Category Archives: bible

USA Election: Priest On Voting Priorities – Warns Against “Catholic” Biden…

October 26, 2020 By in Abortion, bible, Bishops, Fatima, Homosexuality, Marxism, Morals, Politicians, Politics, pope benedict, Priesthood, pro-life, sacraments, sin, Socialism, The Catholic Church, Uncategorized, United States of America Tags: , , , , , , , 44 Comments

Comment: 

Even without the above excellent sermon I could not see how any American Catholic could vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  After listening to the sermon, I’d dearly love to hear from any Catholic who still intends to vote for the Democratic Party. If every priest in the USA preached like that, there would be no question whatsoever about the outcome of the November election.  Therefore, let’s pray, in the remaining time, for some lights to switch on in the heads of currently less enlightened or less courageous priests.  As the priest in the video says, this election is a battle for the soul of America, no less – it is, unarguably, a battle for the soul of the free world.  Archbishop Fulton Sheen is quoted in the above sermon.  Here’s the Archbishop again, on the charge that the Church interferes in politics…

“… Is this true? It all depends upon what you mean by politics. If by interference in politics is meant using influence to favor a particular regime, party, or system that respects the basic God-given rights and freedom of persons, the answer is emphatically No! The Church does not interfere in politics. If by interference in politics is meant judging or condemning a philosophy of life that makes the party or state, or the class, or the race, the source of all rights, and that usurps the soul and enthrones party over conscience and denies those basic rights for which the war was fought, the answer is emphatically Yes!

The Church does judge such a philosophy. But when it does this, it is not interfering with politics, for such politics is no longer politics but theology. When a state sets itself up as absolute as God, when it claims sovereignty over the soul, when it destroys freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, then the state has ceased to be political and has begun to be a counter-Church.”  Ends. 

This is exactly what is happening, not just in America but here in the UK as well and in particular in socialist Scotland. So, why are there so few priests speaking out to warn, educate and edify the faithful?  

Glasgow Priest-Policeman To Un-Masked Layman: Obey Or Forfeit Sacraments…

October 5, 2020 By in bible, Bishops, Canon Law, china, consecration, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 122 Comments

St Mungo’s, Townhead, Glasgow

Catholic Truth blogger Athanasius, aka Martin Blackshaw, writes…

In what can only be described as providential timing, I encountered first-hand on Saturday the evil that Fr. Dunn warned of in his letter challenging the bishops of Scotland on their Covid-19 response measures.

The venue of my bitter experience was St. Mungo’s church in Glasgow’s Townhead, the source of the evil was the superior of the Passionists there, Fr. Frank Keevins.

Having clearly been tipped off that I had entered the church for Confession, dismissing, as is my Catholic duty, the faithless and dehumanising house rules for entry imposed by Scotland’s wayward hierarchy, Fr. Keevins skulked around outside awaiting my departure in order to “have a word”

The word mumbled from behind his pitiful little face covering was that unless I conform to the Covid-19 tyranny of the State, as per the capitulation of the bishops and their clerical enforcers, I will not be allowed to enter that particular House of God again. In fine – no mask, no Sacraments.

Two Gospel texts came to my mind as he spoke; one being Our Lord’s condemnation of the Pharisees who close the kingdom of heaven to souls, neither entering themselves, the other His just wrath visited upon the worldly Temple moneychangers.

Imagine Our Saviour turning up in the flesh at St. Mungo’s today only to be greeted by a masked usher asking for His contact details, squirting him

with sanitiser, handing him a State muzzle and offering to guide Him to one of the few pews not taped off. I think it fair to conclude that having turned away from that worldly place, emptied of God, there would not be left a stone upon a stone.

No matter how hard I tried to explain this reality to Fr. Keevins, reminding him of the very grave evil he was perpetrating, evil that could well result in the loss of his own immortal soul, he remained unmoved and resolute. His response was a flippant “I will take that risk” as he sought refuge in “blind obedience” to the bishops – that monumental error of our time that robs the free children of God of their liberty on the whim of abusive ecclesiastical authority.

