Cardinal Sarah Corrects the Anti-Papist Catholic Fringe.

Sarah said that whoever is against the pope is outside the Church.

ROME - Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, said the people who portray him as an opponent of Pope Francis are being used by the devil to help divide the Church.

“The truth is that the Church is represented on earth by the vicar of Christ, that is by the pope. And whoever is against the pope is, ipso facto, outside the Church,” the cardinal said in an interview published Oct. 7 in Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily. - Finish reading here.

Hopefully this will help the anti-papist-Catholic-conspiracy-mongers to repent.

“I would add that every pope is right for his time.” - Cardinal Sarah

Our friend Mary, the author at Catholic In Brooklyn just posted a great essay contradicting the contentious anti-papist rhetoric originating at Mrs. Kreitzer's blog, Les Femmes, signalling out the post, "Anti-Pope. That's my final decision." Authored by Susan Matthiesen, a contributor to Krietzer's blog.  As Mary notes, "It is a complete and total renunciation of Pope Francis and denies the validity of his papacy."  Please read Mary's entire post, it is very well done.  Mary Ann Kreitzer, Who Are You Serving?

Cardinal Sarah would be proud of Mary for her defense of the papacy and offering fraternal correction to bloggers such as Kreitzer and Matthiesen:

“Those who place me in opposition to the Holy Father cannot present a single word of mine, a single phrase or a single attitude of mine to support their absurd - and I would say, diabolical - affirmations,” Sarah said. “The devil divides, sets people against each other.”

Sarah said it is normal for the Church to experiences difficulties and divisions, but every Christian is called “to seek unity in Christ.”

“I would add that every pope is right for his time,” the cardinal said. “Providence looks after us very well, you know.” - Crux

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

Dora Holzhandler (1928–2015)

This painting reminds me of the sketch representing the Ascent of Mt. Carmel made by St. John of the Cross.

Jonah

Today, Catholics read from the Book of Jonah, who happens to be an archetype for Yom Kippur.  In fact, the Book of Jonah is read every year, in its original Hebrew and in its entirety, on Yom Kippur.    Therefore, it seems to me we are spiritually united and can unite with the Jewish people this day in prayer and fasting. 

Al Chet

For the sin which we have committed before You under duress or willingly.

And for the sin which we have committed before You by hard-heartedness.

For the sin which we have committed before You inadvertently.

And for the sin which we have committed before You with an utterance of the lips.

For the sin which we have committed before You with immorality.

And for the sin which we have committed before You openly or secretly.

For the sin which we have committed before You with knowledge and with deceit.

And for the sin which we have committed before You through speech.

For the sin which we have committed before You by deceiving a fellowman.

And for the sin which we have committed before You by improper thoughts.

For the sin which we have committed before You by a gathering of lewdness.

And for the sin which we have committed before You by verbal [insincere] confession.

For the sin which we have committed before You by disrespect for parents and teachers.

And for the sin which we have committed before You intentionally or unintentionally.

For the sin which we have committed before You by using coercion.

And for the sin which we have committed before You by desecrating the Divine Name.

For the sin which we have committed before You by impurity of speech.

And for the sin which we have committed before You by foolish talk.

For the sin which we have committed before You with the evil inclination.

And for the sin which we have committed before You knowingly or unknowingly.

For all these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us. - More here.

(The Al Chet can be a great source for the examination of conscience before confession.) 

Our Lady of the Rosary

Pray the Rosary everyday.

Today is the great feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, originating in thanksgiving for the defeat of the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto - which thrilled me as a little boy, 'knight of the Immaculata'!

Tradition tells us Our Lady gave the Rosary to S. Dominic as a means to evangelize those mislead by the Albigensian heresy. This is appropriate, as the Rosary is meditation upon the Creed - the mysteries of faith - which is what every heresy obscures.

At Fatima, Our Lady identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary - and all that implies for our day - especially her request for the First Saturday devotion - with emphasis upon keeping her company while meditating up the mysteries of the Rosary - which, after long practice, one realizes is meditation upon the Creed. Our Lady, more or less deepening our faith in and through the lights she imparts as we do so.

