Keep
your eyes open!...
September 28, 2012
THE TRIB TIMES
WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luk 21:9-10) And
when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified. These
things must first come to pass: but the end is not yet presently. Then
he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom.
EDITORIAL: A New Gulf War?
EXCERPT: Netanyahu Address to UN
Nothing could imperil the world more than a nuclear-armed Iran. To
understand the impact, imagine a nuclear-armed al-Qaida. Iran's rulers
continually deny the holocaust and call for Israel's destruction, as
they did from the UNGA this week. If this is Iranian aggression without
nuclear weapons, just imagine Iran with nuclear weapons. Who would be
safe in the Middle East? In Europe? In America? Anywhere?
Deterrence worked with the Soviet Union - it may not work with Iran
once they get nuclear weapons. Netanyahu quotes Historian Bernard
Lewis: For Iran's leaders, mutual self-destruction is an incentive -
Iran's policy is guided by Shi'ite belief in the return of the Mahdi. (EDITOR'S NOTE: see below)
It is not only my right to speak, it is my duty to speak about Iran.
Diplomacy hasn't worked, Iran uses diplomacy as a means to advance its
nuclear program. Under Obama's leadership, some of harshest sanctions
on Iran have been passed. But we must face the truth - sanctions have
not stopped Iran's nuclear program either. According to IAEA, Iran has
doubdle its number of centrifuges.
There is only one way to peacefully stop Iran - and this is by placing
a clear red line on Iran's nuclear program. Red lines do not lead to
war, they prevent war. Red lines might have prevented WW2. Red lines
might have avoided first Gulf War.
Red lines can be drawn in various parts of the nuclear program, but
they must be drawn on Iran's efforts to enrich uranium. Iran is 70
percent of the way there, and are well into the second stage. By next
summer, at current enrichment rates, they will have finished the medium
enrichment and move on to the final stage. From there it is only a few
more weeks before they have enriched enough for a bomb.
I believe that faced with a clear red line, Iran will back down - and it will give more time for sanctions and diplomacy.
VIDEO LINK: Netanyahu Illustrates Iranian Progress towards Nuclear Bomb With Chart
VIDEO LINK: Enriched Uranium: What if They Mean What They Say?
EXCERPT: Ahmadinejad Lays Out Vision Of New World Order
From Ahmadinejad's message Page 10: He states a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam Al-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ (PBUH) and the righteous.
Creating peace and lasting security with decent life for all, although
a great and a historic mission can be accomplished. The Almighty God
has not left us alone in this mission and has said that it will surely
happen. If it doesn't, then it will be contradictory to his wisdom.
God Almighty has promised us a man of kindness, a man who loves people
and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is
named Imam Al-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ
(PBUH) and the righteous. By using the inherent potential of all the
worthy men and women of all nations and I repeat, the inherent
potential of "all the worthy men and women of all nations" he will lead
humanity into achieving its glorious and eternal ideals.
The arrival of the Ultimate Savior will mark a new beginning, a rebirth
and a resurrection. It will be the beginning of peace, lasting security
and genuine life.
His arrival will be the end of oppression, immorality, poverty, discrimination and the beginning of justice, love and empathy.
The arrival of the Ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ and the Righteous will
bring about an eternally bright future for mankind, not by force or
waging wars but through thought awakening and developing kindness in
everyone. Their arrival will breathe a new life in the cold and frozen
body of the world. He will bless humanity with a spring that puts an
end to our winter of ignorance, poverty and war with the tidings of a
season of blooming.
LINK: General Assembly Applauds Ahmadinejad Speech
MIDDLE EAST HEADLINES
Abbas accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ for building settlements in East Jerusalem
Poll: Israelis say high chance of Iran war
Iran flexes military muscle with new drone
Up to 700,000 Syrians may flee by year-end: UNHCR
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
10. It seems to me that the great desire that our
Lord has that His Sacred Heart should be honored by some particular worship
is to renew in souls the effects of His Redemption.
September 27, 2012
(Php 4:6-7) Be
nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: “It’s wireless and toll-free.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: C
O N F R A T E R N I T Y O F S P I R I T U A
L M O T H E R S F O R P R I E
S T S
VIA [email protected]:
Awesome! The Army of God is Thriving! We can add the Holy Souls, the
Souls of the Holy Innocence, and all of the Saints and Angels...who
have always been a part of the Army of God. We are in good company. And
not a minute too soon. Be a living prayer by offering your day--each
day--as a prayer. Thank you all, and we will be side by side in the
time to come praying for the world.
To anyone who is interested in joining the Intercessory Army Of God.
It is in our prayers, and with our Guardian Angels, who will continue
the work even as we sleep. It is an optional part of this prayerline.
We need to pray for this world and to be vessels of Jesus' Spirit here
on earth!
Intercessory Army Of God
This Is a different kind of army. With our Faith as our shield, and our prayers being our weapons, we become a living prayer.
Here is what you do to be a part:
1. Now, and then everyday when you wake up in the morning, say a
cleansing prayer (for the cleansing prayer I use, please see below) and
then consecrate yourself, your family, and your home to the "Sacred
Heart of Jesus Christ, The Immaculate Heart of Mary, and to God, the
Eternal Father of Heaven and earth."
2. Offer yourself each day as a warrior in the Army Of God and ask the
Lord Jesus to lead you with His light as you move in the world. Then
believe that He is guiding you, and that what you are doing is what He
wants you to be doing. Ask for clarity and discernment to know what is
not His will, as well.
3. Offer your day as a prayer; all the good, the bad, the pain and
suffering, the joy and happiness, the success, the failures and
everything that comes from this day becomes a solid prayer.
4. Then, even when you put your head down at night to sleep, your
guardian angel will continue the work. Thank you to all who consider
this proposal. If you are so moved please let me know and state your
first name and I will add it to the list.
Intercessory Army Of God:
Holy Souls in Heaven
Holy Souls In Purgatory
Holy Innocence All the Saints
All the Angels
YOU!