This recourse of Fr. Keevins to blind obedience rather reminded me of the pathetic defence of the Nazis at Nuremberg who sought to justify their wickedness with the line “I was only obeying orders”.

To be absolutely clear on this point, it is the teaching of the Church that subordinates must obey the legitimate ecclesiastical authority in all that is consistent with the faith handed down. However, it is equally incumbent upon them to refuse obedience when the ecclesiastical authority issues commands that are detrimental to the faith and harmful to souls.

There is no question that by their treacherous compliance with unjust secular laws relating to Covid-19, laws that subordinate the superior supernatural authority of the Church to the inferior State, trampling the freedom and dignity of Christ’s flock along the way, these worldly bishops and priests must be resisted by all Catholics who retain a true sense of the faith and zeal for the honour of God.

It has been patently obvious for several months now that Covid-19 represents no threat to health for 99.7% of the global population; this is verified both by official statistics and the declarations of the world’s leading scientists.

Hence this unholy behaviour of our clerical superiors, unprecedented in ecclesiastical history even during times of real plague, is proof positive that the Church is presently undergoing a great crisis of faith in her clergy, a crisis that demands of the faithful serious discernment in the grave matter of which priests they entrust their salvation to.

The Redemptorist missionary admonition of tradition reads “You have one life to live and one soul to save; death will come soon, then heaven or hell for all eternity”. With these words of true wisdom ever present in our minds let us all resolve to reject the spirit of “the Prince of this world” that so many bishops and priests have succumbed to – and are trying to subject us to.

Our clear duty is to seek out faithful clergy, supernatural men of God noted for their love of God and their spiritual zeal for souls. These, in my experience, are generally priests who celebrate the ancient Latin Mass of the saints and martyrs and are conspicuous for their Eucharistic devotion, rejecting the much-abused, irreverence-inducing indult of Communion in the hand to standing communicants.

While they are by far the minority these days, often disdained and marginalised by their worldly bishops and confreres, these are the priests whose voice resonates within our souls as the true voice of the Good Shepherd.

Comment: 

To date, only one priest has gone on the record in Scotland (and, as far as we know, in the entire UK) to express his shock at the way the Bishops are implementing Government Covid-19 restrictions, placing themselves at the service of the State – that is to say, they have chosen to serve Man not God. This, of course, contradicts the Gospel imperative: Our Lord teaches very clearly that we cannot serve two masters – we must choose God or the world.  If we try to serve both, we will come to hate the one and love the other (Luke 16:13)  The Bishops of  Scotland and the wider UK seem to have made their choice. This, of course, has been true for many years now, so we are entitled to ask if, in fact, they have come to hate God. They certainly do not appear to love Him more than the corrupt politicians from whom they are taking their orders, turning the Father’s House into a den of thieves. 

But, what about the rest of us? Martin Blackshaw has made his position crystal clear: he’ll be complying with this ridiculous Covidiocy around ten years after Cadbury ceases chocolate-making.  But what about you and me – will we go along with these outrageous restrictions through fear of fines and imprisonment? Are we likely to choose God over Nicola Sturgeon, in the absence of the kind of moral and spiritual leadership which we have a right to expect from our religious leaders?  Bishops and priests are clearly afraid of the possibility of finding themselves with a criminal conviction, and their fear is understandable… until, that is, we recall the many priest-martyrs at the time of the Reformation who were criminalised  – and executed  (our own Scottish martyr, John Ogilvie SJ included) – simply for refusing to stop offering Holy Mass.  Quite a standard – sets the bar very high for us all. 

So… what now?  Should priests who refuse the Sacraments to non-compliant laity, be disciplined?  Share your thoughts…   

            Immaculate Heart of Mary,          pray for us!  

