Who am I? Who is God? In comparison to God, you are nothing. God is the infinite being, the Lord and Master of the universe. You are dust! Sin = Dust rebels against God. You turn away from God. You prefer a fellow creature to God. Lucifer preferred himself to God. Eve preferred an apple to God. Adam preferred Eve to God.

There are two motions in every sin.

1. Turn away from God
2. Turn inordinately toward a creature

Sin is an ill-ordered use of creatures. It is a disorder especially forbidden by God. We voluntarily choose to do things in a way opposed to the law of God. "He who is not with me is against me." Our Lord said this. He means that there is only one way, that is, His way. "I am the way; I am the truth; I am the life." = One Way, One Truth, One Life.

Acts, thoughts or omissions make me an enemy of God. The gravity of the offence is measured by the dignity of the one offended. If we offend God, it has an infinite gravity. Therefore, there is no such thing as a small sin.

When we sin, we say to God, "this creature is worth more to me than your love is." We force God to leave our soul. He cannot live in a soul that prefers sin. Sin is a voluntary offence against God’s law. Mortal sin requires three things:

1) Grave Matter; 2) Advertance and 3) Consent. MAC

À Grave Matter: How do we know if it is grave matter? There are no books or lists that can tell us. We cannot look it up in the dictionary. Common sense, the intention of the subject and the object of the action can all help determine if it is grave.

L The matter can be grave in itself, e.g., murder. The nature of the thought, omission or action is grave.

Or, the repercussions can be grave. For example, when is a lie a grave sin? Someone’s reputation is ruined. A spoken word can never be unspoken.

Á Advertance: L I know what I am doing. A child steals on orders from his father. He stole, but did not know, therefore, it is not a sin. In this perverted world, obvious sins may appear normal. (e.g., immodesty, servile work on Sunday, shopping on Sunday, missing Mass, Dirty Dancing) L Don’t judge others too quickly!

 Consent: Sin is voluntary, therefore, we need full consent to make a serious sin. If you are drugged L not guilty; Not free L not guilty; Asleep L no sin.

Circumstances can alleviate personal responsibility. If one of these three conditions is not present, then it is not a mortal sin.

What if I am still not sure? I have a doubt! There are two possible doubts:

À I am not sure if I committed a sin or not. L Can receive Communion. A doubtful sin is not sufficient matter for confession.

Á I am sure that I committed a sin, but am not sure if it was a mortal or a venial sin. L Cannot receive Communion.

Sin is the worst thing that can happen to us. If we could understand this, how different would our life be? Sin prevents our divinization.

Venial Sin is an offence against God. We do something that God does not like. It is very serious. It is not a mortal sin, because one of the three conditions, i.e., grave matter, advertance or consent is lacking. It is an evil against God. It surpasses all the temporal or even eternal evils of creatures. If by committing a venial sin we could save a million people from Hell, we could not do it. The venial sin is a greater evil. Hell is an evil for creatures; it hurts creatures. A venial sin is an evil against God. The only evil greater than a deliberate venial sin is a mortal sin. We must be willing to sacrifice all the goods of creatures rather than offend God. We are incapable of hating venial sin, as it deserves to be hated.

The effects of venial sin are:

"He that contemns little things shall fall little by little" (Ecc’us 19, 1)

"He that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust in that which is greater" (Luke 16, 10)

God punishes venial sin severely.

Venial sin leads to Purgatory for many years and then a low place in heaven. Purgatory is designed to punish. The pain there is unimaginable. No pain on earth can compare with it. Sins of omission are severely punished. L When I don’t do my duty, I destroy God’s plan for me.

Triple Colloquy

1. Our Blessed Mother: I will ask her to obtain grace from her Son for three favours.
   1. A deep knowledge of my sins and a feeling of abhorrence for them;
   2. An understanding of the disorder of my actions that filled with horror of them, I may amend my life and put it in order;
   3. A knowledge of the world, that filled with horror, I may put away from me all that is worldly and vain.
      1. Then I will say a Hail Mary
2. I will make the same petitions to her Son, that he may obtain these graces from the Father for me.
   1. I will say Soul of Christ…
3. I will make the same requests of the Father, that He Himself, the eternal Lord, may grant them to me.
   1. I will close with the Our Father.

Death [Repetition]

Your soul is before God. He knows all things, "even our most secret thoughts and actions." You will realize how you could have pleased God. When you choose mortal sin, it is because you refuse to think of the gifts God has given you. At judgment God will make you see everything clearly. Immediately when we die we are judged.

You will see the value of Jesus’ death on the cross. How much He did for you because of His love for you. Mortal sin = I despised Christ’s death on the cross; I despised the incredible intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All the graces that I refused will be obvious. The help of the angels and saints that I refused will be plain. We will not be able to say that we had a temptation that we could not overcome. "My grace is sufficient for thee."

Jesus Christ is your judge. Once He was your brother, your spouse, and your friend; but now forgetting all of these titles He is only your judge; an infinitely holy judge; a judge who has an infinite horror of every sin, no matter how slight. A judge who is infinitely just and demands payment of every debt down to the last farthing.

What panic is there at the death of a sinner! He sees himself surrounded by devils. It is a terrible calamity to die in sin. To die as an enemy of God, when the time for repentance is passed. A conscience burdened with sin. The terror of that soul is unimaginable. The past, the present and the future will torment the sinner in that moment which decides his eternal fate.

The sinner sees all his evil ways in all there ugliness. He now sees them as good sees them. The ugliness of his soul terrifies him. What a horror to see oneself burdened with bad habits. His past sacrileges distress him; the hatreds he has entertained torment him; and the unclean pleasures of his life cause him to lose all hope as he sees how they have wrecked his soul. The sinner remembers with unimaginable bitterness the times he has violated Sundays and Holy Days, the bad confessions he has made, and his unworthy communions. If he has cheated people by usury, theft or robbery, these things he remembers. He recalls the times when his sins of grumbling, detraction and lying have taken away the good reputation of his fellow man. He remembers his blasphemies, his acts of revenge, his impure talk, and all the evil and scandal with which he has ruined many souls. Before his mind is the woman that he scandalized, the girl he corrupted, the child whom he lured into sins that would not have been committed had he not taught them. Before his eyes are the duties he should have fulfilled and did not, the donations he should have made to charitable causes but did not, and the other good works he ought to have done and did not. At judgment the sinner will see clearly all the good that he should have done and did not do, and all the evil things he did which he was bound to avoid.

The devil will accuse you. He will recall to you your baptismal promises. You renounced the world, the flesh and the devil. How have you kept your promise?

Your guardian angel will reproach you with rejecting his inspirations, despising his counsels, causing him to witness your foul sins.

Your own conscience will bear witness to the truth of all these accusations. You will admit that you are guilty of these evil thoughts, words and actions.

Affective Acts:

1. Acts of Candor—What does it profit a man to possess everything in the world, to have every dignity and honour, and to give his body over to every pleasure, if in the end he loses his soul? For a passing delight, one undergoes an eternal punishment! While such a person has life and health, he does not think of death and judgment, nor does he want to think about it.
2. Exhortation –In all your works be mindful of your death, of the judgment, of hell and of glory, and in this way you will never sin.

2^nd Point – Particular Judgment of a Soul in the State of Grace

This soul sees all of its sins and has true shame for them. You realize the evil and malice of each of your mortal sins. You will realize the great mercy of God. How often was I on the verge of falling into hell! How good God was to me. See all of your deliberate venial sins; how God hated them in your soul that He loved so much. How He gave you the grace and the opportunity to be rid of each of them. Lord, give me now true contrition for all my sins, great and small. Help me to realize that it is never small when you are offended. You will see the value of all of your penances, all of your sacrifices, all of your good deeds. You will regret those penances and mortifications and good deeds that would have been so easy to do and which you did not do.

Such a soul willingly accepts the punishments in purgatory for its sins. Purgatory means to be purged of our sins. It means to suffer excruciating pains as our bad habits and sins are being burned away. DO PENANCE NOW!

"Come you blessed of my Father into that kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning." How sweet those words will be to the souls that die in the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are judged immediately at our death, when we can no longer merit or demerit. Why then must there be a general judgement at the end of the world? We will already now our sentence, which will not change. It is because we are social creatures, and the good and the bad that we do affect others beside ourselves. There are no isolated acts, no victimless crimes. My life is not independent. There is a great social damage with one mortal sin; there is social good from one good deed. Our actions have a life of their own which outlives us.

Examples: St. Francis Xavier baptised over one million people! Henry VII led an entire nation into sin, and that nation spread the Protestant heresy throughout the world. Even today how many souls are damned because of him! It is recorded, probably made known by the woman involved that Padre Pio told her that the child she had aborted would have become Pope if he had lived. How might he have changed the world? This woman’s act was not an isolated private act. Its consequences lived on. The same is true with our acts. They all have a social effect. Therefore it is necessary that there be a social or general judgment.

At the approach of judgment day everything will be in dreadful turmoil. The sun, moon and stars will not give light. Vegetation and flowers will wither and die on the darkened earth. Sickness and contagion will multiply and become acute. Prolonged and cruel wars will bring desolation everywhere. Famine will wipe out nations and destitution will bring thousands to the grave. Antichrist, the cruelest tyrant in history, will come to power. This bloodthirsty beast will spread deceit and terror throughout the world. There will be great panic, suffering will grow ceaselessly; the living will envy the dead.

God’s wrath, held in check for many centuries, will release the elements, which will be stirred up to torment the sinner. Lightning and hail and winds and earthquakes will bring panic and destruction. Cities will disappear. Finally there will be a flood of fire to reduce all to ashes. No one will escape that dreadful day. Dies Irae! Dies illae! [Day of wrath, that day!] No one, neither rich nor poor, nor powerful nor week, nor young nor old. Everything will burn. A column of fire will run from east to west, from valleys to mountains, every man and beast, every fish and bird, gold, silver and buildings; all will be reduced to ashes. Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.

Thus the world with all of its vanities will end. This shall be the end of every creature!

Affective Acts

scorn – I do not want anything in this world. Meditation on the end of the world teaches me that all the things in this world must be regarded as fleeting, as things that will decay and corrupt. Therefore, I do not care for them. In time they will be delivered over to the flames. I do not care for them, nor do I value those things that may cause me to burn in the fire of hell.

resolution – The only goods that will not burn in fire are virtues. These are eternal; therefore I want to amass as many of them as possible. I will cultivate them with every effort and care. Help me, Jesus and Mary.

After all is reduced to ashes the angel will call all the dead to judgment. "Arise you dead and come to judgment." This awesome call will be heard in all four corners of the earth. It will ring through heaven and in the depths of hell; the souls in purgatory will heed its call. No one will be able to resist God’s summons delivered by the angel.

Holy Souls will come down in glory from above and will give a sweet embrace to their bodies, which will join them forever. Your body, the one that you have right now, is the one that you will have for eternity. It will be your body, which you will instantly recognize, but it will be changed. The glory of your soul will overflow into your body. All diseases and deformities will disappear. The body will be spiritualised with the glory of the soul. It will be unable to suffer, no sickness, no pain, no hunger nor thirst, or anything else. It will shine like the sun and stars. It will be agile, that is, you will be able to pass in a moment from one place to another, and through any body without hindrance, as our Lord did after His Resurrection.

These happy souls will bless one another, and they will bless their bodies. "O happy feet, which walked along the path of virtue! O blessed hands, which laboured well! O blessed tongue, which spoke the truth and sang Divine praises! O all ye senses, which shunned evil and embraced righteousness; now you will receive the reward of mortification and penance. Now you will enjoy every delight and consolation. Now, my body, enjoy an eternal glory, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has any mind been able to comprehend what God has prepared for His chosen ones.

"Bless you, O my soul!" the body will say, "May blessings be upon you, for you ruled and governed me; you taught me the way of holiness, you obliged me to keep the commandments of God and of the Church. Come, my faithful and happy companion. Come let us together enjoy the reward of virtue. Let us unite to enjoy God forever." This is how the just will speak.

The Damned will behave differently. Body and soul will gaze at each other and see each other to be hideous, filthy and of frightening appearance, they will curse one another with rage and panic. "O hateful body!" the unhappy soul will cry. "O bag of rottenness. Must I enter this slimy mass of filth! Must I enter such a stinking prison?" Yes you must! "O cursed body, because I gave you pleasure I see myself doomed." And the body will reply, "O treacherous soul, you are responsible for my ruin. God made me so that you might rule over me. Why did you not mortify my animal appetites? Why did you not guide me along the path toward heaven? Why did you let me run on the path of sin? O you cursed one, I would rather see the devil than you!"

In like manner former companions in sin will curse one another. They will hate to be joined with those that they loved in such a disorderly way. But they will have to unite.

This is the way that the Resurrection of the Dead will take place. All the just shining more brightly than the sun, and the condemned, more horrible than monsters, all will swiftly rise, with body and soul re-united, and then await the judgment of God.

Affective Acts

Admiration – Yes, I am to rise again. And how will I rise? Will I be in the number of the just or will I be among those condemned? Look at your works and they will tell you.

Resolution – My Lord and God, I detest and hate all my sins. I will strive from now on to do all the good works that I can, for they are what will help me on that fearful day. They are what will earn for me a victorious and glorious resurrection, in particular good Communions that are frequent and devout…

Oh, what a dreadful judgment for some! What a consoling judgment for others! The Sovereign Judge will come down from on high with great splendour and majesty. The sight of Him will bring joy to the upright and terror to sinners. Those who will be saved will be placed at His right, those who will be condemned at His left. How happy will the small and humble of the world be to find themselves in the company of the saints and angels of heaven.

How much would the wicked and proud give to see themselves at the side of the humble and pious! What would the treacherous Judas not do to be at the right hand of his Divine Master? Oh what panic will there be for the miserable ones who are doomed! They will make pitiful cries, but there will be no mercy for them, the time of mercy will be past.

God’s big book will be brought out in which everything is contained. The consciences of each one will be laid bare in the clearest fashion. All the trickeries, the deceits, the cheating, the lies, the thefts, the vices, the murders, all the crimes of sinners will be disclosed before the whole world. How humiliating will that be? Sinners will beg the mountains to fall upon them and hide them in their distress, but it will not happen. They will have to undergo the strict accounting that God will demand of all of them. The Lord will say, "What should I have done for sinners that I did not do? I invited them peacefully. In My Mercy I called them. I delayed the rigours of justice, but the wretches remained obstinate in their sin."

"I spoke to them through the ministers of My Gospel and admonished them through the ministers of penance. I threatened them with punishments, but these sinners disregarded both the words of mercy and the words about justice. I brought them forth from nothing, redeemed them at the price of My Blood, but these ungrateful people abused these great benefits, and trampled on my Precious Blood. Go you accursed ones into eternal fire. Depart from Me forever."

Then turning with a kind, loving look toward those who are saved, He will tell them: "You are my chosen portion, My glory and My crown. Though you were of the same flesh and blood as the condemned you did not live as they did. You ordered your lives according to My commandments and My laws. You will enjoy your eternal reward. Come, ye blessed of My Father, to possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world." How happy those blessed will be! How different will the state of those on the right be from those on the left. They will bless their mortifications and penances, their faith and hope and charity. This group will enjoy immense favours, and increasing delights for eternity. Those who are doomed will experience all kinds of torment without relief.

Shame – Consider the shame when all of our secret failings are made public before the whole world. On judgement day, all your sinful thoughts, words and actions will be made manifest, unless you have made a good confession of them, in which case they remain forgiven, covered up and erased.

