The accuser of the brethren reviles us, "you are a failure! How could you sin this way?!!" The Holy Ghost pleads, "come home, beloved!"
Originally posted 1 January 2022
Come home, beloved!
Prayer against the demonic abuse of children
Almighty God, Commander of the heavenly armies and supreme ruler of the nations, look with pity upon those child victims who even now are in bondage to the servants of Satan and subject to their abominable and vile abuses, and quickly send Thy vengeance upon their tormentors.
Unveil Thy arm in the sight of the nations and strike the seat of this demonic power with Thy might; plunge into hell all those wicked spirits who refuse Thy mercy and persecute Thy Church.
Gracious God our Father, we beg Thee to uphold, defend, and protect Thy servants whom Thou hast raised up for this great deliverance from the spirit of antichrist; ruin the wicked plans of those who plot against Thee and Thine Anointed One.
Send the spirit of Thy fear upon every soul on earth; make them to tremble and to know they are mere men and Thou art God alone; spare not these abusers of infants and babes, who adore the demon and hate Thee and Thy holy Church; strike them down in the sight of all mankind, that all may fear Thee and adore Thee alone.
We acknowledge in deepest grief and sorrowful humiliation that we sinners are unworthy of receiving these petitions, yet for the sake of our Divine Redeemer's sorrowful passion, we dare to ask even this.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered!
Maranatha!
Originally posted 4 January 2021
Crisis of manly courage
What we have seen since November 3rd [2020] are the fruits and symptoms of a collapse of manly virtue in our society. Three failures stand out: the failure of state legislatures to assert their Constitutional authority to redress massive and audacious election fraud; the failure of the Supreme Court to adjudicate the Texas law suit; and today, the Vice President taking the easy way out when the Republic itself is at risk.
These three institutions caved to pressure from a quasi-violent political party dominated by radical feminism and antichristian morality. It was a true test of virility and patriotism; none of their challenges were free of risk, even serious risk - of death. Yet they all punted the responsibility of duty in preference to an easy defeat and a comfortable cowering into submission to tyrants who, in the long run will abuse them most of all.
This loss of manly virtue has been eroding our social fabric for decades as fatherhood has itself been both assailed and abandoned. Four in ten baby boys are born today to women who are not married. And that failure of manhood has far-reaching consequences for society as a whole. Today men are more likely to be addicted to pornography than to enlist in the service of their country.
Nature abhors a vacuum and into this vacuum step women - some with the very best of intentions - to lead and to act on behalf of the common good in positions traditionally held by men. I do not blame these women. But if men were behaving like men they would be more content developing the full potential of God-given femininity and our society would be stronger for it.
Now we have a situation where men actually can rally behind a bold and courageous leader but have abandoned him for the greener grass of a false sense of security. This is a national humiliation. The men - of all strata of society - who are seeking the soft landing of encroaching socialism in order to escape the rigorous demands of responsible liberty are abandoning our women and children to the most merciless of all tyrannies. President Trump took on the entire world on our behalf - and won, resoundingly, and almost single-handedly in more ways than we will ever fully comprehend. Yet when push came to shove, the men of state government, the men of the Supreme Court, and even his own right hand man failed him for a lack of courage.I do not know what comes next in this saga of the American story. I do know this: unless we recover authentic manly virility, we are finished. If there isn't anything worth fighting and dying for, then there isn't anything worth living for, either.
Donald J. Trump did his part.
What about us?
Originally posted 6 January 2021
The peril of resentment and the divine way of clemency
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled... (Hebrews 12,14-15)
A root of bitterness when nurtured by resentment and sustained anger cannot be contained, and as the Apostle St. Paul teaches here springs up and defiles others. We may think we are merely righteously indignant or justifiably angry over some serious transgression or trespass, but such a view is shortsighted and excludes the mandate of Christ the Lord:
"But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences." (St. Matthew 6,16)
A bitter root may be caused by the devil taking advantage of some wound in our hearts. He feeds us lies in order to intensify the grudge that will spread its toxins in our web of relationships. The pain we feel is very real; the grudge we hold rarely inflicts the hoped for damage on the object of our wrath, but rather bars us from divine pardon and harms those closest to us.
