Satan's Favorite Way In Dealing With Christ

Satan failed in its temptations of Christ in the desert [1] but that did not stop Satan and Satan's minions from mocking Christ.

The two most important commandments are based on love. [2]  A kiss is generally understood to be a gesture of love, but when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he mocked the love of Christ and betrayed Christ with a kiss.  Even Christ, perhaps a little surprised by Judas' chosen method asked, "'Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'" [3]

Satanists mock Christ with their black masses [4] and by desecrating the Holy Eucharist.

Francis of Assisi was the first person to receive the stigmata.  Since then, many had claimed to have it as well.  Some, even those who had become saints, could very well had had it but probability necessitates one to question the truth of such a claim.  After all, even one of the twelve disciples was a Satan surrogate that mocked Christ.  Therefore, it is possible that a stigmatic saint could also have mocked the one chosen by Christ to receive the stigmata who became Saint Francis of Assisi, who was never accused by anyone of fraud.  Pio on the other hand, had been accused of "using carbolic acid to create and sustain his wounds." [5]

"Pio experienced excruciating pain and his screams brought the friars running to his side. They found him unconscious and bleeding profusely. He had received the Stigmata." [6]  Nobody recorded that Francis of Assisi screamed to let his brothers know of his stigmata.  Pio's "screams" not only sounds dramatic but also appears to be well-timed and well-staged.  Of course, it could not have happened while he was up in a mountain alone with Christ because nobody would know where he was and hear him scream.

In the case of Saint Francis of Assisi [7]:

"…the marks of nails began to appear in his hands and feet, just as he had seen them slightly earlier in the crucified man above him. His wrists and feet seemed to be pierced by nails, with the heads of the nails appearing on his wrists and on the upper sides of his feet, the points appearing on the other side. The marks were round on the palm of each hand but elongated on the other side, and small pieces of flesh jutting out from the rest took on the appearance of the nail-ends, bent and driven back. In the same way the marks of nails were impressed on his feet and projected beyond the rest of the flesh. Moreover, his right side had a large wound as if it had been pierced with a spear, and it often bled so that his tunic and trousers were soaked with his sacred blood."

...

[Saint] Bonaventure wrote, “Because of this new and astounding miracle unheard of in times past, Francis came down from the mountain a new man adorned with the sacred stigmata, bearing in his body the image of the Crucified not made by a craftsman in wood or stone, [or by self-mutilation using carbolic acid,] but fashioned in his members by the hand of the living God.”

...

There were Dominicans who claimed that Blessed Walter of Strasbourg was also granted the same privilege. And there were some – and many since [probably envious Dominicans included] – who have doubted the historicity of the account, claiming fraud or later embellishment by the Franciscans themselves. One argument is that Francis himself never mentions the event or the stigmata.

Why would Francis of Assisi talk or brag about his stigmata?  He was a humble servant of God.  His stigmata was between him and God, not for the world to know.

This stands in sharp contrast to Pio's claim of his stigmata.  If Twitter were in existence then, there would probably be a "#metoo" movement for stigmatics.  Pio could very well be one of the first to tweet about his "scream" and his stigmata.  Pio was reportedly able to bilocate as well.  And he had the odor of "sanctity."  "The odor was especially strong from the blood coming from his wounds. Investigation showed that he used absolutely no fragrances or anything that could produce these odors." [8]  Perhaps they emanated from Hell.

Not even Christ was able to be present at two places simultaneously during His ministry.  If He were able to bilocate, He could have gone to more places and performed more miracles, and would not have to raise Lazarus from the dead.  He would have cured him before he died. [9]

When Christ was on the road with His disciples to Emmaus, His disciples did not smell any odor. [10]

The mockery of Saint Francis of Assisi did not end with Pio.  Bergoglio continued it when he named himself Francis I after the saint.  There is nothing about Bergoglio that reminds this blogger of Francis of Assisi's humility and holiness.

Satan always wants to be better than Christ, to have Christ kneel before it, and to be more popular than Christ.  The Antichrist is one who will mock Christ demonstratively by performing miracles, who will make false promises, similar to what the Serpent said to Eve, "'You will not certainly die.'" [11]  This half-truth could very well lead souls to perdition.  Satan would win if one hears this and thinks that one will have eternal life in Heaven no matter what, when in actuality Satan is stating the fact that one's soul never dies even when it is suffering in Hell.




[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A36-40&version=NIV
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A47-48&version=NIV
[4] https://aleteia.org/2018/10/09/what-is-a-black-mass/
[5] https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/was-st-padre-pio-an-incarnation-of-jesus-or-a-fraud-1.3632166
[6] https://ballinteerparish.ie/padre-pio-story.htm
[7] https://sacredheartfla.org/about-us/being-franciscan/fraciscan-feast-days/the-feast-of-the-stigmata-of-st-francis-of-assisi/
[8] https://www.ewtn.com/padrepio/mystic/bilocation.htm
[9] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+11&version=NIV
[10] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24%3A13-35&version=NIV
[11] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A2-5&version=NIV

Lying

Lying comes in many forms.  They include:

1. intentional misstatement of the truth
2. obfuscation of the truth
3. fractional (half) truths
4. intentional omission of the truth (treacherous silence)
5. casting doubt upon truth
6. covering up the truth
7. altering the truth
8. twisting the truth
9. denying the truth
10. rejecting the truth
11. ignoring the truth (Satan neither tempts with Heaven' riches nor threatens with Hell's sufferings)
12. manufacturing untruths
13. rationalizing untruths
14. dressing up untruths (to sound good, to avoid embarrassment)
15. believing subjectively that certain untruths are innocuous, and so on.

