Saturday, December 05, 2015

On the eve of St. Nicholas ...

St. Nicholas Saves Three Innocents from Death - Ilya Repin

St. Nicholas, save us from terror and war.

10 comments:

  1. Terry it is too late. I am afraid we have crossed the line with the latest violence. There seems to be no easy solution in sight. The best the Republicians can come up with is arm yourself and be prepared for a shoot out at any time. The Democrats are intent on minimizing the obvious. Fatima, Garabandal and Akita all predict unsettling world events. These must be that and I fear more and worse to come. I am sorry to not be more hopeful but the Pope is right when he says WW III is already underway. I never understood the warning " wars and rumors of wars," but I do now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The timeless desperation of that image Terry ! Wonderful yet fearsome ! With the medieval look to so many photographs we see today, of refugees, torturers, tormentors, skeiks, terrorists, on & on & on.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wallace,
    Scripture says of God in Proverbs 16:4
    "The LORD has made everything for a purpose,
    even the wicked for the evil day.*

    He does not make his sin of course but He does make people who He knows by omniscence will commit mass murder and God makes use of that toward the salvation of the predestined ( yes a Catholic concept...not just a Calvin thing...Romans 8:30 Usccb bible..."30
    And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified."
    When hearing of these mass murder accounts, realize that God daily takes around 151000 people into the particular judgement daily through death daily and not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's leave...think Christ on the sparrows passage. Aquinas held that what God antecedently wills does not always take place ( the salvation of every human) but His simple overarching will always takes place as in these horrific events. " All things work together unto good for those who love God.". Any predestined, called, justified victim that day is moving toward heaven through purgatory. Radical Islam is not willed antecedently by God but even their sins fall under His overarching simple will. Aquinas' Summa Theologica is free at new advent. Look for the beginning section on God's will and study it. You will feel better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill, I understand what you are getting at and appreciate your insight. I think though we are seeing the unleashing of evil through the the world. Yes, God allows it and may use it for an ultimate good. Evil is a conscious choice people make to mock God and turn away from good. We see it not just in terrorism, but in selfish materialism and a general decline in civility. Our own political system is full of rampant hate, name calling and vitriol. I am hopeful, but do believe these are dark times and do not see a turnaround any time soon.

      Delete
    2. I agree fully. But the human is safer looking at God's Kingship rather than looking at the world.
      For all we know God used that evil shooting event in California precisely at the moment when all victims were passable to Him to be received into purgatory whereas had they died much later in life, that may not have been true. Not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's leave...and " He desires all men to be saved".
      Don't stare too much at the outer husk in the news...stare at His will to use even evil for the predestined...be they Catholic or sincere people outside. We need peace and joy....fruits of the Holy Spirit. Too much staring at the husk of events works against peace and joy.

      Delete
    3. Very wise advice Bill - thanks much!

      Delete
    4. You're welcome. At Mass today we said and say..." the Heavens and earth are filled with Your glory". Well on the surface, the earth is not filled with His glory....but it is His hidden use of evil and timing and Providence whereby His glory is filling the earth. Terry...found a blog you might want to add to your list....she can be deep about the place of pugation in our life. I just went through one and they carve venial but heavy crap off the soul. Here's the address:
      http://lift-up-your-hearts.blogspot.com



      Delete
    5. purgation not pugation...the art of boxing.

      Delete
  4. ps
    This said another way by Aquinas here: " Hence that which seems to depart from the divine will in one order, returns into it in another order; as does the sinner, who by sin falls away from the divine will as much as lies in him, yet falls back into the order of that will, when by its justice he is punished."

    ReplyDelete
  5. I heart this piece. A fantastic work.

    ReplyDelete


Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.