1. The two comings of Christ.
The Liturgy celebrates the two comings of Christ; the first coming is on Christmas day, when God became man born of the Virgin Mary. He came to dispense His mercy. The second coming is celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King when He will come with justice.
In the first coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepares us for our particular judgment when we die. In the second coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepare us for the General Judgment that will occur at the end of the world.
The way to prepare for the two comings of Christ is different. We prepare ourselves for the first coming of Christ by a life of repentance as taught by St. John the Baptist and perfected by Christ. The shepherds, the Magi, Simeon and Anna were preparing for the first coming of Christ through a life of prayer, fasting and good works, i.e. repentance, thus they recognised the Divinity of Christ at His first coming. The Pharisees were not living a life of repentance, though they were waiting for the Messiah, they were not able to see the Divinity of Christ.
We prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ by a life of Faith, Hope and Charity as taught by Christ in the New Testament. The monastic movement was precisely a preparation for both the first and second coming of Christ. But as Christ said; there will be a waxing of Charity during these days, nobody and absolutely nobody seems to see the coming of the Parousia. They won't see because they are not prepared for it. Today people live in denial of this event that is slowly unfolding before us. Without Charity it is impossible to see the second coming of Christ.
2. The Liturgy is a reminder.
So the Liturgy reminds us if we have minds to understand that the Gospels are meant to describe the Catholic Church as an entity that is prepared for the second coming of Christ. Whoever is not prepared is outside the Church.
One is inside the Church with the virtue of Faith; and more inside the Church with the virtue of Charity. Ecclesiology states that Faith enables us to be united to the physical body of the Church; while Charity enables us to be united to the soul of the Church. The Liturgy tells us where is the Church is and if we are inside the Church.
The Holy Family fleeing Bethlehem to go to Egypt is a figure of the Catholic Church. Joseph, Mary and Jesus makes up the Catholic Church. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote that Jesus is the Word of God, Mary is the figure of the Church with the Word of God within or with her. And Joseph is the figure of the Fathers of the Church that protects the correct interpretation of the Word of God; thus Joseph was the protector of the child Jesus.
3. Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem is a figure of the Church in Rome. Their leaving Bethlehem to flee to Egypt is the figure of the Vatican church as persecuting real Catholics thus the need to flee away from Rome and go somewhere else. This somewhere else is the figure of God giving the vineyard to others because of the infidelity of the workers in the vineyard, the bishops. It is , also, the figure of Peter leaving the boat in the middle of the storm to go to Christ for help.
There is a returning. Eventually the Holy Family is told to return. Christ will, again, return to save the Jewish people. The presence of Christ which is nowhere in the Church today will return.
Just as St. Joseph is the protector of the Mother and Child Jesus, the Fathers of the Church are the protectors of the correct interpretation of the Words of God. Right now, this protection is nowhere. The only interpretation the world is getting is from an Argentinian communist leaning Francis who evidently is no Joseph. The Catholic Church today is not identical to the Catholic Church described in the Liturgy of Christmas season. The Church is probably not in the Vatican; but instead amongst the Copts in Egypt.
Monday, January 01, 2018
The TWO COMINGS OF CHRIST.
1. The two comings of Christ.
The Liturgy celebrates the two comings of Christ; the first coming is on Christmas day, when God became man born of the Virgin Mary. He came to dispense His mercy. The second coming is celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King when He will come with justice.
In the first coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepares us for our particular judgment when we die. In the second coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepare us for the General Judgment that will occur at the end of the world.
The way to prepare for the two comings of Christ is different. We prepare ourselves for the first coming of Christ by a life of repentance as taught by St. John the Baptist and perfected by Christ. The shepherds, the Magi, Simeon and Anna were preparing for the first coming of Christ through a life of prayer, fasting and good works, i.e. repentance, thus they recognised the Divinity of Christ at His first coming. The Pharisees were not living a life of repentance, though they were waiting for the Messiah, they were not able to see the Divinity of Christ.
We prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ by a life of Faith, Hope and Charity as taught by Christ in the New Testament. The monastic movement was precisely a preparation for both the first and second coming of Christ. But as Christ said; there will be a waxing of Charity during these days, nobody and absolutely nobody seems to see the coming of the Parousia. They won't see because they are not prepared for it. Today people live in denial of this event that is slowly unfolding before us. Without Charity it is impossible to see the second coming of Christ.
2. The Liturgy is a reminder.
So the Liturgy reminds us if we have minds to understand that the Gospels are meant to describe the Catholic Church as an entity that is prepared for the second coming of Christ. Whoever is not prepared is outside the Church.
One is inside the Church with the virtue of Faith; and more inside the Church with the virtue of Charity. Ecclesiology states that Faith enables us to be united to the physical body of the Church; while Charity enables us to be united to the soul of the Church. The Liturgy tells us where is the Church is and if we are inside the Church.
The Holy Family fleeing Bethlehem to go to Egypt is a figure of the Catholic Church. Joseph, Mary and Jesus makes up the Catholic Church. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote that Jesus is the Word of God, Mary is the figure of the Church with the Word of God within or with her. And Joseph is the figure of the Fathers of the Church that protects the correct interpretation of the Word of God; thus Joseph was the protector of the child Jesus.
3. Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem is a figure of the Church in Rome. Their leaving Bethlehem to flee to Egypt is the figure of the Vatican church as persecuting real Catholics thus the need to flee away from Rome and go somewhere else. This somewhere else is the figure of God giving the vineyard to others because of the infidelity of the workers in the vineyard, the bishops. It is , also, the figure of Peter leaving the boat in the middle of the storm to go to Christ for help.
There is a returning. Eventually the Holy Family is told to return. Christ will, again, return to save the Jewish people. The presence of Christ which is nowhere in the Church today will return.
Just as St. Joseph is the protector of the Mother and Child Jesus, the Fathers of the Church are the protectors of the correct interpretation of the Words of God. Right now, this protection is nowhere. The only interpretation the world is getting is from an Argentinian communist leaning Francis who evidently is no Joseph. The Catholic Church today is not identical to the Catholic Church described in the Liturgy of Christmas season. The Church is probably not in the Vatican; but instead amongst the Copts in Egypt.
The Liturgy celebrates the two comings of Christ; the first coming is on Christmas day, when God became man born of the Virgin Mary. He came to dispense His mercy. The second coming is celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King when He will come with justice.
In the first coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepares us for our particular judgment when we die. In the second coming of Christ, the Liturgy prepare us for the General Judgment that will occur at the end of the world.