Resolution – I resolve to make a good confession of all my sins, without hiding any on account of shame; for if I have this shame now and are afraid to tell my sins to the confessor, what will be my shame on that day when they are made public before the whole world?

My desire, my will is to sin no more, neither mortally nor venially. My the help of God, I will keep myself from all sins. I will practise virtue. I will observe the law, I will follow the counsels of the Gospel. I will frequently receive the Sacraments and I will be devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I will practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

1. Introduction
   1. Hamburg – On 7/28/1943, the British Royal Air Force launched a massive air attack in the middle of the night on Hamburg, a great industrial center in Germany, population two million. 729 bombers dropped a "bomb carpet" in the form of 2,417 tons of high explosives and landmines. After 30 minutes, two out of three buildings were on fire in a six square mile area.
      Tens of thousands of fires are started. Flames continually rise upward and outward, seeking oxygen. Number of fires reduced to the thousands, then to hundreds, then to dozens, until finally there is just one raging inferno, 1 1/4 miles in diameter.
      There is no power, no water, no communication, no street lights, only flames. The people must escape, but cannot. Eventually, a firestorm is generated. On the perimeter, winds are blowing at 150 mph. Temperatures rise to 1400F. Aluminum and lead become liquid; glass melts. The fire mounts to three miles high, even reaching the planes dropping the bombs.
      People in bomb shelters are not safe either. Utensils are melting inside, while brick turns to dust and ash. People asphyxiate, becoming mere puddles. Read second to last paragraph, p. 95.
      St. John Chrysostom – "We must descend into Hell before death, if we do not want to go down there after death."
   2. First Prelude – Composition of Place: length, breadth, and depth of Hell
   3. Second Prelude – Grace: Sense of pain which damned suffer. If I forget God’s love, at least the fear of pain will help me avoid sin.
2. Meditation – We go down to Hell and feel its effects. We apply the senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. Do not think that you cannot go to Hell. Many, many go there and you could too. There is already a place prepared; exceptional if everyone in the room went to Heaven.
3. Children of Fatima – Our Lady gave them a vision of Hell. They were immediately transformed, the sight was so terrible. The only thing that could console them was Our Lady’s promise that they would go to Heaven. Jacinta and Francisco performed terrible penances before they died: prayers, fastings, hairshirts, cords, no amusements, little food and water. "Save us from the fires of Hell … lead all souls to Heaven."
4. Sin is terrible – Man, a finite creature, can perform actions of infinite consequences. This is especially true when man offends the infinite God. Sin is serious and terrible!
   STA: "I cannot understand a man sleeping at night with one mortal sin on his soul." The doctrine of Hell is mentioned more than any other in the NT. We must do all we can to avoid it. That is why Our Lord mentioned it so many times.
   N.B. – Hell is a just punishment from God for rejecting His love. God loves us and wants to save us, but He also wants us to make a free choice of Him, unlike the devil, who tries to enslave us. Not choosing God is pure insanity. St. Leonard of Port Maurice: To be saved for all eternity, to be damned for all eternity, and to not make your every effort to avoid the one and make sure of the other, is something inconceivable.
5. Hell is eternal – Everything in this world passes. Hell is constant and eternal torment. This we cannot conceive. Consider our favorite thing to do, e.g. eating ice cream, going fishing. If we had to do them for a hundred years, a thousand years, they would become the most terrible torment for us. But Hell is even worse: eternal torment with no possibility of escape.
6. Colloquy of Mercy [71] – Consider the damned of the past: BC, during the life of OLJC, and AD. They are all dead and gone to their eternal damnation. I, however, am still alive, even after committing so many sins. What a great mercy of God! I can still repent, because God has been patient with me. Thank God. Resolve to avoid Hell at all costs. Repent for your sins.

With a good sense of order Saint Ignatius puts the meditation on the pains of Hell immediately after the one on sin, so that one may the more detest and deplore one's sins if he has unhappily committed any, when he sees the deservingness of punishment which comes about as a necessary consequence. The penalty in the other life must infallibly follow our crime if God does not use His Mercy; because the moment a man sins he incurs a debt -- a debt to be paid by eternal damnation -- and he becomes like a criminal sentenced to die on a scaffold, who has no way of appealing the sentence. This is why, after the meditations on sin, Saint Ignatius immediately presents those on Hell. It is so that our heart, naturally fearful of punishment, especially eternal punishment, may be withdrawn from committing sin. ("...Fear Him that can destroy both soul and body in Hell" Mt. 10:28.) This is a very right motive for repenting, for grieving over past sin, and for imploring the Divine.

Quoting Saint Ignatius: "First preamble, composition of place -- with the eyes of the imagination observe the length, width and depth of Hell.

"The second preamble (the appeal for something that I wish) will here be to beg a deep appreciation of the pains which the damned suffer, so that if, through my faults, I become forgetful of the Eternal Father's love, at least the fear of punishment will keep me from sin.

"The first point will be to see with the eye of the imagination the great fires, and souls appearing as in fiery bodies.

"The second will be to hear the frightful cries, wails, blasphemies against Christ our Lord and against His Saints.

"The third will be to smell the smoke, the rock, the sulphur, the filth and putridness.

"The fourth considers the sense of touch -- a fire which touches and burns souls."

-- God is just in His awards. He rewards the upright with the glory of Heaven and punishes the wicked with the eternal pains of Hell. We have seen how man was created to love and serve God. Now when he sins, he does not love nor serve God, but despises Him (Isaias 1:2), and thus he comes under sentence of eternal punishment in Hell. This punishment will be in proportion to the malice of his sins and their number. In sin there are found five evils of malice.

The first evil is the contempt with which the sinner treats God. On this account he deserves to be punished with the pain of loss, the loss of what he has made light of or disdained; hence he suffers the deprivation of the sight of God. The second evil is his act of rebellion or independence from God, amounting to an abuse of liberty. Thus he deserves to be punished by losing his liberty and suffering slavery and subjection to Satan; for God says, "Because thou didst not serve the Lord Thy God with joy ... therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things," you will serve thy enemy. (Deut. 28: 47-48)

The third evil is the over-fondness for a created object for which one sinned. Thus a created object, which is fire, will cause torment, and this is called a pain of sense. The fourth evil is a sensual or spiritual satisfaction that the sinner finds in sin; thus he deserves to be tormented with a corresponding dissatisfaction, as God commands --"As much as she hath glorified herself, and lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give ye to her ..." (Apoc. 18:7). The fifth evil is pride, which consists in man wanting to be happy of himself, independent of God. In Hell he thus finds humiliation, confusion, and every pain. Finally, as a sinner in Hell is found obstinate in his evil disposition like a rock in a well, the duration of his suffering is rightfully eternal.

Let us begin with the pain of loss: -- Picture to yourself Christian soul, a man whose lot is one of total misfortune, without anything good. Now a Christian who is damned to Hell loses God, the Supreme Good, and eternal happiness. To lose God is a misfortune that goes beyond all that the imagination can grasp. It is just as impossible to grasp it, as it is impossible to grasp and comprehend the Infinite Good one gains who possesses God. Yet we can conceive a vague idea of it. Enter into yourself, O my soul, and seriously weigh what it means to lose God.

1One who is damned loses the enjoyment of God. At the moment a soul enters Heaven, God gives it so clear an enlightenment that it can know perfectly -- as far as a creature can -- all the depths of His Infinite Nature, and inflames the soul with such a burning desire to enjoy God, that any delay, even a moment's delay, would cause it infinite pain. But because it so ardently desires this Good and at the same time perfectly enjoys It with the infallible certainty that it will eternally enjoy It, the soul experiences such a flood of joy that all other delights of paradise can be counted as nothing by comparison ... in Hell just the opposite happens. When the soul enters Hell, God sheds over it so vivid a light that it can know to the limits of its capacity, the greatness of His Infinite and Divine Essence. This enkindles in it so impatient a desire to enjoy God, that the delay of even a single instant causes infinite pangs. As it craves with such ardor to possess this tremendous Good and at the same time sees itself violently separated, with the certainty that it will never for all eternity enjoy God, such a painful sadness arises from this that compared to it, all other torments of Hell are considered as nothing... To sum up, as the happiness of a soul in paradise is beyond all measure because it possesses God so the grief of a soul in Hell is boundless due to its loss of God.

2One who is damned loses God's devoted, special Providence which cared for him. As long as a man is alive, he is under the care of God, Who enlightens his mind with exalted lights and encourages and fortifies him in his sufferings. But a soul which has entered the eternal abyss must hope for none of this. God no longer cares about it and regards it as something which no longer belongs to Him. And so for all eternity God will never again enlighten its mind, will not arouse its will toward the good, nor awaken a pious desire in its heart. It will become incapable of any good. There will be no more than very horrifying specters appearing to the imagination. Only the most distressing thoughts will prevail in the mind. The will will be stirred up with rage, madness and despair. The memory will perceive itself always grieved with very painful recollections. Wherever the soul may turn, it will find confusion and bitterness.

3When a soul is condemned, by losing God it ceases to be loved any more by creatures. The Blessed Virgin, one's Guardian Angel, all the Saints, love a man as long as he lives on earth. But once he is condemned by God, then God's friends agree in God's judgment and condemnation. For all eternity they will not have a kind thought for this wretch. Rather they will be satisfied to see him in the flames as a victim of God's justice. ("The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge ..." Psalm 57:11) They will abhor him. A mother will look from paradise upon her own condemned son without being moved, as though she had never known him. What is worse, is that in all the immense throng of persons damned in Hell, not one will fail to increase the torments of his companions, partly due to the horror one causes another, partly due to the anger with which they rage against one another, and also due to the heat, the stench and the closeness.

4After losing God and with Him all things, a condemned person also falls under the devil's power. God does not then care about him and delivers him entirely up to the enemy's will. And alas! what will the devil not do with this soul? As the devil is tremendously clever and powerful, has great hatred for men, is full of rage, with an ability to torment him according to the number and gravity of sins a man has committed and for which he is damned, then what will he not do? He can twist into the form of a serpent, enter the body, and torment him cruelly with his teeth. As a poisonous snake he can enter the mouth and bite and gnaw and destroy lungs, liver, heart and all the bowels. He can make his victim swallow molten metal and feed him poisonous toads. He can torment him practically as he wishes at his own pleasure, for God has withdrawn and the man is left under the fiendish demon's despotic control.

1Act of Repentance: -- O Jesus, how frightening are Thy judgments! How strict is Thy Justice! Oh, what a great evil sin is and how bitter are its effects! To be shut out of paradise for all eternity, to be forever cursed by the elect, to be always tormented and oppressed by the devil's tyranny -- this is the reward of sin. Up to now have I believed these truths? Ah, indeed -- that is just what increases my guilt! I have believed that a single sin is enough to make me lose God and with God all happiness forever; and yet I have sinned. I have done this without caring, without alarm. I do not think I know which is greater, my blindness or my malice. O Jesus! Do not take Thy Mercy from me.

2Resolution: What will I do? What is it that I will resolve upon? Ah! By all means I want to be able to behold Thee in Thy glory. O Supreme Good, and my last End! Though this would cost me a thousand lives, with all determination I must reach Heaven to embrace Thee there, my Jesus, my beloved Redeemer. Even if it be only through the cruelest torments, I must yet see Thee, O my dearest Mother, and you, O dear friends of God in paradise, even though it cost me all the blood in my veins... This is my resolution -- to rather die a thousand times than commit a single sin. Ye angelic spirits, be witnesses to the sincerity of my heart. I prefer a thousand deaths to ever sinning again. I will confess with repentance the sins I have committed up to now.

One who is condemned in Hell finds God to be as a supreme evil. It is true. One who loses God as his Supreme Good, finds Him to be like a supreme evil. Now how can it be that God, Who is a man's Supreme Good and Blessedness, change into that same man's supreme misery? Listen with attention, my soul, to what God does with those who are damned, and you will clearly know this truth.

1Within the reprobate, God places and preserves a very vivid knowledge of the Divine Beauty, with a very ardent desire to enjoy it. If the soul in Hell did not have a knowledge far greater than it has in this life, then it would be spared its greatest torment. But because this knowledge is very clear in the (damned) soul and presents very vividly to it the immense happiness and blessedness which it could have enjoyed in God, from this a bitterness comes which is inconceivable, inasmuch as every moment it is driven toward God with a burning desire, and also realizes at each instant that it is cast off by the Lord. What would be the torment of a thirsty man, tied hand and foot a thousand years where he would see ever before him a large drinking vessel containing a very delicious drink, and could not reach with his lips nor taste a drop of it?

2Within the damned person God preserves the sight of the Divine Countenance outraged (by his sin). Before the eyes of a damned soul, God is never presented in any other aspect than as a Lord supremely outraged, always armed for vengeance and ever engaged in tormenting it and pursuing it. The soul may try with all its might to withdraw from such a painful sight, to flee God's presence and escape His wrath. But the more it tries, the more closely God approaches it to make it suffer the weight of His Hand and all the bitterness of His anger. It will not be hard to estimate the horribleness of this pain. Just as the bare sight of God's Loving Face is enough to fill all the elect with a boundless joy, likewise the sight of God's angry Countenance is enough to strike infinite terror and an infinite pain into all the damned.

3God keeps alive the person who is damned. The strongest desire of a damned soul in Hell is to die. ("... Men shall seek death and shall not find it. And they shall desire to die, and death shall fly from them." Apoc. 9:6.) For knowing it can never appease God's anger against it, it desires death as the only means of escape. But it will desire this in vain, for the damned person will live as long as God will live. Just as God forever preserves the Saints in Heaven to delight them with new pleasures, so He will preserve forever the damned in Hell, to always torment them with new sufferings.

4God remains angry toward the condemned. The damned wretch will curse his sins a thousand times over again, but will yet be obstinate in them. He will roar with very pitiful moans, capable of moving stones to compassion. He will shed enough tears to flood the earth. A time will come when one could say that he has suffered in these flames a thousand million years for every mortal sin. In spite of this, he will not calm God's anger, nor ever move Him to pity.

The Lord will continue to show wrath toward him and will never cease hating him for all eternity. As the reprobate knows this, he will surrender to a complete despair, will go into a fury, will fill his heart with rage, and in an extreme spite will gnaw his own flesh. Not satisfied with this, he will conceive an eternal hatred for God; he will become, so to speak, a devil vomiting out continuous curses and blasphemies against God, and will have such a spitefulness against Him that he would engineer God's complete destruction if it were possible.

1Act of fear: Oh, what a happy affair it is to be at peace with God, and how bitter it is to have Him angry with us. How sweet it is to find God rewarding us; how painful to find Him an avenger. How fortunate to be plunged into a torrent of delights such as God lavishes upon His elect! How dreadful to find oneself planted in Hell, suffering all the evils which God will cause to fall like rain upon the damned. How sweet it is to enjoy God for all eternity, and how bitter to lose Him forever!

What will I do to escape from this infinite evil? Ah, my soul! After sin there is no other remedy but a deep hatred of sin and a sincere confession. -- I now have access to this remedy, and turning to Thee, my God, weeping in all earnestness with the most contrite remorse ... I tell Thee that I am sorry for my sins and I give Thee my word that I will go to Confession.