Not only do people lie to others, they also lie to themselves.

That lying has become popular is a sign that Satan's influence is pervasive.

When people come to accept lies as something that is normal and to be expected, that could mean that people are comfortable with the ways of Satan.

Being devoted to Satan is one thing, doing its work is another.  Man is quite possibly a step above Satan in the art of lying, in that man can lie about what he does not know.  Satan, on the other hand, knows the truth and lies about it.

A liar cannot conceal a pack of lies and expect to go through Heaven's security gate.  Christ Himself is the Lie Detector.  Heaven has no room for lies.  God made that clear in the Garden of Eden.

Francis Of Assisi And Sultan al-Malek al-Kamil

From piercedhears.org [1]:

Mission before the Sultan

On June of 1219, [Francis of Assisi] embarked in Ancon with 12 friars. The ship took them to Damietta at the mouth of the Nile. The crusaders had established in the city and Francis suffered much upon seeing the selfishness and the dissolute habits of the soldiers of the cross. Consumed by zeal for the salvation of the Saracens, he decided to cross over to the enemy’s camp, even as much as the crusaders told him that the head of the Christians came at a price. Having obtained the authorization of the pontifical delegate, Francis and brother Illuminated approached the enemy’s camp, screaming “Sultan! Sultan!” When they took them before the presence of Malek-al-Kamil, Francis declared daringly, “It is not men who have sent me, but almighty God. I come to show you, you and your people, the path of salvation; I come to announce the truths of the Gospel.” The Sultan was left impressed and begged Francis to remain with him. The saint replied, “If you and your people are willing to listen to the word of God I will gladly stay with you. And if you still waver between Christ and Mahoma, order that a bonfire be lit; I will go inside it with your priests and you will see which one is the true faith.” The Sultan answered that probably none of the priests wanted to go inside the bonfire and he could not subject them to that trial so as not to cause a revolt.

It is told that the Sultan went to say: “If all the Christians were like him, then it would be worth it to be a Christian.” But the Sultan, Malek-al-Kamil ordered Francis to return to the camp of the Christians. 

Many Christians and Catholics are not like Saint Francis of Assisi but rather his antitheses, incorrigible sinners and self-righteous hypocrites (this blogger included).


[1] https://www.piercedhearts.org/theology_heart/life_saints/francis_assisi_life.htm

Inspirational Teacher: Peter Tabichi

Quoted below are from the Varkey Foundation [1]:

"Peter Tabichi is a science teacher and Franciscan Brother who gives away 80% of his monthly income to help the poor.  His dedication, hard work and passionate belief in his student’s talent has led his poorly-resourced school in remote rural Kenya to emerge victorious after taking on the country’s best schools in national science competitions."

Peter Tabichi won the Global Teacher Prize in 2019.  "His win was announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum on 23th March 2019."

From the tab "About The Global Teacher Prize":  "A US $1 million award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession."

Peter Tabichi's "Mathematical Science team also qualified to participate at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair 2019 in Arizona, USA, for which they’re currently preparing. His students have also won an award from The Royal Society of Chemistry after harnessing local plant life to generate electricity."

Public day for the Intel ISEF will be on May 16, 2019 [2].

Quoted below are from SCIENCE alert [3]:

"In addition, Tabichi, who is also a Franciscan Brother, started a Peace Club at the school, to help integrate students from seven different tribes, all of which attend Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School, and introduced a common program for prayer and worship during school assembly, embracing the religions practised by different students."

"'You are a shining example of what the human spirit can achieve,' Kenya's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, said in a message of congratulations. [hyperlink omitted]

"'Not just for Kenya. Not just for Africa. But for the world.'"

Peter Tabichi is a living saint!



[1] https://www.globalteacherprize.org/winners/peter-tabichi/
[2] https://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef
[3] https://www.sciencealert.com/kenyan-science-teacher-who-gives-80-of-his-salary-away-wins-1m-global-prize

"To protect Earth, change lifestyles, say church, indigenous leaders"

Quoted above is the title of an article published on March 21, 2019, by Catholic News Service [1].

Selected paragraphs are quoted (some in part) below [2]:

Participants at the Washington gathering looked at some of the data showing what can happen if places such as the Amazon keep experiencing deforestation at the current rate. The Amazon serves as the "world's lung," where global emissions of carbon dioxide can be turned into oxygen. Its deforestation is not just displacing indigenous communities who have long called the region home but may also accelerate the warming of the globe, leading to extreme weather patterns everywhere.

Extreme weather patterns are already occurring.

[Guatemalan Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini] offered as an example the manufactured need for the newest lines of smartphones, which render products released just a year earlier obsolete. The consumer does not stop to consider who might be sacrificing him or herself in another part of the world to manufacture those types of object others want, but do not need.

People, especially those born in the digital age, have no genuine care for others or for the environment, with exceptions of course, so long as they themselves attain personal worldly gratification.

Participants called for a shift, an "ecological conversion," that leads to a change of mind, but also a change of lifestyle, one that keeps the stewardship of the planet's resources in mind.

This will require a miracle.

Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, president of the Pan-Amazonian Church Network, ... based in South America links indigenous communities and Catholic organizations in nine countries to respond to challenges facing those who live in the Amazon.

It would be more effective if the organization were to link frenzied consumers in this digital age to their collective conscience, assuming that it can even be accessed.



[1] https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2019/to-protect-earth-change-lifestyles-say-church-indigenous-leaders.cfm
[2] Ibid.

The Perfect Creator And The Imperfect Man

The question is what does God Who is perfect see in man who is not?

Was Adam an evil person by disobeying God's one and only commandment - not to eat from the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge?  Probably not.  He could have been bored and wanted to try something "new" or just wanted to be naughty and see what would happen, or maybe Satan seduced him.

Can the Serpent be blamed for Adam's choice?  Not entirely because the Serpent, like God, allowed Adam to exercise his Free Will, even though the Serpent probably used every means to cloud Adam's judgment.  As a result,  Adam made the wrong choice, but God still loved him.  "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." [1]

Can anyone imagine the Almighty God, Creator of all things worldly and other-worldy, designing and making clothes tailored to fit Adam and Eve?  Can anyone imagine how perfection can love imperfection?

Perfect love is defined here as unconditional love.  One might say that God's love is not unconditional because God sends souls to Hell.  If God's love is truly unconditional, then all souls would go to Heaven.  This conclusion takes away man's Free Will.  It is not that entry to Heaven is blocked for some but that it is the preference of some for evil.  Evil people have no compunction, they refuse to be humble, to repent and improve themselves.  Therefore, it is they who open the door to Hell.  Can these people who do not care to be like Christ blame God and say that God made them imperfect and being imperfect, they were destined to be evil?

The built-in, or God-made, imperfections in people who want to be like Christ are revealed in the constant battles choosing between good and evil.  It is one's determination to overcome one's weaknesses and repetitive failures, to seek forgiveness that endears one to God, that opens the door to Heaven.  Evil people do not bother to engage in such battles.  They relish evilness and endear themselves to Satan.

In other words, imperfection can but does not necessarily lead to evil.  People are imperfect but people can still be kind, charitable, humble and loving.  Such qualities can also be found in people who kill, who perform abortions, people who support abortion and mothers who abort.  How such qualities can offset evilness is not for man to judge.

Only God Who is perfect is able to comprehend perfectly imperfections in man.

So why did God create an imperfect man with weaknesses?  Why did God not give Adam and Eve enough strength so that they would be have the iron will to reject all temptations?  If God had done so, then God would have "programmed" man to obey and love Him.  "Free Will" would then be conceptual, would only sound good and not have meaning.

It is weakness in man that allows Free Will to be exercised.  Man is strong enough to reject all temptations.  His Free Will that has made it difficult.  This seemingly insurmountable difficulty empowers Free Will.  When it is overcome, it perfects the imperfect man.




[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A21&version=NIV

Adultery Is Apparently Fine With The Catholic Church

Braincharm.com  published an article entitled Catholic church welcomes back priest who had orgies and slept with parishioners.  The article reported the following [1]:

Father Roberto Cavazzana, 43, has been noted as “very charismatic” and subsequently, attracted a lot of attention from the media.

In 2017, he rose to fame in Italy after sharing spiritual guidance to Belen Rodriguez — a very famous TV presenter in the country.

He was described by Rodriguez as a “modern priest,” and a “handsome and nice man.”
... 

Currently, the 43-year-old is attempting to recover his reputation, after the scandal came out last year.

He admitted that he had sex with 13 of his church goers as well as took part in a large number of sex parties.

Father Andrea Contin, another priest, organized the orgies and was later expelled from the church too.

Father Contin, 50, would film the parties — where they used bondage equipment as well as sex toys.

After three of his former lovers came forward about his behavior, an investigation was launched.

Of the women who came forward, two shared claims that they went to Contin for advice as they feared their marriages were falling apart.

But instead of giving the women spiritual guidance, they allege that he seduced them as well as pressured them to be involved in “extreme sexual activities.”

The bishop of Venice, Claudio Cipolla, said that he forgave Father Cavazzana “like a father,” and he was receiving his inspiration from the “mercy of the Lord.”

The village mayor, Maria Elena Sinigalia, said:

“We are not talking about pedophilia so we are calm. You need to distinguish between the man and the priest and Don Roberto is a good priest. We hope he comes back soon. We are ready to forgive him.”

The father shared the following after he heard he was allowed to return to the Church:

“I ask for forgiveness for the words, the gestures and all the mistakes that I have made.”

What a wonderful bishop Padua, Italy, has. [2]  Claudio Cioplla forgave the promiscuous adulterer priest and said that he "was receiving his inspiration from the 'mercy of the Lord.'"  Why stop with this one adulterer, why not allow the Lord's mercy to reach far and wide and forgive all promiscuous adulterers, fornicators, pedophiles, sodomites, rapists and all other sex addicts in the world?  Perhaps the newly defrocked Theodore Edgar McCarrick [3] should consider moving there.  In time, maybe Maria Elena Sinigalia, will calm down and be able to distinguish between the pedophile and the former Cardinal/priest as well and forgive him, and welcome him to her church.