The way to prepare for the two comings of Christ is different. We prepare ourselves for the first coming of Christ by a life of repentance as taught by St. John the Baptist and perfected by Christ. The shepherds, the Magi, Simeon and Anna were preparing for the first coming of Christ through a life of prayer, fasting and good works, i.e. repentance, thus they recognised the Divinity of Christ at His first coming. The Pharisees were not living a life of repentance, though they were waiting for the Messiah, they were not able to see the Divinity of Christ.
We prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ by a life of Faith, Hope and Charity as taught by Christ in the New Testament. The monastic movement was precisely a preparation for both the first and second coming of Christ. But as Christ said; there will be a waxing of Charity during these days, nobody and absolutely nobody seems to see the coming of the Parousia. They won't see because they are not prepared for it. Today people live in denial of this event that is slowly unfolding before us. Without Charity it is impossible to see the second coming of Christ.
2. The Liturgy is a reminder.
So the Liturgy reminds us if we have minds to understand that the Gospels are meant to describe the Catholic Church as an entity that is prepared for the second coming of Christ. Whoever is not prepared is outside the Church.
One is inside the Church with the virtue of Faith; and more inside the Church with the virtue of Charity. Ecclesiology states that Faith enables us to be united to the physical body of the Church; while Charity enables us to be united to the soul of the Church. The Liturgy tells us where is the Church is and if we are inside the Church.
The Holy Family fleeing Bethlehem to go to Egypt is a figure of the Catholic Church. Joseph, Mary and Jesus makes up the Catholic Church. St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote that Jesus is the Word of God, Mary is the figure of the Church with the Word of God within or with her. And Joseph is the figure of the Fathers of the Church that protects the correct interpretation of the Word of God; thus Joseph was the protector of the child Jesus.
3. Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem is a figure of the Church in Rome. Their leaving Bethlehem to flee to Egypt is the figure of the Vatican church as persecuting real Catholics thus the need to flee away from Rome and go somewhere else. This somewhere else is the figure of God giving the vineyard to others because of the infidelity of the workers in the vineyard, the bishops. It is , also, the figure of Peter leaving the boat in the middle of the storm to go to Christ for help.
There is a returning. Eventually the Holy Family is told to return. Christ will, again, return to save the Jewish people. The presence of Christ which is nowhere in the Church today will return.
Just as St. Joseph is the protector of the Mother and Child Jesus, the Fathers of the Church are the protectors of the correct interpretation of the Words of God. Right now, this protection is nowhere. The only interpretation the world is getting is from an Argentinian communist leaning Francis who evidently is no Joseph. The Catholic Church today is not identical to the Catholic Church described in the Liturgy of Christmas season. The Church is probably not in the Vatican; but instead amongst the Copts in Egypt.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
The CATHOLIC CHURCH on Christmas Day.
1. History and theology.
When God teaches a doctrine He, usually, coincides it with historical events so men will easily understand the mystical meaning of His gestures.
The Gospel of Christmas describes Joseph and Mary leaving Nazareth to enrol in Bethlehem under the orders of the Roman Emperor. That was a time when the known world was at peace because of the Pax Romana. Scriptures described that time as the 'fulness of time.' That was about 12 years of relative peace.
God so meant that Christ be born in peaceful times because the religion He was establishing was the only true religion of peace. A peace the world cannot give; only God can give it and He gives it to those with Faith.
The more important message of Christmas has something to do with the orders of the Emperor for all people to return to their place of origin and enrol in a census, the first of its kind. The mystical meaning of this historical event, according to St. Thomas of
Aquinas, is that God became man and came down to earth to enrol all men into His Church, by ordering them to return to their place of origin. Since all men came from God, they are commanded to return to God by entering His true Church. Thus Joseph and Mary who were at Nazareth, which was not their place of origin, had to go to Bethlehem instead.
The reason we celebrate Christmas is because we are happy that God had come down to earth to get the names of those destined to go to heaven. He came to enrol their names in the book of life. The kingdom of God had been established here on earth and that we can now enter the Church and assure the salvation of our souls. Enrolling in Bethlehem means to enter the Catholic Church. The way to enter the Church is to become like Joseph and Mary, both were obedient to the commands of God.
2. At that time, Joseph and Mary could not enrol because they were in Nazareth, which was not their place of origin. They were the descendants of King David and their place of origin was Bethlehem.
The Romans, the Pharisees and the chief priest were not able to enter the Church that night because they were in the wrong place. So if we are, also, in the wrong place, we will completely miss the spirit of Christmas; which is, to return to our places of origin and enrol there. Our place of origin is God the symbol of which is Bethlehem. The Church will be there to enrol membership. It will be nowhere else. Neither in Nazareth nor in Bethsaida.
3. Where is Bethlehem.
It is the place where the Bread of life is available; Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' It is the place where bodies are fed with the bread of life and the bread for the soul. It is the place where mystically, people learn and obey the commands of God the Father as enumerated in the Old Testament and the command of Christ as enumerated in the new Testament.
Obedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament is the preparation for the First coming of Christ, Christmas Day. And obedience to the commands of God in the New Testament is the preparation for the Second coming of Christ, on the Feast of Christ the King. The Catholic Church must look according to the way she is preparing her Faithful. The life of repentance is the preparation for the first coming of Christ; the life of Faith, Hope and Charity is the preparation for the second coming of Christ. The picture of Joseph and Mary, the first members of the Catholic Church, going to Bethlehem where Christ was born, is the symbol of the Catholic Church preparing for both the first and second coming of Christ.
4. How do we go to Bethlehem?
Mystically, by obeying all the commandments of God. Joseph had just obey God's command to take Mary as his wife; and Mary has just accepted to become the Mother of God. Both acted according to God's commands. And now, both had just obeyed God's command to go to Bethlehem according to God's command given through an emperor.
There were people in Bethlehem, like Roman officials and Pharisees who were in Bethlehem but who did not enrol. Thus God came to earth to establish a booth and enrol souls; but souls are in the booth but have not enrolled. This is the state of the Catholic Church today. She is in Bethlehem but have not enrolled. They have not obeyed the commands of God. Pope Francis' famed 'Amores laetitia,' is an outright disobedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament. Pope Francis have not yet even entered into the New Testament because he has not yet obeyed the Old Testament. His 'Amores laetitia' is a very clear example. Add to this his countless disobediences to the other commands of God in the Old Testament that makes him completely unable to obey any of the commands of Christ in the New Testament.
