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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Easter Week |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-30-2023, 06:52 AM - Forum: Easter
- Replies (6)
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Easter Sunday
![[Image: 560.jpg]](https://sensusfidelium.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/560.jpg)
Morning Meditation
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
Let us rejoice at seeing in His risen glory our Saviour, our Father, the best Friend we possess. Let us rejoice, too, for our own sakes, because the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is for us a sure pledge of our own resurrection and of the glory we hope one day to have in Heaven in our soul and body.
I.
Jesus came into the world not only to redeem us, but by His example to teach us all virtues, and especially humility, and holy poverty which is inseparably united with humility. For this it was, He chose to be born in a cave; to live as a poor man in a workshop for thirty years; and at last to die, poor and naked, on a Cross, seeing His garments divided amongst the soldiers before He breathed His last; while, after His death, He receives the winding-sheet for His burial as an alms from others.
Let the poor be consoled at seeing Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven and earth, thus living and dying in poverty in order to enrich us with His merits and gifts. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich (2 Cor. viii. 9). For this cause the Saints, in order to become like unto Jesus in His poverty, despised all earthly riches and honours, so that one day they might go to enjoy with Jesus Christ the riches and honours prepared by God in Heaven for them that love Him. And speaking of these blessings the Apostle St. Paul says that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. 9).
O my Jesus, I beseech Thee by Thy Resurrection, make me rise glorious with Thee on the last day, to be always united with Thee in Heaven, to praise Thee and to love Thee for ever.
II.
Jesus Christ, then, rose from the dead with the glory of possessing all power in Heaven and on earth, not only as God, but as Man. All the angels and all men are therefore subject to Him. Let us rejoice in thus seeing in glory our Saviour, our Father, and the best Friend we possess.
And let us rejoice for ourselves, because the Resur-rection of Jesus Christ is for us a sure pledge of our own Resurrection, and of the glory that we may hope one day to have in Heaven in our soul and in our body. This hope gave courage to the Martyrs to suffer with gladness All the evils of life, and the most cruel torments of tyrants. We must rest assured, however, that none will rejoice with Jesus Christ but they who are willing to suffer in this world with Him; nor will he obtain the crown who does not fight as he ought to fight. He that striveth, for the mastery is not crowned except he strive lawfully. (2 Tim. ii. 5). At the same time let us be assured by what the same Apostle says: that all the sufferings of this life are short and light in comparison with the boundless and eternal joys we hope to enjoy in Paradise. (2 Cor. iv. 17). Let us labour the more to continue in the grace of God, and continually to pray for perseverance in God's friendship. Without continual prayer we shall not obtain perseverance, and without perseverance we shall not be saved.
O sweet Jesus, worthy of all love, how hast Thou so loved men that, in order to show Thy love, Thou hast not refused to die wounded and dishonoured on an infamous tree! O my God, how is it there are so few among men who love Thee with their whole heart ? O my dear Redeemer, I wish to be one of these few. Miserable that I am to have forgotten Thy love in the past, and given up Thy grace for miserable pleasures ! I know the evil I have done. I grieve over it with my whole heart and would wish to die of grief. O my beloved Redeemer, I love Thee now more than myself and am ready to die a thousand deaths rather than lose Thy friendship. Jesus, I thank Thee for the light Thou hast given me. O Jesus, my Hope, leave me not in my own hands. Help me until death.
O Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.
Spiritual Reading
THE HEAVEN GOD HAS WON FOR US
The bliss of Heaven consists in seeing and loving God face to face. "Everything we expect," says St. Augustine, "is expressed in a word of one syllable, namely, God." The reward God promises to us does not consist altogether in the beauty, the harmony, and other advantages of the city of Paradise. God Himself, Whom the Saints are allowed to behold, is, according to the promises made to Abraham, the principal reward of the just in Heaven. I am thy reward exceeding great. (Gen. xv. 1). St. Augustine asserts that were God to show His face to the damned, "hell would be instantly changed into a paradise of delights." And he adds that were a departed soul allowed the choice of seeing God and suffering the pains of hell, or of being freed from these pains and deprived of the sight of God, "it would prefer to see God, and to endure those torments."
The delights of the soul infinitely surpass all the pleasures of the senses. Even in this life, Divine love infuses such sweetness into the soul when God communicates Himself to it that the body is raised from the earth. St. Peter of Alcantara once fell into such an ecstasy of love that, taking hold of a tree, he drew it up from the roots, and raised it with him on high. So great is the sweetness of Divine love, that the holy Martyrs, in the midst of their torments, felt no pain, but were on the contrary filled with joy. Hence St. Augustine says that when St. Laurence was laid on a red-hot gridiron, the fervour of Divine love made him insensible to the burning heat of the fire. Even on sinners who weep for their sins, God bestows consolations which exceed all earthly pleasures. Hence St. Bernard says: "If it be so sweet to weep for Thee, what must it be to rejoice in Thee!"
How great is the sweetness which a soul experiences when, in the time of prayer, God, by a ray of His own light, reveals to it His goodness and His mercies towards it, and particularly the love Jesus Christ has borne to it in His Passion! It feels its heart melting and, as it were, dissolved through love. But in this life we do not see God as He really is: we see Him, as it were, in the dark. We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face. (1 Cor. xiii. 12). Here below God is hidden from our view; we can see Him only with the eyes of Faith. How great shall be our happiness when the veil is raised, and we are permitted to behold God face to face! We shall then see His beauty, His greatness, His perfection, His amiableness, and His immense love for our souls.
Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or hatred. (Eccles. ix. 1). The fear of not loving God, and of not being loved by Him, is the greatest affliction which souls that love God endure on the earth; but in Heaven the soul is certain that it loves God and that He loves it; and sees that the Lord embraces it with infinite love, and that this love shall not be dissolved for all eternity. The knowledge of the love Jesus Christ has shown it in offering Himself in sacrifice for it on the Cross, and in making Himself its Food in the Sacrament of the Altar, shall increase the ardour of its love. It shall also see clearly all the graces God has bestowed upon it, all the helps which He has given it, to preserve it from falling into sin, and to draw it to His love.
It shall see that all the tribulations, the poverty, the infirmities and persecutions which it regards as misfortunes, have all proceeded from love, and have been the means employed by Divine Providence to bring it to glory. It shall see all the lights, loving calls, and mercies which God had granted to it after it had insulted Him by its sins. From the blessed mountain of Paradise it shall see so many souls damned for fewer sins than it had committed, and shall see that it is saved and secured against the possibility of ever losing God. Justly, then, has St. Augustine said that to gain the eternal bliss and peace of Paradise, we should embrace eternal labour.
Evening Meditation
"YOUR SORROW SHALL BE TURNED INTO JOY."
I.
Oh, happy are we, if we suffer with patience on earth the troubles of this present life! Distress of circumstances, fears, bodily infirmities, persecutions, and crosses of every kind, will one day all come to an end; and if we be saved, they will all become for us subjects of joy and glory in Paradise: Your sorrow, says the Saviour to encourage us, shall be turned into joy. (John xvi. 20). So great are the delights of Paradise that they can neither be explained nor understood by us mortals: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Cor. ii 9). Beauties like to the beauties of Paradise, eye hath never seen; harmonies like unto the harmonies of Paradise, ear hath never heard; nor hath ever human heart gained the comprehension of the joys God hath prepared for those that love Him. Beautiful is the sight of a landscape adorned with hills, plains, woods, and views of the sea. Beautiful is the sight of a garden abounding with fruits, flowers, and fountains. Oh, how much more beautiful is Paradise!
To understand how great the joys of Paradise are, it is enough to know that in that blessed realm resides a God omnipotent, Whose care it is to render happy His beloved souls. St. Bernard says that Paradise is a place where "there is nothing thou wouldst not, and everything thou wouldst." There thou shalt not find any thing displeasing to thyself, and every thing thou dost desire thou shalt find: "There is nothing thou wouldst not." In Paradise there is no night; no seasons of winter and summer; but one perpetual day of unvaried serenity, and one perpetual spring of unvaried delight. No more persecutions or jealousies are there; for there all sincerely love one another, and each rejoices in each other's good as if it were his own. No more bodily infirmities or pains are there, for the body is no longer subject to suffering; no poverty is there, for every one is rich to the full, not having anything more to desire; no more fears are there, for the soul being confirmed in grace can sin no more, nor lose that supreme good which it possesses.
II.
"There is everything thou wouldst." In Paradise thou shalt have whatsoever thou desirest. There the sight is satisfied in beholding that city so beautiful, and its citizens all clothed in royal apparel, for they are all kings of that everlasting kingdom. There shall we see the beauty of Mary, whose appearance will be more beautiful than that of all the Angels and Saints together. We shall see the beauty of Jesus, which will immeasurably surpass the beauty of Mary. The smell will be satisfied with the perfumes of Paradise. The hearing will be satisfied with the harmonies of Heaven, and the canticles of the Blessed, who will all with ravishing sweetness sing the Divine praises for all eternity. Ah, my God, I deserve not Paradise, but hell; yet Thy death gives me a hope of obtaining it. I desire and ask Paradise of Thee, not so much in order to enjoy as in order to love Thee for ever, secure that it will never more be possible for me to lose Thee. O Mary, my Mother, O Star of the Sea, it is for thee, by thy prayers, to conduct me to Paradise.
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| North Korea toddler, parents jailed for life after being caught with Bible |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-29-2023, 09:01 AM - Forum: Socialism & Communism
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North Korea toddler, parents jailed for life after being caught with Bible
NY Post - emphasis mine | May 28, 2023
A two-year-old North Korean was sentenced to life in prison after officials found a Bible in the toddler’s parents’ possession, as the totalitarian regime continued to “execute” and “torture” religious worshippers.
As many as 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in North Korea, according to a new International Religious Freedom Report by the US State Department.
The findings underscored the brutal punitive measures routinely doled out by Supreme Leader Kim Jung Un.
People caught with a copy of The Bible in North Korea face the death penalty, while their families — including children — are sentenced to life in prison.
The report highlighted the 2009 imprisonment of a family based on their religious practices and parents’ possession of a Bible.
The entire family, including a two-year-old infant, were sentenced to life in prison camps.
“The right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion [in the DPRK] also continues to be denied, with no alternative belief systems tolerated by the authorities,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said last July.
Guerres wrote how the situation in North Korea has not changed since a 2014 human rights report, which found that authorities “almost completely denied the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion” and found that the government frequently violated violations of human rights that constituted crimes against humanity.
The 2022 report found that the North Korean government has continued to “execute, torture, arrest and physically abuse people for their religious activities.”
Pandemic-era COVID-19 restrictions on travel also reduced information available about conditions, prompting the State Department to work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights groups and the UN to confirm claims of abuse.
