1. The Liturgy.
The Liturgy is approaching the Feast of Christ the King. This Feast reminds us of the General Judgment after which God will destroy the world by fire.
Before this General Judgment, those worthy to go to heaven will meet Christ in the air. Those deserving of damnation will remain. Thus the Gospel states; 'two will be in bed, one will be taken, the other will remain.' This shows the division that will occur before the General Judgment.
The Sundays before Christ the King describes an era when God will give mankind its last great test for all to see if man will be in God's side or on the side of the devil, the world and the flesh.
2. This era is described as 'the day of great distress' described during the Feast of All Saints day. To enhance this test God will give the devil extra powers to tempt men.
Catholics are exhorted by the Liturgy to prepare for this day that he may receive a favorable judgment from God. His interest is not on the 'end times' or on the last judgment but in being prepared to be judged favourably. It is for this reason, that since the beginning of Christendom the Catholics were interested in waiting for this day described as 'the second coming of Christ.' And Catholics repeat this desire at every Mass in the 'Our Father', ' in the hope of His Second Coming.'
3. The Masses just before the Feast of Christ the King give the signs that 'this day of distress' is 'at the door.' That is how close it is. Many have the impression that no one can know the day except the Father in heaven. Really? The Son and the angels do not know tjjt time? They forgot to state that the Father shows believers, not the exact day, but when it is so close that 'it is by the door,' as the Gospel states.
4. Todays Mass gives two signs that 'the day of distress is by the 'door.' The Gospel enumerates the deluge at the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of Lot. So what are the two signs? St. Thomas of Aquinas describes the sins during the time of Noah and the sins at the time of Lot.
During the time of Noah, the people were committing all kinds of sins. As St. James wrote, when one commits a sin, he commits all sins. So the people at the time of Noah were committing all kinds of sins but the predominant sin, as St. Thomas like to say it, was violence.
During the time of Lot, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were committing, also, all kinds of sins. But their predominant sin was Sodomy.
5. Today, the most prevalent sins are violence and Sodomy. Violence. We have abortion, murders, wars, terrorism, genocide, kidnappings, euthanasia, etc. And what is the sin that is hugging the headlines at this very moment? Sodomy. The world today has become exactly like the world at the time of Noah and the time of Lot. What else are we waiting for? Well, what do we do not to fall victim to this state of affairs and be saved?
Noah built an Ark and those destined to be saved entered the Ark. What did Lot do? He took his family, leaving behind all things and left Sodom and Gomorrah and went where God directed him to go.
6. The necessity of leaving the world, 'fuga mundo.'
The first Christians had been doing it as a preparation for this day. This way of life became the monastic movement; a way of life for laymen who were seriously seeking to enter the Catholic Church.
All the more it must be lived today because we are is this 'day of great distress.' Why must we leave the world filled with the sins of violence and sodomy? To free oneself from these sins, the Saturday Gospel for the 32nd weekday in Ordinary time, states that we must pray unceasingly. It is impossible to do this in the world where violence and sodomy rule. This life of unceasing prayer is only possible in a monastic environment as practiced in the primitive way. No modern monastic order is living this way of life anymore.
One has to return to the primitive observance of monasticism. The time Noah's family stayed afloat in the Ark is a type of the monastic life. And so was the life of Lot after leaving Sodom and Gomorrah; he went to live in the mountain in a cave. Today, living in a world of violence and sodomy among the hierarchy, we need to do likewise to be able to work out the salvation of our souls.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
WEDNESDAY of the 32nd Weekday of the Year. SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
1. The Liturgy.
The Liturgy is approaching the Feast of Christ the King. This Feast reminds us of the General Judgment after which God will destroy the world by fire.
Before this General Judgment, those worthy to go to heaven will meet Christ in the air. Those deserving of damnation will remain. Thus the Gospel states; 'two will be in bed, one will be taken, the other will remain.' This shows the division that will occur before the General Judgment.
The Sundays before Christ the King describes an era when God will give mankind its last great test for all to see if man will be in God's side or on the side of the devil, the world and the flesh.
2. This era is described as 'the day of great distress' described during the Feast of All Saints day. To enhance this test God will give the devil extra powers to tempt men.
Catholics are exhorted by the Liturgy to prepare for this day that he may receive a favorable judgment from God. His interest is not on the 'end times' or on the last judgment but in being prepared to be judged favourably. It is for this reason, that since the beginning of Christendom the Catholics were interested in waiting for this day described as 'the second coming of Christ.' And Catholics repeat this desire at every Mass in the 'Our Father', ' in the hope of His Second Coming.'
3. The Masses just before the Feast of Christ the King give the signs that 'this day of distress' is 'at the door.' That is how close it is. Many have the impression that no one can know the day except the Father in heaven. Really? The Son and the angels do not know tjjt time? They forgot to state that the Father shows believers, not the exact day, but when it is so close that 'it is by the door,' as the Gospel states.
4. Todays Mass gives two signs that 'the day of distress is by the 'door.' The Gospel enumerates the deluge at the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of Lot. So what are the two signs? St. Thomas of Aquinas describes the sins during the time of Noah and the sins at the time of Lot.
During the time of Noah, the people were committing all kinds of sins. As St. James wrote, when one commits a sin, he commits all sins. So the people at the time of Noah were committing all kinds of sins but the predominant sin, as St. Thomas like to say it, was violence.
During the time of Lot, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were committing, also, all kinds of sins. But their predominant sin was Sodomy.
5. Today, the most prevalent sins are violence and Sodomy. Violence. We have abortion, murders, wars, terrorism, genocide, kidnappings, euthanasia, etc. And what is the sin that is hugging the headlines at this very moment? Sodomy. The world today has become exactly like the world at the time of Noah and the time of Lot. What else are we waiting for? Well, what do we do not to fall victim to this state of affairs and be saved?
Noah built an Ark and those destined to be saved entered the Ark. What did Lot do? He took his family, leaving behind all things and left Sodom and Gomorrah and went where God directed him to go.
6. The necessity of leaving the world, 'fuga mundo.'
The first Christians had been doing it as a preparation for this day. This way of life became the monastic movement; a way of life for laymen who were seriously seeking to enter the Catholic Church.
All the more it must be lived today because we are is this 'day of great distress.' Why must we leave the world filled with the sins of violence and sodomy? To free oneself from these sins, the Saturday Gospel for the 32nd weekday in Ordinary time, states that we must pray unceasingly. It is impossible to do this in the world where violence and sodomy rule. This life of unceasing prayer is only possible in a monastic environment as practiced in the primitive way. No modern monastic order is living this way of life anymore.
One has to return to the primitive observance of monasticism. The time Noah's family stayed afloat in the Ark is a type of the monastic life. And so was the life of Lot after leaving Sodom and Gomorrah; he went to live in the mountain in a cave. Today, living in a world of violence and sodomy among the hierarchy, we need to do likewise to be able to work out the salvation of our souls.
The Liturgy is approaching the Feast of Christ the King. This Feast reminds us of the General Judgment after which God will destroy the world by fire.
Before this General Judgment, those worthy to go to heaven will meet Christ in the air. Those deserving of damnation will remain. Thus the Gospel states; 'two will be in bed, one will be taken, the other will remain.' This shows the division that will occur before the General Judgment.
The Sundays before Christ the King describes an era when God will give mankind its last great test for all to see if man will be in God's side or on the side of the devil, the world and the flesh.
2. This era is described as 'the day of great distress' described during the Feast of All Saints day. To enhance this test God will give the devil extra powers to tempt men.
Catholics are exhorted by the Liturgy to prepare for this day that he may receive a favorable judgment from God. His interest is not on the 'end times' or on the last judgment but in being prepared to be judged favourably. It is for this reason, that since the beginning of Christendom the Catholics were interested in waiting for this day described as 'the second coming of Christ.' And Catholics repeat this desire at every Mass in the 'Our Father', ' in the hope of His Second Coming.'
3. The Masses just before the Feast of Christ the King give the signs that 'this day of distress' is 'at the door.' That is how close it is. Many have the impression that no one can know the day except the Father in heaven. Really? The Son and the angels do not know tjjt time? They forgot to state that the Father shows believers, not the exact day, but when it is so close that 'it is by the door,' as the Gospel states.
4. Todays Mass gives two signs that 'the day of distress is by the 'door.' The Gospel enumerates the deluge at the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah at the time of Lot. So what are the two signs? St. Thomas of Aquinas describes the sins during the time of Noah and the sins at the time of Lot.
During the time of Noah, the people were committing all kinds of sins. As St. James wrote, when one commits a sin, he commits all sins. So the people at the time of Noah were committing all kinds of sins but the predominant sin, as St. Thomas like to say it, was violence.
During the time of Lot, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were committing, also, all kinds of sins. But their predominant sin was Sodomy.
5. Today, the most prevalent sins are violence and Sodomy. Violence. We have abortion, murders, wars, terrorism, genocide, kidnappings, euthanasia, etc. And what is the sin that is hugging the headlines at this very moment? Sodomy. The world today has become exactly like the world at the time of Noah and the time of Lot. What else are we waiting for? Well, what do we do not to fall victim to this state of affairs and be saved?