His inability to obey the New Testament command of Christ because of his obvious disobediences to the commands of God in the Old Testament shows that he is not even a Jew; more so he is not a Catholic.
Pope Francis not being a Catholic is clearly shown in the Vatican Nativity scene. It is neither Catholic. It is gay. The Vatican Church is definitely not in Bethlehem. It is in gay Italy. And they are surely not enrolled
5. The obedient.
The shepherds were obedient to the angel. The magi were obedient to the star. Joseph and Mary were obedient. That is the Catholic Church portrayed on Christmas day; and the reason for our rejoicing. The Man-God had come to enrol us into His religion. Have we been enrolled? The shepherds, the Magi, Joseph and Mary were enrolled. Herod, the Pharisees and the entire of Bethlehem were not. Most Catholics are not enrolled. The Vatican Church and Pope Francis together with Madariaga, Kasper, Schonborn, Marx, Cupich are not, shown by their disobediences to the commands of God. The most important question this Christmas is; Am I? This is the Christmas question.
When God teaches a doctrine He, usually, coincides it with historical events so men will easily understand the mystical meaning of His gestures.
The Gospel of Christmas describes Joseph and Mary leaving Nazareth to enrol in Bethlehem under the orders of the Roman Emperor. That was a time when the known world was at peace because of the Pax Romana. Scriptures described that time as the 'fulness of time.' That was about 12 years of relative peace.
God so meant that Christ be born in peaceful times because the religion He was establishing was the only true religion of peace. A peace the world cannot give; only God can give it and He gives it to those with Faith.
The more important message of Christmas has something to do with the orders of the Emperor for all people to return to their place of origin and enrol in a census, the first of its kind. The mystical meaning of this historical event, according to St. Thomas of
Aquinas, is that God became man and came down to earth to enrol all men into His Church, by ordering them to return to their place of origin. Since all men came from God, they are commanded to return to God by entering His true Church. Thus Joseph and Mary who were at Nazareth, which was not their place of origin, had to go to Bethlehem instead.
The reason we celebrate Christmas is because we are happy that God had come down to earth to get the names of those destined to go to heaven. He came to enrol their names in the book of life. The kingdom of God had been established here on earth and that we can now enter the Church and assure the salvation of our souls. Enrolling in Bethlehem means to enter the Catholic Church. The way to enter the Church is to become like Joseph and Mary, both were obedient to the commands of God.
2. At that time, Joseph and Mary could not enrol because they were in Nazareth, which was not their place of origin. They were the descendants of King David and their place of origin was Bethlehem.
The Romans, the Pharisees and the chief priest were not able to enter the Church that night because they were in the wrong place. So if we are, also, in the wrong place, we will completely miss the spirit of Christmas; which is, to return to our places of origin and enrol there. Our place of origin is God the symbol of which is Bethlehem. The Church will be there to enrol membership. It will be nowhere else. Neither in Nazareth nor in Bethsaida.
3. Where is Bethlehem.
It is the place where the Bread of life is available; Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' It is the place where bodies are fed with the bread of life and the bread for the soul. It is the place where mystically, people learn and obey the commands of God the Father as enumerated in the Old Testament and the command of Christ as enumerated in the new Testament.
Obedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament is the preparation for the First coming of Christ, Christmas Day. And obedience to the commands of God in the New Testament is the preparation for the Second coming of Christ, on the Feast of Christ the King. The Catholic Church must look according to the way she is preparing her Faithful. The life of repentance is the preparation for the first coming of Christ; the life of Faith, Hope and Charity is the preparation for the second coming of Christ. The picture of Joseph and Mary, the first members of the Catholic Church, going to Bethlehem where Christ was born, is the symbol of the Catholic Church preparing for both the first and second coming of Christ.
4. How do we go to Bethlehem?
Mystically, by obeying all the commandments of God. Joseph had just obey God's command to take Mary as his wife; and Mary has just accepted to become the Mother of God. Both acted according to God's commands. And now, both had just obeyed God's command to go to Bethlehem according to God's command given through an emperor.
There were people in Bethlehem, like Roman officials and Pharisees who were in Bethlehem but who did not enrol. Thus God came to earth to establish a booth and enrol souls; but souls are in the booth but have not enrolled. This is the state of the Catholic Church today. She is in Bethlehem but have not enrolled. They have not obeyed the commands of God. Pope Francis' famed 'Amores laetitia,' is an outright disobedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament. Pope Francis have not yet even entered into the New Testament because he has not yet obeyed the Old Testament. His 'Amores laetitia' is a very clear example. Add to this his countless disobediences to the other commands of God in the Old Testament that makes him completely unable to obey any of the commands of Christ in the New Testament.
His inability to obey the New Testament command of Christ because of his obvious disobediences to the commands of God in the Old Testament shows that he is not even a Jew; more so he is not a Catholic.
Pope Francis not being a Catholic is clearly shown in the Vatican Nativity scene. It is neither Catholic. It is gay. The Vatican Church is definitely not in Bethlehem. It is in gay Italy. And they are surely not enrolled
5. The obedient.
The shepherds were obedient to the angel. The magi were obedient to the star. Joseph and Mary were obedient. That is the Catholic Church portrayed on Christmas day; and the reason for our rejoicing. The Man-God had come to enrol us into His religion. Have we been enrolled? The shepherds, the Magi, Joseph and Mary were enrolled. Herod, the Pharisees and the entire of Bethlehem were not. Most Catholics are not enrolled. The Vatican Church and Pope Francis together with Madariaga, Kasper, Schonborn, Marx, Cupich are not, shown by their disobediences to the commands of God. The most important question this Christmas is; Am I? This is the Christmas question.
The CATHOLIC CHURCH on Christmas Day.
1. History and theology.
When God teaches a doctrine He, usually, coincides it with historical events so men will easily understand the mystical meaning of His gestures.
The Gospel of Christmas describes Joseph and Mary leaving Nazareth to enrol in Bethlehem under the orders of the Roman Emperor. That was a time when the known world was at peace because of the Pax Romana. Scriptures described that time as the 'fulness of time.' That was about 12 years of relative peace.
God so meant that Christ be born in peaceful times because the religion He was establishing was the only true religion of peace. A peace the world cannot give; only God can give it and He gives it to those with Faith.