Thank you to all who consider this proposal. If you are so moved please let me know ([email protected]) and state your first name and I will add it to the list.
Cleansing Prayers and Consecration:
In the Name of Jesus Christ, I bind all spirits, thoughts and feelings
that are not of You, my Lord, Jesus, and I cast them off, rendering
them powerless and unable to return.
With Your Precious Blood, Jesus, I cleanse 1.) (name immediate family
members) and myself, and our whole (extended) family wherever they are
in the world, 2.) I cleanse (name business associates) and their
families, 3.) all of our friends and their families, and 4.) anyone who
has anything to do with the Holy Innocence Prayerline and their
families...through body, soul, heart, mind, and spirit. Cover all of us
with Your Precious Blood, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit...that
every word we say today be Your words, every thought be Your thoughts,
every decision we make be Your Will, every step we take be in Your
Light.
And with Your Precious Blood, Jesus, I cleanse all of our homes,
everyone's businesses, (be as specific as you want in naming homes and
businesses) in, over, under, around and through, all property air
above, ground below, and cover all of it with Your Precious blood above
around, and under, and fill it with Your Holy Spirit, that every breath
we take is You, everything we do and say is You, everything we want to
do, or want to say is You.
And with Your Precious Blood, Jesus, I cleanse all of our lives and
livelihoods ...in, over, under, around and through. Cover all with Your
Precious blood, and fill all with your Holy Spirit that everything we
do to sustain ourselves on the earth so as to continue being on earth
for You...including making money and attaining food and so on, be of
You in every way.
Now I consecrate all of us, our homes and properties, our businesses
and properties, and our lives and livelihoods... to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus Christ, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and to you Eternal Father
in Heaven...through (Name which Saints you wish to have as
intercessors), through all family who have gone before us (name
specific members who have died as you wish) especially anyone still in
Purgatory, through all of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, through the Holy
Innocence, and through all of angels and Saints, especially our
guardian angels, and patron saints.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
9. The Sacred Heart is a hidden and infinite treasure
desiring to manifest Itself, to be poured out and distributed, so as to
alleviate our distress.
September 25, 2012
(1Pe 5:8-9) Be sober and watch:
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about
seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith: knowing
that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world.
NCR: As Occult, New Age Practices Increase, so Does Need for Exorcists
HEADLINE: Exorcist monthly goes on sale in Poland
MORE: Exorcists boom in popularity in Catholic Poland
SPIRITDAILY: Former Satanist Details Workings of Demons and Special Power of Church and Blessed Mother Against them
LOVE ONE ANOTHER MAGAZINE: Saved from the Occult
The life of Fr. Jacques
Verlinde makes for an exceptionally interesting story. As a young
scientist, he worked for the National Fund for Scientific Research
(FNRS), one of Belgium’s most famous research institutes. At the age of
21, he abandoned his prospects of a brilliant scientific career and
went to study under a Hindu guru.
After spending several years in Hindu ashrams, he returned to Europe to
announce the New Age and explore the mysteries of the occult. Following
his conversion back to the Catholic faith, he made a complete break
with occult practice, joined a religious order and was ordained a
priest.
Father Verlinde was born in 1947 into a deeply religious family. He
enjoyed a happy childhood in an atmosphere of lively religious faith.
His early relationship with Christ was a deep and beautiful one.
“Paraphrasing what Curé of Ars said about Our Blessed Mother,” he
wrote, “I would say that I loved Our Lord in His real Eucharistic
presence even before I understood the meaning of the word
transubstantiation! My most beautiful and intense childhood memories
are associated with those heart-to-heart encounters before the
tabernacle, which filled me with inexpressible joy. I was fortunate
enough to make my First Holy Communion at the age of five, and this
encounter made a deep, burning impression on me. I loved serving at
Holy Mass and was so taken up by the greatness of the mystery unfolding
before me that I would at times forget to ring the bells.”
In his adolescent years he came into contact with books steeped in the
spirit of Nietzsche, Marx and Freud, who dismissed belief in a personal
God as something beneath Man Come of Age. Jacques was persuaded that to
live a responsible life you had to reject God and walk through life
alone. Thus began his great crisis of faith. It would take another full
year before he would make a clean break with Christianity. One fine day
he decided not to go to Holy Mass. In his desire to grow up as quickly
as possible he resolved to put an end to all religious practice. He
stopped praying and closed himself off from the life, love and joy that
flows from God through prayer. Jacques crossed into the land of death
and spiritual darkness.
He began his higher studies in Ghent. He was only 16 years old. After
defending his master’s thesis at the age of 20, he commenced his
doctoral studies in the field of analytical chemistry at a nuclear
laboratory. On obtaining his doctorate, he became a research fellow at
the FNRS, the most prestigious research institute in Belgium. Despite
his considerable scientific successes, Jacques retained an insatiable
thirst for the absolute. In an attempt to slake this thirst, he became
deeply involved in his scientific research, the student movement and
political activism. Yet he could not satisfy the sense of emptiness
gnawing within him. After his re-conversion to Christianity, he would
characterize this life without God in this way: “Freedom degenerates
into willfulness as man resolves to follow a path without God, despite
God and even in opposition to God, setting in motion that astonishing
capacity for self-destruction which resides in us on an equal footing
with our capacity for self-construction.”
These were the ’60s, when the world was experiencing its great crisis
of authority in all its forms, political, social and moral. In his
desire to rid himself of traditional values and satisfy his hunger for
happiness, Jacques took an active part in this struggle; but his sense
of inner emptiness only deepened. Despite his youth, academic success
and promising scientific career, he was still unhappy. He wrote: “I
could not find the happiness that I knew before breaking my Covenant
with God. Concerning Judas, St. John writes in his gospel [after his
decision to betray his master], ‘He went out. And it was night’ (Jn
13:30). I experienced the same thing: from the moment I rejected the
presence of the One, who is the light of the people (Jn 1:4), I found
myself in the darkness of night. Of course, it was within my power to
come out of it and return to the Lord, but I was drunk with pride, the
pride of a man without God who by the very fact of rejecting Him takes
His place and sees himself as equal to God.”
