The Great Ark


Look Up by Michael D. O’Brien

 

If there is a Storm in our times, will God provide an “ark”? The answer is “Yes!” But perhaps never before have Christians doubted this provision so much as in our times as controversy over Pope Francis rages, and the rational minds of our post-modern era must grapple with the mystical. Nonetheless, here is the Ark Jesus is providing for us at this hour. I will also address “what to do” in the Ark in the days ahead. First published May 11th, 2011. 

 

JESUS said that the period before His eventual return would be “as it was in the days of Noah…” That is, many would be oblivious to the Storm gathering around them: “They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.” [1]Matt 24:37-29 St. Paul indicated that the coming of the “Day of the Lord” would be “like a thief in the night.” [2]1 These 5:2 This Storm, as the Church teaches, contains the Passion of the Church, who will follow her Head in her own passage through a corporate “death” and resurrection. [3]Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675 Just as many of the “leaders” of the temple and even the Apostles themselves seemed unaware, even to the last moment, that Jesus had to truly suffer and die, so too many in the Church seem oblivious to the consistent prophetic warnings of the popes and the Blessed Mother—warnings that announce and signal a…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Matt 24:37-29
2 1 These 5:2
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 675

Jesus, the Wise Builder

 

As I continue to study the “beast” of Revelation 13, some fascinating things are emerging which I wish to pray and reflect on further before writing them. In the meantime, I am receiving letters of concern again about the growing division in the Church over Amoris Laetitia, the Pope’s recent Apostolic Exhortation. For the moment, I want to republish these important points, lest we forget…

 

SAINT John Paul II once wrote:

…the future of the world stands in peril unless wiser people are forthcoming. Familiaris Consortio, n. 8

We need to pray for wisdom in these times, especially when the Church is under attack from all sides. In my lifetime, I have never seen such doubt, fears, and reservations from Catholics regarding the future of the Church, and in particular, the Holy Father. Not in little part due to some heretical private revelation, but also at times to some incomplete or abstruse statements from the Pope himself. As such, not a few persist in the belief that Pope Francis is going to “destroy” the Church—and the rhetoric against him is becoming increasingly acrimonious. And so once again, without turning a blind eye to the growing divisions in the Church, my top seven reasons why many of these fears are baseless…

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The Counter-Revolution

St. Maximillian Kolbe

 

I concluded Trajectory saying that we are being prepared for a new evangelization. This is what we must pre-occupy ourselves with—not building bunkers and storing food. There is a “restoration” coming. Our Lady speaks of it, as well as the popes (see The Popes, and the Dawning Era). So do not dwell on the labour pains, but the birth to come. The purification of the world is but a small part of the masterplan unfolding, even if it is to emerge from the blood of martyrs…

 

IT is the hour of the Counter-Revolution to begin. The hour when each of us, according to the graces, faith, and gifts accorded us by the Holy Spirit are being called forth into this present darkness as flames of love and light. For, as Pope Benedict once said:

We cannot calmly accept the rest of humanity falling back again into paganism. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), The New Evangelization, Building the Civilization of Love; Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers, December 12, 2000

…you shall not stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake. (cf. Lev 19:16)

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The Last Grace

purgatoryangelAn Angel, Freeing the Souls from Purgatory by Ludovico Carracci, c1612

 

ALL SOULS’ DAY

 

Having been away from home for most of the past two months, I am still catching up on many things, and so am out of a rhythm with my writing. I hope to be on a better track by next week.

I am watching and praying with all of you, especially my American friends as a painful election looms…

 

HEAVEN is only for the perfect. It is true!

But then one might ask, “How can I get to Heaven, then, for I am far from perfect?” Another might answer saying, “The Blood of Jesus will wash you clean!” And this too is true whenever we sincerely ask forgiveness: Jesus’ Blood takes away our sins. But does that suddenly make me perfectly selfless, humble, and charitable—ie. fully restored to the image of God in whom I am created? The honest person knows that this is rarely the case. Usually, even after Confession, there are still remnants of the “old self”—a need for deeper healing of sinful wounds and cleansing of intention and desires. In a word, few of us truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, as we are commanded to.

