Keep
your eyes open!...
July 29, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN IN TWO NEXT WEEKS, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(1Ti 2:9-10) In
like manner, women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with
modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or
costly attire: But, as it becometh women professing godliness, with
good works.
CNA HEADLINE: Mexican archbishop calls for greater modesty at Mass
PADRE PIO QUOTE:
"There are, moreover, three virtues which perfect the devout person
with regard to control of his own senses. These are: modesty,
continence and chastity. By the virtue of modesty the devout person
governs all his exterior acts. With good reason, then, does St. Paul
recommend this virtue to all and declare how necessary it is and as if
this were not enough he considers that this virtue should be obvious to
all. By continence the soul exercises restraint over all the senses:
sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. By chastity, a virtue which
ennobles our nature and makes it similar to that of the Angels, we
suppress our sensuality and detach it from forbidden pleasures.
This is the magnificent picture of Christian perfection. Happy the one
who possesses all these fine virtues, all of them fruits of the Holy
Spirit who dwells within him. Such a soul has nothing to fear and will
shine in the world as the sun in the heavens."
MORE FROM CATHOLICMODESTY.COM: The Church speaks about Modesty
EXCERPT MSGR. CHARLES POPE BLOG: On the Imprudence and Uncharitableness of Immodesty
A Central Problem – One of the women says, "In dressing provocatively a
woman is saying, I am asking you to look at me as a sexual object,
instead of a woman worthy of respect." The other woman responds, "There
is nothing wrong with looking like a sexual object." And this pretty
well spells out where many in our culture have gone. Intentionally
provoking a purely sexual response not only tempts men, it also
diminishes women by encouraging the notion that sex is the main thing.
There is surely a time to provoke and celebrate a sexual appeal and
joy…, in the marriage bed. But outside this context, women ought to be
seen more richly as wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, teachers,
scientists, indeed, whole persons with interests, needs, concerns, and
richly varied lives. That many women are advocating a hypersexualized
notion of who they are by taking "slut walks" (the protestors' term not
mine) is a sad commentary. It is one thing to protest the "blame the
victim" remark, but calling it a slut walk is to go further and
advocate immodest dress and raw, unintegrated sexuality. That is not
helpful to women and I suspect most women do not appreciate this sort
of "advocacy," or the extreme comments rendered by one of the women in
this interview below.
Some younger women really don't seem to know – That said, I have come
to discover, through discussions with women on the issue of modesty
that many (especially younger) women really don't have any idea the
effect that they have on men. I have confirmed this in discussion among
our teenage Sunday school kids. In discussions moderated by women, many
young girls just haven't figured it all out yet. When asked, "Why do
you dress that (provocative) way?" they often say, "I don't know,
it's……like……y'know…..comfortable???…..It's like…….cool??"
While some of them may be fibbing, and they really do know, I don't
doubt that, to some degree, there is an innocence about what they do
that needs to be schooled. Some years ago I remember a remarkable
little passage by John Eldridge, in the Book, Wild at Heart that
decoded something I have noticed even in the youngest girls:
And finally,
every woman wants to have a beauty to unveil. Not to conjure, but to
unveil. Most women feel the pressure to be beautiful from very young,
but that is not what I speak of. There is also a deep desire to simply
and truly be the beauty, and be delighted in. Most little girls will
remember playing dress up, or wedding day, or twirling skirts, those
flowing dresses that were perfect for spinning around in. She'll put
her pretty dress on, come into the living room and twirl. What she
longs for is to capture her daddy's delight. My wife remembers standing
on top of the coffee table as a girl of five or six, and singing her
heart out. Do you see me? asks the heart of every girl. And are you
captivated by what you see? (Kindle edition Loc 367-83)
Perhaps it is this innocence that has gone somehow wrong, has been
untutored, and thus, causes some younger girls to dress immodestly. And
many of them bring that into adulthood.
But even if their intentions are innocent, it is not wrong to teach
them that not everyone views their display so innocently, and further
than some are deeply troubled by the temptation it brings, especially
as these girls get a bit older and more vivacious.