It was only after experiencing the existential pain and loneliness
attendant upon his nihilistic worldview that he came to realize how
meaningless a life without God was. Rejecting as absurd the claims of
atheism, he undertook a new search for God; but at the time he saw no
possibility of returning to the Catholic Church which, in his view, was
nothing more than a religious museum. He sought God in Hinduism. He
went to a transcendental meditation meeting. Already by the second
session he wanted to pass the initiation rite and, for this, he had
fork out a sum of money equal to his monthly salary. With extraordinary
ardor he devoted himself to daily meditation. He practiced several
hours a day, repeating the mantras that were supposed to suppress
mental and critical activity and curb the influence of the personal
“I.” After a while he began to find it hard to concentrate. He began to
suffer from insomnia and lose interest in his surroundings. He had
difficulty engaging in conversation. Every day his life became more and
more unbearable. Through the technique of meditation he sought to reach
a state of “unity consciousness,” and thereby surmount the obstacles
that prevent man from realizing his divinity. The Hindus have a very
different concept of God. Unlike the God of the Christians, He is not a
living and loving personal divinity but an impersonal cosmic energy.
God is creation in its totality. Man can merge with the godhead through
the technique of meditation. All pantheistic religions claim that man
has a divine nature. All we need to do is to become conscious of this
and merge with the godhead. But is this not the temptation presented to
our first parents, “you will be like gods” (Gen 3:5)? Intense
meditation brought Jacques Verlinde to such a mental state that he lost
contact with reality and became incapable of carrying out his
scientific work. Taking a leave of absence he traveled to India to
perfect his meditation technique under the guidance of Guru Maharishi.
He would spend the next four years in India.
One day he met a European tourist in the ashram. Verlinde recalls: “The
man asked me if I had ever been a Christian. ‘Yes,’ I
replied. Then he asked me, ‘And Jesus? What is he to you now?’
When he mentioned the name Jesus, something strange happened to me. It
was as if that name penetrated to my heart and awoke in me the most
profound longing for God. In one moment I felt that Jesus was present
in all His infinite mercy. The God whom I had feared no longer existed.
The only God that existed was the One that overflowed with mercy and
tenderness toward me. Jesus had come looking for me in the Himalayas.
With great patience he had waited for my return. When I realized how
near He was and how great was the love and mercy with which he embraced
me, I burst into tears of joy and sorrow: joy because the God whom I
had been seeking all along had found me Himself, and He was a God of
tenderness and mercy; sorrow because I realized how much Jesus must
have suffered on my account. I saw the great pain I had caused Him by
seeking living water in fissured cisterns, when I could be drinking it
directly from His love-filled Heart. With absolute certainty I knew and
understood that Jesus lived. Not only did He live, but He was my whole
life. No longer was there a question of merging with cosmic energies.
All I had to do was acknowledge Jesus as my life, light, happiness. It
was enough simply to reach out to Him—my Savior.”
Continued: http://www.loamagazine.org/nr/magic_idolatry_spiritual_threats/when_jesus_came_to.html
PRAVDA EDITORIAL: "Black magic is in power everywhere in the West, and there is no need to be paranoid about it - just turn on the TV."
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
8. God is so good that He allows us to appropriate
this treasure of the really poor- The Sacred Heart of Jesus- the heavenly
plenitude of Which can most fully supply for what is lacking to us.
September 21, 2012
THE TRIB TIMES
WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Rev 12:10-12) And
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: Now is come salvation and
strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ:
because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them
before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of the testimony: and they loved not their lives
unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein.
Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto
you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
BLOG: Saint Padre Pio vs The Devil
ESSAY BY FATHER BOB PAPI: Spiritual
Warfare in The Third Millenium
CFAM: UN Targets Poor Christians?
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Christian-Witness: Our Lord Jesus on the topic of spiritual warfare
1.
My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust
in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation,
darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me
2. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart
3. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds.
4. Bear with yourself with great patience.
5. Do not neglect interior mortifications.
6. Shun murmurers like a plague.
7. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
8.
If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the
person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings.
9. Be silent when you are rebuked.
10. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him.
11. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude.
12. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you.
13. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart.
14. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
15. Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you.
16. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will.
17. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles.
18. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you.
19. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you.
20. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
—The Lord Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1760
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[Gal. 6:2-10; Mark 7:14-24]
From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Here common sins are listed; but all the rest also, both large and
small, proceed from the heart, and the form in which they proceed are
evil thoughts. The first seed of evil falls as a thought to do this or
that.
Why and how does it occur?
Part of these occurrences can be explained by known laws of the
combining and linking of ideas and images, but only part. Another, most
significant part comes from the self-propelled irritation of the
passions. When a passion lives in the heart, it cannot not demand
satisfaction. This demand is revealed in an urge for something or
other; with the urge is united with some or other object. From here
comes the thought: “That is what I must do.” Here the same thing
happens as, for example, when one is hungry: feeling hunger, one feels
an urge for food; with the urge comes the thought of the food itself;
from this follows obtaining this or eating that.
Third, perhaps a bulkier part, proceeds from unclean powers. The air is
filled with them, they dart around people in packs, and each according
to its kind spreads its influence around itself onto people with whom
it comes into contact. Evil flies from them like sparks from a red-hot
iron. Where it is readily accepted the spark takes root, and with it
the thought about an evil deed. Only by this can one explain why evil
thoughts arise for unknown reasons, in the midst of activities which
decisively are not related to them. But this variety of reasons does
not make for variety in terms of how to react to evil thoughts. There
is one law: an evil thought has come — cast it out and the matter is
finished. If you do not cast it out the first minute, it will be harder
the second minute, and the third minute yet harder; and then you will
not even notice how sympathy, desire, and the decision will be born;
then the means will appear... and sin is at hand. The first opposition
to evil thoughts is soberness, and vigilance with prayer.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
3. As I was about to receive Holy Communion, our
Lord told me that He would come Himself to imprint on my heart the mystical
life which He leads in the Holy Eucharist, a life entirely hidden and annihilated
in the eyes of men, a life of sacrifice and seeming inactivity. He added
that He would Himself give me the strength to do what He required of me.