2Act of Repentance: O my God, with all my heart I detest and curse all the sins that I have committed until now. I know what evil I have done. In reference to Thee, sin is the supreme evil, because it is an offense committed against Thy Infinite Goodness and Mercy. It is also the greatest of evils in reference to me, because it is the ruin of my soul, which is immortal. And so I detest it and I curse it with all my heart... Oh, would that I had never sinned, my Jesus! Oh, would that I had never offended Thee, my Sovereign Good! But the evil is done. I have lost Thee, O my last End and only happiness, and I can never again rejoice with Thee except by means of penance and tears. O my heart, repent and do not be satisfied with a half-hearted sorrow, but enlarge, expand, as much as possible, to squeeze into yourself an immense sorrow. Be witness to this, O my Jesus, that if I had a thousand lives, I would want to spend all of them in pain and torments if in this way I could undo my sins... Thus I want to repent and indeed do repent of my sins, O my God! It is my intention to renew this will and repentance in Thy presence as many times as there are drops of water in all rivers and seas. O my Jesus, supply what is lacking in me; and offer to Thy Eternal Father, in place of my sorrow and repentance, that sorrow which Thou had in the garden for my sins.

3Resolution: But how will I conduct myself in the future? I will sin no more. If I cannot avoid sin except by dying, I will gladly choose death, even the most cruel death, rather than sin. If I can avoid sin only by bearing insult and contempt, I will gladly suffer being despised and abused by everybody rather than sin. I want to die rather than sin. Therefore, with this aim I will use all my days and all my hours and moments in loving my Supreme Good and keeping closely united with Him. O my Jesus, engrave deeply in my heart these resolutions; keep them there so that I will never forget to practise them. Our Father, Hail Mary.

The following is taken in its entirety from a pamphlet by J. Schaefer published in 1959.

(NOTE: In 1917, Our Blessed Mother appeared six times at Fatima, Portugal to Lucia dos Santos and Jacinta and Francisco Marto, three small children. During the course of these six world-famous apparitions - now approved by the Church as worthy of our devotion and propagation - the Blessed Virgin Mary made several startling statements and predictions, among them the outbreak of World War II if people did not change their lives. During the July 13 apparition, she allowed the children to see a vision of Hell. Following is Lucia's description of what they saw.)

At this point, Lucia was heard to say aloud: "Yes, she wants people to recite the Rosary. People must recite the Rosary." The Lady's face then grew very grave and she said: "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say often, especially when you make some sacrifice: 'O my Jesus, this is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'" At these words, she opened her hands on the three children once again and the light streaming from them seemed to penetrate the earth, and the children beheld a vision of Hell. Lucia cried out in terror, calling upon Our Lady. "We could see a vast sea of fire," she revealed many years later. "Plunged in the flames were demons and lost souls, as if they were red-hot coals, transparent and black or bronze-coloured, in human form, which floated about in the conflagration, borne by the flames which issued from them, with clouds of smoke, falling on all sides as sparks fall in a great conflagration without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of sorrow and despair that horrified us and caused us to tremble with fear. The devils could be distinguished by horrible and loathsome forms of animals, frightful and unknown, but transparent like black coals that have turned red-hot." Full of fear, the children raised their eyes beseechingly to the Lady, who said to them with unspeakable sadness and tenderness: "You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go. In order to save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I ask, many souls will be saved and there will be peace."

Lucia later stated that although the vision lasted "but an instant," she felt they would have died of fear and terror if Our Lady had not already promised to take them to Heaven.

1. Vision of Hell
2. Ask for the grace of perfect contrition. Dear God please give me an increasing sorrow for and hatred of my sins. Give me a horror for sin.

First Point: Damnation: "depart from Me, you cursed"

Those are horrible words in deed. To be cursed by God. It is horrible to be cursed by anyone, even worse to be cursed by a parent, but nothing can compare with the horror of being cursed by Almighty God. Hellfire and damnation are two different things. We don’t understand hellfire, but we have some understanding of what it is. Damnation is more mysterious. Damnation means to be separated from God forever. Separation from God is the worst punishment of hell. The fire is put there from the merciful God to distract us from being separated from Him. The fire is the only distraction that the damned have.

On the other hand you will have a horror for God. An aversion for God that comes from sin that has not been repented. You will continue to judge by your disordered inclinations. Not only have the damned souls lost charity; they have also acquired a hatred for God. The damned souls live in contradiction. They hunger and thirst for God with an immense desire, but also hate God because of their sins. This hatred of God manifests their total depravity of will. Hatred of God involves hatred of neighbour. As the Blessed in Heaven love one another, so the damned in Hell hate one another. There is no love, only envy and isolation, a terrible loneliness.

THE TWO STANDARDS

Lucifer: Riches, Honours, Pride Jesus Christ: Poverty, Contempt & Insults, Humility

The Standard of Lucifer: We want to convince ourselves that these really are the programs of our Lord and of Lucifer. Does St. Ignatius have it right? Lucifer is proud. He places himself on a high place and wants the false honours that are given my minions who really hate him. He is made ugly by sin, as are those reprobate souls who serve him. These vast plains represent the broad paths upon which the sinners walk. Babylon, the city of confusion, signifies the disorder of a guilty conscience. The throne of fire is a symbol of the pride and the passions, which devour the soul as in a fire. The thick smoke is the image of the blindness of the sinner and of the vanity of his pleasures. This smoke blinds men to the light of the truth. The hideous features and terrible look of Lucifer express the deformity of sin and the operations of the evil spirit in the soul, i.e., its troubles, its depressions, its agitation, its sorrows.

Consider the innumerable crowd of followers and ministers around Lucifer. Here are found the sinners of all ages—the spirits who first raised the standard of revolt against God, degraded beings with whom evil is become as their nature; all the men who have made themselves the slaves of their passions and sins—the proud, the impure, robbers, homicides, all the wicked men who at different times have startled the world by their crimes, and of whom there is not a single one who is not in some way an object of aversion and disgust. Why does Lucifer gather such creatures under his standard? He wants to seduce the whole human race, and after having seduced it, to drag it down to eternal misery.

Listen to Lucifer addressing his ministers, "Let us lie in wait for blood; let us hide snares for the innocent without cause. Let us swallow him up alive like hell. We shall find all precious substances, we shall fill our houses with spoils." See his three ordinary degrees of temptation, how first he catches souls by the love of riches; next, how he throws them into the paths of ambition; then, from ambition to pride, a bottomless abyss, from which all vices rise as from their fountain. See with what patience and zeal the ministers of Lucifer execute the task imposed on them by their master, how they make everything conducive to one end, the ruin of souls; defects of the understanding, inclinations of the heart; the character, the habits, the passions, the faults, even the virtues and graces of God. Finally, contemplate the success of hell in its enterprise, how many fools are taken in these snares every day; how many blindly throw themselves in, how many who, not content to allow themselves to be seduced, seek also to seduce their brethren. Look at yourself. Be astonished at how often and how easily you have given way to the temptations of the enemy. Weep over your folly and your past weakness and resolve to be wiser and more courageous for the future.

The Standard of Jesus Christ: A beautiful plain near Jerusalem where Our Lord Jesus Christ remains in a lowly place mingling as a friend with those who serve Him, attracting all hearts by his beauty and Divine Personality. The plain signifies the way of the just, rough in appearance, but in reality pleasant and happy. Jerusalem, the city of saints is the symbol of a pure conscience. Our Lord expresses the lowness and humility of his earthly life: the most beautiful of the children of men. The joy, the calm, the consolation are the works of the good Spirit in souls.

Around our Saviour are His disciples and apostles. The just and the saints of all ages are united. Nowhere has there been such an assembly or persons, each one is a hero and each is different. The patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, the virgins, the penitents, the doctors, the holy popes; none of the vices that dishonour humanity, on the contrary, all virtues, carried to heroic levels are present. Jesus Christ calls all theses saints under His standard for the sole purpose of recalling men to virtue, and thus to happiness in time and in eternity.

Listen in spirit to Our Lord exhorting His disciples and commanding them to go into the world to save men: "For the Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost"; "I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly"; "I am come to cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be kindled"; "Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Jesus Christ leads souls to perfection by degrees, exactly opposed to the temptations of Lucifer. His wishes them first to be inspired with indifference to riches, and then the desire of abjection, from whence arises humility as from its source and thence to all virtues.

See with what diligence and constancy the apostles accomplish the mission entrusted to them by the Son of God. Represent to yourself all the labours and sacrifices that their ministry entails: "In all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in prison, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in sweetness, in the hg, in charity unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left." Finally, contemplate the success of the enterprise—how many sinners snatched from hell; how many disciples won to evangelical poverty and humility; how many apostles trained and prepared for the saving of souls and the glory of God.

We are all placed between Jesus Christ and Lucifer, and it is equally impossible to serve both at once, "No one can serve two masters" or to remain neutral without serving the one or the other, for Jesus Christ says, "Who is not with me is against me!" It is then necessary to make a choice, and to do so wisely.

INCARNATION

In a meditation we use primarily the mind. In contemplation we use the will and make affective acts. It is important to make a good mental representation of the place, with attention to detail, then you will remain with the image.

Preparatory Prayer – as usual.

Recall the Mystery – "The angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin called Mary. The angel being come in said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; thou shalt bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus. Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to they word."

Our Blessed Mother did not speak much, this is one of her few recorded conversations and it is short. Look at her and the angel Gabriel. How God decided to work our salvation. He made it all depend on this humble maid. Perhaps someone’s salvation depends on you as well, perhaps many souls are depending on your fidelity to grace.

PERSONS, WORDS, ACTIONS

Composition of Place – Represent to yourself Nazareth and the humble house of Mary, where the mystery of the Incarnation was accomplished. Make a lot of detail, then you will stay there.

Ask for Grace – I want an intimate knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ who has become man for me, that I may love Him more and follow Him more closely. May we know well the infinite charity of the Word incarnate, and love Him more ardently and serve Him with greater zeal.

Confidence in God.

We want to go deeper into the mysteries.

How Christ calls me!

What will I do for Christ? St. Ignatius method leads to sanctity if applied.

The Blessed Virgin did not disbelieve the angel. She asked, how? All nature is in silence, all the world at peace. The pax Romani was precisely for the Incarnation.

The salvation of mankind depends on whether this young, humble virgin will accept the vocation that God has sent her. [This is the way that God planned it. He made us as social creatures. We do influence one another’s salvation.] The angelic world all awaits her answer. The world of men neither knows nor cares what is happening. The power of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her answer; at the beginning of creation God said, "fiat lux" and there was light. Now the Blessed Virgin says, "fiat mihi" and the Word is made flesh. The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity came to her womb. The Blessed Virgin Mary and Our Lord Jesus Christ are inseparable. Our Lord could not come to us without her consent and except through her. We cannot go to Our Lord Jesus Christ except through her.

The scribes and Pharisees knew that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, they also knew when He would be born. When the wise men came to Jerusalem and to Herod seeking Him, they were able to immediately answer, go to Bethlehem. However, they themselves did not go. They had not heard of the arrival of a great king or queen in Bethlehem, or of anything unusual. The shepherds had not spoken to them. God did not do things the way that they would have done it, and thus they were caught unawares and missed the greatest event in history.

Jesus Christ is our model! Who is Jesus Christ? "No one comes to the Father, but thorough me." "I am the way, the truth, the life."

Our Lord Jesus Christ thinks in a different way than we do! We want to know Him, we want to think like Him. He is "the way."

Our Lord became man to bring mankind back to the knowledge, love and service of God. That is, to bring mankind back to its last end. Each individual must know, love and serve God in this world.

The Word became flesh to bring men back to the knowledge of God. This is the plainest proof of the perfection of God. A God who cannot be worthily adored except by a man-God. The wisdom which knew how to invent this wonderful union of the divine with the human for His glory and our salvation. His holiness, which when offended can only be repaired by the satisfactions of a Divine Person. His mercy, which, instead of abandoning sinful man to his just deserts has pity upon him and saves him. His love, which, not content with the gifts bestowed on mankind wishes to present him with a God as a Saviour.

The Word became flesh to bring men back to the love of God. Consider that creatures, instead of leading man back to God, usurped all of his affections. Man is under the domain of his senses, thus God takes a sensible body to better captivate the human heart. He gives also the best example of that love. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. Recall also the life of Our Lord on earth. He bestowed on our Redemption all of His thoughts, all His affections, all His works, His entire divinity. He perfectly fulfilled the command of charity toward us!

The Word became flesh to bring us back to the service of God. He came to instruct us not only by word, but also by work and example, how to serve God. His whole life is a practical lesson of devotion to His father’s service. "Behold, I have come to do Thy will, O God." "Sacrifice and oblation Thou wouldst not, but a body Thou hast fitted to me."

That we might know Our Lord Jesus Christ. We must become like him.

Colloquy: With the Three Divine Persons, who determined in their love to Redeem us. With Our Lord Jesus Christ who humbled Himself taking the form of a servant to Redeem us and to be a model for us. With the Blessed Virgin Mary, who by her consent enabled God to become man. Ask always for the grace to know and love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ better in this life, to follow Him more closely. The grace to think like Him; to consider all humiliations of this life as nothing to gain souls for heaven; to be truly one of His apostles.

 

Act of Contrition

 

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread Thy just punishments, but most of all because these sins have offended Thee, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I do firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

The Incarnation [101-109]

1. Introduction – Contemplation
   1. Second Week – Different subject matter, different manner of meditation. Focus on the senses, a "looking" at a certain mystery of the Faith, through the optic of Persons, Words, Actions. For each one, we consider Men of the world, the Triune God, and the subject of contemplation. You are a fly on the wall. Live the event. Read and reread the Scriptural passages during free time.
   2. First Prelude – Look down on the world, see how men were losing their souls, making a world full of sin and wickedness. Meanwhile, God determined in His mercy from all eternity to send His Son to redeem mankind. When the time comes, the angel Gabriel is sent to Our Lady.
   3. Second Prelude – Composition of Place: scan all over the world, the houses, the peoples, the races. Finally, look at Our Lady at her house, in her room, in Nazareth of Galilee, a humble town.
   4. Third Prelude – Grace to ask: an interior knowledge of Our Lord that I may love Him more and follow Him better.
2. Point 1 (Persons) Read Luke 1
   1. People on the earth
   2. The Triune God in Heaven, looking on the earth, so many going to Hell
   3. Our Lady – a young girl, absolutely pure: stunningly beautiful but none could think of touching her. She is nothing in the eyes of the world, living in a remote village. Men send embassies to the great ones of the world and pay no attention to the little ones. God is about to send a messenger to a lowly girl in a remote village, to ask her to become the Mother of God, God Almighty making a request of a teenage girl and sending an angel to ask her! Look upon her: she is perhaps kneeling in prayer, praying that God will send a Messias to redeem the world. She is perfectly recollected, a picture of sanctity. You could look at her all day.
3. Point 2 (Words) – Men are blaspheming and cursing, vulgar, lewd. God, however, is saying, "Let us redeem mankind." Angel Gabriel gets a plane ticket to Nazareth. See the conversation between the angel Gabriel and Our Lady! She is so taken up with God that the presence of the angel does not startle her. She is only disturbed by the praise of the angel. She is so recollected as to immediately come to the crux of the issue: would she be able to maintain her virginity that she has promised to God? Her question is perfectly phrased. She knows the prophecies of Isaias, she knows that she will have to suffer greatly. But she does not hesitate; if this is what God wills, be it done unto me according to His word. No false humility here. She accepts then all of the sufferings that will come to her.
4. Point 3 (Actions) – Men are completely oblivious of what is going on and are busy in their sinful ways. Meanwhile, God is accomplishing the greatest event in the entire history of the world: the Incarnation. When Our Lady says "Yes," what happens? God empties Himself, taking the form of a man, and enters the womb of a lowly virgin, yet the greatest of His creatures! How does Our Lady feel? She has God within Her! For nine months! He Who created Her, and She is to be His Mother; He is to resemble her precisely. Comment on the diaconate. How we should imitate the sentiments of Our Lady when we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion! What are our dispositions? What a gift this is!
5. Conclusion
   1. Consider the behavior of Our Lord and Our Lady. What humility and goodness! How far we are from imitating them; how much happier and better we would be if we conformed our lives to their examples.
   2. Colloquy – I will speak to the Trinity, the Divine Word, and Our Lady, according as I am moved. I will ask for the grace to imitate and follow Our Lord, incarnate for us.