The more important message of Christmas has something to do with the orders of the Emperor for all people to return to their place of origin and enrol in a census, the first of its kind. The mystical meaning of this historical event, according to St. Thomas of
Aquinas, is that God became man and came down to earth to enrol all men into His Church, by ordering them to return to their place of origin. Since all men came from God, they are commanded to return to God by entering His true Church. Thus Joseph and Mary who were at Nazareth, which was not their place of origin, had to go to Bethlehem instead.
The reason we celebrate Christmas is because we are happy that God had come down to earth to get the names of those destined to go to heaven. He came to enrol their names in the book of life. The kingdom of God had been established here on earth and that we can now enter the Church and assure the salvation of our souls. Enrolling in Bethlehem means to enter the Catholic Church. The way to enter the Church is to become like Joseph and Mary, both were obedient to the commands of God.
2. At that time, Joseph and Mary could not enrol because they were in Nazareth, which was not their place of origin. They were the descendants of King David and their place of origin was Bethlehem.
The Romans, the Pharisees and the chief priest were not able to enter the Church that night because they were in the wrong place. So if we are, also, in the wrong place, we will completely miss the spirit of Christmas; which is, to return to our places of origin and enrol there. Our place of origin is God the symbol of which is Bethlehem. The Church will be there to enrol membership. It will be nowhere else. Neither in Nazareth nor in Bethsaida.
3. Where is Bethlehem.
It is the place where the Bread of life is available; Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' It is the place where bodies are fed with the bread of life and the bread for the soul. It is the place where mystically, people learn and obey the commands of God the Father as enumerated in the Old Testament and the command of Christ as enumerated in the new Testament.
Obedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament is the preparation for the First coming of Christ, Christmas Day. And obedience to the commands of God in the New Testament is the preparation for the Second coming of Christ, on the Feast of Christ the King. The Catholic Church must look according to the way she is preparing her Faithful. The life of repentance is the preparation for the first coming of Christ; the life of Faith, Hope and Charity is the preparation for the second coming of Christ. The picture of Joseph and Mary, the first members of the Catholic Church, going to Bethlehem where Christ was born, is the symbol of the Catholic Church preparing for both the first and second coming of Christ.
4. How do we go to Bethlehem?
Mystically, by obeying all the commandments of God. Joseph had just obey God's command to take Mary as his wife; and Mary has just accepted to become the Mother of God. Both acted according to God's commands. And now, both had just obeyed God's command to go to Bethlehem according to God's command given through an emperor.
There were people in Bethlehem, like Roman officials and Pharisees who were in Bethlehem but who did not enrol. Thus God came to earth to establish a booth and enrol souls; but souls are in the booth but have not enrolled. This is the state of the Catholic Church today. She is in Bethlehem but have not enrolled. They have not obeyed the commands of God. Pope Francis' famed 'Amores laetitia,' is an outright disobedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament. Pope Francis have not yet even entered into the New Testament because he has not yet obeyed the Old Testament. His 'Amores laetitia' is a very clear example. Add to this his countless disobediences to the other commands of God in the Old Testament that makes him completely unable to obey any of the commands of Christ in the New Testament.
His inability to obey the New Testament command of Christ because of his obvious disobediences to the commands of God in the Old Testament shows that he is not even a Jew; more so he is not a Catholic.
Pope Francis not being a Catholic is clearly shown in the Vatican Nativity scene. It is neither Catholic. It is gay. The Vatican Church is definitely not in Bethlehem. It is in gay Italy. And they are surely not enrolled
5. The obedient.
The shepherds were obedient to the angel. The magi were obedient to the star. Joseph and Mary were obedient. That is the Catholic Church portrayed on Christmas day; and the reason for our rejoicing. The Man-God had come to enrol us into His religion. Have we been enrolled? The shepherds, the Magi, Joseph and Mary were enrolled. Herod, the Pharisees and the entire of Bethlehem were not. Most Catholics are not enrolled. The Vatican Church and Pope Francis together with Madariaga, Kasper, Schonborn, Marx, Cupich are not, shown by their disobediences to the commands of God. The most important question this Christmas is; Am I? This is the Christmas question.
When God teaches a doctrine He, usually, coincides it with historical events so men will easily understand the mystical meaning of His gestures.
The Gospel of Christmas describes Joseph and Mary leaving Nazareth to enrol in Bethlehem under the orders of the Roman Emperor. That was a time when the known world was at peace because of the Pax Romana. Scriptures described that time as the 'fulness of time.' That was about 12 years of relative peace.
God so meant that Christ be born in peaceful times because the religion He was establishing was the only true religion of peace. A peace the world cannot give; only God can give it and He gives it to those with Faith.
The more important message of Christmas has something to do with the orders of the Emperor for all people to return to their place of origin and enrol in a census, the first of its kind. The mystical meaning of this historical event, according to St. Thomas of
Aquinas, is that God became man and came down to earth to enrol all men into His Church, by ordering them to return to their place of origin. Since all men came from God, they are commanded to return to God by entering His true Church. Thus Joseph and Mary who were at Nazareth, which was not their place of origin, had to go to Bethlehem instead.
The reason we celebrate Christmas is because we are happy that God had come down to earth to get the names of those destined to go to heaven. He came to enrol their names in the book of life. The kingdom of God had been established here on earth and that we can now enter the Church and assure the salvation of our souls. Enrolling in Bethlehem means to enter the Catholic Church. The way to enter the Church is to become like Joseph and Mary, both were obedient to the commands of God.
2. At that time, Joseph and Mary could not enrol because they were in Nazareth, which was not their place of origin. They were the descendants of King David and their place of origin was Bethlehem.
The Romans, the Pharisees and the chief priest were not able to enter the Church that night because they were in the wrong place. So if we are, also, in the wrong place, we will completely miss the spirit of Christmas; which is, to return to our places of origin and enrol there. Our place of origin is God the symbol of which is Bethlehem. The Church will be there to enrol membership. It will be nowhere else. Neither in Nazareth nor in Bethsaida.
3. Where is Bethlehem.
It is the place where the Bread of life is available; Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' It is the place where bodies are fed with the bread of life and the bread for the soul. It is the place where mystically, people learn and obey the commands of God the Father as enumerated in the Old Testament and the command of Christ as enumerated in the new Testament.
Obedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament is the preparation for the First coming of Christ, Christmas Day. And obedience to the commands of God in the New Testament is the preparation for the Second coming of Christ, on the Feast of Christ the King. The Catholic Church must look according to the way she is preparing her Faithful. The life of repentance is the preparation for the first coming of Christ; the life of Faith, Hope and Charity is the preparation for the second coming of Christ. The picture of Joseph and Mary, the first members of the Catholic Church, going to Bethlehem where Christ was born, is the symbol of the Catholic Church preparing for both the first and second coming of Christ.
