All Worldly Goods Will Have An End

Worldly pleasures are fleeting here this minute and gone in a few. Also they cannot continue satisfying. A bowl of ice cream is good, but the second is not as good and if you kept eating ice cream you would eventually push it away as disgusting or worse. Spiritual goods, however are lasting and will carry forward into eternity.

Let us return to ice cream. If you have had a bowl of ice cream, some day you will have your last bowl of ice cream. This author knew someone who was a meat eater, much like this author. Towards the end of his life as he was dying from cancer he said that he no longer liked meat. He had eaten his last steak, his last rib, etc. Consider any worldly pleasure. If you have enjoyed it at least once, there will be a last time you will enjoy this pleasure before it goes away from your life. And this is true of all material things. There will be a day, when we will hang up our car keys and stop driving. There will be a day, when we will take our last step. "Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass." (Matthew 24:35)

And so with the knowledge that all worldly things have an end, why are we so attached to worldly goods. Why aren't we laying up treasures in heaven? "But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal." (Matthew 6:20)

So, how attached are we to material things? Saint Augustine says: "A man who progresses during prosperity has to await times of adversity before he can learn what progress he has made. When he is rich in the goods of this world, he may be certain that he places no stock in them; but when they are taken from him, he then discovers if they had a hold on him, for generally, when we have them we think that we don't love them, but when we don't have them, then we discover that we yearn for them. The criterion is this-if we do not grieve when our goods are absent, then only can we be certain that we did not set our heart on them when they were present." How would we react, if we turned the corner heading home only to find our home has burned down with all of our possessions? Would we thank God or would we become angry? We should thank God, because He has a plan and our home burning down is part of the plan. We know that this is not an evil, because sin is the only evil in the world, which we considered last month. Therefore this is good for us. One of the saints advises us that we should thank God for our tribulations.

 The Funny Pharmacy

The Pope Speaks: April 2021

They Can't Do This to Me

We have a common attitude in our own hearts: "They can't do this to ME." Actually they can do a lot of things to us, but they may not. Before we get to the root cause of this problem, we need to define a few terms, because understanding what words truly means is important to communication.

Can means to be able to, while cannot means not to be able to. Just because I can do something, does not mean I should do something. I can murder someone, but reading the commandment tells me I may not kill someone. May means that what we are doing is not a sin or against the law, which may apply.

Often when we say that someone cannot do something, we actually mean that they may not do something, although they are certainly able. When we misuse words, we miscommunicate and in fact are lying. We usually do not realize that we are lying. What we need to understand are basic principles and then to apply them. When we understand these simple but important distinctions, then we will be able to understand what is going on.

There are certain restrictions, which prevent us from doing something. Most people cannot pick up a hundred pounds, which means they physically are not able to. However, all of us who can drive are able to run a red light. However, we may not run a red light, because a red light means stop and other drivers expect us to stop. The consequences of running a red light could be deadly to others as well as to us. If someone runs a red light, we might say they can't do that, but they certainly are able to, because they just did. However, they may not do that and it is wrong and a sin to run a red light.

In our lives there are many restrictions placed upon all of us about what we may and may not do. For instance we may not drive a car while we are intoxicated, but we may be able to. Such a restriction is called a law. A law is an ordinance of right reason, promulgated by lawful authority for the common good. Keeping drunk drivers off of the roads is certainly a good thing, because they are a danger to themselves and others.

When we say someone may not do something, we mean there is some restriction that says they should not do this. If they go ahead and do what they should not, then we are saying they are exceeding what is permitted them. For instance, if an authority in government issues a law which they may not, then we are saying they are exceeding their authority. However, even in these cases should we go ahead and observe the law?

An idea was born two and a half centuries ago that the people are sovereign and the source of authority. This led to such things as the United States Constitution, which is based upon the principle of limiting authority so that it does not become tyrannical. In theory it sounds good, but does it work in practice? The Constitution has what are called checks and balances where the three branches of government have restrictions built in to prevent them from exceeding their authority and enabling each branch to be held in check by the other two.

The problem is that the Constitution is based on a false principle that people are sovereign and a source of authority. The people are not sovereign and the source of authority. Actually that principle leads to atheism, because without God the only remaining source of authority is the people. If one reads the US Constitution there is no mention of God in it. The only mention of religion is in the First Amendment, which forbids the Federal Government from restriction the free exercise of religion.

"By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things, By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice. " [Proverbs 8:15-16] All authority comes from Almighty God. When we realize the true principle of authority, then we also realize that the only one who can keep authority in check is Almighty God.