    

    

    

   The Three Classes of Men [149-157]

   Strengthen the Will

6. Introduction
   1. First Prelude – Three men with 10,000 ducats, but not acquired entirely as they should have been, for the love of God. They wish to make their peace with God by ridding themselves of all that opposes that peace.
   2. Second Prelude – Composition: Myself standing in the presence of God and all of the saints, that I may desire what is most pleasing to the divine goodness
   3. Third Prelude – Grace: Choose what is more for the glory of God and the salvation of my soul
   4. God wants all; He wants me to give myself to Him completely, to detach myself from everything that keeps me from Him. We must probe the depths of our heart to find what it is that prevents me from finding God in peace, e.g. money, comforts, a person, a place, office, something hard that happens to me, etc.
   5. We are not speaking here of sins, but of inordinate attachments. Tell story of Cromatius and St. Sebastian. What are the idols in my life? What class do I fall into in getting rid of them?
7. Later – First of the devil’s torpedoes. The devil wants to gain time. Later is too late! Good desires are not enough; we must put them into practice! This is a fatal deception. I act like I want to do what is necessary, when really I have no intention of doing it. Sick man who wants health, but will not take medicine.
8. But – Second of the devil’s torpedoes. I will take some medicine, but only the ones I choose & only in the way that I want. We think that God will be happy if I do something similar to what He wants, without perfect submission to His will. I will go this far and no farther. That is good enough. This class is full of weaklings and self-seekers. It destroys the spiritual life and prevents so many from becoming saints. Many times it is something very little that we are not willing to give up, that is keeping us from God. It is not a chain, but a silken thread that binds us.
9. All – Straightforward, earnest. Sick man desires health at any cost. I want what God wants, in the way that He wants it, and I respond immediately. Give up what is attaching and then evaluate if God wants me to keep it. Example of Johnny and his white rabbit. I accept whatever poverty and humiliations Our Lord wills for me. This is a life of constant joy, because all is possessed for God and nothing for self. It becomes a joy to sacrifice things.
   We must take the means – prayer, frequenting of the Sacraments, avoidance of occasions of sin (TV, amusements, bad company), removal of all bad affections
   Examples – The worldly sacrifice everything for personal gain, especially the athletes. The devil stops at nothing to damn souls. Our Lord held back nothing: look at the tabernacle, at the cross, at the manger, at Nazareth. Can I give only half measures? How many blessings are not attached to the third class!
10. Parable of the Sower
    1. First class – Seed falls on the road and does not germinate. It falls on the rocks and immediately dries up.
    2. Second class – The field has not been sufficiently weeded and the thorns grow up with the wheat, choking the wheat. And either sanctity is lost or salvation itself!
    3. Third class – Seed falls on good ground and bears fruit a hundredfold. The ground is tilled and re-tilled, weeded, manured. Everything is done that can be done for a good harvest. A man will do everything to prepare his field, but he fears going the extra mile for his soul, his eternity.
11. Colloquy – Try to find your white rabbit(s)! We must offer it if God wants it. Our resolutions must be very practical. Triple colloquy of the two standards, asking for poverty and humiliations. Note the remark of no. 157.

 

Two Standards

St. Ignatius presents to us Our lord Jesus Christ as leader and King, inviting all men and calling them to follow Him in the combat of the Enemies of God and men: - Satin, the flesh and world.

He promises victory to all those that will fight and that they be willing to be treated as he will be treated. The servant is not greater than the master. This fight is to the death.

It’s a combat with evil – A spiritual combat.

Christ is not optional. He is the only option. To choose otherwise would be offensive to God. Our only hope of salvation is in Christ.

There is going to be a long and difficult battle. It is life long. A daily battle – He who wants to be my disciple must take up his cross and follow me. We must take up our daily cross.

 

 

 

Two Cities to loves – St. Augustine

Two cities = Destinies = Heaven – Hell

 

 

Shroud

In 1898 the cloth was photographed for the first time by a man called Secundo Pia, who intended to make an exact copy of the image. – Shock to find that the negative imaged produced was a positive – In otherwords, what he was looking at in the shroud was a negative itself. The shroud was a photograph itself of something or someone else.

Until then many had claimed that the Shroud was merely a painted image of Christ's Body.
But the detection of the image, apparently being some kind of negative, seemed to discredit this opinion, as it seemed unlikely that an artist could have painted a true negative before the discovery of photography and thus the very idea of a negative image.

Barry Shwortz (Jewish) the documenting Photographer says "Assuming the Shroud were

manufactured in the 14th Century it would mean that someone would have had to

conceive of the concept of Photography 650 years before it was invented, I

do think so"

 

The photograph was subsequently studied at the Sorbonne University by Dr. Paul Vignon and colleges. And in April 1902 the French Academy of Sciences was presented with a report of their findings: There are no brush strokes and no pigmentation to be found on the cloth. The image is outlined only by a delicate stain completely absorbed by the cloth why the image could not have been painted.
It furthermore seems unlikely that a medieval artist could have painted a negative image with the medical details visible on the cloth. Instead Vignon explained the images origin as the result of chemical action-powdered aloes sprinkled on the cloth and urea in the sweat that covered a dead body.

The visible evidence furthermore suggests that the image actually is the imprint of a human corpse. As there are unmistakable signs of real wounds and of real blood.

In 1950 Dr. Pierre Barbet, a prominent French Surgeon, published his landmark book, "A Doctor at Calvary", documenting 15 years of medical research on the Shroud image. He described the physiology and pathology of the man on the Shroud as "anatomically perfect".

 

In 1997, Avinoam Danin, a botany professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a leading authority on the flora of Israel, along with Uri Baruch, a pollen specialist, reported that pollen grains lodged in the Shroud’s surface could only have come from plants growing in a restricted area around Jerusalem.

 

The Shroud –

All scientific evidence done on it has only confirmed it’s authenticity – The only one claim that is used against it is that of Carbon Dating –

Most the detailed imagery is not visible to the naked eye but only visible under ultra violate light (which was invented only in modern times – 650 years after the middle ages).

No paint brush strokes on the image.

Keven Moran,

Optical Engineer "The shroud image is made from tiny fibers that are 1/10 the size

of the human hair. The picture elements are actually randomily destributed like the dots

in your newspaper photograph, or magazine photograph. To do this you would need

an incredibly accurate atomic laser. This technology does not exist."

No smearing on Shroud – Even if you merely laid down on the cloth with blood on you when you get up you are going to smear the cloth.

Some 40 of the polyans found on the cloth are native to Palestine and southern Turkey.

A Painting or Photograph has only Two dimensional information (high and with)– This had 3 dimensional information – No human artist could duplicate this image.

No signal blunder in the human antomy as represented.

Carbon 14 – is based on a number of assumptions –

1.The rate of decay has always been the same throughout all of history.

2. The amount of C .14 in the atmosphere is the same as it has always been.

 

Ed. T. Hall given 1 million dollars for determining it to be a fake by some rich friends.

If the shroud is reproducible, why not re-produce it?

 

 

The Four Marks of the Church

"Unam, Santam, Catholicam et Apostolicam ecclesiatm"

"One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church"

These are the sublime words of the Creed that we receive as Catholics as a public profession of our faith.

What do these words. Why does the Church have to have these marks or can she do without them? What do we mean by these marks anyhow?

This what we hope look at this conference.

It is firstly important to understand that it is by these four positive marks that the true Church is distinguish from the false counter part or claimant "churches". If any claimant sect or "church" lacks any one of these marks, it can not claim to the be the Church as founded by Christ. This is because any Church that God is going to found must of it’s very nature have these four marks. That is why they are called the four positive marks. There are other various "negative" marks which the Church has but they can also be found amongst false sects (ie. Persecuted, zeal, etc).

I say that any Church that God is going to establish must have these marks because any Church that He is going to establish is going to be His Church and so it must in some way resemble Him. For this reason this Church must be one (in reflection of God’s own unity), Holy (in reflection of God’s own sanctity), and Catholic (since his truth is intended for all men since He wills all to come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved – 1 Tim) and Apostolic since that same truth must be handed on and extended to all generations since this Church will the essential vehicle or instrument of Salvation. My point in stating this is that I want you to understand the "4 Marks" are not an invention of the Church. It is something that the Church has simply acknowledge, but these marks are set by God and so all I will do is explain the four marks and to how the Catholic Church alone has all four marks.

1. One – Unitas Ecclesia

   Sacred Scripture tells us that we have "one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism." (Eph. 4:5)

   The true Church is called One, because its members are united together in the same faith, in the same worship, in the same laws; and in participation of the same Sacraments, under the same visible Head, the Roman Pontiff.

   Saint Robert explaines this as follows:

   "The Church is one, not twofold, and this one true [Catholic] Church is the assembly of men united in the profession of the same Christian faith and in the communion of the same sacraments, under the rule of legitimate pastors, and in particular, that of the one Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff." (De Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus Huis Temporis Haereticos, Tom. 1, (Ingolstadt, 1586). Quartae Controversia Generlist Liber Terisus, De Ecclesia Militante, cap. 2, col 1263).

   "...one flock, one shepherd" (St. John 10, 16).

   The Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). He can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church. She teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of faith to which we are called (Phil. 1:27, 2:2). St. Paul does not hesitate to affirm that the Church is indeed spouse of Christ (Eph 5:23) . This is the intimate Body of unity that Our Lord has with His Church .

   In fact when ever Our Lord speaks of Church he is always clear to point out that it is but One Church, one entity which has both a human and divine reality. This is whole point in speaking of the Church in parable fashion. In a sense by speaking of the Church in the manner of parables He compares it to Himself in that it has a double aspect of the Human and the divine. Our Lord speaks of the Church as a sheepfold, in which there is only one shepherd—that is the head of all, and the sheep are made to follow his voice; "other sheep I peaks of have who are not of this fold."

   Our Lord speaks of His Church He speaks of His Church as of a kingdom (Matt 18: 23), in which there is but one king to rule all. He speaks of His Church as a tree, and all the branches of that tree connected with the trunk, and the trunk with the roots; and Christ is the root, and the trunk is Peter and the Popes, and the large branches are the bishops, and the smaller branches are the priests, and the fruit upon that tree are the faithful throughout the world; and the branch, says He, that is cut off from that tree shall wither away, produce no fruit, and is only fit to be cast into the fire—that is, damnation. On this same point St. Augustine

   Our lord uses the various parables in speaking about the Church to prepare the minds of the apostles for this reality of Church that He has in mind. While in some aspects it will resemble the old ecclesia of the O.T. Church. Yet in many ways it will far surpass it. In fact this was the purpose of the O.T. Church, namely to prepare them for the coming of Christ and His Church of which all the things in the O.T. were only a figure or shadow.

   The Church like any society is also a moral body, namely by the fact that although it is not substantially one like a physical body, it nevertheless like any society has a unity of purpose and function and works for the common good of its members. However it must be kept in mind that the Church is Supernatural Society, (what we term "Totus  Christus" - the whole Christ) as it has a divine origin and continues to receive the graces of its founder (Jesus Christ, the Son of God). For this reason does St. Paul affirm (Rom. 7:5): "We, being many, are ONE BODY in Christ". Our Unity is ultimately in Christ. By Holding to the truths he has revealed to His Church and by remaining attached to it we shall poses the unity of membership in Christ and His Church without it our faith becomes nothing but a sentimental feeling which ultimately will only lead to perdition since without faith (the true faith that is) no one can be pleasing to God (Heb 11:5).

   This unity is essential to the very existence of the Church for as Our Lord put it "a house divided against itself can not stand"- Mark 3:25

2. Holy - Eph. 5: 25,— "Christ loved the Church and delivered himself for it, that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water and the word of life, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish."

1) Doctrine: anyone examining Catholic doctrine must admit that it is admirable and conducive to living a perfect life. The Church asks one not only to be good, but to be perfect. The Church has always stuck to the Truth in spite of immense pressure. 2) Fruits: Christian civilization and culture, and an immense army of saints. They are those who truly practiced what the Church teaches. The Church cannot be judged by those who do not live the Faith, any more than a doctor’s remedies can be judged by those who don’t take them. The saints worked extraordinary miracles and lived incredible lives. They cannot be found in any other religion.

The true church is called Holy ultimately because her Invisible Head, Jesus Christ is Holy. Christ doesn’t hesitate to affirm that He sanctifies Himself for the sake of the Church so that both may be presented in all perfection to His Father; "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth" (St. John 17, 19).

 

As a consequence the Church is Holy. She has an objective Holiness regardless of Her member and yet this also do means that some of her members will be holy as we indeed have innumerable examples that give testimony of this in the Church in the lives of the Saints. These saints by there holiness simply become another living reality of the Holiness of Christ.

If the Church is established by God, it must be adaptable to every race on the face of the planet. We find Catholics of every nation, each with their racial, cultural, and ethnical differences, but all professing the same faith, united under one head and one worship (though rites are different). Protestantism and pop culture, meanwhile, destroy these differences. The Church takes its members from every walk of life. Members freely join and are offered no reward, only the cross. The Church belongs to no age, race, culture, class or place. She is universal in every respect. This has to be from God, as there is no natural explanation for it!

 

Further the Church is said to be Holy because her Laws and teachings are Holy and lead to Holiness and so as a consequence there can be no true holiness outside of the Church.

Yet this does not mean that all the members of the Church are holy or that they are necessary going to be holy, but only that they are holy in the degree that they are conformed to their head and to the teachings, laws and Traditions of the Church which help to unite us to our head. SS is full of examples of which indict that until the end of time the Church will be filled with bad members: Our Lord's images of the sower of the seed (St. Matt. 13, 18-23), the net enclosing

the fish (St. Matt. 13, 47-52), and the sheep and the goats (St. Matt. 25, 31-46).

3. Catholic - "Going therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (St. Matt. 28, 19).

The true Church is called Catholic, or Universal, not only because all are called to enter into it but because she embraces all times, places, people and conditions; and all peoples are called to belong to her. In other words the Church is called "Catholic" because she transcends all times and cultural barriers. She is from above and encompasses all that is below. She embraces all men, in the true notion of that word in order to draw all to salvation. This is indeed one of the great aspects of the Church. All men from all nations will are called to belong to it. So great is this that St. John in the apocalypse (7:9) has reason to rejoice over this: " I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.

And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sits upon the throne and to the lamb."

Church is also universal in time and place – In time it has always been there – from day one. In place it has made great conquests throughout all parts of the world .

The name "Catholic" was often used by a great number of the early Church Fathers to distinguish the True Church from the false Church of the heretics. It was used at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Our Lord founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles. St. Augustine constantly makes use of the term "Catholic" in reference to the Church.

St. Augustine speaking on the word "Catholic" as the name for the true Church states: "When you see any body inherit its name from a particular man, as the Marcionites from Marcion, the Valentinians from Valentinus," (we may add the Lutherans from Luther, the Calvinists from Calvin,) "you may look on that body, not as the Church of Christ but as the school of Antichrist." -contra Luciferius

In other words, "its all in the name" since those who retain their communion with the ancient body of the faithful retained the ancient name, whilst heretics have almost always given to the name of their sect either their own name, or one derived from their peculiarly novel doctrine, or from the country in which their his new creed made its first appearance. Thus the Lutherans, the Calvinists, the Church of England, the Methodists, the Quakers, the Mormons etc, all show, by their very names, the human origin of their religion.