4. How do we go to Bethlehem?
Mystically, by obeying all the commandments of God. Joseph had just obey God's command to take Mary as his wife; and Mary has just accepted to become the Mother of God. Both acted according to God's commands. And now, both had just obeyed God's command to go to Bethlehem according to God's command given through an emperor.
There were people in Bethlehem, like Roman officials and Pharisees who were in Bethlehem but who did not enrol. Thus God came to earth to establish a booth and enrol souls; but souls are in the booth but have not enrolled. This is the state of the Catholic Church today. She is in Bethlehem but have not enrolled. They have not obeyed the commands of God. Pope Francis' famed 'Amores laetitia,' is an outright disobedience to the commands of God in the Old Testament. Pope Francis have not yet even entered into the New Testament because he has not yet obeyed the Old Testament. His 'Amores laetitia' is a very clear example. Add to this his countless disobediences to the other commands of God in the Old Testament that makes him completely unable to obey any of the commands of Christ in the New Testament.
His inability to obey the New Testament command of Christ because of his obvious disobediences to the commands of God in the Old Testament shows that he is not even a Jew; more so he is not a Catholic.
Pope Francis not being a Catholic is clearly shown in the Vatican Nativity scene. It is neither Catholic. It is gay. The Vatican Church is definitely not in Bethlehem. It is in gay Italy. And they are surely not enrolled
5. The obedient.
The shepherds were obedient to the angel. The magi were obedient to the star. Joseph and Mary were obedient. That is the Catholic Church portrayed on Christmas day; and the reason for our rejoicing. The Man-God had come to enrol us into His religion. Have we been enrolled? The shepherds, the Magi, Joseph and Mary were enrolled. Herod, the Pharisees and the entire of Bethlehem were not. Most Catholics are not enrolled. The Vatican Church and Pope Francis together with Madariaga, Kasper, Schonborn, Marx, Cupich are not, shown by their disobediences to the commands of God. The most important question this Christmas is; Am I? This is the Christmas question.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Mary is with Child. Wednesday of the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
1. The first steps in the building of the Catholic Church.
Having seen the perfect image of the Catholic Church during the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year, let us now start from the beginning, the beginning of the Liturgical Year, to see how the Church is built.
First, we saw at the beginning of Advent how God did two things at the same time; He instituted the Church in the person of the Lamb of God and appointed a prophet in the person of John the Baptist to show where the Church is.
The messenger is personified by John the Baptist; the Church is personified by the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ in her, physically and spiritually. Ecclesiology tells us that Christ must be present in the Church physically and spiritually. Thus Christ was present in Mary. These two aspects of the Church had been presented during the first three Sundays of Advent. The 3rd Sunday of Advent adds the way the Church evangelises in the person of Mary going to Elizabeth to sanctify mother and child.
2. Evangelization.
Lets go back to the first steps again. First, the Church must exist; in Advent this is shown in Christ being conceived in Mary. Secondly, a preacher is prepared. John is prepared in the desert. Because the Church had been transferred in the desert. It was taken away from the world and transferred to the desert as narrated in the Woman, the Great Sign in the sky. Thirdly, John preaches to the world who went out into the desert to listen to him, to behold the Lamb of God, the Church. But here, the listeners are not yet inside the Church.
When the listeners looked at the Lamb of God and believe in Him, then they receive the gift of Faith wherein Christ begin to dwell in them. So the listeners become like the Virgin Mary with the presence of Christ in them. This is called the state of grace. Now, possessed by Christ, just like the Virgin Mary, the Christian who is now within the Church and in whom Christ abides, will go out to the world, just as Mary went to Elizabeth. And whoever they get in contact with are sanctified, just as Elizabeth and John were sanctified by Mary who was with child.
Mary with Christ in her is the Church. Elizabeth and John were the new converts who are within the Catholic Church. We have a complete picture of the Catholic Church. But for souls this is only the beginning wherewith souls enter the Church. But it does not mean that they are completely inside the Church. They are just by the door. There is still a lot of space inside that the soul must go to grow further in Faith, Hope and Charity.
3. The present situation.
Most Catholics do not know what it means when it is said that 'the Church is now in the desert.' St. John Chrysostom defines 'Church in the mystical desert' as the spiritual state of the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind and free will. It is not a physical place. St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas had further clarified this unique state of soul as 'purity of heart.' St. Augustine described it as the 'life of angels.' St. Thomas described it as the state of contemplative and hermitical life.
The Vatican church under Pope Francis is not in the desert. It is very much in the world concerned with migrants who rape European women and hold pizza parties in basilicas. There are no visible John the Baptists. The few that look like John are violently suppressed, whether priest or bishop. Christ cannot be found in communities. And people becoming saints, like Elizabeth and John, are unheard of.
All these signs of Advent are, definitely in the world. Otherwise the Church would cease to exist. They are in the desert but we cannot find John the Baptists to point to it. All of them had been beheaded by Herod due to the promptings of sexually perverted Salome that fills the offices of the Vatican. At the head of this destructive onslaught on the Catholic Church is Pope Francis. Not only are the Catholics admitting the existence of this state of affairs; even pagans and Protestants are noticing and mentioning it.
Meanwhile the simple enduring Catholic is asking; 'Lord, when will this end. A little more and Your Church will cease to exist.' The words of the Psalm comes to mind; 'Lord, why have You abandoned me?'
We just have to walk with Christ and experience our own calvary. But victory is at hand. We are just in Advent. Holy Week will still follow. Then Easter.
Having seen the perfect image of the Catholic Church during the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year, let us now start from the beginning, the beginning of the Liturgical Year, to see how the Church is built.
First, we saw at the beginning of Advent how God did two things at the same time; He instituted the Church in the person of the Lamb of God and appointed a prophet in the person of John the Baptist to show where the Church is.
The messenger is personified by John the Baptist; the Church is personified by the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ in her, physically and spiritually. Ecclesiology tells us that Christ must be present in the Church physically and spiritually. Thus Christ was present in Mary. These two aspects of the Church had been presented during the first three Sundays of Advent. The 3rd Sunday of Advent adds the way the Church evangelises in the person of Mary going to Elizabeth to sanctify mother and child.
