Concerning a Correct Disposition Towards Our Own Faults

Tweet

+JMJ+

AVE MARIA.

Shouldn't we, as Christians (of the one true, Christian faith that has been passed down directly from Christ via the very tradition that he instructed the Apostles, and their successors, to pass down) find it not only easy to apologize (keeping in mind always, first, how God might see us) but find pleasure in doing so (that we might have find, next opportunity, a better away to please God)? We ought to find fault with ourselves where even our brother does not find fault, and where our brother does find true fault in us, thank him for the reprimand? We, Catholics, who live for Christ, seeking to remain in that Life of Christ in the Sacraments, live for God and not for ourselves, that we might say one day, along with the apostle, "And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me. And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself for me.

[21] I cast not away the grace of God. For if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain." ---- Galatians 2:20-21

Get Ready for an EXTRA SPECIAL Valentine's Day (2018)

Tweet

+JMJ+

Happy Chocolate Day!

Imagine that you've spent at least a few weeks choosing a romantic gift for your loved one to celebrate the heavily commercialized, totally secularized, (St.) Valentine's Day, to only have the conversation go a little something like this:

"Hi honey!   Look what I got you!   A lovely box of chocolates for you to look at and offer up!"  If your honey is not devout, trust that she will grab them and shut the door on you, and not talk with you the rest of the day.  If she is devout, she may give you a blank stare.   If she is VERY devout, she may accept them and then hide them away immediately, because it is an unnecessary near occasion of sin.

"WHAT!" You ask.   "Chocolate is an 'unnecessary near occasion of sin'?  Since when?"   To which I shall reply, "...since it is 2018, and this year, (St.) Valentine's Day happens to fall on (*drum roll, please*)...

ASH WEDNESDAY.

(Don't forget to pin your fringe back on Ash Wednesday.)

Here you have options, just a little less 'traditional' than most (St.) Valentine's Days.

Regardless of how devout your other half seems to be, Lent is a time to reflect on the higher reality that encompass every day of every year:  that this life is not the end, but merely intended to be the means.  And since (the one, true, triune) God is the source and means to love, it makes more sense that we take advantage of the fact that the feast and fast coincide.  And since the fast of Ash Wednesday is an OBLIGATION, and of course, in case you didn't already know, the celebration of the martyr is not (an obligation), let's consider some ways in which it makes sense to celebrate, even on a day of Fast:

"Jesus loves you, and to dust you shall return!"  

1.) PRAY TOGETHER.  You can pray the Compline the night before.  You can even offer to do it certain days throughout Lent, or if you are married, pray it every night of Lent (if you're not already praying it every night). 

2.) PRAY FOR HIM/HER.  Offer to Our Lord or Our Lady a set of prayers during a Novena, or throughout Lent, on behalf of your loved one.

3.) MAKE AN ACT OF MORTIFICATION.  In addition to your Lenten mortification, you may add an additional, small mortification on behalf of the spiritual progress of your loved one.   Write this in a note and add it to a card.

4.) DO A LENTEN LECTURE.  You can do this either together or even separate, because if you grow in holiness from it, your loved one benefits, as well.   Also, you can do one together and if you're not able to be together due to distance or schedule conflicts, you can do one together that is pre-recorded.  You can even discuss what you each will take away personally.  If you are married, you may wish to take it a step further, and ask that your spouse help you with specific areas in your progress, and tell them how they can help (but be specific).

5.)  HAVE A MASS SAID.   Have your priest say a Mass on behalf of your loved one, for his/her spiritual and temporal needs, and for a holy, fruitful Lent.

6.) SPIRITUAL READING.   Buy a book or a few books for spiritual reading during Lent.  It is always good to read the lives of the saints, but also to read about progress in virtue and in the spiritual life.  Also, writings of the saints, especially the Church Fathers and Doctors, is always a good way to learn the faith, or deepen your knowledge of the faith from what you think you know now.  Some of the spiritual readings can be done together, or separately, and then on certain days of the week (i.e.: Saturday or Sunday), you can get together to discuss what you've read, and what you will take away personally from it.  Some of these writings can even be found for free online.

7.)  MAKE AN OFFERING TO OUR LADY.   Our Lady takes care of both the spiritual and temporal needs of her children by her intercession to her son.   Asking for her help for not just yourself, but also for your loved one, is a very good gift any time, but especially for a fruitful Lent. 

