SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.......

 1. God's commandments.
      There are the 10 commandments of God found in the Old Testament. And there are more than 80 commands of Jesus Christ found in the New Testament. What makes us Catholics is knowledge and obedience to the perfected Old Testament commands as given by Christ in the New Testament. The Liturgy of the Mass, Cycle A, B and C, is giving us the commands of God in the Old Testament read in the first readings; its perfected version is read in the Gospel of the Sunday Mass and briefly interpreted by the second reading taken from the Epistles of the Apostles. 
     The homily which must be a prophetic interpretation of the Gospel must, always, be taken from the Fathers of the Church, who are the only acceptable interpreters of the Gospels.
     The last five Gospels have taught us almost 25 New Testament commands of Christ. The 8th Sunday Gospel in Ordinary time gives us at least six commands of Christ. Let's look at the last one; 'Seek you, therefore, first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things will be added unto you. ' Remember, this is a New Testament command meant for Catholics.

2. How do we obey this command according to St. Thomas of Aquinas?
    'Seek you first the kingdom of God.' Before you can seek the kingdom of God, you must know how it looks like. Otherwise you will just enter any church according to your liking. And surely that would be either a Protestant or a pagan church. Ronald Know wrote that this is man's great misfortune. Left to himself, he will always chose the wrong church. 
     For man to easily find the kingdom of God here on earth, which is the Catholic Church, God have given the Church four visible signs described in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. God made sure these four are visible signs so that all men can easily find the church. When man is able to find and enter the Church, God gives him the three theological virtues by which his salvation is assured. 
     We have mentioned how the kingdom of God looks like and how we shall look like when we are inside; but we have not described how to enter that kingdom.
     St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote that the way that leads into the kingdom is 'the Justice of God.' Thomas immediately added that this is not the justice of man; this way is not man made. No man knows this way. Only God knows it. And when we are inside the kingdom, then 'all these things will be added unto you.'

3. Let us look at the whole command. 
    Christ is saying; do not think what you shall eat, what you shall wear, what you shall drink, either today or tomorrow because if you seek God's kingdom FIRST, I will provide all these things and 'all things, besides.' 
     We don't have to study, find a job,  receive a salary and go shopping? Well, that is what Christ seems to be saying because He tells us not even to think even of tomorrow. He even insults us for worrying about tomorrow saying 'the heathens seek these.' Oh. If we do the things we are doing today, we are heathens! And Christ gave animals to be our models; 'see the flowers and the birds of the air.' You should, at least, be like them. I take care of them and you are more important than them. 
     Then Christ said what is wrong with us who worry about what we shall eat and what we shall wear; 'O ye of little Faith. 

4. Worrying what we shall eat and wear.
     It is natural for all men to worry what he will eat and wear. It is supernatural for men to have Faith that God will take care of him like God had taken cared of the birds and the flowers. 
    Then, why did Christ forbid man to worry about what he is going to eat and wear? Because, according to St. Thomas, worrying about these things, which are important to keep the body united to the soul (i.e. to keep man alive), will prevent a soul from seeking the kingdom of God first. If he continues to worry, he will find food, but prevented from seeking the kingdom of God. He will not go to heaven. What is more important?

5. If Christ forbids us from being solicitous for what is needed to keep us alive, how much more are we forbidden to be solicitous for what is NOT a basic need. 
     By this command, Christ is forbidding us to be solicitous at what is not our business. Like capital punishment. That is a duty given by God to heads of governments, described by St. Paul as the 'power of the sword,' to enable them to secure peace and order in the land. That is not the job of  bishops and ordinary laymen. Bishops, priests and their followers should concentrate on 'seeking the kingdom of God first,' and not interfering in a job not given to them by God. 
     To interfere in things not of their concern is a sign they are not seeking the kingdom of God first. They do not know which is the kingdom of God and have not found the kingdom of God. They are not Catholics and if they die during those demonstrations they would go straight to hell; not for demonstrating. But for having disobeyed this command of Christ found in the New Testament. Greater punishment is reserved for the bishop and priest who led them to disobey this command of Christ. 
     Their disobedience to this command is greater when they are even more solicitous about things there is nothing they can do about like global warming. Worrying about global warming when we are not even allowed to worry about what we shall eat today. And man's sin can be more and more ridiculous. What makes is worse is that these solicitudes is led by Pope Francis. 
     He wants us to be worried about immigrants, gays, adulterers, economies, ecology, global warming, one world religion. In his papacy, up to the present, he has not reminded us to 'seek the kingdom of God first.' And neither has he taught us the way that leads to that kingdom because he does not seem to know how that kingdom looks like as described by St. Robert Bellarmine, his co-Jesuit doctor of the Catholic Church,  and neither has he described the way that leads to that kingdom, as described, also by his co-Jesuit St. Bellarmine in his 'the good life.'

6. State of the world.
    Nobody is seeking the kingdom of God, as shown what interest people today; removing a duly elected president, blaming the innocent Putin, establishing a new world religion when we already have the true religion in the Catholic Church, inviting countless immigrants when we cannot even lead what we have into the kingdom of God, inviting adulterer to commit sacrilege when most priest and bishops are already committing sacrilege the way they say Mass. No wonder God is not giving us 'all those things that will be added to you.'

7. Don't blame the Church because they are NOT the Church.
    When demonstrators are not seeking the kingdom of Christ FIRST, and are engaged in what is not their business or engaged on issues there is nothing they can do about, St. Thomas wrote, those are obstacles to seeking the kingdom of God.  Not having sought the Church, they are not in the Church. They are not Catholics; even if they are bishops or priests because they will not have the four visible signs of the Church. They will certainly not be able to show their credentials that they are Catholics by showing the four visible signs enumerated in the Catholic Catechism. And they better not die because we know where those outside the kingdom of God go when they die. Sad to say, they are not afraid to die in this state. 
      Those disobedient to Christ's commands, usually, do not have the first fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fear of God; the sure sign they are not Catholics. 
      
     

8th Sunday - NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTER

  1. Homiletics.
      We had Homiletics as part of our seminary course where we learned how to give homilies. But I do not remember being taught where to get the materials for our homilies. Up to now seminarians are not taught where to get their materials. 
       I know some young priests who get their materials from articles made by mere laymen with absolutely no theological training. These writings turn out to be like private emotional opinions or sometimes petty complains. 
       One day I read a document on the Fathers of the Church which described them as the only official interpreters of the Word of God. This meant that homilies must come from Scriptures for doctrines and from the Fathers of the Church for the interpretation of the doctrines.
       Historically, when Christ preached, He gave the doctrines and the interpretation of the doctrines to his apostles. And the apostles taught both. But when the evangelist wrote the Scriptures, for lack of space, or lack of paper or lack of ink, they only wrote the doctrines and commands but not the interpretations, since Scriptures were written to remind the first christians what they already knew.
       But the first Christian communities knew both the doctrine and the interpretation. Both were reflected in their way of life. The first christian communities were a living book of Scriptures and Tradition. Their first bishops begun to write down what they were witnessing; the doctrines and the interpretation of the doctrine lived by the communities. These bishops were called the Fathers of the Church. 
       So as young priests the sources of our homilies were Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church. However, to enhance our homilies we were taught to examine what our current Popes were saying. And we noticed that Scriptures, the Fathers and the Popes gave exactly the same teachings; that is from Pope Pius XII up to Benedict XVI. The role of the bishops, priests and, even the Pope, is merely to remind the people what Christ and the Apostles taught......without adding and without subtracting.
       Pope Francis celebrate daily Mass at Casa Martha and his homily appears in video and in written form in the Internet. As usual according to our training, we study Scriptures, the Fathers, then we read Pope Francis' homily at Casa. It is noticeable that Pope Francis' message is always different from the Words of Christ. Or his interpretation is different or opposed to the writings of the Fathers of the Church. Comparing Pope Francis' homilies with one year's liturgical cycle, he deviated against 69  Sunday Gospel messages (one entire Liturgical year.) One gets the impression he does not have a drop of Catholic blood in him; that he is preaching an entirely new religion. So it is wise to stick to Scriptures and Tradition and set aside Pope Francis since his works and acts show
 who is his master.