4. Apostolic

If OLJC founded the Church, then we must be able to trace her back to Him and those whom He chose to guide it – the Apostles. He gave them the Deposit of the Faith; we must believe the same things the Apostles and the first Catholics did. The Apostles were also given the Sacraments, the Mass, and authority over the Church. Which institution has all of these today? If the Church "defected," then OLJC failed and has not kept His promises. But we can compare the doctrine and easily see it is the same.

The founded on the Apostles and is governed by their successors, the bishops, who since the Apostles, have succeeded them without interruption. And these bishops have a lawful mission to guard always, in their teaching and management of the Church, the unity of Faith and of communion with their head and center, the Roman Pontiff.

What is meant by the term Apostolic Succession?

Church of Christ, must be able to trace her doctrine, her orders, all her mission, to the Apostles of Christ and so ultimately, by Apostolic Succession we mean that Lawful Succession of the hierarchy from the Apostles by means of the Orders validly received while simultaneously having transmitted the same faith of the Apostles.

And so in its concrete form, apostolic succession is the unbroken line of bishops stretching back to the apostles who held communion with the See of Rome.

Necessity for Apostolicity: Does the Church have to be Apostolic? You might ask - Why does this have to be the case?

The reason is that at all the time that the Church shall exist, there must have true pastors who have been lawfully sent to preach and teach the faith and it is by means of this Apostolic Succession that Christ intended His Church to endure until the end of world with the 4 marks with which he founded it. In other words it is by this Apostolic Succession that we are to know the true Church from all the counterfeit claimant churches of today because the true Church must derive, by a perpetual and uninterrupted succession from the Apostles, her doctrines, her mission, and her orders.

In Short we have:

Christ => 12 Apostles (Matt 18:18)

From which comes the continuation of the Same:

Doctrine = i.e. the faith

Sacraments = Holy Orders Re: apostolic Succession

Mission = Legitimate succession which today more explicitly implies union with the Patron office of the Pope - Matt 16:18

Scripture and Apostolic Succession:

The notion of Apostolic Succession is not doctrinal invention but one that is latent throughout the whole N.T, while we also see in the O.T that there did exist a privileged status of teaching which was in some way handed down as we see in the notion of the seat of Mosses (i.e. The seat of Mosses).

In fact we see in the N.T that Our Lord choice of 12 Apostles. These 12 Apostle were to symbolically replace the 12 tribes of Israel, they were to be the 12 Pillars of the New Israel, the N.T Church. We see this idea in the 12 Chapter of the Apocalypse (Apoc. xii., 1) where the women who signifies is depicted with the 12 Stars upon her head as though these twelve stars were her Glory. And so the significance of the number 12 is not accidental – It is meant to signify the 12 Apostles as foundation stones of the New Church, will supercede the O.T Church . St. Peter understood this well and that is why we read in the Acts of the Apostle that affirms that they had to choose someone else to take the Place of Judas before Pentecost, by someone who was a witness of the resurrection and who had been with the apostles from the beginning. This was because St. Peter knew well that divine providence had ordained it that the Church was to have 12 Apostles who were to be its foundation stone as a clear sign that it was to be a re-founding, a new Church, which while in many respects came forth from the bosom of the O.T because Christ was the fulfillment of the law and yet in many was it was also a totally new Church distinct from the O.T because it was founded by Christ the New Adam (Rom 5) who is the chief corner stone the Church (Eph 2:21).

More from Scripture:

The idea of Apostolic Succession is undeniably evident not only from the fact that Our Lord Established a Church (Matt 16:16) but its also clear that he intended that Church to endure until the end of time as he expressly states "I shall be with all days even to the consummation of the world"(Matt 28:18 ). In other word, Christ promised to remain not only with the Apostles but also all their lawful successors until the end of time since it’s evident that the Apostle will not always be around.

 

St. Paul who while he was called to be an apostle during the life time of Christ nevertheless is just as adamant about the point of Apostolic succession that he affirms to Titus saying: For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and should ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee: ...(Titus 1:5). – In other words, Titus, you have a duty to look after the Church and ensure it’s preservation and edification by Ordaining priests who can legitimately govern and teach in the Church, those doctrine which you have received from me, and I from Christ. I say this because the ordination to the priesthood is essential to maintain the sacerdotal and hierarchical structure of the Church which is implied in the notion of Apostolic Succession.

Church Fathers and Apostolic Succession:

As early back as we go in antiquity, we see this same truth being affirmed. If any point of doctrine has unanimity of opinion amongst the Fathers, it is truly this doctrine of Apostolic Succession.

The first Christians then had no doubts about how to determine the true Church from the many claimant sects. The test was simple: Just trace the apostolic succession of the claimants. Did the teaching AND the teachers come down from the apostles and their legitimate successors? If not they were not part of the True Church. The simple procedure worked every time, even if in times of crisis, it might not have been always so clear yet this criterion has nevertheless remained infallibly true. It is this same principle of apostolic succession which the Catholic Church has always operated by.

It’s true that people will often bring up the point that present day Catholicism doesn’t have the semblance or external appearance of what they had understood the early Church to be. The Church which Christ founded was in no way to remain static. While the guiding principles which would be it’s pillar, would remain static, that is the unshakable and immutable faith upon which it is based will and must remain ever unchangeable because the Church would continue in the way Christ had founded it.. Yet the Church itself like a human body, organically developed from the beginning in a gradual, consistent fashion.

Cardinal Newman makes the analogy between an acorn seed and the great oak from which it springs. In comparison they look noting alike, yet one has homogeneously grown out from the other. We might say that all the DNA of that Oak Tree was contained in the seed. It is one and the same as the seed, since without the seed their would be no Oak tree, and yet who will turn around and deny that the Oak tree has nothing to do with the acorn? The same is true of the Catholic Church, which while it has maintained it’s doctrinal truths, nevertheless continue to grow both numerically in it’s membership and also in its expounding and clarification of that same faith which Christ had taught to the apostles, while by the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost continues to lead men to heaven by means of the sacraments and legitimately developed rites and ceremonies . In fact, Christ Himself declared this to the apostles that this would be the purpose of the Holy Ghost, to guide them in all Truth. Yet there were many things that our lord had wished to expounded to the apostles, but as He said " (John 16:12) "but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself: but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak. And the things that are to come, he shall shew you them". Hence, these truths were to be later expounded by the apostles by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and faithfully transmitted through their successors.

Explanation/Illustration:

Acorn = 1. As Foundation Stones* = Primary role of the Apostles Ergo. Common opinion is that the Apostles were infallible, impeccable + all had universal Jurisdiction/Mission. (* Ergo Public Revelation ended with the death of the Last Apostle.

Oak Tree = 2. As Depositories of the faith = Secondary Role of the Apostle, but Primary Role of their successors is to transmit this deposit (Ergo true Notion of Tradition) = limited to their own diocese (with exception of the Pope) while their secondary role is to communicated that tradition to the generation in which they live (Ergo the notion of Living Tradition).

If the Church be truly be Apostolic the consequence will be that it will have all the other marks. That is any of the four marks can only exists in appearance within a false claimant sect but for it to be truly have any of the 4 marks it would be that very fact have all the rest. One Can not however claim to have one to the exclusion of any of the 3 marks since all integrally unity much like a body and soul since they all come from the same other and as I said in the intro any Church that is the True Church of Christ must have by that very fact all four marks in resemblance of it’s founder for the Church is His! It is important to remember that the Church is His especially in these times. It shows us that He knows what He is doing and that the Church will all remain with her four marks until the end despite the perversity of men who may individually fall away from the faith.

This then is part of the Divine Constitution –This is the way Christ Founded his Church and it will endure in this way to the end of the world. With Priests and Bishops and Pope to the end of the world.

The Marks of the Church §123

The Marks of the Church Founded by Christ

Which of the Christian societies is Christ's own? In searching, we presuppose that: §124

• Christ was truly a messenger from God

• Christ founded a numerically visible society

• The Church Christ founded still exists

§125 Mark - a quality which distinguishes a thing from all other things

• Positive - Proves unmistakably that the thing possessing it is the genuine article sought for

• Negative - Shows that nothing prevents a particular object from being the article we are looking for

Requisites for a thing to serve as a mark

• Essential to the thing - Will never be missing from the thing

• Easier to recognize - The mark should be known before the marked article

• Visible/obvious - All marks need not have the same perspicacity; as long as some are easily recognizable

Marks of the Church acc. to non-Catholics §126

• Schismatics - One mark: the unchanging preser-vation of the doctrine of the 1st 7 ecu. councils. But: Rules out organic exposition of doctrine; Does not prove that Church of 8th c. was Church of Christ

• Early Protestants - Marks: the gospel preached in its purity & rightful use of the sacraments. But: Completely arbitrary, not proper to the thing we are searching for; also, impossible to recognize them unless you first know the true Church of Christ

Marks acc. to Catholics §127

1. Unity §128 - Visible & easier to recognize than the true Church itself; Miraculous if a.) perpetually present; b.) spread over the world; c.) Arose spontaneously & connaturally
2. Holiness §129 - Heroic holiness/charisms readily perceived, not found outside the true Church, can be seen before finding the true Church, & requires an abundance of grace not granted to heretics
3. Catholicity §130 - Refers to morally universal diff-usion; its preservation thru the centuries amounts to a moral miracle; does not mean it has more members than all others, but is always diffused throughout the world, which can never be true for any other religious society for a long time
4. Apostolicity §131 - Apostolicity of membership & government; knowledge of history required; the sustaining of the Church for 2000 years is also a moral miracle

 

 

Corollaries §132

• Any one of the four marks suffices to identify the true Church, provided it is applied in its full meaning

• Each of the marks involves something miraculous; merely human marks can always be counterfeited. Thus, they are sufficient to demonstrate the divine origin of the Catholic religion over all others

Which Christian Society Verifies the Marks of Christ's Church?

The Reformation Churches §135

Beliefs of Lutherans

1. Justification by faith alone
2. Intrinsic corruption of human nature by original sin
3. The Bible is the only norm of faith
4. The existence of only 2 sacraments (Baptism & HE)
5. Rejection of a sacramental priesthood for the common priesthood of all believers
6. Supreme power over churches conferred on secular rulers

Beliefs of Calvinists

1. SS obscure & intricate => HG enlightens reader
2. OL dynamically present in the Eucharist
3. Absolute predestination
4. Secular rulers excluded from church government
5. Zealous in promoting good behavior & social works

Beliefs of Anglicans

• High - Episcopacy is of divine origin

• Low - ~Calvinist, not so conc. w/episcopal rank

• Broad - Rationalistic; all dogmas debatable

Notes on ecumenism: good for Prots, not for RCC

• At best, dialogue is a pretended neutrality to Truth

• At worst, ecumenism is a true evolutionary thought

• Middle ground, position of pretended neutrality, leads to religious indifferentism

Prop 1. The mark of unity & catholicity cannot be verified in the Eastern or Refor. churches. §137

• Collectively - They lack unity, being composed of many churches completely independent

• Singly - They lack catholicity, being often confined to the boundaries of a single country

• Doctrine - Not even individual protestant churches agree; Photian churches do not evangelize & show some wavering in doctrine; fundamental principle of protestantism militates against unity

Prop 2.The RCC possesses the mark of unity. §138

• Doctrine - All Catholics profess the doctrine proposed to them by the bishops & are ready to accept whatever decisions the Church makes

• Social - All worship God with the same sacrifice, sacraments, & universal laws

• Government - Both laity & clergy obey the bishops & all are under the rule of the Roman pontiff

Prop 3. The RC possesses the mark of catholicity. §139

• It is called "Catholic" by the entire world

• It surpasses the combined membership of all the other "Christian" churches

• It is geographically diffused over the whole world

• It keeps spreading constantly ever wider

Prop 1. The Photian & Prot. churches lack the mark of apostolicity. §140

• No ap. of membership - One started in 1054, the other in 1517.

• No ap. of government - Caerularius lost apostolic power when he broke w/Rome, as did all other schismatic patriarchs. Lay synods, political rulers, etc. cannot be legitimate successors of the apostles

Prop 2. The RCC possesses the mark of apostolicity. §141

• Membership - All others came into being by sep-arating from the CC; she is older than all others; no one can prove that she started after the apostolic era

• Government - The CC is united to the Bishop of Rome, who goes back to St. Peter

Prop 1. The mark of holiness cannot be verified in the Photian or Protestant churches. §142

• No heroic holiness - May have ppl of ordinary holiness, but no saints. Prot. founders not holy & results of "Ref." disaster, not improvement

• No miracles or charisms

• Means of holiness - Orthodox have them, but not jurisdiction & apostolicity, which are nec. for saints; Prots: Doctrine unholy, institutions & laws do not promote holiness, banishment of religious rites

 

 

Prop 2. The RCC possesses the mark of holiness.

Preliminary Suasions §144

• OL prophesied that His Church would be hated by the world; none experience hatred so much as the CC

• Ppl convert to the CC to become holier; they leave b/c of worldly motives

Proof §145

• Many means to holiness

• Doctrine - Embraces gospel ideals in their entirety

• Disciplinary laws - Constantly & earnestly instructs men in the keeping of divine laws

• Institutions - 7 sacraments, devotions, confraternities, societies, religious orders

• Abundant harvest of holiness §146

• Vast number consecrated to the state of perfection

• Vast number of genuine saints the Church continually produces

• Unceasing charisms throughout history §147

Corollary - CC not to be blamed for those Catholics who do not follow her principles, laws, & way of life

Should the Church promote temporal prosperity? §148

• The real source of earthly happiness does not depend on material goods or secular culture

• Temporal prosperity does not directly or necessarily depend on religion

 

The Properties of the Church

Properties - those qualities which flow from its very essence and are a necessary part of it

7 properties - visibility, indestructibility, infallibility, unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity

The Church's Infallibility

I. Church's infallibility - the Church can neither de-ceive nor be deceived in matters of faith and morals §77

• Active - Church's rulers are rendered immune from error when they teach

• Passive - all of Christ's faithful are preserved from error in their beliefs

Active infallibility - a.) The privilege by which the teaching office of the Church b.) Through the assistance of the Holy Ghost c.) Is preserved immune from error d.) When it defines a doctrine of faith and morals

II. Errors §78

• Protestants - Ascribe infallibility to no (visible) church

• Jansenists - ecumenical councils decide doctrine when delegates a.) meet, b.) agree, and c.) have their decision ratified by the Church throughout the world

• Modernists - No infallibility; doctrine defined by the Christian consciousness; religion subordinated to cultural expression

III. Fact of Infallibility §79 Prop: What the teaching office of the Church hands down on faith & morals is infallible; dogma of faith

- Church's rulers are only inf. when they use the fulness of their authority & intend to bind everyone to assent

- Intention of binding affects only the definition, not the historical observations, reasons for the definition, etc.

Proof

1. Promises of Christ - 1(§80): a.) The HG will teach you all things (J 16); b.) He will remain forever (J 14); 2(§81): a.) Ap. promised aid in teaching all nations (Mt 28); b.) All men obliged to accept their teaching (Mk 16)
2. St. Paul §82 - Church = pillar & ground of Truth (1 Tim. 3) = Christian doctrine in its entirety
3. Fathers §83 - Sts. Ignatius, Irenaeus ("the bishops have received the sure charism of truth"), Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine
4. Qcal argument - M: The Church is indestructible; m: It would fail if it strayed from the true teaching of Christ; C: It cannot stray from the true teaching.

