Everything is different

I woke up thinking that - thanking God for this new day, praying immediately for an online acquaintance who is most likely dying.  

Everything must change, expectations of how things must be, or should be must be allowed to crumble.  

O my God!  I thank you for Pope Francis who has overturned the tables of our idolatry and ideology.  He has lifted burdens too hard to carry and called down the Holy Spirit to stir up the love of God in the hearts of the faithful, though our sins impede the grace of mercy which so longs to save us - the Lord comes to our help with his mighty strength.

Thank you Lord.  Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Minneapolis Dayton's 1967.

For years I lied to people - Darold did too - telling them we were going to my sister's for Thanksgiving. People just couldn't bear the idea two guys wouldn't be with family for Thanksgiving.

This year I really will be going to my sister's for Thanksgiving.

Being alone for the holidays was never a big deal for me, and here is why.

My reputation for hating the holidays was not true. My withdrawal at from social affairs over Thanksgiving and Christmastime was a result of my work at Dayton’s and had nothing to do with the family or hating the season. For weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, it was constant work getting store interiors and windows done for Christmas – lots of overtime and some all-nighters - the night before Thanksgiving could be a nightmare. Animated windows, synched with the auditorium could make things miserable - it was like a Broadway opening. (Darold did the same work, when we first met he never liked Christmas because of it.)

Thanksgiving was a day to sleep-in since we often worked all night. Likewise in Senior year, my 1st Christmas was watchman for animated windows and getting backgrounds for Spring done. I worked until Midnight through Christmas.

Later, after entering the monastery, Christmas became a more spiritual, solitary event. Then when I worked at the Cancer Home, I worked weekends and holidays so people with families could have those days off – for nearly 16 years. Mid-week I did my artwork. Long story short, not being around was never about avoiding family or a rejection of family. To be sure, sometimes I avoided my parents on the holidays because they were trouble makers – but they never caused me to hate Christmas.

Together, Darold and I reinvented our holiday observance. It began on S. Nicholas Eve and went through Christmas, Russian Christmas and 12th Night. His mom and dad were our 'immediate family' and they loved all the celebration and food and being together. It was magical and unrepeatable.

This year I'm grateful to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her awesome family, and Christmas with my little brother.

Happy Thanksgiving - and remember those who serve and protect.

Just some thoughts about that.

I spend too much time online.

Now that family follows me on FB, along with others who actually know me, I can no longer be quite as candid as I used to be - which was always too much.

If I say something about what I'm feeling, reflecting upon what that means to me - I get reactions I was never expecting nor looking for.  If I mention heath concerns I get offers to help - which again, wasn't what I was looking for.  Then I get post links - whatever you call being flagged in a post and I don't know how to respond, but if I don't, I'm afraid the other person will be offended.  (This is not a complaint - I'm simply reflecting on how my experience online has changed.)

I scroll looking for something funny or distracting to post as a diversion, only to run out of stuff that interests me or even make me laugh.  In the meantime I keep scrolling by people I follow or link to and sooner or later I see how mundane everything is - and sometimes downright insane.  The crazy things people post - it dawned on me, that is how I must look to others online.

The negativity and cynicism - not to mention the gossip and disparagement of others, be it political or ecclesial really is toxic.  It's contagious.  I never understood that more clearly than when I engaged in discussions - commenting with personal anecdotes regarding a couple of contemplative religious foundations.  In part I believed I was contributing positively as well a supporting some directives from the Vatican.  Long story short, I saw my good intentions were no better than a former religious' intention in exposing the problems associated with the founder and foundation of a Carmelite group out west.  I was so taken aback by the accuser's inclusion of anecdotes, videos and photos, from her former community, apparently using them to establish her credibility and provide evidence to support her report. I had to examine my own part in the brew and realized it was not good.  

I went through my archives as well as posts on Church Militant and removed all my commentary - quite ashamed I had engaged myself so imprudently and without being asked to do so.  I very much doubt my commentary made any difference and was simply anecdotal and personal opinion - yet my involvement amounted to gossip and meddling - something I've censured others for - especially in the case of the former nun in the interview.  I so want to avoid doing things like that, from now on.  

The past couple of days, others I follow online, whom conservatives call 'leftist-Catholics' have taken issue with the elections of a new President and Chairmen of the USCCB.  I looked up some of the concerns they expressed, one or two statements made by the Bishop-elect seemed just fine to me.  Yet other points the critics made - that the election was a clear message of rejection to Pope Francis, if true, is simply very discouraging.  