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Pray for Your Shepherds

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, August 17th, 2016

Liturgical texts here

mother-of-priestsOur Lady of Grace and the Masters of the Order of Montesa
Spanish School (15th century)


I AM
so blessed, in many ways, by the present mission Jesus has given me in writing you. One day, over tens years ago, the Lord nudged my heart saying, “Put your thoughts from your journal online.” And so I did… and now there are tens of thousands of you reading these words from all over the world. How mysterious are God’s ways! But not only that… as a result, I have been able to read your words in countless letters, emails, and notes. I hold every letter I get as precious, and feel very sad that I haven’t been able to respond to all of you. But every letter is read; every word is noted; every intention is lifted up daily in prayer.

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The Sacredness of Marriage

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday, August 12th, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. Frances de Chantal

Liturgical texts here

 

SEVERAL years ago during the pontificate of St. John Paul II, Cardinal Carlo Caffara (Archbishop of Bologna) received a letter from Fatima visionary, Sr. Lucia. In it, she described what the “Final Confrontation” would be over:

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The Christian Martyr-Witness

saint-stephen-the-martyrSt. Stephen the Martyr, Bernardo Cavallino (d. 1656)

 

I am at the beginning of hay season for the next week or so, which leaves me little time to write. However, this week, I have sensed Our Lady urging me to republish several writings, including this one… 

 

WRITTEN ON THE FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN THE MARTYR

 

THIS past year has seen what Pope Francis has rightly called the “brutal persecution” of Christians, particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Nigeria by Islamic jihadists. [1]cf. nbcnews.com; December 24th, Christmas Message

In light of the “red” martyrdom occurring this very minute of our brothers and sisters in the East and elsewhere, and the frequent “white” martyrdom of the faithful in the West, something beautiful is coming to light from this evil: the contrast of the witness of the Christian martyrs to that of the so-called “martyrdom” of religious extremists.

In fact, in Christianity, the word martyr means “witness”…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. nbcnews.com; December 24th, Christmas Message

The Center of Truth

 

I have received many letters asking me to comment on Amoris Laetitia, the Pope’s recent Apostolic Exhortation. I have done so in a new section in the greater context of this writing from July 29th, 2015. If I had a trumpet, I would blare this writing through it… 

 

I often hear both Catholics and Protestants say that our differences really don’t matter; that we believe in Jesus Christ, and that is all that matters. Certainly, we must recognize in this statement the authentic ground of true ecumenism, [1]cf. Authentic Ecumenism which is indeed the confession and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. As St. John says:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Authentic Ecumenism

More on the Gift of Tongues


from Pentecost by El Greco (1596)

 

OF course, a reflection on the “gift of tongues” is going to stir controversy. And this doesn’t surprise me since it is probably the most misunderstood of all charisms. And so, I hope to answer some of the questions and comments I’ve received over the past few days on this subject, particularly as the popes continue to pray for a “new Pentecost”…[1]cf. Charismatic? – Part VI

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Footnotes

The Gift of Tongues

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 25th, 2016
Feast of St. Mark
Liturgical texts here

 

AT a Steubenville conference several years ago, Papal household preacher, Fr. Raneiro Cantalamessa, recounted the story of how St. John Paul II emerged one day from his chapel at the Vatican, excitedly exclaiming that he had received the “gift of tongues.” [1]Correction: I had initially thought it was Dr. Ralph Martin who told this story. Fr. Bob Bedard, the late founder of the Companions of the Cross, was one of the priests present to hear this testimony from Fr. Raneiro. Here we have a pope, one of the greatest theologians of our times, witnessing to the reality of a charism rarely seen or heard in the Church today that Jesus and St. Paul spoke of.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Correction: I had initially thought it was Dr. Ralph Martin who told this story. Fr. Bob Bedard, the late founder of the Companions of the Cross, was one of the priests present to hear this testimony from Fr. Raneiro.