2. Evangelization.
Lets go back to the first steps again. First, the Church must exist; in Advent this is shown in Christ being conceived in Mary. Secondly, a preacher is prepared. John is prepared in the desert. Because the Church had been transferred in the desert. It was taken away from the world and transferred to the desert as narrated in the Woman, the Great Sign in the sky. Thirdly, John preaches to the world who went out into the desert to listen to him, to behold the Lamb of God, the Church. But here, the listeners are not yet inside the Church.
When the listeners looked at the Lamb of God and believe in Him, then they receive the gift of Faith wherein Christ begin to dwell in them. So the listeners become like the Virgin Mary with the presence of Christ in them. This is called the state of grace. Now, possessed by Christ, just like the Virgin Mary, the Christian who is now within the Church and in whom Christ abides, will go out to the world, just as Mary went to Elizabeth. And whoever they get in contact with are sanctified, just as Elizabeth and John were sanctified by Mary who was with child.
Mary with Christ in her is the Church. Elizabeth and John were the new converts who are within the Catholic Church. We have a complete picture of the Catholic Church. But for souls this is only the beginning wherewith souls enter the Church. But it does not mean that they are completely inside the Church. They are just by the door. There is still a lot of space inside that the soul must go to grow further in Faith, Hope and Charity.
3. The present situation.
Most Catholics do not know what it means when it is said that 'the Church is now in the desert.' St. John Chrysostom defines 'Church in the mystical desert' as the spiritual state of the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind and free will. It is not a physical place. St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas had further clarified this unique state of soul as 'purity of heart.' St. Augustine described it as the 'life of angels.' St. Thomas described it as the state of contemplative and hermitical life.
The Vatican church under Pope Francis is not in the desert. It is very much in the world concerned with migrants who rape European women and hold pizza parties in basilicas. There are no visible John the Baptists. The few that look like John are violently suppressed, whether priest or bishop. Christ cannot be found in communities. And people becoming saints, like Elizabeth and John, are unheard of.
All these signs of Advent are, definitely in the world. Otherwise the Church would cease to exist. They are in the desert but we cannot find John the Baptists to point to it. All of them had been beheaded by Herod due to the promptings of sexually perverted Salome that fills the offices of the Vatican. At the head of this destructive onslaught on the Catholic Church is Pope Francis. Not only are the Catholics admitting the existence of this state of affairs; even pagans and Protestants are noticing and mentioning it.
Meanwhile the simple enduring Catholic is asking; 'Lord, when will this end. A little more and Your Church will cease to exist.' The words of the Psalm comes to mind; 'Lord, why have You abandoned me?'
We just have to walk with Christ and experience our own calvary. But victory is at hand. We are just in Advent. Holy Week will still follow. Then Easter.
Mary is with Child. Wednesday of the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
1. The first steps in the building of the Catholic Church.
Having seen the perfect image of the Catholic Church during the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year, let us now start from the beginning, the beginning of the Liturgical Year, to see how the Church is built.
First, we saw at the beginning of Advent how God did two things at the same time; He instituted the Church in the person of the Lamb of God and appointed a prophet in the person of John the Baptist to show where the Church is.
The messenger is personified by John the Baptist; the Church is personified by the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ in her, physically and spiritually. Ecclesiology tells us that Christ must be present in the Church physically and spiritually. Thus Christ was present in Mary. These two aspects of the Church had been presented during the first three Sundays of Advent. The 3rd Sunday of Advent adds the way the Church evangelises in the person of Mary going to Elizabeth to sanctify mother and child.
2. Evangelization.
Lets go back to the first steps again. First, the Church must exist; in Advent this is shown in Christ being conceived in Mary. Secondly, a preacher is prepared. John is prepared in the desert. Because the Church had been transferred in the desert. It was taken away from the world and transferred to the desert as narrated in the Woman, the Great Sign in the sky. Thirdly, John preaches to the world who went out into the desert to listen to him, to behold the Lamb of God, the Church. But here, the listeners are not yet inside the Church.
When the listeners looked at the Lamb of God and believe in Him, then they receive the gift of Faith wherein Christ begin to dwell in them. So the listeners become like the Virgin Mary with the presence of Christ in them. This is called the state of grace. Now, possessed by Christ, just like the Virgin Mary, the Christian who is now within the Church and in whom Christ abides, will go out to the world, just as Mary went to Elizabeth. And whoever they get in contact with are sanctified, just as Elizabeth and John were sanctified by Mary who was with child.
Mary with Christ in her is the Church. Elizabeth and John were the new converts who are within the Catholic Church. We have a complete picture of the Catholic Church. But for souls this is only the beginning wherewith souls enter the Church. But it does not mean that they are completely inside the Church. They are just by the door. There is still a lot of space inside that the soul must go to grow further in Faith, Hope and Charity.
3. The present situation.
Most Catholics do not know what it means when it is said that 'the Church is now in the desert.' St. John Chrysostom defines 'Church in the mystical desert' as the spiritual state of the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind and free will. It is not a physical place. St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas had further clarified this unique state of soul as 'purity of heart.' St. Augustine described it as the 'life of angels.' St. Thomas described it as the state of contemplative and hermitical life.
The Vatican church under Pope Francis is not in the desert. It is very much in the world concerned with migrants who rape European women and hold pizza parties in basilicas. There are no visible John the Baptists. The few that look like John are violently suppressed, whether priest or bishop. Christ cannot be found in communities. And people becoming saints, like Elizabeth and John, are unheard of.
All these signs of Advent are, definitely in the world. Otherwise the Church would cease to exist. They are in the desert but we cannot find John the Baptists to point to it. All of them had been beheaded by Herod due to the promptings of sexually perverted Salome that fills the offices of the Vatican. At the head of this destructive onslaught on the Catholic Church is Pope Francis. Not only are the Catholics admitting the existence of this state of affairs; even pagans and Protestants are noticing and mentioning it.
Meanwhile the simple enduring Catholic is asking; 'Lord, when will this end. A little more and Your Church will cease to exist.' The words of the Psalm comes to mind; 'Lord, why have You abandoned me?'
We just have to walk with Christ and experience our own calvary. But victory is at hand. We are just in Advent. Holy Week will still follow. Then Easter.
Having seen the perfect image of the Catholic Church during the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the Liturgical Year, let us now start from the beginning, the beginning of the Liturgical Year, to see how the Church is built.
First, we saw at the beginning of Advent how God did two things at the same time; He instituted the Church in the person of the Lamb of God and appointed a prophet in the person of John the Baptist to show where the Church is.