I don't usually follow the 'politics' of the USCCB and I'm not a bishop-watcher.  From the early days of my conversion until now, the bishops have always simply been on the periphery of my spiritual life.  I've know a couple personally, did some painting for one or two, but that's about it.  I've lived through Bernadine, Roach and others - and none of that threatened my faith or devotion.  If the pendulum has swung the other way, I'll live through this as well.  It's just sad that Catholics are so divided and that so many appear to reject the Holy Father - of course others before them have as well.  So many lay-Catholics regard the Church as a political entity and seem to take sides in the same way they do in American politics.  Taking sides and fighting and defending ones' cause to the point of detraction and calumny is a great evil.  That certainly comes out in com-boxes across social media platforms.

I hope I can learn from my mistakes and the mistakes I discover in others - which only mirror my own - especially if I want to correct or report on them.  Discretion and discernment must be my companion and teacher.

  

In the Father's Hands

Machado de Castro National Museum, Coimbra Photo: Manuel Mira Godinho (2014).*

When I feel quite lost and alone, I remember that I am not out of the Father's hands.  This image reminded me of paintings of the Father holding the dead Christ, and today it suddenly became for me my assurance and my peace.  Although all seems lost and things seem to be collapsing around me and I feel utterly alone, this image reminds me that I - we - are held (together) in the Father's embrace.  "...and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it." (Mt 16:18)

God is our refuge and our strength,

an ever present help in distress, 

Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken

and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. - Ps 46

*The image is actually a detail of a Pieta - the Mother of Sorrows holding her Son. When I first viewed this particular image, my mind immediately went to the image of the Father receiving the Body of Jesus which is often portrayed in images of the Blessed Trinity. 

Servant of God, Dorothy Day

 

This is the best.

 This is such an important message.  I've seen unforgiveness online among Catholics, some who have even left the Church - we all need to forgive.  Over and over if need be - just as much as we all need to ask for forgiveness, especially in the sacrament of Penance - over and over and over.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Believing in the Power of Forgiveness

When I forgive somebody, one of the things that allows me to forgive is faith.

God can convert something good even out of evil. Let’s say I’ve lived through an evil; I have suffered, I was wounded, but I believe that God is powerful enough to bring goodness out of everything, even the evil committed against me. In the Gospel reading for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the angel tells Mary that nothing is impossible for God. If we have faith that God can convert a good thing out of evil—an evil that we’ve suffered through—then God can heal our wounds, and forgiveness is easier. In the world today we have a hard time forgiving, and one of the reasons is our lack of faith. We are convinced that our wounds are definitive and will never be healed; we think there is no remedy for evil.

Forgiveness is also an act of hope. When I don’t forgive, I’m condemning someone. That means that I’m identifying the person with the evil he or she has ­committed. I see the person as guilty and bad. I don’t want to forgive him or her. I have no hope for the person; I don’t think he or she can change. On the contrary, forgiving someone is a very beautiful act of hope. This person did something bad, he or she committed a wrong act, but I don’t want to identify the person with the bad action because God still loves this person who has done something bad. God is working in that person’s heart. Perhaps the person will convert. The person I’m judging and condemning will perhaps one day be a great saint. When we look at the lives of the saints, there are assassins, adulterers, criminals—but grace changed their hearts….

When we forgive someone, we set that person free of revenge or judgment. But it’s not only the other person we set free; it’s also ourselves. Every time that I forgive somebody, I set myself free…. Be encouraged to ask for the grace of forgiveness and practice it.

Father Jacques Philippe

Father Philippe is a French priest, a member of the Community of the Beatitudes, and a renowned spiritual director. / From Real Mercy: Mary, Forgiveness, and Trust, Maria Masterson, Tr. © 2016, Father Jacques Philippe, Scepter Publishers, Inc., New York, NY. www.scepterpublishers.org. www.frjacquesphilippe.com. Used with permission.

Antisemitism is here.

 

Francisco Camilo - The desecration of the Crucifix, 

or “The Christ of Injuries”.

Source

I was scrolling through Tumblr and came across a painting from the Prado, "The Desecration of the Crucifix or The Christ of the Insults".  I didn't understand what it depicted and searched online.  It turns out the painting depicts one of the episodes in the story of desecration and offense to a crucifix, this time by a family of Portuguese Jews in Madrid in 1630.  Researching the story, I believe it to be a hysterical invention to slander New Christians or Conversos at the time, memorialized in art.  Much like 'blood libel' cases of Jews killing children and drinking their blood - a trope resurrected today by QAnon conspirators and several of their MAGA followers: E.g. "QAnon followers claim the drug adrenochrome is harvested from the blood of children by Hollywood elites."  Dig deeper and links to the Jews as perpetrators is claimed.  It's an old lie, with Christian roots.

