in heaven. He imparts to us this sacred gift here on earth, uniting us to Himself most intimately in the Eucharist: “Those who eat my flesh, and drink my blood, abide in me, and I in them.” (John 6:56).

This most wondrous of all the sacraments gives us the intimate and “familiar” physical presence of the Lord, as the sign of the Lord’s supreme charity for us. The Lord surrenders Himself to us in this precious sacrament of the Eucharist ultimately so that, through it, He may bring us to heaven, where we will enjoy Him as the angels do, by the unhindered vision of His beauty.

Sharing a Heavenly Communion

St. John Paul II concludes his encyclical letter on the Eucharist by quoting St. Thomas Aquinas. In his Corpus Christi hymn for Lauds, with its concluding verses used for Benediction, “O Salutaris,” St. Thomas glorifies the Lord for giving Himself to us as our intimate companion, our daily food, and our heavenly reward.

In his poetic sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christi, Thomas cries out, “O Jesus, Bread of Angels, make us see Your Good in the land of the living. You who feed us here, make us there the intimate companions of the saints.” Becoming “companions of the saints” is a grace the Lord bestows on us even now through the Eucharist. In this most precious sacrament, the Lord gives us Himself as a “foretaste” of the eternal joys of heaven. Moreover, in a profound way, He also gives us communion with those in heaven.

St. John Damascene writes that the Eucharist is called “Holy Communion” because in receiving the Lord’s precious Body and Blood, we communicate with and are intimately united to the Lord Jesus. Since those of us on earth and the blessed in heaven are members of His Mystical Body, in the Eucharist, therefore, we also “communicate with and are united to one another.”

This truth deeply touched St. Thérèse. She was convinced that, because those in heaven are one Mystical Body with the Lord, when we receive the Lord in the Eucharist, our loved ones in heaven also are present to us in a very profound way. Thérèse writes of her own beautiful experience at her first Holy Communion: “Wasn’t Heaven itself in my soul?” Yes. And because her saintly mother surely was in heaven, Thérèse tells us, “In receiving Jesus’ visit, I received also Mamma’s. She blessed me and rejoiced at my happiness.”

What profound consolation for us! When we receive the Lord in the Eucharist, we can also commune with our loved ones who have died and who surely come to us united to their beloved Lord.

In the Eucharist, the Lord unites us to the faithful here on earth as well as to those in heaven. St. John Chrysostom urges us to come with profound faith and love to the Table of the Eucharist, where the gifts are not only joy but also “harmony, peace, and union of soul.” When we devoutly receive the Lord in the Eucharist, we receive also the grace to be more closely united to those we love here on earth, in a love that is itself a foretaste of heaven. This precious sacrament is thus the sacrament of the Church’s unity, for “the common spiritual good” of the entire Church is contained in the Lord given to us in the Eucharist. The more lovingly we receive the Lord Jesus, the more united we become to those dear to us here on earth, especially to those with whom we are blessed to share the Eucharist. Our receiving of the Lord in this sacrament also unites us more deeply with all the members of the one Mystical Body of the Lord, in a foreshadowing of the loving union that will be ours in heaven.

Taste Heavenly Joy

Another wonderful effect of the Eucharist is a deepening in our souls of a profound spiritual delight and “sweetness” that allow us to taste heavenly joy even now: “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). This deep contentment, even in the midst of trials, continues after we receive the Eucharist and especially can be savored when we spend time in adoration of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

St. John Paul II tells us of his own intimate experience: “It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the beloved disciple (John 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart.” The pope reminds us of how much every one of us truly needs this time in adoration and love before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. “How often, dear brothers and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!”

Presence of the Trinity

Still another wondrous fruit of devoutly receiving the Lord in the Eucharist is a deepening of the presence of the entire Trinity within us. “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:10). And where the Father and the Son are, there also is the Holy Spirit.

Although it is the Lord Jesus who comes to us sacramentally, the presence of the entire Trinity thus deepens in our souls when we receive the Eucharist. The power of this sacrament is so great that even when we are unable to receive it but long to do so, grace is increased in our souls, and we become even more dearly the home and heaven of the Trinity.

St. Catherine of Siena recounts how, during the Consecration at Mass, she “tasted the depths of the Trinity.” Surely this was the grace given to her every time she desired to receive the Lord, which was daily. She assures us that this blessing can be ours. So, too, when we receive the Eucharist, the “power” of this sacrament, which is the “warmth of divine charity,” remains deep within our souls.

✠

This article is an excerpt from Sr. Fatula’s Heaven’s Splendor: And the Riches That Await You There. It is available from Sophia Institute Press.

image: Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com

Tagged as: Eucharist, Pope John Paul II, saints, Sophia Excerpts

By Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, O.P.

