December 2024: Olive Tree

Olive Tree

Volume IX/Issue 12/December 2024

The Pope Speaks

Christmas Message 2024 of His Holiness Pope Michael II

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

The Gospel explicitly says that there will be wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruption, floodings and landslides and conflicts within each government of every nation. These things are not surprising to the Lord and supposed to be to us, if we listen always to the voice of the Lord.

But the good news is amidst chaos in this world, God is rejuvenating us into regeneration. Just like in house cleaning, there's a lot inconvenience but it's temporary. And in the end, there will be order. Likewise destruction is necessary to establish long and lasting peace.

Secondly, calamities exist and so also with poverty in order to balance the world. Specifically in the lives of the greedy. Corruption in every government thrives. There's wealth out there yet it's in the hands of few people. And so, to balance everything, suffering exists. That the greedy would be willing to share!

Thirdly, we may be incapable to stop the wars and floodings all over the world, but we can be always agents of courage and generosity. We salute all the volunteers who risks their own lives to bring comfort to the victims.

As we receive the grace of commemorating the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ this year, let us learn from our heavenly Father. Love means giving a gift. Our Father in heaven, out of His love for us, gave us His only Son Jesus Christ. We too must give ourselves to others.

And I bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Michael II Pp.

Advent Reflection beginning December 1, 2024

The Season of Advent is upon us. This is the time that the faithful prepare for the celebration of the anniversary of our Lord being born. In a recent conversation with His Holiness, he declared five duties through Pastoral Ministry to reflect on this Advent Season: Praise, Personification of Christ, Prayer, People, and Proclamation.

Praise

Our motivation in all things is glory to God. We must Praise our Lord as we walk in this life in and with gratitude and humility. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 DRA) According to St. Paul, we were saved 2000 years ago. Before that, we were spiritually dead. “Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction: For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God.” (Romans 3:22-23 DRA) Our praise of the Lord must be realized routinely, for without the sacrifice of Jesus, we would not have the possibility of eternal life.

Personification (Imitation) of Christ

It is with our character and through our suffering that we may personify Christ. Through our practice of virtues and in our daily congregations we can imitate Christ. It is in this manner that we may see how Christ works with each one of us. We pray that He may give us grace and offer our sufferings to Him that we may be like Him and love others as He loves them.

That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity, You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth: To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God. Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us; To him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus unto all generations, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21 DRA)

Prayer

Having a short conversation with Christ in our daily lives is our call to prayer. We cannot give Christ to others when we ourselves do not encounter Him. We cannot hear Christ speak to us if we do not listen for Him. We are called in our formal, written, prayers to make an examination of conscience every day through our missals and prayers that we have memorized. But when we have conversations through prayer with God in our daily lives, we can pour out our soul, cry out to heaven and draw near to God. “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 DRA)

People

Our first church is in our own family. We cannot minister to others when we are struggling with problems within our own family. We must take care of ourselves first, before we can attend to our flock. This is the same sentiment that you will receive as you board a flight, through the in-flight emergency instructions. We are always told that we must put the oxygen mask on ourselves even before our own children. Little did the airlines know that this is a biblical principal; as a rule of being alive, we are “in-flight” in our own lives. “But if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? “(1 Timothy 3:5 DRA)

Proclamation

The primordial duty of the Church is to spread the Word of God. While the direct sense of this obligation would be to preach the gospel, an indirect but nonetheless important translation is to preach the gospel through actions. “My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth.” (1 John 3:18 DRA) When we focus our attention on the responsibilities we own as Catholics and Christians, others will follow suit. I’m sure we can all point to a preacher who didn’t live the Word, or a person who claimed to be Christian doing non-Christian things. Let us be the full embodiment of Christ through our actions and deeds, and not in word only. Indeed, if we “practice what we preach”, we’d all be better off; setting an example for all those around us.