("Kanye West's recent statements draw on longstanding anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories about Jewish people. Ye’s comments also reflect beliefs espoused by fringe anti-Semitic religious groups, including extremist sects of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement and the Nation of Islam." - read more at ADL: Kanye West - What you need to know.)

The Lisbon Massacre

The painting which caught my attention is not related to the 1506 Lisbon Massacre, since what is depicted took place at later date in Madrid.  Yet I believe it is part of the continuum of circumstances precipitated the Lisbon Massacre of 1506.  I will copy and paste, with links to another site wherein I found a good history and commentary.

A German woodcut depicting the massacre,
one of the few woodcuts that survived the 1755
Lisbon earthquake and the fire at Torre do Tombo

The Lisbon Massacre, alternatively known as the Lisbon Pogrom or the 1506 Easter Slaughter was an incident in April, 1506, in which a crowd of Catholics, as well as foreign sailors who were anchored in the Tagus, persecuted, tortured, killed, and burnt at the stake hundreds of people who were accused of being Jews and, thus, guilty of deicide and heresy. This incident took place thirty years before the establishment of the Inquisition in Portugal and nine years after the Jews were forced to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1497, during the reign of King Manuel I. Because the victims were Marranos or Conversos (Jews who had become Catholics), it was somewhat unique among incidents of anti-Semitic violence. It is also known as the Easter Massacre. It is estimated to have resulted in the violent deaths of anywhere between 1,000 to 4,000 men, women and children.

The massacre began at Convent of Saint Dominic, on Sunday, April 19, 1506, when the believers were praying for the end of the drought and plague that ravaged Portugal, and someone claimed to have seen the face of Christ lit at the church altar – a phenomenon that was interpreted as a miracle by the Catholics present.

A New Christian who also attended the mass tried to explain that this miracle was only the reflection of a light, but the crowd would not listen to him and beat him to death. As from there onwards, the Jews who were already viewed with suspicion became the scapegoat of drought, hunger and plague. - Richard Harvey, Messianic Jewish teacher in UK

 

Antisemitism, specifically anti-Judaism - exists on the left and the right.

Could it happen again?  It is happening  today, right now.  What it might become may be seen elsewhere around the globe - not always against Jews at first, but certainly against Christians.  E.g. The massacres and burning of churches in Africa.  The invasion of Ukraine by Russia to save the country from Satanists and neo-Nazis, are just two examples of genocidal crimes with 'religious' motivation.  In the United States, the anti-Semitic rhetoric and activities by the extreme rightwing is growing, while anti-Zionism/anti-Israel sentiments can likewise be found on the left.  It is too complicated for me to discuss here, to be sure.  However it seems to me we may be on the precipice of suffering the same kind of violence we witness in other places, Africa, Middle East, Ukraine, just to name a few.

I'm no expert or historian of course, but I believe we are on the precipice, as the Pope mentioned today in Bahrain, warning "...we continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate precipice and we do not want to fall."

Self Interest Over Charity

Chiesa del Purgatorio 

Matera, Italia

Catherine of Siena refers to it as selfish self seeking.

Yesterday I was thinking about the first reading from Revelations, especially the verse:

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.” - Rv 7: 2-4, 9-14

I thought that I wouldn't like the outfit - I don't like white robes, I was thinking it wouldn't have a collar and I'd be dressed the same as everyone else.  I laughed to myself realizing how vain I am.  Even in the novitiate, I disliked having to wear a white sash instead of a belt, and I tried to keep the hood on my scapular standing so it covered my neck, as it were.  Once I asked a fellow novice if I looked fat in the habit.  (I was actually anorexic.)  Obviously I had issues with vanity and singularity.  As old as I am today, I still do if my musing on the reading from Revelations indicates anything.

Why we need purgatory.

This morning I read a meditation from St. Catherine of Genoa regarding the souls in purgatory, which drove home my point: "Only once, as they pass from this life, do they see the cause of the Purgatory they endure; never again do they see it for in another sight of it there would be self."