September 18, 2012
(Isa 5:20-21) Woe
to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for
bitter. Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your
own conceits.
CRISIS MAGAZINE: The Latest Homosexualist Assault on the Catholic Church and the Need for a Counter-Offensive
ARCHBISHOP CHARLES CHAPUT: Some thoughts on Catholic faith and public life
As we enter another election season, it’s important to remember that
the way we lead our public lives needs to embody what the Catholic
faith teaches — not what our personalized edition of Christianity feels
comfortable with, but the real thing; the full package; what the Church
actually holds to be true. In other words, we need to be Catholics first and political creatures second.
The more we transfer our passion for Jesus Christ to some political
messiah or party platform, the more bitter we feel toward his Church
when she speaks against the idols we set up in our own hearts. There’s
no more damning moment in all of Scripture than John 19:15: “We have no
king but Caesar.”
The only king Christians have is Jesus Christ. The obligation to seek and serve the truth belongs to each of us personally. The duty to love and help our neighbor belongs to each of us personally. We can’t ignore or delegate away these personal duties to anyone else or any government agency.
More than 1,600 years ago, St. Basil the Great warned his wealthy
fellow Christians that “The bread you possess belongs to the hungry.
The clothing you store in boxes belongs to the naked.”
St. John Chrysostom, Basil’s equally great contemporary, preached
exactly the same message: “God does not want golden vessels but golden
hearts,” and “for those who neglect their neighbor, a hell awaits with
an inextinguishable fire in the company of the demons.”
What was true then is true now. Hell is not a metaphor. Hell is real. Jesus spoke about it many times and without any ambiguity. If we do not help the poor, we’ll go to hell. I’ll say it again: If we do not help the poor, we will go to hell.
And who are the poor? They’re the people we so often try to look away
from — people who are homeless or dying or unemployed or mentally
disabled. They’re also the unborn child who has a right to God’s gift
of life, and the single mother who looks to us for compassion and
material support. Above all, they’re the persons in need that God
presents to each of us not as a “policy issue,” but right here, right
now, in our daily lives.
Thomas of Villanova, the great Augustinian saint for whom Villanova
University is named, is remembered for his skills as a scholar and
reforming bishop. But even more important was his passion for serving
the poor, and his zeal for penetrating the entire world around him with
the virtues of justice and Christian love.
Time matters. God will hold us
accountable for the way we use it. All of us who call ourselves
Christians share the same vocation to love God first and above all
things; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We’re citizens of heaven
first; but we have obligations here. We’re Catholics and Christians
first. And if we live that way — zealously and selflessly in our public
lives — our country will be the better for it; and God will use us to
help make the world new.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
2. Jesus makes Himself poor in the Blessed Sacrament;
He gives us all He has, reserving nothing for Himself, so as to possess
our hearts and enrich them with Himself. I must forsake and despise myself,
if I wish to imitate Him and to win His most lovable Heart.
September 17, 2012
(Mar 10:45) For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto: but to minister and to give his life a redemption for many.
HEADLINE: The Pope calls for 'peace and reconciliation' as he visits Lebanon
VATICAN RADIO: Pope: Silence the weapons, cease all violence
EXCERPT POPE SUNDAY MASS HOMILY (LEBANON):
Following Jesus means taking up one’s cross and walking in his
footsteps, along a difficult path which leads not to earthly power or
glory but, if necessary, to self-abandonment, to losing one’s life for
Christ and the Gospel in order to save it. We are assured that this is
the way to the resurrection, to true and definitive life with God.
Choosing to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who made himself the
Servant of all, requires drawing ever closer to him, attentively
listening to his word and drawing from it the inspiration for all that
we do. In promulgating the Year of Faith, which is due to begin next 11
October, I wanted each member of the faithful to renew his or her
commitment to undertaking this path of sincere conversion. Throughout
this Year, then, I strongly encourage you to reflect more deeply on the
faith, to appropriate it ever more consciously and to grow in fidelity
to Christ Jesus and his Gospel.
Brothers and sisters, the path on which Jesus wishes to guide us is a
path of hope for all. Jesus’ glory was revealed at the very time when,
in his humanity, he seemed weakest, particularly through the
incarnation and on the cross. This is how God shows his love; he
becomes our servant and gives himself to us. Is this not an amazing
mystery, one which is at times difficult to accept? The Apostle Peter
himself would only come to understand it later.
In today’s second reading, Saint James tells us to what extent our
walking in the footsteps of Jesus, if it is to be authentic, demands
concrete actions. “I, by my works, will show you my faith” (Jas 2:18).
It is an imperative task of the Church to serve and of Christians to be
true servants in the image of Jesus. Service is a foundational element
of the identity of Christ’s followers (cf. Jn 13:15-17). The vocation
of the Church and of each Christian is to serve others, as the Lord
himself did, freely and impartially. Consequently, in a world where
violence constantly leaves behind its grim trail of death and
destruction, to serve justice and peace is urgently necessary for
building a fraternal society, for building fellowship! Dear brothers
and sisters, I pray in particular that the Lord will grant to this
region of the Middle East servants of peace and reconciliation, so that
all people can live in peace and with dignity. This is an essential
testimony which Christians must render here, in cooperation with all
people of good will. I appeal to all of you to be peacemakers, wherever
you find yourselves.