So where to go? From the Christian point of view modesty is reverence
for mystery. Modesty accepts the norm that there are some things that
are simply private and meant for the intimacy of marriage that are not
to be disclosed in a general sort of way. Further, modesty respects the
fact it is wrong to unnecessarily tempt others. And many do easily fall
prey to sexual temptation. To simply disregard this and say, "Well that
is their problem," may well be to lack both charity and a realistic
attitude.
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY LIBRARY: The Requirements For Modesty In Dress
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
7. Purity too is called dispassion; and rightly,
because it is the harbinger of the general resurrection and of the incorruption
of the corruptible.
July 26, 2011
(2Ti 3:1-3) Know
also this, that in the last days shall come dangerous times. Men shall
be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, Without affection, without
peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness,....
ST. LOUIS REVIEW: Pope decries terror attacks in Norway, calls for end to violence, evil
In the wake of two terror attacks in Norway that left at least 93
people dead, Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to hatred and
ideologies that promote evil.
"We are all deeply saddened by the serious terrorist acts," the pope
said after praying the Angelus with pilgrims at the papal summer
residence in Castel Gandolfo July 24.
The pope launched an appeal "to abandon once and for all the path of violence and avoid principles of evil."
As a further expression of his condolences and prayers for those
affected by the attacks, the pope sent a message to Norway's King
Harald V. Written on behalf of the pope by Cardinal Tarcisio
Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, the pope said he was praying for
all those affected by "the acts of senseless violence perpetrated in
Oslo and Utoya."
The pope asked that the country "be spiritually united in a determined
resolve to reject the ways of hatred and conflict and to work together
fearlessly in shaping a future of mutual respect, solidarity and
freedom for coming generations."
Explosives ripped through Norwegian government headquarters in Oslo
July 22, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured. Shortly
after the bombing, witnesses said a man dressed as a police officer
shot at people attending a summer youth camp run by the country's
governing Labor Party on the island of Utoya. Police said at
least 86 people died at the camp, but authorities were searching the
island and the waters just offshore for several missing people.
At least 96 other people were injured in the twin attacks.
The suspect, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, has admitted to
carrying out the killings but has not admitted any criminal
wrongdoing. He pleaded not guilty in an Oslo court July 25 after
being charged under the country's terrorism act.
His lawyer told journalists July 24 that his client thought "it was
gruesome having to commit these acts, but in his head, they were
necessary."
"He wished to attack society and the structure of society," said the lawyer, Geir Lippestad.
PETER JENNINGS NEWS AND BLOG: Archbishop Bernard Longley Prays for the Families of those Murdered In Norway
NATIONAL POST OPINION: We've heard this story before
VATICAN RADIO: We need time to come to terms with what has happened...
CNA: Catholics in Norway 'shocked' by Oslo attacks
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
6. There is a dispassionate man, and there is one
who is more dispassionate than the dispassionate. The one strongly hates
what is evil, but the other has an inexhaustible store of virtues.
July 21, 2011
(Jas 5:16) Confess
therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you
may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.
HEADLINE: Priests will to go to jail rather than break the seal of the confessional
A founding member of the Association of Catholic Priests has said he
would he would rather choose to serve time in prison rather than break
the seal of confession.
In the wake of the Cloyne report the Irish government stated that
priests who fail to report child abuse disclosed to them during
confession, to the relevant authorities could face up to five years in
prison.
Writing in his Western People column Father Brendan Hoban said that the
seal of confession outweighs "any form of professional confidentiality
or secrecy."
"Priests do not just regard it as an absolute duty not to disclose
anything that they learn from penitents in the confessional. They
know that if they reveal anything they have learned during confession
to anyone, even under a threat of their own death or that of others,
that they would be automatically excommunicated."
Canon law states: "Let the priest who dares to make known the sins of his penitent be deposed."
Under the seal priests cannot disclose anything they learn from their
penitent. Fr Hoban said the most any priest can do is encourage
the person to surrender themselves to authorities.
BLOG: The Coming Persecution
EXCERPT FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS: The Seal of the Confessional
When a person unburdens his soul and confesses his sins to a priest in
the Sacrament of Penance, a very sacred trust is formed. The
priest must maintain absolute secrecy about anything that a person
confesses. For this reason, confessionals were developed with
screens to protect the anonymity of the penitent. This secrecy is
called "the sacramental seal," "the seal of the confessional," or "the
seal of confession."