[1] https://braincharm.com/2019/03/08/catholic-church-welcomes-back-priest-who-had-orgies-and-slept-with-parishioners/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Cipolla
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/16/us/mccarrick-defrocked-vatican.html

Satanic Presence Growing In France

The Tablet  published on 11 March 2019 an article entitled Anti-Catholic climate worsens in France. [1]  Quoted below is from the article [2]:

French monitoring groups have cited an increase in attacks on churches and religious sites, with a record 47 documented in February, despite appeals for better protection from the country's Catholic bishops.

The groups' report said 15 vandalism attacks had been registered nationwide during the month, along with 15 robberies, 10 acts of profanation and one torching incident. It added that the worst had occurred at the gothic cathedral of Saint-Denis, near Paris, the historic burial place of French monarchs, which assailants had entered by smashing a historic stained-glass window, before wrecking the organ and choir-stalls.
...

In February, Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon held a Mass of reparation at his city's Notre Dame church, two days after its tabernacle was forced open and consecrated hosts scattered. Meanwhile, Bishop Robert Wattebled of Nimes said Catholics had been "hurt in their deepest convictions" after Communion wafers were desecrated with excrement at the Notre-Dame-des-Enfants church, adding that Church leaders now faced "practical questions" over how to keep churches open without "excessive risks of vandalism". 

This blogger attributes this worsening climate to Satan's growing influence in France, a country with many Roman Catholic saints.  Wikipedia  has a list of them. [3]  He wants to blame Bergoglio for emboldening Satan.  Bergoglio has taken no action to protect such desecrations taking place in France.

It seems like every time he opens his mouth, Bergoglio gives a hint that he is actually a pawn of Satan, a destroyer of the true Catholic Church that Christ asked Saint Francis of Assisi to repair.  [4]  Zenit.org  published "a translation of the address [Bergoglio] gave March 17, 2019, before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square." [5]  Quoted below is part of the translation [6]:

Christ’s Transfiguration shows us the Christian perspective of suffering. Suffering isn’t sadomasochism: it’s a necessary but transitory passage. 

Before the word "sadomasochism" Bergoglio used the word "beauty" in describing the Resurrection; after it Bergoglio mentioned God's "endless love."  Dictionary.com  defines sadomasochism as follows [7]:

1  interaction, especially sexual activity, in which one person enjoys inflicting physical or mental suffering on another person, who derives pleasure from experiencing pain.

2  gratification, especially sexual, gained through inflicting or receiving pain; sadism and masochism combined. Abbreviation : S-M, S and M

How is it possible that "sadomasochism" can slither into one's mind when one thinks of Christ's transfiguration and sufferings?  By using the word (as translated), Bergoglio had put filth into the minds of people based on the power of suggestion.  At the same time, Bergoglio also defiled Christ indirectly, and put a stain on Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March 2019, the day Bergoglio gave his address.

This kind of sick subtlety can only come from a scum with a Satanic mind.  No saint that this blogger is aware of, whether from France or anywhere else, had ever linked in any way "sadomasochism" to Christ.



[1] https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/11475/anti-catholic-climate-worsens-in-france-
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:French_Roman_Catholic_saints
[4] http://www.paceminterris.org/experience-pacem/the-hermitages/st-francis-of-assisi/
[5] https://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-on-christs-transfiguration-and-the-christian-perspective-of-suffering/
[6] Ibid.
[7] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sadomasochism

Connection To History

One of the definitions of history is "the record of past events and times, especially in connection with the human race." [1] History has never been a topic of interest for this blogger because he views history as a constant reminder of things past that are better forgotten and forgiven.  By burying the hatchet, man is able to work together toward a future that satisfies man's basic needs everywhere, so that anyone, anywhere, is able to live in peace, have food, shelter, clean water, proper sanitation and access to medication.

Having wealth, having fame, having power and having influence are not part of man's basic needs.  Greed and envy have no place in this utopian future, neither do wrath, vengeance nor pride.  When the world's governments have the same goals in mind, when God's Will is being done on earth as it is in Heaven, autocracy and democracy speak with one voice.

Intellect, talent and ambition will not be used selfishly or injuriously.  The reward would be seeing happiness in the others less gifted and capable, not the big gains on one's brokerage and personal financial statements.  The standards of living will be lowered in the beginning because military spending will cease, corruption and theft will end and drug and human trafficking will stop, as will genetically-modified (Satanic) foods be eradicated.

This economic slowdown will be replaced by the development of safe, easy, fast and environmentally clean transportation for people and goods around the world, within a country and between countries, by cutting travel by more than half the time that it takes at present.  There will be no need for passports.  Everyone will be able to live anywhere and contribute to everyone everywhere.  The world becomes one, and one who inhabits it becomes the helper of another.  This mutuality is understood and practiced by all.

There is also mutuality between man and nature.  Reforestation will begin, toxicities will be cleaned-up and violators will be required to cease their operations at once.  With the passing of many centuries, all things will be natural again, assuming there is still that much time left for this world.  For example, there will be no fish farming, and caviar will be affordable to all because wild beluga sturgeons will begin to multiply in pristine waters as will all other fishes in the wild.

This utopian fantasy ends here.  It is a fantasy because history now viewed differently by this blogger, is not erasable and therefore cannot be forgotten.  No one can escape it without Divine Intervention.

Christ died for the salvation of sinners.  His death did not erase from man the DNA of Original Sin that he acquired from Eve, the first mother of Sin.  The Blessed Virgin Mary is the only exception.  She is the Immaculate Conception because She did not inherit Original Sin from Her parents who were both sinners.