While a small number of officially registered religious institutions exist in North Korea, including churches, they operate under strict state control and function largely as showpieces for foreign tourists, officials say.
In October 2021, NGO Korea Future released a report detailing the religious freedom abuses after interviewing 244 victims.
Of the victims interviewed, 150 adhered to Shamanism, 91 adhered to Christianity, one to Cheondoism and one to other beliefs.
The victims ranged in age from just two years old to over 80 years old and women and girls made up over 70 percent of the documented victims.
The report found that the North Korean government charged individuals with engaging in religious practices, conducting religious activities in China, possessing religious items, having contact with religious persons, and sharing religious beliefs.
As a result, people were arrested, placed into detention, forced labor and tortured.
Many were also denied a fair trial and subjected to sexual violence and public execution.
One defector told Korea Future that authorities beat Christian and Shamanic adherents in custody, gave them contaminated food, and arbitrarily executed them.
Another said that in 2002, officials denied a Christian man food, causing him to die within three days.
A prisoner who was released in 2020 told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that authorities subjected Christians to the harshest treatment and that authorities once forced them to stand for 40 days straight, causing inmates to lose the ability to sit down.
Christians are regarded as on the lowest rung of North Korean society and are constantly “vulnerable and in danger,” according to the report.
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| Archbishop Viganò: Sermon for the Vigil of Pentecost - May 27, 2023 |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-29-2023, 07:50 AM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò
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Homily of Msgr. Viganò: Vigil of Pentecost
Let's fight with enthusiasm!
Marco Tosatti blog[computer translated from the Italian - slightly adapted - emphasis mine] | May 28, 2023
Homily for the conferment of Holy Confirmation on the eve of Pentecost
Qui diceris Paraclitus, Altissimi donum Dei.
Hymn. Veni, Creator
Today we celebrate Pentecost Eve. The ancient baptismal liturgy of this day, abolished with the 1955 reform, was recently brought back to use by numerous communities following the Tridentine rite, moreover with the permission of the Commission Ecclesia Dei. The reason for this decision is due to the fact that the authors of Ordo Hebdomadæ Sanctæ instauratus of Pius XII are the same as those of Rubricarum Instructum of John XXIII and of Novus Ordo Missæ of Paul VI. With a view to recovering the treasures of the traditional Rite, this rediscovery not only of Holy Week pre-1955, but also of the symbolic liturgy of Pentecost, called Easter of the Roses in memory of the ancient custom of dropping a shower of rose petals from the vault of our churches, which were to represent the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit. This still happens in the Basilica of Santa Maria to Martyres, the Roman Pantheon.
Its baptismal disposition recalls Easter Eve, because catechumens who had not received Baptism on Holy Saturday – for example because they are not yet ready or sick – could be admitted among newbies during today's solemn function. This ancient rite contemplates the blessing of the Sacred Source and the conferment of sacramental washing, and reminds us of the concern of the Holy Church, which is Teacher in demanding the due preparation of the candidates for Baptism, and Mother in giving them another opportunity to end Easter time. According to Dom Guéranger, the reading of the prophecies constitutes an evident reference to Holy Saturday, with the double symbolism of Easter and Jewish Pentecost that take place on Easter and Christian Pentecost.
Certainly the great Pius XII, towards whom we have a profound veneration, had no way of grasping in those first steps of the renouveau liturgique, started in the 1920s, the threat that would later appear evident with the so-called “conciliar reform”. This is why the recovery of rites prior to 1955 does not in the least question his Pontificate, nor his love for the Roman Liturgy. Rather, we can recognize the diabolical cunning with which the [innovators] acted, who by small steps undermined the invaluable treasure of Catholic worship. Rather than opening up this heritage, the result of centuries of harmonious development, they considered it more convenient to simplify them, demonstrating in this not only a completely alien mentality to a true understanding of the divine Liturgy, but also a substantial contempt for the holy people of God, wrongly considered unable to feed themselves spiritually by drawing on it. But this, it is clear, was still a pretext, an excuse – la actuosa participatio, there active participation of the faithful – behind which the will to unhinge the Faith, the lex credendi, by tampering with its prayerful expression, the lex orandi.
Ultimately, the [innovators] reveal their lack of trust in the action of Grace infused by the Holy Spirit – which also works through the Liturgy – and in man's ability to correspond to it. In their mentality, nothing must test us, nothing must represent an opportunity for improvement: everything must be within everyone's reach, no treasure must be disclosed to those who consider mediocre and ignorant; which betrays their proud persuasion of being superior to their flock. This presumptuous classism is not limited to exteriority, but also extends to internal questions, so that for them the ignorance of the Faith, the indolent accommodation of the Moral, laziness in Spirituality and Asceticism must be the rule for a mass that they have no desire to guide, to instruct, to admonish. Too much effort, for those who first do not believe, do not love, do not hope. Too much effort, for those who are busy building a church in their own image, considering the Church of Christ and its Liturgy old and impossible.
For this reason they depersonalize individuals and annihilate them in a faceless and will-less assembly to which to impose a horizontal vision without supernatural yearning, in the certainty – that we have under our eyes – that a ritual that expresses For this reason they depersonalize individuals and annihilate them in a faceless and will-less assembly to which to impose a horizontal vision without supernatural yearning, in the certainty – that we have under our eyes – that a rite that expresses another ecclesiological and doctrinal vision would end up changing the faith of those who would assist you.
Vice versa, the good Pastors are the first who, in the wake of Tradition and in the constant and humble practice of what they preach, have the task of indicating great goals to the souls entrusted to them. Be holy, as holy is your Father ( Mt 5, 48 ), Our Lord exhorts us. And this holiness, which is made of heroism and of generous abandonment to the will of God, is the answer to Grace, which makes possible to God what we would never know how to do alone. And today, with the conferment of Holy Confirmation to young Gabriel, we have proof of this: the Lord, who calls us to be children of the eternal Father and living members of the Church through Baptism, makes us soldiers of Christ in the Sacrament of Confirmation, ready to fight the good fight. But He does not leave us alone in this trial: he provides us with the spiritual weapons with which to face the Enemy of our soul. The Holy Spirit gives us these very powerful weapons – for free, like everything that comes from God – precisely in Confirmation and in all the sacraments: the armor of God, the belt of truth,the armor of justice, the shoes of preaching, the shield of Faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, the training of prayer, the gym of fasting and penance ( Eph 6, 10-20 ).
Let us not be proud of what the Lord allows us to be, nor of the successes that we obtain thanks to him; but let's not be discouraged even for our failures, for our weakness, for the inexperience in handling these weapons or the lack of dexterity in holding them. Rather, we repeat with San Paolo: I can do everything in the one who gives me strength (Fil 4, 13).
In this solemn Vigil that prepares us for the descent of the Paraclete, we invoke the Holy Spirit with the trust of those who know their weakness with realism and humility, but also the infinite power of the Lord God of the armies deployed, and that no less terrible than our august Condottiera, Mary Most Holy, terterilis ut castrorum acies ordered. The spiritual war we fight against the world, the flesh and the devil was won on the Cross, where Our Lord and God defeated the enemy; where the blessed lineage of the woman crowned with stars and covered with sun has crushed the head of the ancient Serpent. It will know the total victory at the end of time, when again the Woman announced in Genesis and the fruit of Her womb will exterminate the Antichrist and Satan. We are in the midst of this epochal conflict, and if we want to triumph with Christ and His Most Holy Mother, we must fight with enthusiasm under the glorious insignia of our King, protected from the armor that the Holy Spirit – παράκλητος, that is, defender, adviser and lawyer – makes available to us, mainly with the Grace conferred on Confirmation.
We have high ideals, great challenges, exciting duels to face. With the help of God, the young Gabriel will also have it, whom the Church enlists in its ranks as miles Christi, endowing it with all the spiritual equipment it needs, providing it with the care of Confession, nourishing its strength and vigor with the supernatural Food of the Most Holy Eucharist. Gabriele: strength of God. The Holy Spirit will also give you – as he has given and continues to bestow on each of us – His Gifts, the sacred Septenary: wisdom, intellect, advice, fortitude, science, piety, fear of God.
So let us not be discouraged by those who want us weak and disarmed, resigned and ignorant, in order to better break down and win: let us rather place all our hopes in God, who calls us to the heroism of holiness because it takes us to His right on the glorious day of victory, when he will place His enemies as a stool for His feet (Sal 109, 2). And so be it.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop
May 27, 2023
Sabbato in Vigilia Pentecostes
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Week of Pentecost |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-28-2023, 10:21 AM - Forum: Pentecost
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![[Image: 1-5.jpg]](https://sensusfidelium.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1-5.jpg)
Morning Meditation
THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST INTO THE SOUL
The Eternal Father was not content with giving us His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us by His death, He has given us also the Holy Ghost to dwell always in our souls and keep them inflamed with His holy love. Hence, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, He appeared in the form of tongues of fire. This is the holy fire that inflamed the Saints with the desire to do great things for God, that enabled them to love their most cruel enemies, to seek after contempt, to renounce all the riches and honours of the world, and even to embrace torments and death.
I.
The Holy Ghost is that divine bond which unites the Father with the Son; it is He Who unites our souls, through love, with God. For, as St. Augustine says, union with God is the effect of love. “Charity is a virtue which unites us with God.” The chains of the world are chains of death, but the bonds of the Holy Ghost are bonds of Eternal life, because they bind us to God, Who is our true and only Life. Let us also remember that all the lights, inspirations, divine calls, all the good acts we have performed during our life, all our acts of contrition, of confidence in the divine mercy, of love, of resignation, have been the gifts of the Holy Ghost. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings-(Rom. viii. 26). Thus, it, is the Holy Ghost Who prays for us; for we know not what to ask, but the Holy Spirit teaches us what we should pray for.
O holy and divine Spirit, come into my heart and teach me to pray as I ought. Give me strength not to neglect prayer in times of weariness and dryness. I have been lost by my sins. Thou desirest my sanctification and salvation, and I, too, earnestly desire to become holy. I love Thee, my sovereign Good, my Love, my All, and because I love Thee, I give myself wholly to Thee. O Blessed Virgin Mary, protect me.
II.
We know by Faith that the Holy Ghost is the Love that the Eternal Father and the Eternal Word bear one another, and therefore the gift of divine charity which the Lord infuses into our souls, and which is the greatest of all gifts, is particularly attributed to the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul teaches: The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us (Rom. v.5). And our Lord Himself made this great promise: If you love Me I will pray My Father, and He will send you the Holy Spirit that He may always dwell in you. If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask my Father and he will give you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for ever (Jo. xiv.. 15, 16).