The sacramental seal is inviolable. Quoting Canon 983.1 of the
Code of Canon Law, the Catechism states, "...It is a crime for a
confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other
manner or for any reason" (No. 2490). A priest, therefore,
cannot break the seal to save his own life, to protect his good name,
to refute a false accusation, to save the life of another, to aid the
course of justice (like reporting a crime), or to avert a public
calamity. He cannot be compelled by law to disclose a person's
confession or be bound by any oath he takes, e.g. as a witness in
a court trial. A priest cannot reveal the contents of a
confession either directly, by repeating the substance of what has been
said, or indirectly, by some sign, suggestion, or action. A
Decree from the Holy Office (Nov. 18, 1682) mandated that
confessors are forbidden, even where there would be no revelation
direct or indirect, to make any use of the knowledge obtained in the
confession that would "displease" the penitent or reveal his identity.
A beautiful story (perhaps embellished with time) which captures the
reality of this topic is the life of St. John Nepomucene
(1340-93), the vicar general to the Archbishop of Prague. King
Wenceslaus IV, described as a vicious, young man who easily succumbed
to rage and caprice, was highly suspicious of his wife, the
Queen. St. John happened to be the Queen's confessor.
Although the king himself was unfaithful, he became increasingly
jealous and suspicious of his wife, who was irreproachable in her
conduct. Although Wencelaus tortured St. John to force him
to reveal the Queen's confessions, he would not. In the end,
St. John was thrown into the River Moldau and drowned on March
20, 1393.
Each priest realizes that he is the ordained mediator of a very sacred
and precious sacrament. He knows that in the confessional, the
penitent speaks not so much to him, but through him to the Lord.
Therefore, humbled by his position, the priest knows that whatever is
said in confession must remain secret at all costs.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
4. Some say, moreover, that dispassion is the resurrection
of the soul before the body; but others, that it is the perfect knowledge
of God, second only to that of the angels.
July 20, 2011
(Mat 9:36-38) And
seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were
distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then he saith
to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are
few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth
labourers into his harvest.
PRESS RELEASE: Archbishop Charles J. Cahput, O.F.M. CAP. Named Archbishop of Philadelphia
Cardinal Justin Rigali announced at a news conference this morning that
Pope Benedict XVI has named Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
O.F.M. Cap. as the 13th Bishop and 9th Archbishop of
Philadelphia. Archbishop Chaput will be Installed on Thursday,
September 8, 2011, the feast of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 2:00 p.m.
Cardinal Rigali said, "The announcement of a new diocesan bishop is
always an occasion of great joy and hope for a local Church. We
recall that God always provides for His people and we are reminded of
the fundamental mission of the Church, which is also the core mission
of the bishop. It is none other than the proclamation of the
person of Jesus Christ. This is the mission of the universal
Church, of this local Church of Philadelphia, and of Archbishop Chaput
as our new Archbishop."
NCR: Exclusive interview with Archbishop Charles Chaput
COMMENTARY: Archbishop Chaput faces 'a lion's den' in troubled Philly
ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER: Latest Writings, Discourses, and Homilies by Archbishop Chaput
LINK: Archbishop Chaput page on "Courageous Priest"
BRIEF BIO: Charles Chaput: a remarkable American Archbishop
ZENIT: Archbishop Chaput on Liberty and Mission
CHRISTMAS 2010: Christmas: A Revolution Sparked by God's Love and Intervention by Archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput
For anyone who seeks out the real meaning of "the holidays," the last
few days before Christmas are the most powerful period of Advent and
one of the most beautiful times in the year. The Octave before
Christmas, Dec. 17-23, is the time of the "O Antiphons."
In Christian worship, an antiphon is a special prayer recited or
chanted before a psalm or canticle. The "O Antiphons" refer to the
seven antiphons recited before the Magnificat during Vespers in the
Liturgy of the Hours. They entered the Church's liturgy as early as the
fifth century. By the eighth century they were a regular part of
Christian liturgical life in Rome. Thus, they belong to a very ancient
Advent tradition of glorifying God. Each O Antiphon names a title for
God's Anointed One: O Wisdom; O Lord; O Root of Jesse; O Key of David;
O Rising Sun; O King of the Nations; O Emmanuel (which means, "God with
us").
Each antiphon is linked by Scripture to the prophecy in Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.
