WHEN you walk into a room with fresh flowers, they are essentially just sitting there. Yet, their fragrance reaches you and fills your senses with delight. So too, a holy man or woman may not need to say or do much in another’s presence, for the aroma of their holiness is enough to touch one’s spirit.
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…
HAVE you ever met someone who is passionate about their subject? A skydiver, horse-back rider, a sports fan, or an anthropologist, scientist, or antique restorer who lives and breathes their hobby or career? While they can inspire us, and even spark an interest in us toward their subject, Christianity is different. For it is not about the passion of yet another lifestyle, philosophy, or even religious ideal.
The essence of Christianity is not an idea but a Person. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, spontaneous speech to the clergy of Rome; Zenit, May 20th, 2005
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“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
Footnotes
| ↑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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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?
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.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Heb 4:12 |
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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.
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.
SO much has been said this past week on the spirit of fear that has been flooding many souls. I have been blessed that so many of you have entrusted your own vulnerability to me as you have been trying to sift through the confusion that has become a staple of the times. But to assume that what is called confusion is immediately, therefore, “from the evil one” would be incorrect. Because in the life of Jesus, we know that so often his followers, the teachers of the law, the Apostles, and even Mary were left confused as to the meaning and actions of the Lord.
And out of all of these followers, two responses stand out that are like two pillars rising on the sea of turmoil. If we begin to imitate these examples, we can affix ourselves to both of these pillars, and be drawn into the internal calm that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
It is my prayer that your faith in Jesus will be renewed in this meditation…
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.
WHEN I changed the format of my writings last week, there was no intention on my part to cease commenting on the Mass readings. In fact, as I told subscribers to the Now Word, I believe the Lord asked me to begin writing meditations on the Mass readings precisely because He is speaking to us through them, as prophecy now seems to be unfolding in real time. During the week of the Synod, it was incredible to read how, at the very same time that some Cardinals were proposing heresies as pastoral initiatives, St. Paul was affirming his absolute commitment to the Revelation of Christ in Tradition.
There are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! (Gal 1:7-8)
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?
I have spent the day mostly in prayer, listening, speaking with my spiritual director, praying, going to Mass, listening some more… and these are the thoughts and words which have been coming to me since I wrote The Synod and the Spirit.
AS I wrote in my daily Mass meditation today (see here), there is a certain panic in some quarters of the Church on the heels of the Synod’s somewhat abstract post discussion report (relatio post disceptationem). People are asking, “What are the bishops doing in Rome? What is the Pope doing?” But the real question is what is the Holy Spirit doing? For the Spirit is the one Jesus sent to “teach you all truth.” [1]John 16:13 The Spirit is our advocate, our help, our consoler, our strength, our wisdom… but also the one who convicts, enlightens, and exposes our hearts so that we have the opportunity to always move deeper toward the truth that sets us free.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | John 16:13 |
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BROTHERS and sisters, things are beginning to move very fast in the world with events, one on top of the other… like the winds of a hurricane nearest the eye of the Storm. [1]cf. The Seven Seals of Revolution This is what the Lord showed me would happen several years ago. But who of us can prepare for these things outside of God’s grace?
As such, I have been inundated with emails, texts, phone calls…. and I can’t keep up. Furthermore, I sense the Lord is calling me to more prayer and listening. I feel I am not keeping up with what He wants me to say! Something has to give…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Seven Seals of Revolution |
|---|
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 16th, 2014
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch
Liturgical texts here
from Brian Jekel’s Consider the Sparrows
‘WHAT is the Pope doing? What are the bishops doing?” Many are asking these questions on the heels of confusing language and abstract statements emerging from the Synod on Family Life. But the question on my heart today is what is the Holy Spirit doing? Because Jesus sent the Spirit to guide the Church to “all truth.” [1]John 16:13 Either Christ’s promise is trustworthy or it’s not. So what is the Holy Spirit doing? I will write more about this in another writing.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | John 16:13 |
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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 16th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Liturgical texts here
THE confusion we are seeing envelop Rome today in the wake of the Synod document released to the public is, really, no surprise. Modernism, liberalism, and homosexuality were rampant in seminaries at the time many of these bishops and cardinals attended them. It was a time when the Scriptures where de-mystified, dismantled, and stripped of their power; a time when the Liturgy was being turned into a celebration of the community rather than Christ’s Sacrifice; when theologians ceased studying on their knees; when churches were being stripped of icons and statues; when confessionals were being turned into broom closets; when the Tabernacle was being shuffled off into corners; when catechesis virtually dried up; when abortion became legalized; when priests were abusing children; when the sexual revolution turned nearly everyone against Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae; when no-fault divorce was implemented… when the family began to fall apart.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 15th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Liturgical texts here
Genuine freedom is an outstanding manifestation of the divine image in man. —SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Veritatis Splendor, n. 34
TODAY, Paul moves from explaining how Christ has set us free for freedom, to being specific as to those sins that lead us, not only into slavery, but even eternal separation from God: immorality, impurity, drinking bouts, envy, etc.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (First reading)
How popular was Paul for saying these things? Paul didn’t care. As he said himself earlier in his letter to the Galatians:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 14th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr
Liturgical texs here
IT is often said that Jesus was tolerant towards “sinners” but intolerant of the Pharisees. But this isn’t quite true. Jesus often rebuked the Apostles as well, and in fact in yesterday’s Gospel, it was the entire crowd to whom He was very blunt, warning that they would be shown less mercy than the Ninevites:
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 13th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
ONE of the reasons I felt the Lord wanted me to write the “Now Word” on the Mass readings at this time, was precisely because there is a now word in the readings that is speaking directly to what is happening in the Church and the world. The readings of the Mass are arranged in three year cycles, and so are different each year. Personally, I think it is a “sign of the times” how this year’s readings are lining up with our times…. Just saying.