2. The commands of Christ.
    Our final goal shows who is our master. Obedience to the commands of Christ in the New Testament must be the goal of our actions. If we do so, then He is our master and the one we love. 
     Anything outside the will of Christ is an earthly treasure and amassing these, distracts the soul from God. Thus Christ said; 'No man can serve two master. He will hate one. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote; no man can serve two masters that are opposites; but you can have two masters if one is subject to the other or the two are of one mind and heart. 
     If they are not opposed but agree, then they are one, not two masters. If they are oppose, then there are two and  you cannot serve the two masters because you will hate one. 

3. The battle continuous between good and evil, between God and Mammon. They are opposites and both are masters. If you side with Mammon you will be completely distracted from seeking God.  The two are opposites; they cannot be joined; they are not one. God is on one side, Lucifer is on the other side. 
     God can be loved naturally because He is good; the devil is merely endured, never loved. This is due to their very nature. When loving God, the soul must endure the constant attack of the devil that lures him towards riches. And when loving the devil the soul must endure complete enslavement by the devil where he is forced to obey the devil as a slave.  St. Thomas wrote; 'anyone who prospers in sin, suffers as a slave of the devil. As slave he obeys the commands of the devil.' He has no choice.
     'To the extend that a soul endures obeying the devil, he will fall away from the commands of God. Thus Christ's command in today's Gospel tells us that our end must not be in earthly and unneeded treasures........not even in acquiring necessities! Here, St. Thomas describes two necessities; present and future necessities. And we must not be solicitous in both as our last end. 
     'Work,' St. Jerome wrote ' but do not be solicitous in working as if  my possessions is not always enough. 
     
     Every vice has a corresponding devil.  When the vice of covetousness is present, the devil is present. When Judas coveted money Satan entered into him and he sold and betrayed Jesus. Most men today covet more than what they need. St. Paul mentions food, shelter and clothing as our basic needs. We must have these thing which the body needs to remain with the soul. But even for these necessary things we must not be solicitous, not for the present needs, and not even for the future needs, St. Thomas adds. Christ suggest; 'seek first the kingdom of God and all these shall be added to you.' Faith must be the goal to have God as the master.
     When man does not believe the above words of Christ his Faith is weak, defective and bad. St. Thomas continues, 'all other things that are directed by Faith becomes bad or sinful. And likewise if a prelate is bad in their Faith, how much more those beneath him.'

4. A world of unbelievers.
     We live in an unbelieving world. Christ said so describing these days; 'if the Son of Man comes, will He find Faith in this world? None! Because men do not believe what Christ said that if we seek the Kingdom of God, all the rest will be given to us besides. First, men do not know how to seek the kingdom of God. Secondly, they would rather seek the kingdom of man than the kingdom of God.
     Look at what Pope Francis and the church today is solicitous for; for immigrants, for global warming, to establish a new world order, to organize a one world religion, for ecology, for adulterers to maintain their adulteries, for atheist to maintain their atheism, for all pagans to keep their paganism, to always be in the news. All of these is Mammon. And Mammon is the devil. To acquire these or even to be solicitous for these things is to be in the service of the devil. And the devil's commands will always be to do evil.
     
5. The concerns of Pope Francis.
     The concerns of Pope Francis is not to seek the Kingdom of God. He has not said or written anything  about the search for the kingdom of God. In his latest speech in a Roman school, he even omitted mentioning the words 'God' and 'Jesus' typed in his speech. Those name should be our final goal for us to be servants of God.        His concern, from his own words, are for the kingdom of men; which is of the world, Mammon; for men to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh and of the world. His one world religion worships Mammon and does not have anything to do with the Kingdom of God; it has nothing spiritual. It is all worldly formulated  by the UN and not by God. 
     Who are they serving?

     Man, today, is solicitous and worried about the necessities of life. That is bad enough for Christ. But added to these, they are solicitous about a thousand other things that prevents them from seeking first the kingdom of God of which they are ignorant of. Christ commanded us, not even to be solicitous with the basic needs of the body that we need today, tomorrow and next month (like St. Francis.) And absolutely no solicitude for the other one thousand things like super bowls and climate change.
     On the other hand, if we are not solicitous even for the needs of the body that keeps it with the soul and, instead, zealously seek the Kingdom of God, He will provide us with everything else, food, shelter, clothing.......together with wisdom and knowledge to do all things right....for the immigrants, for the refugees, for the warring nations, for the gays, for the atheist, for the evangelicals.......etc...etc.

LAST GREAT BATTLE between GOD and MAMMON. - Part I

   1. Preach to all the earth.
      Christ commanded all his apostles and disciples to go to all the earth and preach the way to heaven. Christ, Himself, just preached in a limited placed, just around Capernaum and its immediate surroundings. The apostles even went further. Thomas seems to have reach India while the rest preached around Europe. 
     When the apostles preached, their listeners did not immediately learn the entire teachings of the Church. The communities had to study further the correct interpretation of the Words of Christ as explained by the Fathers of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom. There were occasions when the first Christians had to be reminded. So instruction was perfected.
     Now, let us say that preachers, like St. Boniface, had preached in Germany and the Germans can be said to have heard the Good News. What is the next step? Will God send more preachers to keep on preaching in Germany? No. The Gospel had been preached in Germany. Those who know the Gospel should transfer their knowledge to the next generation of Germans. God will, ordinarily, allow knowledge of the Good News  transferred from one German generation to the next. That is how things should be. If the transfer of knowledge is done faithfully, then the last generation of Germans should know the entire teaching of the Church. 
     What if something goes wrong? Let's say, a Martin Luther starts messing up the doctrines. Suddenly there is a cut in the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next. The next would be receiving a defective knowledge of Catholic Doctrine which actually happened in Germany. We now have a Germany that knows nothing about Catholic Doctrine. In such a situation, will God sent a new batch of apostles to preach in Germany? No. But God, in His goodness, will send a saint of two, or even His own Blessed Mother, to remind the Germans of what have been taught to them already. 

2. Now, let us stop here for a while. 
    Will God appoint again 12 apostles and send them to all nations? No. God will not repeat the whole evangelization process again because it has been done already. But in His inimitable way, He will choose the most insignificant soul as His messenger to remind the forgetful German nation of what has already been taught to them. The Germans will be reminded of the writing of St. Augustine so they can refute the errors of Martin Luther who messed up the whole thing. They will be reminded of St. Thomas of Aquinas who was in Cologne,  Germany for a long time. They will be reminded of the established teachings of the Church. There will be no new doctrines because Revelation had been closed with St. John the Evangelist. Almost all the teachings of Pope Francis are outside Divine Revelation and cannot be considered Catholic doctrines.

3. Let us call this 'a brief Divine Intervention' in the last battle between God and Mammon. There were many battles between the two. But there will be a last one where there is a slight change in the rules of battle. 
      
