Those engaging in sex outside of marriage, often call it making love, instead of what it really is, fornication, adultery, etc.

There is a song, which asks: 'What Is Love?' Do we truly understand what love really is? This couple we are considering believes that they are in love with each other and that they are making love to each other, but they are not married. If we ask one of the people, they will insist that they love theother person, but do they really?

True love wants what is truly best for those we love. According to Sacred Scripture, we should love everyone, including our enemies. "But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45)

And so what is best for someone? Let us consider that the best thing for everyone is salvation. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification;" (I Thessalonians 4:3) We want everyone to go to heaven. Love will therefore put forth its best effort to help others to get to heaven. And so let us return to our loving couple and determine is what they call making love is truly loving:

1. First of all fornication is a sin. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that you should abstain from fornication;" (I Thessalonians 4:3) Sin is an obstacle to salvation. "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) Therefore this is not love, but actually hateful. To desire someone to sin is actually not loving, but hating that person.

2. Let us say that a child is conceived. This child, instead of coming into a loving family with a mother and father who are married, comes into a broken situation, which is based on false principles. And so this potential child is not loved either.

3. Of course, the matter could be worse. Let us say one or both parties are married to someone else. This act is a violation of their spouse(s) rights in a most profound way. And so they are not being loved either. "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband. And in like manner the husband also hath not power of his own body, but the wife." (1 Corinthians 7:4) This faculty is not even ours to use as we please, but belongs to God. We are able to give this power over to our spouse in marriage, but it is still not ours to use as we please.

As we can see the world has a false idea of love. True love desires the salvation of all. "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) The world seeks to mask the true evil of sin in polite sounding words. Instead of call this what it is, fornication, the world calls this making love, which sounds much better to people. However, when we accept the world’s thinking, we distort basic values, such as what love truly is. With this false foundation we find that we will make horrible decisions.

"And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) We must step away from worldly thinking and step into spiritual thinking. We do this by spending a notable amount of time in Sacred Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, the Saints, etc. We need to immerse our self in truth and call things what they truly are. When we sugar coat things we are usually trying to hide ourselves from our own sins. The world and the devil are happy to help us in this falsehood.

And so let us be accurate and pure in our thinking and speech. Let us not allow the world to falsify anything.

Are You Real?

Recently Facebook announced their corporate name change from Facebook to Meta. Meta comes from their vision of the future, a Metaverse. What is this Metaverse they are referring to? It is the current Facebook on steroids. Currently, people post on Facebook about themselves, what they are doing, and what they want others to see in their lives. In the Metaverse, you will create a virtual world to live in and interact with other people. You can have different personas depending on whom you relate to: work for your work connections, gaming for your gaming buddies, social for when you hang out with people, and lots more. You can customize yourself and your surroundings in each persona. You can be in classy clothes in an elegant home, you can be a cartoon version, or you can look however you want to. The initial impression is that it is coming straight out of a Sci-Fi movie, but Facebook is determined to bring it to the masses. You can now create and live in your universe; however you want to.

As a Christian, you will recognize many potential issues with this new world. I only intend to focus on one of them in this article. What happens when you live in a world that is not real? What happens when you make up your own world? What if you are not real?
When you stop and think about people creating their fake world to live in and inviting other people into, there are numerous major issues that we can see. As Christians, we can see the dangers of doing that and realize the wisdom of never getting started in the new Metaverse as it becomes a reality. But this may be a little closer to home than we want to admit.

Are we real with God?
Most of us probably know who Queen Elizabeth is and would recognize her when we see a picture of her, but I doubt anyone of us knows her. Is that how God is to us? Is He someone out there that we know exists, but we do not have a close relationship with Him? Or is He so real to us that if He would “go away,” we would miss Him? Do we tell Him everything about our life, or are there areas that we would rather not discuss with Him because we do not want to hear what He would have to say? Is He so real to us that we naturally discuss all our life with Him without reservation, and He has a profound impact on how we live?

Are we real with ourselves?
Are we telling ourselves the truth about the life we are living? Do we make excuses for the way that we are living? When we evaluate other people versus ourselves, we often have two different standards. We are harder on other people than we are on ourselves. Other people have a fantasy world they live in their heads instead of focusing on being a blessing in the real world. Sometimes we get too busy with life, and we lose touch with our hearts and do not stop to evaluate who we are inside. That is when we start to live a different life than we know in our hearts that we should live or want to live.