"Only once, as they pass from this life, do they see the cause of the Purgatory they endure; never again do they see it for in another sight of it there would be self. Being then in charity from which they cannot now depart by any actual fault, they can no longer will nor desire save with the pure will of pure charity. Being in that fire of Purgatory, they are within the divine ordinance, which is pure charity, and in nothing can they depart thence for they are deprived of the power to sin as of the power to merit." - St. Catherine of Genoa, "Treatise On Purgatory"

That is it, I thought.  If I am blessed to find myself in the white robed multitude before God, that self interest shall have been purged and consumed in the fire, the light that is God.  It is His sanctity, His purity, His consuming fire of charity which purifies and frees the soul from all selfish self seeking, all self interest, all self love.  It begins in this life and is accelerated by frequent reception of the sacraments, prayer, self-denial and charity: alms giving, service of the poor, and so on.  (Including fidelity to the duties of ones state in life.)

John of the Cross offers a kind of description which maybe analogous to that initial understanding the soul experiences in knowing the cause of their Purgatory:

"Before the divine fire is introduced into the substance of the soul and united with it through perfect and complete purgation and purity, its flame, which is the Holy Spirit, wounds the soul by destroying and consuming the imperfections of its bad habits. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit, in which he disposes it for divine union and transformation in God through love.
.
"The very fire of love that afterward is united with the soul, glorifying it, is what previously assailed it by purging it, just as the fire that penetrates a log of wood is the same that first makes an assault on the wood, wounding it with the flame, drying it out, and stripping it of its unsightly qualities until it is so disposed that it can be penetrated and transformed into the fire." -  Living Flame of Love

The sanctity of God makes us holy.

O my God, Trinity whom I adore; help me to forget myself entirely that I may be established in You as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing trouble my peace or make me leave You, O my Unchanging One, but may each minute carry me further into the depths of Your mystery. Give peace to my soul; make it Your heaven, Your beloved dwelling and Your resting place. May I never leave You there alone but be wholly present, my faith wholly vigilant, wholly adoring, and wholly surrendered to Your creative Action.

O consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, "come upon me," and create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word: that I may be another humanity for Him in which He can renew His whole Mystery. And You, O Father, bend lovingly over Your poor little creature; "cover her with Your shadow," seeing in her only the "Beloved in whom You are well pleased." - St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

God is love.

Loving the Heart of Jesus. By a Carthusian

A wonderful meditation.

"Loving the Heart of Jesus means knowing how to suffer a lot, always, alone, in silence, with a smile on your lips, under the gaze of him who scrutinizes hearts, in the complete abandonment of loved ones, without being understood, without being pitied and consoled. ; knowing how to hide the sacred "mystery of the cross" as a priceless treasure, in the depths of the pierced and aching soul, in the midst of a heart crowned with thorns.

To love him means to forget ourselves and our miseries in order to remember only him, who is the resurrection and the life, to throw into that adorable Heart every anxious concern for spiritual progress, and even when we see ourselves fallen for the hundredth time into the same imperfections, always get up again promptly with humility and peace, trusting in the perennial miracle of his almighty grace, resting in the infinite sweetness and forgiveness of God.

To love the Heart of Jesus means to venerate the glorious stigmata of the Crucifix in the suffering, and to surround with tender affection their livid and tortured limbs, in which he renews every day and perpetuates the ineffable poem of his Passion over the centuries.

To love him means to suffer with him for his pains, and to make amends in an affective and effective, practical, effective, indefatigable, generous, intelligent way for the enormous crimes with which his enemies profane his Person, crush his honor, debase him in the mud. his dignity, insult those who represent him, and at the same time atone for the sins - materially perhaps less serious, but formally more injurious - than those who should by profession and by free choice be his friends, and instead .. "they crucify again ..." (Heb 6, 6).

Loving the Heart of Jesus means favoring and helping "with the holiness and sincerity that come from God" (2Cor 1, 12) whoever struggles for his glory, renouncing without regret, for the common good, alleged rights of precedence or patents of invention, covering with the mantle of charity weaknesses and miseries, forgetting in silence and forgiveness bitter words, unkind gestures, carefully avoiding stings of honor, petty jealousies and rivalries, which so often compromise the dignity and the success of the ministry.

To love him means to fulfill our obscure duty with faith and solicitude, in the uniformity of a monotonous and hidden existence, without expecting approval, without denigrating those who emerge, without hindering, with badly concealed envy, the initiatives of others without exulting for their failure. , without trampling on those who have fallen without denying merit or slandering intentions, in a word without impeding or condemning the good, for the sole fact that it does not bear our trademark: "Provided that in every way ... Christ is announced" ( Phil 1, 18).