Since Original Sin is part of man's DNA, a man cannot be Christ and a woman cannot be the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Man cannot "Free Will" his way out of Original Sin.  Therefore the constant struggle for man to choose between following his nature that is predisposed to the commission of sins and following his soul that always inclines away from sin toward holiness will continue.

Not only is man shackled by Original Sin, he is tied inextricably to the sins of his ancestors.  The farther back one goes, the closer is one's connection to another, going all the way back to Adam and Eve.  For example, a victim of the Holocaust cannot claim that he is not affiliated with Hitler in the sense that they both share the same first parents and they both have the same Original Sin.  Similarly, Abraham is a common ancestor of both the Arabs and the Jews. [2]

If everyone has the same Original Sin and has the same first parents, then why do some people tend more toward good and some more toward evil?  Cain killed Abel.  The disciple John chose to accompany Christ at the foot of the cross with the Blessed Virgin Mary and Judas Iscariot chose to betray Christ.  Would it be too far-fetched to imagine that Eve could have been impregnated by Satan and Satan's DNA has been spread out over the millennia, with some offspring in the same family inheriting it but not others?  On the topic of Cain's possible father being Satan, this imaginative mind has found company online. [3], [4].

In conclusion, like it or not, history is part of, and links together every man, woman and child [5] ever lived.



[1] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/history
[2] https://amazingbibletimeline.com/blog/generations-of-ishmael/
[3] http://www.theopenscroll.com/cainsPaternity.htm
[4] https://jnormanii.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/satan-the-true-father-of-cain/
[5] Why should a child matter, especially one who was conceived but never lived or lived long, as a result of natural causes or by sinister designs, who never made any real impact upon the earth?  A person anywhere in the world does not only affect those elsewhere in the world by what he or she chooses to do in life but also by his or her absence from life.  By not having chosen, by not having the opportunity to realize his or her potential, whether for good or for bad, every person is affected in some way, whether or not noticed.  What is not readily noticeable is that all persons breathe in air that contains oxygen and exhale mostly carbon dioxide.  Every breath taken or not taken impacts nature as a whole.  That is just breathing.  Many other things are noticeable, including consumption, the disposal of trash and certain actions an individual takes or does not take, also impacts nature.  Nature connects all in the time-space continuum every single moment.

What Does "I Don't Know How To Pray" Mean?

When someone says, "I don't know how to pray," what can be going through the person's mind?  This blogger is not sure but will guess at three possibilities:

1. The person is humble, feels unworthy and fears communicating with God on a personal level.
2. The person is proud and self-sufficient and nothing comes to mind while trying to pray.
3. The person has not yet learned to say the prayers of the rosary.

There is a way to overcome all three impediments: read, think about, memorize the prayers of the rosary, and say them daily.  It would be ideal if every word is said with concentration, comprehension and reflection, without being distracted, and without falling asleep.  This may sound easy but is difficult to do, especially for every Hail Mary prayer, all five decades of them.

Thoughts On Lent - The Missing Pieces

The Code of Canon Law, Chapter II, entitled Days of Penance  is quoted below in its entirety without hyperlinks [1]:

CHAPTER II.

Days of Penance

Can.  1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations [to God] more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.

Can.  1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can.  1251 Abstinence from eating meat or some other food according to the prescripts of the conference of bishops is to be observed on [?] [2] ,of abstinence [3] binds those who have completed their fourteenth year of age. The law of fasting, however, binds all those who have attained their majority until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors of souls and parents are to take care that minors not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are also educated in a genuine sense of penance.

Can.  1253 The conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.

How many Catholics follow Canons 1249, 1250 and 1251?  Maybe a tiny percentage?  Canon 1249 sets forth the ways of penance.  Canon 1250 tells when penance is to be observed.  Canon 1251, despite that it confuses this blogger (at the point it was accessed online), specifies the age range.  Canon 1253 essentially negates the strict application of Canons 1250 and 1251, being that they can be rewritten at any time by the conference of bishops in accordance to the group's collective whims.

A watered-down version of fasting now being practiced is minor in this blogger's opinion.

What this blogger considers important are the missing pieces that are not being talked about by many priests, leading souls toward perdition.  The satisfaction that Satan derives from their omissions must be immeasurable.

These missing pieces form a long list.  Priests avoid talking about specific temptations during these 40 days of Lent that coincides with the 40 days that Christ spend in the desert when He was tempted by Satan.  The fact that the list of temptations is seemingly endless is not an excuse to ignore them entirely.  Perhaps priests do not wish to alienate Catholics further with reminders of their sins when priests themselves commit them, exposing their hypocrisies.

By talking about the need for prayer, fasting and works of mercy, a priest can avoid exposing their own hypocrisies.  This is like a cover-up.  Cover-ups of many kinds are not foreign to the Catholic Church which has elevated such practices to a high art.  This seems to parallel to what happened during the betrayal of Christ.

Judas Iscariot was part of the Church Christ was building.  Not only did Judas not confess the truth, he remained silent while he sinned.  When he executed his plan, "Jesus said to him, 'Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'" [4]  This is art in its highest form.

Nowadays, many priests dance around the sins of man by not addressing them directly and by not asking man to deny himself (Canon 1249).  This dance is not quite as smooth as Judas' kiss but comes close.  Their collective silence has put at risk the eternal souls of sinners, a kind of silence that Judas was familiar with, which betrays Truth.