This was among the first words or “trumpets” that I felt the Lord wanted me to blow, beginning in 2006. Many words were coming to me in prayer this morning that, when I went back and re-read this below, made more sense than ever in light of what is happening with Rome, Islam, and everything else in this present Storm. The veil is lifting, and the Lord is revealing to us more and more the times we are in. Don’t be afraid then, because God is with us, shepherding us in the “valley of the shadow of death.” For as Jesus said, “I will be with you until the end…” This writing forms the backdrop for my meditation on the Synod, which my spiritual director has asked me to write.
First published on August 23rd, 2006:
I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. (Jer 4:19)
I can no longer hold in the “word” which has been welling up within me for a week. The weight of it has moved me to tears several times. However, the readings from the Mass this morning were a powerful confirmation — “a go ahead”, so to speak.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 10th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
“EVERY kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.” These are Christ’s words in today’s Gospel that must surely reverberate among the Synod of Bishops gathered in Rome. As we listen to the presentations coming forth on how to deal with today’s moral challenges facing families, it is clear that there are great gulfs between some prelates as to how to deal with sin. My spiritual director has asked me to speak about this, and so I will in another writing. But perhaps we should conclude this week’s meditations on the infallibility of the papacy by listening carefully to Our Lord’s words today.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 9th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Denis and Companions, Martyrs
Liturgical texts here
“O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you…?”
These are the opening words of today’s first reading. And I wonder if St. Paul would repeat them to us as well were he in our midst. For even though Jesus has promised to build His Church on rock, many are convinced today that it’s really just sand. I have received a few letters that essentially say, okay, I hear what you’re saying about the Pope, but I’m still afraid he is saying one thing and doing another. Yes, there is a persistent fear among the ranks that this Pope is going to lead us all into apostasy.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 8th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
The subject matter of this meditation is so important, that I am sending this to both my daily readers of the Now Word, and those who are on the Spiritual Food for Thought mailing list. If you receive duplicates, that’s why. Because of today’s subject, this writing is a bit longer than usual for my daily readers… but I believe necessary.
I couldn’t sleep last night. I woke up in what the Romans would call the “fourth watch”, that period of time before dawn. I began to think about all the emails I’m receiving, the rumors I’m hearing, the doubts and confusion that are creeping in… like wolves on the edge of the forest. Yes, I heard the warnings clearly in my heart shortly after Pope Benedict resigned, that we were going to enter into times of great confusion. And now, I feel a bit like a shepherd, tension in my back and arms, my staff raised as shadows move about this precious flock that God has entrusted me to feed with “spiritual food.” I feel protective today.