Are we real with others?
We all fall prey to this at times in our lives. Are we living a secret life in our hearts that we do not want others to see? Are we hiding sin on the inside while trying to live a righteous life on the outside? Even closer to home, how often do we say one thing while believing another in our hearts because it is more convenient? When other people talk about us, do they comment that we are genuine because they can see we mean what we say and live what we say, or do they feel like they cannot tell who we are?

The more real God is to us, the more real we will be with other people. The more we hide from God, the more we will hide from ourselves and others. The two go hand in hand, and you cannot separate them. Too often, we go through life crafting an external image of who we want others to think we are, when down inside, we are something different. In reality, that is worse than creating your universe on Facebook because you are still living a lie and deceiving yourself.

That which we have seen and have heard, we declare unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1Jo 1:3). 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (Ecc 12:14). God desires a close relationship with us, so close and real that it has a profound effect on our lives. That relationship will create a deep awe of Him that will drive us to obey His commandments. Then when God does bring every work into judgment, we will not have anything to fear because He will be telling the world about the faithful life we lived for Him instead of the sins that we tried to hide from the world.
Are you real, or are you fake? 

Can a silent, peaceful prayer be a criminal act?

This is the question facing the court as it considers the penalty that Rosa Lalor received when on a prayer walk during lock-down in 2021.

Rosa says, “I never thought that in a democratic country like the UK I would be arrested for a simple and solitary prayer walk. When I was walking outdoors, I was praying in the privacy of my own mind. What kind of society are we, when people can be arrested simply for peacefully manifesting their faith in public?”

Here’s what happened…

During the coronavirus lock-down last year, Rosa – a grandmother from Liverpool – was careful to follow the rules. She took a walk most days as part of her allotted exercise time. She walked alone, and even wore a non-mandatory mask for the activity, to be extra careful.

At 76, Rosa had never been a lawbreaker.

Until one day, on her daily walk, she was arrested.

While she was walking, Rosa had been praying. Silently. In the privacy of her own mind, with headphones in. She walked near an abortion facility, as she prayed about the issue that was on her mind. She was masked, socially distanced, and alone.

A police officer stopped her and asked why she was out of her house, at a time when reasons to be outside were very limited.

“I’m walking and praying,” she answered.

The officer said Rosa wasn’t praying in a place of worship. She didn’t have a “reasonable excuse” to be outdoors. She was there to “protest,” he later said.

“Caught” praying masked, alone and walking outside, Rosa was arrested, detained in a police car, fined, and charged under a temporary coronavirus regulatory measure that sought to ban activities on the street for the sake of public health.

Man Asks Deputies to Test His Meth— They Did!

Authorities in Hernando County, Florida, couldn’t believe their ears last [month] when one resident called 911 with undoubtedly one of the strangest requests they had ever received. ...An adult man called police dispatchers to request that deputies come to his Spring Hill home to “test the methamphetamine” he had recently purchased from his drug dealer, police said. ...[He] was apparently suspicious that his dealer had cheated him by selling him “fake” meth—and he was eager to see if his hypothesis was correct.... ...Deputies performed a field test on the samples and...[it] came back positive for meth. Deputies arrested...him...and...he is currently being held at a Hernando County Detention Center on a $7,000 bond.

Mississippi Bans CRT in Tax-Funded Schools

Another state has dealt proponents of critical race theory a blow in their effort to indoctrinate students at all levels.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) has signed into law a bill that bans teaching critical race theory (CRT) in publicly funded institutions of learning. The bill was supported by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy—and Douglas Carswell, who serves as president of the Center, tells AFN [American Family News] why they backed it.

“We did a report in October that looked very carefully at what was being taught in Mississippi classrooms and in universities,” says Carswell, “and we found clear evidence that this extremist, divisive ideology is being promoted. It is being pushed.”

...According to Carswell, the Marxist-like ideology was found in every level of education in Mississippi’s educational community. “The Mississippi Department of Education specifically recommends that teachers in Mississippi use teaching resources that promote this extremist ideology,” Carswell continues. “We found evidence of courses in publicly funded universities in Mississippi where this dogma and this ideology are very prevalent.”

The new state law bars “students to affirm, or teachers to teach, that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior.” It does not prevent the teaching of American history nor the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

USA Today Names Rachel Levine Among Its “Women of the Year”

Trans-identified Biden administration official, Dr. Rachel Levine, formerly known as Richard, has been named among USA Today’s “Women of the Year.”

