"It is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment."
"We are going towards it little by little with great strides..." I thought of those words of Sr. Lucia this morning as I woke up. Wondering what it meant, I considered some of the major events that have happened over the last few months, the great fight for gun rights in the face of increasing violence throughout the country, the run on gun stores and ammunition, the international threats to peace, and so on.
Later, when I checked the news, I learned Governor Cuomo is pushing through legislation to expand abortion 'rights'. I'm not interested in condemning Cuomo or rating his Catholicism, or even calling for his excommunication. Lately the positions of some of these folks move me more to a deeper repentance and desire to make reparation than to waste time condemning them. Of course, Catholic bishops are rightly concerned about religious freedom and how such legislation will impact Catholic services, as well as fearing persecution. I'm not so worried about that as I am that we are consciously expanding the 'right' to kill - to kill babies, children! Soon, the disabled, the mentally ill, and the elderly will follow. Little by little we are going towards it. The Netherlands does it... Belgium does it...
Just remember, "A vain hope for safety is the gun."
“The third part of the secret refers to Our Lady's words: ‘If not [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated' (13-VII-1917).
The third part of the secret is a symbolic revelation, referring to this part of the Message, conditioned by whether we accept or not what the Message itself asks of us: ‘If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, etc.'.
Since we did not heed this appeal of the Message, we see that it has been fulfilled, Russia has invaded the world with her errors. And if we have not yet seen the complete fulfilment of the final part of this prophecy, we are going towards it little by little with great strides. If we do not reject the path of sin, hatred, revenge, injustice, violations of the rights of the human person, immorality and violence, etc.
And let us not say that it is God who is punishing us in this way; on the contrary it is people themselves who are preparing their own punishment. In his kindness God warns us and calls us to the right path, while respecting the freedom he has given us; hence people are responsible” - Sr. Lucia of Fatima
Put no trust in princes,
In mortal men in whom there is no help. - Psalm 146
In mortal men in whom there is no help. - Psalm 146
A king is not saved by his army,
nor a warrior preserved by his strength.
A vain hope for safety is the horse;
despite its power it cannot save.
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine. - Psalm 33
If it's any consolation...
ReplyDeleteCultures and societies have killed their babies and their old for millenia. It didn't start with Roe/Wade, and it won't end there, either.
I think it's our job- or at least I see it as mine- to make a difference in the circles of people I interact with to raise awareness of the preciousness of life. If you change hearts and minds, it will end, the law notwithstanding.
You should get a gun.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point, Thom.
ReplyDeleteIt's the sheer industrial scale that's different today -- sort of like how WWII wasn't he first time a genocide had been conducted.
I like your solution, though.
Merc - you said "sheer".
ReplyDeleteWhat I find wearing is the assumption that it's a benefit to the mother to kill her baby. One person recently claimed that a woman's mental health status after abortion depends on those around her; if she's surrounded by supportive people, it's not big deal to kill her baby, if surrounded by unsupportive people it becomes a big deal. Because killing is only a big deal if others respond negatively to it.
ReplyDeleteTerry, the reason that Cuomo should be called out by the Bishops is that he has created a terrible scandal by declaring he is Catholic and then supporting extreme abortion rights and same sex marriage, not to mention living with his girl friend. Cardinal Burke way back in 2004 said communion should be withheld from pro abortion Catholic politicians. They are creating a scandal in the church and if they are not called on what they are doing, it could put many other souls in danger because they will follow the lead of the pro abortion politicians.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you don't want to be judgmental of others, but we should not turn the other way when people are involved in serious sin. That doesn't do anyone any favors.
The bottom line is that the US government has become evil. There is just no other way around it. We are already aborting 90% of all babies who are diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb. And yes, absolutely, if our country lasts long enough, anyone who cannot serve the state will be eliminated. The case with Terry Schiavo proved that.
2 points: first, recent horrific events notwithstanding, violent crime in the US is actually down, and coincides with an increase in gun ownership ( not that I am trying to make a post hoc, ergo propter hoc argument). Second, it has been long taught that you have a right, and even a duty to defend your life and the lives of others. Sometimes that requires a gun. It doesn't mean that you are putting vain hope in earthly solutions, and refusing to trust in God.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I haven't expressed myself very well here. Thanks for the comments however.
ReplyDeleteI'm not against people owning guns BTW.