O Holy Spirit, divine Paraclete, Father of the poor, Consoler of the affiicted, Light of hearts, Sanctifier of souls, behold me prostrate in Thy Presence. I adore Thee with the most profound submission. I love Thee with all my affections. I have been so ungrateful as to offend Thee. I ask a thousand pardons for all my sins. I offer Thee my heart, cold as it is, and I supplicate Thee to let a ray of Thy light and a spark of Thy fire enter therein. Thou art a divine Spirit, fortify me against the wicked spirits: Thou art a Fire, enkindle in me the fire of Thy love: Thou art a Light, enlighten me that I may know the things of eternity: Thou art the Author of the heavenly gifts, I beseech Thee to grant them to me. Vivify me by Thy grace, sanctify me by Thy charity, govern me by Thy wisdom, adopt me by Thy beauty as Thy child, and save me by Thy infinite mercy. Amen.
Spiritual Reading
THANKSGIVING AFTER COMMUNION
There is no prayer more agreeable to God, or more profitable to the soul, than that which is made during the Thanksgiving after Communion. It is the opinion of many grave writers (Suarez, Cajetan, Valentia, De Lugo, and others), that the Holy Communion, as long as the Sacramental species last, constantly produces greater and greater graces in the soul, provided the soul is then constant in disposing itself by new acts of virtue. The Council of Florence, in the Decree of Eugenius IV to the Armenians, teaches that the Blessed Sacrament produces the same effect in the soul as material food, which, when it enters the body, produces effects according to the state in which it finds it. For this reason, holy souls endeavour to remain as long as possible in prayer after Communion. The Blessed John of Avila, even when he was giving his missions, used to remain for at least two hours in prayer. Father Balthazar Alvarez used to say, that we should set great value on, the time after Communion, imagining that we hear from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself the words that He addressed to His disciples: But me you have not always with you (Matt. xxvi. 11). It is not advisable, as many do, to begin to read immediately after Communion: it is better to spend at least a short time in producing holy affections, and in conversing with Jesus, who is then within us, and in repeating many times words of tenderness, or some fervent prayer. Jesus Christ repeated the same prayer in the Garden three times: And he prayed the third time, saying the self-same word (Matt. xxvi. 44). In affections and prayers it is, then, that the soul should entertain itself with Jesus after Communion; for we must know that the acts formed in prayer after Communion are far more precious and meritorious in the sight of God than when made at another time; for the soul being then united with Jesus, the value of the acts is increased by the presence of Jesus. We should, moreover, know that after Communion Jesus Christ is more disposed to grant graces. St. Teresa says, that after Communion Jesus places Himself in the soul as on a throne of grace, and then says: What willest thou that I should do for thee? (Mark x. 51) meaning: O soul, I am come for the express purpose of granting thee graces: ask Me what thou wilt, and as much as thou wilt, and thou shalt receive all.
Oh, what treasures of grace would you receive, devout soul, if you only entertained yourself with Jesus for an hour, or at least half-an-hour, after Communion! After your thanksgiving is ended, be also careful during the whole day on which you have communicated to keep yourself united by affections and prayers with Jesus, Whom you have received.
Evening Meditation
THE PRACTICE OF THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST
X.-THE MEANS OF AVOIDING LUKEWARMNESS AND ATTAINING PERFECTION
I.
The greatest evil is, that without mental prayer we do not pray at all. I have spoken frequently in my spiritual works of the necessity of prayer, and more especially in a little volume entitled, On Prayer, the Great Means of Salvation and Perfection; and here also I will say a few other things. It will be sufficient, then, to quote the opinion of the Venerable Palafox, Bishop of Osma: “How can charity last, unless God grants us perseverance? How will the Lord grant us perseverance unless we ask it of Him? And how shall we ask it of Him except by prayer? Without prayer there is no communication with God for the preservation of virtue.” And so it is, because he that neglects mental prayer sees very little into the wants of his soul; he knows little of the dangers of his salvation, of the means to be used in order to overcome temptations; and so, understanding little of the necessity of prayer, he leaves off praying, and will certainly be lost.
II.
Then as regards subjects for Meditation, nothing is more useful than to meditate on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven; but it is of especial advantage to meditate on Death, and to imagine ourselves expiring on the bed of sickness, with the Crucifix in our hands, and on the point of entering into eternity. But above all, to one that loves Jesus Christ, and is anxious always to increase in His love, no consideration is more efficacious than that of the Passion of the Redeemer. St Francis of Sales calls Mount Calvary “the Mountain of Lovers.” All the lovers of Jesus Christ love to abide on this Mountain, where no air is breathed but the air of Divine love. When we see a God dying for our love and dying in order to gain our love (He loved us and delivered himself up for us), it is impossible for us not to love Him ardently. Such darts of love continually issue forth from the Wounds of Christ Crucified as pierce even hearts of stone. Oh, happy he who is ever going during life to the heights of Calvary! O blessed Mount! O lovely Mount! O beloved Mount! And who shall ever leave thee more! A Mount that sends forth flames to enkindle the souls that perseveringly abide upon thee!
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Holy Week |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-28-2023, 10:14 AM - Forum: Lent
- Replies (7)
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Palm Sunday
![[Image: 41-.jpg]](https://sensusfidelium.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/41-.jpg)
Morning Meditation
THE SACRED WOUNDS OF JESUS
St. Bonaventure says the Wounds of Jesus wound the stoniest hearts and inflame the coldest souls. The charity of Christ presseth us. And yet men do not love Thee, O my Redeemer, because they live unmindful of the death Thou hast suffered for them.
I.
St. Bonaventure says that the Wounds of Jesus wound the stoniest hearts and inflame the coldest souls. And in truth, how can we believe that God permitted Himself to be buffeted, scourged, crowned with thorns, and finally put to death for the love of us, and yet not love Him? St. Francis of Assisi frequently bewailed the ingratitude of men as he passed along the country, saying: "Love is not loved! Love is not loved!"
Behold, O my Jesus, I am one of those who are thus ungrateful, who have been so many years in the world and have not loved Thee. And shall I, my Redeemer, remain forever such? No, I will love Thee until death, and will give myself wholly to Thee; mercifully accept of me and help me.
The Church, when she shows us Jesus Christ crucified, exclaims: "His whole figure breathes forth love; His head bowed down, His arms extended, His side opened." She cries out: Behold, O man! Behold thy God Who has died for thy love; see how His arms are extended to embrace thee, His head bowed down to give thee the kiss of peace, His side opened to give thee access to His Heart, if thou wilt but love Him!
Assuredly I will love Thee, my Treasure, my Love, and my All. And whom shall I love, if I love not God Who has died for me?
II.
The charity of Christ, says the Apostle, presseth us. (2 Cor. v. 14). Ah! my Redeemer, Thou hast died for the love of men; yet men do not love Thee, because they live unmindful of the death Thou hast suffered for them. Did they bear it in mind, how could they live without loving Thee? "Knowing," says St. Francis de Sales, "that Jesus being really God has so loved us as to suffer the death of the Cross for us, do we not on this account feel our hearts, as it were, in a press, in which they are forcibly held, and love pressed from them by a kind of violence, which is the more powerful as it is the more amiable?" And this is what St. Paul says in these words: The charity of Christ presseth us; the love of Jesus Christ forces us to love Him.
Ah! my beloved Saviour, hitherto I have despised Thee, but now I esteem and love Thee more than my own life: nothing afflicts me so much as the remembrance of the many offences I have committed against Thee. Pardon me, O my Jesus, and draw my whole heart to Thyself that so I may not desire, or seek, or sigh after any other save Thee alone.
O Mary, my Mother, help me to love Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Reading
MEANS OF ACQUIRING DIVINE LOVE
Above all, to love Jesus Christ with our whole heart it is necessary to deny ourselves by embracing what is painful to self-love, and by abstaining from what self-love seeks. St. Teresa once refused to taste a dish that was brought to her in sickness. The infirmarian entreated her to eat it, saying that it was well dressed. The Saint replied: "It is because it is well-dressed that I do not wish to taste it." Hence we ought to abstain from things that are agreeable because they please us. We should, therefore, turn away the eyes, and not look at certain objects of curiosity because they gratify the sight. We should also abstain from such an amusement because we feel a predilection for it; we should serve an ungrateful person because he is ungrateful; we should take such a medicine because it is bitter. Beware, says St. Francis de Sales, lest self-love should seek to have part in things the most holy, and even make it appear to us that nothing is good in which we do not feel satisfaction. Hence the Saint used to say that even virtues should be loved with detachment. For example, we ought to love Mental Prayer and solitude; but when obedience or charity takes us away from meditation or solitude, we must not be disturbed, but must embrace with peace whatever happens by the will of God, however repugnant it may be to our own inclinations. The Venerable Father Balthasar Alvarez used to say that Our Lord often commands creatures to turn their backs upon us, and abandon us, that we may run to Him; but let us be careful to leave them and unite ourselves to God before they forsake us.
The path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day. (Prov. iv. 18). The Wise Man says that the life of the just always increases to perfect day. But who arrives at this perfect day? He that, without inclining to anything until he knows the Divine will, wishes, or wishes not, what God wills or wills not. Hence we should pray in the words of the same Father Alvarez: "Lord, grant me the grace to find peace in whatever thy Divine will shall appoint for me; for my part, I ask for neither more delights nor fewer afflictions." Oh, how happy is his life who lives detached from all things! Let us be persuaded that there is no one more content in this world than the man who despises all its goods, and wishes only for God. Hence each of us should live on this earth as in a wilderness, saying: Here there is no one but God and myself. And with this spirit of detachment all who have consecrated their lives to God should endeavour to renew every day the Religious Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience; intending to divest themselves of all attachment to property, to pleasure, and to self-will. This renewal of vows should be made in a few words, that they may be made more easily and more frequently. It is enough for you to say: My Jesus, for the love of Thee I renew my Vows, and purpose to observe them with exactness; I entreat Thee to grant me the grace to be faithful to Thee.
The third means of obtaining the perfect love of Jesus Christ is to meditate frequently on His Passion. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi used to say that after being made the spouse of a crucified God, a Religious, during her whole life, and in all her actions, should have nothing before her view but Jesus on the Cross; and should have no other occupation than the contemplation of the love that this Divine Spouse has borne her. Were a person to suffer for a friend insults, stripes, and imprisonment, how great the pleasure he would derive from hearing that his friend frequently remembered his sufferings! But if, when his sufferings are mentioned, the friend should endeavour to change the subject of conversation, and should refuse even to think of them, how great the pain that he would feel at such ingratitude! Such is the pain given to the Heart of Jesus by the souls that think but little on the sorrows and ignominies that He suffered for the love of them. But, on the other hand, He is greatly pleased with all those who continually remember and meditate on His Passion. I say that the only subject of all the meditations of a lover of Jesus Christ ought to be His Passion. We should make at least one meditation on it every day.