Noah built an Ark and those destined to be saved entered the Ark. What did Lot do? He took his family, leaving behind all things and left Sodom and Gomorrah and went where God directed him to go.
6. The necessity of leaving the world, 'fuga mundo.'
The first Christians had been doing it as a preparation for this day. This way of life became the monastic movement; a way of life for laymen who were seriously seeking to enter the Catholic Church.
All the more it must be lived today because we are is this 'day of great distress.' Why must we leave the world filled with the sins of violence and sodomy? To free oneself from these sins, the Saturday Gospel for the 32nd weekday in Ordinary time, states that we must pray unceasingly. It is impossible to do this in the world where violence and sodomy rule. This life of unceasing prayer is only possible in a monastic environment as practiced in the primitive way. No modern monastic order is living this way of life anymore.
One has to return to the primitive observance of monasticism. The time Noah's family stayed afloat in the Ark is a type of the monastic life. And so was the life of Lot after leaving Sodom and Gomorrah; he went to live in the mountain in a cave. Today, living in a world of violence and sodomy among the hierarchy, we need to do likewise to be able to work out the salvation of our souls.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
CANONIZATIONS.
1. Declaring a person is in heaven.
To believe that a person is in heaven is an act of Faith. Faith is an act of believing what cannot seen. There is no empirical proof to show that a soul is in heaven. So clearly to believe that a soul is in heaven is a pure act of Faith. Thus it must follow the rules of Faith; meaning to say, that the basis of belief must be the fact that the person has obeyed the commands of Christ necessary to go to heaven. Thus a canonisation is a declaration that a soul is in heaven, can be a model for all Catholics and can intercede for men before the throne of God.
Since the process is lengthy, let us consider a down to earth procedure based on the essence of canonisation. Anybody can use this that he may be aided in making an act of Faith.
Canonisation is not a popularity contest wherein human judges can decide who is in heaven. It is not a political process used to gain votes. It is not a gimmick used to be popular. It is an act of
Faith. Making such an act increases our Faith and increases our chances of going to heaven ourselves.
2. FIRST. Going to heaven according to Christ and the Fathers.
Only One knows the way to heaven because He came from there through the incarnation and returned back there with His Ascension. And He proved it.
He came down to earth precisely to teach us how to go to heaven. And His teachings are found in Divine Revelation and interpreted by the Fathers of the Church.
These teachings are taught to the faithful in the Liturgy of the Mass spread over three years, divided in three Cycles, A, B and C. These teachings found in Divine Revelation show the general way to heaven but the specifics can only be found in the Fathers of the Church. The Catholic Church had always taught that the sources of knowledge on how to go to heaven are Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church.
The teachings on how to go to heaven is clearly found in detail in Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church. For Catholics, there is no other source of knowledge on how to go to heaven. All Catholics should know this because they cannot go to heaven unless they, themselves, follow this path. The people in the Vatican should know this, also, because they are supposed to guide the Catholics to heaven.
If the Vatican is ignorant of Divine Revelations and if the Catholics do not know this way to heaven taught in the Liturgy, then we have a very big problem. This is the first thing all Catholics should know in the process of canonisation.
3. The way to heaven in simplified and in summary form.
The way to heaven that is explained by Divine Revelation and interpreted by the Fathers can be summarised this way; perfect life of repentance, perfect act of Faith, Hope and the beginnings of Charity. Anyone who does these will surely be in heaven and can be canonised or declared a saint by the Church.
4. SECONDLY. Anybody who follow the way to heaven described above will surely be in heaven after he dies. Thus he can be declared a saint. Now the question is this; knowing the way to heaven as taught by Christ in Divine Revelation, did this candidate fulfill all the requirements Christ had taught? This can be an arduous task. It is here where a thorough study is done in the life of the candidate. It must be very clear that he had obeyed all the commands of Christ required to go to heaven as found in Divine Revelation and explained by the Fathers. To do this many witnesses are summoned to give testimonies because many requirements must be fulfilled to see that the candidate's life conformed completely to the requirements given by Christ to go to heaven. Not only must the candidate possess the above four virtues. He must show that he practiced them in a heroic degree.
5. Act of Faith based on personal knowledge.
As an individual, can I know that a candidate is surely a saint in heaven? Yes. If I know both; first, the way to go to heaven as taught by Christ and secondly, if I thoroughly know the life of the candidate. Thirdly, I should see that the two coincide. The candidate is surely in heaven and is a saint. The early Christians did it this way.
My Act of Faith will be based on that fact that the life of the candidate conforms to the teaching of Christ on how to go to heaven. So the basis of my Faith is the fact that Christ said, if you do this you will be in heaven.
My faith is not based on my personal research or study. It is based on the result of my study that taught me that Christ said that if you obey His commandments you will go to heaven; and I believed what He said. This is an act of Faith in Christ.
6. An example in the case of Pope Paul VI.
This is a difficult case because there are so many complains about him that he is described as the patron saint of apostates.
I know the way to heaven from the Sacred Liturgy and from Ascetical theology. I, also, have a few books on the life of Pope Paul VI. And I see that his life conforms to what I learned from the Liturgy and from Ascetical theology. So basing it from my own personal knowledge I believe that Pope Paul VI is a saint in heaven.
Because my belief is based on my own personal knowledge, my believing that he is a saint in heaven is not an Act of Faith. It is pure human knowledge. But if I say that my belief is based on the fact that I see that his life conforms with the teachings of Christ, then my belief that Pope Paul VI is a saint in heaven, is an Act of Faith. I can safely pray to him to intercede for me to God.
7. Act of Faith based on Vatican pronouncements.
Not everybody can do what I did above. Few know the way to heaven as found in Divine Revelation, the Fathers and Ascetical theology. Many bishops and priest do not know these. They have not learned this, either, from the Liturgy of the Mass or from the Fathers of the Church since this is not taught in the seminary nor in theological schools, like Bologna. But the Church should know this and use this as the criterion in judging whether a candidate deserves to be canonised.
Unfortunately, the Vatican Office shows it does not know the way to heaven, since they intentionally did not use this criterion in the process of canonisation. Neither had Pope Francis explained to the Church the way to heaven since his installation up to the present. Neither was this used to judge the worthiness of the candidates for canonisation.
They changed the rules for judgment the worthiness of candidates. It is no longer based on the way to heaven taught by Christ and explained by the Fathers.
And the Vatican had not studied the lives of the candidates thoroughly. So there are no documents comparing the life of the candidates to the way to heaven described by Christ. This comparative study is essential to the canonisation process. This comparative study is so exhaustive in the case of former saints, like Joan of Arc and Therese of Lisieux. None was done in all the candidates canonised by Pope Francis. So nobody can be certain in making the necessary Act of Faith in believing that those saints are in heaven. Pope Francis' declaration is just like news item saying that Mickey Mouse is in Disneyland. You don't need an Act of faith to believe that. To believe that a person is a saint in heaven needs an Act of Faith. But it is impossible to believe Pope Francis because the elements of Faith are lacking in the present Vatican process of canonisation.
So the canonisation celebration at the Vatican was not canonising anybody. It was just a political victory celebration for some candidates.
8. Model for all Catholics who want to go to heaven.
The old process mentioned above is the model for all Catholics who want to go to heaven. All they had to do was follow the way to heaven Christ taught in Divine Revelation and explained by the Fathers; and which is laid down in proper order in the Liturgy of the Mass. And the lives of the saints, like St. Therese, is presented as an example of how an ordinary young girl practiced what Christ taught. Thus she was worthy to be canonised as an example for all Catholics.
But those canonised by Pope Francis were not proven to have followed the way Christ taught. So why should we believe that they are in heaven? Some of them have even gone against the very teachings of Christ. Shouldn't they be somewhere else?
Of course, we should all celebrate when a soul is canonised. This is a declaration that they are where all of us would want to go. But are they really there? The answer is of paramount importance and we cannot leave the answer to unreliable sources. We must go back to the dependable sources, Divine Revelation and the Fathers of the Church. Which sadly, the Vatican bureaucracy is not following.
To believe that a person is in heaven is an act of Faith. Faith is an act of believing what cannot seen. There is no empirical proof to show that a soul is in heaven. So clearly to believe that a soul is in heaven is a pure act of Faith. Thus it must follow the rules of Faith; meaning to say, that the basis of belief must be the fact that the person has obeyed the commands of Christ necessary to go to heaven. Thus a canonisation is a declaration that a soul is in heaven, can be a model for all Catholics and can intercede for men before the throne of God.
Since the process is lengthy, let us consider a down to earth procedure based on the essence of canonisation. Anybody can use this that he may be aided in making an act of Faith.
Canonisation is not a popularity contest wherein human judges can decide who is in heaven. It is not a political process used to gain votes. It is not a gimmick used to be popular. It is an act of
Faith. Making such an act increases our Faith and increases our chances of going to heaven ourselves.
2. FIRST. Going to heaven according to Christ and the Fathers.
Only One knows the way to heaven because He came from there through the incarnation and returned back there with His Ascension. And He proved it.
He came down to earth precisely to teach us how to go to heaven. And His teachings are found in Divine Revelation and interpreted by the Fathers of the Church.