   Let us describe the scenario of this 'brief Divine Intervention.' In the Old Testament this was prefigured by King Josiah. And St. Bonaventure described this in his Haexameron as the 6th Day, Good Friday. Joseph Ratzinger's theological priestly thesis was on this. Let us describe it as one day, the 6th day.
    During this day, the forces of Mammon, the lover of money and the world is, seemingly, in complete control of the entire world. Everyone is worshipping Mammon which St. Jerome described as the devil. Because of love of money Lucifer had taken control of the minds of the lovers of Mammon. 
     As prophesied, during this day, none of the bishops and priests have Faith in Christ and have become the persecutors of Christ as on Good Friday. The persecution is led by Caiaphas, the high priest, an image of a Pope. The very few believers are silent and in hiding. So the situation is total silence about the truths and any one who speak the truth is silenced. For lack of Faith, no one can find either Christ nor the Catholic Church. Everything catholic is fake just like all the news. 
     The atmosphere is filled with stifling lies, fake news, screams where people impose their own selfish desires on all. Hugh Benson described this day very well in his 'The Lord of the World.' All the evil is found in the head of the US that looked like an anti-christ and helped by an apostate catholic bishop named Francis who worked as an anti-pope. 

     Elements of this 'brief day.' 
     It is only as long as the lifetime of a man. Maybe, two life times but not more than that. 
     The world will be full of evil. Lucifer seems to have complete control of the world. So the world is filled with vices; lyings, sexual perversions, adulteries, treacheries, murders of babies, euthanasia of old people, regime change, stealing, mayhem (Pope Francis' encouragement to the youth), hedonism, infidelity, Idolatry, paganism. The truth is nowhere to be found; not even in the Vatican newspaper. 
     The truth can be found but with great difficulty. At this point God raises laymen; not bishops or priest but head of states, like King Josiah to make the environment conducive to repentance. The head will just create a social atmosphere conducive for repentance but will not teach repentance because the Catholic Church, still existing, but nowhere to be found, will be teaching repentance. This head of state will provide essentials only, like food, shelter, clothing and a degree of law and order because these are helpful for spirituality. But only these. 
     To make this description short, amidst the still existing great evil, with the head of state raised and used by God, like King Josiah, the opportunity for repentance is available. But this will be available only for those who are seriously seeking God. People that will be benefitted will be very few.

4.  This explains what is happening.
      This explains the sudden rising of leaders in the moral sphere like Putin, Duterte, Trump, Le Pen, May and a few more in other European Cities that is, also, wrecking the EU (and this is good for the countries leaving because it lessens the evil influence of other countries on them). Their political platform is improvement of morals and an attack against the lovers of Mammon, which is the invisible government that rules the worldly and supported by Pope Francis who just praised the Open Society Foundation that has destroyed half of the world. 
     The almost miraculous victory of these heads of states is a Divine Intervention meant to lessen the evil and misery in the world to allow souls to repent before the Great Chastisement announced by Fatima. It is a short time by which God helps souls who are already repenting to, at least, finish their repentance and reach Faith which is the minimum requirement for salvation. 

5. What is happening in the world today is a preparation for repentance aptly coinciding with the season of Lent. St. Bonaventure warns us that this is only for a short time. Maybe as short as the office of a president. The hierarchy, from the Pope down to most priest will have Faith that has become bad, St. Thomas of Aquinas described. 'If faith becomes bad, all other things that are directed by Faith become bad, and likewise, if a prelate or pope are bad, how much more those beneath him.'
     The rise of heads of state that is continuing, whose goals are identical, creating an atmosphere conducive to repentance is a rare phenomenon called the King Josiah phenomenon. Josiah, though his father was bad; and his successor was also bad, ruled wisely giving his people time to convert. Josiah died young killed by his enemy, cutting his reign short and plunging his nation again into chaos. 
     
    

CAPITAL PUNISHMEN - The President is right. Pope Francis and the Bishops are wrong.

 1. Hilaire Belloc and Gilbert Chesterton had noticed that for a long time now man had ceased to think. Well, that is like saying that man have ceased to be human because thinking is what makes him human. Is that possible? No. Man will always retain his thinking faculty but he might not be using it; St. Thomas wrote that when man sin against chastity he ceases to think. In which case he is not different from an animal.
     Possessed with a mind, man must use it to become rational. So the Chester-Belloc monster is just saying that man has a mind and when he does not use it  he has become  irrational. 

     Videos of interviews from demonstrators going around the world show that they have no rational, intellectual issues. They are just out there imposing their irrational demands on everybody; if their irrational demands are not fulfilled,   they will loot the nearest shop, burn the next car and curse the next cop. Why do that?  They have no decent, rational reason.  There is no good reason for such action. 
     Can you dialogue with such  zombies? No, you just retreat to a monastery, build a wall to prevent them from coming in  and pray,  just like what Pope  Benedict did because he saw that the church had become a vast demonstration where every one is imposing what they like on everyone else. Note how Pope Francis is imposing his pet project of allowing the married to commit adultery on the entire world. 
      Pope Gregory, in 1832, had condemned demonstrations as being un-Catholic. Catholics never demonstrate even if they can easily do so. It was Lucifer who did it first. 
      Demonstration is mob psychology where the demonstrators, having given up  the use of their minds  had opened themselves to be possessed by the devil. Note all demonstrators say the same thing; often times, in chorus. They have no individuality. They have only one spokesman, a preternatural being who speaks for all.
     God guides individuals; Lucifer rule mobs even if they are organized by a bishop's conference. Who organized the mob that cried 'crucify him.' Isn't it the Pharisees and the priests? To whom was God talking? To individuals like Nicodemus.

2. God chose the humble and the lowly; He rejects the proud. 
     Trump was right about the walls. Pope Francis, with many bishops and most politicians, were wrong about the wall. In Catholic Ascetical theology, walls are essential to spirituality. In the Old Testament, God commanded the Chosen People to separate themselves from other tribes with walls.  Monasteries used walls and distance to separate themselves from the world. The Kingdom of heaven is described as surrounded with walls and gates guarded by angels bearing swords of fire. Christ said; 'many Catholics will try to enter but will not be able to do so.' Immigrants not welcomed. Not even Catholics? Yes, according to St. John Chrysostom because that statement was meant for Catholics.
     Yes, walls are very Catholic. It is even more Catholic to dig a moat around the wall to doubly protect the borders of the City of God.
      
     Here in the Philippines.
     The President is right about capital punishment. While Pope Francis, the Bishops conference and the presumed thousands who demonstrated, are wrong. They are wrong because they went against Catholic doctrine.     In  the current dispute here in the Philippines the issue is not political; whether you like the duly elected president or not (which is ridiculous when the election is over.) The issue is moral; whether it is moral to  impose capital punishment or not. 
      Capital punishment is part of Catholic doctrine defended in the Old Testament, maintained in the New Testament, specifically preached by St. Paul and defended by the Fathers of the Church like St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas. If so, why is Pope Francis, the Bishops Conference and those presumably Catholic demonstrators are against a Catholic teaching? Because they do not know their Catholic teachings. How could so many commit a mistake?

3. In our seminary Church History book by McSorley, it is written that the Philippines was poorly evangelized. First, because the missionaries from Spain who came were contaminated with the prevailing heresy of Modernism that was sweeping Europe from France. Secondly,  these modernist priests were followed by Protestant teachers from the US who took over the educational system of the country; so much so that all Philippine heroes are Masons. Thirdly, when Pope John Paul II came here he ordered the seminary curriculum revamped because it was producing priest without Faith and priest who do not know the way to heaven (based on the Ratzinger Report). And though a more Catholic curriculum was introduced and approved by the CBCP, it was never implemented. So it is safe to state that the country is still poorly evangelized. It is expected that those bishops and demonstrators do not know the truths of their Catholic Faith.  In short, they are not Catholics. So they demonstrated for the abolition of a Catholic teaching on capital punishment; good Catholics don't do that. They should, instead, be called heretics with the bishops leading then.