True Mercy

jesusthiefChrist and the Good Thief, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), c. 1566

 

THERE is so much confusion today as to what “love” and “mercy” and “compassion” mean. So much so that even the Church in many places has lost her clarity, the force of truth that at once beckons sinners and repels them. This is no more evident than at that moment on Calvary when God shares the shame of two thieves…

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Your Letters on Pope Francis


Photos courtesy of Reuters

 

THERE are many emotions sweeping through the Church in these days of confusion and trial. What is of primary importance is that we remain in communion with one another—being patient with, and bearing one another’s burdens—including the Holy Father. We are in a time of sifting, and many do not realize it (see The Testing). It is, I dare say, a time to choose sides. To choose whether we will trust Christ and the teachings of His Church… or to trust in ourselves and our own “calculations”. For Jesus placed Peter at the head of His Church when He gave him the keys of the Kingdom and, three times, instructed Peter: “Tend My sheep.” [1]John 21:17 Thus, the Church teaches:

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 John 21:17

Pope in a Hurry?

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for January 22nd, 2016
Opt. Memorial of St. Vincent
Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN Jesus came upon Zacchaeus, a tax collecting thief, He asked to dine with him. In an instant, the narrowness of heart of the throngs was revealed. They despised Zacchaeus and scorned Jesus for making such a vague, ambiguous, scandalous gesture. Shouldn’t Zacchaeus be condemned? Isn’t Jesus sending the message that sin is okay? Likewise, Pope Francis’ call to acknowledge, first the dignity of the person and become truly present to others, is perhaps revealing our own narrowness of heart. For we have been firmly told that it is no longer enough to sit at our computers and Facebook nice Catholic links; it is not enough to hide in our rectories between homilies; it is not enough to say “God bless you,” and ignore the wounds, hunger, loneliness and pain of our brothers and sisters. This, at least, is how one Cardinal saw it.

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Did Pope Francis Promote a One World Religion?

 

FUNDAMENTALIST websites were quick to declare:

“POPE FRANCIS RELEASES A ONE WORLD RELIGION PRAYER VIDEO SAYING ALL FAITHS THE SAME”

An “end times” news website claims:

“POPE FRANCIS MAKES PROCLAMATION FOR A ONE WORLD RELIGION”

And ultra-conservative Catholic websites declared that Pope Francis is preaching “HERESY!”

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Remembering Who We Are

 

ON THE VIGIL OF THE SOLEMNITY
OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

 

EVERY year, we see and hear again the familiar motto, “Keep Christ in Christmas!” as a counter to the political correctness that has neutered Christmas store displays, school plays, and public speeches. But one could be forgiven for wondering if the Church herself has not lost her focus and “raison d’être”? After all, what does keeping Christ in Christmas mean? Making sure we say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”? Putting up a manger as well as a tree? Going to midnight Mass? The words of Blessed Cardinal Newman have been lingering in my mind for several weeks:

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On Discernment of the Details

 

I AM receiving many letters at this time asking me about Charlie Johnston, Locutions.org, and other “seers” who claim to receive messages from Our Lady, angels, or even Our Lord. I am frequently being asked, “What do you think of this prediction or that?” Perhaps this is a good moment, then, to speak on discernment

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The Dipping Dish

Judas dips into bowl, artist unknown

 

PAPAL palpitations are continuing to give way to anxious questions, conspiracies, and fear that the Barque of Peter is heading for rocky shoals. The fears tend to revolve around why the Pope gave some clerical positions to “liberals” or let them take key roles in the recent Synod on the Family.

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Papalotry?

Pope Francis in the Philippines (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

 

papalotry |pāpǝlätrē|: the belief or stance that everything the Pope says or does is without error.