To me it appears, as I have observed in another place, that it was to supply different mysteries for the meditation of His lovers that our Redeemer wished to suffer different species of pains and reproaches, chains, buffets, scourges, thorns, spittle, and nails; it was for this end that He wished to represent Himself to us suffering in so many different ways: at one time sweating blood in the Garden; at another bound and captured by soldiers; now clothed with a white garment, the badge of a fool; again, torn with scourges; now crowned with thorns as a king of sorrows and mockery, and again going to death with the Cross on His shoulders; at one time suspended by three nails on a Cross, and at another hanging dead on that bed of sorrow with His side opened. But remember that we should not meditate on the Passion of Jesus Christ in order to enjoy spiritual consolations, but for the sole purpose of inflaming our souls with the love of our Redeemer, and of learning from Him what He wishes us to do; offering ourselves to suffer every pain for His sake, because He voluntarily suffered so much for the love of us. Our Lord once revealed to a holy solitary that there is no exercise more apt to kindle in us the Divine love than meditation on His Passion.
Evening Meditation
JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS.
I.
The sentence upon our Saviour having been published, they straightway seize hold of Him in their fury: they strip Him anew of that purple rag, and put His own raiment upon Him, to lead Him away to be crucified on Calvary, --the place appropriated for the execution of criminals: They took off the cloak from him, and put on him his own garments, and led him away to crucify him. (Matt. xxvii. 31). They then lay hold of two rough beams, and quickly make them into a Cross, and order Him to carry it on His shoulders to the place of His punishment. What cruelty, to lay upon the criminal the gibbet upon which he has to die! But this is Thy lot, O my Jesus, because Thou hast taken my sins upon Thyself.
Jesus refuses not the Cross; with love He embraces it, as being the Altar whereon is destined to be completed the sacrifice of His life for the salvation of men: And bearing his own cross he went forth to that place which is called Calvary. (John xix. 17). The condemned criminals now come forth from Pilate's residence, and in the midst of them there also goes our condemned Lord. O that sight, which filled both Heaven and earth with amazement! To see the Son of God going to die for the sake of those very men from whose hands He is receiving His death!
II.
Behold the Prophecy fulfilled: And I was as a meek Lamb, that is carried to be a victim. (Jer. xi. 19). The appearance that Jesus made on this journey was so pitiable that the Jewish women, on beholding Him, followed Him in tears: They bewailed and lamented him. (Luke xxiii. 27). O my dear Redeemer, by the merits of this sorrowful journey of Thine, give me strength to bear my cross with patience. I accept of all the sufferings and contempt which Thou hast destined for me to undergo. Thou hast rendered them lovely and sweet by embracing them for love of us: give me strength to endure them with calmness.
Behold, my soul, now that thy condemned Saviour is passing, behold how He moves along, dripping with Blood that keeps flowing from His still fresh Wounds, crowned with thorns, and laden with the Cross. Alas, how at every motion is the pain of all His Wounds renewed! The Cross, from the first moment begins its torture, pressing heavily upon His wounded shoulders, and cruelly acting like a hammer upon the thorns of the crown. O God, at every step, how great art Thy sufferings! Let us meditate upon the sentiments of love with which Jesus, in this journey is drawing nigh to Calvary, where death stands awaiting Him. Ah, my Jesus, Thou art going to die for us. In time past I have turned my back upon Thee, and would that I could die of grief on this account! But for the future I have not the heart any more to leave Thee, O my Redeemer, my God, my Love, my All. O Mary, my Mother, do thou obtain for me strength to bear my cross in peace.
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Passion Week |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-28-2023, 09:39 AM - Forum: Lent
- Replies (7)
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Passion Sunday
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Morning Meditation
THE LOVE JESUS SHOWED IN HIS PASSION
Jesus, by His Passion and Death, says a devout writer, gave us the greatest possible proof of His love, beyond which there remained for Him nothing He could do to show how much He loved us: "The biggest proof of love was that which He showed forth at the end of His life on the Cross." The Passion of Jesus is even said to be an excess. Oh, that all men, then, loved Thee, my most lovely Jesus! Thou art a God worthy of infinite love.
I.
Blessed Denis the Carthusian says that the Passion of Jesus Christ was called an excess, --And they spake of his excess, which he would accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke ix. 31), --because it was an excess of mercy and of love: "The Passion of Jesus Christ is said to be an excess, because in it was shown forth an excess of love and of compassion." O my God, and where is the believer who could live without loving Jesus Christ, if he were frequently to meditate upon His Passion? The Wounds of Jesus, says St. Bonaventure, are all of them Wounds of love. They are darts and flames which wound the hardest hearts, and kindle into a flame the most frozen souls: "O Wounds that wound stony hearts; and set frozen minds on fire!" In order the more strongly to impress upon his heart a love towards Jesus in His Passion, the Blessed Henry Suso one day took a knife, and cut out in letters upon his breast the Name of his beloved Lord. And, when thus bathed in blood, he went into the church and, prostrating himself before the Crucifix, he said: "Behold, O Lord, Thou only love of my soul, behold my desire. I would gladly have written Thee deeper within my heart; but this I cannot do. Do Thou, Who canst do all things, supply what is wanting in my powers, and imprint Thy adorable Name in the lowest depths of my heart, that so it may no more be possible to cancel in it either Thy Name or Thy love."
My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands. (Cant. v. 10). O my Jesus, Thou art all white through Thy spotless innocence; but upon this Cross Thou art also all ruddy with Wounds suffered for me. I choose Thee for the one and only Object of my love. And whom shall I love if I love not Thee? What is there that I can find amongst all other objects more lovely than Thee, my Redeemer, my God, my All? I love Thee, O most lovely Lord. I love Thee above every thing. Do Thou make me love Thee with all my affection, and without reserve.
II.
"Oh, if thou didst know the mystery of the Cross!" said St. Andrew to the tyrant. O tyrant (it was his wish to say), wert thou to understand the love that Jesus Christ has borne thee, in willing to die upon a Cross to save thee, thou wouldst abandon all thy possessions and earthly hopes in order to give thyself wholly to the love of this thy Saviour. The same ought to be said to those Catholics who, believing as they do in the Passion of Jesus, yet do not think of it. Ah, were all men to think upon the love which Jesus Christ has shown forth for us in His Death, who would ever be able not to love Him? It was for this end, says the Apostle, that He, our Redeemer, died for us, that, by the love He displayed towards us in His Death, He might become the Possessor of our hearts: To this end Christ died and rose again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living; therefore, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. (Rom. xiv. 9). Whether, then, we die or live, it is but just that we belong wholly to Jesus Who has saved us at so great a cost. Oh, who is there that can say, as did the loving Martyr St. Ignatius, whose lot it was to give his life for Jesus Christ: "Let fire, cross, beasts, and torments of every kind come upon me: let me only have fruition of Thee, O Christ." Let flames, crosses, wild beasts, and every kind of torture come upon me, provided only that I obtain and enjoy my Jesus Christ.
O my dear Lord, Thou didst die in order to gain my soul; but what have I done in order to gain Thee, O Infinite Good? Ah, my Jesus, how often have I lost Thee for a nothing! Miserable that I was, I knew at the time that I was losing Thy grace by sin; I knew also I was giving Thee great displeasure; and yet I committed sin. My consolation is that I have to deal with an Infinite Goodness Who remembers his offences no more when a sinner repents and loves Him. Yes, my God, I do repent and love Thee. Oh, pardon me, and do Thou from this day forth bear rule in this rebellious heart of mine. To Thee do I consign it; to Thee do I wholly give myself. Tell me what Thou dost desire, wishing, as I do, to perform it all. Yes, my Lord, I wish to love Thee; I wish to please Thee in every thing. Do Thou give me strength, and I hope to do so.
Spiritual Reading
OUR OBLIGATION TO LOVE JESUS CHRIST
The first and principal command that the Lord imposes on us all is to love Him with our whole heart; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart. (Deut. vi. 5). Because He loves us intensely, He wishes to be loved ardently by us. Hence, He so pressingly demands our love and calls for our heart: My son, give me thy heart. (Prov. xxiii. 26). And what, says Moses, does the Lord demand of you, but that you love him with your whole heart. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but that thou love him, and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart. (Deut. x. 12). To our love He promises Himself as a reward. I am thy reward exceeding great. (Gen. xv. i). To their faithful subjects the monarchs of the earth give riches and honours; but to those who love Him our God gives nothing less than Himself. But though our love should receive no other reward, for us it should be enough to know that God loves those that love Him. He frequently declares in the Scriptures that He loves all who love Him. I love them that love me. (Prov. viii. 17). In another place He says: He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. (1 Jo. iv. 16). And Jesus Christ has said: He that loveth me, shall be loved by my Father; and I will love him. (Jo. xiv. 21).
All our perfection, then, consists in the love of God; for, as St. Augustine says, love is the only virtue that unites us to God. All other virtues, without charity, profit us nothing; but charity brings with it all virtues; for, as the Apostle teaches (1 Cor. xiii. 4)--it is patient, it is kind, it is not puffed up, it is not ambitious of honours, it seeks not its own interest, but suffers all things, believes all things, and hopes for all things. Love, says the same Apostle, is the fulfilment of the law. (Rom. xiii. 10). Hence, St. Augustine said: "Love, and do what you wish" "Ama, et fac quod, vis." He that loves another is careful not to give him the least displeasure, and studies to do everything in his power to please him. Hence, also, the soul that loves God abhors as death the smallest offence against His Divine Majesty, and endeavours to the best of her ability to please Him.
Let it be remembered that perfect charity consists in loving God for His own sake. To love God as the Author of our felicity is the love of concupiscence, which, strictly speaking, belongs not to charity, but to hope; to love God because He deserves to be loved, because He is Infinite Goodness, is the love of friendship, or true charity. But it is necessary to observe that hope is in no way opposed, nor any obstacle to perfect charity. In admitting a state of charity that excluded all hope the Bishop of Cambrai fell into an error which was condemned. We love God, because on account of His perfections He deserves to be loved, and we would love Him though there were no reward for loving Him; but since He wishes to give us a reward, and even commands us to hope for it, we are bound to hope for it and to desire it. Besides, to desire Paradise in order to possess God, and to love Him better, is true and perfect charity; for eternal glory is the consummation of love. There the soul, entirely forgetful of herself, and divested of all self-love, loves God with all her strength, and with a most pure love; it is thus that the Saints in bliss happily lose themselves in God.