The messenger is personified by John the Baptist; the Church is personified by the Blessed Virgin Mary with Christ in her, physically and spiritually. Ecclesiology tells us that Christ must be present in the Church physically and spiritually. Thus Christ was present in Mary. These two aspects of the Church had been presented during the first three Sundays of Advent. The 3rd Sunday of Advent adds the way the Church evangelises in the person of Mary going to Elizabeth to sanctify mother and child.
2. Evangelization.
Lets go back to the first steps again. First, the Church must exist; in Advent this is shown in Christ being conceived in Mary. Secondly, a preacher is prepared. John is prepared in the desert. Because the Church had been transferred in the desert. It was taken away from the world and transferred to the desert as narrated in the Woman, the Great Sign in the sky. Thirdly, John preaches to the world who went out into the desert to listen to him, to behold the Lamb of God, the Church. But here, the listeners are not yet inside the Church.
When the listeners looked at the Lamb of God and believe in Him, then they receive the gift of Faith wherein Christ begin to dwell in them. So the listeners become like the Virgin Mary with the presence of Christ in them. This is called the state of grace. Now, possessed by Christ, just like the Virgin Mary, the Christian who is now within the Church and in whom Christ abides, will go out to the world, just as Mary went to Elizabeth. And whoever they get in contact with are sanctified, just as Elizabeth and John were sanctified by Mary who was with child.
Mary with Christ in her is the Church. Elizabeth and John were the new converts who are within the Catholic Church. We have a complete picture of the Catholic Church. But for souls this is only the beginning wherewith souls enter the Church. But it does not mean that they are completely inside the Church. They are just by the door. There is still a lot of space inside that the soul must go to grow further in Faith, Hope and Charity.
3. The present situation.
Most Catholics do not know what it means when it is said that 'the Church is now in the desert.' St. John Chrysostom defines 'Church in the mystical desert' as the spiritual state of the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind and free will. It is not a physical place. St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Aquinas had further clarified this unique state of soul as 'purity of heart.' St. Augustine described it as the 'life of angels.' St. Thomas described it as the state of contemplative and hermitical life.
The Vatican church under Pope Francis is not in the desert. It is very much in the world concerned with migrants who rape European women and hold pizza parties in basilicas. There are no visible John the Baptists. The few that look like John are violently suppressed, whether priest or bishop. Christ cannot be found in communities. And people becoming saints, like Elizabeth and John, are unheard of.
All these signs of Advent are, definitely in the world. Otherwise the Church would cease to exist. They are in the desert but we cannot find John the Baptists to point to it. All of them had been beheaded by Herod due to the promptings of sexually perverted Salome that fills the offices of the Vatican. At the head of this destructive onslaught on the Catholic Church is Pope Francis. Not only are the Catholics admitting the existence of this state of affairs; even pagans and Protestants are noticing and mentioning it.
Meanwhile the simple enduring Catholic is asking; 'Lord, when will this end. A little more and Your Church will cease to exist.' The words of the Psalm comes to mind; 'Lord, why have You abandoned me?'
We just have to walk with Christ and experience our own calvary. But victory is at hand. We are just in Advent. Holy Week will still follow. Then Easter.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
BAD NEWS vs GOOD NEWS. 3rd Sunday of Advent.
1. Signs of the times.
It is said that the state of the whole Catholic Church can be seen in the state of one religious house. The spiritual state of a monastery reflects the state of the whole Catholic Church. The state of a nation reflects the state of the Catholic Church in that nation,
When a nation is corrupt, it is because the Catholic Church in that nation is corrupt. That is very certain; unless there is no Catholic Church in that nation. If there is, then it follows. Everything wrong in a nation can be blamed at the Catholic Church in that nation.
The reason is clear. The Catholic Church is supposed to be a yeast. It must leaven the whole nation. Christ said so. It cannot be otherwise. So a corrupt nation had been leaven by a bad yeast, the yeast of the Pharisees. If the Catholic Church is there, then it is the Church that is the bad yeast.
2. Every morning.
Everyday during Mass, the Liturgy teaches us three things; first, the teachings of Christ. Secondly, the state of the Church when it is in the right direction. And thirdly, the state of the Church when it is in the wrong direction. The Liturgy is our guide in our spiritual journey that informs us the state of our souls. These three are the guide lines by which we can find if we are off bounds or still in bound. So after Mass we should have a reality check on ourselves, on the Church and on the world around us. Let us look at the Liturgy of the 3rd Sunday of Advent and go on a reality check.
3.The Gospel message of the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Advent is the beginning of the Liturgical Season. So it begins by describing the beginnings of the Catholic Church and what preparations God had made.
If God will establish a Catholic Church within which souls are to be saved, even before He establish it, He must prepare the person who will point to that Church. That person must, himself, have been inside that Church and must know how to go in and out so he can teach people the direction to go. And God prepares John the Baptist.
The Pharisees had asked John the Baptist; 'who are you.? John answers 'I am a voice in the desert crying out. Make straight the way of the Lord.'
Advent describes that state when one is still outside the Church and is being invited to enter. He is not yet inside. He has to be called to enter. By whom? By someone in the desert crying out, 'make straight the way of the Lord.'
The someone is from the desert. Why in the desert? Because we saw in the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe that the Catholic Church is in the desert and not in the Vatican. The voice will come from the desert and not from the Vatican. And the first message of the voice to prepare oneself to enter the Church is;' straighten your way of life.' Make it straight according to the commands of God the Father as found in the Old Testament.
4. Teaching of Christ in today's Gospel.
Today, we need a prophet training in the desert (i.e. the contemplative and hermitical life) to come out of the desert and teach the world to go to the desert. For it is only there that they can find the 'Lamb of God,' i.e. the Mystical Body of Christ. And those who will preach this message are those who, themselves, have gone to the desert to hear John the Baptist. As long as people are in the world, like Herod and the Pharisees, they will not hear the preaching of John, the modern prophet chosen by God.
5. Is the Church in the right direction.
The Church had always had austere monastic orders living the so called "life in the desert.' St. Benedict, John Cassian, Cassiodorus, Patrick, Martin of Tour are just a few who can be described as modern days John the Baptists. But as of late, there is none. There is no one who, like John, came from living a life in the desert and have come to the world to invite people to go to the desert and look at the Lamb of God, the Catholic Church. None, as long as can be remembered.