 

 

 

 

Corollary - Synagogue infallible? §84

- God watched over the preservation of doctrine then, in a manner suited to that age

• Ordinary teaching office of the prophets - exercised authoritative teaching power, but no charism of infallibility

• Extraordinary - New revelations made to prophets

IV. Object of infallibility §85

- Doctrines which ppl need to a.) believe aright & b.) live uprightly & which are either:

• Primary - each and every religious truth contained formally in the sources of revelation

• Secondary - all things so closely connected w/the deposit that revelation would be imperiled if a certain decision were not made about them

Proof that infallibility extends to primary object §86

• Words of Christ - Sent the Apostles to teach nations and promised them the Spirit of truth

• Purpose of infallibility - One could doubt almost any truth if the first truths were doubtful

What belongs to the primary object of infallibility?

1. Decisions on the canon & true meaning of SS
2. Those acknowledging & explaining the records of divine tradition
3. Those on the selection of terms in which revealed truth is to be presented
4. Those on doctrines directly opposed to revealed truth

What belongs to the secondary object? §87

1. Theological conclusions
2. Dogmatic facts
3. General discipline of the Church
4. Approval of religious orders
5. Canonization of saints

The Church is infallible in things closely connected to revelation - All error must be eliminated; this cannot be done w/o infallibility in related matters.

1. Qcal conclusion §88 - a proposition which by genuinely discursive reasoning is deduced w/certainty from 2 premises, one formally revealed, the other known w/natural certitude

Qcal conclusions are closely connected to revelation - Denial in conclusion means denial in premise; this premise will often be the revealed premise.

Also: The Church cannot stretch infallibility beyond its limit, as this would require assent to things uncertain.

 

 

 

 

2. Dogmatic fact §89 - a fact not contained in the sources of revelation, on the admission of which depends the knowledge or certainty of a dogma or of a revealed truth

Proof that infallibility extends to dogmatic facts

• Purpose - Error in dogmatic facts would constitute a danger to the faith

• Practice of the Church - a.) often has condemned heretical writings (Nicaea & Ephesus); b.) declared Vulgate authentic & Canon free from error; c.) in case of Jansen, silence about a dogmatic fact not adequate

Corollary §90 - dog. facts are often used to deduce a conclusion from revelation; thus they may be called indirect objects of infallibility

Types of conclusions

1. Theological - result of a real reasoning process
2. Truth formally but implicitly revealed - the syllogism is merely explanatory

3. General discipline §91 - those ecclesiastical laws passed for the universal Church for the direction of Christian worship & living

Twofold judgment w/sanctioning a law

1. Doctrinal - This law squares w/the Church's doctrine on faith & morals; infallible
2. Practical - This law is most opportune; not infall.

Extent: The Church can never sanction a universal law which would be at odds w/faith or morality or would conduce to the injury of souls

Infallibility extends to general discipline; Proof:

1. Purpose - Church would encourage vice & induce corruption in practice of religious life & thus would not be a guardian of revealed doctrine
2. Official statement of the Church - Auctorem Fidei call erroneous hypothesis that the Church could est. dangerous, harmful, etc... discipline

Corollary §92 - lex orandi lex credendi: formulae of prayer approved for public use cannot contain errors ag. f & m (but historical facts can be wrong in the Breviary)

4. Infallibility extends to approval of religious orders §93 (in the app. of its constitution & app. of the pope)

1. Purpose - Church would not be trustworthy teacher of Christian truth if it could approve a constitution opposed to the gospel or natural law
2. Solid conviction of the Church - Makes it clear in approval that it considers such decisions infallible

- Decree is infallible in doctrinal judgment, that such a constitution is an apt instrument for acquiring Christian perfection, but not in the practical judgment

Canonization §94 - final & definitive decree by which the Pope declares that someone has been admitted to heaven & is to be venerated by everyone

5. Infallibility extends to canonization of saints

1. Purpose - Church cannot be guardian of truth & recommend damned person for veneration
2. Solid conviction of the Church - Popes use "language of infallibility" when canonizing

Church not infallible in issue of relics

• Never issues a solemn decree about them

• Relics are relative cult (directed to an object), saints are absolute cult (directed to a person)

Corollary §95 - Equivalent canonization, deceased person gradually venerated by the universal Church, not on same plane, b/c consent of Pope is only permissive

Is the Church's infallibility in matters related to revealed truth itself a revealed truth? §96

- It is at least a conclusion from revelation; serious reasons indicate that it is formally revealed; the Truth OL promised the Church must be understood this way

V. Nature of Infallibility

1. Not just absence of error, but imposs. of erring §97
2. In actual existence only when something is being defined; not a permanently residing habit
3. Assistance of HG is the efficient cause §98 - a.) inferior to revelation & inspiration, as no new doctrine is received; b.) can involve any influence God may choose to use; He positively guides
4. Assistance does not render void the work & study of men §99
5. Assistance extends to 3fold function which rulers must fulfill - (Infallible) Witnesses of revelation; Teachers of religious truth; Arbiters of controversies

Rule of faith §100 - norm acc. to which each individual Christian must determine what is mat. obj. of his faith

Material rules = Creeds; Formal rule = preaching itself

Christ est. Church's preaching as rule of faith

• Command to teach all nations (Matt. 28, Mk. 16)

• No command to give doctrine in writing or seek faith in Bible

Church's preaching fits people's needs

• Easy - Can be observed by all, incl. uneducated

• Safe - Church is infallible in safeguarding & presenting Christ's doctrine

• Living - Always possible to explain meaning of doctrines & end controversies

 

 

 

 

 

The Church's Unity

Threefold unity of the Church §101 - doctrine & profession, communion, & government

Prop(§102): Christ willed that His Church enjoy unity of faith & profession

- Consists in all members holding & making profession of the same doctrine as it is presented by the Church; internal assent of the mind not sufficient

1. Words of Christ & Apostles - Demand that everyone profess the faith preached by the apostles
2. Conviction of early Christianity - Sts. Augustine, Irenaeus, Justin ("1 mind, 1 congregation, 1 Church")

Essential unity of faith §103

• Requires that everyone hold every doctrine clearly presented for belief by the Church explicitly or at least implicitly

• Does not require that there be no controversy about religious matters

Fundamentalists §104 - Agreement on fundamental doctrines is sufficient; variety of opinions can be held on other less fundamental truths. BUT:

• OL demanded faith in all doctrines which the auth. He est. should teach, w/no distinction of doctrines

• There can be no sure standard for distin. non-fund. & fund. doctrines; the system leads to indifferentism

Prop: - Christ willed that His Church enjoy unity of communion or of (social) charity §105

- Consists in all members mutually cohering as the parts of one moral body, one family, one single society

1. Metaphors of OL & Apostles - Compared Church to a house, kingdom, sheepfold, organic body
2. OL's prayer after the LS - "That they all be one, as Thou Father in Me & I in Thee" (J 17)
3. Conviction of early Xianity - Abhorred schisms; Sts. Ign., Irenaeus, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Augustine

S1 §106 - Diversity of liturgies & disciplinary laws does not break up the unity of communion, b/c it does not affect the substance of Christian worship

S2 §107 - Some Anglicans say that unity of communion is desirable but not necessary & the Church comprises 3 distinct communions. BUT: they certainly do not form 1 fold, 1 body; they are still several Churches

Prop §108: Christ willed His Church enjoy unity of rule: Consists in all members obeying 1 & the same visible authority

S1 §109 W/the Western Schism, when there were 2 or 3 "popes", unity was only materially, not formally, interrupted

Corollary - Unity of worship is included in unities of faith & of communion. Thus not mentioned by V I or Leo XIII

The Church's Holiness

Holiness (union w/God) implies two things: §110

• Being cleansed of anything that can sully

• Adhering staunchly to God through love

Two of the degrees of sanctity

1. Ordinary - one is habitually free of mortal sin
2. Heroic - one surpasses in a notable way the common run of ppl who live virtuous lives

The Church is holy b/c:

1. Its founder and head is the Son of God
2. Its purpose is the glory of God & sanctification of mankind
3. By the institution of Christ it has a 3fold holiness

Church has a 3fold external & visible holiness - its means of sanctification, members, & charisms

Prop: OL willed His Church to be holy in its means §111 – The Church possesses means suitable to produce moral holiness in people

1. Purpose for its founding - Eph. 5 "Church in all her glory, devoid of blemish or wrinkle"; Church needs to be holy to sanctify
2. Metaphors - Church compared to yeast (Matt. 13), pastors to "salt of the earth" (Matt. 5)
3. List of means of sanctification - OL gave to the Apostles holy means - a.) sound doctrine; b.) sacraments; c.) sacred authority; => all from Eph. 4

Prop: OL willed His Church to be holy in its members §112

A1. A harvest of even outstanding holiness can never be wanting in the Church.

1. Christ's promise - Church was founded to lead men to holiness & He promised help to attain this end
2. The Apostle calls the Church the body of Christ, which Christ nourishes & cherishes (Eph. 5)
3. OL wanted the Church to be recognized by its abundant holiness (Matt. 5) "light of the world"
4. OT prophecies - Describe the Church as a kingdom of surpassing holiness (Ps. 71, Is. 62, Ez. 37)

A2. The harvest of holiness is limited §113

• OL warned that there would be many sinners in His kingdom; parables of cockle, net, virgins

• It is very difficult to reach heroic holiness

Corollary - The Church can be called unqualifiedly holy, even though it contains more sinners than saints.

Prop: OL willed His Church to be holy in its charisms §114

Proof: OL promised charisms for those who believe in Mk. 16, w/o restriction of time

Charisms have an essential relation to holiness

• They are signs that the HG dwells in the Church

• They are enjoyed by those outstanding for perfect holiness

The Church's Catholicity

Catholic §115 (kata holon = throughout a whole) = something complete, whole, entire

Catholicity = the diffusion of the one and undivided Church throughout the entire world

The Church is catholic in:

1. Doctrine - it teaches Christ's religion in its entirety
2. Personnel - It welcomes ppl of every race
3. Time - It covers the whole era from the time of Christ to the end of the world
4. Place - It is spread throughout the entire world

Two aspects of catholicity

• By right to spread throughout the world

• Aptitude - b/c there is nothing in its structure which binds it to 1 or more nations

• Right & duty - b/c OL endowed the Church w/power & obligation to spread to the world

• In fact §116 – the actual spread of the Church throughout the world

Prop 1: The Church must one day reach all nations

1. Messianic prophecies - Gen. 22, Ps. 2, 71 ("All the nations shall proclaim his happiness)", 85 ("All the nations you have made will come & worship you")
2. Words of Christ - Matt. 28 ("teach all nations"), 24; Lk. 24; Acts 1 ("You shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth")

Prop 2: The Church should always be morally universally diffused §117

1. Messianic prophecies - Constantly speak of the diffusion of the Messianic kingdom among all ppls
2. Words of Christ - St. Paul says Gospel was bearing fruit "throughout the whole world"; Promises of OL must be fulfilled in some sense, though imperfectly

Corollary - No catholicity if there were large #s of Catholics, but only of one nation; nor if there was merely successive diffusion.

Prop 3: The moral diffusion should be a progressive expansion §118

1. Messianic prophecies - Is. 54 "Enlarge the place of thy tent & stretch out the skins of thy tabernacles"
2. Words of Christ - Comparison of mustard seed

Notes: The Church can be notably decreased due to schism or heresy. She cannot, however, be restricted to just one region, and the end time prophecies cannot be taken in this sense.

 

 

 

The Church's Apostolicity

What is apostolicity? §119 For:

• Protestants - merely apostolicity of doctrine

• Anglicans - & apostolicity of government

• Catholics - & apostolicity of membership

Ap. of doctrine - The Church always retains & teaches the same doctrine which it received from the apostles

Ap. of government - The Church is always ruled by pastors who are the Apostles' legitimate successors

S1. §120 How can one prove that a certain bishop is a legitimate successor of the apostles?

- Must est. that he has the complete ordinary powers of an apostle & also has the power of jurisdiction

• Method 1 - Demonstrate that he is connected w/1 of the original apostles by a never-interrupted line of predecessors in the same office, none of whom have acquired their office illicitly

• Method 2 - Find the one est. by Christ as head of the apostolic college. Then find out whether this bishop is united to & acknowledged by him

Method 2 is satisfactory - None of the Apostles had any power of governing except as a member of the Petro-apostolic college. This is also true of their successors

S2. §121 Theory of extraordinary mission.

- Prots. claim that God could raise up a group of men w/an extraordinary vocation & confer on them apostolic functions if apostolic pastors are viciously corrupt.

Christ's promises rule out this possibility

1. He conferred sacred powers on the Apostles until the end of the world
2. He promised them perpetual and unfailing assistance
3. God would be sowing the seeds of division by setting up 2 separate & independent sources of authority, both demanding obedience from the same subjects

Ap. of membership §122 - The Church in any given age is & remains numerically the same society as that est. by the apostles.

- A moral body remains numerically the same so long as it retains the same social structure and the same auth.

- A specific likeness is not sufficient; the Church could not crumple & then another society just like it spring up and still be apostolic.

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Supper

"Before the festival day of the pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out

of this world to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end." – Jn 13

1. Introduction
   1. We beginning to contemplate the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and, in doing so, always keep in mind three points:
   2.  
      1. Our Lord wills to suffer. He could have saved me without suffering, but wanted to show His love for me.
      2. Jesus hides His Divinity. He could smash His enemies but holds back.
      3. All of this is for me, to redeem me, to incite me to love. How can I not respond?
   3. Preparatory prayer always, always remains the same.

      Second Prelude – Composition of Place: the Cenacle, the room of the Supper, big, small, etc. Read the Scriptural account!

       

      This was his hour. His night-

      "Why is this night different from every all other nights" – was the question that began the sayida - (For 3 thousand years, since the first Passover ceremony, these words had been said:

      "We were slaves to pharaoh in Egypt and the lord redeemed us with a might hand, if the holy and blessed one had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we our children and our grandchildren would be slaves in Egypt, this is why even though we might be wise, and learned and experienced, though we might know the Torah well, it is our duty to tell the story from the out going from Egypt, and the more one tells from the out going from Egypt, the more praise worthy he is" -

      Explain –

      (The Jewish Passover ceremony) – Recount how they were delivered from Slavery, - The youngest male in the house would begin the question:

   4. Third Prelude – Grace: grief, feeling, and confusion for my sins because Our Lord is going to His Passion for me
   5.  
2. Point 1 – Eating the Paschal Lamb:

   After the mentioned words had been recited, they then said these words: "If God had rescued us from Egypt but not punished Egyptians, it would have been enough! If he merely punished the Egyptians, but not destroyed their gods, it would have been enough! If He had destroyed their gods, but not slain their first born, it would have been enough!

   If He had slain their first born, but not given us their property it would have been enough! If he had given us their property and not split the sea for us, it would have been enough!

   If he had merely had split the sea for us, and not brought us through on dry ground, it would have been enough for us! If he had brought us through on dry ground, and not drowned our oppressors it would have been enough! If he merely drowned our oppressors but had not supplied us in the desert for 40 years, and not continue to feed us with manner it would have been enough! Etc.

   The meal continued with various blessing, the drinking of the cups of wine,

   But this Passover was not to be like every other Passover, it was to be the last true Passover- Christ was not to perfect it, it showing the extent to which he loves us.

   Loot at the Apostles as they recline at table around Our Lord. Look at the setting. This image alone has inspired the art work of countless artists.