Sr. Mary Ann, O.P., holds a doctorate in systematic theology from The Catholic University of America and taught theology for more than 30 years at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio

God; do You accept My Faith? A reflection by Patrick Miron

God; do You accept My Faith?

A reflection by Patrick Miron

Hebrews 10: 1-20

“For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect: [2] For then they would have ceased to be offered: because the worshippers once cleansed should have no conscience of sin any longer: But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away. [And similarly; that manmade; man innovated methods that actually compete with Christ teaching, will work any better, than these sacrifices is at least doubtful…PJM] Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me:

{Explanation from Douay Bible} [2] They would have ceased: If they had been of themselves perfect to all the intents of redemption and remission, as Christ’s death is there would have been no occasion of so often repeating them: as there is no occasion for Christ’s dying any more for our sins.

Holocausts for sin did not please thee. Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do thy will, O God. In saying before, Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin thou wouldest not, neither are they pleasing to thee, which are offered according to the law. [10] Then said I: Behold, I come to do thy will, O God: he taketh away the first that he may establish that which followeth. In the which will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once.

From Haydock’s Catholic Commentary: Ver. 10. “The source and primary cause of our sanctification is the will of God, who so loved the world as to give us his only Son; the meritorious cause of our sanctification is the voluntary oblation of Jesus Christ, sacrificed for us upon the cross. Some Protestants shamefully misrepresent the tenets of Catholics, as if we excluded Christ from the work of our salvation, or hoped to be saved not by the merits of Christ, but by our own” [works and efforts]

[11] And every [Old Testament] priest indeed standeth daily ministering, and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But this man offering one sacrifice for sins, forever sitteth on the right hand of God, [13] From henceforth expecting, until his enemies be made his footstool.[14] For by one oblation he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. [15] And the Holy Ghost also doth testify this to us.” 16] And this is the testament which I will make unto them after those days, saith the Lord. I will give my laws in their hearts, and on their minds will I write them: [17] And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more. [18] Now where there is a remission of these, there is no more an oblation for sin. [19] Having therefore, brethren, a confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ; [20] A new and living way which he hath dedicated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh”

This does sound like a “done deal.” God DOES do ALL of the work. But is this what the teaching in its entirety actually teaches?

[Explanation from the Douay bible] [18] There is no more an oblation for sin: Where there is a full remission of sins, as in baptism, there is no more occasion for a sin offering to be made for such sins already remitted; and as for sins committed afterwards, they can only be remitted in virtue of the one oblation of Christ’s death. [That is to say Sacramentally. John 20:19-23 PJM]

[21] And a high priest over the house of God: [22] Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with clean water.[23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (for he is faithful that hath promised), [24] And let us consider one another, to provoke unto charity and to good works: [25]Not forsaking our assembly, as some are accustomed; but comforting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. [26] For if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins, [27] But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries. [28] A man making void the law of Moses, dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] How much more, do you think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people”.

[Explanation from the Douay bible] [26] If we sin wilfully: He speaks of the sin of wilful apostasy from the known truth; after which, as we cannot be baptized again, we cannot expect to have that abundant remission of sins, which Christ purchased by his death, applied to our souls in that ample manner as it is in baptism: but we have rather all manner of reason to look for a dreadful judgment; the more because apostates from the known truth, seldom or never have the grace to return to it.

Ezek. 11: 19-21 “And I will give them one heart, and will put a new spirit in their bowels: and I will take away the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh: That they may walk in my commandments, and keep my judgments, and do them: and that they may be my people, and I may be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after their scandals and abominations, I will lay their way upon their head, saith the Lord God. “[This latter teaching means that God will permit them to wallow in their sins. PJM]

This teaching means that God is both willing to forgive and then actually CONVERT our very hearts to make POSSIBLE, and easier, All That he ask us to do in accord with His Will, Commandments, Precepts and Church-Teaching’s. Never forget dear friend, that Christ choose freely to give to Peter alone [and his successors ALL of the Key’s ] Mt. 16: 18-19 & Mt. 28: 18-20]

“And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.” & “ And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying:All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded [taught] you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” NO OTHER FAITH CAN MAKE THESE CLAIMS TRUTHFULLY.