Any human attempt to restrict authority is bound to fail, because it relies on the cooperation of people who are often tempted to go beyond their authority if they can. Also people can work together and make the checks and balances literally go away. Saint Paul tells Titus (3:1): "Admonish them to be subject to princes and powers, to obey at a word, to be ready to every good work." [Titus 3:1]

The question arises, what should we do when our authorities exceed their authority? The first point is that it is not the duty of subjects to judge their authority. And this is when the objection comes us: "They can't do this." Actually because they are exceeding their authority, we know they can. It is true, that they may not do it, because they are not permitted to exceed their authority.

Many false principles began to circulate in response to abuse of authority, which have been used by both the left and the right. These principles are based on the concept of rights, which was also born two and a half centuries ago. The Declaration of Independence declared: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." And so the idea of rights has been impressed upon us. If I have a right, everyone else has the corresponding duty not to infringe upon my right. That is with a right comes a corresponding duty. Let us consider that if someone else has a right then I have a duty to respect and not infringe upon that right.

The right to liberty has always been infringed upon in certain cases. When someone is sent to jail, his liberty is certainly restricted. In fact the right to life is infringed upon in the case of capital punishment.

As for the right to pursue happiness, do we truly have that right under the Law of God? First of all this alleged right makes happiness an end rather than a means. True our end is eternal happiness, but this is not what the Declaration of Independence says. There is no qualification on happiness. Happiness is described as pleasure or contentment, which is a by produce of doing the will of God, although there is pleasure attached to certain sins. Certainly we have no right to sin, although this is implied in this statement without qualification. And we do not have a right to eternal happiness, because that implies that God has a duty to give it to us. God has set conditions in order to obtain eternal happiness.

We have seen two false principles have been ingrained in people's thinking; false principles which have led us to reach false conclusions. False thinking naturally leads to false conclusions. What we need to do is to learn how to think like God would have us think. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord." [Isaias (Isaiah) 55:8] How do I convert my thoughts to Lord's thoughts? We do this by spending much time with the Lord. It is only by spending time with someone that we can learn what and how they think.

We have dispelled the first false principle that authority or power comes from the people. The second we need to consider further is that of rights. Scripture, which is God's thinking, focuses on our duties, not our rights. And this is where our focus should be. Even the 1917 Code of Canon Law focuses on duty rather than rights. In fact, the word right appears in only two Canons:

Canon 682: "The laity has the right to receive from the clergy the spiritual goods and especially the necessary means of salvation, according to the rules of ecclesiastical discipline."

Canon 1111: "Both married parties possess from the moment of the marriage contract has been concluded equal rights and duties concerning the actions proper to conjugal life."

Canon 1111 is based upon the Law of God. Canon 682 is restricted.

The question arises, don't some in the Church such as the Pope have certain rights? Actually these rights are considered under the term privilege. And yes, certain authorities in the Church have privileges. The clergy are only required to exercise their privileges, if it is necessary for the good of another or for the common good. Of course, some privileges are inherent in certain offices in the Church, because they are necessary for the proper exercise of the office. Others are personal and may be set aside, unless needed for the good of another or of others.

When we start thinking privileges rather than rights, we are humbled. A privilege is given for some reason, whereas we consider a right just that, a right that is OWED to us for some reason. The focus was shifted from duty to rights almost two and a half centuries ago. We have the Declaration of the Rights of Man with the French Revolution. We have the Bill of Rights. Our focus has been shifted and we need to shift back and remember who truly has rights. God has rights and any privilege we may have ultimately comes from God and is given to us for some reason.

And this brings us back to the proposition: "They can't do this to me." This is actually a statement of pride. We are implying they are forbidden to infringe upon ME. We are making ourselves sovereign as we first proposed two and a half centuries ago. God is sovereign and God has inalienable rights, which places corresponding duties on us.

91. The enemy, understanding how the justice of the spiritual law is applied, seeks only the assent of our mind.

Having secured this, he will either oblige us to undergo the labors of repentance or, if we do not repent, will torment us with misfortunes beyond our control. Sometimes he encourages us to resist these misfortunes so as to increase our torment, and then, at our death, he will point to this impatient resistance as proof of our lack of faith.

92. Many have fought in various ways against circumstances; but without prayer and repentance no one has escaped evil.

93. Evils reinforce each other; so do virtues, thus encouraging us to still greater efforts.

94. The devil belittles small sins; otherwise he cannot lead us into greater ones.

95. Praise from others engenders sinful desire, while their condemnation of vice, if not only heard but accepted, engenders self-restraint.