If we knew that in an earthly kingdom there was a prince, beautiful, holy, and learned, kind and merciful, surely he would win our affection, though he had conferred no favour upon us. But what are the amiable qualities of such a prince compared with the perfections of God? God possesses all perfections, and possesses them in an infinite degree. He has all the qualities that can render Him amiable: He is infinite goodness, infinite beauty, infinite wisdom, and infinite mercy. Hence His goodness of itself merits all our love. In the Lives of the Fathers of the Desert it is related that in the desert there were two monks who were brothers; to one of them the devil said that the other was doomed to perdition. The simple monk believed the fiend and was greatly afflicted. Being asked one day the cause of his affliction, he answered that it was revealed to him that his brother was doomed to hell. He then humbly answered: "If such be the will of the Lord, may it be forever blessed; but still I will love Him to the utmost of my power in this life, for I love Him neither through fear of hell, nor through the hope of Heaven, but only because He deserves to be loved." On the following night an Angel appeared to the deluded monk and told him that his brother's name was written among the number of the Elect.
We should, therefore, love God because He deserves to be loved on account of His infinite perfections. We should love Him at least through gratitude for the love that He has borne us.
If the affections of all men, of all the Angels, and of all the Saints, were united together, they would not equal the smallest part of the love that God bears to a single soul. St. John Chrysostom says that God loves us more than we love ourselves. I, says God Himself to each of us, have loved you from eternity, and through pure love have drawn you out of nothing, and have placed you in this world. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. (Jer. xxxi. 3). Our parents were the first to love us in this world; but they loved us only after they had known us; but God loved us before we had existence. Our fathers or mothers were not yet born, and God loved us; the world was not yet created, and God loved us; and how long before the creation of the world did He love us? Perhaps a thousand years or a thousand ages? It is useless to multiply years and ages; for God has loved us as long as He has been God; He has loved us as long as He has loved Himself. Hence the holy virgin St. Agnes had reason to say: "I am prevented by another Lover." When the world and creatures sought her love, she answered: No, I cannot love you; since my God has been the first to love me, it is but just that I consecrate my whole heart to Him alone.
Our God, then, has loved us as long as He has been God; and through pure love has drawn us out of nothing; and among so many possible beings that He could, but never will create, He has chosen us and has placed us in this world. For the love of us, He has also created so many other beautiful creatures--the heavens, the hills, the seas, the fountains, and all other creatures that are on this earth.
Evening Meditation
JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN.
I.
Jesus, knowing that the hour of His Passion had now come, after having washed the feet of His disciples and instituted the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, --wherein He left us His whole Self-- goes to the Garden of Gethsemani, whither He knew already His enemies would come to take Him. He there betakes Himself to prayer, and lo! He finds Himself assailed by a great dread, by a great repugnance, and by a great sadness: He began to fear and to be heavy, and to grow sorrowful. (Mark xiv. and Matt. xxvi.). There came upon Him, first, a great dread of the bitter death which He would have to suffer on Calvary, and of all the desolations by which it would be accompanied. During the actual course of His Passion, the scourges, the thorns, the nails, and the rest of His tortures came upon Him but one at a time; whereas, in the Garden, they all came upon Him at the same time, crowding into His memory in order to torment Him. For His love of us He embraced them all; but in embracing them, He trembles and is in agony: Being in an agony, he prayed the longer. (Luke xxii. 43).
There comes upon Him, moreover, a great repugnance to all He has now to suffer; so that He prays His Father to deliver Him from it: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass away from me. (Matt. xxvi. 39). He prayed thus to teach us that in our tribulations we may indeed beg of God to deliver us from them; but we ought at the same time to refer ourselves to His will, and to say, as Jesus then said: Not, however, as I will, but as thou wilt. Yes, my Jesus, Thy will, and not mine, be done. I embrace all the crosses that Thou wilt send me. Thou, innocent as Thou art, hast suffered so much for love of me; it is but just that I who am a sinner, and deserving of hell, should suffer for love of Thee that which Thou dost ordain.
II.
There came upon Him, likewise, a sadness so great, that it would have been enough to cause Him to die, had He not, of Himself, kept death away, in order to die for us after having suffered more: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. (Mark xiv. 34). This great sadness was occasioned by the sight of the future ungratefulness of men, who, instead of corresponding to so great a love on His part, would offend Him by so many sins, the sight of which caused Him to sweat streams of Blood: And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground. (Luke xxii. 44). So, then, O my Jesus, it is not the executioners, the scourges, the thorns, or the Cross, that have been so cruel: the cruelty lies in my sins, which afflicted Thee so much in the Garden. Do Thou give me, then, a share of that sorrow and abhorrence which Thou didst experience in the Garden, that so, even to my death, I may weep bitterly for the offence that I have given Thee. I love Thee, O my Jesus: do Thou receive with kindness a sinner who wishes to love Thee. Recommend me, O Mary, to this Thy Son, Who is in affliction and sadness for love of me.
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| Pope Francis calls for an ‘end’ to ‘the era of fossil fuel’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-28-2023, 06:17 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Pope Francis calls for an ‘end’ to ‘the era of fossil fuel’ in Prayer for Creation message
‘It is absurd to permit the continued exploration and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructures,’ the Pope said.
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Brazilian woman Rodrigo Baima greets the Pope during May 24 general audience.
Screenshot/Vatican News
May 25, 2023
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews - slightly adapted) –– Pope Francis has called for world leaders to implement an “end” to the “era of fossil fuel,” in his message released for the ecumenical Season of Creation taking place later this year.
“Let us heed our call to stand with the victims of environmental and climate injustice, and to put an end to the senseless war against creation,” Pope Francis said in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, released in a press conference today. The day of prayer for creation occurs on September 1, and marks the start of the month-long “ecumenical Season of Creation” which is now annually marked by the Vatican.
Delivering his message, Francis spoke about synodality and his ecological concerns, combined under the theme of “Let Justice and Peace Flow.”
“Consumerist greed, fueled by selfish hearts, is disrupting the planet’s water cycle, he stated. “The unrestrained burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests are pushing temperatures higher and leading to massive droughts.”
The 86-year-old Pontiff referenced “alarming water shortages” which affect communities both large and small, along with “freshwater” facing similar shortages due to “fracking for oil and gas extraction, unchecked mega-mining projects, and intensive animal farming.” Such statements, appearing to blame animal farming for “climate change” effects, echoes the rhetoric currently emerging from European politicians, seeking to implement crushing restrictions on Dutch farmers.
Francis highlighted the goals of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, urging people to “prevent the worst from happening.”
He later echoed such support for global policies on “climate change” by issuing a call to action for the upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai later this year. The Pontiff called on the assembled leaders to “end the era of fossil fuel,” while also citing the pro-abortion Paris Climate Agreement.
Quote:The world leaders who will gather for the COP28 summit in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December next must listen to science and institute a rapid and equitable transition to end the era of fossil fuel.
According to the commitments undertaken in the Paris Agreement to restrain global warming, it is absurd to permit the continued exploration and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructures. Let us raise our voices to halt this injustice towards the poor and towards our children, who will bear the worst effects of climate change.
As on previous occasions, Pope Francis spoke about the need for “ecological conversion” away from “ecological sins,” which would be a transformation of “hearts” and “lifestyles.”
Quote:These sins harm the world of nature and our fellow men and women. With the help of God’s grace, let us adopt lifestyles marked by less waste and unnecessary consumption, especially where the processes of production are toxic and unsustainable.
Francis additionally drew a comparison between his ecological comments and the “Catholic Church’s commitment to synodality.” As noted by Francis, the Season of Creation will coincide with the beginning of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in early October.
“Like rivers in nature, fed by myriad tiny brooks and larger streams and rivulets, the synodal process that began in October 2021 invites all those who take part on a personal or community level, to coalesce in a majestic river of reflection and renewal,” he said. “The entire People of God is being invited to an immersive journey of synodal dialogue and conversion.”
Quote:In the same way that a river is a source of life for its surroundings, our synodal Church must be a source of life for our common home and all its inhabitants. In the same way that a river gives life to all kinds of animal and plant life, a synodal Church must give life by sowing justice and peace in every place it reaches.
Presenting the Pope’s message in the press conference, Cardinal Michael Czerny S.J. – the prefect of the recently formed Dicastery for Integral Human Development – outlined practical ways for Catholics to enact the Pope’s call for “ecological conversion.” These included:
- community screenings of the environmental film The Letter.
- the Laudato Si’ Action Platform facilitating coordination and implementation.
- grassroots action in networks such as Caritas and the Laudato Si’ Movement.
The Laudato Si’ Movement aims to “turn Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si into action for climate and ecological justice,” and promote a mass divestment from “fossil fuels” as inspired by the Pontiff’s environmental writings. They are currently joining with Czerny’s Dicastery to celebrate the eighth anniversary of Laudato Si‘s publication in 2015.
Czerny was joined by Anglican minister Rachel Mash, who praised the Pope’s words and argued that “for too long the faith communities have stood by and watched the destruction of Creation and ignored the cries of our neighbors impacted by climate change.”
Mash added how “an ecumenical team” was establishing the upcoming month-long ecological Season of Creation’s “celebration guide.”
Pro-life and family advocates have continually expressed concern over the climate activism movement, as it is often aligned with pro-abortion and population control advocates and lobby groups. Others say much of climate activism is about garnering government grants and exerting statist power.
As noted by the Laudato Si Movement, Pope Francis has been a consistently vocal advocate for the environmental policies of the Paris Agreement, which is at its core pro-abortion and connects to the stated U.N. goal of creating a universal right to abortion in line with Goal #5.6 of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. That goal reads: “Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights,” which is phraseology commonly used to mean abortion and contraception.
The Vatican officially joined the Paris Agreement only last year, with Francis having previously urged global leaders at climate COP conferences to pursue the “ambitious goals” outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate change, saying they “can no longer be deferred.”
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| Saturday, The Vigil of Pentecost |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-27-2023, 07:21 AM - Forum: Pentecost
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Saturday, The Vigil of Pentecost
Taken from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)
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O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia.
The dazzling splendor of tomorrow’s Solemnity forecasts its beauty on this day of its Vigil. The Faithful are preparing themselves by Fasting to celebrate the glorious mystery. But the Mass of the Neophytes, which, formerly, was said during the Night, is now anticipated, as on Easter Eve; so that by today’s Noon, we shall have already begun the praises of the Holy Ghost. The Office of Vespers, in the afternoon, will solemnly open the grand Festival. The reign of the Holy Spirit is, therefore, proclaimed by the Liturgy of this very day. Let us unite ourselves in spirit with the holy ones, who are awaiting the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise.