4. An emotional argument. 
     Like all demonstrators, those pushing for the abolition of capital punishment do not have a decent theological or rational argument for it. They just want to impose their irrational demands on the government. So rightly have they been called names.....but the most appropriate name should be apostates. 

5. A valid argument  and  the best defense for capital punishment.
     Those bishops and demonstrators should have gone first to Google and Yahoo before going to the streets. There they can find overwhelming arguments in favor of capital punishment from the writings of St. Paul and the saints. From these sources the Catholic Church had formulated her doctrine. But wait a minute. These people are not interested in the truth. This is mob psychology. They are just interested in imposing what they want on everybody. What for? To attract the attention of Pope Francis who hold the same error and, probably,  be assigned to a Vatican post like Caritas; or just for the sake of being popular for having deposed a President. Publicity scoop is the goal. 
     When a former Cardinal did that before, he was going against Catholic teaching, he was going against the encyclical 'Mirari vos,' he was going against Pope John Paul II who commanded him to desist from political activity; he was a very bad example to the Catholic Church. He was not a spiritual leader because he was going against the law of the spirit. He was part of the mob. 

     The valid reason for capital punishment. 
     There are countless articles in defense of capital punishment. And there are countless proofs that capital punishment is Catholic Doctrine. But let us just mention one argument in favor of capital punishment. 
     In Catholic theology, repentance is the first step towards salvation. It is upon repentance that all the teachings of the Catholic Church is built. If repentance collapses, the entire Catholic Faith will collapse. So the longest teachings of the Catholic church is on the topic of repentance.
     The ordinary way of teaching repentance is through evangelization. If it does not work and the soul is still unrepentant, then God sends chastisements to force the soul to repent. All of the Blessed Virgin's apparition were calls to repentance because men is not repenting. So God sends chastisements or catastrophes to force men to repent. Man has to repent otherwise he will go to hell. Chastisements are threats to force men to repent. Repent, otherwise,  world war will come. Threats helps men repent, so God is full of threats. 
     Capital punishment is a threat that is meant to force a hard hearted man to repent. It is, in fact, his last chance to repent. If he misses this chance he could go straight to hell. He must be scared to death to repent. 
      Now, if this is his last opportunity to repent and save his soul, would you be cruel enough to deny him this last chance? Well, that is what these bishops and demonstrators are doing by demonstrating and pushing for the abolition of capital punishment. They really want to deny these poor criminals their last chance to repent and go to hell. With Catholics like these you don't need enemies. 
     In the life of St. Catherine of Sienna, it is narrated that when she helped a criminal to repent, realizing that he will go to heaven after his repentance, the criminal preferred to be executed than to be free. Wise choice. Go to heaven or continue being alive in jail. 
     
6. There is really another better alternative. The best solution.
     The teaching on capital punishment is the common observance in the whole world because that is what most heads of states can do for the common good and for the repentance of criminals. And this is a God-given solution, unless some bishops and demonstrators know better than God. 
      But God, really, has a better solution in place of capital punishment; one is a long term solution and a second which is an emergency solution. The long term is meant to prevent a person from being a criminal, while the emergency is to remedy the situation if and when he has become a criminal. Both are Catholic solutions.
     The long term consists in  properly evangelizing souls according to the Apostolic Commission found in the last chapter of St. Matthew (remember history has it that the Philippines was not properly evangelized.) This process of evangelization must be applied to souls from birth up to death. This will make him a saint and free from all sins, crime and vices all his life. This is what was not done in the Church in the Philippines. This failure is what was reflected in the curriculum of Philippine seminaries during the visit of Pope John Paul II.  This state of affairs still exists today. 
     This long term solution cannot be applied here in the Philippines because many of the bishops and consequently the demonstrators do not know this solution. In fact the whole Catholic world does not know this Catholic solution as we have seen during the 2012 Bishop's Synod. This grave ignorance was even noted by Pope Benedict and by his International Theological Commission. In short, the international members of the Synod did not know the steps for evangelization which was the main topic of the Synod. We expect most bishops to be in the same state. 

     The emergency solution. This is when the person is already a criminal and guilty of murder and, therefore, sentenced to death. The Catholic solution is a fast track repentance. What John the Baptist and Christ taught was slow motion repentance. Fast track repentance would be the monasticism of St. John Climacus. 
     If the Bishops and demonstrators do not know the ordinary process of evangelization as the result of being poorly evangelized at the beginning of Christianity here in the Philippines, I am sure they know nothing of the monasticism of St. John Climacus.
  
     7. The best solution in place of capital punishment. 
          The monasticism of St. John Climacus. Did you notice that all the terms used in a prison are monastic terms. Penitentiary is from Penance. Cells are the rooms of the monks. Because a monastery is a prison for spiritual criminals. John Climacus' monasteries were for hardened spiritual sinners. And murderers are hardened spiritual criminals. And that is the only cure them in place of capital punishment. 
         But no cardinal, no bishop and, definitely no lay demonstrator know how this spiritual medicine which is an important teaching of the Catholic church works. This is what they should propose to the government, But they will not be able to implement it. So what is the use. Everybody should be contented with what the Government can do and that is capital punishment which is according to Catholic teachings. 
     
     
       
     

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time. BE PERFECT, as the Heavenly Father ........

 1. The gradual knowledge of the commands of God.
      The commands of God must be learned slowly and gradually, like the subjects learned in school. You start with Arithmetic, proceed to Algebra  and end up with Calculus. Christ taught the commands of God gradually, from the easiest to the most difficult. The commands of the Old Testament are easy being commands in the natural level because they are meant for all men and can be taught by men. The commands of the New Testament are more difficult. They cannot be taught by men and grace is needed to learn and obey them.
     This progress is reflected in the Liturgy of the Mass. The easy commands that can be taught by men is taught during Advent. By the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the lesson is so advanced it cannot be taught by men and cannot be obeyed without the grace of God. It is for this reason that grace is required before proceeding to the spirituality of the New Testament. Needless to say, no one can know and obey the New Testament commands of Christ unless one first know and obey the commands of the Old Testament. 
     Because Pope Francis does not know the importance of the Old Testament command against adultery as shown in 'Amoris laetitia', he cannot know and obey the command on chastity in the New Testament. Thus he tolerates all sins against chastity.

2. Be perfect.
     Note that since three Sundays ago, the Gospel had been enumerating New Testament commands. In this 7th Sunday, Christ gave his final command; 'to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect.' This would be the most difficult command.
     In the Old Testament command, God said; 'love your neighbor.' This love is in the physical or emotional level which everybody can do, especially towards their parents and children. 
     In the New Testament, Christ's commands is; 'love one another.....as I have loved you.' This is impossible for all. To love your neighbor as Christ loves us, you will need the help of Christ to do so. This means the need for grace.  There is no way man can get this grace on his own. Man needs unceasing prayer to get grace. But who has time for unceasing prayer amidst man's worldly activities?
     The command to love your neighbor becomes more difficult when Christ's command is to love one's enemies. Now, this even goes against man's nature. 