One of the biggest sadnesses of modern life is this: We've mistaken
comfort for happiness, and as a result, the pursuit of satisfaction has
taken away our joy. We live in a culture increasingly based on the
strange idea that whatever we want, we deserve—and we should also have
it, right now; a culture that constantly teases our appetites,
fabricates new "needs" and then urges us to want more. This is a recipe
for emptiness and discontent. As C.S. Lewis said more than 50 years
ago, it's little wonder that many people, including many Christians,
become so fed up with the "holiday" seasonal frenzy that they endure it
rather than enjoy it, and can't wait for it to be over.
In contrast, the more deeply we live Advent, and the more prayerfully
and patiently we wait for the coming of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, then
the more fully we experience the joy of Christmas. For Catholics
throughout the centuries, Christmas Eve begins the Christmas season,
which continues through the Epiphany to the Baptism of the Lord. As the
popular saying rightly goes, Jesus is the reason for the season. Taking
Christ out of "the holidays" removes any real joy—the winter solstice
is an interesting natural fact, but for moderns, the shortest day of
the year is a pretty thin reason to celebrate—and it makes "peace on
earth" a well-meaning but implausible platitude. There is no peace on
earth; nor can there ever be without the cross of Jesus Christ.
During these final Advent days of the O Antiphons, the Church gives us
a last opportunity to settle our spirits, quiet our worries and refocus
our hearts on the One who should anchor our lives. Human history
changed fundamentally and forever in Bethlehem. The child we wait for
is the hope of all men and women, in every culture, in every age. The
joy of Christmas has very little to do with the gifts we give or get.
What begins at Bethlehem and leads to Golgotha and beyond is a
revolution—the most profound in history and the only real one; a
revolution sparked by God's intervention and love.
May God grant all of us the grace to experience Christmas for what it
truly is; and may he bless every one of us and our families with a
holy, joyful and Christ-centered Christmas season.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
3. And so he is pre-eminently dispassionate, and
is recognized as dispassionate, who has made his flesh incorruptible, who
has raised his mind above creatures and has subdued all his senses to it,
and who keeps his soul before the face of the Lord, ever reaching out to
Him even beyond his strength.
July 19, 2011
(Eph 6:11-13) Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
COURAGEOUS PRIEST: Msgr. What Are Three Characteristics of Diabolical Influence? How Are They Manifest In Our Modern World?
EXCERPT ST. LOUIS REVIEW:
Why does God permit home infestations by the evil one? Again, these
experiences can motivate family members to seek refuge in their faith,
to help their faith come alive, and again to become aware that the Evil
One is behind such practices as Ouija boards, divination and seances.
Often when people's faith grows cold, out of curiosity they begin to
seek secret knowledge which is beyond ordinary human powers. Satan is
only too willing to give them the experiences they are seeking.
Deliverance from evil spirits can only come from Jesus!
It is a common experience that individuals, once delivered from evil
spirits in their lives, become very devout in the practice of their
faith! They discover the power of the Scriptures, the sacraments and
the need for daily prayer.
These individuals also become very much aware of the influence of evil
spirits tempting them daily! Engaging in this daily spiritual warfare
with evil spirits makes individuals so appreciative of Christ in their
lives.
These individuals want to remain close to Jesus.
Remember, Jesus drove seven demons out of Mary Magdalene. She never,
ever wanted to be far from her Savior again. She was at the foot of the
Cross on Good Friday, and she was the first one at the tomb on
Resurrection morning!
Dealing with evil spirits is often a wakeup call in the lives of
Christians. The oppression by evil spirits makes it very clear that the
ultimate choices are either heaven or hell, and the time for choosing
is now!
BISHOP PAPROCKI:
"The only real obstacle in our lives is sin. Original sin is our
inherited condition. The spiritual treasures of paradise were
forfeited by our human ancestors. While Jesus Christ's death and
resurrection have restored the gifts of heavenly treasures for us, we
also have to recognize that the devil, Satan, is real, and he will do
everything in his power to deflect us from our goal, which is eternal
life with Christ in His kingdom. This reality should not frighten
us nor lead us to despair, for Christ is more powerful than Satan.
