On Catholics.
"Heretics are heretics and bear the name, because out of the articles of faith they choose at their taste and pleasure those which it seems good to them to believe, rejecting and denying the others. And Catholics are Catholics, because without any choice or election they embrace, with an equal assurance and without exception, all the faith of the Church." - St. Francis de Sales
Awesome quote. Here is an excerpt from the 2nd reading in the Office of Readings:
ReplyDelete"The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince becomes more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in whatever situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection."
If only "Traditionalists" would realize that rejecting Vatican II and everything since then is as heretical as calling for women priests.
ReplyDeleteLast year I mentioned to a priest that I was praying for the intercession of a particular saint. He said it was important to appeal to the right saint and told a story. One day, a skydiver jumped out of a plane and his parachute failed. He prayed "St Francis, save me!" and a hand came down from heaven and grabbed him. He then heard a voice ask "St. Francis of Assisi or St. Francis de Sales?"
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