These teachings are taught to the faithful in the Liturgy of the Mass spread over three years, divided in three Cycles, A, B and C. These teachings found in Divine Revelation show the general way to heaven but the specifics can only be found in the Fathers of the Church. The Catholic Church had always taught that the sources of knowledge on how to go to heaven are Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church.
The teachings on how to go to heaven is clearly found in detail in Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church. For Catholics, there is no other source of knowledge on how to go to heaven. All Catholics should know this because they cannot go to heaven unless they, themselves, follow this path. The people in the Vatican should know this, also, because they are supposed to guide the Catholics to heaven.
If the Vatican is ignorant of Divine Revelations and if the Catholics do not know this way to heaven taught in the Liturgy, then we have a very big problem. This is the first thing all Catholics should know in the process of canonisation.
3. The way to heaven in simplified and in summary form.
The way to heaven that is explained by Divine Revelation and interpreted by the Fathers can be summarised this way; perfect life of repentance, perfect act of Faith, Hope and the beginnings of Charity. Anyone who does these will surely be in heaven and can be canonised or declared a saint by the Church.
4. SECONDLY. Anybody who follow the way to heaven described above will surely be in heaven after he dies. Thus he can be declared a saint. Now the question is this; knowing the way to heaven as taught by Christ in Divine Revelation, did this candidate fulfill all the requirements Christ had taught? This can be an arduous task. It is here where a thorough study is done in the life of the candidate. It must be very clear that he had obeyed all the commands of Christ required to go to heaven as found in Divine Revelation and explained by the Fathers. To do this many witnesses are summoned to give testimonies because many requirements must be fulfilled to see that the candidate's life conformed completely to the requirements given by Christ to go to heaven. Not only must the candidate possess the above four virtues. He must show that he practiced them in a heroic degree.
5. Act of Faith based on personal knowledge.
As an individual, can I know that a candidate is surely a saint in heaven? Yes. If I know both; first, the way to go to heaven as taught by Christ and secondly, if I thoroughly know the life of the candidate. Thirdly, I should see that the two coincide. The candidate is surely in heaven and is a saint. The early Christians did it this way.
My Act of Faith will be based on that fact that the life of the candidate conforms to the teaching of Christ on how to go to heaven. So the basis of my Faith is the fact that Christ said, if you do this you will be in heaven.
My faith is not based on my personal research or study. It is based on the result of my study that taught me that Christ said that if you obey His commandments you will go to heaven; and I believed what He said. This is an act of Faith in Christ.
6. An example in the case of Pope Paul VI.
This is a difficult case because there are so many complains about him that he is described as the patron saint of apostates.
I know the way to heaven from the Sacred Liturgy and from Ascetical theology. I, also, have a few books on the life of Pope Paul VI. And I see that his life conforms to what I learned from the Liturgy and from Ascetical theology. So basing it from my own personal knowledge I believe that Pope Paul VI is a saint in heaven.
Because my belief is based on my own personal knowledge, my believing that he is a saint in heaven is not an Act of Faith. It is pure human knowledge. But if I say that my belief is based on the fact that I see that his life conforms with the teachings of Christ, then my belief that Pope Paul VI is a saint in heaven, is an Act of Faith. I can safely pray to him to intercede for me to God.
7. Act of Faith based on Vatican pronouncements.
Not everybody can do what I did above. Few know the way to heaven as found in Divine Revelation, the Fathers and Ascetical theology. Many bishops and priest do not know these. They have not learned this, either, from the Liturgy of the Mass or from the Fathers of the Church since this is not taught in the seminary nor in theological schools, like Bologna. But the Church should know this and use this as the criterion in judging whether a candidate deserves to be canonised.
Unfortunately, the Vatican Office shows it does not know the way to heaven, since they intentionally did not use this criterion in the process of canonisation. Neither had Pope Francis explained to the Church the way to heaven since his installation up to the present. Neither was this used to judge the worthiness of the candidates for canonisation.
They changed the rules for judgment the worthiness of candidates. It is no longer based on the way to heaven taught by Christ and explained by the Fathers.
And the Vatican had not studied the lives of the candidates thoroughly. So there are no documents comparing the life of the candidates to the way to heaven described by Christ. This comparative study is essential to the canonisation process. This comparative study is so exhaustive in the case of former saints, like Joan of Arc and Therese of Lisieux. None was done in all the candidates canonised by Pope Francis. So nobody can be certain in making the necessary Act of Faith in believing that those saints are in heaven. Pope Francis' declaration is just like news item saying that Mickey Mouse is in Disneyland. You don't need an Act of faith to believe that. To believe that a person is a saint in heaven needs an Act of Faith. But it is impossible to believe Pope Francis because the elements of Faith are lacking in the present Vatican process of canonisation.
So the canonisation celebration at the Vatican was not canonising anybody. It was just a political victory celebration for some candidates.
8. Model for all Catholics who want to go to heaven.
The old process mentioned above is the model for all Catholics who want to go to heaven. All they had to do was follow the way to heaven Christ taught in Divine Revelation and explained by the Fathers; and which is laid down in proper order in the Liturgy of the Mass. And the lives of the saints, like St. Therese, is presented as an example of how an ordinary young girl practiced what Christ taught. Thus she was worthy to be canonised as an example for all Catholics.
But those canonised by Pope Francis were not proven to have followed the way Christ taught. So why should we believe that they are in heaven? Some of them have even gone against the very teachings of Christ. Shouldn't they be somewhere else?
Of course, we should all celebrate when a soul is canonised. This is a declaration that they are where all of us would want to go. But are they really there? The answer is of paramount importance and we cannot leave the answer to unreliable sources. We must go back to the dependable sources, Divine Revelation and the Fathers of the Church. Which sadly, the Vatican bureaucracy is not following.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
THE TARES, preachers planted by the devil. Saturday, 16th weekday.
1. The wheat and the cockles.
The previous Gospel described the two important elements of evangelisation; the good seed and the good soil, i.e. the good preacher and the good listener. And we mentioned the fact that all Synods and meetings on the 'new evangelisation' never mentions these two elements. Which makes us wonder what they are talking about. We noted the video in the internet of Filipino Cardinal Tagle, a speaker in the seminar, asking God many questions whose answers he did not seem to know because he did not answer them. The answers of which can be found in the Catechism. Which makes us wonder whether those were mere rhetorical question. But the questions had nothing to do with evangelisation. They were mere current events.
He is not to blame. Remember Pope Benedict XVI asked the Bishop's Synod during his Papacy to explain in detail the first step of the 'new evangelisation' and they did not do so. Was it due to neglect or from ignorance. The fact that those two important elements were never discussed in all meetings on evangelisation gives the suspicion that the participants were ignorant of the role of the preacher and the listener in evangelisation. No wonder no one is being evangelised.
There must be a good preacher to have good listeners. The good preacher is sent by God for the sake of the good listeners. God knows where and who they are. Thus good preachers were described as 'sent;' sent for the good listeners. The word apostles means 'sent of God.'
The previous Gospels spoke about a good preacher sowing good seeds. This is Jesus Christ and two kinds of listeners, believers, the good soil, and unbelievers, the bad soil.
Today, the Gospel speaks about a very bad preacher, the devil and his bad preachers, the cockles.
2. Background.
The devil imitates godliness. So he waits for God to act, then he imitates what God had done; his imitation is meant to confuse and destroy souls.
The devil's errors come after the truth.
His false prophets come after true prophets.
His false apostles come after true apostles.
His anti-christ comes after the Christ.
He has to see whom to imitate. His imitations are very well done. It can fool most men, even Popes, bishops and priests; and more so, laymen. Thus, the devil sends his preachers in imitation of the Holy preachers sent by God.
The devil sends bad Popes to imitate holy Popes; bad Jesuits to imitate good Jesuits, bad bishops to imitate good bishops.
The cockle and wheat look alike. So the holy preachers and the evil preachers look alike and seemingly preach the same thing. But it only seems to be the same; they are opposites, the wheat leads others to holiness, the cockle leads others to hell.
3. How to distinguish.
Christ can easily be distinguished from the devil; but not the cockle from the wheat; because when newly planted they look identical. How can we distinguish one from the other? The wheat will eventually bear good fruits, wheat. The cockle have no good fruits. So we have to know what are the good fruits according to Scriptures. St. Benedict has a whole chapter enumerating the list of good works which are the good fruits of a good seed.
The devil does not plant another kind of seed. It must be similar to the good wheat. And the devil plants his cockles after God had planted the wheat besides the good wheat within the institutional Church so it will be unrecognisable being full of cockles.
4. The devil waits when the saints are dead. He can afford to wait because he does not die.
The devil waits when the church leaders are supine or if all the original apostles and saints of the Church are dead.
So the devil tend to mix something that looks good or true with his poisonous error; so as to more easily deceive souls.
Heresies are mixed with the good.
5. When men sleep, the devil comes and sows cockles and departs.
The devil wants all men to believe that he does not exist, so he disappears. If you believe the devil does not exist, this is a sin against Faith which will make you deny all other articles of Faith. St. Augustine wrote; if you do not believe in one truth, you will not believe all truths.