The national publication included Levine, who serves as assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Health, as one of its “Women of the Year.”...

Levine’s recognition among USA Today’s Women of the Year and inclusion on a panel featuring “women leaders” comes as the U.S. is engaged in a debate about whether recognizing men who identify as women puts biological females at an unfair disadvantage.

California’s First Openly “Transgender” Judge

The Los Angeles Times reported that Andi Murdyk will serve as a judge on the Sacramento County Superior Court after being appointed by Gavin Newsom to fill a vacancy left on the bench.... Murdyk [is] a biological male....

The transgender judge...

who transitioned in the last four years, said that he is proud of his gender identity....

The transgender attorney’s appointment to the bench earned praise from legal and leftwing activist communities.

Arizona Law Prohibits Discrimination Against Faith-Based Adoption, Foster Care Agencies

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has signed a bill prohibiting discrimination against faith-based adoption and foster care organizations, including forcing them to place children in same-sex households when it goes against their religious beliefs.

...Senate Bill 1399...says the state government or anyone suing to enforce a law “may not take any discriminatory action against” a person or group that “declines to provide” adoption or foster care services due to “the person’s religious belief or exercise of religion.” Additionally, the new law says that public entities or private individuals “may not discriminate against a person” who has custody of an adopted child or foster child “on the basis that the person” plans to “raise a child in a manner consistent with the person’s religious belief or exercise of religion.”...

“Under SB 1399, Arizona’s faith-based adoption and foster care providers can continue to serve the state’s most vulnerable children in a manner consistent with the faith that inspires their service and unafraid of government discrimination,” [Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Greg Chafuen stated].

Federalist Editor Locked Out of Twitter for Calling Rachel Levine a Man

An editor with the conservative news publication the Federalist has been punished by Twitter because he called Rachel Levine, a Biden administration official who is biologically male but identifies as female, a man.

...The Federalist Senior Editor John Daniel Davidson has been locked out of his Twitter account over a tweet....

“They’re not even trying to hide it anymore,” posted Davidson. “If you say that Rachel Levine is a man, they will come after you. Doesn’t matter that Levine is in fact a man. Truth is no defense.”

According to the Federalist, less than 24 hours after Davidson tweeted this, Twitter censored the post and locked Davidson out of his account until he agrees to delete the tweet. Davidson has expressed his refusal to do so.

The Funny Pharmacy

The Pope Speaks: June 2022

Vatican II Was the Goal

Many trace our problems today back to Vatican II. However, the problems, which led to Vatican II began over a century before it was held. It was the culmination of efforts by the enemies of the Church to infiltrate and neutralize the Church.

In the middle of the 19^th century a document was discovered, The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita. It was brought to the attention of Pope Pius IX. In the Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita, we read of two important points. First they want "a Pope according to our own wants."

"Now then, in order to secure to us a Pope in the manner required, it is necessary to fashion for that Pope a generation worthy of the reign of which we dream." How do you fashion such a generation? You must weaken each successive generation morally and spiritually. A Protestant observed around 1970: "Have you notice in church that what used to be a sin isn't a sin any more?" Two heresies arose, Liberalism and Modernism, which attacked not only Catholicism, but all that calls itself Christian.

The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita also says: "Our final end is that of Voltaire and of the French Revolution, the destruction for ever of Catholicism and even of the Christian idea which, if left standing on the ruins of Rome, would be the resuscitation of Christianity later on."

In 1873 Father Delaporte wrote a book, The Devil, in which he said of The Enemy's plans: "Let us make no martyrs, but make vice popular among the masses." Let us remember who The Enemy is: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." (Ephesians 6:12) However, The Enemy has enlisted men in his service here on earth, and The Enemy has a plan to bring about the damnation of all men, which is his perfidious goal. We will not go into details about this plan, except to point out a small part of it as it gives us direction spiritually how to combat this in our own hearts.

In 1888 Pope Leo XIII wrote an Encyclical, Libertas, against liberalism. He was addressing the false liberty being promoted by the world: "From this it is manifest that the eternal law of God is the sole standard and rule of human liberty, not only in each individual man, but also in the community and civil society which men constitute when united. Therefore, the true liberty of human society does not consist in every man doing what he pleases, for this would simply end in turmoil and confusion, and bring on the overthrow of the State; but rather in this, that through the injunctions of the civil law all may more easily conform to the prescriptions of the eternal law. Likewise, the liberty of those who are in authority does not consist in the power to lay unreasonable and capricious commands upon their subjects, which would equally be criminal and would lead to the ruin of the commonwealth; but the binding force of human laws is in this, that they are to be regarded as applications of the eternal law, and incapable of sanctioning anything which is not contained in the eternal law, as in the principle of all law."