The wolves are here.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 7th, 2014
Our Lady of the Rosary
Liturgical texts here
Jesus with Martha and Mary from Anton Laurids Johannes Dorph (1831-1914)
THERE is no such thing as a Christian without the Church. But there is no Church without authentic Christians…
Today, St. Paul continues to give his testimony of how he was given the Gospel, not by man, but by a “revelation of Jesus Christ.” [1]Yesterday’s first reading Yet, Paul is not a lone ranger; he brings himself and his message into and under the authority that Jesus conferred upon the Church, beginning with the “rock”, Cephas, the first pope:
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Yesterday’s first reading |
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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 6th, 2014
Opt. Memorial for St. Bruno and Blessed Marie Rose Durocher
Liturgical texts here
Photo by Les Cunliffe
THE readings today could not be more timely for the opening sessions of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family. For they provide the two guardrails along the “constricted road that leads to life” [1]cf. Matt 7:14 that the Church, and all us as individuals, must travel.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Matt 7:14 |
|---|
Scene from “Lord of the Flies”, Nelson Entertainment
IT is perhaps one of the most augury and revealing movies in recent times. The Lord of the Flies (1989) is the story of a group of boys who are the survivors of a shipwreck. As they settle in to their island surroundings, power struggles ensue until the boys devolve into essentially a totalitarian state where the powerful control the weak—and eliminate the elements that don’t “fit in.” It is, in fact, a parable of what has happened over and over again in the history of mankind, and is repeating itself again today before our very eyes as the nations reject the vision of the Gospel put forth by the Church.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 2nd, 2014
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels,
Liturgical texts here
IT is remarkable to think that, this very moment, beside me, is an angelic being who is not only ministering to me, but beholding the face of the Father at the same time:
Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven… See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Today’s Gospel)
Few, I think, really pay attention to this angelic guardian assigned to them, let alone converse with them. But many of the saints such as Henry, Veronica, Gemma and Pio regularly spoke with and saw their angels. I shared a story with you how I was awakened one morning to an interior voice that, I seemed to know intuitively, was my guardian angel (read Speak Lord, I am Listening). And then there is that stranger who appeared that one Christmas (read A True Christmas Tale).
There was one other time that stands out to me as an inexplicable example of the angel’s presence among us…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 30th, 2014
Memorial of St. Jerome
Liturgical texts here
ONE man laments his sufferings. The other goes straight toward them. One man questions why he was born. Another fulfills His destiny. Both men long for their deaths.
The difference being that Job wants to die to end his suffering. But Jesus wants to die to end our suffering. And thus…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 29th, 2014
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
Liturgical texts here
The Fig Tree
BOTH Daniel and St. John write of a terrible beast that rises to overwhelm the entire world for a short time… but is followed by the establishment of God’s Kingdom, “an everlasting dominion.” It is given not only to the one “like a son of man”, [1]cf. First reading but…
…the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. (Dan 7:27)
This sounds like Heaven, which is why many mistakenly speak of the end of the world after the fall of this beast. But the Apostles and Church Fathers understood it differently. They anticipated that, at some point in the future, God’s Kingdom would come in a profound and universal way before the end of time.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. First reading |
|---|
WHEN I wrote this last week, I decided to sit on it and pray some more because of the very serious nature of this writing. But nearly every day since, I have been getting clear confirmations that this is a word of warning to all of us.
There are many new readers coming aboard each day. Let me briefly recap then… When this writing apostolate began some eight years ago, I felt the Lord asking me to “watch and pray”. [1]At WYD in Toronto in 2003, Pope John Paul II likewise asked us youth to become “the watchmen of the morning who announce the coming of the sun who is the Risen Christ!” —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Message of the Holy Father to the Youth of the World, XVII World Youth Day, n. 3; (cf. Is 21:11-12). Following the headlines, it seemed that there was an escalation of world events by the month. Then it began to be by the week. And now, it is daily. It is exactly as I felt the Lord was showing me it would happen (oh, how I wish in some ways I was wrong about this!)
Footnotes
| ↑1 | At WYD in Toronto in 2003, Pope John Paul II likewise asked us youth to become “the watchmen of the morning who announce the coming of the sun who is the Risen Christ!” —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Message of the Holy Father to the Youth of the World, XVII World Youth Day, n. 3; (cf. Is 21:11-12). |
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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 26th, 2014
Opt. Memorial Saints Cosmas and Damian
Liturgical texts here
THERE is an appointed time for everything. But strangely, it was never meant to be this way.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (First reading)
What the scriptural writer speaks of here is not an imperative or injunction that we must carry out; rather, it is the realization that the human condition, like the ebb and flow of the tide, rises into glory… only to descend into sorrow.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 25th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
by Kyu Erien
AS I wrote last year, perhaps the most short-sighted aspect of our modern culture is the notion that we are on a linear path of advancement. That we are leaving behind, in the wake of human achievement, the barbarism and narrow-minded thinking of past generations and cultures. That we are loosening the shackles of prejudice and intolerance and marching toward a more democratic, free, and civilized world. [1]cf. The Progression of Man
We couldn’t be more wrong.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Progression of Man |
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THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 24th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
IT is called the “Guiding Star” because it appears to be fixed in the night sky as an infallible point of reference. Polaris, as it’s called, is nothing less than a parable of the Church, which has its visible sign in the papacy.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 22nd – 23rd, 2014
Memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina today
Liturgical texts here
THE readings the past two days speak of the justice and care that is due our neighbour in the way that God deems someone to be just. And that can be summarized essentially in the commandment of Jesus:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31)
This simple statement can and should radically alter the way you treat your neighbour today. And this is very simple to do. Imagine yourself without clean clothing or not enough food; imagine yourself jobless and depressed; imagine yourself alone or grieving, misunderstood or afraid… and how would you want others to respond to you? Go then and do this to others.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 18th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Januarius
Liturgical texts here
A LOT hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As St. Paul says today:
…if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. (First reading)
It’s all in vain if Jesus is not alive today. It would mean that death has conquered all and “you are still in your sins.”