6. Its about time.
Now that Christ had ascended to heaven, the holy apostles have passed away, the holy Fathers of the Church and the Holy Popes have gone to their reward. Gone, also, are the Holy Jesuits, Dominicans and Benedictines. The devil knows it is his time to act. So he sows cockles ; bad apostles, bad Popes, bad Jesuits, bad Dominicans, bad.....etc..They are all around.
Pope Francis, Cardinal Baldiseri, the Jesuit James Martin, etc..... The prophecy of the Gospel is being fulfilled. So what do we do? They look alike. We would not know who is who. So? Wait for the fruits. The wheat bear grains of wheat, good fruits. The cockles bear no fruit.
Scriptures enumerate what are the 'good' fruits. St. Benedict in his Holy Rule enumerates them in a chapter. Look for the fruits so we can know who are the cockles and who are the wheat. Be on the side of the wheat and reject the cockle. But above all, find out whether we are wheat or cockle.
The previous Gospel described the two important elements of evangelisation; the good seed and the good soil, i.e. the good preacher and the good listener. And we mentioned the fact that all Synods and meetings on the 'new evangelisation' never mentions these two elements. Which makes us wonder what they are talking about. We noted the video in the internet of Filipino Cardinal Tagle, a speaker in the seminar, asking God many questions whose answers he did not seem to know because he did not answer them. The answers of which can be found in the Catechism. Which makes us wonder whether those were mere rhetorical question. But the questions had nothing to do with evangelisation. They were mere current events.
He is not to blame. Remember Pope Benedict XVI asked the Bishop's Synod during his Papacy to explain in detail the first step of the 'new evangelisation' and they did not do so. Was it due to neglect or from ignorance. The fact that those two important elements were never discussed in all meetings on evangelisation gives the suspicion that the participants were ignorant of the role of the preacher and the listener in evangelisation. No wonder no one is being evangelised.
There must be a good preacher to have good listeners. The good preacher is sent by God for the sake of the good listeners. God knows where and who they are. Thus good preachers were described as 'sent;' sent for the good listeners. The word apostles means 'sent of God.'
The previous Gospels spoke about a good preacher sowing good seeds. This is Jesus Christ and two kinds of listeners, believers, the good soil, and unbelievers, the bad soil.
Today, the Gospel speaks about a very bad preacher, the devil and his bad preachers, the cockles.
2. Background.
The devil imitates godliness. So he waits for God to act, then he imitates what God had done; his imitation is meant to confuse and destroy souls.
The devil's errors come after the truth.
His false prophets come after true prophets.
His false apostles come after true apostles.
His anti-christ comes after the Christ.
He has to see whom to imitate. His imitations are very well done. It can fool most men, even Popes, bishops and priests; and more so, laymen. Thus, the devil sends his preachers in imitation of the Holy preachers sent by God.
The devil sends bad Popes to imitate holy Popes; bad Jesuits to imitate good Jesuits, bad bishops to imitate good bishops.
The cockle and wheat look alike. So the holy preachers and the evil preachers look alike and seemingly preach the same thing. But it only seems to be the same; they are opposites, the wheat leads others to holiness, the cockle leads others to hell.
3. How to distinguish.
Christ can easily be distinguished from the devil; but not the cockle from the wheat; because when newly planted they look identical. How can we distinguish one from the other? The wheat will eventually bear good fruits, wheat. The cockle have no good fruits. So we have to know what are the good fruits according to Scriptures. St. Benedict has a whole chapter enumerating the list of good works which are the good fruits of a good seed.
The devil does not plant another kind of seed. It must be similar to the good wheat. And the devil plants his cockles after God had planted the wheat besides the good wheat within the institutional Church so it will be unrecognisable being full of cockles.
4. The devil waits when the saints are dead. He can afford to wait because he does not die.
The devil waits when the church leaders are supine or if all the original apostles and saints of the Church are dead.
So the devil tend to mix something that looks good or true with his poisonous error; so as to more easily deceive souls.
Heresies are mixed with the good.
5. When men sleep, the devil comes and sows cockles and departs.
The devil wants all men to believe that he does not exist, so he disappears. If you believe the devil does not exist, this is a sin against Faith which will make you deny all other articles of Faith. St. Augustine wrote; if you do not believe in one truth, you will not believe all truths.
6. Its about time.
Now that Christ had ascended to heaven, the holy apostles have passed away, the holy Fathers of the Church and the Holy Popes have gone to their reward. Gone, also, are the Holy Jesuits, Dominicans and Benedictines. The devil knows it is his time to act. So he sows cockles ; bad apostles, bad Popes, bad Jesuits, bad Dominicans, bad.....etc..They are all around.
Pope Francis, Cardinal Baldiseri, the Jesuit James Martin, etc..... The prophecy of the Gospel is being fulfilled. So what do we do? They look alike. We would not know who is who. So? Wait for the fruits. The wheat bear grains of wheat, good fruits. The cockles bear no fruit.
Scriptures enumerate what are the 'good' fruits. St. Benedict in his Holy Rule enumerates them in a chapter. Look for the fruits so we can know who are the cockles and who are the wheat. Be on the side of the wheat and reject the cockle. But above all, find out whether we are wheat or cockle.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
TWO ELEMENTS OF 'NEW EVANGELIZATION.' THE SOIL AND THE SEEDS. Friday of the 16th weekday.
1. New Evangelization.
There can never be a 'new' evangelisation. There is no such thing as a 'new' way of entering the Catholic Church or a new way of saving one's soul. If ever there is a 'new' way, who made it? For sure a mere human out there to deceive souls. Only Christ can teach how to evangelise because He alone knows the way to heaven having come from there and having gone back there; aside from being the God who dwells there.
Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II, who popularise the term 'new' evangelisation made it very clear that this 'new' evangelisation is the old classical evangelisation described by Christ in the Apostolic Commission in the last chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Everybody is using the word 'new' evangelisation, like the last seminar in the Philippines. But it has, absolutely, no semblance with the 'new' evangelisation of Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II. It looks, merely, man-made. So it surely will not work.
2. A problem from the very beginning.
In the bishop's Synod of 2012, 'The new evanlization for the transmission of the Christian Faith,' Pope Benedict emphasised that they should discuss the two important elements of evangelisation that is emphasised during the 16th weekday in ordinary time in the Liturgy; namely, a good preacher and a good disciple. They did not. And no Synod had ever dealt with these two elements, up to the present, including in the last seminar in the Philippines. Without these two elements, that make up the seed and the soil, evangelization is useless because these two element make up the essence of evangelization.
In the Liturgy, Christ was always the preacher described in the Gospels. He was the perfect preacher and there is no problem there. The problem was always in the listeners; some were good listeners and others were not good listeners. So in the liturgy, there was no problem with the preacher; the problem was with the listener.
When Christ ascended to heaven, the apostles took over as preachers; and there was no problem with them, either. The problem remained among the listeners.
But after the death of the apostles, problems begun to exist both in the preacher and the listeners. If the preachers are not qualified the listeners will not listen.
3. The problem on the preacher.
Christ was the exemplar of the good preacher; and the apostles who were personally trained by Christ, except Judas, were exemplars, too. But most of the preachers after the apostles were not qualified.
The Sunday Gospels after Pentecost describes the qualities of a good preacher. And St. Thomas of Aquinas describes these Evangelical qualities in his treatise on the priesthood and the episcopal state. This is briefly commented on by Garrigou - Lagrange in his commentary on St. Thomas Aquinas, Chapter 7 on his 'The priesthood and Perfection.' The requirements are very stringent, as narrow as the requirements for salvation and very few are able to conform to them.
Perfection is demanded from the bishops and a less degree of perfection is demanded from the priests. Both must be superior to the laymen in perfection because their duties is, not only to perfect themselves but to lead to some degree of perfection those constituents under them. Christ said, 'no pupil can be better than his teacher, no servant better than his master.
Most priests and bishops fall short from this requirement. Thus they fail in their duties and do not benefit their constituents.
The lay people find themselves forced to work out the salvation of their souls all by themselves and depending on the mercy of God.
4. Degree of perfection.
For laymen to go to heaven they must have the perfection of Faith and some degree of Charity so that Faith is enlivened by Charity, i.e. Faith and Good works. Charity can only be perfected in heaven.
If priests, bishops and the Pope must lead souls to heaven they must have all the above and a little more, to lead the laymen to heaven. If they have less, they cannot lead anybody either into the Church or into everlasting life; because the teacher and the master must be a little better than their disciples, Dom Chautard in his 'Soul of the Apostolate' reminds us.
The description of a good preacher is this; first, he must have perfect Faith and the beginnings of the theological virtue of Charity. The bishop must have this in a higher degree than a priest; and both priest and bishop must have this in a higher degree than the laymen. Otherwise they cannot lead their constituents to these heights in the spiritual life.
Because priests, bishops and the Pope do not have these qualities, the institutional church look like a devastated vineyard.
5. Perfect Faith.
Perfect Faith means; firstly, to know all the commands of Christ as found in the New Testament. And to know how those commands are to be put into practice as instructed by the Fathers of the Church. Secondly, he must have put into practice in some degree this knowledge, Thirdly, he must be able to teach his constituent how to have perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity because that is the requirement to attain everlasting life for all.