Converting to Catholicism: No Easy Task for a Protestant Pastor – Here’s Why… 

September 13, 2020 By in bible, devotions, saints, The Catholic Church, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , 17 Comments

Comment: 

Keith Nester, the above speaker, made me wonder just how many people turn away from the Church due to the obstacles identified in the video. Happily, Mr Nester managed to get help to overcome the difficulties which he encountered, but how many others don’t move beyond initial enquiries or experiences, discouraged because of the Catholics they meet?  My favourite convert is a friend who became a Catholic after years of reading about Fatima.  What about you – any interesting conversion stories, whether your own, perhaps a favourite saint-convert,  or the conversion  of someone you know, family or friend?    We need a break from Covid and tyrannical governance so get typing those conversion stories and related issues – and that’s an order!  😀  

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary… 

August 22, 2020 By in bible, Bishops, communism, consecration, Our Lady, Politicians, Politics, Pope Francis, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , 29 Comments

Comment: 

As more lockdowns are being imposed in England today, with the World Health Organisation warning of another two years of this virus “crisis” (the WHO says it may be over in less than two years, which leaves open the possibility of an even longer period) we need to redouble our prayers to Our Lady, and today’s Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a perfect opportunity. 

As with all our Feast days threads, bloggers are  invited to offer their concerns about relevant issues (in this case, patently obvious issues and concerns) as well as favourite prayers and hymns to pay tribute to Our Lady.  I’m sure we will all pray especially today, for the Consecration of Russia to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, as requested by Our Lady at Fatima. 

A very happy Feast day to one and all, secure in the knowledge of Our Lady’s promise, when she prophesied these times:  “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”.  Deo gratias! 

Preaching Social Justice is Un-Biblical…

August 18, 2020 By in Abortion, bible, Bishops, communism, euthanasia, family, feminist movement, lgbt, Politics, Seminaries, Socialism, Uncategorized, United Kingdom Tags: , , , 29 Comments

Comment:

The constant preaching about so-called social justice in parishes is one of the key reasons why thinking Catholics become more open to recognising the crisis in the Church. Eventually, it dawns on them that they just can’t be responsible for every perceived injustice under the sun.  

The Scottish Government electoral registration forms are dropping on doormats this week.  Mine arrived today.  Young people aged 14 may now register to vote although they can’t actually vote until they are 16.  Imagine 16 year olds helping to decide who gets to run the country. Any Party which promises to reduce the price of designer trainers, will be home and dry.  Foreign citizens living in Scotland can also now register to vote, and all of this with an eye to the 2021 Holyrood election – and all to distract voters from the SNP’s dismal record on governance:  click here for more on that. 

The illusion of “social justice” preached by priests and politicians does appeal to the inexperienced and uneducated young.  They are brainwashed, in schools and churches, with the idea that the UK is full of social injustice.  Long-term, of course, this can only be corrected by a restoration of sound teaching in seminaries and teacher training colleges but what can be done in the short-term … for those young people who are not reading this blog?  😀     And if you disagree with the distinction between social justice and justice, let us know. We’re all ears 😀  

American Catholics Vote for Presidential Candidate Joe Biden? Absolutely NOT! 

August 11, 2020 By in Abortion, bible, Bishops, Blessed Sacrament, Canon Law, Conscience, Crime and Punishment, Health, lgbt, Politicians, Politics, pro-life, religion, sin, Uncategorized, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , 27 Comments

Letter From a Pastor…

My dear _______,

I received your letter expressing your disappointment that I mentioned in my column in the bulletin that former Vice President Joseph Biden has clearly taken positions in favor of legalized abortion. You claim that the candidate is pro-life because he stated in a debate with Congressman Paul Ryan that he was “personally opposed” to abortion.

You further state that you believe Mr. Biden is a “sincere politician” who is a devout Catholic. Repeating what seems to have been a package released to the press to shore up Catholic support for him, you remark that he carries a rosary with him, that one of his staff says his presidential bid is a “subtle invocation of Catholic beliefs,” that Pete Buttigieg says Mr. Biden receives “comfort and meaning” from his faith, and that a political colleague of his praises his “pastoral care” of the bereaved.