Prayer and the sacraments are an essential part of what Saint Paul
called the "armor of God" in his letter to the Ephesians. The
Saint Michael prayer can help us "stand against the deceits of the
devil" (Ephesians 6:11) by "taking the shield of faith" (Ephesians
6:16). God permits us to be tempted by the devil but gives us the
grace to resist him through prayer in our daily lives. We can and
should say the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel at church with the
assembly or on our own during the day for spiritual protection for
ourselves and for others."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
2. The firmament has the stars for its beauty,
and dispassion has the virtues for its adornments; for by dispassion, I
mean nothing other than the Heaven of the mind within the heart, which
regards the wiles of the demons as mere pranks.
July 14, 2011
(Mat 24:22) And unless those days
had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the
elect those days shall be shortened.
MEDITATION: Time, Time, Time… by Mark Mallett
EDITOR'S NOTE: I
don't recall any period since the beginning of publication of the Trib
Times when it has been so difficult to continue to provide updates.
Reading Mark's commentary linked above indicates that I am not alone.
Be it family matters, work, or various crosses that the Lord has graced
me with, "a day" just doesn't seem to last "a day" any more.
Updates will certainly continue as life hopefully normalizes, or sooner if God decides to add an extra hour or two to each day.
I would like to point you to a wonderful resource I have recently discovered. Catholic Tide is
a faithful Catholic website published by Margaret O’Connor Flanigan, a
semi-retired Catholic who lives in northern Wisconsin. It contains
Catholic news reports, links to blogs, and just about any other
resource you can think of related to the Catholic Church. The website
is very nicely designed and a pleasure to browse.
The prayers and support of Trib Times readers are greatly appreciated
and cherished. Please be assured of my prayers as well.
Despite the difficult times in which we live, times in which we seem to
have one hero after another fall away, there can be no doubt that
together we are marching to an eternal life of joy and peace with Jesus
our beloved Savior. We should not be surprised, then, about the need
to step over or around stones tossed at us by the evil one on the way.
Trib Times subscribers will sometimes receive material that I forward
via email rather than posted on this site in an effort to pass
information on in a more timely fashion.
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 29- "Concerning Heaven on Earth"
1. Here are we who lie in the deepest pit of ignorance,
in the dark passions of this body and in the shadow of death, having the
temerity to begin to philosophize about Heaven on earth.
July 8, 2011
THE TRIB TIMES WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Act 2:17-18) And
it shall come to pass, in the last days, (saith the Lord), I will pour
out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy: and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall
dream dreams. And upon my servants indeed and upon my handmaids will I
pour out in those days of my spirit: and they shall prophesy.
MEDJUGORJE IN THE HEADLINES
Reported Visions of Virgin Mary Draw Hordes of Pilgrims to Bosnian Village
Little peace or tranquillity at Bosnian village with murderous history near Medjugorje
Pilgrims Flock To Medjugorje For Anniversary
RECENT NEWS: Fr. Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests Dies
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: July 2, 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Perhaps only a few know the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July
16, 1858, was the date of the last apparition at Lourdes. Saint
Bernadette Soubirous said, "All I saw was Our Lady...She was more
beautiful than ever...I have never seen her so beautiful before."
Better known is that as the sun danced at Fatima on October 13, 1917
the three young shepherds saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel give the final
blessing to the crowd. And on this day in 1961, fifty years ago,
the Most Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven
appeared again under this very same title in the remote mountain
village of Garabandal.
Lourdes, Fatima and Garabandal are one; a trilogy drawn in an arc
across Portugal, Spain and France and united by a shared and
increasingly amplified theme. The advocates of Garabandal contend
that the Spanish apparitions are the key to understanding this great
Marian Age of the Church. Garabandal is the bridge linking what
has come already and what has still yet to occur.
At each of the three the Message is repeated with growing urgency; the
mounting offenses of sinful men and women warrant supernatural
punishment upon the whole earth. Those who love God, especially
within the Roman Catholic Church, must undertake sacrifice and penance
in reparation for these wicked acts but first they must strive to be
truly virtuous, drawing nearer to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and
by fervent prayer.
This is the First Message of Garabandal. Given to the four seers
on July 4, it was publically proclaimed on October 18, 1961 one year to
the week before the Second Vatican Council convened. This timing
is noteworthy and may have been to remind the Council Fathers to focus
upon the importance of Fatima, which was bearing tremendous fruit in
the Church but whose requests had not yet been fulfilled.