The first is the way of evangelisation described by Christ in St. Matthew. The priests, bishops and the Pope must first evangelise themselves before evangelising others.
The second is the degree of Charity priests, bishops and the Pope must have. The third is perfecting the Faith and initiating the listeners to the beginnings of Charity the result of which is their salvation.
6. The problem on the listeners.
Christ was the perfect preacher. But when He preached, some would learn nothing. While others would learn well. How come? They hear the same speaker. The defect is on the listener, the soil. And not in the seeds, as the parable on the seeds described. As the Gospel on Friday of the 16th week in ordinary time, it describes three kinds of bad soil. The hard soil, the soil filled rocks and a soil filled with weeds with thorns. These are souls occupied with worldly things instead of spiritual things.
St. Thomas described these soils thus; they did not believe the God of the Old Testament as one who rewards good and punishes evil. So they begun to abound in evil deeds, a continuous pleasing of the five senses. As a result they are not able to have the slightest Faith and never reach Charity.
The souls of the listeners are not appropriately prepared by the preachers who lack Faith and the beginnings of Charity, thus they did not understand any of the teachings of the Christ as proposed by the Catholic Church.
7. Conclusion.
The Gospels describes good seeds planted; but the Gospels shows three kinds of bad soils where the seeds could not grow well. The present generation has been proven to be bad soil, i.e. bad listeners. So they will not believe even in the God of the Old Testament. Their punishment? They will believe anything; like global warming and that adulterers will go to heaven.
Can something worse happen? Yes, as the next Mass shows. When, not only are the listeners bad listeners, but the bad preacher plants bad seed. And he, immediately, disappears so that men will not know who planted the bad cockles. When they wake up, they will only see the cockle but not the devil who planted it. But this will be another post.
There can never be a 'new' evangelisation. There is no such thing as a 'new' way of entering the Catholic Church or a new way of saving one's soul. If ever there is a 'new' way, who made it? For sure a mere human out there to deceive souls. Only Christ can teach how to evangelise because He alone knows the way to heaven having come from there and having gone back there; aside from being the God who dwells there.
Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II, who popularise the term 'new' evangelisation made it very clear that this 'new' evangelisation is the old classical evangelisation described by Christ in the Apostolic Commission in the last chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Everybody is using the word 'new' evangelisation, like the last seminar in the Philippines. But it has, absolutely, no semblance with the 'new' evangelisation of Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II. It looks, merely, man-made. So it surely will not work.
2. A problem from the very beginning.
In the bishop's Synod of 2012, 'The new evanlization for the transmission of the Christian Faith,' Pope Benedict emphasised that they should discuss the two important elements of evangelisation that is emphasised during the 16th weekday in ordinary time in the Liturgy; namely, a good preacher and a good disciple. They did not. And no Synod had ever dealt with these two elements, up to the present, including in the last seminar in the Philippines. Without these two elements, that make up the seed and the soil, evangelization is useless because these two element make up the essence of evangelization.
In the Liturgy, Christ was always the preacher described in the Gospels. He was the perfect preacher and there is no problem there. The problem was always in the listeners; some were good listeners and others were not good listeners. So in the liturgy, there was no problem with the preacher; the problem was with the listener.
When Christ ascended to heaven, the apostles took over as preachers; and there was no problem with them, either. The problem remained among the listeners.
But after the death of the apostles, problems begun to exist both in the preacher and the listeners. If the preachers are not qualified the listeners will not listen.
3. The problem on the preacher.
Christ was the exemplar of the good preacher; and the apostles who were personally trained by Christ, except Judas, were exemplars, too. But most of the preachers after the apostles were not qualified.
The Sunday Gospels after Pentecost describes the qualities of a good preacher. And St. Thomas of Aquinas describes these Evangelical qualities in his treatise on the priesthood and the episcopal state. This is briefly commented on by Garrigou - Lagrange in his commentary on St. Thomas Aquinas, Chapter 7 on his 'The priesthood and Perfection.' The requirements are very stringent, as narrow as the requirements for salvation and very few are able to conform to them.
Perfection is demanded from the bishops and a less degree of perfection is demanded from the priests. Both must be superior to the laymen in perfection because their duties is, not only to perfect themselves but to lead to some degree of perfection those constituents under them. Christ said, 'no pupil can be better than his teacher, no servant better than his master.
Most priests and bishops fall short from this requirement. Thus they fail in their duties and do not benefit their constituents.
The lay people find themselves forced to work out the salvation of their souls all by themselves and depending on the mercy of God.
4. Degree of perfection.
For laymen to go to heaven they must have the perfection of Faith and some degree of Charity so that Faith is enlivened by Charity, i.e. Faith and Good works. Charity can only be perfected in heaven.
If priests, bishops and the Pope must lead souls to heaven they must have all the above and a little more, to lead the laymen to heaven. If they have less, they cannot lead anybody either into the Church or into everlasting life; because the teacher and the master must be a little better than their disciples, Dom Chautard in his 'Soul of the Apostolate' reminds us.
The description of a good preacher is this; first, he must have perfect Faith and the beginnings of the theological virtue of Charity. The bishop must have this in a higher degree than a priest; and both priest and bishop must have this in a higher degree than the laymen. Otherwise they cannot lead their constituents to these heights in the spiritual life.
Because priests, bishops and the Pope do not have these qualities, the institutional church look like a devastated vineyard.
5. Perfect Faith.
Perfect Faith means; firstly, to know all the commands of Christ as found in the New Testament. And to know how those commands are to be put into practice as instructed by the Fathers of the Church. Secondly, he must have put into practice in some degree this knowledge, Thirdly, he must be able to teach his constituent how to have perfect Faith and the beginnings of Charity because that is the requirement to attain everlasting life for all.
The first is the way of evangelisation described by Christ in St. Matthew. The priests, bishops and the Pope must first evangelise themselves before evangelising others.
The second is the degree of Charity priests, bishops and the Pope must have. The third is perfecting the Faith and initiating the listeners to the beginnings of Charity the result of which is their salvation.
6. The problem on the listeners.
Christ was the perfect preacher. But when He preached, some would learn nothing. While others would learn well. How come? They hear the same speaker. The defect is on the listener, the soil. And not in the seeds, as the parable on the seeds described. As the Gospel on Friday of the 16th week in ordinary time, it describes three kinds of bad soil. The hard soil, the soil filled rocks and a soil filled with weeds with thorns. These are souls occupied with worldly things instead of spiritual things.
St. Thomas described these soils thus; they did not believe the God of the Old Testament as one who rewards good and punishes evil. So they begun to abound in evil deeds, a continuous pleasing of the five senses. As a result they are not able to have the slightest Faith and never reach Charity.
The souls of the listeners are not appropriately prepared by the preachers who lack Faith and the beginnings of Charity, thus they did not understand any of the teachings of the Christ as proposed by the Catholic Church.
7. Conclusion.
The Gospels describes good seeds planted; but the Gospels shows three kinds of bad soils where the seeds could not grow well. The present generation has been proven to be bad soil, i.e. bad listeners. So they will not believe even in the God of the Old Testament. Their punishment? They will believe anything; like global warming and that adulterers will go to heaven.
Can something worse happen? Yes, as the next Mass shows. When, not only are the listeners bad listeners, but the bad preacher plants bad seed. And he, immediately, disappears so that men will not know who planted the bad cockles. When they wake up, they will only see the cockle but not the devil who planted it. But this will be another post.
Monday, July 23, 2018
EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO - A Mystical Journey.
1. El Camino
A popular pilgrimage to Saint James, Spain.
Many might think it is popular because of the delicious Pamplonica chorizos or beautiful girls. Well, there might be some chorizos, but definitely a lot of beautiful sceneries. But even these cannot motivate all kinds of people of every age to make that long month arduous journey on foot, 780 kilometres, trekking on snow and mud, sleeping in common dorms plaque with snorrings, carrying a 10 pound Osprey knapsack and slowed down by foot blisters.
And yet all pilgrims are happy at the end, all looking healthy and peacefully staring at the sea at Finisterre. Why do they do such a physically punishing pilgrimage? To get a certificate from the sacristy of the Basilica? No.
Because they are able to touch the supernatural even for a brief moment. El Camino is to taste the monastic life for 30 years in a span of one month. It is a taste on how to enter the Catholic Church in the right way. It is a glimpse on how to go to heaven when one reaches the end of one's life as symbolised by Finisterre, the end of the world.
The pilgrimage is an outline on the dogma, morals and ascetical theology involved in the salvation of one's soul. It is the outline on how to acquire the infused knowledge and wisdom necessary to become a 'Child of God.' But it is only an outline. It does not bring the soul to heaven. It merely gives the soul a taste of the supernatural in a world that lives in the natural and even in the unnatural.
2. Just like the Catholic religion.
Just like the Catholic religion, 'El Camino' have had many changes and additions, more comforts and more distractions. But essentially it is still there and can benefit the pilgrim.