 

I’VE been getting bagfuls of letters, very concerned letters, since the Synod on the Family began in Rome last year. That stream of worry didn’t let up the past few weeks as the closing sessions began to wrap up. At the center of these letters were consistent fears regarding the words and actions, or lack thereof, of his Holiness Pope Francis. And so, I did what any ex-news reporter would do: go to the sources. And without fail, ninety-nine percent of the time, I found that the links people sent me with heinous charges against the Holy Father were due to:

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World-Weariness

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday, October 5th, 2015
Opt. Memorial of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos

Liturgical texts here


The Hauler of a Boat, by Honoré Daumier, (1808-1879)

 

WE are living at an hour when many souls have grown weary, very weary. And though our weariness may be the fruit of a myriad of differing circumstances, there is often a common root: we are weary because we are, in one way or another, running from the Lord.

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How Do You Hide a Tree?

 

“HOW do you hide a tree?” I thought for moment about my spiritual director’s question. “In a forest?” Indeed, he went on to say, “Likewise, Satan has raised a tumult of false voices in order to obscure the authentic voice of the Lord.”

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You Are Also Called

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Monday, September 21st, 2015
Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Liturgical texts here

 

THERE is a model of the Church today that is long overdue for an overhaul. And it is this: that the pastor of the parish is the “minister” and the flock are mere sheep; that the priest is the “go to” for all ministry needs, and the laity have no real place in ministry; that there are the occasional “speakers” who come to teach, but we are mere passive listeners. But this model is not only unbiblical, it is harmful to the Body of Christ.

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Mere Men

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Thursday, July 23rd, 2015
Opt. Memorial of St. Bridget

Liturgical texts here

mountainpeakwith-lightning_Fotor2

 

THERE is a crisis coming—and it is already here—for our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ. It was foretold by Jesus when He said,

…everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined. (Matt 7:26-27)

That is, whatever is built on sand: those interpretations of Scripture that depart from the Apostolic faith, those heresies and subjective errors that have divided Christ’s Church literally into tens of thousands of denominations—is going to be washed away in this present and coming Storm. In the end, Jesus foretold, “there will be one flock, one shepherd.” [1]cf. John 10:16

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. John 10:16

The Third Way

Loneliness by Hans Thoma (National Museum in Warsaw)

 

AS I sat down last night to finish writing Part II of this series on Human Sexuality and Freedom, the Holy Spirit put the brakes on. The grace was not there to continue. However, this morning as I resumed writing, an email came to me that put everything aside. It is a new documentary that summarizes the things I am writing you. While my series is not focused on homosexuality, but all forms of sexual expression, this short film is just too good not to share at this point.

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The Spirit of Truth

Vatican Pope DovesDove released by Pope Francis attacked by a crow, January 27th, 2014; AP Photo

 

ALL over the world, hundreds of millions of Catholics gathered this past Pentecost Sunday and heard the Gospel proclaimed:

…when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. (John 16:13)

Jesus did not say “Spirit of joy” or “Spirit of peace”; He did not promise the “Spirit of love” or “Spirit of power”—although the Holy Spirit is all those. Rather, Jesus used the title Spirit of Truth. Why? Because it is truth that sets us free; it is truth which, when embraced, lived out, and shared produces the fruit of joy, peace, and love. And truth carries a power all on its own.

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Come, Follow Me Into the Tomb

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of Holy Week, April 4th, 2015
Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Liturgical texts here

 

SO, you are loved. It is the most beautiful message a fallen world could ever hear. And there is no religion in the world with so remarkable a testimony… that God Himself, out of a passionate love for us, has descended to earth, taken on our flesh, and died to save us.

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Silencing the Prophets

jesus_tomb270309_01_Fotor

 

In memory of the prophetic witness
of the Christian martyrs of 2015

 

THERE is a strange cloud over the Church, especially in the Western world—one that is sapping the life and fruitfulness of the Body of Christ. And it is this: the inability to hear, recognize, or discern the prophetic voice of the Holy Spirit. As such, many are crucifying and sealing the “word of God” in the tomb all over again.