Also in the late 1800's Father Felix Sarda Y Salvany wrote a book, Liberalism is a Sin, which was translated into English and published as What is Liberalism? What is Liberalism? states "He (the Liberal) may even go to Church and, stranger still, sometimes approach the Sacraments; but his maxim is, in the Church to live as a Christian, outside of the Church to live as the world lives, according to the times in which one is born and not obstinately to swim against the stream. He dies with the priest on one side, his infidel literature on the other and imagines that his Creator will applaud his breadth of mind."

In 1907 Pope Saint Pius X wrote the Encyclical, Pascendi, to refute the errors of the Modernists. He wrote: "It is one of the cleverest devices of the Modernists (as they are commonly and rightly called) to present their doctrines without order and systematic arrangement, in a scattered and disjointed manner, so as to make it appear as if their minds were in doubt or hesitation, whereas in reality they are quite fixed and steadfast." This method continues with the enemies of the Church to not present their case clearly. In fact, it is necessary to make things complicated in order to confuse and deceive people, as Jesus foretold: "For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect." (Matthew 24:24)

The matter of Moral Modernism has been discussed in a previous Pope Speaks, which is well worth a review.  1938 The Manual of Catholic Action tells us: "Hence even among Catholics the strange phenomenon of a double conscience often repeats itself-one conscience for private life, another for public life; religious at home and in church, unreligious (if not anti-religious) in public offices, and political and social life. The chief cause of this melancholy phenomenon was certainly liberal doctrine, which turned religion into a private affair, creating a double morality, and again, political and economic amoralism." ¹

Pope Pius XII attempted to stem the tide towards the end of his reign, as he could see things slipping away. However, he was unsuccessful in his efforts and the Papacy was usurped in October of 1958 by Angelo Roncalli as the second Antipope John XXIII in history.

Roncalli called for the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, which is a false name in and of itself. Like the Jansenist Synod of Pistoia, which it resembles in part, it was not a Catholic Council. The Enemy in order to deceive us called for a successor to the only real Vatican Council (1869-70).

In the early 1960's Maurice Pinay (a pen name) wrote a book, Plot Against the Church detailing part of the conspiracy against the Catholic Church. This work was delivered to every Bishop at Vatican II as a warning about what these people feared would happen at Vatican II and indeed did happen. In his book, Les Principe des Theologie Catholique, Joseph Ratzinger states: "Let us content ourselves here with stating that the text [of the Vatican II Constitution, Gaudium et spes] plays the role of a counter-Syllabus to the measure that it represents an attempt to officially reconcile the Church with the world as it had become after 1789." Basically Vatican II established new doctrine for a new church to be established in its spirit with a new liturgy, which was foisted upon the church they were changing.

This author saw a letter from Antonio Gonzalez Flores of Trenton in Mexico, where he wrote: "I am Maurice Pinay." Flores was associated with Father Saenz among others.

And so we conclude that Vatican II was the goal of The Enemy and should be considered more of the end rather than the beginning. It took a century of corruption of spirituality, morality and even common sense among those who called themselves Catholic in the century prior to Vatican II. Let us remember that 1950's Catholicism led to 1960's apostasy at Vatican II. In fact we could expand this to say that Twentieth Century Catholicism led to the apostasy at and after Vatican II. If we do not understand that the Church was being undermined by her enemies and that many lukewarm Catholics were unwitting assistants of these same enemies, we will never understand the solution. As several saints observed, they only feared bad Catholics. Vatican II is the fruit of lax, lukewarm Catholicism over the century prior to it opening.

St. Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life

When Tobias was bidden to go to Rages, he was willing to obey his father, but he objected that he knew not the way;--to which Tobit answered, "Seek thee a man which may go with thee:" and even so, daughter, I say to you, If you would really tread the paths of the devout life, seek some holy man to guide and conduct you. This is the precept of precepts, says the devout Avila, seek as you will you can never so surely discover God's Will as through the channel of humble obedience so universally taught and practiced by all the Saints of olden time. When the blessed Teresa read of the great penances performed by Catherine of Cordova, she desired exceedingly to imitate them, contrary to the mind of her Confessor, who forbade her to do the like, and she was tempted to disobey him therein. Then God spoke to Teresa, saying, "My child, thou art on a good and safe road: true, thou seest all this penance, but verily I esteem thy obedience as a yet greater virtue:" and thenceforth Saint Teresa so greatly loved the virtue of obedience, that in addition to that due to her superiors, she took a vow of special obedience to a pious ecclesiastic, pledging herself to follow his direction and guidance, which proved an inexpressible help to her. And even so before and after her many pious souls have subjected their will to God's ministers in order the better to submit themselves to Him, a practice much commended by Saint Catherine of Sienna in her Dialogues. The devout Princess Saint Elisabeth gave an unlimited obedience to the venerable Conrad; and one of the parting counsels given by Saint Louis to his son ere he died was, "Confess thyself often, choose a single-minded, worthy confessor, who is able wisely to teach thee how to do that which is needful for thee." "A faithful friend," we are told in Holy Scripture, "is a strong defense, and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure;" and again: "A faithful friend is the medicine of life; and they that fear the Lord shall find him." These sacred words have chiefly reference, as you see, to the immortal life, with a view to which we specially need a faithful friend, who will guide us by his counsel and advice, thereby guarding us against the deceits and snares of the Evil One: he will be as a storehouse of wisdom to us in our sorrows, trials and falls; he will be as a healing balm to stay and soothe our heart in the time of spiritual sickness, he will shield us from evil, and confirm that which is good in us, and when we fall through infirmity, he will avert the deadly nature of the evil, and raise us up again.

But who can find such a friend? The Wise Man answers: "He that feareth the Lord:" that is to say, the truly humble soul which earnestly desires to advance in the spiritual life. So, daughter, inasmuch as it concerns you so closely to set forth on this devout journey under good guidance, do you pray most earnestly to God to supply you with a guide after His Own Heart, and never doubt but that He will grant you one who is wise and faithful, even should He send you an angel from Heaven, as He sent to Tobias.

In truth, your spiritual guide should always be as a heaven-sent angel to you; by which I mean that when you have found him, you are not to look upon him, or trust in him or his wisdom as an ordinary man; but you must look to God, Who will help you and speak to you through this man, putting into his heart and mouth that which is needful to you; so that you ought to hearken as though he were an angel come down from Heaven to lead you thither. Deal with him in all sincerity and faithfulness, and with open heart; manifesting alike your good and your evil, without pretense or dissimulation. Thus your good will be examined and confirmed, and your evil corrected and remedied; you will be soothed and strengthened in trouble, moderated and regulated in prosperity. Give your guide a hearty confidence mingled with sacred reverence, so that reverence in no way shall hinder your confidence, and confidence nowise lessen your reverence: trust him with the respect of a daughter for her father; respect him with the confidence of a son in his mother. In a word, such a friendship should be strong and sweet; altogether holy, sacred, divine and spiritual. And with such an aim, choose one among a thousand, Avila says; - and I say among ten thousand, for there are fewer than one would think capable of this office. He must needs be full of love, of wisdom and of discretion; for if either of these three be wanting there is danger. But once more I say, ask such help of God, and when you have found it, bless His Holy Name; be steadfast, seek no more, but go on simply, humbly and trustfully, for you are safe to make a prosperous journey.

Saints from East and West

12 June - Saint Eskil (c. A.D. 1080).

The name of Saint Eskil does not appear in the Roman Martyrology, but until the Reformation he was honoured in northern Europe as one of the most illustrious martyrs of Scandinavia.

He was said to be English, a kinsman of Saint Sigfrid, whom he accompanied on his mission to reconvert Sweden which had almost entirely lapsed into paganism since the death of Saint Anskar, its first apostle, in the ninth century. He was consecrated bishop at Strängnäs, and from that circumstance later writers have described him as bishop of Strängnäs; but the see was not founded until 1245, and Eskil was probably a regionary bishop.

He laboured with success in Sodermanland, making many converts during the reign of King Inge, who encouraged and supported the missionaries. Inge, however, was murdered, and under Sweyn the Bloody a pagan reaction set in.