8.)  GIVE A HOLY IMAGE.  You can print some beautiful images from online that are in the public domain, and give them for gifts (for the use of educational purposes and/or private viewing), and even get the image blessed.  These would best be images in keeping with the Lenten theme, and will be useful for medications during that time.

9.)  GIVE SACRAMENTALS, especially ones that can be used frequently throughout Lent.  This is a nice "add on" type of gift.   Perhaps a holy card of St. Valentine, along with the story of his martydom, would be fitting?

  

http://www.discountcatholicproducts.com/Saint-Valentine-Laminated-Prayer-Card-P9955.aspx

St. Valentine, pray we have a holy Lent this year!

+AD JESUM PER MARIAM+

Nostra Aetatae is a Heretical Document from Vatican II

Tweet

+JMJ+

The document's point is to "build a bridge" between Catholics and Jews, by respecting their false religion.  That starts off on the wrong foot, because it 1.) presupposed that hatred of the Jews comes from not respecting their (false) religion, and 2.) that it is ok to respect a false religion.  Also, it makes the assumption that if you openly disavow Judaism or Islam, or any other false religion, for that matter, you are disrespecting the person and not being charitable.  It also presupposed that there is a dichotomy between charity and truth, for on one hand, it is true to say that our religions are different, and that, as the Church has always taught, there is only one, true faith, and it is immutable.  However, according to the "Spirit of Vatican II", it is without charity to state this boldly and clearly, and therefore, also presupposes that the highest good is how we make people feel about themselves, not God HIMSELF.  This is the heresy of imanentism.  The truth is that God is transcendent and immutable, and the truths that come from Him are as well.

But Holy Mother Church is never wrong!  This is true, but it was not she who claims these errors: even the chief Vatican proponents of these erroneous documents (as you will see in them each laid out bare in this post and the following posts) do not claim that this council or these documents are "ex cathedra".  It did not define dogma, but it DOES SKEW the representation of dogma 180 degrees,  If the purpose of dogma is to define (clarify) in order to teach, is actually, nowadays, uncharitable or "non-pastoral",  then that is the same to say that our dogma is outside of charity.  Again, how can their be such a dichotomy between truth and charity?  This is a lie.  The Church never needed to bow to the Spirit of the World, but consider, first, the salvation of souls.  The watering down of the truth does not make one who is against it for it, but just aims to make it appear as something that it is definitely not.  Therefore, it does not aim to convert, but to confuse the truth.

Peter's Denial is in Nostra Aetate, in the False Pretense of "Charity"

Nostra Aetatae states, ""The Church also looks upon Muslims with respect.  They worship the one God living and subsistent, merciful and mighty, creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to humanity and to whose decrees, even the hidden ones, they seek to submit themselves whole-heartedly, just as Abraham, to whom the Islamic faith readily relates itself, submitted to God... Hence they have regard for the moral life and worship God in prayer, almsgiving and fasting."[73]

Defenders of this will say that it is unclear whether or not this document means that they pray to the same God, but rather, a 'god', but the Latin text shows it as it is translated, with the capitalization of the 'g' in "God".  The context spells it out even further, that the entire point is made that they, the Muslims, pray to the same God.

If this was true charity, it would be 100% true.  However, our dogma states that the one, true God is TRIUNE, and to say anything less is outside of the truth.

It even goes so further to lie about the Muslim faith, that their 'god' created Heaven and Earth, but the Muslim faith does not even teach this.

Likewise, the document likes about the Buddhist faith, to make it, too, palatable to Catholics (NOT to Buddhists, because truly practicing Buddhists and Muslims know their faith, it is Catholics who do not know the Buddhist, or the Muslim beliefs, let alone their own Catholic faith).  And the document makes assertions regarding Hinduism, in the same way, that there are this seeking for truth within these philosophies that are deeply heretical in the first place.  It even equates "illumination" with finding the truths of the one, true God.

Nope!  Sorry, but dangerously incorrect.  These Bishops had to misrepresent these religions for what end?   Do you believe it was to help these people convert?  Then why laud their false beliefs?  Is it in order to encourage their conversion, but by saying they are already well to be as they are?   It is only to confuse Catholics, that they might, otherwise, remain in the truths of their Baptism.

The point of the faith is not to find "illumination", but to know, to love, and to serve the one, true God.  To say otherwise, for whatever purpose, is to propose heresy.