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You Are Loved

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Friday of Holy Week, April 3rd, 2015
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Liturgical texts here


 

YOU are loved.

 

Whoever you are, you are loved.

On this day, God declares in one solemn act that you are loved.

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Fulfilled, But Not Yet Consummated

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent, March 21st, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

WHEN Jesus became man and began His ministry, He announced that humanity had entered the “fullness of time.” [1]cf. Mark 1:15 What does this mysterious phrase mean two thousand years later? It is important to understand because it reveals to us the “end time” plan that is now unfolding…

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Mark 1:15

Pray More, Speak Less

praymorespeakless2

 

I could have written this for the past week. First published 

THE Synod on the family in Rome last autumn was the beginning of a firestorm of attacks, assumptions, judgments, grumbling, and suspicions against Pope Francis. I set everything aside, and for several weeks responded to reader’s concerns, media distortions, and most especially distortions of fellow Catholics that simply needed to be addressed. Thanks be to God, many people stopped panicking and started praying, started reading more of what the Pope was actually saying rather than what the headlines were. For indeed, Pope Francis’ colloquial style, his off-the-cuff remarks that reflect a man who is more comfortable with street-talk than theological-speak, has required greater context.

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Returning to Our Center

offcourse_Fotor

 

WHEN a ship goes off course by only a degree or two, it is barely noticeable until several hundred nautical miles later. So too, the Barque of Peter has likewise veered somewhat off course over the centuries. In the words of Blessed Cardinal Newman:

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My Young Priests, Be Not Afraid!

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

ord-prostration_Fotor

 

AFTER Mass today, the words came strongly to me:

My young priests, do not be afraid! I have put you in place, like seeds scattered among fertile soil. Do not be afraid to preach My Name! Do not be afraid to speak the truth in love. Do not be afraid if My Word, through you, causes a sifting of your flock…

As I shared these thoughts over coffee with a courageous African priest this morning, he nodded his head. “Yes, we priests often want to please everyone rather than preach the truth… we have let the lay faithful down.”

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Jesus, the Goal

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Liturgical texts here

 

DISCIPLINE, mortification, fasting, sacrifice… these are words that tend to make us cringe because we associate them with pain. However, Jesus did not. As St. Paul wrote:

For the sake of the joy that lay before him, Jesus endured the cross… (Heb 12:2)

The difference between a Christian monk and a Buddhist monk is precisely this: the end for the Christian is not the mortification of his senses, or even peace and serenity; rather it is God himself. Anything less is falling short of fulfillment as much as throwing a rock in the sky falls short of hitting the moon. Fulfillment for the Christian is to allow God to possess him that he may possess God. It is this union of hearts that transforms and restores the soul into the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity. But even the most profound union with God can also be accompanied by a dense darkness, spiritual dryness, and sense of abandonment—just as Jesus, though in complete conformity to the Father’s will, experienced abandonment on the Cross.

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Touching Jesus

THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015
Opt. Memorial St. Blaise

Liturgical texts here

 

MANY Catholics go to Mass every Sunday, join the Knights of Columbus or CWL, put a few bucks in the collection basket, etc. But their faith never really deepens; there is no real transformation of their hearts more and more into holiness, more and more into Our Lord himself, such that they can begin to say with St. Paul, “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.” [1]cf. Gal 2:20

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Gal 2:20

The Last Judgments

 


 

I believe that the vast majority of the Book of Revelation refers, not to the end of the world, but to the end of this era. Only the last few chapters really look at the very end of the world while everything else before mostly describes a “final confrontation” between the “woman” and the “dragon”, and all the terrible effects in nature and society of a general rebellion that accompanies it. What divides that final confrontation from the end of the world is a judgment of the nations—what we are primarily hearing in this week’s Mass readings as we approach the first week of Advent, the preparation for Christ’s coming.