In the intervening years, Our Lady of Mount Carmel returned to
Garabandal over two thousand times. The period of the apparitions
was filled with a host of astonishing prodigies which have been
recorded on film and have been made available to the public for over
four decades. All of the ecstasies contained acts of Christian
devotion which included the sign of the cross, genuflection, the public
recitation of prayers, and the reverencing of crucifixes or other
sacramentals by the seers which were subsequently offered to bystanders
to kiss. These acts provide a strong and enduring argument for
the supernatural origin of the phenomena.
Our Lady, with maternal affection, personally instructed the young
seers teaching them the devotions so dear to Heaven: Eucharistic
adoration and frequent communion, the rosary and scapular, devotion to
Saint Michael, sacrifices and penances consistent with one's state in
life, prayers for the dead, for sinners, for priests and for the Holy
Father, Acts of Love, to willingly obey the requests of their parents,
to remain obedient to their pastor and local bishop.
Over the course of years, a schedule of unprecedented supernatural
events was forecast to the visionaries to be made known to the
public. In order of occurrence, they are the Aviso, or Warning,
which will be felt by everyone on the planet, an inward purification
that will correct the conscience and reveal to each person the state of
their soul before God.
Within twelve months following the Warning, a Great Miracle located in
the village of Garabandal which will cure the sick and convert sinners,
verifying the Message, and attested by a visible sign left over the
site of the apparitions until the end of time.
A further period of time will then be granted by God for
amendment. At the end of this period, if no correction in the
state of the world is evident, a global chastisement, supernatural in
origin and of unprecedented severity, will ensue.
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
43. The assurance of every petition becomes evident
during prayer. Assurance is loss of doubt. Assurance is sure proof of the
unprovable.
July 7, 2011
As the apparitions drew to a close in 1965, a Second Message was given
through Saint Michael on June 18 disclosing that the cup was now
"flowing over" that "many cardinals, many bishops and many priests are
on the road to perdition and taking many souls with them" and
specifically that "less and less importance is being given to the
Eucharist."
The Second Message continued; the faithful who distinguished themselves
apart from those going astray would receive pardon from God and grace
for amendment through the intercession of Saint Michael the
Archangel. Our Lady then assures us of her great love and
continued assistance in the face of these "last warnings" and closes
with another call for sacrifices and devotion to the Passion of
Jesus. The apparitions ended on November 13, 1965, a few weeks
before the close of the Council. No further messages have been
addressed to the faithful since that time. Our Lady requested her
Message be made known and the formal promotion of Garabandal began soon
after the apparitions ceased. The New York Center in Lindenhurst
was incorporated in 1968 and the work begun by many hands in the United
States and Europe. The Second Message was extremely controversial
for the time and the early promoters met with much resistance which the
seers themselves had prophesied.
Meanwhile great changes were coursing through the Church, not all
welcome. Odious impieties were introduced in places, born of a
spirit of disobedience, irreverence and discontinuity which attempted
to hijack the good work of the Council. The instances of
sacrilege, apostasy, iconoclasm and the suppression of authentic
religious charism similar to other such periods in Church history came
again.
His Holiness, Paul VI remarked that "the smoke of Satan had entered the
Church." Much was lost and many sorrows born in those decades of
turmoil and confusion whose iniquities still reach us. Much of
the disorder and division that afflicted the Church began to be
reflected in civil society. A leading Fatima author and early
Garabandalist, Father Joseph Pelletier A.A. wrote about the
deteriorating situation calling it "a world in crisis".
At the time of the apparitions, Our Lady had confided to the seers
"three more popes" then the mysterious el fin de los tiempos which
would not be the end of the world, the papacy or the Church but would
mark off a certain era seen clearly in retrospect. The third of
these popes was Blessed John Paul II whose heroic reign was remarkable
for its longevity and profound spiritual victories. His
pontificate did much to curb the excessive outrages and initiate the
true renewal promised by the Second Vatican Council. John Paul II
was renowned for his total devotion to Our Blessed Mother.
Following the failed assassination attempt on his life, this courageous
Holy Father turned his consideration to Fatima and the resolute
fulfillment of the requests made there.