'El Camino' is like a sacrament. It is a Liturgical activity like all processions and pilgrimages. They are external sigs of hidden spiritual realities. It is an external activity that shows the spiritual journey of a soul to God. Let us now go to the spiritual realities based on the Gospels and describe the general principles.
3. The beginning.
In one's spiritual journey to God, you cannot begin anywhere you like. To receive the Compostela certificate, you have to start from one of the ten official designated point. And in the spiritual life, this point of departure will dictate whether you go to heaven or to purgatory. So the different kinds of certificates.
4. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE. This starting point in the spiritual life that leads inside the Church is identical for apostles, publicans, young rich men and married couples. That covers all the kinds of pilgrims. It is, in fact, the main theme of Pope John Paul II's 'Veritatis Splendor.' Christ said; 'Go home, sell all your things, give it to the poor and come follow Me.
The first step in 'El Camino' is to stick to essentials and leave everything else behind. Every unnecessary burden can be detrimental in reaching the goal, Compostela. Other things will be provided, sleeping areas, meals, bathrooms. This first step is very important. Just as there are instructions on what to bring, Scriptures, too, has a list on what to bring, the necessities for the pilgrimage, not for a holiday.
5. The walk.
The next element is the walk which begins with the Old Testament and proceeds to the New Testament. It seems to be boring walking for a whole month on foot, seeing only fields and occasional civilisation. This is the a disciplinary exercise in doing the same monotonous thing but gradually going deeper and getting more exciting as the monotonous activity progresses.
The three important mental activities during the walk are; one, prayer. Second, fasting and thirdly, good works. The Pilgrim must constantly be praying, St.Augustine describes prayer as looking forward to the goal of heaven, i.e. looking forward to St. James' relic at Santiago de Compostela.
The churches on the way will remind you that this is a journey of unceasing prayer, desiring to reach heaven personified in Santiago. It is good to stop in every Church and pray for graces to persevere in the walk.
There is the fasting in the giving up of numerous home and city comforts in that tiring progression towards the goal not in sight but believed in Faith. The discomfort and pains in the senses, during the whole trip, will remind you the need for fasting.
Then, good works , in which the Pilgrim encourages, in many ways, other pilgrims to persevere to finish the 'Camino.' And to show gratitude to the host of the dorms along the way.
6. The three levels of consciousness.
When the Pilgrim begins the 'Camino' he is still in the natural or physical level with the world and the physical need for 'Camino' filling up his mind. As the walking progresses, his mind forgets the worldly problems and he goes deeper into himself, on who he is and where he should be going to. Hopefully, when he reaches Santiago de Compostela, he should have raised his hands and touched the supernatural and Divine heights.
The goal of the 'Camino' is to be able to raise man from the natural level and touch heaven. This reaching out and touching is temporary because the 'Camino' is just experiencing how it feels to touch the heavens. The real, permanent touching and union with heaven occurs when the Pilgrim puts the 'Camino' which is only a touching, into full reality by living the fulness of the monastic or Catholic life. Most pilgrims show this exact feeling at Santiago de Compostela without realising what the feeling really is. But they have this mystical, though, temporary experience. And that is more than enough for the journey, at least for the meantime.
7. A school of learning.
The 'Camino' shows us how the Catholic Faith is learned. It is learned through obedience to the command of Christ who gave this specific command to Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew,
Ananias and Saphira, and the young rich man. It is actually given to all Catholics as the necessary condition to enter the Catholic Church; 'to go home, sell all your things, give it to the poor. And come follow Christ.
The Pilgrims are not required to sell all their things and give it to the poor. They may keep all their possessions at home; but they should not take them during the 'Camino' where the are not really following Christ, yet. But it is good enough. The Pilgrim experience, even for a moment, how it feels to 'go home leave all things, give it to the poor and follow Christ in the 'Camino'. Because for a moment they will have nothing of those things. Then there is a momentary exhilaration in 'seeing' the fact of Christ in Compostela. It is a mystical reward, though temporary, after having shown their month long journey, their desire for God's presence.
The ambiance is perfect. No worldliness, just fields, rivers, nature, snow and mud. The pilgrim is away from the 'world' as St. Augustine described the 'bad world,' an instrument of the devil to tempt men.
8. The towns.
The towns that the 'Camino' passes through are good reminders that the pilgrim is still in this world with all its dangers. And most pilgrim enjoys the brief tryst with the world; this should have been minimised. But the ruckus and provincial celebrations together with the worldly conversations are a little corruption of the 'Camino,' which the pilgrim should minimise to get the full spiritual benefit of the pilgrimage. But it is tolerable.
9. Stick to the signs.
The pilgrim is guided by signs of the right direction towards Compostela. This is very important. In the spiritual life, we must constantly double check if we are in the right direction, a practice the pilgrim must never neglect in the 'Camino.' A map, a reliable GPS and the countless signs showing yellow arrows, seashells and the cursillo cross...plus the large signs should lead the pilgrim right on track. It is like using Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church
constantly in guiding one's spiritual life
10. Where are the lesson in the 'Camino' stored.
It is in the memory that is available to the intellect always. This is the work of God so that the pilgrim can pull lessons from the memory, transfer them to the intellect, then meditate in it...... and treasuring the experience in his heart. Not in the cell phone camera or video camera which should be minimised, too.
Walking in haste. Mary was described as going in haste to help Elizabeth in her pregnancy. St. Thomas emphasised the importance in doing with haste all the things pertaining to doing God's Will. In the 'Camino' it is important to walk in haste to reach the next town before dark, and have bed accommodations and a good hot meal. We should not exposed ourselves to unnecessary dangers; either in life, in the 'Camino', or in the spiritual life.
11. Treasuring ties of friendships. The community.
The community, the Catholic Church is the place within which man works the salvation of his soul. Not outside. So the entire atmosphere in the 'Camino' is such. All the co-pilgrims are familiar companions, the entire route is filled with friends.
Ties made in the 'Camino' is an experience of being inside the Catholic Church where the ties of Charity, a most lasting relationship results by an act of the Holy Spirit. In the Camino, it is a touch of Charity that is experienced. It is more emotional than virtuous but it is precious enough to be remembered and kept.
12. Double friendship.
In primitive Christianity, the entire family work out is salvation. It should be like that. It is unimaginable for a husband to work out his salvation without his wife and children. The first Christian communities were like that, like the communities of St. Basil
So it is good if the entire family to walk the 'Camino' together. There is a double treat; the joy of walking with one's own family, and the joy of walking with the extended family, the Church. Again, this is just a taste. St. Basil describes the real 'Camino' in the spiritual life.
13. The Mass at the cathedral.
The grand Mass at the Cathedral is a briefer summary of the 'Camino.' Both the Mass and the 'Camino' are summaries on how to save one's soul.
Then the pilgrim takes a few more steps and reaches the Finisterre, the end of the world. It shows that if you take the real 'Camino' and the Mass seriously into practice, if you die or reach the end of your life, which is identical to reaching the end of the world, then you are ready to face your Judge and receive a favourable judgment; 'come, faithful servant and receive the reward that has been prepared for you since the beginning of the world.'
Buen Camino!
A popular pilgrimage to Saint James, Spain.
Many might think it is popular because of the delicious Pamplonica chorizos or beautiful girls. Well, there might be some chorizos, but definitely a lot of beautiful sceneries. But even these cannot motivate all kinds of people of every age to make that long month arduous journey on foot, 780 kilometres, trekking on snow and mud, sleeping in common dorms plaque with snorrings, carrying a 10 pound Osprey knapsack and slowed down by foot blisters.
And yet all pilgrims are happy at the end, all looking healthy and peacefully staring at the sea at Finisterre. Why do they do such a physically punishing pilgrimage? To get a certificate from the sacristy of the Basilica? No.
Because they are able to touch the supernatural even for a brief moment. El Camino is to taste the monastic life for 30 years in a span of one month. It is a taste on how to enter the Catholic Church in the right way. It is a glimpse on how to go to heaven when one reaches the end of one's life as symbolised by Finisterre, the end of the world.
The pilgrimage is an outline on the dogma, morals and ascetical theology involved in the salvation of one's soul. It is the outline on how to acquire the infused knowledge and wisdom necessary to become a 'Child of God.' But it is only an outline. It does not bring the soul to heaven. It merely gives the soul a taste of the supernatural in a world that lives in the natural and even in the unnatural.
2. Just like the Catholic religion.
Just like the Catholic religion, 'El Camino' have had many changes and additions, more comforts and more distractions. But essentially it is still there and can benefit the pilgrim.
'El Camino' is like a sacrament. It is a Liturgical activity like all processions and pilgrimages. They are external sigs of hidden spiritual realities. It is an external activity that shows the spiritual journey of a soul to God. Let us now go to the spiritual realities based on the Gospels and describe the general principles.
3. The beginning.
In one's spiritual journey to God, you cannot begin anywhere you like. To receive the Compostela certificate, you have to start from one of the ten official designated point. And in the spiritual life, this point of departure will dictate whether you go to heaven or to purgatory. So the different kinds of certificates.
4. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE. This starting point in the spiritual life that leads inside the Church is identical for apostles, publicans, young rich men and married couples. That covers all the kinds of pilgrims. It is, in fact, the main theme of Pope John Paul II's 'Veritatis Splendor.' Christ said; 'Go home, sell all your things, give it to the poor and come follow Me.
The first step in 'El Camino' is to stick to essentials and leave everything else behind. Every unnecessary burden can be detrimental in reaching the goal, Compostela. Other things will be provided, sleeping areas, meals, bathrooms. This first step is very important. Just as there are instructions on what to bring, Scriptures, too, has a list on what to bring, the necessities for the pilgrimage, not for a holiday.
5. The walk.
The next element is the walk which begins with the Old Testament and proceeds to the New Testament. It seems to be boring walking for a whole month on foot, seeing only fields and occasional civilisation. This is the a disciplinary exercise in doing the same monotonous thing but gradually going deeper and getting more exciting as the monotonous activity progresses.
The three important mental activities during the walk are; one, prayer. Second, fasting and thirdly, good works. The Pilgrim must constantly be praying, St.Augustine describes prayer as looking forward to the goal of heaven, i.e. looking forward to St. James' relic at Santiago de Compostela.
The churches on the way will remind you that this is a journey of unceasing prayer, desiring to reach heaven personified in Santiago. It is good to stop in every Church and pray for graces to persevere in the walk.
There is the fasting in the giving up of numerous home and city comforts in that tiring progression towards the goal not in sight but believed in Faith. The discomfort and pains in the senses, during the whole trip, will remind you the need for fasting.
Then, good works , in which the Pilgrim encourages, in many ways, other pilgrims to persevere to finish the 'Camino.' And to show gratitude to the host of the dorms along the way.
6. The three levels of consciousness.
When the Pilgrim begins the 'Camino' he is still in the natural or physical level with the world and the physical need for 'Camino' filling up his mind. As the walking progresses, his mind forgets the worldly problems and he goes deeper into himself, on who he is and where he should be going to. Hopefully, when he reaches Santiago de Compostela, he should have raised his hands and touched the supernatural and Divine heights.
The goal of the 'Camino' is to be able to raise man from the natural level and touch heaven. This reaching out and touching is temporary because the 'Camino' is just experiencing how it feels to touch the heavens. The real, permanent touching and union with heaven occurs when the Pilgrim puts the 'Camino' which is only a touching, into full reality by living the fulness of the monastic or Catholic life. Most pilgrims show this exact feeling at Santiago de Compostela without realising what the feeling really is. But they have this mystical, though, temporary experience. And that is more than enough for the journey, at least for the meantime.
7. A school of learning.
The 'Camino' shows us how the Catholic Faith is learned. It is learned through obedience to the command of Christ who gave this specific command to Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew,
Ananias and Saphira, and the young rich man. It is actually given to all Catholics as the necessary condition to enter the Catholic Church; 'to go home, sell all your things, give it to the poor. And come follow Christ.
The Pilgrims are not required to sell all their things and give it to the poor. They may keep all their possessions at home; but they should not take them during the 'Camino' where the are not really following Christ, yet. But it is good enough. The Pilgrim experience, even for a moment, how it feels to 'go home leave all things, give it to the poor and follow Christ in the 'Camino'. Because for a moment they will have nothing of those things. Then there is a momentary exhilaration in 'seeing' the fact of Christ in Compostela. It is a mystical reward, though temporary, after having shown their month long journey, their desire for God's presence.
The ambiance is perfect. No worldliness, just fields, rivers, nature, snow and mud. The pilgrim is away from the 'world' as St. Augustine described the 'bad world,' an instrument of the devil to tempt men.
8. The towns.
The towns that the 'Camino' passes through are good reminders that the pilgrim is still in this world with all its dangers. And most pilgrim enjoys the brief tryst with the world; this should have been minimised. But the ruckus and provincial celebrations together with the worldly conversations are a little corruption of the 'Camino,' which the pilgrim should minimise to get the full spiritual benefit of the pilgrimage. But it is tolerable.
9. Stick to the signs.
The pilgrim is guided by signs of the right direction towards Compostela. This is very important. In the spiritual life, we must constantly double check if we are in the right direction, a practice the pilgrim must never neglect in the 'Camino.' A map, a reliable GPS and the countless signs showing yellow arrows, seashells and the cursillo cross...plus the large signs should lead the pilgrim right on track. It is like using Scriptures and the Tradition of the Church
constantly in guiding one's spiritual life
10. Where are the lesson in the 'Camino' stored.
It is in the memory that is available to the intellect always. This is the work of God so that the pilgrim can pull lessons from the memory, transfer them to the intellect, then meditate in it...... and treasuring the experience in his heart. Not in the cell phone camera or video camera which should be minimised, too.
Walking in haste. Mary was described as going in haste to help Elizabeth in her pregnancy. St. Thomas emphasised the importance in doing with haste all the things pertaining to doing God's Will. In the 'Camino' it is important to walk in haste to reach the next town before dark, and have bed accommodations and a good hot meal. We should not exposed ourselves to unnecessary dangers; either in life, in the 'Camino', or in the spiritual life.
11. Treasuring ties of friendships. The community.
The community, the Catholic Church is the place within which man works the salvation of his soul. Not outside. So the entire atmosphere in the 'Camino' is such. All the co-pilgrims are familiar companions, the entire route is filled with friends.
Ties made in the 'Camino' is an experience of being inside the Catholic Church where the ties of Charity, a most lasting relationship results by an act of the Holy Spirit. In the Camino, it is a touch of Charity that is experienced. It is more emotional than virtuous but it is precious enough to be remembered and kept.
12. Double friendship.
In primitive Christianity, the entire family work out is salvation. It should be like that. It is unimaginable for a husband to work out his salvation without his wife and children. The first Christian communities were like that, like the communities of St. Basil
So it is good if the entire family to walk the 'Camino' together. There is a double treat; the joy of walking with one's own family, and the joy of walking with the extended family, the Church. Again, this is just a taste. St. Basil describes the real 'Camino' in the spiritual life.
13. The Mass at the cathedral.
The grand Mass at the Cathedral is a briefer summary of the 'Camino.' Both the Mass and the 'Camino' are summaries on how to save one's soul.
Then the pilgrim takes a few more steps and reaches the Finisterre, the end of the world. It shows that if you take the real 'Camino' and the Mass seriously into practice, if you die or reach the end of your life, which is identical to reaching the end of the world, then you are ready to face your Judge and receive a favourable judgment; 'come, faithful servant and receive the reward that has been prepared for you since the beginning of the world.'
Buen Camino!
Monday, July 16, 2018
Prove that God exists.
1. The division going on.
God is, continuously, testing mankind. Christ warned us; 'he who does not confess Me before man, I will not confess before My Father in heaven.' When we are confronted with a truth from Divine Revelation, 'to confess Christ' is for us to say with our tongue that this is a truth from Christ, I believe in this truth, I intend to put into practice.
To be silent in the face of an issue with regard to the truth, or worse, to go against that issue is to refuse 'to confess Christ'. It is like saying 'this is not a teaching of Christ, I do not believe Christ taught this and I will not abide by it.' Christ threatens that He will not confess this soul before the Father. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote; 'when he dies and face God in judgment, He will say 'I do not know him.' This is sure damnation.
2. Issues.
Statements are flying in the air these days that are forcing men to confess Christ or not to confess Him, to take the side of right Catholic doctrine or to go against Catholic teachings. And the confusion that reigns in the world in general and in the Catholic Church in particular is becoming very evident. The confusion is due to the prevailing ignorance of the Catholic Faith in the pagan world who have had the opportunity to know Scriptures but did not grab the opportunity; and among the Catholics who has not been well catechised by their bishops and priest for centuries.
There is a need to disentangle the confusion with the help of the patron saint of this process, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and clarify the issues so we can take the side of truth.
3. Can anyone prove that God exist.
Not scientifically but in some degree philosophically. Though St. Thomas gave the now famous 5 proofs of the existence of God. His proofs were in the natural level, proof of a god of nature but cannot prove the existence of a Divine and supernatural God.
Definitely not through a selfie nor proofs for having seen Him or talked to Him.
St. Paul wrote, that we can only know the existence of the true God by a mature human act enlightened by the theological virtue of Faith. Those who are immature and not enlightened with the theological virtue of Faith cannot prove that God exist. And most people, priest and bishops do not have this Faith, as we shall show momentarily.
4. St. Paul
The existence of God can only be experience through an act of Faith. St. Paul described Faith as 'the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.' And saying the same thing, St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote;'Faith is a habit of the mind whereby eternal life is begun in us making the intellect assent to what is non-apparent.' 'That appear not' and 'non-apparent' show the impossibility of proving the existence of God.
God's existence is experienced by the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind (a habit of the mind) and free will. Note that the faculties involved are spiritual and, therefore, cannot be perceived by the senses, and cannot be proven experimentally.
So the existence of God is experienced spiritually and not physically. Only the spiritual man can experience the existence of God. The sensual man cannot experience the presence of God.
So only the man of Faith can have the infallible proof of the existence of God. Those without Faith cannot have proof that God exist.