For the past two weeks I keep hearing the words in my heart, “Like a thief in the night.” It is the sense that events are coming upon the world that are going to take many of us by surprise, if not many of us home. We need to be in a “state of grace,” but not a state of fear, for anyone of us could be called home at any moment. With that, I feel compelled to republish this timely writing from December 7th, 2010…

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Hell is for Real

 

THERE is one terrible truth in Christianity that in our times, even more than in previous centuries, arouses implacable horror in the heart of man. That truth is of the eternal pains of hell. At the mere allusion to this dogma, minds become troubled, hearts tighten up and tremble, passions become rigid and inflamed against the doctrine and the unwelcome voices that proclaim it.” [1]The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 173; Sophia Institute Press

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, by Fr. Charles Arminjon, p. 173; Sophia Institute Press

What it Means to Welcome Sinners

 

THE call of the Holy Father for the Church to become more of a “field hospital” to “heal the wounded” is a very beautiful, timely, and perceptive pastoral vision. But what exactly needs healing? What are the wounds? What does it mean to “welcome” sinners aboard the Barque of Peter?

Essentially, what is “Church” for?

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The Thin Line Between Mercy and Heresy – Part III

 

PART III — FEARS REVEALED

 

SHE fed and clothed the poor with love; she nurtured minds and hearts with the Word. Catherine Doherty, foundress of the Madonna House apostolate, was a woman who took on the “smell of the sheep” without taking on the “stench of sin.” She constantly walked the thin line between mercy and heresy by embracing the greatest of sinners while calling them to holiness. She used to say,

Go without fears into the depths of men’s hearts… the Lord shall be with you. —from The Little Mandate

This is one of those “words” from the Lord that is able to penetrate “between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” [1]cf. Heb 4:12 Catherine uncovers the very root of the problem with both so-called “conservatives” and “liberals” in the Church: it is our fear to enter men’s hearts as Christ did.

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Footnotes

Footnotes
1 cf. Heb 4:12

The Thin Line Between Mercy & Heresy – Part II

 

PART II — Reaching the Wounded

 

WE have watched a rapid cultural and sexual revolution that in five short decades has decimated the family as divorce, abortion, redefinition of marriage, euthanasia, pornography, adultery, and many other ills have become not only acceptable, but deemed a social “good” or “right.” However, an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, drug use, alcohol abuse, suicide, and ever multiplying psychoses tell a different story: we are a generation that is bleeding profusely from the effects of sin.

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The Thin Line Between Mercy & Heresy – Part I

 


IN
all the controversies that unfolded in the wake of the recent Synod in Rome, the reason for the gathering seemed to have been lost altogether. It was convened under the theme: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” How do we evangelize families given the pastoral challenges we face due to high divorce rates, single mothers, secularization, and so forth?

What we learned very quickly (as proposals of some Cardinals were made known to the public) is that there is a a thin line between mercy and heresy.

The following three part series is intended to not only get back to the heart of the matter—evangelizing families in our times—but to do so by bringing to the forefront the man who is really at the center of the controversies: Jesus Christ. Because no one walked that thin line more than Him—and Pope Francis seems to be pointing that path to us once again.

We need to blow away the “smoke of satan” so we can clearly identify this narrow red line, drawn in Christ’s blood… because we are called to walk it ourselves.

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The Spirit of Suspicion


Getty Images

 

 

ONCE again, the Mass readings today are blowing over my soul like a trumpet blast. In the Gospel, Jesus warns His listeners to pay attention to the signs of the times

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Can a Pope Become a Heretic?

APTOPIX VATICAN PALM SUNDAY

 

by Rev. Joseph L. Iannuzzi, STD, Ph.D.

 

IN recent months the Roman Pontiff’s teaching authority has been openly challenged and his supreme, full and immediate authority questioned. Particular exception has been taken to his non ex cathedra pronouncements in light of modern “prophecies.” The following article by Rev. Joseph Iannuzzi asks the question increasingly being asked by others: Can a Pope Become a Heretic?