Of course you know that carrying a rosary is not proof of being pro-life. The “subtlety” of Biden’s “invocation of his Catholic beliefs” is what is a clanger for me. He is far too subtle for me. A man who changed his stance on the Hyde Amendment and is now in favor of taxpayer money going for abortion hardly seems to respect even his own “personal” opposition to abortion. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) fiercely attacked Biden last year in June about his support for the Hyde Amendment. Shortly after that, Biden “amended” his position from opposition in the name of conscience to approval of public moneys for abortion because of President Trump’s active opposition to abortion on demand at any point in the pregnancy.

A Latin American writer, Sergio Ramirez of Nicaragua, a former Sandinista official, wrote a short story that is illustrative about a so-called public servant who forgets his own principles called “Adam and Eve.” It begins, “That February afternoon he left his house determined to have a conversation with his Conscience and for that reason invited her to drink a beer with him.” “He” is a judge and he takes his Conscience out to a dive in Managua because he wants to explain why he is about to take a bribe in a corruption case. He is surprised when she eagerly drinks a beer and orders another. The accused is a sick man who will suffer in prison, he tells her. She asks how much money is offered, and he tells her 2,000 dollars, not cordobas. “Of course, you wouldn’t sell me in the national currency,” she says.     

“You know that this is the first time I have done this,” he says to her pleadingly. Of course, he will never do it again, he tells her, and she laughs. Right now it is an emergency. “Until the next one comes along.” There are worse things he could do. “I’m glad you see it that way,” she says. The result is that his Conscience accedes to his corruption. Then the judge looks at her as she continues to drink and thinks, “She is not what she used to be.”

That is what I think of Mr. Biden’s conscience, too—not that he was ever consistently pro-life. NARAL might have been opposed to him, but they gave him a high rating of approval while he was a senator. Now they have endorsed him enthusiastically. This is evidence of a very subtle invocation of Catholic principles if you ask me. It is so subtle that the enemies of life in the womb embrace Mr. Buttigieg’s devoted Catholic with love.

But there is another current example of Mr. Biden’s opposition to Catholic institutions’ freedom of religion. When he was vice president, he argued that church institutions should be exempt from the federal mandate to cover birth control, sterilizations, and abortifacients. The government has since not only recognized the right of the individual to such devices and methods but now makes it a political right imposed on the person’s employers to pay for them. President Obama, consistently pro-abortion even when it comes to live births during abortion procedures, did not agree with Mr. Biden. Now Mr. Biden agrees with him and criticizes the Supreme Court for recognizing the rights of the Little Sisters of the Poor in refusing to pay in conscience for what is opposed to Church teaching and is hardly a constitutional right. When he is president, he will make the good Sisters pay for birth control, abortifacients included. This takes subtlety to a new level.

Lewis Carroll’s Humpty Dumpty famously asserts, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” When Alice objects that words cannot be used that way he says, “The question is who is master—that’s all.”

I see the media blitz about the Catholic sensibility of Mr. Biden as an attempt to make Catholics ignore the reality of his very secular and indifferent attitude about things Catholics should deem important. Facti non verbi is a Latin saying that means “deeds not words.” Political positions are deeds, and Mr. Biden is signaling an anti-life bias that will no doubt influence his nominations to the judiciary. Because he claims to be a “good” Catholic, he gives us the right to make public our disagreement with him and clarify his divergence from the teachings of the Church. This is also the case with his proactive endorsement of same-sex marriages.

If Mr. Biden were my parishioner, I would have to follow the example of those brave priests who have denied him Communion. This would get me in trouble with bishops and others who want to keep peace by not talking about contradictions. But there is such a thing as truth, even in the midst of a media full court press to unseat the incumbent president by cobbling together a coalition that includes Catholics to support a member of the Church whose conscience has been overcome by confusion, if not simple ambition. Why does a Catholic politician feel the need to placate those who oppose the Church by taking up concrete positions while he does not feel the need to say anything more than sweet nothings to calm his fellow believers?