3. '.......as My heavenly Father is perfect.'
     Here is a brief summary on how to obey the command 'love your neighbor' perfectly. Note the great need for grace to know and to be able to obey the command. 
     Here is the ordinary way of loving one's neighbor. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote; love for husband or wife or children consist in teaching them, first,  the 'fear of the Lord.' This is a supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit unattainable through human means. It is attainable only through unceasing prayer. So Pope Benedict was right when he decided to spend most of his time praying for the Church because the need of the Church today are supernatural graces attainable only through prayers.
     Secondly, love of neighbor consist in teaching your loved ones the commands of Christ. The 'fear of the Lord' must come first before the knowledge of the commands of Christ.  The former is the motivation for learning the latter. 
     When you have taught your loved ones, like your husband, wife, children, relations and friends the fear of the Lord, which Christ referred to as the Sun which shines on all men......you will still have to teach them the commands of Christ in the New Testament...and Christ described this as 'rain' that God pours on both the good and the evil.

     Now, let us perfect our love of God. What you give your loved ones, which is the fear of the Lord and the commands of Christ, now you must also teach to your enemies. This is why Christ said, the sun shines and the rain is poured on both the good and the bad. What we do for our loved ones we must, also, render to our enemies. Or course this is more difficult because of the natural hatred we have for our enemies. And there is where the great effort lies. What is easy had been rendered more difficult to perfect our obedience. 

4. A distinction
     There are two aspects in the love of neighbor and love for enemies; the spiritual aspect which is the act of the mind and the free will; and the emotional aspect. 
     Love and hatred are acts of the mind and the free will; but they, also have an emotional aspect. While the spiritual aspect is the teaching of the fear of God and the commands of Christ; the emotional, which is of no importance to salvation, is purely a matter of feeling. 
    Teaching one's loved ones may be accompanied by emotions which can make the teaching pleasant and, thus more perfect. But when teaching one's enemies, the emotion may be absent because he is an enemy. Even without the emotions, the love of enemies is still genuine. But it is not perfect. 

5. To be perfect.
     To be perfect, love of enemies must, first, consist in teaching them the fear of God and the commands of Christ. And  secondly, you must feel the same affection as when you are teaching your loved ones. Again, the affection is not needed for salvation; but it is needed for perfection. 

6. The Papacy and the state of Bishops are states of perfection according to St. Thomas. Their love for God, neighbor and love of enemies must be perfect. 
     First, let us see if they have the imperfect love of God and neighbor which consist in teaching others the 'fear of the Lord' and the commands of Christ. In 'amores laetitia' where Pope Francis is tolerating adulterers shows Pope Francis does not fear God who said; he who does not obey My commands and teaches others to disobey My commands will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Pope Francis is not afraid to teach the whole world to disobey God's eight command in the O.T. and Christ's command on chastity in the N.T. He has no love for God Who said, 'if you love Me, keep My commandments.' And he has no love for neighbor; where 'love of neighbor is defined by St. Thomas as teaching them the 'fear of God' and the commands of Christ. 
    Since Pope Francis does not even have an ordinary love for God and neighbor, he cannot love his enemies. Why is he often with apparent enemies like atheists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, pagans, abortionists and gays? Not because he is loving his enemies but because he is one of them. 
     Now, it is my duty to try to love him to be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect. Spiritually I can love him who has appeared as among my enemies together with Martin Luther, but it is very difficult for me to love him as I love Padre Pio. 
     St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote; that degree of love is sufficient for salvation but not for perfection. Well, we are still obliged to try to reach perfection. This time unceasing prayer is needed. Can we join Pope Benedict?  Yes, .....in spirit. 'For in those days true worshippers will be worshippers in spirit and in truth. What truth? That adulterers, if they remain in that state are in mortal sin. They cannot remarry and they cannot receive Holy Communion unless they repent.....which means contrition, confession, Penance and purpose of amendment.

     
      

REGIME CHANGE

   1. Regime change.
       God does things well, Genesis states; 'And He saw it was good.
God created the first human society well with Adam and Eve as its first head. And Scriptures described them as the best head ever possible considering their God-given gifts. With heads like Adam and Eve the world would have turned out to be a heaven here on earth. 
     But Satan is around. He intends to block everything good that God does and drag down to hell everyone he can. In doing so he always starts with a regime change. To destroy, start with the head.
     So from the perfect Adam and Eve that God intended to head the human society, the devil initiated a regime change and the world got instead Adam and Eve who had fallen from the graces of God and had virtually become a Pandora's box filled with vices. Instead of a heaven on earth led by virtuous heads, the world got, instead. a foretaste of hell led by a couple filled with vices. Does it sound familiar?

     2. The head of the grand human society who at first was righteous suddenly became guilty of original sin and filled with vices. The history of mankind showed this model in that most of the heads of states in the Christian world were saintly kings and queens. With their children trained in monasteries and convents for the purpose of good governance.  As head of states they were good prince and princesses. 
     The devil would not sit down doing nothing. He is supposed to block every good act and intentions of the holy king and queens. The devil made his move and planned the ones who will take over regimes. They will be personally trained by the devil; and their plan of action will be made from the deepest parts of hell. 

     3. Let us look at the diabolical elements of this regime. 
     The way this regime looks like had been pre-figured in the garden of Eden and on Good Friday. This is St. Bonaventure's enigmatic sixth day. 
     It's first element is that it is authored by the devil. The devil caused the regime change in the garden of Eden. The immediate result is to blame others instead of oneself. Adam blames Eve, Eve blamed the snake. And if further questioned by God, Adam and Eve would have blamed the Russians. 
     Secondly, any disobedience to a command of God is followed by vices; namely, gluttony, that tempted Eve to eat what was forbidden and covetousness. These are the two first vices from which sin comes from.  Because of their desire to eat, they need money. This vice, further develops into the desire to acquire everything one wants; and these needs a lot of money,
     Thirdly, so the vice develops into covetousness which is the insatiable love for money. We have the example of the super-richs. The super rich because of their love for money, hates everything else since they cannot love God and Mamon. They will love one and hate the other. Hating everything else outside of money they will destroy everything outside of money. They will abort babies, kill old people, wage war, invade nations, change regime, deplete natural resources, enslave nations, and put up one's ego and pleasures in place of God. 
     Fourthly, following the fathers of lies, this regime will lie through their teeth. No truth will ever come out of their mouth even when confronted by the truth.
     Fifthly, due to their descend to the world of vices, they will end up engaged in unnatural sexual perversion and devil worship. 
     Sixthly, being a work of the devil, the devil does not want to expose himself. He works in secret and wants men to believe he does not exist. Men with no Faith do not believe in the existence of the devil,A which is to the devil's advantage, because he wants it that way. 

     4. This follows the principle of St. Thomas; that he who does not progress in virtue, will descend  into a life of vices. This has been shown in the entire history of men. Sexual perversion and devil worship was common in the Church; a well known event was during the time of St. Peter Damian. The monk Damian was requested by the Pope to solve the almost universal practice of sodomy, child prostitution and devil worship among the priests during his time. Damian fought the scourged with the spiritual weapon of monasticism. 
     Keep in mind that monasticism contains within it the element of exorcism. And that kind of devil can only be driven away through prayer and fasting, which is essentially the monastic life. It was a long cure. It worked but the final result of Damian's work was not noted in history. 

     5. As Pope Paul VI observed, most government are under the invisible control of the devil.....the Vatican included. Regime change by the devil begun visibly during the time of Pope Gregory XVI. He condemned the attempts to change  heads of states through people's power, like what is going on around the US these days. 
     Around 2015 the devil's regime change was almost world wide; Vietnam, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Manila and being attempted now in Syria and Russia. 