The root of bitterness takes hold in our hearts because of pride; we presume that we are undeserving of the harm we have received, and on a purely human plane, this may be true. However the eyes of faith look beyond the immediate cause to the will of God. If God has allowed some evil to afflict us in His mysterious providence, we are to consider it a share in the cross and suffering of our Redeemer Who innocently endured the agony and torments of crucifixion in order to save us. We are to at least will to forgive, even if abiding in such merciful regard for our tormentors seems impossible. Without the assistance of supernatural grace, it may be impossible. Yet Christ commands us to forgive lest our sins remain unforgiven.
This Christ teaches us to love our enemies and to do good to those who offend us. This spreads not the harmful toxins of resentment, but the liberating odor of divine sweetness. It demonstrates trust in Him Who loved us even when we were His enemies (Romans 5,8-9).
The wounds we have received are real. They may cause us deep hurt that lasts for very long periods of time. Yet our Lord knows this and cares for us in our misery. He does not cruelly threaten us with the withholding of forgiveness if we fail to forgive others, but rather lavishes His saving mercy upon us first in the initiation of overtures toward us, His beloved. He offers us Himself: body, blood, soul and divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist. He loves us without condition or merit; He is love itself.
Forgive those that have wronged you and look past their deeds to God Who rules and reigns over all and Who knows what we need before we ask. Resist the temptation to ascribe motives to your offenders, for while it may be evil, that is not something we can know with certainty and we are forbidden to judge another's internal forum. Who knows what evil may have been visited upon them?
Nothing is more Christlike than to pardon offenses, to forgive, to offer clemency, even to the undeserving. May God grant us childlike faith to believe this wonderful truth which will save not only us but those we love when put into practice.
Originally posted 7 January 2020
In one thing I am confident
Unless we become like little children, we cannot be truly converted. In this way, the child is the teacher and all the earth stands in awe at the mysterious wisdom and goodness of God, who chose to reveal Himself to men not as a terrible destroyer, but as an innocent baby completely dependent on His human parents. Such knowledge is far, far above me.
Originally posted 12 January 2012
The naturalness of sorrow
My sorrow is above sorrow, my heart mourneth within me.
[Jeremias (Jeremiah) 8:18]
Modern men often equate sorrow with something alien, like an emotional bacteria or virus that the soul must immediately expunge.
The truth is that the soul needs to pass through such seasons to maintain her health. There are occasions in life - whether we are victims or perpetrators - where the only appropriate response is a deep, inward sorrow; a grieving over some loss or a profound regret over a wrong decision or bad action. These are the proper responses of a healthy soul, awakened to the supernatural life of grace, willingly stirred in conscience by all the evil around us which at times finds us as its object.
The mad rush to obtain psychological counseling and even chemical treatment can circumvent the normal and natural motions of the spiritual soul which was created by God to grieve at times with profound sorrow.
Men rush to label every normal foray into sorrow as depression or even mental illness. And no wonder, since so few pastors explain the healthful and expedient work that only contrition, sorrow, and interior brokenness can effect in the arduous and continual work of spiritual conversion.
Lastly, it is not good for the person experiencing sorrow to be alone too much. Sorrow can be shared, and even entered into with appropriate empathy. But never tell the grieving soul not to cry, or that its not that bad, or other such superficial responses. Affirm the hurt; acknowledge the bitterness of the wound. But just being there for the one in sorrow is to provide the support they really need and want - and is itself a silent witness to hope.
Originally posted 11 January 2019
Intoxicating wine of divine charity
The wine cheered the happy guests rejoicing in the newly married spouses' honor. Therefore, the miracle's practical effect was upon the wedding guests, and fittingly so as the faithful and loving witness of Christian spouses can have an intoxicating effect on their children, their fellow Christians, and even on the greater society. The mystery of Christ's love for the Church is reflected in the vows and lives of the married spouses. Christ elevated the dignity of marriage to the level of a sacrament whereby He confers grace upon the husband and wife through their fidelity to their matrimonial vows.
Our Blessed Mother Mary is concerned for each and every marriage in the world. Her intercession then and now avails much for the changing of the water of unhappy tears into the wine of divinely inspired love between husband and wife. In this morally hazardous time of ours when so many marriages are hurting or ended, our Lady pleads for us with her divine Son, "they have no wine." May we heed her Motherly mandate: "whatever He says, do." Christ is listening to His beloved Mother interceding for us and He is willing to change our marriages into intoxicating signs of His love for His bride the Church.
Originally posted 14 June 2014
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Mary always leads us to her Beloved Son
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