Sister Jennifer

CEO of UnitedHealthcare Gunned Down in New York

A major headline in the news this month was the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare. It was a cold-blooded, cowardly act with an apparent political message. There was a disturbing reaction from some people communicating a sense of agreement to that message. This tends to be left-leaning people rejecting capitalism. People inclined to communism or socialism are misled. They believe it is a more kind, charitable alternative to what they believe is greedy capitalism. Well, charity cannot be enforced, so communism will never achieve that end. Materially, capitalism provides the opportunity for charity, while communism removes that. Perhaps that is why the US has been, materially, the most charitable nation on earth.

Our Lord told us the greatest act of love/charity is for one to lay down their life for a brother. The communistic view of false charity is that they are willing to lay down the life of someone else for what they believe. Something has led many Americans astray from the values they used to have. Unlike the days of the Old West where two people of disagreement would mutually agree to dual in the streets, motivated by a sense of honor, instead 120 years later we see a man sneak up behind the back of someone they disagree with on the streets, shoot them, and scurry off into the night. However, cowardice did also exist 120 years ago, with John Wilkes Booth voicing “Sic Semper Tyrannis”, after his assassination of Abraham Lincoln. A similar 3-word cry was written on the gunman’s casings. There is nothing new under the sun.

The need for healthcare is as old as concupiscence. Healthcare will always be a system in our society in need of help and improvement. Our Lord spent much of His time performing miracles, healing the blind and the lame. He further multiplied that gift of healing through the Holy Ghost to the Apostles. The need is abundant, but the workers are few.

It is worth taking a moment to examine our system. Those on the left look at companies as a for-profit and dispute a CEO making millions of dollars while patients are denied healthcare insurance claims. However, non-profit companies also have CEOs making millions. What does that amount to for the individuals paying into these organizations?

We shopped Goodwill recently. I was asked if I would like to round up for charity for the small purchase I was making. I retorted automatically without thinking that what I was buying was for charity. I was confused by the question. Goodwill is supposed to be non-profit and what we purchase there is the actual donation money. The items dropped off there are not given directly to the poor. They sell the items and the money you pay at the register is really the donation. That money goes to Goodwill. It pays the workers, and it pays their CEOs. If you are wanting a more efficient way to give to the poor, St Nicholas gave us one. Yes, it is more efficient to give a toy directly to a child in need.

Let us compare CEOs of the well-known charity, Goodwill, with that of the Insurance company, United Healthcare. Goodwill has multiple CEOs in multiple cities. In terms of salary, the Goodwill CEO in Phoenix grosses around $800k take-home, or about .03 percent of the company’s revenue. That is about twenty-five cents when paying for an 8-dollar item like the one I was getting. Brian Thompson at $23.8 million a year, earned 0.000065 percent of the company’s national revenue. That translates to the CEO earning seven cents every month a patient pays a $1k insurance premium. The CEOs salaries of both types of organizations seem very inconsequential at that point. If one is worried about how the rest of the huge budget of the company is managed, well there is a job for that. That is, after all, the job of a CEO and/or a CFO; to dutifully manage the revenue of the company. Ironically, spite of these CEOs prevents an individual from making a real difference, which is by taking their job and doing it better! In fact, some companies or services are so good that people want to give them more money than they are asking through tips or premium mark-ups.

There is a saying charity begins at home. Catholic teaching agrees with this through the principal of subsidiarity. Things are best managed at a local level. The Good Samaritan parable summarizes our objectives to both healthcare and material charity. The Samaritan helped the man that was attacked and left for dead on the side of the street. Every individual has their sphere of influence. There are those around them, they can serve, help, or teach.

Individuals also have personal responsibility in choices they make for their health and safety. They may be responsible for their eating choices, safety choices or choices in transportation. They may find it healthy to participate in sports but also a common place for injury. Individuals can be CEOs to people around them. They may be responsible for people at work, children at home, or just their pets. We are also responsible for choices in careers we pursue, and education in where we may feel we can have influence for the good. The healthcare industry is in constant demand for skilled workers and new innovations as the large aging Boomer generation reaches their golden years. There are a multitude of opportunities begging for a positive impact.