Service must also be at the heart of the life of the Christian
community itself. Every ministry, every position of responsibility in
the Church, is first and foremost a service to God and to our brothers
and sisters. This is the spirit which should guide the baptized among
themselves, and find particular expression in an effective commitment
to serving the poor, the outcast and the suffering, so that the
inalienable dignity of each person may be safeguarded.
Dear brothers and sisters who are suffering physically or spiritually,
your sufferings are not in vain! Christ the Servant wished to be close
to the suffering. He is always close to you. Along your own path, may
you always find brothers and sisters who are concrete signs of his
loving presence which will never forsake you! Remain ever hopeful
because of Christ!
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[II Cor. 4:6-15; Matt. 22:35-46]
The Lord offered the commandment about love for God and one's neighbor,
and immediately supplemented it with the teaching about His Sonship to
God and His Divinity. Why was this? Because true love for God and
people is possible no way other than by the influence of faith in the
Divinity of Christ the Saviour, that He is the incarnate Son of God.
Such faith arouses love for God, for how can one not love God, who has
loved us so much, Who did not even spare His Only-Begotten Son, but
gave Him up for us?
Faith brings this love to complete fulfilment, or to what it seeks;
while love seeks a living union. To attain this union, one must
overcome a feeling of God's righteousness which punishes sin; without
this it is terrifying to approach God. This feeling is overcome through
the conviction that God's righteousness is satisfied by the death on
the cross of the Son of God. Such a conviction comes from faith;
consequently, faith opens the path of love toward God. This is the
first thing.
Second: faith in the Divinity of the Son of God Who was incarnate,
suffered, and was buried for our sake, gives an example of love for
one's neighbor; for love is when one lays down his soul for his
beloved. Faith also gives strength for the manifestation of such love.
To have such love, one must become a new person instead of an
egotistical person — one must become a self-sacrificing person. Only in
Christ does a person become a new creature; but we can only be in
Christ if we unite with Christ by faith and grace-filled rebirth
through the holy mysteries accepted with faith. From here it follows
that any expectation by people without faith to maintain even good
moral conduct is in vain. Everything is together; it is impossible to
divide a man. One must satisfy all of him.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
1. Let every knee bend before Thee, O greatness
of my God, so supremely humbled in the Sacred Host. May every heart love
Thee, every spirit adore Thee and every will be subject to Thee!
September 14, 2012
THE TRIB TIMES
WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(Luk 9:23-24) And
he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it: for he that shall lose his life for my sake shall save
it.
PASSIONIST DAILY REFLECTIONS:
The Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Jim McCrea: Spiritual testament of St. Seraphim of Vyritsa: “It came from Me”
Did you ever stop to think that everything that affects you affects Me
as well? For everything that has to do with you also has to do with
apple of My eye. You are precious in My sight, very precious, and I
love you. It therefore brings me special joy to educate you. I want you
to know that whenever a flood of the enemy’s temptations enemy has
descended upon you, it came from Me.
I want you to know that in your weakness, you need My strength, and
that your safety lies in giving Me the opportunity to defend you. Did
you ever find yourself in difficult straits, among people who did not
understand you, who did not consider what you liked, who kept aloof
from? Know that this was from Me.
I am your God, Who orders circumstances. It was no accident that you
found yourself in that specific place; it was the very place I had
appointed for you. Did you not ask that I teach you humility? Thus, I
set you into that specific milieu, in the school in which that lesson
could be learned. Those around you, those living with you, are merely
acting according to My will. If you were ever in financial
difficulties, if it was hard for you to make ends meet – that came from
Me.
For I manage your resources, and I want you to run to Me, to know that
you depend upon Me, that my store of resources is inexhaustible. I want
you to become convinced that I faithfully keep My promises, so that in
your time of need, others might not be able to say to you “Don’t
believe your Lord God.” Did you ever spend the night in sorrow? If you
were estranged from loved ones and neighbors, I sent you that.
I am the Man of sorrows, who knows the meaning of sickness. I allowed
it so that you might turn to Me and in Me find eternal comfort. If a
friend, someone to whom you had opened your heart, disappointed you,
that also came from Me.
I allowed you to be touched by that disappointment, so that you might
recognize that the Lord is your truest friend. I want you to bring Me
everything, and to talk to Me. If someone slandered you, present it to
Me, and with your shoulder lean closer to Me, your refuge, so that you
might be sheltered from wagging tongues. I will bring out your truth
like a bright light and and your fate like noonday. When your plans
fell through and you felt downhearted and exhausted, that was from Me.
You had made your own plans, you had your own intentions, and you
brought them to Me for My blessing. However, I wanted you to allow Me
to decide and order the circumstances of your life, for you are merely
an instrument and not an active participant. When in your secular life
you encountered unexpected misfortunes, when your heart was seized by
despair, know that it came from Me.
For I want your heart and soul to always be ablaze in My sight, to
defeat with My name any faint-heartedness. If, because those dear to
you infrequently get in touch with you, your faint-heartedness and
weakness of faith cause you to fall into discontented grumbling and
despair, know that that also came from Me.
It is through this troubling of your soul that I test the strength of
your faith, the immutability of your promises, and the daring of your
prayers for those dear to you. Was it not you who entrusted your cares
for them to My providential love? Was it not you who still entrusts
them to the Protection of My Most-pure Mother? If you were struck by a
serious illness, whether temporary or incurable, and you became
bedridden – that came from Me.
I wanted you to come to know me even more even better through your
bodily ills, so that you would not complain about all of these trials
sent to you, so that you would not strive by various means to discern
my plans of salvation of human souls, so that instead you would
obediently and without complaint, would bow your head before My grace
for you. If you ever dreamed of doing some special work for Me, and
instead lay down on your bed of illness and weakness, that was from Me.