The governments do not realize it but they are under the influence of the devil just as Judas did not realize Satan had entered into him. If one takes the circumstances worked at by the devil in the garden of Eden and in Jerusalem on Good Friday, these  is what is happening today.  It has been foretold in Scriptures and Catholics, worthy of the name, had been expecting this to happen 'with joyful hope.'

     6. Since this happening is a preternatural happening, like possession of the devil, it has to be dealt with with a spiritual weapon. It cannot be handled by mere political or social remedy. 
Like during the time of St. Peter Damian, todays situation which is a worse version of what happened during Damian's time is a battle with spiritual beings, like evil seraphim, thrones and dominations. Governments cannot solve this with reforms. It won't work. This is a spiritual battle for souls. 

     7. How do we solve this problem?
         Christ already gave the answer. This cannot be handled except through prayers and fasting. Exactly the same solution as during the time of St. Peter Damian. Damian was a Benedictine monk. He did not know any other solution except what he knew and what he was trained for; and that is.....he was a monk. He would make the entire Catholic world a monastery........which the church is supposed to be  in the first place. The monastic life is the Gospel lived seriously by laymen. 

     8. Why is it impossible for governments to solve their problem? Because they cannot pin point the problem. The problem is the diabolical regime that is behind the visible government. You can hold all the elections you want and change the officials; but you will get the same results, graft and corruption. Why? Because it is the same devil that invisibly runs the visible government. 
     
     9. Except when God directly intervenes. This is the unexplainable phenomenon that is happening at this very minute. 
     
     
     
       
     

6th SUNDAY in Ordinary Time condemns ''Amoris Laetitia."

 1. The Gospel of 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
     The Gospel for the 6th Sunday is a condemnation of Pope Francis and his Post-Synodal Exhortation 'Amoris Laetitia,' (On love in the Family.) A more appropriate title for the exhortation should be 'the enjoyment of sensual pleasure in adultery.'
     The exhortation begins with the presumption that the Catholic Church knows nothing about the present situation of the family and the complexity of the issues involved. 
     Is the 2000 year old Catholic Church, enlightened and inspired by the Holy Spirit, ignorant of the situation of the family? If the Catholics have Faith, they know everything about the family. If they do not have Faith, they will know nothing. That was the first statement of the exhortation. The next statement get worse. It says; the purpose of the papal exhortation is for each country to be able to seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its tradition and local needs. 
     The purpose of a papal exhortation is to find out God's will or God's solution to problems. We are not supposed to seek solutions better suited to our culture because that is mere anthropology. And we are not supposed  to look for solutions sensitive to tradition and local needs. That would be mere sociology. We are supposed to find out God's commands and adapt everything to those commands; that is moral theology. 

2. Obedience to God's commands; that is the crux. We go to heaven through Faith and Charity. Faith is knowing God's commands; and Charity is obedience to His commands. Evidently we cannot obey God's commands unless we, first, know his commands. 
     Christ said; 'Do not think that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. What do you think did Pope Francis do? Did he not disobey God's command ' thou shalt not  commit adultery?' Pope Francis just abolished that command of God. He went against the example  of Christ who did nothing to change the commands.   What should he be called?  Anti.....what?

3. Christ did not come to destroy any command; He never did. He fulfilled and perfected the commands of God. A process in which some got the impression that he did change some commands.
     There are three levels of commands of God. The first level is the Mosaic level. This is the lowest level commonly referred to as the tradition of man. An example of this commands is the washing of the hands and feet. Many of these were abolished by Christ because He replaced them with superior commands. 
     The second level are commands that obliges all men. This is the natural level or the natural law. Christ did not change this but perfected them, like the law on adultery. 
     The third level are the spiritual or the New Testament commands. These can never be changed whether in Europe or in Africa. 

4. General theological principles.
     St. James the Apostles wrote that disobedience to one command is disobedience to all the commands of God. So disobedience to the 8th command which is the sin of adultery is disobedience to all the 10 commandments of God. Because 'Amoris laetitia' disobeyed one command of God, the command not to commit adultery, the document is an encouragement to disobey all the commands of God. This is a sure formula  for going straight to hell; it goes against the teaching of St. James the Apostle, which makes the author an anti....what?
     St. Augustine wrote; whoever denies something of the Gospel by the same reasoning  could deny anything else and he renders Scripture void. Since 'amores laetitia' goes against this Gospel, then the author would be an anti.....what?

5. To change the Gospel is a work of the devil.
     St. Thomas wrote that Christ assured the listener that He did not come to destroy the law because He is not a devil whose job is to destroy the law. So Christ dared not change a sentence, not even a word, not even an iota. 'Amoris Laetitia,' completely changed the command. 

6. 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' and its perfected version. 
     This was a command in the natural level. So all man are obliged to observe it.  Christ did not abolish this command but instead perfected it in the New Testament. He said; the command 'do not commit adultery' had been perfected into 'do not even look lustfully at another woman.' Christ made the command stricter and more difficult to observe. 
     Note that Pope Francis  failed to observe the perfected New Testament version of the command. He did not exhort married man not to look lustfully at another woman; Pope Francis told married men to leave their wives, marry another woman........and receive Holy Communion. Instead of perfecting the observance of the Catholic Faith, he destroyed the Faith by proposing the exact opposite command which is his own and not Christ's.  

7. The Gospel, further, condemns Pope Francis and his exhortation. 
      He who will break one of these least commandments, and so teach men, will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. There are greater commands violations of which are mortal sins; and there are lesser commands that are not moral sins, like falling sleep during prayers.
     Adultery is enumerated by St. Paul as a mortal sin that brings souls to hell. Pope Francis and his co-cardinals and bishops had committed mortal sins by approving the practice. Through the exhortation, Bishop's Synod and other addresses, they have taught others to break this commands of Christ clearly commanded  in today's Gospel. The punishment for teaching others to disobey God's command which is described by Christ, which had been often misinterpreted is 'thou shalt be least the kingdom of heaven.' This kingdom of heaven is the Church here on earth. Here you will be the least.  St. Thomas wrote, but in the Kingdom in heaven, you will have no place. Everyone involved in agreeing with 'amores laetitia' may still be part of the Church. But they will be taking the role of cockles who will, eventually be gathered and bundled to be burned in hell. A Pope in hell? Why? For going against the Gospel of Christ and teaching others to do likewise.....this will make him an anti......what?

8. The Good.
     'But he who will do and teach others, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' The four cardinals who authored the 'dubium' will be great in heaven;  because they obeyed the command of God and taught Pope Francis how to obey God. 
     To see an Argentinian bishop, immersed in liberation theology, disobey God's command and teach others to do likewise is easy to comprehend. But when we see the entire Jesuit order silent before this outright disobedience to God's command and remain silent towards an erring confrere....is mind boggling. Does this mean that most Jesuits will be least in the Church here on earth, but nowhere in the Church in heaven?
         
     
     
     
     

LAST MINUTE REPENTANCE

 1. Last minute repentance. 
     St. Paul's 'last minute repentance' is neither the last nor takes up only a minute. Repentance is a long process. When we see or hear someone dying and are impressed by his last minute repentance, that repentance surely must have started years or months ago and noticed only or finally attained at the last minute. 
     No one should ever aim at a last minute repentance. It is impossible to repent at the last minute. 

2. In Scriptures, repentance is taught during the entire Old Testament and perfected in the New Testament. That should take a couple of thousand years. Repentance can be learned in a day; but it will take years to be able to do it. Even the apostles had to learn it for a long time under St. John the Baptist and continued to learn it with Jesus Christ.  Let us concentrate on repentance.
     Repentance was preached by John the Baptist and Christ perfected the topic of repentance in the New testament. The lesson on repentance in its perfection  was taught by Christ to the Apostles. Then Christ told His apostles to go to all nations, baptizing and teaching all men all His commandments and how to obey them. 
     We know ten commandments from the Old Testament and about 80 commands from the New Testament. In Chapter 5 of St.Matthew alone there are more than 20 commands. How can you learn and obey all those initial commands in one minute? Even Christ took three years to teach His apostles. You think you can learn all those in a last minute repentance?