Significant for Garabandal in these years; the raising of prohibitions
on the administration of sacraments in the village - a first favorable
sign, the canonization of twentieth century seers like Saint Faustina
Kowalska who prophesied coming events similar in description to those
announced at Garabandal, the official recognition of the apparitions at
Akita, Japan which foretold the coming of a global chastisement, and
the canonization of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina who had corresponded with
the seers and was openly favorable to the apparitions.
Throughout this period the promotion of the Message was carried on by a
small community of lay promoters who gave talks and held
conferences. At the very heart of the movement was a cadre of
learned priests, most of whom were witnesses of the apparitions.
By the turn of the millennium, forty years from the apparitions, these
good men had passed to their eternal reward. The time had come
for a new dispensation which presented itself in the form of the
internet. Via this new form of communication the Message of
Garabandal would eventually reach millions of people in the first
decade of the new millennium, greatly revitalizing a movement whose
first generation had suffered attrition and loss from the passage of
time.
As his pontificate drew to a close John Paul II focused his remaining
strength intently on the importance of the Eucharist. He declared
2004-2005 the Year of the Eucharist again acclaiming the Blessed
Sacrament "the source and summit" of Christian life. By this act
he reaffirmed the centrality of the Eucharist and advanced the project
of restoring true reverence in accord with the implied request of the
Second Message. With this grace the era of the three popes came
to an end on April 2, 2005 as the great Holy Father passed into eternal
life.
Like all occasus saeculi, the transition through which we are presently
passing is marked by tremendous upheaval in the natural world and the
affairs of men. Natural catastrophes of incredible magnitude
occur more frequently. The social, economic and political systems
become fragile as the common morality which bonds us together
dissolves. The Church is again persecuted by Communism in Asia
and Islamism in many lands. In the West, the Church suffers
derision and intimidation from a materialist and agnostic secularism
which has gained the commanding heights. All this heralds the
coming of a new order.
While the Church concludes the long purification of the scandal, our
Holy Father Benedict XVI declared 2009-2010 the Year for Priests and
closed a year of prayer for priests with the consecration of all clergy
to the Immaculate Heart at Fatima on May 13, 2010. This most
significant act magnifies Our Lady's request at Garabandal for prayer
for priests to uphold the apostolic tradition of the sacred priesthood
of Jesus Christ which continues to reconcile the world to God through
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
This is the chronicle of the first fifty years of Garabandal. The
Message has passed the test of time. No longer controversial, it
is becoming a source of hope to many searching for a second chance for
the world.
Next, we anticipate the Warning which, despite the necessary pain of
the revelation of our own sinfulness, we need urgently.
Garabandal Visionary Jacinta Moynihan said memorably in a 1977
interview, "The Warning will occur when the situation is at its worst."
And so we who are devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel de Garabandal
continue our prayerful vigil in great expectation.
In Union of Prayer, The Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Lindenhurst, NY USA
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
43. The assurance of every petition becomes evident
during prayer. Assurance is loss of doubt. Assurance is sure proof of the
unprovable.
July 7, 2011
(Jud 1:6-7) And
the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto
the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the
cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an
example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: Senior Vatican adviser wants communion rite taken away from Andrew Cuomo over same-sex marriage stance
A senior adviser to the Vatican, who is a theology professor in
Detroit, blasted the Catholic governor of New York for his strong
backing of same-sex marriage, saying that he should be punished for his
"brazen" violation of Catholicism by being denied Holy Communion — a
key part of the Catholic faith.
He's also calling for the Catholic Church to investigate Gov.
Andrew Cuomo for violating church law, calling the politician's actions
a "danger" to faithful Catholics.
Professor Edward Peters of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, a
consultant to the Vatican's highest court, hopes that punishing Cuomo
would "serve as an example" to other Catholic politicians and clergy
across the U.S. who might be considering same-sex marriage in
light of New York's approval on Friday.
"I see no way, absent a public reversal of his public conduct, that
Andrew Cuomo may present himself for holy Communion," Peters wrote
Sunday on his blog. And, "I see no way that a minister of holy
Communion may administer the sacrament to him."
Peters, an expert on canon law, confirmed his remarks with the Free
Press today. He said New York bishops should make clear publicly
that Cuomo can't receive Communion because of the "danger of scandal
presented to the faithful."