Loving the Heart of Jesus means knowing how to content ourselves with what is necessary in material things, and happily surrendering the superfluous to the works of the Church, to seminaries, to poor monasteries, to missions, to his university, to anyone who knows hunger, pain, hardship, infirmity, "persecutions for justice" (Mt 5:10).

To love him means to change the gold, the silver, the gems of our casket into those works of enlightened charity that do not fear rust or thieves: "making the stones become bread" (Mt 4.3), and that the undeserved gifts of Providence be changed into instruments of mercy.

To love the Sacred Heart means «to reciprocate it with all the love it requires of us; strong love, which does not allow itself to be bent, pure love, which loves without ulterior motives and without interest, crucified love, love of preference, of oblivion, of abandonment, to let the Sacred Heart act, cut, burn, annihilate in us how sorry he is. And that is why it is so necessary to let ourselves be led by him, and to let him work in us - all hours of the day, every day of the year, all the years of life - let ourselves be intoxicated by the madness of the cross, make the hardest sacrifices, not only with fidelity and perfect submission to his plans, but also with superabundant joy: "Because God loves those who give with joy" (2 Cor 9: 7); and both when he gives and when he takes back his gifts, bless him forever.

Loving the Heart of Jesus means loving his holy Church with passion, a virginal flower sprouted from his blood, with ever more complete adherence to his precepts, becoming each of us "obedient to death" (Phil 2: 8).

To love him means to share cordially the joys and sufferings of the Supreme Pontiff - "the sweet Christ on earth" (Catherine of Siena) - and to follow in everything and always, with docility and promptness, his commands, his exhortations, his recommendations, the expression of his desires, in whatever form and by whatever means they are transmitted to us: to accept them fully, even when they are contrary to our ways of seeing, to our short views, to the ever new demands of our interest, to the empty sophisms of which so fruitful is wounded self-love. Being devoted to the Heart of Jesus means burning with the desire to make him known and loved, to extend his kingdom, to glorify his name, to carry out his will in whatever aspect it manifests itself; it means to love the men who cost his blood: to love them all." - Cartusia Lover

(Manete in dilectione mea, pp. 105-110) - Dom Giovanni Battista Simoni

The contagion of the world's slow stain...

Which blinds and desensitizes.

That's from something S. Catherine of Genoa said was her concern, to beware the contagion of the world's slow stain.  It is similar to what people have warned about the war in Ukraine - 'don't get used to it' - don't get used to the atrocities - like we did with abortion and a woman's right to choose.

I'm tempted to say, finally the bishops are standing up and making their voice heard, but on some level, they always have - until it turned into a communion debate - who can and cannot receive and so on.  Then the CDF intervened and it wasn't supposed to be about barring someone like President Biden from  communion.  That is an issue for the individual conscience and the pastor - it's not my concern.  (We can judge actions, e.g. immoral acts and laws, but not the conscience or the state of one's soul. At least, that's how I see it.)

That said, what is a concern is the recent statement by Archbishop Lori, speaking for the USCCB regarding Biden's determination to codify abortion rights.  I am happy that the bishops are indeed speaking out - directly and clearly addressing the problem, without punitive threats.  Finally.

“The president is gravely wrong to continue to seek every possible avenue to facilitate abortion, instead of using his power to increase support and care to mothers in challenging situations,” Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said Oct. 25.

“This single-minded extremism must end, and we implore President Biden to recognize the humanity in preborn children and the genuine life-giving care needed by women in this country,” he said.

The U.S. bishops’ statement noted that last week Biden declared that his top legislative priority after the November elections is to codify a national right to abortion. - CNA

That's how to do it - don't mince words - address the issue head on.  The president is 'gravely wrong'.  Call him out - remain nonpartisan and stop using canon law to control behavior. The threat here is not just against the right to life, it is against religious liberty.  If Biden's plan goes forward, it poses a threat to our democracy, moving us closer towards a new form of totalitarianism.

Backers of abortion say the Women’s Health Protection Act would codify the overturned Roe v. Wade abortion precedent. However, critics say the bill goes much further than Roe. It would declare abortion a human right, undercut existing state pro-life laws, and force objecting doctors and religious hospitals to perform abortions. The bill has repeatedly failed to advance in largely party-line U.S. Senate votes. - CNA

Since Roe v Wade most of the country has gotten used to the idea that it is a woman's right to choose, while we work and hope abortion will be safe, legal and rare.  That notion is the closest anyone can get for dialog concerning 'common ground' on abortion.  Yet it is still on the table with the 'women's right to choose' caveat.  A 'right' almost everyone has 'gotten used to'.