   It is Our Lord’s Last Supper. Look at his meek but solemn expression. He who is the Lamb of God, about to be sacrificed for all of mankind. The entire purpose of this feast that was practiced by the Jews for thousands of years was for Him. Now, His hour has come; He is about to fulfill all. "How I have desired to eat this pasch with you." – Yes, Christ was born for this final moment which was to beginning here. He was born to die. Die, for the love of us,

   What ought to be our gratitude for the Eucharist!

   The benefits of love can never be the motives of Love. (i.e. I love you because you make me feel Good). Otherwise still seeking yourself.

    

   St. John Chrystotom, "Because he loved us so ardently, he chose to make himself one w/ us by becoming our food." – In this live most intimate union is that between a man and his wife – Two become one flesh, but even more intimate union does God desire with us, as we are united to him by partaking of his flesh.

   Earthly food is transformed in us/flesh – Christ transforms us to Him = Grace.

   Transubstantiation takes place 1^st time. – Xt Holds himself in His own hands.

   He will do it by showing an incredible excess of love. "He loved them unto the end," that is, completely without limit. The Apostles do not understand, and as yet are not clear about His Passion, His teaching or anything. Yet He loves them and proves it. The lamb is slaughtered, crucified, and completely consumed.

   Institution of the Priesthood – Give the command, you give the power to do it. Do this in memory of me" –

   Passover of O.T you couldn’t have said I want a cookie, that symbolizes Christ, you had to have the real thing.

   It was Christ spoke of the Eucharist (Jn 6) Judas had gone to betray Him. "

3. Point 3 – Institution of the Eucharist: - When the typical Passover was concluded, and He had partaken of the Lamb with His Apostles, He comes to the true paschal sacrament –

   Knowing that He is about to suffer for us all, that the Apostles will abandon Him, and Judas betray Him, what does He do? He speaks affectionately, and gives a gift greater than anything conceivable. In order to sanctify men, He becomes not a man, or a worm, but, of all things, bread! What greater proof of love is possible? Yet Satan enters Judas and his Communion is sacrilegious. The Apostles flee. Are we not just as cold after we receive Our Lord? The Apostles are dull of understanding.

   Jn 6 – Discourse on the Eucharist. – "Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil. Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for this same was about to betray him, whereas he was one of the twelve."

   I am the living Bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever."

   St. Thomas Aquinas says – Eucharist is a foretaste of heaven.
   

   Communion is the Physical participation in the body, blood, sole and divinity of Xt.

   Manna in O.T – A type, symobol of Eucharist. – Eucharist which is a reality. Not a Symbol pointing to a Symbol – But a symbol = Manna, that points to a reality (Xt, true body and blood).

   Mysterium Fidei. – "The mystery of faith" – It requires faith.

   Friendship is the indwelling of one soul in two bodies – St. T. Aquinas on Aristotles notion of friendship. – Love Transforms us.

   Why do you love me so much O’ Christ? What about my sins? -

   St. Gertrude once asked our Lord what preparation he required of her for Holy Communion and Jesus said "I require none other than from you than you come to receive me void of yourself."

   All Christ ask in return is "Love for Love" –

   Thanks giving prayers – "Christ remains in the soul as a throne of Grace, and says to it: What do you want me to do for you."

   St. Alphonsus "I can assure you that Christ gives to a soul who lovingly spends time before the Blessed Sacrament more consolation than the world with all its joys and pleasures can bestow."

4. Point 2 – Washing of the Feet: Apostles perhaps chatting. Our Lord gets up and does the unthinkable; He girds Himself and washes their feet. Apostles are struck silent. What is He doing? Gasp, He is washing our feet! He who is Master. God Himself, Creator of the universe. What a lesson for fathers! How often do they wash the feet of their wife and children? Leaders have a great responsibility to give themselves for those under them. How often does Our Lord stoop down and wash our feet with His grace, calling us back to Him? And we cannot bear the slightest reproach or humiliation.

   We know how to love to the extent that we know how to receive it.

   "For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."

   Why did Jesus wash His disciples' feet? -     To show His humility and love, and to teach them how pure they should be in approaching the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

   "All of you are clean, but one" – Dispositions – ingratitude .

    

5. Colloquy – Speak to Our Lord, or to the Trinity, Our Lord, and Our Lady. Ask for the graces you need. Ask for a great love of Our Lord and the grace to follow His new commandment. Have confidence in His goodness and mercy. He has done so much for us; He wants us to save our souls.

 

THE MORNING TRIBUNAL

In this conference, we are going to meditate on the pains and insults which Our Lord suffered at the tribunals of Caiphas, Annas, Herod and Pilate.

The First Prelude of this meditation is to call to mind how Our Lord was dragged before the tribunal of Caiphas where He was condemned as guilty of death; before the tribunal of Herod where he was mocked; and before the tribunal of Pilate by whom He was delivered to the Jews to be crucified. NOTE the patience with which Our Lord bore horrible insults and terrible pains.

The Second Prelude is to ask Jesus to grant you the grace you need in order to bear with silence and humility the degradations and pains that you must undergo in this world.

FIRST POINT

There has not been and will never be a man who has suffered or had to suffer such great wrongs and degradations as Jesus Christ suffered. It is not possible to combine in a single meditation all the degradations to which Jesus Christ submitted. Therefore we will only consider some of them. These alone will be enough to make us ashamed of our pride.

The FIRST KIND OF DEGRADATION WAS THE FALSE CHARGES AND THE CALUMNIES --

@ There is nothing that more keenly wounds a man of noble and sincere heart than piling up false charges against him of things he would not even dream of doing.

Now, let us enter into the tribunal of Annas and Caiphas and hear the outrageous crimes that are charged against Jesus.

The witnesses are lined up and here are the charges they make:

@ They say that He is a lover of wine;

@ that He likes to eat with the publicans and sinners;

@ that He is ruled by an intolerable pride, going so far as to claim to be Divine;

@ that He would destroy the temple in Jerusalem;

@ that He spreads impious doctrine and is introducing the people to idolatry;

@ that He is a sorcerer and works prodigies with the help of the devil, with whom He has a secret compact;

@ that He is a seducer and astutely plots the ruin of the chosen people…

They charge Jesus with all these crimes in the tribunal of the High Priest and of Pilate. These charges are circulated among the people and are spread in the neighbourhoods and public squares of Jerusalem.

THE SECOND KIND OF DEGRADATION WAS THE SCOFFING AND MOCKERY---

The wickedness of calling Jesus a blasphemer and criminal was not enough. It was also necessary to call Him a senseless fool. SEE HIM IN HEROD'S PRESENCE. Because He makes no answer to repeated questions but in His Infinite Wisdom keep silent, men call Him a fool, at the prompting of the king and courtiers, and, like a fool He is covered with a white robe, and amid the mockery and laughter of insolent people they lead Him to the public streets to Pilate.

After this insult another follows of which I would not know whether to call it more savage or more contemptuously insulting, this time in the place of the Roman Prefect. Incited to do so by the Jews, the soldiers decide to make sport of Jesus in a way no one but the devil could suggest. They throw a purple robe over His shoulders. Then they place a reed in His hand. Weaving together a crown out of rough, sharp thorns, they press it down on His head in order to make fun of Him as a make-believe king.

Their mockery does not stop here. To ridicule Him more, they bend their knees to Him in mock reverence; then they spew their filthy spittle into His Face and give Him a cruel beating. While the Heavens darken at the sight of this and the angels are bitterly weeping, a countless crowd pauses to look at the unusual spectacle, and add to the injury and mockery in their festive way by their applause.

THE THIRD KIND OF INJURY THAT WAS DONE TO JESUS WAS THE PASSAGE OF THE DEATH SENTENCE WITH ALL ITS BAD IMPLICATIONS ---

Pilate, who perfectly aware of Jesus' uprightness and innocence, in order to deliver Him, placed Him before the people, who had gathered beneath the balcony of his place. They were there to choose a man sentence to die whom Pilate would do the favor of sparing in honor of the Pasch.

They were to choose between Jesus and Barrabas. And who would believe it ? Against Pilate's expectation the choice fell on Barrabas, as all the people would cried out that Barrabas should go free and Jesus should be condemned. Now how is it that people want Jesus condemned and Barrabas released ? Who is Barrabas ? He is a criminal found guilty of sedition and murder.

And ought he be released and Jesus condemned ?

" Indeed that is what we wish when we commit sin. Let Barrabas live and let Jesus die! " What evil has Jesus done ? …

Now if Jesus must die, what kind of death should He be sentenced to ? It would be very harsh to put Him to the sword.

Even so, He must die the most bitter kind of death amd at the same time the one most disgraceful. He must die nailed to the cross --- the way the most infamous, the most wicked criminals are accustomed to suffer death. And He must die in between two criminals, so that all may know that He surpassed everyone in wickedness. This was what the people wish and was the sentence Pilate gave Him.

Thus Jesus was led to His death on the Cross amid the festive joy of the high priests, amid the blasphemous insults of the scribes and Pharisees, and amid the harsh mockeries od an immense crowd. It was exactly then that was fulfilled the prediction of the Prophet who, in the person of Jesus Christ, testified, " I am a worm and no man: the reproach of men and the outcast of the people." (Ps. 21:7)

LET US PAUSE here a little, and answer the questions that I am going to ask.

FIRST, I ask: Did the Eternal Father give an unjust sentence when He decreed such great, such shocking degradations for His Only-Begotten Son? NO, certainly not. Jesus had taken on Himself the liability of our sins by His own choice, and our sins called for this payment… infinite offense=infinte ..

SECONDLY, I ask: Would the Eternal Father do you any wrong to allow you insults and disgraces as great as the ones that He willed for His Only-Begotten Son to undergo ? NO, for sin deserves much; and rightly do you come to realize this from the outrages and insults done to Jesus, and rightly does your conscience accuse you of being guilty of many sins.

THIRDLY, I ask: If you believe that sin is something that deserves such ill-treatment, knowing that as you do that you have sinned, would your pride not be intolerable if you refused to bear even the slight contempt?

What would be the ingratitude if you were unwilling to suffer a bit of offensive treatment for love of Jesus, after He has suffered such great wrongs and such extraordinary offenses for love of you ?

NOW, LET US REFLECT AND ADMIRE THE ASTONISHING HUMILITY OF OUR LOVING SAVIOUR.

Being God Himself, Jesus is the Infinite Wisdom, who governs Heaven and earth, and here He is declared a dull-witted fool.

He is mocked as a make-believe King and people spit in His Face as though He was the vilest man in the world !

He, Who is Holiness Itself, from whom all gifts and Heavenly graces come is counted a hypocrite and a lover of wine !

He is charged with being a seducer and blasphemer;

He is called a Samaritan and a sorcerer and is counted worse than a murderer and an assassin!

Jesus suffers all this, and suffer it with awesome silence without the least complaint, with a meekness beyond comparison, without bitterness and with full resignation, without any regret that Heaven decreed this… WHAT HUMILITY !

This is truly a sacrifice, which of itself, is enough to give infinite pleasure to the Eternal Father and to give the hearts of all men a lesson of humility..

Now, let's consider the SECOND POINT .

There has not been a man in the world who has borne degradations and outrages as Jesus bore them. The Prophet, David describes the truly awesome humility with which Jesus bore insult and outrage, and He uses these words: " I, as a deaf man, heard not; and as a dumb man not opening His mouth." (Ps.37:14)

Ponder these brief words, and wonder at the immense humility that is hidden beneath the awesome silence.

1) jESUS WAS BLAMELESS -- and could never be charged with anything that was not upright, and He could never be rightly rebuked. The crimes with which men charged Him were evil inventions of His enemies. If Jesus had chosen to speak , in a moment He could have made His innocence very obvious to everyone. He could have silenced His enemies before all the people and could have covered them with shame and embarrassment.

2) JESUS WAS ALL-POWERFUL -- One word of His was enough to cause blots of fire to shoot down from the clouds upon all His enemies and hurl them all into the abyss of hell. With just a word He could have caused all men to know His Divinity and He could have caused all Jerusalem to adore Him as the long-awaited Messiah.

3) JESUS WAS INFINITE WISDOM -- He knew that His enemies would become abusive on the occasion of His silence, and that they would not rest until they had seen Him die a disreputable death on a Cross. He knew that from His silence His beloved Mother and the Apostles would suffer extremely… He knew that when He hold His peace as He did, men would make it an occasion to discredit the miracles He had worked, to condemned His teaching as erroneous and to vent their rage against His newly founded Church. JESUS KNEW ALL THIS. Nevertheless these considerations were not powerful enough arguments to draw one word of His mouth to prove His innocence. He wanted to keep silent, and to keep silent up to his last breath.

How astonishing and how eloquent is this silence of Jesus! How sublime is this lesson of Jesus !

But alas! How few there are who imitate it!

Where are those souls who, when they suffer insult and reproach and outrage, know how to join Jesus in keeping silent?

There may indeed be men who know how to adapt themselves to other difficulties and mortifications, above all if they are undertaken through their own decision. BUT TO BE QUIET when people ridicule us, to love our cross of insult and calumny, to avoid explaining away unjust accusations against us-- A! THIS IS A BURDEN FEW BACKS WOULD CARRY!

But meantime it will always be an undeniable truth that Jesus Christ's example is the only road to holiness, and one who does not imitate Him will never be very worthy in His sight and will have no hope of reaching perfection at any time.

So to imitate Our Lord and thus become holy, let us learn to appreciate contempt and insults. The teaching of Our Lord in this regard outmatches all the wisdom of the world ! In suffering unkind criticism, contempt, and ill treatment, Jesus found only the beauty and desirability of these things. When with a single word Jesus could draw in Himself much honor as there was contempt that He received, He preferred contempt rather than honor. So far removed was His affections from being set on honor, that He showed a desire for the humiliation.

Let us ask ourselves,

why should I not have the same sentiments that Jesus had and why should I not love what He loved ?

In this meditation, Jesus wants to teach us that we must learn through His example to regard contempt as something that overthrows our fiercest enemy, which is pride, as something that opens for us the entrance into the heart of Jesus, as something that ought to form the loveliest part of our glory in Heaven.

Also, Our Lord wants you to know that the most beautiful moment of your life was not when your heart was penetrated with a tender, sentimental affection for God and felt carried away with love for His Infinite Goodness. NO; rather the loveliest instant was when your actions were being unfairly interpreted and discredited, and the most beautiful occasion of offering God a perfect sacrifice was when people totally despised you and ceremoniously mocked you.

From this we found out that we were wrong in grieving when we should have rejoiced, and in running from what we should have sought, and in grumbling when we should have kept quiet.

Now that we know our mistakes, what should we do ?

We should do just as what Jesus did when the hour approached for us to suffer disgrace. "That the world may know, that I love the Father: … Arise let us go hence." said Our Lord.

This is how Jesus spoke when, full of fervor, He submitted Himself to His enemies from whom He could hope for nothing but ill-treatment and slanderous insult.