I hope that you will accept this explanation of why I pointed out to the people in my pastoral care the disappointment I felt with Mr. Biden’s “change of heart,” if you can call it that. My prayers are with you, and I encourage you to pray for our country in the cultural maelstrom we find ourselves in. We must turn to Jesus in all our troubles and ask for the Holy Spirit to give us discernment in times that indeed try men’s souls, sometimes trying them and finding them wanting.

God bless you, and thank you for your honesty in writing me directly. Others prefer to communicate with the chancery, and therefore I appreciate your forthrightness.    In Christ,  Your Pastor      Source

Comment… 

Aside from everything laid out in the above letter from a priest, Joe Biden has problems which manifest themselves wherever he goes – strange comments, challenging attitude to members of the public in meetings, you name it.  I can’t believe that he is standing against Donald Trump (or anyone else, for that matter) in the November USA election.  Nothing of Joe’s strange behaviour is mentioned in the broadcasting media in the UK (not that I’ve seen – he is mentioned only as a likely successor to Trump!)  Which is why I’m posting the short video below – it will be an eye-opener to many readers and bloggers here.  The key question, of course, for discussion is whether or not any Catholic may, in good conscience, vote for Biden in November.  I mean, President Trump has his faults.  He’s no saint – he’s not even a Catholic!   However, he should, without a shadow of a doubt, receive the vote of every Catholic in  America.  Remember, conscience is not a teacher; it has to be formed. And any well formed Catholic conscience will know that there is no way in this world that Catholics could possibly vote for Joe Biden – a man who is Catholic in name only. Just check out Father’s letter above again.  If you disagree – please explain. 

 

USA Election: Pro-Life Priest Forced To Resign From Trump Advisory Boards…

July 27, 2020 By in Abortion, bible, Bishops, Canon Law, Morals, Politics, pro-life, Science, Uncategorized, United States of America Tags: , , , , , , 19 Comments

Denver Newsroom, Jul 25, 2020 / 12:25 am MT (CNA).-  

Priests for Life national director Fr. Frank Pavone has resigned from advisory positions in the reelection campaign of President Donald Trump. The priest withdrew at the direction of Church authorities, he told CNA Friday.

“I’ve been requested by the competent ecclesiastical authority not to have an official title/position on the advisory boards. So, as a priest in good standing, I’ve followed that request,” Pavone told CNA July 24, in response to questions about his role in the Trump campaign.

In January, Pavone was appointed co-chair of the Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition, and in April was announced as a member of the Catholics for Trump advisory board; the priest headlined that month an online kickoff event for the Trump Catholic group. Both groups are organized as part of the Trump campaign. Pavone was also a co-chair of the Trump pro-life coalition in 2016.

Pavone’s role in a political campaign was unusual for a priest. Members of the clergy require permission to “have an active part in political parties,” according to the Church’s canon law.

In April, Pavone told CNA that he did not believe himself to need permission for campaign involvement because he considered Trump’s reelection to be a matter of urgency. “I’m not going to ask anybody’s permission to go scream that the house is on fire,” he said at the time.

But on Friday, Pavone said that he had “been asking for permission to serve on these advisory boards” when he was “requested” to resign from them.

Pavone did not indicate what authorities had directed him to resign from the Trump campaign. In 2005 Pavone was incardinated in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, when he transferred to that diocese from the Archdiocese of New York with plans to begin a pro-life religious order of priests. Those plans did not materialize, and Pavone found himself at odds with Bishop Patrick Zurek, soon after the bishop was installed in 2008.

In 2011, the dispute between Pavone and Zurek became public, after the priest was recalled to the diocese and suspended by the bishop. Pavone appealed to the Vatican, and the suspension was eventually lifted in 2012.