Viewing The View

This is a better view.

Catholic priest Fidelis Moscinski will face trial today for campaigning against abortion outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Pennsylvania. If convicted over felony charges, the priest would potentially face 16 years of prison. Please remember this brave priest in your prayers.

Yes, I watch The View.

Or, I have it on in the background while I'm online having my morning coffee.  I'm especially bored with the show since it is pretty much focused upon the midterm elections.  The country is hopelessly divided, so I don't have any great expectations as to how things will turn out.  The women on The View are laser focused on the abortion issue and a women's right to choose. Some of the local ads for politicians complain how immoral it is to take the right to abort from women and girls.  It's really a screwed up notion of morality.

I couldn't help recall the prophetic document Humanae vitae from St. Paul VI.  The ignorance of natural law and Catholic moral teaching is simply stunning.  How far we have been led astray and conditioned to oppose it.

Right off the bat, this statement is rejected outright - even by 'faithful' Catholics: "No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law."

Interpreting the Moral Law

4. This kind of question requires from the teaching authority of the Church a new and deeper reflection on the principles of the moral teaching on marriage—a teaching which is based on the natural law as illuminated and enriched by divine Revelation.

No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law. It is in fact indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l) that Jesus Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, (2) constituted them as the authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law. For the natural law, too, declares the will of God, and its faithful observance is necessary for men's eternal salvation. (3)

In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal rights, and the duties of spouses. These documents have been more copious in recent times. (4)

What did St. Paul VI prophecy - caution society against regarding the consequences of ignoring the natural/moral law regarding 'reproductive rights'?

Consequences of Artificial Methods

17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.

Limits to Man's Power

Consequently, unless we are willing that the responsibility of procreating life should be left to the arbitrary decision of men, we must accept that there are certain limits, beyond which it is wrong to go, to the power of man over his own body and its natural functions—limits, let it be said, which no one, whether as a private individual or as a public authority, can lawfully exceed. These limits are expressly imposed because of the reverence due to the whole human organism and its natural functions, in the light of the principles We stated earlier, and in accordance with a correct understanding of the "principle of totality" enunciated by Our predecessor Pope Pius XII. (21) 

Needless to say, the women of The View and their guests, along with a major swath of the population, firmly reject this teaching, which has led to the reclassification of marriage and gender, and views sexual activity and its many expressions as recreational and a matter of choice.

We need to pray.  Pray for discernment.  It seems to me both political sides will be eager to impose their will upon all, threatening our democracy, and moving towards  a new form of totalitarianism. We see that happening in Putin's assault upon Ukraine - ostensibly claiming to liberate it from Western, Satanic oppression.   Nevertheless - beware the scare tactics of the so-called QAnon fear mongers. (Tucker Carlson, Vigano, Lara Logan, Trump, Bannon and their supporters.)

Concern of the Church

18. It is to be anticipated that perhaps not everyone will easily accept this particular teaching. There is too much clamorous outcry against the voice of the Church, and this is intensified by modern means of communication. But it comes as no surprise to the Church that she, no less than her divine Founder, is destined to be a "sign of contradiction." (22) She does not, because of this, evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical.

Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature, is always opposed to the true good of man.

In preserving intact the whole moral law of marriage, the Church is convinced that she is contributing to the creation of a truly human civilization. She urges man not to betray his personal responsibilities by putting all his faith in technical expedients. In this way she defends the dignity of husband and wife. This course of action shows that the Church, loyal to the example and teaching of the divine Savior, is sincere and unselfish in her regard for men whom she strives to help even now during this earthly pilgrimage "to share God's life as sons of the living God, the Father of all men." (23) - Humanae vitae

The completely skewed view.

 

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Because you'd never know there was a war going on.

Kind of.  I'll catch morning news when I first get up, always expecting some new development, such as Putin nuked Poland or something.  One day this week, they did mention the war, that Putin is upping his threats to use nukes and then they segued into news about Kim Kardashian being fined, moving onto a new Disney film and some mention of the hurricane clean-up.  I don't have cable - so network news is all I get, until evening news on PBS, which includes BBC.  So I pretty much depend on online news.  There I can get all the versions of the stories on the war and even the 'schism' in our nation and the Church.