Ecc. 19: 6 “He that sinneth against his own soul, shall repent: and he that is delighted with wickedness, shall be condemned” Joel 2:3 “And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil” Mark 1: 15 “And saying: The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel” Lam. 5: 1” Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the beginning” Acts 3:26 “To you first God, raising up his Son, hath sent him to bless you; that every one may convert himself from his wickedness

Haydock’s: Hebrews x…. Notes & Commentary: Ver. 15-18. The Holy Ghost also doth testify to us, and assures us of this, by the prophet Jeremias, (Chap. xxxi. 33.) in the words above cited, (Chap. viii. ver. 8.) when he promises to give a new testament, and that he will remember no more their sins. — Now where there is remission of these, there is no more an oblation for sin. That is, there is no need of any other oblation to redeem us from sin, after the price of our redemption from sin is paid. There is no need of any other different oblation; all that is wanting, is the application of the merits and satisfactions of Christ. No need of those sacrifices, which were ordered in the law of Moses.

To convince them of this, is the main design of St. Paul in this place. The pretended reformers, from several expressions of St. Paul in this chapter, think they have clear proofs that no sacrifice at all ought to be offered after Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross; and that so many sacrifices and oblations of masses, are both needless and against the doctrine of the apostle, who says, that Christ by one oblation hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (ver. 14.) And again, that where there is a remission of sins, now there is no more an oblation for sin.

This objection, which is obvious enough, was not first invented by the Calvinists [Baptist] against them they nickname Papists: the same is found in the ancient Fathers; and by their answers, and what they have witnessed concerning the daily sacrifice of the mass, they may find their doctrine of a religion without a continued sacrifice evidently against the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church from the first ages[centuries] of the Christian religion, till they came to be reformers, not of manners, but of the Catholic belief.

Hear St. Chrysostom (hom. xvii.) in his commentary on this very chapter: “What then, saith he, do not we offer up (or make an oblation) every day? We offer up indeed, but with a remembrance of his death. And this oblation is one, and not many. How is it one, and not many? …because, as he that is offered many times, and in many places, is the same body, not many and different bodies, so is it one sacrifice. He (Christ) is our high priest, who offered this sacrifice, by which we are cleansed: we now offer up the same….He said: Do this in remembrance of me. We do not offer a different sacrifice, but the very same, as then our high priest.” St. Chrysostom here says, and repeats it over and over again, that we offer up a sacrifice. 2. That we offer it up every day. 3. That the sacrifice which we daily offer is one and the same oblation, one and the same sacrifice, which our high priest, Christ, offered. 4. That in offering this sacrifice, which in all places, and at all times, is the same body of Christ, and the same sacrifice, we do, and offer it, as he commanded us at his last supper, with a remembrance of him. Is this the practice, and is this the doctrine of our dear countrymen, the English Protestants? But at least it is the constant doctrine, as well as practice, of the whole Catholic Church

The council of Trent, as we have already cited the words, (chap. vii.) teacheth the very same as St. Chrysostom who never says, as some one of late hath pretended, that what we offer is a remembrance only. As the sacrament of the Eucharist, according to the words of Christ in the gospel, is to be taken with a remembrance of him, and yet is not a remembrance only, but is his body and blood, so the sacrifice is to be performed with a remembrance of his benefits and sufferings, by his priests and ministers, but at the same time is a true and propitiatory sacrifice, the priests daily sacrifice, and offer up the same sacrifice, the manner only being different. The sacrifice and mass offered by Peter, is not different in the notion of a sacrifice or oblation from that of Paul, though the priests and their particular actions be different: the same sacrifice was offered by the apostles, and in all Christian ages; and the same sacrifice, according to the prophecy of Malachias, (chap. i. ver. 11.) shall be offered in all nations to the end of the world. This doctrine and practice is not only witnessed by St. Chrysostom but generally by the ancient Fathers and interpreters, as we have taken notice in short in the annotations on St. Matthew. See St. Ignatius, in his epistle to the people of Smyrna; St. Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Tryphon; St. Irenæus, lib. 4. chap. xxxii. and xxxiv.; Tertullian, lib. de Velandis Virg.; Eusebius lib. 1. de demonst. Evang. chap. ult.[last]; St. Jerome, ep. ad Evangelu,; St. Ambrose, in Psalm xxxviii. and on 1 chap. of St. Luke; St. Augustine, lib. 16. de civ. Dei. chap. xxii. lib. cont. Advers. legis chap. 22. and lib. ix. Confess. chap. xii.; St. Chrysostom, hom. lx. ad Pop. Antiochenum. et hom. lxxii. in Matt.; The first general council of Nice[Nicaea]. — But from this one oblation on the cross and remission of sins, obtained by our Saviour Christ, will our adversaries pretend insisting on the bare letter, that Christ has done all for us, and that we need do nothing, unless perhaps endeavour to catch hold of the justifying cloak of Christ’s justice by faith only? At this rate the love of God and of our neighbour, a life of self-denials, such as Christ preached to everyone in the gospel, the practices of prayer, fastings, almsdeeds, and all good works, the sacraments instituted by our Savior Christ may be all safely laid aside; and we may conclude from hence, that all men’s sins are remitted before they are committed. Into what extravagances do men run, when their private spirit pretends to follow the letter of the Holy Scriptures, and when they make their private judgment the supreme guide in matter of divine faith?