Whether looking at the healthcare industry or non-profit organizations, consider the efficiency of healthcare when individuals simply make good choices in their health, safety, and wellbeing. Efficiency in health, material, and spiritual needs is best managed at a local level starting with the individual. Consider the efficiency of material goodwill, by giving directly to those in need on the streets.

If the urge is there to be critical of CEOs of big organizations, do not forget that you are solely responsible to someone or something in your life. Our body is a temple to the Holy Spirit. Before you have the urge to give a critical eye to someone else and how they manage their affairs, ask yourself how well you are at managing that beautiful temple God entrusted you with. When you take diligent care of yourself, you will be better at helping others manage their care as well.

Fr. Steele

Dr. Fred Clary, Archbishop of Minnesota, Vatican in Exile

We are Called to Live in the Power and Fullness of Christ’s Power

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man” ... (Ephesians 3:16 DRA)

To live in the power of the Sacraments and the Holy Spirit one must endeavor to remove our self-defeating behaviors. People may engage in self-defeating behaviors to protect their self-esteem or to avoid unpleasant emotions. To overcome self-defeating behaviors, you can try:

Becoming aware of the emotions that trigger the behavior,
Learning to better manage your emotions,
Challenging negative beliefs,
Lean into the Church (Vatican in Exile),
The Sacraments,
Papal Teachings, and
Changing your language.

Positive behaviors associated with being Catholic often include acts of charity, compassion, forgiveness, service to others, practicing virtues like honesty and integrity, actively participating in religious practices like attending Mass and prayer, and demonstrating a strong sense of community and belonging within the Church.

Confession and repentance:

When struggling with self-defeating behaviors, the Bible encourages confessing sins and seeking forgiveness from God to start anew.

Seeking support:

The Bible emphasizes the importance of community and seeking support from fellow believers to navigate struggles with self-defeating behaviors.

Proverbs 16:32

"The patient man is better than the valiant: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh cities.".

Proverbs 12:16

" A fool immediately sheweth his anger: but he that dissembleth injuries is wise.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

"Let no temptation take hold on you, but such as is human. And God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able: but will make also with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it.”

1 Corinthians 9:27

"But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.”

1 Peter 5:6-8

"Be you humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of visitation: Casting all your care upon him, for he hath care of you. Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.”

Proverbs 25:28

"As a city that lieth open and is not compassed with walls, so is a man that cannot refrain his own spirit in speaking.”

Lean into Vatican in Exile. We are the Church. Allow your priest to move you through your journey away from self-defeating behaviors.

Dr. Fred Clary

Archbishop of Minnesota, Vatican in Exile

Letters of the Laity

Silence & Solitude

(This was a thought shared by Sister Simone on reflection of Advent that I hope to expand upon in my own words. I hope to do her justice, but it nevertheless got me thinking.)

In times of calamity, such as preparing for the end of the year by tidying up our homes for Christmas and family, finishing up work projects to start the year fresh, or rushing around to find gifts to give to our loved ones or perhaps something as simple (or not) as social media, it can be hard to find solitude. We are inundated with everyday tasks like taking care of our children, helping them with homework, and taking them to after-school sports. We have chores, and thoughts of chores, that occupy our minds every day. It always seems to build up during the last month of the year.

Where, then, do we find silence and solitude? How can we tune out the world to listen to God?

Just as we create our busy schedules, and errands to run for the day, we create our space and time for silence and solitude. It may be early in the morning just after rising, or late at night just before bed when “not a creature was stirring”. “And rising very early, going out, he went into a desert place: and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 DRA) This is our time for reflection and prayer, and a daily reminder to make a firm resolution to avoid evil and to do good.