96. A self-indulgent monk has achieved nothing through his renunciation. For what he once did through possessions he still does though possessing nothing.

97. Moreover, the self-controlled man, if he clings to possessions, is a brother in spirit of this kind of monk; because they both feel inward enjoyment they have the same mother - though not the same father, since each has a different passion.

98. Sometimes a man cuts off a passion in order to indulge himself more fully, and he is praised by those unaware of his aim. He may even be unaware of it himself, and so his action is self-defeating.

99. All vice is caused by self-esteem and sensual pleasure; you cannot overcome passion without hating them.

100. 'Avarice is the root of all evil' (1 Tim. 6:10); but avarice is clearly a product of these two components.

Saints from East and West

29 April - The Nine Holy Martyrs of Cyzice.

The city of Cyzice is located in Asia Minor at the coast of the Dardenelles (Hellespont) Straits. Christianity there began to spread about already during the time of the preaching of the Apostle Paul. But under the times of persecutions by the pagans events came to this - that some of the Christians fled the city, while others kept their faith in Christ in secret. Therefore by the time of the end of the third century Cyzice was still basically a pagan city, although there was also a Christian church there. The situation in the city distressed true Christians, who sought to uphold the Christian faith. From there were also the Nine holy Martyrs: Theognides, Ruphos, Antipater, Theostikhos, Artemon, Magnos, Theodotos, Thaumasios, and Philemon. They hailed from various places, and were of different ages: both the young like Saint Antipater, and the very old like Saint Ruphos, and they came from various positions in society: among them were soldiers, countryfolk and city-people, and clergy. But all of them declared their faith in Christ and were all the more intense in their yearning for the spread and strengthening of the True Faith.

Having shown up in the city of Cyzice, the saints boldly confessed Christ and fearlessly denounced the pagan impiety. They were arrested and brought to trial before the city governor. Over the course of several days they were tortured, locked up in prison and again led out from it, and promised their freedom for a renunciation of Christ. But the valiant martyrs of Christ continued to glorify the Name of Christ. All nine martyrs were beheaded by the sword (+ c.284-292), and their bodies buried nearby the city.

In the year 324, when the Eastern half of the Roman empire came under the rule of Saint Constantine the Great, and the persecutions against Christians ended, the Cyzice Christians removed the undecayed bodies of the nine martyrs from the ground and placed them in a church, built in their honour.

Various miracles occurred from the holy relics: the sick were healed, and the mentally aberrant brought to their senses. The faith of Christ grew within the city through the intercession of the holy martyrs, and many of the pagans were converted to Christianity.

When Julian the Apostate (361-363) came to rule, the pagans of Cyzice turned to him with a complaint against the Christians for the destruction of pagan temples. Julian gave orders to rebuild the pagan temples and to lock up in prison bishop Eleusios. Bishop Eleusios was set free after the death of Julian, and the light of the Christian faith shined anew through the assistance of the holy martyrs.

12 April - Saint Zeno, Bishop of Verona.

In the Dialogues of Saint Gregory and in several martyrologies Saint Zeno, bishop of Verona, is styled a martyr, but Saint Ambrose, who was his contemporary, in a letter addressed to his successor Syagrius speaks of his happy death. Furthermore, in an ancient missal of Verona, Saint Zeno is honoured only as a confessor. Living as he did in the days of Constantius, Julian, and Valens, he may well have merited the title of martyr by suffering in the persecutions they waged, even if he did not die a violent death.

From a panegyric he delivered on Saint Arcadius, a Mauretanian martyr, it has been conjectured that Saint Zeno was born in Africa; and from the excellent flowing Latin of his writings and from the quotations he makes from Virgil, it is evident that he received a good classical education. He seems to have been made hishop of Verona in 362. We gather a number of interesting particulars about him and about his people from a collection of his tractatus, short familiar discourses delivered to his flock. We learn that he baptized every year a great number of pagans, and that he exerted himself with zeal and success against the Arians, who had been emboldened by the favours they had enjoyed under the Emperor Constantius. When he had in a great measure purged the church of Verona from heresy and heathenism, his flock increased to an extent which necessitated the building of a large basilica. Contributions flowed in freely from the citizens, whose habitual liberality had become so great that their houses were ahvays open to poor strangers, whilst none of their fellow citizens ever had occasion to apply for relief, so promptly were their wants forestalled. Their bishop congratulated them upon thus laying up for themselves treasure in Heaven. After the battle of Adrianople in 378, when the Goths defeated Valens with terrible slaughter, the barbarians made numerous captives in the neighbouring provinces of Illyricum and Thrace. It appears to have been on this occasion that, through the bountiful charity of the inhabitants of Verona, many of the prisoners were ransomed from slavery, some rescued from a cruel death, and others freed from hard labour. Though this probably occurred after the death of Saint Zeno, the self-sacrifice of the townsmen may be traced to his inspiring zeal and example.