When an occasion comes to us to suffer comtempt and humiliation, we, likewise, will lift up our hearts, saying:

That Heaven may know that I love Jesus, I'll embrace these things gladly for love of Him…

Way of the Cross & Crucifixion [296, 297]

1. Introduction
   1. First Prelude – The Narrative: The 14 Stations & the Crucifixion with the Seven Words
   2. Second Prelude – Composition of Place: the road to Calvary and the place of the crucifixion
   3. Third Prelude – Grace: to imitate the sentiments of OLJC, especially grief, pain, and anguish.
   4. 1) He suffers in His Humanity. 2) He hides His Divinity. 3) This is for me.
   5. Imagine yourself as being there. What are you observing? A man condemned, going to his death. But he is not going like any other man would. He is completely innocent and good, yet He embraces His cross. He is burning with love for souls, true love, a love which gives itself in excess of anything ever witnessed in human history. Why? To save me, a wretched, lowly sinner. It is incredible; it is unfathomable.
      Yet I remain so cold. I should be weeping for my sins, which have caused such a terrible execution.
2. Embracing the Cross – Our Lord embraces His instrument of torture, so unjustly inflicted upon Him. We flee from our crosses, which we so greatly deserve.
3. Veronica’s Veil – Our Lord rewards a little gesture with a great gift, the image of His countenance on Veronica’s Veil. Our Lord is never outdone in generosity. In the midst of the greatest sufferings and infamy, He is merciful and kind, not vindictive.
4. Women of Jerusalem – His sufferings are so terrible, that they excite tears from the women watching Him go by. Does He relish this sympathy? No, He does what He can for their souls, warning of the destruction of Jerusalem.
5. The Good Thief – Everyone around Him is reviling Him. His worst enemies pursue Him even to the cross; they are still not satisfied! Even when He is dead, it is not enough for them. What merciless wickedness! Am I not the same in my relentless pursuit of self-satisfaction? I am not satisfied until I have piled sin upon sin. In the face of all this, Our Lord keeps silence, as He often does with our crimes. But when the slightest opportunity comes, He exercises His mercy. He gives His grace to the Good Thief and Paradise itself for a mere profession of faith!
6. Miracles after Death – God has just been killed, the worst crime in the history of mankind. Is anyone struck dead? Does the divine wrath wipe out the earth? No. Rather, God gives magnificent signs to show the divinity of His Son and bring souls to Him, to salvation. The centurion believes and many others as well.
7. Colloquy – Speak to OLJC. Beg forgiveness for your sins. Adore Him. Thank Him for His great love. Ask the grace to love Him more.

 

 

 

 

Facts of the Resurrection:

By what means can the evidence for Christ's Resurrection by overthrown? Three theories of explanation have been advanced, though the first two have hardly any adherents in our day.

(1)The Swoon Theory – Claim JC didn’t die

There is the theory of those who assert that Christ did not really die upon the cross, that His supposed death was only a temporary and that His Resurrection was simply a return to consciousness.

Sed Contra:

1. The scourging and the crown of thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion, the three hours on the cross and the piercing of the Sufferer's side cannot have brought on a mere loss of consciousness. His real death is attested by the centurion and the soldiers, by the friends of Jesus and by his most bitter enemies.

3. Jesus could not have survived crucifixion. Roman procedures were very careful to eliminate that possibility. Roman law even laid the death penalty on any soldier who let a capital prisoner escape in any way, including bungling a crucifixion. It was never done.

2. His stay in a sealed sepulchre for thirty-six hours, in an atmosphere poisoned by the exhalations of a hundred pounds of spices, which would have of itself sufficed to cause death.

3. John, an eyewitness, certified that he saw blood and water come from Jesus' pierced heart (Jn 19:34-35). This shows that Jesus' lungs had collapsed and he had died of asphyxiation. Any medical expert can vouch for this.

4. The body was totally encased in winding sheets and entombed (Jn 19:38-42).

5. The post-resurrection appearances convinced the disciples, even "doubting Thomas," that Jesus was gloriously alive (Jn 20:19-29). It is psychologically impossible for the disciples to have been so transformed and confident if Jesus had merely struggled out of a swoon, badly in need of a doctor. A half-dead, staggering sick man who has just had a narrow escape is not worshiped fearlessly as divine lord and conquerer of death.

6. How could a swooning half-dead man have moved the great stone at the door of the tomb? Who moved the stone if not an angel? No one has ever answered that question. Neither the Jews nor the Romans would move it, for it was in both their interests to keep the tomb sealed, the Jews had the stone put there in the first place, and the Roman guards would be killed if they let the body "escape."

7. - The story the Jewish authorities spread, that the guards fell asleep and the disciples stole the body (Mt 28:11-15), is unbelievable. Roman guards would not fall asleep on a job like that; if they did, they would lose their lives. And even if they did fall asleep, the crowd and the effort and the noise it would have taken to move an enormous boulder would have wakened them. Furthermore, we are again into the conspiracy theory, with all its unanswerable difficulties (see next section).

(8) If Jesus awoke from a swoon, where did he go? Think this through: you have a living body to deal with now, not a dead one. Why did it disappear? There is absolutely no data, not even any false, fantastic, imagined data, about Jesus' life after his crucifixion, in any sources, friend or foe, at any time, early or late. A man like that, with a past like that, would have left traces.

 

(2) The Apostles stole the body of Our Lord - Conspiracy -

This theory was anticipated by the Jews who "gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep" (Matt., xxviii, 12 sq.).

1. - The "cruncher" in this argument is the historical fact that no one, weak or strong, saint or sinner, Christian or heretic, ever confessed, freely or under pressure, bribe or even torture, that the whole story of the resurrection was a fake a lie, a deliberate deception. Even when people broke under torture, denied Christ and worshiped Caesar, they never let that cat out of the bag, never revealed that the resurrection was their conspiracy. For that cat was never in that bag. No Christians believed the resurrection was a conspiracy; if they had, they wouldn't have become Christians.

2. - If they made up the story, they were the most creative, clever, intelligent fantasists in history, far surpassing Shakespeare, or Dante or Tolkien. Fisherman's "fish stories" are never that elaborate, that convincing, that life-changing, and that enduring.

3. - The disciples' character argues strongly against such a conspiracy on the part of all of them, with no dissenters. They were simple, honest, common peasants, not cunning, conniving liars. They weren't even lawyers! Their sincerity is proved by their words and deeds. They preached a resurrected Christ and they lived a resurrected Christ. They willingly died for their "conspiracy." Nothing proves sincerity like martyrdom. They change in their lives from fear to faith, despair to confidence, confusion to certitude, runaway cowardice to steadfast boldness under threat and persecution, not only proves their sincerity but testifies to some powerful cause of it. Can a lie cause such a transformation? Are truth and goodness such enemies that the greatest good in history -- sanctity -- has come from the greatest lie?

4. Imagine twelve poor, fearful, stupid (read the Gospels!) peasants changing the hard-nosed Roman world with a lie. And not an easily digested, attractive lie either. St. Thomas Aquinas says:

"In the midst of the tyranny of the persecutors, an innumerable throng of people, both simple and learned, flocked to the Christian faith. In this faith there are truths proclaimed that surpass every human intellect; the pleasures of the flesh are curbed; it is taught that the things of the world should be spurned. Now, for the minds of mortal men to assent to these things is the greatest of miracles....This wonderful conversion of the world to the Christian faith is the clearest witness....For it would be truly more wonderful than all signs if the world had been led by simply and humble men to believe such lofty truths, to accomplish such difficult actions, and to have such high hopes." (Summa Contra Gentiles, I, 6)

5. - The Gospels were written in such a temporal and geographical proximity to the events they record that it would have been almost impossible to fabricate events....The fact that the disciples were able to proclaim the resurrection in Jerusalem in the face of their enemies a few weeks after the crucifixion shows that what they proclaimed was true, for they could never have proclaimed the resurrection (and been believed) under such circumstances had it not occurred." (Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection, chapter 6).

 

 

 

(3) The Vision Theory and invention of the Apostles

If you thought you saw a dead man walking and talking, wouldn't you think it more likely that you were hallucinating than that you were seeing correctly? Why then not think the same thing about Christ's resurrection?

(1) There were too many witnesses. Hallucinations are private, individual, subjective. Christ appeared to even five hundred people at once (1 Cor 15:3-8). Even three different witnesses are enough for a kind of psychological trigonometry; over five hundred is about as public as you can wish. And Paul says in this passage (v. 6) that most of the five hundred are still alive, inviting any reader to check the truth of the story by questioning the eyewitnesses -- he could never have done this and gotten away with it, given the power, resources and numbers of his enemies, if it were not true.

(4) Hallucinations usually last a few seconds or minutes; rarely hours. This one hung around for forty days (Acts 1:3).

(7) Not only did the disciples not expect this, they didn't even believe it at first -- neither Peter, nor the women, nor Thomas, nor the eleven. They thought he was a ghost; he had to eat something to prove he was not (Lk 24:36-43).

(8) Hallucinations do not eat. The resurrected Christ did, on at least two occasions (Lk 24:42-43; Jn 21:1-14). The disciples touched him (Mt 28:9; Lk 24:39; Jn 20:27). They also spoke with him, and he spoke back.

(11) The apostles could not have believed in the "hallucination" if Jesus' corpse had still been in the tomb. This is very simple and telling point; for if it was a hallucination, where was the corpse? They would have checked for it; if it was there, they could not have believed.

(12) If the apostles had hallucinated and then spread their hallucinogenic story, the Jews would have stopped it by producing the body.

(13) A hallucination would explain only the post-resurrection appearances; it would not explain the empty tomb, the rolled-away stone, or the inability to produce the corpse. No theory can explain all these data except a real resurrection. C.S. Lewis says,

It is inconsistent with the fact that the visions came to a sudden end on the day of Ascension.

Myth –

1. Realiable Character of the apostles -

2. The first witnesses of the resurrection were women. In first-century Judaism, women had low social status and no legal right to serve as witnesses. If the empty tomb were an invented legend, its inventors surely would not have had it discovered by women, whose testimony was considered worthless. If, on the other hand, the writers were simply reporting what they saw, they would have to tell the truth, however socially and legally inconvenient.

III. CHARACTER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

The Resurrection of Christ has much in common with the general resurrection; even the transformation of His body and of His bodily life is of the same kind as that which awaits the blessed in their resurrection. But the following peculiarities must be noted:

IV. IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

Besides being the fundamental argument for our Christian belief, the Resurrection is important for the following reasons:

		It shows the justice of God who exalted Christ to a life of glory, as Christ had humbled Himself unto death (Phil., ii, 8-9).
		The Resurrection completed the mystery of our salvation and redemption; by His death Christ freed us from sin, and by His Resurrection He restored to us the most important privileges lost by sin (Rom., iv, 25).
		By His Resurrection we acknowledge Christ as the immortal God, the efficient and exemplary cause of our own resurrection (I Cor., xv, 21; Phil., iii, 20-21), and as the model and the support of our new life of grace (Rom., vi, 4-6; 9-11).

Apologetics 102

1. State of Crisis
   1. Rules of the Game
      1. The mission of the Church is to pass on the Deposit of the Faith entrusted to the Apostles until the end of time and to save souls by so doing.
      2. The Church can never fail; it is divine and protected by God.
      3. Those given charge over the Church can fail, as God uses human instruments to take care of His Church.
      4. We should and must obey our superiors in all things; we cannot obey them, however, when their commands run contrary to the Faith and so endanger our salvation if followed. We are all responsible for our own souls and must keep the Faith at all costs. We have duties to God before men.
   2. Vatican II & its Aftermath – Vatican II was an overt attempt within the Church to reconcile the Church with the modern world, i.e. Catholic Truth with the principles of the worldwide anti-God revolution. Let us see how Catholic Truth differs from modern principles and compromise as much as we can to make the Church "likeable" – a novel attempt, contrary to the mission of the Church given to Her by OLJC! She is to hold the Truth and never change it for anyone!
      The principles of the Revolution are contrary to the Faith; they cannot be baptized. The duty of churchmen is to pass on what was given to them, the Deposit of the Faith. When they deviate from the Church’s mission, everything falls apart. The Church can only prosper when her leaders continue on the course charted by Her Founder.
      Vatican II = a complete break with the past; changed sacraments, liturgy, Rosary, canon law, theology, Catholic belief and practice è new religion, a dangerous path, path of damnation!

   USA Stats	1965	2002
   Priests	58,000	45,000, 16% foreign
   Ordinations	1,575	450
   Sisters	180,000	75,000, av. 68
   Mass attendance	74%	25%
   Annulments	338	50,000

   Q: Do we have a grave spiritual crisis here or not?
   We cannot follow this path. What should we do?

2. Proposed Solutions
   1. Preliminary Note – Only the recognition of a grave spiritual crisis can justify extraordinary extra-juridical action. The Church is hierarchical and works on principles of authority. If there is no crisis, you cannot disobey or work outside normal channels. If a priest recognizes a grave need, he has a duty in charity to do what he can to relieve this need. Correspondingly, faithful who recognize a crisis must seek avenues to nurture their faith and save their souls according to what they know objectively to be Catholic from 2,000 years of Catholic belief and practice.
   2. SSPX
      1. There exists a grave public spiritual necessity in all levels of Church life.
      2. In extreme or quasi-extreme necessity of our neighbor, we are bound in charity to help him, even at the risk of our own life.
      3. Abp. Lefebvre saw this need and stepped forward to help whoever wanted help. He was opposed by the Church hierarchy in his attempt to help the Church. But his duty in charity remained. If he did not step forward, if the SSPX did not exist and stand up for Catholic truth, the Church would be in a much worse state today. After the crisis passes, the SSPX will no longer have a reason to exist. Now, in the midst of the crisis, the SSPX in indispensable for many souls & the Church.
   3. Indult – It is contradictory to assert that we are in an extraordinary crisis, and then demand that all of our actions be regulated by norms for ordinary circumstances. The Indult is just a Vatican fishhook to snare unsuspecting Traditional Catholics. A little advantage is given to Tradition for acceptation of everything that is causing the crisis and hence cessation of fighting against the crisis.
      It makes Tradition, the true Catholic life, merely an "option" or "preference." Indult priests fear being "too Catholic" and speaking out against all of the problems in the Church. They aid the destruction of the Church by neutralizing resistance to errors. Conciliar Rome would never have conceded the Indult if the SSPX was not around. It took 20 years and was not the initial intention. The Ecclesia Dei crowd admitted and defended all the positions of the SSPX before 1988.
   4. Sedevacantists – Take disobedience too far, even to usurping the authority of the Church. Prima sedes a nemine judicatur! The Pope must be convicted of formal heresy – this can only be done by a superior, not by armchair Catholics. This response to the crisis creates two serious problems:
      1. The Church is hierarchical! It cannot be the duty of individual Catholics to declare the Pope dethroned (and elect a new one). It cannot be possible for such a decision to have weight. Otherwise we would follow the likes of Luther.
      2. The Church is indefectible! If the last true Pope was Pius XII (died almost 50 years ago), then today there are very few true bishops or priests. The visibility of the Church is all but gone, and there is no visible Church as far as the everyday Catholic is concerned.
3. Conclusion – Keep the Faith, save your soul in these difficult times.

 

Notice

The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI proposes to re-establish the traditional Latin Mass throughout the Western Church.

The Society of St Pius X (SSPX) prepares priests exclusively for this Mass of the Roman Rite and associated beliefs and practices of our Catholic Tradition.

The SSPX was set up in 1970 with full approval of the Vatican, and on May 3rd 1994 the Vatican reaffirmed that the SSPX is fully Catholic and that their Masses and sacraments are "certainly valid." ( Pontificium Consilium Ad Christianorum Unitatem Fovendam Prot. N. 23336/94/-)

Also from the Vatican last year (2005), the President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, CARDINAL DARÍO CASTRILLÓN HOYOS, admitted the SSPX is not in a state of schism...

This eminent Cardinal said... "...Monsignor Lefebvre went ahead with the consecration and ... it was not a formal schism....The Fraternity has always recognized in John Paul II, and now in Benedict XVI, the legitimate successor of Saint Peter. That is not a problem.." (http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo_stampa.asp?id=9360)

The SSPX has changed nothing of its positions regarding faith and worship and genuine loyal obedience to authority, since its foundation.

For more information, check the website sspx.org.