While following the Mysteries of the past Seasons of the Liturgical Year, we have frequently been told of the action of the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Lessons read to us, from both the Old and New Testament, have more than once excited our respectful attention towards this Divine Spirit, who seemed to be shrouded in mystery, the time of his being made manifest not having yet arrived. The workings of God in his creatures do not come all at once; there is a succession in their coming, but come they certainly will. The sacred historian describes how the heavenly Father, acting through his Word, employed six days in arranging, into its several parts, this world which he had created; but he also tells us, though under the veil of a mysterious expression, that the Spirit moved over the waters, which the Son of God was about to divide from the earth.
If, then, the Holy Ghost’s visible reign on our earth was deferred until such time as the Man-God should be enthroned on the Father’s right hand, we must not conclude that this Divine Spirit has been inactive. What are the Sacred Scriptures, from which the Liturgy has selected so many sublime passages for our instruction—what are they but the silent production of Him who, as the venerable Symbol has it, “spoke by the Prophets?” It was He gave us the Word—the Wisdom of God—by the Scripture, who gave us, at a later period, this same Word in the Flesh of Human Nature.
He has never been a moment of all the past ages without working. He prepared the world for the reign of the Incarnate Word; he did so by bringing together the various races of once separate nations, and by keeping up that universal Expectation of a Redeemer, which was held alike by the most barbarous and by the most civilized. The earth had not as year heard the name of the Holy Ghost, but moved over the universe of mankind, as he moved over the dead mass of water at the beginning of the world.
Meanwhile, the Prophets spoke of him in several of the prophecies wherein they foretold the coming of the Son of God. The Lord thus spoke by the lips of Joel: I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. He said to us, through Ezechiel: I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and put a new Spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh; and I will put my Spirit in the midst of you.
But previously to the manifestation of himself, the Holy Ghost was to effect that of the Divine Word. When infinite power called into existence the body and soul of the future Mother of God, it was he that prepared the Dwelling for the Sovereign Majesty, by sanctifying Mary from the instant of her Conception, and taking possession of her as the temple into which the Son of God was soon to enter. When the ever blessed day of the Annunciation came, the Archangel declared unto Mary that the Holy Ghost would come upon her, and that the Power of the Most High would overshadow her. No sooner did the Virgin consent to the fulfillment of the eternal decree, than the operation of the Divine Spirit produced within her the most ineffable of mysteries: The Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us!
Upon this Flower that sprang up from the branch of the tree of Jesse, upon this Humanity divinely produced in Mary, there rested complacently the Spirit of the Father and the Son: he enriched it with his Gifts, he fitted it for its glorious and everlasting destiny. He that had so filled the Mother with the treasures of his grace, so that it seemed to border on infinity—gave incomparably more to her Child. And as ever heretofore, so also then, the Holy Spirit worked these stupendous wonders silently; for the time of his manifestation had not come. The earth is to catch but a glimpse of him on the day of Jesus’ Baptism, when he will rest with outstretched wings on the head of the well-beloved Son of the Father. The holy Baptist, John, will understand the glorious vision, as he had felt, when yet unborn, the presence of the Blessed Fruit in Mary’s womb; but as to the rest of the bystanders, they saw but a dove, and the Dove revealed not his eternal secrets.
The reign of the Son of God, our Emmanuel, is established upon its predetermined foundations. In him, we have a Brother, for he has assumed our weak human nature; a Teacher, for he is the Wisdom of the Father, and leads us into all truth; a Physician, for he heals all our infirmities; a Mediator, for by his sacred Humanity he brings all creation to its Creator. In him we have our Redeemer; and in his Blood, our Ransom; for sin had broken the link between God and ourselves, and we needed a divine Redeemer. In him we have a Head, who is not ashamed of his Members, however poor they may be; a King whom we have seen crowned with an everlasting diadem; a Lord, whom the Lord hath made to sit on his right hand.
But if he rules over this earth for all ages, it is from his Throne in heaven that he is to rule, until the Angel’s voice is heard proclaiming that Time is no more; and then he will return again to crush the heads of sinners. Meanwhile, long ages are to flow onwards in their course, and these ages are to be the reign of the Holy Ghost. But as we learn from the Evangelist, the spirit was not given until such time as Jesus was glorified. So that our beautiful mystery of the Ascension stands between the two Divine Reigns on earth;—the visible Reign of the Son of God and the visible Reign of the Holy Ghost. Nor is it only the Prophets who announce the succession of the second to the first; it is our Emmanuel himself who, during the days of his mortal life, heralded the approaching Reign of the Divine Spirit.
We have not forgotten his words: It is expedient for you that I go; for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you. Oh! how much the world must have needed this Divine Guest, of whom the very Son of God made himself the precursor! And that we might understand how great is the majesty of this new Master who is to reign over us, Jesus thus speaks of the awful chastisements who are to befall them that offend him: Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come. This Divine Spirit is not, however, to assume our human nature, as did the Son; neither is he to redeem the world, as did the son; but he is to come among men with a love so immeasurable, that wo to them who despise it! It is to Him that Jesus intends to confide the Church, his Spouse, during the long term of her widowhood; to Him will he make over his own Work, that he may perpetuate and direct in all its parts.
We, then, who are to receive, in a few hours hence, the visit of this Spirit of Love, who is to renew the face of the earth,—we must be all attention as we were at Bethlehem, when we were awaiting the Birth of our Emmanuel. The Word and the Holy Ghost are co-equal in glory and power, and their coming upon the earth proceeds from the one same eternal and merciful decree of the Blessed Trinity, who, by this twofold visit, would make us partakers of the divine nature. We, who were once nothingness, are destined to become, by the operation of the Word and the Spirit, Children of the heavenly Father. And if we would know what preparation we should make for the visit of the Paraclete, let us return, in thought, to the Cenacle, where we left the Disciples assembled, persevering, with one mind, in prayer, and waiting, as their Master had commanded them, for the Power of the Most High to descend upon them, and arm them for their future combat.
The first we look for in this sanctuary of recollectedness and peace, is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the masterpiece of the Holy Ghost, the Church of the living God, from whom is to be born, on the morrow, and by the action of the same Divine Spirit, the Church Militant; for this second Eve represents and contains it within herself. Well, indeed, does this incomparable Creature now deserve our honor! Have we not seen her glorious share in all the mysteries of the Man-God? And is she not to be the dearest and worthiest object of the Paraclete’s visit? Hail, then, O Mary full of grace! Thou art our Mother, and we rejoice in being thy Children. The holy Church expresses this joy of ours when she thus comments the words of David’s Canticle: “Our dwelling in thee, O holy Mother of God! is as of them that are all rejoicers!” In vain wouldst thou decline the honors that await thee on the morrow! Mother Immaculate! Temple of the Holy Ghost! there is no escape, and receive thou must a new visit of the Spirit, for a new work is entrusted to thee—the care of the infant Church for several years to come!
The Apostolic College is clustered around the holy Mother; it is such a feast to them to look upon her, for they see the likeness of their Jesus in her face! In the very Cenacle where they are now assembled, and in Mary’s presence, an event occurred which was one of deep importance. As God, when he formed his Israelite people, chose the twelve sons of Jacob that they might be the fathers of that privileged race, so did Jesus choose twelve men, and they too were Israelites, that they might be the foundations of the Church, of which he himself, and Peter together with and in him, is the chief Corner-Stone. The terrible fall of Judas had reduced the number to eleven; the mysterious number was broken, and the Holy Ghost was about to descend upon the College of the Apostles. Jesus had not thought proper to fill up the vacancy before his Ascension into heaven: and yet the number must be completed, before the coming of the Power from on high. The Church surely could not be less perfect than the Synagogue. Who, then, will take Christ’s place in designating the new Apostle? Such a right, says St. John Chrysostom, could not belong to any but to Peter; but he humbly waived his right, and expressed his wish that there should be an election. The choice fell upon Matthias, who immediately took his place among the Apostles, and awaited the promised Comforter.
In the Cenacle, and in the Blessed Mother’s company, there are also the Disciples, less honored, it is true, than the Twelve, and yet have they been witnesses of the works and mysteries of the Man-God; they, too, are to share in preaching the Good Tidings. And finally, Magdalene and the other holy Women are there, preparing, as the Master had prescribed, for the Visit from on high, which is to tell upon them also. Let us honor this fervent assembly of the hundred and twenty Disciples. They are our models. The Holy Spirit is to descend first upon them, for they are his First-Fruits; but he is to come down upon us also, and it is with a view to prepare us for our Pentecost that the Church imposes on us today the obligation of Fasting.
Formerly, this Vigil was kept like that of Easter. The Faithful repaired to the Church in the evening, that they might assist at the solemn administration of Baptism. During the night, the Sacrament of Regeneration was conferred upon such Catechumens as sickness or absence from home had prevented from receiving it on Easter Night. Those, also, who had then been thought insufficiently tried or instructed and had, during the interval, satisfied the conditions required by the Church, now formed part of the group of aspirants to the New Birth of the sacred Font. Instead of the Twelve Prophecies, which were read, on Easter Night, while the Priests were performing over the Catechumens the rites preparatory to Baptism—six only were now read; at least, such was the usual custom, and it would lead us to suppose that the number of those baptized at Pentecost was less than at Easter.
The Paschal Candle was again brought forward during this Night of grace, in order to impress the newly baptized with respect and love for the Son of God, who became Man that he might be the Light of the World. The rites already described and explained for Holy Saturday were repeated on this occasion, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, at which the Neophytes assisted, began before the break of day.
In later times, when the charitable custom of conferring Baptism on children immediately after their birth passed into a general law, the Mass of Whitsun-Eve was said early in the morning, as was done in the case of Easter-Eve. The six Prophecies, of which we have just spoken, are now read before the celebration of the holy Sacrifice; after which, the Baptism Water is solemnly blessed. The Paschal Candle is used at this ceremony, and the Faithful should consider it a duty to assist at it.
First Vespers are sung in the afternoon. We do not insert them, because Whitsun-Eve can never occur on a Sunday; whereas, for other Feasts, for which we have given the First Vespers, the Vigil may be a Sunday. Moreover, the First and Second Vespers of Whit-Sunday are almost exactly the same.
We will close this day by inserting one of the finest Sequences composed by Adam of Saint Victor on the mystery of Pentecost. This great liturgical poet of the Western Church has surpassed himself in what he has written on the Holy Ghost; and more than once, during the Octave, we will select from his rich store. But the Hymn we give today is not merely a composition of poetic worth;—it is a sublime and fervent prayer to the Paraclete, whom Jesus has promised to send us, and whom we are now expecting. Let us make these sentiments of the devout poet of the 12th century our own; let us imitate him in his longings for the Holy Spirit, who is coming that he may renew the face of the earth, and dwell within us.
Sequence
Qui procedis ab utroque,
Genitore Genitoque,
Pariter Paraclite,
Redde linguas eloquentes,
Fac ferventes in te mentes
Flamma tua divite.