For you would have been burdened with your own affairs, and I would
have been unable to attract your mind to thoughts about Me. Yet I want
to teach you My most profound of thoughts and lessons, so that you
might be in My service. I want you to comprehend that you are nothing
without Me. Some of My best children are those who are cut off from
active work, so that they might learn to use the weapon of ceaseless
prayer. If, unexpectedly, you are called to take on this difficult and
responsible position, put your trust in Me. I entrust you with these
difficulties, and for them, your Lord God will bless you in everything
you do wherever you go; in everything, your Lord will be your Director
and Teacher. On this day, My child, I have placed in your hands that
container of Holy Oil. Make free use of it. Always remember that every
difficulty that arises, every word that offends you, every wrongful
accusation or condemnation, every obstacle to doing your job that could
evoke disappointment, disillusion, disenchantment, every manifestation
of weakness and impotence will be anointed with this oil. That came
from Me.
Remember that every false accusation is an instruction from God.
Therefore, instill in your heart those words I have told you today: It
came from Me.
Keep them, know them and always remember them, wherever you might go.
The pain of every sting you endure will be blunted if you will but
learn to see Me in everything. I sent everything to perfect your soul.
It all came from Me.
ST. FRANCIS de SALES:
The everlasting God has in his wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross
that he now presents to you as a gift of his inmost heart. The cross he
now sends you he has considered with his all-knowing eyes, understood
with his divine mind, tested with his wise justice, warmed with loving
arms, and weighed with his own hands to see that it is not one inch too
large nor one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with his holy
name, anointed it with his grace, perfumed it with his consolation,
taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you
from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the
all-merciful love of God.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
26. Never forget Him Who died for love of you.
You will only love Him in so far as you know how to suffer in silence,
preferring Him to creatures and eternity to time.
September 13, 2012
(Luk 6:22-23) Blessed
shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you
and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of
man's sake. Be glad in that day and rejoice: for behold, your reward is
great in heaven, For according to these things did their fathers to the
prophets.
BREAKING NEWS: Christians In Egypt, Libya Fear Attacks As Film Protests Kill US Ambassador
HEADLINE: Vatican Official Blasts Extremists in Israel After Monastery Attack
EXCERPT EDITORIAL NCR: Playing politics with the global war on Christians
Most people, most of the time, are fundamentally decent. Hence if they
knew that there's a minority facing an epidemic of persecution -- a
staggering total of 150,000 martyrs every year, meaning 17 deaths every
hour -- there would almost certainly be a groundswell of moral and
political outrage.
There is such a minority in the world today, and it's Christianity. The
fact that there isn't yet a broad-based movement to fight
anti-Christian persecution suggests something is missing in public
understanding.
In part, of course, the problem is that unquestionable acts of
persecution, such as murder and imprisonment, are sometimes confused
with a perceived cultural and legal "war on religion" in the West, a
less clear-cut proposition. In part, too, it's because of the antique
prejudice that holds that Christianity is always the oppressor, never
the oppressed. Yet as with most things, politics also has a
distorting effect, and a story out of Israel this week makes the point.
On Tuesday, the doors of a Trappist monastery in Latrun, near
Jerusalem, were set ablaze, with provocative phrases in Hebrew
spray-painted on the exteriors walls, such as "Jesus is a monkey." The
assault was attributed to extremist Jews unhappy with the recent
dismantling of two settlements on nearby Palestinian land.
Founded in 1890 by French Trappists, the Latrun monastery is famed for
its strict religious observance. Israelis call it minzar ha'shatkanim,
meaning "the monastery of those who don't speak." Ironically, it's
known for fostering dialogue with Judaism, and welcomes hundreds of
Jewish visitors every week.
Tuesday's attack was not an isolated incident. In 2009, a Franciscan
church near the Cenacle on Mount Zion, regarded by tradition as the
site of Christ's Last Supper, was defaced with a spray-painted Star of
David and slogans such as "Christians Out!" and "We Killed Jesus!"
According to reports, the vandals also urinated on the door and left a
trail of urine leading to the church.
Last February, the Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land wrote to
Israeli authorities to appeal for better protection after another wave
of vandalism struck a Baptist church, a Christian cemetery and a Greek
Orthodox monastery. That time, slogans included "Death to
Christianity," "We will crucify you!" and "Mary is a whore."
At the time, the custodian, Franciscan Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa,
complained that no arrests had been made in any of these cases.
Israeli observers say these assaults are part of what's called the
"price tag" campaign, meaning the vow by extremists that a price will
be paid every time a settlement is dismantled -- not just by those
actually responsible for the demolition, but also by groups in Israeli
society, such as the Christian minority, perceived to support the
Palestinians and the ending of settlements. Frequent targets also
include mosques, places of gathering for Arabs, and Israeli pacifists.
EXCERPT HOMILY
Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, (04/12): You know, it has never been easy
to be a Christian and it’s not supposed to be easy! The world, the
flesh, and the devil will always love their own, and will always hate
us. As Jesus once predicted, they hated me, they will certainly hate
you.
But our Faith, when it is fully lived, is a fighting faith and a
fearless faith. Grounded in the power of the resurrection, there is
nothing in this world, and nothing in hell, that can ultimately defeat
God’s one, true, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
For 2,000 years the enemies of Christ have certainly tried their best.
But think about it. The Church survived and even flourished during
centuries of terrible persecution, during the days of the Roman Empire.
The Church survived barbarian invasions. The Church survived wave after
wave of Jihads. The Church survived the age of revolution. The Church
survived Nazism and Communism.
And in the power of the resurrection, the Church will survive the
hatred of Hollywood, the malice of the media, and the mendacious
wickedness of the abortion industry.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
25. One thing the adorable Heart of Jesus asks
of Its friends, viz: purity of intention, humility in action and singleness
of purpose.
September 11, 2012
(Joh 14:27) Peace
I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do
I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled: nor let it be afraid.
DAILY STAR (Lebanon): Pope's trip to Lebanon 'act of courage, hope'
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Lebanon next week is "considered an act of
great courage and hope worldwide" as a civil war rages in neighboring
Syria, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Saturday.