The division is obvious, in the US and in the Church.  The more you read on the right-wingnut sites, the more you risk having your confidence eroded.  I believe that is the intent.  Especially with Trump/MAGA ideologues and their schismatic counterparts in Catholic antipapist circles.  These folks may be more vocal on alternative social media sites, but the contaminating influence spills over into EWTN/World Over programming and other Catholic news sites, most notably The Remnant - which closely resembles the sede site, Novus Ordo Watch.  It amazes me how swiftly these 'clans have united' - at least virtually - especially in their veneration of Vigano.  How many traditional priests and prelates are on board with that, it's impossible to know, since conservative social media and traditionalist Catholic media is generally so unreliable, filled with hearsay and QAnon style conspiracy theories, lies and exaggerations - not forgetting dubious prophecies interpreted to make sense of our decidedly confusing times.

The thing that bothers me most is how paying attention to this stuff erodes one's confidence and creates a climate of distrust while injecting a negative-critical spirit onto even the most innocuous news stories.  Sometimes I wonder if it is calculated to distract our attention from the war and the threats posed by Putin.  Although, on the crockpot side of things, not a few agree with Putin's Patriarch (and many of these support Vigano) that Putin was sent by God.  They even lump in the Fatima secret and additional statements by Sr. Lucia to give credence to their dire assertions of the Great Reset, Great Lie propaganda.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill said Friday that Vladimir Putin's reign over Russia had been mandated by God, congratulating the Kremlin chief on his 70th birthday. "God put you.. - Source

What is real is that a war is going on and could escalate and engulf the world in a disastrous conflagration.  As the Pope and President Biden said recently.

"I deeply deplore the grave situation that has arisen in recent days, with further actions contrary to the principles of international law. It increases the risk of nuclear escalation, giving rise to fears of uncontrollable and catastrophic consequences worldwide," Pope Francis said.

“We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” Biden said at a fundraiser in New York City, citing the 1962 standoff with the Soviet Union.

Yet Christian Nationalists in the US are recruiting followers for their Army Of God - and these people believe the same stuff Putin and his Patriarch believe.  

“We’re under warfare,” one speaker told them. Another said she would “take a bullet for my nation,” while a third insisted, “They hate you because they hate Jesus.” Attendees were told now is the time to “put on the whole armor of God.” Then retired three-star Army general Michael Flynn, the tour’s biggest draw, invited people to be baptized. Flynn warned the crowd that they were in the midst of a “spiritual war” and a “political war” and urged people to get involved.

Since early last year, the ReAwaken America Tour has carried its message of a country under siege to tens of thousands of people in 15 cities and towns. The tour serves as a traveling roadshow and recruiting tool for an ascendant Christian nationalist movement that’s wrapped itself in God, patriotism and politics and has grown in power and influence inside the Republican Party. - Michael Flynn's Reawaken America

It will be interesting to see how right wing Catholics incorporate with this movement, as they attempt to 'unite the clans'.

 

The Bishops of Flanders

 

“Being pastorally close to homosexuals: For a welcoming Church that excludes no one.” 

Belgian bishops published Tuesday a new document on the pastoral care of Catholics who identify as LGBT, which includes a text allowing for a ritual blessing of same-sex couples. - The Pillar

I try really hard to be open and accepting of everything LGBTQ+.  I accept Catholic teaching on sexuality and marriage - I know many who do not.  I do not try to impose my beliefs upon them, nor 'preach' - they already know what the Church teaches and either accept it - or don't.  Fortunately, no one I know expects the Church to change Her teaching for them.  I think a lot can be said for 'living in sin' contentedly.  It's a lot more honest.

That said, privately I was asked what I thought about the Blegian bishops making their provisions for same-sex couples to receive a blessing of their 'union'.  I haven't a lot to say.  People already know my position on the matter.  

In fact, people already know what Pope Francis thinks, as well as what the CDF had to say in this regard:

Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a dubium
regarding the blessing of the unions of persons of the same sex

TO THE QUESTION PROPOSED:

Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?

RESPONSE:

Negative. 

- Source

I think the Belgians are due for their ad limina visit - so maybe we'll hear something then?  In the meantime, keep the faith and pray.

Bishops and priests can say what they will, but Catholic teaching on this subject cannot change, as the above cited CDF document states:

At the same time, the Church recalls that God Himself never ceases to bless each of His pilgrim children in this world, because for Him “we are more important to God than all of the sins that we can commit”^[12]. But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him. He in fact “takes us as we are, but never leaves us as we are”^[13].

For the above mentioned reasons, the Church does not have, and cannot have, the power to bless unions of persons of the same sex in the sense intended above. - Responsum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

 

In paradisum deducant te angeli...