O Divine Paraclete, who proceedest equally from the Father and the Son! with thy glowing fire, give eloquence to our tongues, and make our hearts fervent in their love for thee.
Amor Patris Filiique,
Par amborum, et utrique
Compar et consimilis,
Cuncta reples, cuncta foves,
Astra regis, cœlum moves,
Permanens immobilis.
Love of the Father and Son! equal and co-equal with them in essence! thou fillest and fosterest all things: and though in thyself immoveable, thou governest the stars, and givest motion to the heavens.
Lumen charum, lumen clarum,
Internarum tenebrarum
Effugas caliginem;
Per te mundi sunt mundati;
Tu peccatum et peccati
Destrius rubiginem.
Light most dear and bright! thou puttest to flight the gloom of our soul’s darkness. ’Tis thou that purifiest the pure, and takest away sin and its rust.
Veritatem notam facis,
Et ostendis viam pacis
Et iter justitiæ.
Perversorum corda vitas,
Et bonorum corda ditas
Munere scientiæ.
Thou teachest us the truth; thou showest us the way of peace and the path of justice. Thou shunnest the hearts of perverse sinners; thou enrichest the hearts of the good with the gift of knowledge.
Te docente nil obscurum
Te præsente nil impurum;
Gloriatur mens jocunda;
Per te læta, per te munda
Gaudet conscientia.
With thee as teacher, there is no obscurity; when thou art present, there is no impurity. The soul that possesses thee, is cheerful; and her conscience is joyful and pure.
Tu commutas elementa;
Per te suam sacramenta
Habent efficaciam:
Tu nocivam vim repellis,
Tu confutas et refellis
Hostium nequitiam.
Thou changest the elements; by thee have the Sacraments their efficacy; thou drivest away all evil power; thou bringest to nought the wickedness of our enemies.
Quando venis
Corda lenis;
Quando subis,
Atræ nubis
Effugit obscuritas;
Sacer ignis,
Pectus uris;
Non comburis,
Sed a curis
Purgas, quando visitas.
When thou comest to us, our hearts are soothed; when thou enterest, dark clouds are put to flight. O sacred Fire! when thou visitest us, thou inflamest our souls; not burning them, but purging them from the dross of care.
Mentes prius imperitas,
Et sopitas et oblitas
Erudis et excitas.
Foves linguas, formas sonum,
Cor ad bonum facit pronum
A te data charitas.
Thou givest wisdom and fervor to souls that once were ignorant and drowsy and heedless. Thou inspirest the tongue, thou formest its speech; and the charity thou givest, makes the heart prompt to all that is good.
O juvamen oppressorum,
O solamen miserorum,
Pauperum refugium,
Da contemptum terrenorum:
Ad amorem supernorum
Trahe desiderium.
O helper of them that are heavily laden! O Comforter of the afflicted! O refuge of the poor!—give us a contempt for earthly things, and draw our affections to the love of what is heavenly.
Consolator et fundator,
Habitator et amator
Cordium humilium,
Pelle mala, terge sordes,
Et discordes fac concordes,
Et affer præsidium.
Consoler and creator, and guest, and lover of humble souls!—drive all evil from us, cleanse our sins, bring concord where now is discord, and support us by thy protection.
Tu qui quondam visitasti,
Docuisti, confortasti
Timentes discipulos,
Visitare nos digneris;
Nos, si placet, consoleris
Et credentes populos.
O thou that heretofore didst visit, teach and strengthen the timid Disciples, deign to visit us; vouchsafe to console us and the faithful throughout the world.
Par majestas personarum,
Par potestas est earum,
Et communis deitas:
Tu procedens a duobus
Coæqualis es ambobus:
In nullo disparitas.
Equal is the majesty, equal the power, and one the divinity, of the Three Persons. Thou proceedest from the Father and the Son, and art co-equal in all things with them.
Quia tantus es et talis,
Quantus Pater est et qualis;
Servorum humilitas
Deo Patri, Filioque
Redemptori, tibi quoque
Laudes reddat debitas.
Amen.
Being, therefore, infinite in all perfections as is the Father, accept from us thy poor servants the praise that is due to thee, equally with the Father and the Son. Amen.
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| Report: Francis Cancels All Friday [and Saturday] Audiences |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-27-2023, 06:43 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
- No Replies
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Francis Cancels All Friday [and Saturday] Audiences
gloria.tv | May 26, 2023
Francis cancelled the Friday audiences (May 26) at short notice because he has a fever, the Vatican press office, known for lying, said.
No meetings with groups were scheduled, but he did not receive individuals either.
[One of the commentors to this article noted that all Saturday audiences were cancelled as well.]
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| The Sino-Vatican Pact fails again: an appeal from the Catholic Church in China |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-26-2023, 06:01 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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The Sino-Vatican Pact fails again: an appeal from the Catholic Church in China
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The Catholic Herald | May 20, 2023
This has been written by a Chinese Catholic, to whom we have for obvious reasons granted anonymity.
The translation of Bishop Shen Bin from the Diocese of Haimen to the nearby diocese of Shanghai on 4th April 2023 marks the failure of the secret Sino-Vatican agreement of 2018. Diocesan priests in Shanghai are mostly reluctant to accept Bishop Shen Bin as the bishop of Shanghai, and it seems difficult for Bishop Shen to execute his governance such as transferring the priests among parishes.
The appointment was made, without the approval of the Apostolic See, by the so-called ‘Chinese Bishops’ Conference’, an institution controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), of which Bishop Shen Bin is President. This is now the second time that the CCP has appointed a bishop without papal approval.
The first time was the illicit appointment, denounced by the Vatican, of Bishop John Peng Weizhao, the bishop of the Diocese of Yujiang in Jiangxi Province, as auxiliary bishop of the so-called ‘Diocese of Jiangxi’. (As well as controlling the appointment of bishops, the Chinese state has taken upon itself the
reorganisation of dioceses without reference to the Holy See.) Looking back over the five years since the agreement, it is difficult to discern its positive outcomes.
Up to 2018, there were ‘underground’ bishops who recognised the authority of the Pope, and a parallel structure of bishops and dioceses, the ‘Catholic Patriotic Association’ (CPA), which was in fact a branch of the Chinese State. The bishops of the CPA were, however, ordained validly, and in some cases made public or private declarations of loyalty to the Pope.
Perhaps surprisingly, CPA bishops and their priests are not necessarily shielded from persecution—the seizure of church buildings, for example, or arbitrary arrest—and large numbers of dioceses are deliberately left without bishops. No official Bishops’ Conference recognisable by the Vatican was possible, since by definition a Bishops’ Conference must have as its members all and only the legitimate bishops of a nation.
On the other hand, apart from Ad Apostolorum Principis of Pope Pius XII in 1958, the CPA has not been officially denounced as a schismatic entity by the Vatican, which over many years preferred to maintain a situation of ambiguity, in the hope that this would make some future rapprochement easier. In this confusing situation, lay Catholics generally felt able to attend services organised under the authority of both sets of bishops.
The 2018 agreement was intended to bring some order into this situation. First, to ensure that all the bishops of the CPA were consecrated with the necessary ‘pontifical mandate’ from the Vatican. Second, to fold the ‘underground’ Church into the CPA, so that there would be one, genuine, Catholic Church in China. Third, to create a stable ongoing situation with a level of Chinese state involvement acceptable to both sides. Its failure, however, can be summarised under three points.
1. The Holy See still lacks the final say on the appointment of bishops in China. Optimistic observers assumed that the unity of the Church in China would be served by bringing an end to episcopal ordinations without authorisation from the Holy See. What has in fact happened is that the CPA (or the Chinese Communist government, since they are the same thing) has paused episcopal ordinations that lack the proper mandate, but taken to translating bishops between dioceses without papal approval. This appears to be a way of getting round the ban on unauthorised episcopal ordinations. In seeing how this practice relates to the 2018 agreement, however, we cannot simply refer to the wording of the document, since this has never been publicly disclosed in full. It is true that episcopal ordinations now take place with pontifical mandate, but in practice this was already happening before the agreement was made, so does not represent a concession by the Chinese Communist Party. Actually, no matter before or after the agreement, in those CPA Episcopal ordinations with pontifical mandate, only the letter of appointment from the CPA is allowed to be read publicly, while the papal bull of appointment could only be read out privately in the sacristy beforehand.
2. There are still several excommunicated bishops in mainland China. According to the Canon Law, if an illicit episcopal consecration takes place, the consecrators and the ordinand(s) are excommunicated latae sententiae. This is an automatic penalty, happening immediately and without any declaration from the Holy See (Canon 1382). At one time there were many cases of episcopal ordination without pontifical mandate, and all the consecrators (including the co-consecrators) as well as the ordinands would have fallen foul of this canon. In 2018, Pope Francis lifted the excommunication from eight bishops (strangely, including a deceased bishop who had gone to his grave insisting on his independence from the Universal Church), who had been consecrated illicitly, but he did not do the same for the bishops who consecrated them. It is hard to know if this was an oversight or an attempt to pretend that no latae sententiae excommunication had taken place.
3. Legitimate bishops who cooperate with the agreement continue to be harassed. In 2018, with the execution of the agreement, two underground bishops, Peter Zhuang Jianjian of the Diocese of Swatow and Vincent Guo Xijin of the Diocese of Mindong, were asked to give up their positions. Aged 87 in 2018, Bishop Zhuang was asked to resign in order to give way to his counterpart, the CPA bishop Huang Bingzhang. By the time Bishop Zhuangwas brought to Beijing and told to resign by a ‘foreign prelate’, he felt very depressed and said he would rather be accused of disobedience than follow such an absurd demand. Nevertheless, in the end he accepted the demand from the Holy See and stepped aside. The case of Bishop Guo Xijin seems even more extraordinary. He was told by the Vatican to accept demotion to the position of an auxiliary bishop in his own diocese, while his CPA counterpart, Bishop Zhan Silu, was be recognised as the ordinary by the Holy See. At first Bishop Guo accepted this, as an order from the Pope. But in January 2020 he was driven out of the cathedral by the local authority by means of cutting out the water and electricity supply. At the same time, a notification was pasted on the wall saying that the building where Bishop Guo lived, built more than 10 years ago, was ‘not aligned to the fire laws and regulations’, hence must be closed immediately. Several of his priests were driven out from their parishes as well. Nine months later he announced his resignation.
These two cases have become widely known among Chinese Catholics, and it seems clear that the agreement has done nothing but encourage the Chinese state to encroach yet further on the liberty and rights of the Church. Instead of making concessions without any reciprocal move from China, it is high time the Vatican at least registered a protest. For the sake of the dignity of the Catholic Church, we urge that:
1. The Holy See declare that the translation of Bishop Shen Bin to be illicit and without effect.
2. The Holy See disclose the full content of the secret 2018 Sino-Vatican Agreement to the faithful throughout the world, especially those in China. They have the right to know such an important agreement concerning them.