It is she who conquers all heresies and it is she who obtains every grace and mercy for Christians, as well as those who seek God. There is no grace, nor mercy, ever refused through the prayers of the Rosary. Sr. Lucia went so far as to insist Our Lady wants everyone, Catholic and non-Catholic, to pray the Rosary every day. At every apparition Our Lady urged the Fatima children to pray the rosary every day.

Today we celebrate and honor the Madonna del Rosario with great devotion and ostentation - yet Caravaggio captured the essence of of Our Lady - Madonna del Popolo - Mother of all peoples, refuge of sinners, especially those most in need of mercy. He showed Our Lady in ordinary life, with ordinary and extraordinary people. St. Therese said she is more mother than queen, and I agree.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

The Holy Father's Homily to the New Cardinals

Look at who is in the background.

(source)

At the heart of the Gospel, we have just heard (Mk 6:30-37) is the “compassion” of Jesus...

Once again, I'm perplexed by all the fears expressed by the Pope's critics, now watching him closely in Rome.  Fr. Z posted a sort of panicked Action Item post, stressing the gloom over-hanging Rome.  To tell you the truth, Z and his cronies, as well as a couple of Cardinals and Bishops, cast a blanket of doom over everything they witness in Rome and the Church.  Especially as regards the Amazon Synod.  They are all stocked up on crazy, fearing Masons and 'homosexualists' and all sorts of boogie men 'infiltrating' the Church to establish the New World Order.  I don't get it?  How did these scare tactics influence and overtake so many?

Yesterday the Holy Father appointed new Cardinals.  A joyous occasion, considering the new Cardinals are not the typical, expected choices - a diverse bunch.  Critics interpret the Pope's appointments the way they assess the Presidents choices for advisers or appointees to the courts.  It is an attitude which lacks a supernatural perspective, judging as human beings, rather than as God judges. 

Jesus goes out in search of the outcast, those without hope. 

The Pope's homily reveals so much about the Holy father himself, and his ardent desire to make known the merciful love of God - his compassion for ourselves as well as the most alienated.  When I read his words, it seems to me I hear the Gospel and then everything falls into place - everything the Pope says or does makes sense in the light of Christ. 

At the heart of the Gospel, we have just heard (Mk 6:30-37) is the “compassion” of Jesus (cf. 34). Compassion is a keyword in the Gospel. It is written in Christ’s heart; it is forever written in the heart of God.

In the Gospels, we often see Jesus’ compassion for those who are suffering. The more we read, the more we contemplate, the more we come to realize that the Lord’s compassion is not an occasional, sporadic emotion, but is steadfast and indeed seems to be the attitude of his heart, in which God’s mercy is made incarnate.

Jesus goes out in search of the outcast, those without hope. People like the man paralyzed for thirty-eight years who lay beside the pool of Bethzatha, waiting in vain for someone to bring him to the waters (cf. Jn 5:1-9).

Jesus’ disciples often show themselves lacking compassion, as in this case, when they are faced with the problem of having to feed the crowds. In effect, they say: “Let them worry about it themselves…” This is a common attitude among us human beings, even those of us who are religious persons or even religious “professionals”. The position we occupy is not enough to make us compassionate, as we see in the conduct of the priest and Levite who, seeing a dying man on the side of the road, pass to the other side (cf. Lk 10:31-32). They would have thought: “It’s not up to me”. There are always justifications; at times they are even codified and give rise to “institutional disregard”, as was the case with lepers: “Of course, they have to keep their distance; that is the right thing to do”. This all too human attitude also generates structures lacking compassion. - Finish reading here.

As the Holy Father said:  "At the heart of the Gospel, we have just heard (Mk 6:30-37) is the “compassion” of Jesus ..."  So - is Jeus going to abandon us then?  Is he going to desert the Church?  What is wrong with those who reject His Vicar, those who slander and calumniate the Holy Father?  There are Catholics online who call him a monster, a pig, and an assortment of other derisive names, even suggesting he is possessed, a heretic, an anti-pope.  Those who reject him, reject Christ.

Pray for the Holy Father.