In April, the priest told CNA that his relationship with Zurek remained rocky, describing communication with his bishop as “dysfunctional,” and saying that he was in the process of transferring to a new diocese.

The Diocese of Amarillo has not responded to repeated requests from CNA for clarity about Pavone’s political activity or ecclesiastical status, including requests to clarify whether he has faculties to minister publicly as a priest.

Pavone told CNA Friday that he remains incardinated in the Amarillo diocese, “but my transfer has been canonically completed to a different bishop who has good will toward me and my work.” He declined to name that diocese, saying that “the announcement of what diocese I’m in now is up to the same ecclesiastical authority to make.”

While Pavone is no longer part of the Catholics for Trump coalition, the group drew attention on Friday when it announced that author and YouTube commenter Taylor Marshall would join the Catholics for Trump advisory board.

Pavone’s role in the 2016 Trump campaign sparked considerable controversy in the Church. Ahead of the election the priest filmed a video at the Priests for Life headquarters, urging support for Trump. The video was filmed with the body of an aborted baby laid before Pavone on what appeared to be an altar.

Soon after video’s release, Zurek said he would open an investigation into the incident, calling it “against the dignity of human life” and “a desecration of the altar,” and adding that “the action and presentation of Father Pavone in this video is not consistent with the beliefs of the Catholic Church.”

While the diocese has not announced the results of that investigation, Pavone claims that he has been “cleared of the past complaints/investigations/disciplinary actions by the bishop of Amarillo. That chapter is closed.”

Pavone said that while he will no longer occupy a position in the Trump campaign “nothing has changed in my advocacy for the president, given that the Democrats do indeed pose a grave threat to ‘the rights of the Church’ and ‘the common good,’ a point I’ll be making constantly between now and November 3.”

“Any cleric who doesn’t see that point has his head in the sand or in a Democrat echo chamber,” the priest added.

Pavone is not the only priest in recent U.S. history to make headlines for involvement in an election.

In 2008, Chicago priest Fr. Michael Pfleger drew attention for appearing as part of a “People of Faith for Obama” coalition during then-Senator Barack Obama’s primary battle against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Pfleger’s bishop, Cardinal Francis George, said at the time that “while a priest must speak to political issues that are also moral, he may not endorse candidates nor engage in partisan campaigning.”      Source

Comment: 

Is a priest who is promoting the pro-life message, and encouraging Catholics to vote for a candidate who will protect the unborn, the kind of political involvement [of clergy] prohibited in Canon Law?  

China Imposes Totalitarian Rule on Hong Kong: Goal To World Governance Closer?

July 1, 2020 By in bible, china, communism, Morals, Politics, Pope Francis, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 28 Comments

Hong Kong police have arrested more than 180 protesters on the first day of life under the controversial national security laws imposed by Beijing, as China confirmed that some suspects could be extradited to the mainland under the new rules.

The city’s police force said the arrests were for offences including some under the new laws. On the 23rd anniversary of the handover from Britain to China, crowds defied a ban on protests and gathered on the streets of the busy shopping district Causeway Bay, where there were large numbers of riot police.

“Liberate Hong Kong!”, “Oppose the black police,” many shouted, in a reference to corruption. Some held up black placards emblazoned with the message: “Oppose the bad national security law.”

A Twitter user reported that veteran pro-democracy lawmaker Lee Cheuk Yan was dragged down from a podium by police, who also pepper-sprayed dozens of journalists at the scene.

On Wednesday afternoon Hong Kong police made their first arrest since the law came into force. Police said on Twitter that a man was arrested for holding a Hong Kong independence flag in a protest, which it said violated the new law.  Read more here

Comment: 

Mention China’s goal of dominating the world through authoritarian force, and wait to be accused of being a conspiracy theorist.  Well, China wasted no time in imposing its totalitarian rule on Hong Kong – and remember, this is not a country that “merely”  imprisons dissenters;  they are first tortured – and are lucky if they escape with their lives.