 

"May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest."

Where am I?

My brother is visiting from Germany so I am delightfully spending time with he and my sister's family.  It is a wonderful reunion.  I'm so blessed.  

Obstinately persevering in resistance to the Holy Father.

Rebellion to the Holy See.

Those speaking out against the Holy Father, Cardinal Cupich and other bishops in their rebellion against the Holy See's decree limiting the Extraordinary Form should not be followed. I found it alarming that Fr. Z, among other traditionalists online accuse the Archdiocese of Chicago of lying as regards the ICKSP closure. They are close to outright rebellion against the Pope and at the very least they may place themselves outside the Church if they persist. Fr. Z offers a false equivalency comparing the refusal/resistance of the ICKSP to that of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher. No one is denying the authority of the Pope except for people like Fr. Z.

In the same vein, Holy Mass is not being suppressed or denigrated. The Eucharist is not being withheld, nor is the Real Presence denied. The Ordinary Form of Mass is the norm for the Roman Rite. This resistance and the idea that the true Mass will go underground, into the catacombs is a complete exaggeration feeding into ideological polemics. Those who spread this type of persecution propaganda often rely on numerous conspiracy theories of infiltration and dubious prophecies of a false Mass and a bad Council, to bolster their claims against the Pope and Magisterium.

'That kind of thing cannot come from God"

"About 1894 there appeared in France a series of self-styled revelations of the secrets of Freemasonry, published by a certain Dr. Bataille (Leon Taxil) and a woman called Diana Vaughan. These accounts gripped the imagination of the French public for a while. Later they were found to be false. The Servant of God took a certain interest in them at first, but long before there was any official denial of them she told us that they were not to be believed. Her only reason for rejecting them was the fact that Diana Vaughan once spoke against episcopal authority. 'That kind of thing cannot come from God, ' she said." - St. Therese By Those Who Knew Her

 

Photo: Venezia by Joanna Maclennan

Teach us to pray.

Today's Gospel

Very simple instructions on how to pray.  Very simple.  

After all of the books and teachings that have come to us - it is very simple.  It is about love and a Father who so loved the world...

O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me forget myself entirely so to establish myself in you, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to trouble my peace or make me leave you, O my unchanging God, but may each minute bring me more deeply into your mystery! Grant my soul peace. Make it your heaven, your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest. May I never abandon you there, but may I be there, whole and entire, completely vigilant in my faith, entirely adoring, and wholly given over to your creative action. - St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

 

"O my God, You are in me and I am in You. I have found my heaven on earth, since heaven is You, O Lord, and You are in my soul. I can find You there always; even when I do not feel Your presence, You are there nevertheless, and I like to seek You there. Oh! if only I could never leave You alone!" (cf. Sr Elizabeth of the Trinity, Letters)

Why aren't you posting?

A friend wants to know.

I don't know.  I try posting FB concerning Ukraine, the trouble of the TLM.  I post there trying to make sense of everything and it is very difficult to do that - to understand.  (I also probably disgust people with my opinion.)  

I'm quite alone and live very simply, albeit avoiding the responsibilities of disposing of the estate.  I'm very sad and I wouldn't have it any other way.  The sadness is not self indulgent, but a gift of compunction and charity, I hope.

I also just feel I have nothing else to give.

LOL!  I will probably do a flurry of posts now.  Or maybe not.

I'm recovering from a fall - I cracked a couple of ribs.  I was weeding and fell onto a bench I was using.  I'm healing quickly, I think.  

My little brother is coming to visit at the end of August.  I haven't seen him for close to forty years.  He lives in Germany.  I am looking forward to it, but slightly apprehensive as well.  He will be staying with my sister.  We've all been emailing one another, so it isn't as if we aren't acquainted.  I've been such a stranger to them all my life.

So there.  I'm posting.  ;)

 

Guardian Angel

 

Invocations of the Holy Guardian Angels

Holy Angel, my counselor, inspire me.

Holy Angel, my defender, protect me.

Holy Angel, my faithful friend, intercede for me.

Holy Angel, my consoler, fortify me.

Holy Angel, my brother, defend me.

Holy Angel, my teacher, instruct me.

Holy Angel, witness of all my actions, purify me.

Holy Angel, my helper, support me.

Holy Angel, my intercessor, speak for me.

Holy Angel, my guide, direct me.

Holy Angel, my light, enlighten me.

Holy Angel, whom God has assigned to lead me, govern me.