The Popes are supposed to do that job. Pope John XXIII, in fact, referred to the fact that he took the name John because he felt he should be doing the job of St. John the Baptist Benedict XVI was doing it. But Pope Francis is not doing it; he looks more like Caiphas who had been living in the world and have never set foot in the 'mystical' desert.
After having learned the three lesson in the Liturgy, let us look at the second lesson and look at the Church in the world, today.
Today, in the News about the Catholic Church, we had 27 bad news and 7 good news. Pope Francis is not involved in the good news. But he is involved in all the bad news. 27 bad news today and probably every day does not speak well of the Catholic Church. It shows that the Catholic Church had not put into practice the teaching of Christ learned from today's Gospel.
6. Analysis.
Advent is teaching us how to prepare for the first coming of Christ; this preparation for the first coming is essential as a preparation for the second coming of Christ. To prepare ourselves for the first coming of Christ we need to live the life of repentance perfectly. This is in preparation to acquire the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity which is preparation for the second coming of Christ. Analysis of reality today shows that the Catholic Church where I belong is not in the right direction; it is not leading me to the true Catholic Church because Pope Francis is no John the Baptist. That includes millions together with my loved ones. This is clearly an impending disaster. I must either do something or abandon this floundering ship.
7. But I know.
But I know that the Catholic Church will always exist up to the end of the world. I must just check on the signs learned in the Liturgy. The preacher, like John, must come from the desert and have lived the fulness of the desert life, i.e. Faith, Hope and Charity. He just occasionally leave the desert to go to the city to invite others to go to the desert. And there he points to the Church. Like in the time of John, the only thing I have to do is go to the desert and listen to John's preaching. If I do not go there, I will not find the Church.
Then what? The next Gospel will tell us. Mary is with child.
It is said that the state of the whole Catholic Church can be seen in the state of one religious house. The spiritual state of a monastery reflects the state of the whole Catholic Church. The state of a nation reflects the state of the Catholic Church in that nation,
When a nation is corrupt, it is because the Catholic Church in that nation is corrupt. That is very certain; unless there is no Catholic Church in that nation. If there is, then it follows. Everything wrong in a nation can be blamed at the Catholic Church in that nation.
The reason is clear. The Catholic Church is supposed to be a yeast. It must leaven the whole nation. Christ said so. It cannot be otherwise. So a corrupt nation had been leaven by a bad yeast, the yeast of the Pharisees. If the Catholic Church is there, then it is the Church that is the bad yeast.
2. Every morning.
Everyday during Mass, the Liturgy teaches us three things; first, the teachings of Christ. Secondly, the state of the Church when it is in the right direction. And thirdly, the state of the Church when it is in the wrong direction. The Liturgy is our guide in our spiritual journey that informs us the state of our souls. These three are the guide lines by which we can find if we are off bounds or still in bound. So after Mass we should have a reality check on ourselves, on the Church and on the world around us. Let us look at the Liturgy of the 3rd Sunday of Advent and go on a reality check.
3.The Gospel message of the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Advent is the beginning of the Liturgical Season. So it begins by describing the beginnings of the Catholic Church and what preparations God had made.
If God will establish a Catholic Church within which souls are to be saved, even before He establish it, He must prepare the person who will point to that Church. That person must, himself, have been inside that Church and must know how to go in and out so he can teach people the direction to go. And God prepares John the Baptist.
The Pharisees had asked John the Baptist; 'who are you.? John answers 'I am a voice in the desert crying out. Make straight the way of the Lord.'
Advent describes that state when one is still outside the Church and is being invited to enter. He is not yet inside. He has to be called to enter. By whom? By someone in the desert crying out, 'make straight the way of the Lord.'
The someone is from the desert. Why in the desert? Because we saw in the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe that the Catholic Church is in the desert and not in the Vatican. The voice will come from the desert and not from the Vatican. And the first message of the voice to prepare oneself to enter the Church is;' straighten your way of life.' Make it straight according to the commands of God the Father as found in the Old Testament.
4. Teaching of Christ in today's Gospel.
Today, we need a prophet training in the desert (i.e. the contemplative and hermitical life) to come out of the desert and teach the world to go to the desert. For it is only there that they can find the 'Lamb of God,' i.e. the Mystical Body of Christ. And those who will preach this message are those who, themselves, have gone to the desert to hear John the Baptist. As long as people are in the world, like Herod and the Pharisees, they will not hear the preaching of John, the modern prophet chosen by God.
5. Is the Church in the right direction.
The Church had always had austere monastic orders living the so called "life in the desert.' St. Benedict, John Cassian, Cassiodorus, Patrick, Martin of Tour are just a few who can be described as modern days John the Baptists. But as of late, there is none. There is no one who, like John, came from living a life in the desert and have come to the world to invite people to go to the desert and look at the Lamb of God, the Catholic Church. None, as long as can be remembered.
The Popes are supposed to do that job. Pope John XXIII, in fact, referred to the fact that he took the name John because he felt he should be doing the job of St. John the Baptist Benedict XVI was doing it. But Pope Francis is not doing it; he looks more like Caiphas who had been living in the world and have never set foot in the 'mystical' desert.
After having learned the three lesson in the Liturgy, let us look at the second lesson and look at the Church in the world, today.
Today, in the News about the Catholic Church, we had 27 bad news and 7 good news. Pope Francis is not involved in the good news. But he is involved in all the bad news. 27 bad news today and probably every day does not speak well of the Catholic Church. It shows that the Catholic Church had not put into practice the teaching of Christ learned from today's Gospel.
6. Analysis.
Advent is teaching us how to prepare for the first coming of Christ; this preparation for the first coming is essential as a preparation for the second coming of Christ. To prepare ourselves for the first coming of Christ we need to live the life of repentance perfectly. This is in preparation to acquire the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity which is preparation for the second coming of Christ. Analysis of reality today shows that the Catholic Church where I belong is not in the right direction; it is not leading me to the true Catholic Church because Pope Francis is no John the Baptist. That includes millions together with my loved ones. This is clearly an impending disaster. I must either do something or abandon this floundering ship.
7. But I know.
But I know that the Catholic Church will always exist up to the end of the world. I must just check on the signs learned in the Liturgy. The preacher, like John, must come from the desert and have lived the fulness of the desert life, i.e. Faith, Hope and Charity. He just occasionally leave the desert to go to the city to invite others to go to the desert. And there he points to the Church. Like in the time of John, the only thing I have to do is go to the desert and listen to John's preaching. If I do not go there, I will not find the Church.
Then what? The next Gospel will tell us. Mary is with child.
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