Lebanon, which has a significant Catholic community, was selected for
the September 14-16 trip "before the situation in Syria escalated into
an overt and bloody conflict," Lombardi wrote in an editorial for the
Vatican weekly Octava Dies.
He said the Arab Spring and the Syrian situation make the church's
engagement with the region's Christian communities even "more urgent".
He added that problems identified at a special synod of bishops two
years ago on the Middle East were now more acute, issues such as
dialogue between Islam and Judaism, religious freedom and democracy.
Lebanon has been battling to contain an eruption of violence triggered
by the events in Syria, including a spate of mass kidnappings that
recalled the dark days of the country's own civil war.
Benedict is expected to bring a message of peace for the Middle East on his three-day trip.
VATICAN RADIO: Pope: The priority of peace for the Middle East
Pope Benedict XVI: Dear pilgrims,
those of you here, or who are taking part in the Angelus through radio
or television; in the coming days, I will make an apostolic visit to
Lebanon to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, fruit of the
Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, held in
October 2010. I will have the happy opportunity to meet with the
Lebanese people and authorities, and the Christians of that beloved
country and those from neighboring countries.
I am aware of the often dramatic
situation experienced by the people of this region, too long torn apart
by incessant conflicts. I understand the anguish of many Middle Eastern
people immersed in daily sufferings of all kinds, which sadly, and at
times mortally, plague their personal and family life. My concerned
thoughts go out to those who, in search of a place of peace, leave
their family and professional life, and experience the precariousness
of being exiles. Even though the search for solutions to the various
problems affecting the region seems difficult, we can not resign
ourselves to the violence and exasperation of tensions. A commitment to
dialogue and reconciliation must be a priority for all parties
involved, and must be supported by the international community,
increasingly aware of the importance of a stable and lasting peace in
the region for the whole world.
My apostolic visit to Lebanon, and
by extension in the Middle East as a whole, is placed under the sign of
peace, referring to the words of Christ: "My peace I give to you" (John
14:27). May God bless Lebanon and the Middle East! May God bless you
all!
SAN FRANCISCO CATHOLIC: For Pope Benedict in Lebanon, the pastoral is political
NCR: Middle East scholar Father Samir Samir on the Holy Father’s trip and the ‘Arab spring
REPORT: National holiday in Lebanon for the Pope's visit on Sept. 15
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
24. Jesus Christ is the true Friend of our hearts,
for they are made for Him alone; therefore they can find neither rest,
joy nor fullness of content save in Him- so let us love Him with all our
strength.
September 7, 2012
THE TRIB TIMES
WILL
RETURN NEXT WEEK, GOD WILLING (James 4:15).
(2Ma 12:43-46) And
making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to
Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead,
thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection. (For if he
had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would
have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he
considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great
grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to
pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
CERC: The Burning Truth About Purgatory by Curtis Martin
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA David: Ground Hog Day; Escape from Purgatory
I thought the following would be helpful if you are trying to teach
your teenagers about the mercy and love of God. God will use anything
in this world to reach the youth (and us). In this case, we will use
the movie “Ground Hog Day” to illustrate Purgatory.
From the Diary of Sister Faustina, entry (20), she tells of a visit to Purgatory.
At the end of this visit, she hears an interior voice, the voice of
Christ speaking to her about the suffering in Purgatory, “My Mercy does
not want this, but justice demands it” There is almost a sense that Our
Lord is hinting at an escape hatch from Purgatory.
What is this “escape hatch”?
In the movie, Ground Hog Day, our fearless weatherman, Phil, played by
Bill Murray, is making his annual pilgrimage to Punxsutawney,
Pennsylvania with the TV crew of two, his cameraman and his producer,
the beautiful Rita, played by Andie MacDowell . Their assignment is to
film the moment when Phil, the groundhog, comes out and sees his shadow.
Phil the weatherman, (not Phil the groundhog) is jaded by life,
egocentric, and thinks only of himself. After doing the Groundhog
schtick, he tries to leave town as soon as he can, only to be stopped
by a winter storm that he failed to predict.
With TV crew in hand, Phil returns back to Punxsutawney to spend the night.
Of course, here is where the fun begins.
He wakes up the next morning, expecting it to be February 3rd, but guess what, it’s still February 2nd, Groundhog day!
Phil keeps reliving February 2nd over and over again. He does not
change but continues to try everything to feed his ego, over and over
again.
He tries to seduce Rita, over and over again, only to fail.
Finally, at the bottom of the rung, he commits suicide, but there is no escape.
No matter what he does, he comes back to Groundhog Day, over and over again.
Slowly, a small spark of humanity begins to light in him, fed by his growing love for Rita.
At her suggestion, he begins to help other people and get his mind off his own predicament.
He uses his circumstance to become a model citizen, becoming generous,
learning to play the piano, and learning to love Rita as a person, not
a thing to be conquered to feed his ego.
He accepts his condition and makes the best of it.
And he learns a hard fact. Death. He tries to save an old homeless man
but no matter what he does, the old man dies in the evening of
Groundhog day because his time was up.
Finally on the evening of one particular Groundhog day, he is auctioned off at a charity event.
Rita offers the highest price. She has learned to love him as well.
The next morning, he wakes up and finds out it is February 3rd.
Rita’s love has broken the spell. Love has found a way out of the time loop.
For ourselves, we are sometimes caught in some type of a loop.
It could be a bad financial situation, a bad situation at work, family problems, etc.
Nothing we do to solve the situation works. We are caught, like the
hamster running frantically in his cage, working very hard to escape
our plight and going nowhere fast.
Who will free us? Who will be our “Rita”?
Christ.
Yes, God’s justice demands that we spend our time in Purgatory until the last penny is paid back (Luke 12:58-59).
However, it will be the Love of Christ that springs us on a day unknown
to us, but known to Him. Christ likes to surprise us; ask the Woman at
the Well (John, Chapter 4).