5. Only the man of Faith has proof of the existence of God.
The gift of Faith gives man the certainty that God exist. This certainty is a gift infused in the mind of man who receive Faith. It is not given to unbelievers because he does not believe.
6. How can the man of Faith share that certainty of the existence of God with others.
By the wisdom in their words and the example of their holy lives that comes from Faith. St. Paul described the Faith of the Romans thus; 'your faith is known throughout the world.' So people who experienced the Faith of the Romans were convinced that there is a god. Knowing this, they developed the 'fear of God' which is the beginning of wisdom. With wisdom they begun to do all things with wisdom, they did everything right and well, i.e. perfect society. The Romans were considered the best Catholic community.
If here in the Philippines there are people with Faith, those around will develop the 'fear of God,' which is the beginning to wisdom. Thus they will begin to act with wisdom. They will do all things right and well. There will be less problems.
The politicians will work for the common good. Soldiers, police will not intimidate the populace, the youth will be convinced drug is a menace, husband will not cheat on their wives, business tycoons will help the poor, the government will house the victims of superstorms, squatters, the homeless, those living in cemeteries; and constructions companies will not cheat on construction materials in government projects. And bishops and priest will preach and show in their lives their Catholic Faith thus fostering in the minds of men a sure proof that there is a God; thus breeding in the hearts of men the fear of God, and all Filipinos will act with wisdom.
7. Why Duterte must stay in office.
Because the bishops are not showing through words and in their lives the Catholic Faith. So men are not sure God exists. There is no 'fear of God.' And there is no wisdom around, neither in Congress nor in the Bishop's conference.
So the question raised is a valid theological question; Does God exist. The problem is not in the question. The problem is that those who are supposed to give the answer, Catholic Bishops and priests, are not giving the answers.
So we need Duterte to discipline the soldiers and the police, to control the politicians, the punish the rebellions, eliminate the drug problem and occasionally to test the theology of the Bishops. St. Paul reminds us that the civil authority, precisely, was given to us by God to maintain peace and order when the bishops have completely failed to install the 'fear of God' among the people.
8. The defect
The problem is not so much that the question was raised 'can anybody prove God exist?' The problem is that the Catholic bishops cannot answer the question, just as the Pope will not answer the 'dubia' after more than 600 days. Like father, like son.
9. Who can prove the existence of God?
The man of Faith who has the theological virtue of Faith, thus who believe that there is a God with certainty, is the only man who can prove that there is a God. But he can convince others that there is a God through his words and life filled with Faith. Seeing him thus, others will not necessarily see God but can be convinced that there is a God.
St. Paul praised the Roman that their Faith was well known around the world. So through the words and life of the Romans, the whole world was convinced that God exist. How come the President is asking for proof of the existence of God? Because he sees that those assigned to prove it has no Faith to express in their words and actions that there is a God.
If our Catholic bishops and priests have Faith, and if that Faith shows in their words and actions, there will no need for police, for army, for justices, no president, no congress; because the entire nations will behave. There will be no rebellions, no drug addicts, no drug lords, no adulterers, no abortionist, etc. Because everybody will know God exist and will have the 'fear of God,'' that will make everybody behave.
But because most of the bishops and priest have no Faith; they cannot prove the existence of God, therefore, there is no 'fear of God' which is the beginning of wisdom. Everybody is acting without wisdom.......or stupidly?
God is, continuously, testing mankind. Christ warned us; 'he who does not confess Me before man, I will not confess before My Father in heaven.' When we are confronted with a truth from Divine Revelation, 'to confess Christ' is for us to say with our tongue that this is a truth from Christ, I believe in this truth, I intend to put into practice.
To be silent in the face of an issue with regard to the truth, or worse, to go against that issue is to refuse 'to confess Christ'. It is like saying 'this is not a teaching of Christ, I do not believe Christ taught this and I will not abide by it.' Christ threatens that He will not confess this soul before the Father. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote; 'when he dies and face God in judgment, He will say 'I do not know him.' This is sure damnation.
2. Issues.
Statements are flying in the air these days that are forcing men to confess Christ or not to confess Him, to take the side of right Catholic doctrine or to go against Catholic teachings. And the confusion that reigns in the world in general and in the Catholic Church in particular is becoming very evident. The confusion is due to the prevailing ignorance of the Catholic Faith in the pagan world who have had the opportunity to know Scriptures but did not grab the opportunity; and among the Catholics who has not been well catechised by their bishops and priest for centuries.
There is a need to disentangle the confusion with the help of the patron saint of this process, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and clarify the issues so we can take the side of truth.
3. Can anyone prove that God exist.
Not scientifically but in some degree philosophically. Though St. Thomas gave the now famous 5 proofs of the existence of God. His proofs were in the natural level, proof of a god of nature but cannot prove the existence of a Divine and supernatural God.
Definitely not through a selfie nor proofs for having seen Him or talked to Him.
St. Paul wrote, that we can only know the existence of the true God by a mature human act enlightened by the theological virtue of Faith. Those who are immature and not enlightened with the theological virtue of Faith cannot prove that God exist. And most people, priest and bishops do not have this Faith, as we shall show momentarily.
4. St. Paul
The existence of God can only be experience through an act of Faith. St. Paul described Faith as 'the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.' And saying the same thing, St. Thomas of Aquinas wrote;'Faith is a habit of the mind whereby eternal life is begun in us making the intellect assent to what is non-apparent.' 'That appear not' and 'non-apparent' show the impossibility of proving the existence of God.
God's existence is experienced by the spiritual faculties of the soul, the mind (a habit of the mind) and free will. Note that the faculties involved are spiritual and, therefore, cannot be perceived by the senses, and cannot be proven experimentally.
So the existence of God is experienced spiritually and not physically. Only the spiritual man can experience the existence of God. The sensual man cannot experience the presence of God.
So only the man of Faith can have the infallible proof of the existence of God. Those without Faith cannot have proof that God exist.
5. Only the man of Faith has proof of the existence of God.
The gift of Faith gives man the certainty that God exist. This certainty is a gift infused in the mind of man who receive Faith. It is not given to unbelievers because he does not believe.
6. How can the man of Faith share that certainty of the existence of God with others.
By the wisdom in their words and the example of their holy lives that comes from Faith. St. Paul described the Faith of the Romans thus; 'your faith is known throughout the world.' So people who experienced the Faith of the Romans were convinced that there is a god. Knowing this, they developed the 'fear of God' which is the beginning of wisdom. With wisdom they begun to do all things with wisdom, they did everything right and well, i.e. perfect society. The Romans were considered the best Catholic community.
If here in the Philippines there are people with Faith, those around will develop the 'fear of God,' which is the beginning to wisdom. Thus they will begin to act with wisdom. They will do all things right and well. There will be less problems.
The politicians will work for the common good. Soldiers, police will not intimidate the populace, the youth will be convinced drug is a menace, husband will not cheat on their wives, business tycoons will help the poor, the government will house the victims of superstorms, squatters, the homeless, those living in cemeteries; and constructions companies will not cheat on construction materials in government projects. And bishops and priest will preach and show in their lives their Catholic Faith thus fostering in the minds of men a sure proof that there is a God; thus breeding in the hearts of men the fear of God, and all Filipinos will act with wisdom.
7. Why Duterte must stay in office.
Because the bishops are not showing through words and in their lives the Catholic Faith. So men are not sure God exists. There is no 'fear of God.' And there is no wisdom around, neither in Congress nor in the Bishop's conference.
So the question raised is a valid theological question; Does God exist. The problem is not in the question. The problem is that those who are supposed to give the answer, Catholic Bishops and priests, are not giving the answers.
So we need Duterte to discipline the soldiers and the police, to control the politicians, the punish the rebellions, eliminate the drug problem and occasionally to test the theology of the Bishops. St. Paul reminds us that the civil authority, precisely, was given to us by God to maintain peace and order when the bishops have completely failed to install the 'fear of God' among the people.
8. The defect
The problem is not so much that the question was raised 'can anybody prove God exist?' The problem is that the Catholic bishops cannot answer the question, just as the Pope will not answer the 'dubia' after more than 600 days. Like father, like son.
9. Who can prove the existence of God?
The man of Faith who has the theological virtue of Faith, thus who believe that there is a God with certainty, is the only man who can prove that there is a God. But he can convince others that there is a God through his words and life filled with Faith. Seeing him thus, others will not necessarily see God but can be convinced that there is a God.
St. Paul praised the Roman that their Faith was well known around the world. So through the words and life of the Romans, the whole world was convinced that God exist. How come the President is asking for proof of the existence of God? Because he sees that those assigned to prove it has no Faith to express in their words and actions that there is a God.
If our Catholic bishops and priests have Faith, and if that Faith shows in their words and actions, there will no need for police, for army, for justices, no president, no congress; because the entire nations will behave. There will be no rebellions, no drug addicts, no drug lords, no adulterers, no abortionist, etc. Because everybody will know God exist and will have the 'fear of God,'' that will make everybody behave.
But because most of the bishops and priest have no Faith; they cannot prove the existence of God, therefore, there is no 'fear of God' which is the beginning of wisdom. Everybody is acting without wisdom.......or stupidly?
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