On Judgment Day, assuming that God asks a priest why he had not talked to his parishioners about their sins, he could point his finger back at the sinful parishioners by claiming that they were afforded the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation [5] but many had not taken advantage of it, at least not regularly.

How God would respond is beyond one's imagination, but this blogger will be impudent and guess at a few: was it not part of your job to address their sins so that their sinful ways can be constantly on their consciences and to encourage them to overcome their sinful ways?  Priest answers: that is what happens during confession.

How much time did you spend in the confessional to wait for and listen to confessions?  The priest answers: not that much.  Again he blames the sinner: anyone who wanted to confess was afforded the opportunity to make an appointment to do so.

God might reply by asking: with caller ID and security cameras around, do you honestly think that a sinner would want to identify himself or herself as the penitent, especially when confessing fully his or her most shameful and secretive sins?  How many sinful secrets had you kept to yourself?  What follows is probably going to be silence, an indefensible silence.

A priest is faced with a dilemma, to preach what he does not practice, or to preach for the good of sinners despite his hypocrisies?  Perhaps honesty is an answer.  Confession can go both ways.  The priest can admit that he, too, sins and how difficult it is for him to never sin again especially when the sin is habitual.  What priest today will admit his sins publicly?  Would not such public admissions jeopardize his career?

Sins can be addictive.  Some of them are classified as mortal as opposed to venial by the Catholic Church, depending on their gravity. [6]

Lust is defined in Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoted without hyperlinks, as the "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes." [7]  It goes on to address masturbation, fornication, pornography, prostitution, rape and homosexuality.  Adultery is also mentioned. [8]

It also mentions food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine and drugs [9] but does not say anything about the effect of alcohol interfering with one's cognitive functions to think about God and to pray to God with a clear mind.

The question is why not?  Is it because many priests do like their alcoholic beverages, and because the Catholic Church does not want to confront the fact that when a priest sometimes consume too much alcohol, his ability to pray with full dedication of mind and soul may be impaired?

Manifestations of alcohol addiction, in contrast to those of sex addiction, are not mortal sins provided that they do not "endanger their own and others' safety on the road, at sea, or in the air." [10]  Of  course, the Catholic Church must allow some leeway for priests to not feel too guilty about some of their vices.  This could be one of the perks of priesthood.  A priest most likely can keep his job if he says Mass while somewhat inebriated, but probably not an air-traffic controller while directing air traffic.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church  also addresses idolatry, including "power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc." [11]  One can assume "etc." includes addiction to material things, like those dictated by fashion, and addiction to non-material things, such as professional and amateur sports leagues [12], people that have fame and/or infamy, gossips and politics (which is probably included in "the state" quoted above).

The many vices that take one's attention away from God are either not or very rarely talked about during Lent, whether or not they rise to the level of mortal sins according to Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Vice of any kind is not a popular topic.  Many priests think it is more important for them to be relevant and accepted, to fill their pews and keep donations coming in than to be bold and truthful.

God's Truth can be painful.  Nobody wants to be overwhelmed by the Truth and feel the pains of guilt.  Not revealing, revealing partially or falsifying God's Truth are some of the ways Satan uses to deceive.

Anytime when the Catholic Church has problems, many people like to repeat these words of Christ to bring them comfort, quoted without references: "'And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.'" [13]  When they use these words, one ought to wonder what "church" they have in mind exactly, the one that Christ wanted built or the one that man has conceived for himself in theory but does not put into practice?

Lent is not so much a time to be educated in and reminded of prayer, fasting and works of mercy but more a time to examine closely and feel vicariously the wounds of Christ, not just the four nail wounds, the one spear wound and piercings from the crown of thorns, but also wounds from Judas' betrayal, Peter's verbal denials, other disciples' silent denials by running away and hiding, scourging, falling, being stoned, spat on, scorned, humiliated and abused.  Not every wound was physical and mortal but all were painful.  Every time one sins, a wound of Christ is renewed.  Rarely, if ever, does a priest say this to his congregation.



[1] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4O.HTM, accessed March 10, 2019.
[2] Is something missing here?
[3] Is something missing here as well?
[4] http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/22, 48.
[5] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm
[6] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm, Part "IV. THE GRAVITY OF SIN: MORTAL AND VENIAL SIN".
[7] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P85.HTM, section 2351.
[8] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm, section 2380, et seq.
[9] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm, sections 2290-1.
[10] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm, secion 2290.
[11] http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c1a1.htm, sections 2112-3.
[12] For the estimated number of followers of various sports globally, see https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-in-the-world.html.  These numbers ought to be looked at in light of the world's population at 7.7 billion, see http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
[13] http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew16:18

It's About Time Bergoglio Changes His Tune

Quoted from an article published by Vatican News  entitled Pope at Santa Marta: there is God’s mercy but also His anger  on 28 February 2019 [1]:

The Holy Father drew attention to the relativeness of life. We are not eternal, we cannot think of doing whatever we like, trusting in the infinite mercy of God.

So don't be rash and reckless and believe that you will get away with it. You may get away with it once but you don’t know what’s next.

Don't say: "God's compassion is great, he'll forgive me my many sins", and so I continue doing what I want.  Regarding this, the advice of the father or grandfather is: "Don’t wait to convert yourself to the Lord, don’t postpone it from day to day because the anger of the Lord will suddenly burst forth," the Pope warned.