MATT C. ABBOTT: Chicago priest decries homosexualist agenda
LIFESITENEWS.COM OPINION: All gay all the time
CCCB: Letter on pastoral ministry to young people with same-sex attraction
EXCERPT: Rhode Island Bishop Bans Catholics From Civil Unions
"The Church reminds its members that homosexual activity is contrary to
the natural law and the will of God and, therefore, is objectively
sinful," announced Tobin. "Persons with same-sex attraction are
required to live the Christian virtues of chastity and modesty, as all
persons are. Because civil unions promote an unacceptable
lifestyle, undermine the faith of the Church on holy matrimony, and
cause scandal and confusion, Catholics may not participate in civil
unions. To do so is a very grave violation of the moral law and,
thus, seriously sinful. A civil union can never be accepted as a
legitimate alternative to matrimony."
Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
41. He who possesses the Lord will no longer express
his object in prayer, for then, within him, the Spirit maketh intercession
for him with groanings that cannot be uttered (Vid. Rom 8:26).
July 6, 2011
(Pro 22:7-8) The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant
to the lender. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod
of his anger shall fail.
BREAKING: Order accuses Father Corapi of sexual, financial wrongdoing, falsehoods
HEADLINE: Pope criticizes speculation on food prices
ECONOMIC COMMENTARY: DON'T BORROW!
The latest financial bailout of Greece, announced last week, has once
more put off the day of reckoning for the European Union and maybe for
the worldwide financial system, but that day is merely postponed, not
cancelled. The problem is systemic. If democratic
politicians want to be re-elected, they must borrow to pay for the free
lunches on which they themselves have made the peoples insist, but the
folly for individuals, families or nations of taking out loans upon
loans cannot last for ever, and one day it comes to a crashing
halt. Such peoples and politicians have today long been on the
wrong road, because the decision to heap up loans is normally stupid or
criminal.
It is stupid if the basic wisdom has been forgotten of three lines of
Shakespeare, worth volumes written by professional "economists":--
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be / For loan oft loses both itself
and friend / And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." In other words
a habit of borrowing accustoms one to not "husbanding" or looking after
the resources one has. For instance, at least to begin with,
money borrowed comes too easily, thus undermining the sense of money's
value and the sense of reality, for instance how hard money can be to
earn or eventually to pay back. As for lending, says Polonius
(Hamlet, I, 3), not only are loans often not paid back, but also if I
have lent to a friend who cannot pay back, he can be too afraid or
ashamed to come near me again.
However, not all lenders are stupid. A number of them are
criminal, because they know that by lending money at usurious rates of
interest they can reduce individuals, families and nations to poverty
and slavery - "The borrower is servant" (or slave) "to him that
lendeth" (Prov. XXII, 7). Certain credit cards are now
paying between 20 and 30% rates of interest, yet the Catholic Church
has always severely condemned usury. Usurers are criminals who
destroy the fabric of society by impoverishing and enslaving their
fellow men, or whole nations.
In modern times usury takes different forms, say the Popes, and this is
why the whole world should now be waking up to the fact that it has let
itself be enslaved by the cunning money-men, who use their money to
master the media and politicians in particular, and thus buy control of
an entire society giving itself over to Mammon. The question then
arises, how can God have allowed such a state of affairs to come about,
and how can he now be meaning to allow the immense suffering that will
come with the imminent financial crash and/or World War, both of which
will have been engineered by his enemies to give them, as they hope,
total world power ?
The answer is that he has granted such power to his enemies because
their cruelty and inhumanity serve him as a scourge to be laid across
the back of a world that has turned away from him, and has preferred to
take Mammon for its master - you cannot serve both God and Mammon, says
Our Lord (Mt. VI, 24). And God will allow a great deal more
suffering in the near future, because "In suffering is learning"
(Aeschylus), and in fact only heavy suffering will today be enough to
enable any significant number of souls worldwide to learn that their
materialism and worship of Mammon are treacherous enemies of their one
true interest, the salvation of their eternal souls.
Mother of God, obtain mercy for us poor sinners !
Kyrie eleison.
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Ladder
of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 28- "On holy and blessed prayer"
40. What is obtained by frequent and prolonged
prayer is lasting.
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