His Holiness of Happy Memory, Pope Michael I, made a list of requests that touch specifically on this matter, and are printed in the November 2024 Issue of the Olive Tree. In case you missed them, you can view them here. By committing ourselves to a daily ritual in spiritual practices, as stated before, “one’s life will harmoniously fall into order”.

Sister Jennifer

Advice You Can Bank On

A Catholic Perspective On Finances

Virgin Most Prudent, Pray For Us

As a bookkeeper and accountant by trade, perfection is the aim of maintaining a client’s financial records. When no mistakes are made, accounting is simple, straightforward, and decisions can be made based on the accuracy of the books. People and businesses prosper, and families thrive. Perfection is something every business strives for yet can be elusive at times.

Many times, a client will seek help because their books are completely disordered. Many mistakes have been made, and they don’t know how to fix them. In the financial world, things can get complicated quickly, and it can be hard to decide where to start cleaning up. The same can be said for our spiritual lives.

We must first recognize the mistake (sin) and attempt to stop. This may work for some of us, where others can only do it for a time, and then fall back into the same bad habits. The larger problem still exists, and we must then ask for help. While accountants help their clients achieve financial clarity and understanding, we need the help of Our Lady to intercede on our behalf as our “spiritual accountant”.

“And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38 DRA) Our word to Our Lady will be fulfilled, put another way.

Likewise in our evening prayers, we say an Act of Contrition wherein we confess that we “…detest all our sins” and “firmly resolve…to amend our lives”. We are praying to God “with the help of Thy grace” to avoid sin. After The Act of Contrition, we immediately follow with The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where we ask her multiple times to pray for us (ora pro nobis) and ask specifically for her intercession in the Prayer for Protection During the Night, “O all ye Saints and Angels! but chiefly thou, O mother of God! intercede for me this night and during the rest of my life, but particularly at the hour of my death."

”As with accounting, mistakes can be made correct and sorted, through the help of someone with knowledge in the subject, the same as in our spiritual lives, through baptism, confession, and intercession. Indeed, the help is there, we only need to ask.

Sister Jennifer

Frequently Asked Questions

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Messages From Our Readers

We love to hear from you!

"Thanks for continuing to pray for [us]. Your written work is read and appreciated. May God always direct you in His Will. Good to see all the smiling faces of parishioner's during Michael II liturgies and talks." - St. Marys, Kansas

Please pray for all our priests throughout the world, and for more to be ordained.
Your prayers and support are asked for a Church to be established for all to attend. Everyone is in dire need of the Sacraments!
Please continue to pray for the repose of the soul of the Most Holy Father, Pope Michael I.
We are all praying especially for you, too. May you correspond with every grace of God!
In what other needs or intentions may we pray for you? Let us know at vaticaninexile@gmail.com
Let us remember that the Church runs on prayer. Without your prayers, God will not work in hearts and souls to bring them to a knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:4)

We recognize the need for parishes to be established in the United States. Offering Mass and administering the sacraments are of utmost importance. We are working diligently to establish a physical presence for parishioners to attend regularly. Specific locations have not been named.

In April of this year, several priests were ordained to establish a formation of clergy to offer Mass and administer the sacraments throughout the United States. Fr. Steele in Arizona hosted His Holiness and several others who also went on to become Priests under Vatican In Exile.

We will eventually provide a list of Clergy and how they can be contacted. You can always email vaticaninexile@gmail.com, and we will forward your information where appropriate.

As with anything, there are costs associated in all endeavors of Vatican In Exile. The website hosting, flights, and devotional items have all been paid for personally by the Priests of Vatican In Exile and their family members. Therefore, to establish a parish, we humbly ask for your donations to make these intentions a reality. Everyone should give something, and it doesn’t have to be much. Please read Giving to God's Work and pray that we can administer the sacraments to all those in need (everyone). We are all praying especially for you, too! May you correspond with every grace of God!

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December 2024: Olive Tree