Saint Zeno himself always chose to live in great poverty. He often speaks of the clergy he trained and of the priests, his fellow-labourers, to whom offerings were allotted at Easter. He alludes to the ordinations he performed at the paschal season, as well as to the solemn reconciliation of penitents, which also took place in Holy Week.

Saint Ambrose makes mention of virgins, living in Verona in their own houses and wearing the veil, who had been consecrated to God by Saint Zeno, as well as of others who dwelt in a convent of which he was both the founder and the director. This was before Saint Ambrose had established anything of the kind in Milan.

Saint Zeno inveighed against the abuses of the agape or love-feast, which had become a scandal, and also against the practice of interrupting funeral Masses by loud lamentations. Many of the customs of the period are recorded in these discourses. It would appear to have been still usual, at any rate in Verona, to immerse the whole body at baptism, the water being warmed for the purpose, and Saint Zeno is the only writer to allude to the habit of giving medals to the newly baptized.

Saint Gregory the Great describes a remarkable miracle which occurred two centuries after Saint Zeno's death, related to him by John the Patrician, who was an eye-witness of it. In the year 598 the river Adige threatened to submerge Verona. The people flocked to the church of their holy bishop and patron, Zeno. The waters seemed to respect the building for, although they rose outside as high as the windows, they never penetrated into the church but stood like a solid wall. The people remained within in prayer until, after twenty-four hours, the waters once more subsided. This miracle and others greatly increased the general devotion to the saint, and in the reign of King Pepin, Charlemagne's son, a new church was built to contain his relics, which are still preserved there in a subterranean chapel. Saint Zeno is usually represented with a fishing-rod, from the end of which a fish is hanging. The emblem is accounted for locally by the tradition that the saint was fond of fishing in the Adige, but the fish may possibly be symbolical of baptism.

Books to feed your faith!

Lisa's Own Lemon Bars

Ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Mix 2 cups of flour and confectioner's sugar together. Cut in the butter or margarine. Mix well until the dough resembles pie dough consistency. Press the dough into a 9x13 inch baking pan.

3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Beat together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon juice and lemon rind for at least 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the baked crust.

5. Bake the bars another 20 minutes, or until the lemon topping has set. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cooled.

Video sermons and instructions: Timeless timely truths for living the Faith

Our Father

Finding Security In God As A Father

What Does It Mean To Cry Out To God?

The Power of Crying Out: Relying on God in desperate times

Throughout history, believers have cried out to God in times of distress. Sometimes after years of praying, a single cry brings direction or deliverance instantly. Many have wondered why there are such powerful results from simply crying out to God, yet the promise is clear: “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15). Throughout Scripture, believers are instructed to cry out to God in times of trouble. Here are a few examples: “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15). “Cry to me and I will hear thee: and I will shew thee great things, and sure things which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3). (Although not a command this next verse shows what God does when we  cry out to Him.) “The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17). “When I cry unto thee, Then shall my enemies be turned back. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.” (Psalm 56:9).

Crying Out in Scripture

The following Hebrew and Greek words, their definitions, and the descriptions of how they are used in Scripture gives a clear picture of what it means to cry out.

• A cry of deep distress: zaaq (Hebrew) God

“And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt: and thou didst hear their cry [zaaq] by the Red sea . . . and . . . didst divide the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land” (Nehemiah 9:9–11).

• To cry out for help: tsaaq (Hebrew)

When the Israelites could not find fresh water in the wilderness, Moses “cried [tsaaq] to the Lord, and he shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, they were turned into sweetness.” (Exodus 15:25).

• To call with a loud sound: qara (Hebrew)

“Jabez called [qara] upon the God of Israel, saying: If blessing thou wilt bless me . . . . And God granted him the things he prayed for.” (I Chronicles 4:10).

• To shout a war cry: ruwa (Hebrew)

“And all the men of Juda shouted [ruwa]: and behold when they shouted, God terrified Jeroboam, and all Israel that stood against Abia and Juda.” (II Chronicles 13:15).