3. The two ways of teaching the plan of salvation explained. 
     Christ taught men the way to salvation in two ways. Let us call the first ordinary way as 'the long haul.' The second is called the 'last minute repentance.' 
     The 'long haul' is what Christ taught His apostles. The first part of the lesson was taught by St. John the Baptist; the second part of the lesson was taught by Jesus and the third part was  taught by the Holy Spirit from Pentecost on. 
     The apostles, also, used the 'long haul' lesson during their time and this was continued by the Fathers of the Church. The world had undergone the 'long haul' instruction. When the 'long haul' is accomplished, the Western world was considered as having heard the Gospel. The 'long haul' stops and souls are saved through 'last minute repentance.'
     When the Western world have heard the Gospel, they are supposed to decide to follow Christ or not.  It was unnecessary to preach to them again. So God would take individual cases who missed out from the 'long haul' by giving them the 'grace of last minute repentance.' The one's who missed the 'long haul could be one soul or a whole nation.

4. The 'long haul.'
     The 'long haul' begun with the preaching of John the Baptist, continued by Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is a long haul because it was continued by the successors of the apostles and by the great saints of the Church. When everyone have had the opportunity to hear or read the Good News, the 'long haul' stops. Those who did not learn from the 'long haul' can go back and still learn from the writings of Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the writing of saints, and from the Liturgy. 
     Let us look at one group. Those who heard the entire teachings of Christ during the 'long haul' but forgot most of it. Those who never learned from the 'long haul' evangelization; i.e. invincible ignorance. Those who were not exposed to the the writing of Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the saints and the Liturgy.  God saves them through the 'last minute repentance.'

5. 'Last minute repentance of one person  vs. one nation. The repentance of both is identical. But let us describe the surroundings accompanying  the 'last minute repentance of a nation.'
     The Gospel had been preached to this nation. Some did not believe. As centuries went on the number of unbelievers increased as Bishops are not able to evangelize priests properly, priest neglected the parents and the parents their children. After many centuries, the nation had become faithless. With all the Catholic writings available through mass media, they, still, are unable to know the plan of salvation. Unable to progress they will gradually deteriorate spiritually. 
     They will be lovers of money and the world. Deprived of the first two Beatitudes they will descend to all evils. They will be liars, killers, perverse sexually, thieves. Evil will overwhelm this nation so that even believers are in danger to lose their Faith. 

     During these times the Church will be worldly, just like the world. Deprived of Good shepherds and prophets as part of the Divine Chastisement, God will chose humble ordinary laymen as instruments for the 'last minute repentance.'

6. Restraining force.
     The evil during these times will be so overwhelming that repentance  will be impossible. So God in His wisdom and power will act as a restraining force. He will restrain to some degree the great evil to allow souls who receive this grace of last minute repentance to respond to the grace. God will not restrain all the evil; only those evils that will prevent the few chosen people to repent. Most of the evils will continue. The restraining force will be just for a very short moment; that is why it is called 'last minute.'
     Note that the main instrument God will use, usually a head of state, will only do human and natural things that will be conducive to repentance; not spiritual or supernatural things. The spiritual and supernatural things will be done directly by God. Because there is Divine intervention here, evil cannot stop this intervention in the form of a restraining force.

7. The rise of this restraining force.
     Just as Lucifer will use heads of states to destroy the Church as he used the Romans on Good Friday, Lucifer will use many heads of states today. But God will, also, use the heads of states to create the necessary atmosphere for repentance. For that matter, peace and order is a helpful atmosphere while chaos is detrimental to repentance.
     Noticeable around the world are leaders raised by God to create the atmosphere needed for repentance at the last minute and precisely for this purpose. In Russia, Italy, Brexit, Poland, Philippines, the US and around Europe candidates are winning beyond expectation and unstoppable by all the evils thrown at them. 
     God raised them not to create a heaven here on earth or lasting peace. No. Just to enable a few souls to be able to respond to the grace of 'last minute repentance.'

     This is the explanation for what is happening now in the world. God is in complete control; to give the few humble souls who through no fault of their own missed to repent; to allow them a brief moment to repent. After this all hell will break loose as  prelude to the punishment for those who could have repented but did not repent.
     This is a reminder for all to know why these things are happening today, it is a last minute chance to repent. 

     

5th Sunday in Ordinary time. THE SALT OF THE EARTH.

 1. The salt of the earth.
     All Catholics should be the salt of the earth; both the laymen but more especially the Pope, the cardinals, the bishops and the priests. 
And Christ even added that they should, also,  be the light of the world. 
     Lucifer is the corrupter. Lucifer is corrupting everything in the world including all good things, like  marriage, the Mass, the priests and the bishops,  and, if it were possible, even the Church and the true Pope, we will really need a lot of salt......very salty salt.
     The Faith is like fresh fish or fresh meat. Though spiritual, it is easily corrupted, it easily decays. St. Thomas reminds us that if Faith does not progress to the perfection of Charity, it deteriorates and decays. Just to keep it as it is, much salt is needed, very salty salt. While to improve it, much more is needed than just salt. 
     Before anything else, the priests must evangelize; 'going to all nations, baptizing them and teaching them all My commandments.' It is 'all My commandments' that makes up the Faith that must be salted. Without knowledge of the commandments or Faith, there is nothing to salt.
     The present Pope and most members of the hierarchy have not taught their constituents ALL the commandments of Christ. (Most have taught a few commands but not all.) So there is no Faith to salt.  

2. St. Thomas wrote; salt must deter others from evils and thus he compares Catholics, especially popes, bishops and priests to salt with this duty.  
    First, Thomas defines their office as preventing others from evils.  Second, he shows how they must protect themselves from evils by  not  losing its savor; 'but if salt loses its savor.' 
    Second, St. Thomas continues; in every Sacrifice salt is added for the apostolic teaching should shine out of our every work. Salt preserves from rotting and maintains the freshness of new meat; thus the apostles should curb carnal desires through their apostolic teachings.
     Thirdly, salt renders the earth sterile thus some conquerors sowed salt outside the city they had seized so that nothing would grow.  So also the evangelical teaching makes the earth sterile namely so that sinful and earthly works do not spring up in us; 'have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.' Let salt make you withdraw from  worldliness.' 

     Even  from  the first, Pope Francis and many bishops have failed in being salt because they do not prevent souls from the evil of abandoning  their lawful spouses and children; but encourage them further in committing evil by remarrying; and adding more evil by receiving holy communion. They further encourage greater evil by tolerating if not outright defending sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance, etc,  etc. 
     So secondly, the fresh meat (the Faith) does not shine with the freshness of chastity and purity. Their acts and words are like the old rotten heresies of Arius and Pelagius. 
     And thirdly, whatever is left of Faith is choked with sinful and earthly concerns like global warming, tearing down walls, welcoming immigrants and proposing super bowls as substitute for the Beatitudes. Our Pope and many bishops and priests are not applying salt on us. Maybe they have not yet instilled the Faith that must be salted and preserved. 