But it is precisely the Resurrection that makes any sense of the early Church. I mean, if Christ had not risen, why would His followers go to their brutal deaths insisting on a lie, a fabrication, a thin hope? It’s not like they were trying to build a powerful organization—they chose a life of poverty and service. If anything, you’d think these men would have readily abandoned their faith in the face of their persecutors saying, “Well look, it was quite the three years we lived with Jesus! But no, he’s gone now, and that’s that.” The only thing that makes sense of their radical turnabout after His death is that they saw Him risen from the dead.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 18th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
THE very heart of Catholicism is not Mary; it is not the Pope nor even the Sacraments. It is not even Jesus, per se. Rather it is what Jesus has done for us. Because John writes that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But unless the next thing happens…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 17th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine
Liturgical texts here
THE Catholic Church is an incredible gift to God’s people. For it is true, and it always has been, that we can turn to her not only for the sweetness of the Sacraments but also to draw upon the infallible Revelation of Jesus Christ that sets us free.
Still, we see dimly.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 16th, 2014
Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs
Liturgical texts here
IT’s a question no “bible-believing” Protestant Christian has ever been able to answer for me in the nearly twenty years I’ve been in public ministry: whose interpretation of Scripture is the right one? Every once in awhile, I receive letters from readers who want to set me straight on my interpretation of the Word. But I always write them back and say, “Well, it’s not my interpretation of the Scriptures—it’s the Church’s. After all, it was the Catholic Bishops at the councils of Carthage and Hippo (393, 397, 419 AD) who determined what was to be deemed the “canon” of Scripture, and which writings were not. It only makes sense to go to the ones who put the Bible together for its interpretation.”
But I tell you, the vacuum of logic among Christians is at times stunning.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 15th, 2014
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Liturgical texts here
I stood and watched as tears welled in her eyes. They ran down her cheek and formed drops on her chin. She looked as though her heart could break. Only a day before, she had appeared peaceful, even joyful… but now her face seemed to betray the deep sorrow in her heart. I could only ask “Why…?”, but there was no answer in the rose-scented air, since the Woman I was looking at was a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 12th, 2014
The Holy Name of Mary
Liturgical texts here
DON’T look back, my brother! Don’t give up, my sister! We are running the Race of all races. Are you weary? Then stop for a moment with me, here by the oasis of God’s Word, and let us catch our breath together. I am running, and I see you all running, some ahead, some behind. And so I’m stopping and waiting for those of you who are tired and discouraged. I am with you. God is with us. Let’s rest upon His heart for a moment…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 11th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
DO you find yourself agitated when you hear such statements as “detach yourself from possessions” or “renounce the world”, etc.? If so, it’s often because we have a distorted view of what Christianity is all about—that it is the religion of pain and punishment.
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 10th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
THERE was an expectation in the early Church that Jesus was going to return soon. Thus Paul says to the Corinthians in today’s first reading that “time is running out.” Because of “the present distress”, he offers advice on marriage, suggesting that those who are single remain celibate. And he goes further…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 9th, 2014
Memorial of St. Peter Claver
Liturgical texts here
IF we are to be co-workers with God, this implies much more than simply “working for” God. It means being in communion with Him. As Jesus said,
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. (John 15:5)
But this communion with God is predicated on a vital condition of the soul: purity. God is holy; He is a pure being, and He joins to Himself only that which is pure. [1]from this flows the theology of Purgatory. See On Temporal Punishment Jesus said to St. Faustina:
Footnotes
| ↑1 | from this flows the theology of Purgatory. See On Temporal Punishment |
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