So, if you are caught like Phil, in some type of repeating Purgatorial
loop, make the best of it as you can. You are not forgotten. Christ has
His eye on you and will spring you out in a most, unusual way. That is
Jesus’ signature. He does this in such a manner that you will know that
it is He Who saved you at Calvary and it is He Who saves you now. Amen.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
20. Do not cling to spiritual consolation, for
it is not lasting; on the contrary, seek God by faith, and remember that
He has a right to our love no less when He tries us than when He consoles
us.
September 6, 2012
(Pro 14:12) There is a way which seemeth just to a man: but the ends thereof lead to death.
FULL TEXT: 2012
Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by
Sister Simone Campbell, Executive Director, Roman Catholic Social
Justice Organization, NETWORK
EXCERPT:
Good evening, I'm Sister Simone Campbell, and I'm one of the "nuns on
the bus." So, yes, we have nuns on the bus. And a nun on the podium!
Let me explain why I'm here. In June, I joined other Catholic sisters
on a 2,700-mile bus journey through nine states to tell Americans about
the budget Congressman Paul Ryan wrote and Governor Romney endorsed.
Paul Ryan claims his budget reflects the principles of our shared
Catholic faith. But the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
stated that the Ryan budget failed a basic moral test, because it would
harm families living in poverty.
We agree with our bishops, and that's why we went on the road: to stand
with struggling families and to lift up our Catholic sisters who serve
them. Their work to alleviate suffering would be seriously harmed by
the Romney-Ryan budget, and that is wrong.
BISHOP MORLINO, Diocese of Madison:
Making decisions as to the best political strategies, the best policy
means, to achieve a goal, is the mission of lay people, not bishops or
priests. As Pope Benedict himself has said, a just society and a just
state is the achievement of politics, not the Church. And therefore
Catholic laymen and women who are familiar with the principles dictated
by human reason and the ecology of human nature, or non-Catholics who
are also bound by these same principles, are in a position to arrive at
differing conclusions as to what the best means are for the
implementation of these principles — that is, “lay mission” for
Catholics.
Thus, it is not up to me or any bishop or priest to approve of
Congressman Ryan’s specific budget prescription to address the best
means we spoke of. Where intrinsic evils are not involved, specific
policy choices and political strategies are the province of Catholic
lay mission. But, as I’ve said, Vice Presidential Candidate Ryan is
aware of Catholic Social Teaching and is very careful to fashion and
form his conclusions in accord with the principles mentioned above. Of
that I have no doubt. (I mention this matter in obedience to Church Law
regarding one’s right to a good reputation.)
SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL ON ABORTION:
TWS: On the legal question, do you think there should be penalties
against abortion doctors? I mean, should it be illegal to perform
abortions?
CAMPBELL: That’s beyond my pay grade. I don’t know.
“The fact is my vast preference is that all women would have the
support to carry their babies to term,” Campbell continued. “One of the
things I find so horrifying in the Romney-Ryan budget is that they want
to take those supports away. And then they claim they’re pro-life. That
just drives me nuts!”
MOTHER TERESA ON ABORTION:
"Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the
child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to
give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be
loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have
saved over 3,000 children from abortions. These children have brought
such love and joy to their adopting parents, and have grown up so full
of love and joy!"
February 1994 - National Prayer Breakfast in Washington
attended by the President and the First Lady. "What is taking place in
America," she said, "is a war against the child. And if we accept that
the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to
kill one another."
"Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants."
"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
CRISIS MAGAZINE: Bl. Teresa of Calcutta: A Sign For Our Times
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
19. If you find yourself overwhelmed by distractions,
collect your thoughts in the tranquil depths of the Sacred Heart. Our Lord
will infallibly give you the victory over these distractions provided you
fight vigorously against them.
September 5, 2012
(Gal 5:1) Stand fast and be not held again under the yoke of bondage.
POPE BENEDICT XVI:
God’s Law is his Word that guides man on his life’s journey, it leads
him out of the slavery of egoism and brings him into the “land” of true
freedom and life. For this reason in the Bible the Law is not seen as a
burden, an oppressive limitation, but as a precious gift of the Lord,
the witness of his paternal love, of his will to be near his people, of
being their ally and writing a history of love with them.
ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT: We Must Begin Now Building a Culture of Religious Freedom
COURAGEOUS PRIEST: “Freedom” Without Virtue, Is License
MEDITATION: Thoughts
by St Theophan (1815-1894)
[II Cor. 12:10-19; Mark 4:10-23
The Lord breathed the breath of life, and man became the image of God.
It is the same with one's own rebirth: the beginnings of a new life are
set down and one's image is renewed by the breath of the Spirit of God;
and whence and how it comes is not known. This is a point of departure;
from here the work begins of raising up the image to a perfect
likeness.
When we are reborn according to the image of the Creator by the Lord's
Spirit we are transfigured from glory to glory, but not without us, our
work and effort; however it is God who creates and restores us by the
grace of the Most Holy Spirit, according to faith in the Lord. Behold
the ideal and method of fulfilling in oneself the image and likeness of
God! People so often write about and discuss upbringing. Meanwhile, it
is all determined in the word of God by several words. Undertake only
to fulfil what is prescribed, and upbringing will go on successfully to
the goal.
This is God's path; but it does not exclude human paths — to the
contrary, it gives them direction and crowns their success. When only
the human remains, upbringing usually is insufficient, even
detrimental, and not rarely totally perverts those being raised; then
the rest of life goes crooked. Where those raised in a crooked manner
multiply, all of society becomes more and more crooked, both in life
and in its attitudes. The end is universal crookedness; one bends in
one direction, then another bends in another.
Thoughts
and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: Union with God
18. You must take no notice of these thoughts of
vanity, but say to Satan, when he suggests them to you in any of your actions:
Begone, Satan, I not only renounce thee, but also thy evil suggestions.
I did not begin for thee, and I will not end for thee.
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