3. But if salt loses its savor......
     St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote;  salt loses it's savor when it loses its virtues, when it loses its bite it becomes bland like when strong wine becomes vinegar.
     Someone loses his salt when he falls into sin, when he falls from the truth, when he forgoes eternal goods for temporal ones.  
     You will be good for nothing, they are not even good for secular matters. When Pope Francis forgoes talking about the need for Chastity among married couples, he becomes totally incompetent in talking about global warming.
     Then two dangers follow St.  Thomas adds;  he will be cast out of the Church like dogs and the priestly magisterium is taken away from him  because he have rejected knowledge.... 'he shall not do the office of priesthood for Me; the kingdom of God will be taken from you.'

     It is clearly stated that Popes, cardinals, bishops and priests who do not bring souls to the Faith and/ or did not preserve that Faith with salt, ceases to be Catholics and loses their priesthood according to the commentary of St. Thomas of Aquinas to the Gospel of St, Matthew, 5th Sunday in Ordinary time. 

4. Not only must the hierarchy deter others from evils, they must also illuminate. If the Pope and the hierarchy are salt preserving the Faith of their constituents they will automatically be the light of the world. And they do not have to prove this because they will be like lamps on the lamp posts for all to see. The truth will be very clear for all to  see.
      But when 'Amoris laetitia' is so confusing that 'dubia' are demanded, then the confusion is caused by the absence of Faith due to the unclearness of the teaching. There is no Faith and thus nothing to salt and preserve. Why? Because the Pope and most of his hierarchy have not done their job of instilling the Faith through proper evangelization. And though a few of the Faithful have attained a little Faith, the salt had been unable to preserve the little faith because the hierarchy have lost its savor. And the present state of the world is the proof.

Feast of the PRESENTATION

 1. Candlemass.
     Mary offers Jesus Christ, her first born at the temple. It was a religious practice in the Old Testament that all first born, like all first fruits, are offered to God. 
     This practice was carried over into the New Testament with the celebration of Candlemass where parents consecrate their first born to the service of God. It was a beautiful practice in the Catholic Church and like all beautiful practices are no longer observed.
     I remember my own mother telling me that she observed this practice  because I was the first born though she did not know what it was all about. Though ignorant of its liturgical significance, my mother's offering seems to have been accepted because I am now a priest.

2. The importance of the 'commands of God.'
     The lighted candle held at Baptism and candlemas was the symbol of Faith i.e. knowledge of the commands of Christ. 
     Obedience to the commands of God is the very foundation of religious spirituality. The whole spiritual life of the Catholic Church is built on obedience or disobedience to the commands of God. Our souls are saved through obedience and is lost through disobedience. 
     Saints, like Joseph and Mary, are described by their obedience to God. And the very canonization of saints is based on their knowledge and obedience to the commands of God. 
     The example of Mary during her presentation is best proof of the importance of obedience. Mary was not obliged to obey the Old Testament rule of presenting their first born in the temple because their Son was God. And yet Mary obeyed the prescription of the Old Testament and presented Christ in the temple. If Mary gave us the example by obeying a command she was not obliged to obey, how much more should we who are obliged must obey the commands of God. 
     
3. Previous Sunday Gospels showed the importance of obeying the commands of God. 
     In Capernaum, Christ taught the listeners to obey the commands 'to reform their lives.' 
     In the calling of the first apostles Andrew, Peter, James and John, Christ commanded them to leave their nets, their boats and even their father. This was leading to the command Christ gave to the young rich man to go home, sell all his belonging, give the proceeds to the poor and come follow Christ. This further leads to the first Beatitude 'to be poor in spirit.' The eight Beatitudes are eight commands of Christ that embodied the New Testament spirituality without which no one can enter heaven. 
     Mary confirms the necessity of obeying all the commands of God including those ones she, as mother of God, was not obliged to obey. And Mary showed the necessity of obeying even the hints of angels as when the angel hinted to her that Elizabeth was with child. If they obey even hints how much more should we obey outright commands. 
     The three theological virtues Faith, Hope and Charity are defined as different degrees of obediences to the commands of God. 
     If we do not obey the commands of God we would not know God nor Christ, we would not  enter the Catholic Church and we will not attain everlasting life. In short we go straight to hell. 
      
4. Pope Benedict and the commands of God.
    When Pope Benedict instituted the 'Year of the Priest,' his insistence was a return of priest to study their Moral theology; i. e the commands of God. 
     The knowledge of the Dogmas of the Catholic Church depends on one's knowledge of the commands of God. The more commands we know and obey, the more dogmas we will know and understand. The less commands we know and obey, the less dogmas will we know and understand. So knowledge of Dogmatic theology is so dependent on one's knowledge and practice of Moral theology. So when Pope Benedict instituted the 'Year of the Priest' in order to reform the Catholic priesthood, he told the priest to go back and review their Moral theology specifically.

     The first debate between Lucifer and Adam was not about the theology of the forbidden fruit; it was about the command of God whether they may eat the fruit or not. It was morals. The fall of men was in the moral order. Not in the theological order.

5. The devil and disobedience.
     The devil is the first author of disobedience. His first temptation to Adam and Eve was to disobey God's command. Lucifer knows very well that obedience saves while disobedience condemns. 
     Every act of sin is an act of disbobedience; sin is disobedience to a command of God. A penitent can know his sin only if he knows the command of God he has disobeyed. The act is a sin because it disobeyed a command of God. 
     So what does the devil do? He makes the whole world ignorant of the commands of God. By doing so the whole world becomes completely ignorant of sin. Ignorant of sin, redemption is no longer needed; and a savior is no longer  needed. And that is what the devil had done today.
     And the devil's most effective preacher  is Pope Francis.
     Recently, Pope Francis mentioned that those who are 'over focus on following the commandments of God' are cowards. Typical of Pope Francis, he utters a dogmatic statement without saying where he got it and wants the whole world to accept it unquestioningly and under threat of suspension. 
     Where did he get that? From his own private judgment. And immediately  marked them as 'cowards.' How does he define 'cowards?' He gave no definition and expects everyone to call those obedient to God's commands as cowards. I think it should be the opposite. Those who are obedient as the heroes; and the disobedient are the cowards. This is obvious we do not have to go into further discussions. The rest of his speech is a jargon of loose words that explains nothing. His point is clear; those who are accusing him of disobeying the commands of Christ and, therefore, are saying that he is not a Christian nor a Catholic is wrong. 
    Pope Francis is someone nobody should present in the temple as an offering because Simeon will just have him kicked out. Why? Since the beginning of his Papacy he has never taught any commandment of Christ. Isn't teaching those commands the very essence of evangelization as described in the last Chapter of Matthew? Three years and he had not evangelized even for a minute. 
     Now, he is under a 'dubia.' His teachings are under a cloud of doubt and a demand is made for him to explain his errors. His answer is over due. He is not answering as required.
     To make matters worse, the Americans are asking President Trump too investigate the fact that the group who had de-estabilized the whole middle east with massive regime change had not only changed its own president Kennedy but had plotted the regime change of Pope Benedict in the Catholic Church by using Cardinals, like Daneels, to organize the Galen group to push for a communist leaning candidate in Mario Bergoglio. Soros, Clinton and Obama are under suspicion as revealed in Wikileaks. The regime change was initiated by the Banker Mafia rulling the US that  supported  communist leaning candidate like Hilary, 
with an attack at the Vatican Bank that ceased at the resignation of Pope Benedict. Donald Trump should know what happened at the conclave because it has happened to him before his election and continues up to this very present moment. 
     Will we present a leftist communist bent on destroying the Catholic Church which Catholics all over the world are beginning to recognize, as an offering in the temple? Imagine the reactions from Simeon and Anna. These two oldies can do a good job; anyway they are of the same age with Bergoglio.