3. The Holy See reconsider the renewal of the agreement with the CCP and adjust its diplomatic policy with a view to gaining some real concessions for the good of the Church.
There is an old Chinese saying that “A gentleman would rather die than be humiliated” (士可殺不可辱). Chinese Catholics don’t want endless concessions that only bring pain and suffering to the Church. Even at the cost of diplomatic embarrassment, we would prefer that the Vatican break its silence and respond to this illicit translation with courage and dignity, rather than turning a blind eye to it.
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| Couple Cherishes One Hour With Their Conjoined Twins After Refusing to Kill Them in Abortion |
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Posted by: SAguide - 05-25-2023, 03:24 PM - Forum: Abortion
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Couple Cherishes One Hour With Their Conjoined Twins After Refusing to Kill Them in Abortion
![[Image: austinandnicole.png]](https://www.lifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/austinandnicole.png)
Conjoined twins Rachel Clare and Maria Therese LeBlanc spent one precious hour outside their mother’s womb, being baptized and held by their loving parents before they died.
The sisters were born and died May 16 after their parents, Nicole and Austin LeBlanc, a Catholic couple from Michigan, refused to abort the twins, the Catholic News Agency reports.
“They lived for about an hour until they took their last breaths,” their mother wrote on Instagram. “My girls were loved and held until their final moments and all that they knew their entire lives was love from Austin and I.”
Nicole LeBlanc said the girls also were baptized and confirmed.
“God designed them so beautifully in my womb and it was an absolute honor and privilege to carry them for as long as I could,” she wrote. “Their lives have touched so many and the support my family has received has been nothing short of incredible.”
The LeBlancs have been sharing their daughters’ story online for months as a way to help change the culture to one that respects and values every human life. Thousands of people have followed the family’s journey and prayed for them as they prepared to welcome their daughters into the world, not knowing for how long.
Nicole, 24, a Latina American and a small business owner, said they learned that they were expecting their first child last year. Just 10 weeks into the pregnancy, however, she said doctors discovered that she was pregnant with twins – and they were conjoined, according to CNA.
The twins shared several major organs, including their heart, liver and bowels, and doctors predicted that they would not survive long. Doctors also suggested that the couple abort their daughters.
“They definitely pushed an abortion agenda on us and on our babies,” Nicole said in an interview with EWTN. “That is something that we were not okay with and something we are totally, completely against because even though I couldn’t feel them moving at 10 weeks, I could see them clearly jumping together off the side of my womb.”
The couple chose to trust God with the heartbreaking situation. Austin said they prayed the rosary together every day, and they believe “God has a plan for everything.”
The Michigan family said they believe one of their daughters’ purposes is to help change people’s minds about abortion. Frequently, parents are pressured to abort unborn babies with disabilities. Some even argue that killing a baby with a disability before birth is “compassionate” and allowing them to live is not. The LeBlanc family’s story disproves these lies and demonstrates how every child deserves to be protected, no matter how short their life may be.
“I really think that the pro-life community is growing and I know that our testimony will be part of that, and I hope to do more work in the future as well,” Nicole said.
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| Jim Caviezel blows lid off child trafficking, Epstein Island, Hollywood |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-25-2023, 07:00 AM - Forum: General Commentary
- Replies (6)
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Jim Caviezel blows lid off child trafficking, Epstein Island, Hollywood in Steve Bannon interview
'Epstein Island isn't the only island out there where they have … children,' the Passion of the Christ actor told Steve Bannon.
![[Image: caviezel-e1684923363832-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/caviezel-e1684923363832-810x500.jpg)
Jim Caviezel
screenshot/YouTube/Liberty University
Tue May 23, 2023
(LifeSiteNews) — During an explosive interview with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon last week, Christian actor Jim Caviezel accused the global Deep State of colluding with the mainstream media to cover up its complicity in child trafficking.
“Epstein Island isn’t the only island out there where they have… children,” he remarked on the War Room podcast last week. “I just started noticing that any time a story came out on trafficking – anything – it was gone the next day.”
Watch the interview here: 'The Sound Of Freedom': A Spotlight on the Global Movement to End the Trafficking of Minors
The 54-year-old Caviezel is best known for his roles in The Passion of the Christ, The Count of Monte Cristo, and the CBS series Person of Interest. He also played St. Luke in Paul, Apostle of Christ. He will reprise his role as the Savior of Mankind in Mel Gibson’s upcoming 2024 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection.
During his many public appearances in recent years, Caviezel has never shied away from exposing political and cultural corruption. As a result, the corporate press has collectively labeled him a “right-wing conspiracy theorist.”
“After The Passion, I couldn’t get a job,” he explained to Bannon. “The studios wouldn’t hire me. But see, they’re all controlled by the central banks.”
Caviezel was promoting his upcoming movie Sound of Freedom, which was produced by Catholic human rights activist Eduardo Verástegui. You can buy tickets from Angel Studios by clicking here.
The film is based on the life of Tim Ballard, a former CIA agent and Department of Homeland Security staffer who founded Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) in 2013. OUR seeks to root out and prevent the trafficking of children across the world. Ballard, a Mormon, demanded Caviezel play him in the film. Actress Mira Sorvino co-stars as Ballard’s wife.
Bannon bluntly asked Caviezel if the movie – which finished shooting over four years ago – was purposefully being held up by Hollywood. He was also curious to know if it depicts real-life events going on today and if Caviezel believes there is an “epidemic” of child-trafficking in the United States.
The normally talkative Caviezel paused, seemed to consider his next word choice with great care, and explained that he’s “fighting for my life” by doing what he’s doing.
“It’s credible,” he said about the film. “It’s like in your heart when you know, when you see you’ve been told something for a long, long, time and then all of the sudden it hits you.” The movie “parrots a lot of what’s going on in a lot of the agencies.”
Caviezel confirmed Bannon’s suspicion that it was a difficult process to get the movie on the silver screen.
“The last time that I’ve experienced this was on The Passion of the Christ, where we almost never got that [out]. We’re in the same situation.”
“Tim Ballard was at Fox Studios talking to them, and they didn’t want to hire me,” he then recalled. “And he said ‘no, I want this guy’… and he would not steer away from it, so they finally went to me. And then Disney took over the studio. And when that happened, they did not want this film. And so, then you see the nefarious activities that have been going on at Disney and well, I understand a lot more now.”
Sound of Freedom will be released in 1,200 movie theaters across America on July 4. It is not yet known if the film will be shown outside the US. To learn more about how you can fight human trafficking, visit Operation Underground Railroad’s website by clicking here.
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| Kansas farmers abandon wheat fields after extreme drought |
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Posted by: Stone - 05-23-2023, 08:10 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Kansas farmers abandon wheat fields after extreme drought
![[Image: K6WVJ7UEFZODDLDECAEYIQGJUI.jpg]](https://www.reuters.com/resizer/n1_MrG_Yw5IkOIYitKMyCrD2HNU=/1920x0/filters:quality(80)/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/K6WVJ7UEFZODDLDECAEYIQGJUI.jpg)
Romulo Lollato, a wheat agronomist for Kansas State University, examines wheat in a field, as part of an annual crop tour, near Clay Center, Kansas, U.S., May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Polansek
Reuters | May 22, 2023
WICHITA, Kansas, May 22 (Reuters) - Farmers in Kansas, the biggest U.S. producer of wheat used to make bread, are abandoning their crops after a severe drought and damaging cold ravaged farms.
They are intentionally spraying wheat fields with crop-killing chemicals and claiming insurance payouts more than normal, betting the grain is not worth harvesting, Reuters found on a three-day tour of the state. Other growers are turning over dismal-looking fields to cattle for grazing.
Abandoning fields will lead to a smaller U.S. wheat supply in the world's No. 5 wheat exporter, with stocks seen falling to a 16-year low. High rates of abandonment deal an economic blow to farm towns and force wheat buyers to adjust procurement plans by buying the staple grain elsewhere.
Nationally, winter-wheat farmers plan to abandon 33% of the acres they planted, the highest percentage since World War I, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a May 12 report.
Kansas farmers are expected to abandon about 19% of the acres planted last autumn, up from 10% last year and 4% in 2021, according to the report. But farmers, grain traders and representatives of major food companies who traversed the state on an annual crop tour last week warn of an even greater percentage of unharvested acres.
Crop conditions point toward an outcome similar to 1989, when farmers did not harvest 28% of the wheat they planted, said Justin Gilpin, chief executive of the Kansas Wheat Commission and a tour leader.
"You have a wheat crop that didn't come up," he said.
Soaring prices for hay also pressure wheat farmers not to harvest their fields for grain so they can be fed to cattle, Gilpin said.
Kansas farmers are expected to produce just 191.4 million bushels of wheat this year, the smallest since 1963, according to the latest monthly government forecast. Participants on the Wheat Quality Council tour projected an even smaller harvest of 178 million bushels.
Uncertainty over the size of harvest largely centers on how many acres will be abandoned, grain buyers and tour leaders said. Some farmers with dead wheat will plant sorghum in another attempt at crop production this spring.
Insurance providers must have a chance to appraise fields before crops are destroyed or abandoned, and adjusters are busy visiting fields.
Frahm Farmland, a major grain producer in Colby, in western Kansas, expects it will not harvest about 47% of the roughly 9,500 acres (38.45 square kilometers) of wheat planted, said Christian Wilson, who does field operations and agronomy for the farm.
At least 60% of the crop is expected to be abandoned around Lakin, in southwestern Kansas, said Gary Millershaski, a farmer and scout on the tour.
PAINFUL CROP DEATHS
PureField Ingredients, operator of a wheat protein facility in Russell, Kansas, will need to buy wheat from other parts of the state due to high abandonment in western Kansas, said Evan Backhus, commodities manager.
Farmers who pull the trigger on terminating their crops do so after watching fields struggle throughout the months-long growing season.
"It's kind of like watching a loved one go through a terminal illness," said Clay Schemm, a farmer in Sharon Springs, Kansas, near the Colorado border.
Parts of Oklahoma are suffering too. In six northern counties, an estimated 65% to 70% of the crop will not be harvested, said Mike Schulte, executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.
While farmers get some financial protection from insurance, local businesses are at risk when acres are abandoned, as fewer crews of harvesters come through the region, where they would normally spend money at diners and hotels, Schulte said.
The poor crop may leave Kansas State University's College of Agriculture with less funding than its typical $1 million a year from the Kansas Wheat Commission because the commission is funded by sales of wheat, Dean Ernie Minton said.
"We may not be able to do as much," Minton said. "It slows down the whole lifecycle of wheat research."
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