• A cry for help: shavah (Hebrew)

“He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer [shavah], and save them.” (Psalm 145:19).

• A cry of deep distress: tsaaqah (Hebrew)

“. . . he hath not forgotten the cry [tsaaqah] of the humble” (Psalm 9:12).

• To cry out: krazo (Greek)

When the Apostle Peter walked out on the water at the invitation of Jesus, Peter was “afraid: and when he began to sink, he cried out [krazo], saying: Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretching forth his hand took hold of him” (Matthew 14:30–31).

• To implore with strong voice: boao (Greek)

A blind man in Jericho heard that Jesus was passing near him. “And he cried out [boao], saying: Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. . . .  And Jesus said to him: Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 18:38–42).

Characteristics of a Cry

Crying out to God is an act of desperation and total concentration. It is a fervent expression of faith in God and trust in His goodness and power to act on your behalf. Crying out to God expresses the following traits:

• Genuine humility

It is hard for people to admit that they cannot solve a problem or overcome an obstacle, but it is true that we need God’s help. He delights in a broken and contrite heart that humbly seeks His aid. “. . . he hath not forgotten the cry of the humble.” (Psalm 9:12; see also Psalm 10:17).

• Unconditional surrender

When a situation becomes so desperate that only God can deliver you, a cry represents total, unconditional surrender. Don’t try to bargain with God—leave your life in His hands. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

• A plea for mercy

Apart from Christ, we have no value that merits God’s favor. When driven to a point of despair or destruction, your unworthiness before God often becomes more apparent, and it can motivate you to cry out to Him for mercy. “The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his compassions have not failed. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23).

• Personal helplessness

Do you tend to believe that you need God’s help with only the really hard things? Remember, Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

• Faith in God’s power and resources

Your cry to God acknowledges God’s ability to do what no one else can do. During the storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples acknowledged Jesus’ power to rescue them when they cried out, “Lord, save us: we perish” (Matthew 8:25.)

• Desperation

Crying out to God is an admission of one’s need for God. The psalmist declared, “In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.” (Psalm 18:6).

Examples of God’s Response to Crying Out

The Bible is filled with examples of times when God answered the cries of His people. Below are a few examples of occasions on which individuals cried out to God and God heard their cries and delivered them:

• Elijah cried out, and God revived a dead child:

“ And he cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, hast thou afflicted also the widow, with whom I sojourn, so as to kill her son? And he stretched, and measured himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, let the soul of this child, I beseech thee, return into his body. And the Lord heard the voice of Elias: and the soul of the child returned into him, and he revived.” (I Kings 17:20–22).

• Jehoshaphat cried out, and God delivered him from death:

“So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him.” (II Chronicles 18:31).

• Hezekiah cried out, and God gave him victory:

“Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel who cut off all the stout men and the warriors, and the captains of the army of the king of the Assyrians: and he returned with disgrace into his own country. And when he was come into the house of his god, his sons that came out of his bowels, slew him with the sword.” (II Chronicles 32:20–21).

• Jesus’ disciples cried out to Him in a storm, and Jesus calmed the sea:

“And when they were sailing, he slept; and there came down a storm of wind upon the lake, and they were filled, and were in danger. And they came and awaked him, saying: Master, we perish. But he arising, rebuked the wind and the rage of the water; and it ceased, and there was a calm.” (Luke 8:23–24).

• Blind Bartimaeus called to Jesus, and He restored his sight:

“And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho, with his disciples, and a very great multitude, Bartimeus the blind man, the son of Timeus, sat by the way side begging. Who when he had heard, that it was Jesus of Nazareth, began to cry out, and to say: 'Jesus son of David, have mercy on me.’ And many rebuked him, that he might hold his peace; but he cried a great deal the more: 'Son of David, have mercy on me.’ And Jesus, standing still, commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying to him: 'Be of better comfort: arise, he calleth thee.' Who casting off his garment leaped up, and came to him. And Jesus answering, said to him: 'What wilt thou that I should do to thee?' And the blind man said to him: Rabboni, 'that I may see.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.' And immediately he saw, and followed him in the way.” (See Mark 10:46).

An Invitation From the Living God

Psalm 50:15 declares this Word from the Lord: “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” As children of the living God, our heavenly Father appeals to us to cry out to Him for deliverance. Let us be quick to cry out to Him with humility, sincerity, and faith. God “will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them.” (Psalm 145:19).