And lastly, let's look at the odd statement on the Jews:

"True, authorities of the Jews and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ (cf. Jn. 19:6); still, what happened in His passion cannot be blamed upon all the Jews then living, without distinction, nor upon the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as repudiated or cursed by God, as if such views followed from the holy Scriptures."  This is so gross, because it insults the faithful, by presupposing that standing up for the faith is the same thing as putting down a Jewish person.  The correction of an error is just that, and not an insult to the one being corrected.  If one was to say that a Jew was cursed because he was a Jew, that would be an error, but to say that there is a curse on his false religion, that is a given, but because it is based on the denial of Christ.  he new Judaism is NOT the biblical Judaism, but rather, is without the sacrifice and temple of Jerusalem, but is based on the denial of the Messiah.  They are awaiting the 'new Messiah', so it is not merely indirectly denying the one, true, Triune God, but directly denying Jesus as the Messiah.  This is a curse to its religion, but not to individual Jews.  Jesus desired their conversions, 

There are plenty more errors, but this should be enough to demonstrate that Nostra Aetatae is a danger to the faithful.


" Poor Jews! You invoked a dreadful curse upon your own heads in saying: "His blood be on us AND ON OUR CHILDREN!" (Mt.27:25); and that curse you carry upon you till this day, you miserable race, and to the end of time shall you endure the chastisement of that innocent Blood. "  --  St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, Doctor of the Church

Lack of Charity: A Sign of Weak Faith

Tweet

+JMJ+

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do also to me," says our Lord in Matthew 25:40. 

There is an old saying that we see what is in the heart of a man by how he treats one who can do nothing for him.  The same can be said of the faith of a man.  Yet, so many people's hearts grow cold and deform into hardening to the point of having malice, which is even one of the 7 Deadly Sins, because they justify their hatred by their false 'faith'.   Hatred of sin is not hatred of the sinner, but yet, people will grow so much in their pride, that they will perversely look for reasons and excuses to hate others.  St. Mary Magdalene did not have a hatred of the simple man, but impatience can lead to this, and definitely, detesting the Cross will lead to it.  

Our Lord appeared as a gardener to Mary Magdalene.  Here is was trying to give her an opportunity for her strength to be built up, at the same time, he was teaching her a lesson.  She was seeking him, and he did not rise again to be here forever, therefore, he came in the guise for which she would not immediately recognize him.  This way, she would learn she would seek him in her heart in not only her prayer, but in all her interactions.  It was a humiliation for her, for which she would later learn upon him revealing himself.  (She would, then, later seek him in her interior life thereafter the Ascension.)  While she was not dismissive to the gardener, she was impatient with him that she sought our Lord.   Mary Magdalene came from a class that was higher than a mere gardener, but she sought our Lord, and yet, did not have the faith to 'see' him.  

Why does this happen?  It happens because at some point, they lose so much charity, because they did not firstly guard their faith.  It takes more than just going to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, but it takes daily prayer, frequent confessions, daily examination of conscience, and a sincere effort daily to live according to the love of God and the love of man out of the love of God --- (in) the fulfillment of the 10 Commandments.  People forget these because they become spiritually slothful, and want to throw off the cross.   They want a faux "Christ" that did not suffer and die on the Cross.  They want to believe that they have "arrived" in sanctity, and that they are definitely on their way to Heaven.  Hope is one thing, but presumption is NOT hope.  Presumption is sin and a lack of gratitude and contrition for past sins, and amendment for any attachments to sin (whether mortal, or venial, or even imperfections in proclivity to unintentional venial sins due to imperfections).

God did not make it impossible for us to become perfect.  Once we believe that it is not possible, we deny the fruits of Christ Death and Resurrection, and in doing so, worship a false "christ".  It is not only possible through his graces won for us by opening the doors of Heaven by his death on the Cross, but it is necessary for us to get to Heaven, and more importantly:   because Christ commanded us towards this end.  We must, therefore, seek to perfect ourselves in sanctity, and not think that this is not realistic or impossible.  It is possible, and that is why we worship Christ at Mass; that when we hear, "Ite Missa est!"  we take that mission literally, to go and live as God orders us to live.

"I Wanted to be a 'SOMEBODY'", he said...

Tweet

+JMJ+

Rather, consider: It would be better to not be afraid to think too little of myself than to think I should accomplish grand things in my life. If I can only be little in my own sight, that I may have every passion silent only to wait on the Will of God in any and every tiny thing, I would do more to please Him than to seek grand things by my own direction even in His name.