It is very true, that Christ hath paid the ransom of all our sins, and his satisfactions are infinite; but to partake of the benefit of this general redemption, the merits and satisfaction of Christ are to be applied to our souls, and this by the order of Providence is to be done not only by faith but by other virtues, by good works, [James Chapter 2] by the sacraments, [John 20:19-23] and by repeating the oblation and the same sacrifice, the manner only being different, according to the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church from the apostle’s time. [Mt. 26:26-28; Mk. 14: 22-24; Luke 22: 19- 21; John 6; 43-60; & Paul 1^st. . 11: 23-30.”]

Where there is a full remission of sins, as in baptism, there is no more occasion for a sin-offering to be made for such sins already remitted; and as for sins committed afterwards, they can only be remitted in virtue of the one oblation of Christ’s death. [And in the precise manner Chosen by Christ who is God: John 20:19-23 [PJM] End of Haydock’s

Before progressing further I think it is prudent to be aware of the overwhelming amount of Mortal sin present in the USA [and worldwide as well.

I read a survey that was taken [2011?] on catholic beliefs and practices. It’s SHOCKING!

Obligatory Mass Attendance [the 3td Commandment] had respondents who choose to identify themselves as “Catholics”; showing that only 23% attended Mass even weekly. [a Mortal sin]

Only about 10% of this group admitted to Going to Sacramental Confession even Annually [A Catholics “Easter Duty”] COULD BE a Mortal sin]

Another survey claims that perhaps as high as 95-98% choose to use contraception [a Mortal sin]

There are about 1.3 MILLION abortions annually [about 55 million worldwide]

50+% vote and support pro-choice candidates in National elections [a Mortal sin]

And yet, if one were to observe how many people who DO attend Mass, and go to Holy Communion, which requires a one-hour fast, and to be IN THE STATE OF GOD’S GRACE; one finds that 90%+ present themselves for this Most Blessed Sacrament unworthily. [God’s Judgment; not mine].

1John.1 Verses 8 to 10 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

1John.5 Verses 16 to 17 “If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.

John.20 Verses 20 to 23” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”

At this juncture I would like to share some relative information from a book entitled “THE SINNERS GUIDE”

By Venerable Louis of Grannada.

Quoting Saint Augustine ; for those who might be unaware of it he fathered a child out of wedlock before being Converted. “I was plunged in iniquity, and Thy anger was aroused against me, but I knew it not. I was deaf to the noise the chains of my sins made. BUT THIS IGNORANCE, THIS DEAFNESS WERE THE[God imposed] PUNISHMENTS OF MY PRIDE.” …Psalm 33: 16-20 “The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit. Many are the afflictions of the just; but out of them all will the Lord deliver them”

Again from Saint Augustine: “men go to Hell through [a false] hope as well as despair at the hour of death.” The author wisely ask: “why did Christ send the Holy Spirit, if not to change your [desiring the flesh] for the “Spirit/” Isaiah 40: 10-13-14 “ For I am the Lord thy God, who take thee by the hand, and say to thee: Fear not, I have helped thee. Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, you that are dead of Israel: I have helped thee, saith the Lord: and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel.” And dear friend this was before the times of Grace. How much more true it must be now.! PJM Romans 8:31-35 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who is against us? He that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how hath he not also, with him, given us all things? Who shall accuse against the elect of God? God that justifieth. Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus that died, yea that is risen also again; who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?

God demands that all “hear and obey;” but God stand nearby anxious to help and assist those that take Him seriously and are willing to “pay” the admission price for Eternal Happiness with God in Heaven. “TURN BACK TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART; DON’T LET SIN KEEP US APART; LONG HAVE I WAITED FOR YOU’RE COMING HOME TO ME.”

Anything and everything that is “good”; comes at a price. We can choose to pay it now; or be justly judged and pay it for all eternity. Amen. God never promised that it would always be easy; just POSSIBLE with His help.

Eph. 5: 6-17 Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. *Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth; Proving what is well pleasing to God. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. But all things that are reproved, are made manifest by the light; for all that is made manifest is light. Wherefore he saith: Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee.* See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, But as wise: redeeming the time, *because the days are evil.* *Wherefore become not unwise, but understanding what is the will of God.”* *Follow Christ and pray much God Bless you,* *Patrick*

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