In the UK parliament today, Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, was upbraided by the opposition for the British Government’s policy of putting trade with China above vital issues of national security and human rights. Pigeons are coming home to roost now – as they will, not only in the UK but across the world, if politicians and people alike don’t wake up and smell the danger of listening to a word that comes from the evil Chinese Communist Government and its partner in crime, the World Health Organisation.  Note the desperation of the WHO to stop the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, warning of a second wave. Do you hear that noise?  It’s an alarm bell which should be ringing in your head and the heads of anyone with ears to hear, to cite the Gospel (e.g. Matt 11:15).

And what might Pope Francis be thinking now about his scandalous relationship with China, complicit in their evil anti-religion policies.  No question mark there, because it seems clear enough that he supports that regime.  He may issue a superficial expression of “concern” about the “disturbances” on the streets of Hong Kong but not, I suspect, much more.  Whatever, his support for the Chinese Communist regime is a source of monumental scandal.  That is a fact. 

What we are witnessing in Hong Kong is chilling.  Not just for the people of Hong Kong, God help them, but for the rest of the world, including the UK.   Or is that thought to be classified as a “conspiracy theory”?     

Marxism Failed – that’s the good news… 

June 21, 2020 By in atheism, bible, china, communism, Fatima, Marxism, Morals, Politics, Pope Francis, religion, Russia, Socialism, supernatural, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 93 Comments

Comment: 

Why, given that it always creates totalitarian states, does Marxism continue to draw the young – because it does attract the young. 

That, to continue from the headline, is the bad news…

I know of students who are committed to studying Marx and who identify themselves as Socialists.  What’s the draw? 

Our Lady appeared at Fatima precisely to warn against the spread of Communism, yet we have bishops (and now a Pope) who are implicitly, if not explicitly singing from the same Marxist hymn sheet – er… to coin a phrase.   Why? 

What can we say  – in a few short words, a soundbite, almost –  to draw them closer to a realization that it is Christ – not Marx – who is the answer to all the problems and mysteries of life… 

Share  your thoughts…   

19/6: Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart! 

June 19, 2020 By in bible, devotions, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 33 Comments

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus…

n 1673, a French Visitandine (Visitation) nun named Margaret Mary Alacoque had a private revelation of Jesus, in which he asked the Church to honour his Most Sacred Heart.

In particular, Jesus gave to St. Margaret Mary 12 specific promises made to all who venerated and promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary, “Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love … I promise you that My Heart shall expand Itself to shed in abundance the influence of Its Divine Love upon those who shall thus honour It, and cause It to be honoured.”

The entire purpose of this devotion is to draw a person closer to the heart of Christ. If a person spreads devotion to the Sacred Heart, it is natural for him or her to be closer to God. The moment that this devotion is observed in a superstitious manner, neglecting the need to live a virtuous life, all bets are off and Jesus’ promises are null and void.

Jesus wants us to rest on his heart, like St. John, and the Sacred Heart devotion is an opportunity for us to encounter him more than just on Sundays and to deepen our love of him.

The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart Devotion

I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
I will establish peace in their homes.
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
Sinners will find in my heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
I will bless every place in which an image of my heart is exposed and honoured.
I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.  Source

Comment: 

In the past, we’ve discussed the 12 Promises of Our Lord to all who venerate and promote devotion to His Sacred Heart.  We’ve compared “favourites”, so to speak.  I’ve probably quoted a very close friend of mine who told me that it was only when she read the above promises and undertook to spread this devotion in her own home, and wherever possible outside, that she experienced a change in herself which she attributes to Christ’s promise that lukewarm souls shall become fervent.  She certainly became fervent:  she changed from being a lukewarm Sunday Catholic to being devoted to the Faith and fervent in many areas of Catholic life – not least in her active support for Catholic Truth. 

So, share your thoughts about the 12 Promises, as well as posting your favourite prayers and hymns – all to honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus on this lovely Feast.   A very happy Feast day to one and all !