"Let’s take a little time every day to examine our conscience, to convert to the Lord, the Pope urged." [2]

"[N]o one is sure of how and when  our life will end. Five minutes at the end of each day, the Pope said,  will help us think about a change of heart and conversion to the Lord, without procrastination." [3]

Perhaps there is hope for this pope, or perhaps not.

Despite Bergoglio's best of intentions, there is arguably a slight error, whether it was made by the person who wrote the article, or by the person who prepared Bergoglio's text or by Bergoglio himself is uncertain.  Or, perhaps there is no error at all and it is this blogger who misinterprets.  In the first paragraph quoted above are these words "[w]e are not eternal."  If Bergoglio meant only flesh and blood, he was correct.

However, man is not only flesh and blood.  Man is flesh, blood and soul.  It is precisely because man's soul is  eternal that man ought not to do whatever man pleases.  On the other hand, if man (flesh, blood and soul) is not  eternal, then why care about an eternity in Hell, why not continue with a life of Godless hedonism?

Sometimes, in the midst of telling God's Truth is revealed inadvertently the truth behind the man himself.  In this case, believing that "[w]e are not eternal."

Maybe Bergoglio has forgotten the words of the Apostles' Creed that begins the Holy Rosary:


 [in English] [4]

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and [sits] at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; ... He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
Amen. [Emphasis added.]

[in Latin] [5]

Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad infernos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen. [Emphasis added.]

[1] https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2019-02/pope-francis-santa-marta-mass-homily-conscience-conversion.html
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/creed2.htm
[5] http://www.ewtn.com/library/prayer/latrosar.htm

Where Can Man Find Satan?

Man does not need to find Satan.  Satan finds man.

Satan is everywhere except in Heaven and in the hearts and minds of those who continuously reject all of its temptations.  It would be foolish to assume that Satan is not in the Vatican, in Catholic churches around the world and everywhere else, and that it has no power to influence one's thoughts and actions including those of clerics.  Those who do not believe in Satan and who believe that it has no power over them are already owned by Satan.  It takes a conscious effort to recognize Satan and an unflinching determination to say no to Satan consistently.

Satan is deceitful, and is therefore not readily recognizable but that does not mean it cannot be recognized.  It is powerful but its power is no match against man's Free Will because Free Will comes from God.  When it is used successfully against Satan, Satan can only accept defeat but only for a moment at that moment.  Satan does not and will not give up.  It will come back with a better plan at a more opportune time when man is more vulnerable, when he is weaker.  This Satan will do over and over.  The war against Satan does not end until man has breathed his last breath.  Satan wants to be present at death, to collect and escort the soul to Hell.  It is difficult to imagine how terrifying it would be for the soul to have no choice to but accept its eternity without God and without love.

One is usually, but not always, at the weakest point at death.  Satan knows this and wants to take advantage of it.  Therefore, the words in the second part of the Hail Mary prayer are important (in English): Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death; (in Latin): Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae [Emphasis  added]. [1]  At this critical period in one's life, one needs the Mother of God to be at one's side.  One may not have time or the consciousness to say the the Hail Mary prayer when death is about to arrive, but all the prayers that were said before become an invitation for one's Mother given to everyone by Christ on the cross to be present.  She would accept this invitation.  When She is present protecting Her child, the Devil will not dare approach and one can be at peace, not just at the hour of death but anytime during life.

The second part of the Hail Mary prayer is not separable from the first.  The first part of the prayer establishes the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.  She is always filled with God's grace and is blessed among all women.  She is the only Woman blessed to carry God's only Son in Her womb.  Her unique relationship with God allows one to pray to Her and to ask Her to show after one's exile "the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus" [in English], "Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui" [in Latin]. [2]  It is because of Her close connection to God that Satan would not dare touch the Blessed Virgin Mary despite the hate it has toward Her.

Even though the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, there are Christians who do not pay Her much attention and pray to Her.  Like Her Son, the Blessed Mother respects Free Will and does not demand one's respect or love.  For those who know but reject Her, She would not be able to come to their assistance as much as it pains Her not to.  This does not mean they would not enter Heaven.  They would just have to fend off Satan by themselves at the hour of death.

Even in the absence of Satan, it is good to have the Blessed Mother by one's side.  With Her around, things tend to work out well.  Without Her, things may not go smoothly.  The wedding guests at Cana might have to drink water after the wine was finished.  How embarrassing it would be for the newlyweds to have to admit and find excuses for their gross miscalculation.  That was just a wedding, but at the pivotal moment when eternity is at stake, one would want the Mother of God to intercede on one's behalf before Her Son as Judge.  A miscalculation here that is not fixed could mean that one will never have to wonder where Satan is since one could end up in Hell and be in Satan's continuous company.


[1] http://www.ewtn.com/library/prayer/latrosar.htm
[2] https://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/maryd6d.htm

A Priest's Reckoning Before Christ

Reverend Steven P. Scheier
https://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/priests-directory/retired-priests/24553-reverend-steven-p-scheier

It is better to hear from Fr. Steven Scheier himself than reading this blogger's attempt to summarize his story.  The following are links to YouTube:

1. Father Steven Scheier's Judgment Experience  posted by stchadwick74 -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFE8ToVatI, (first interview on EWTN with Mother Angelica)

2.  Father Steven Scheier judgment experience SECOND interview with Mother Angelica [EMPHASIS  original] posted by MariaForMary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EFKnoH6bqs (second, repeat interview on EWTN with Mother Angelica)

3. EC1998-Fr Steven Scheier-A Priest is Called To [Judgment] posted by John Porteous

 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM70FTfPPYM&list=PLlZR1Ck-Cr0yOxGHjW1l2BQJ3GLfAnoDz&index=2 (Fr. Steven Scheier begins with a joke which this blogger believes to be an unnecessary introduction relative to the seriousness of his other-worldly experience, despite the levity, he likes this presentation best)

Tools Of Satan: Secularism, Atheism, Materialism & Idolatry

Secularism is (quoted in part) "a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship." [1]

Atheism is "[d]isbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods" [2]

Materialism is "[a] tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values." [3] [Hyperlink omitted.]

Idolatry is "[e]xtreme admiration, love, or reverence for [or obsession with] something or someone." [4]

Nones are "the religiously unaffiliated." [5]

Secularism, atheism, materialism and idolatry have given rise to nones.  In the United States, "[f]or Millennials and even GenXers, the most common religion is no religion at all. The Nones claim 44% of the 18–29 age group, and nearly that (43%) among those who are 30–44." [6]

Secularism has expanded beyond the mere the separation of church and state.  It has permeated the Catholic Church which now has its focus on political struggles and economic poverty as opposed to interior struggles and spiritual poverty.  If suffering is so repugnant to the Catholic Church, then why does it even bother to exist?  Did Christ not undertake pain and suffering for the forgiveness of sins?  If every refugee and poor person is given shelter, food, a smart phone and medical care, would then the giver and the receiver be saved and enter Heaven regardless of how sinful they may be?  In other words, can a sinful rich person with plenty of money and goods to donate to charities buy his or her way into Heaven?  Is that not what the Catholic Church seems to be implying these days, that donation is the key to Heaven?  The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is not about handing money to the man unable to help himself, but is about showing one's love, by "bandag[ing] his wounds, pouring on oil and wine ... [and putting] the man on his own donkey, [bringing] him to an inn and [taking] care of him." [7], [8].   These days, not many Catholic clerics care to or want to do what the Good Samaritan did.  Priests are probably more concerned with choosing their vestments than making personal sacrifices and caring for the needy personally.

Personal poverty, and spiritual poverty, it seems, have become new unstated sins of the Catholic Church that are to be avoided in homilies.  This stands in stark contrast to Saint Francis of Assisi, the true stigmatist, who gave up all his wealth to become poor (Luke 6:20) and poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3) by his humility.

If money were as important as the Catholic Church sees it these days, then Christ would have bowed to Satan and worshipped it in order to have all the kingdoms of the world. (Matthew 4:1-11).  The poor, the sick and those who are needy do need help but not at the expense of ignoring spiritual poverty and not talking about the ways to enter into Heaven through the narrow gate. (Matthew 7:13-14).  A priest's main purpose is to lead all souls to Heaven by word and by example.  Nothing is more important; everything else is secondary.  By not "lead[ing] folks more deeply into themselves to see where conversion (turning to God in Jesus Christ) needs more and more to occur," [9] a priest becomes a tool of Satan.

Atheists, rich and poor alike, are not merely spiritually poor; they are spiritually bankrupt.  Neither an atheist nor Satan prays to God, but Satan is not an atheist.  Satan knows God very well, but promotes atheism and wants people to choose to believe that God does not exist lest they be saved.  Without prayer, there is no need for humility before God, for self-examination of conscience and for God's Truth.  What is left is one's pride without a moral compass, resulting in one's inability to tell which direction is right from wrong in the eyes of God.

Materialism blinds one to things that are spiritual.  This cannot be good on the one hand if a person is unable to realize that he or she is being led into spiritual darkness by the Evil One or on the other is too preoccupied with what Satan has to offer the world to see the spiritual path that leads to God.  Materialism often leads to hedonism which includes unbridled sexual gratification, alcoholism and drug addiction.

Materialism and idolatry often go hand in hand.  These days, the smart phone, a material possession, is being idolized, as if one's very existence depends on it, perhaps even God's.  One ought to wonder if people can live and businesses can survive without smart phones these days.  The smart phone opens up a world of possibilities, secular and perhaps even sacrilegious (like a prayer app, treating the smart phone as if it were God, as if without it, or an internet connection, one does not have to, or cannot, pray).

For nones, it would probably be more terrifying if all of the world's cell phone towers were to suddenly fail to function due to a cosmic event than having to face what could occur under the Book of Revelations.



[1] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/secularism
[2] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/atheism
[3] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/materialism
[4] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/idolatry
[5] https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160422-atheism-agnostic-secular-nones-rising-religion/
[6] https://religionnews.com/2018/12/10/religion-declining-in-importance-for-many-americans-especially-for-millennials/
[7] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37&version=NIV
[8] A present day example of this kind of personal care given to the poor, the sick, the elderly and the abandoned are the brothers of the Missionaries Of The Poor, founded by Fr. Ho Lung, in Kingston, Jamaica.  This is just one example.  There are others, but it is this charity to which this blogger is attached for reasons not yet known to him.
[9] http://www.oursaviorparish.org/2016/11/16/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-priest/