A great heathen festival was held at Strängnäs which was attended by many who had professed to be Christians. Saint Eskil hastened to the assembly and appealed to the people to abandon their pagan rites. Finding them deaf to his remonstrances he is said to have appealed to God to give a visible sign that He alone was the true God. Instantly a violent storm arose which destroyed the altar and its sacrifice, while sparing the bishop and his attendants. The pagans ascribed this wonder to magic and by the king's orders they stoned the saint to death. The place where his body was laid in 1082 is called after him, Eskilstuna.

21 June - Saint Julian of Tarsus.

The Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus was born in the Asia Minor province of Cilicia. He was the son of a pagan senator, but his mother confessed Christianity. After the death of her husband, the mother of Saint Julian resettled to Tarsis, where the son was baptised and raised in Christian piety. When Julian reached age 18, a persecution against Christians started under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Among others arrested was also Saint Julian. They brought him before the governor Marcian for trial, where for a long time they urged him to renounce Christ. Neither tortures nor threats, nor promises of gifts and honours could convince the pious youth to offer pagan sacrifice and a denial of Christ. The holy confessor remained steadfast in his firm faith. For a whole year they led the martyr through the cities of Cilicia, in each of them subjecting him to interrogation and tortures, after which they threw him in prison. The mother of Saint Julian followed after her son and prayed that the Lord would strengthen him yet more in faith and act. In the city of Aegea under the pretext of urging her son to offer sacrifice to idols, she besought the governor to permit her to visit the prison. She spent three days in prison with Saint Julian, beseeching him to be strong to the end.

Saint Julian was again brought to stand before the governor. Thinking that the mother had persuaded her son to submit to the imperial decree, the governor began to praise her prudence. But suddenly the saint boldly confessed himself a Christian. And the holy Martyr Julian all the more fearlessly and boldly denounced the pagan polytheism. The governor then gave orders to cut off the feet of the mother of Saint Julian, since she had accompanied her son from Tarsus. They tied the Martyr Julian into a sack, filled with sand and poisonous vipers, and threw it into the sea. The body of the sufferer was carried by the waves to the shores of Alexandria, and with reverence was buried by a certain pious Alexandrian Christian. The martyr's death occurred in about the year 305. Afterwards the relics of the holy martyr were transferred to Antioch. Saint John Chrysostom honoured the memory of the holy Martyr Julian with a sermon of laudation.

Advice You Can Bank On

A Catholic Perspective On Finances 

Should We Hedge Against Inflation?

"And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner. And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master, what shall we do? But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay." (Luke 3:11-14)

Certain store shelves are empty, prices are rising at a pace that is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with, and a quick search shows that the best tip out of all of this is to stockpile goods to use later. In other words, frenzy is all around. Should we really hedge ourselves against inflation?

We had our young niece and nephews over to swim this weekend. The youngest of them, and perhaps the one with the most energy, was finding himself exhausted even with floaties on. I held on to him to give him a rest and explained to him how “water will always win”, and even with certain protections in place, he is still susceptible to going under.

Inflation is a guessing game. Nobody really knows by how much prices will rise, when it will end, or which commodities will be affected, or not at all. Even if we were to know without a doubt all that information, is storing for later worth it? Matthew 6:33-34 says, "Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."

It might make sense to stockpile non-perishable items, like toilet paper, laundry detergent, or canned goods. The first thought that comes to mind is, can I afford the extra cost at the grocery store? Even if I shop at a warehouse retailer, like Costco or Sam’s Club, the cost doubles when two are purchased. The second thought is, where am I going to put it? I feel as though we are already bursting at the seams in terms of remaining storage space. I’d rather not hit the pocketbook any more than it already has been, and it would please me greatly to not have to take up an additional space in the house for to only forget about it later.

"And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits. And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and will build greater; and into them will I gather all things that are grown to me, and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thy rest; eat, drink, make good cheer. But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God." (Luke 12:16-21)

We certainly don’t think about storing up on perishable goods, and for good reason – they have a shelf-life that usually isn’t long. Think in terms of raspberries. If one pint would suffice for your needs or wants, why buy two or more? Even in our house, the second pint will spoil before we can finish it. In terms of raspberries, we lost money.

Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow worries for itself. Inflation has become a fact of life; things will always and have always cost more in the future. There are many bets and hedges we can make in terms of trying to beat inflation, but the analogy of it is akin to treading water. Most of us might be able to do such a task for two to three hours, while the best of us might be able to go to over eight hours. Eventually, however, all of us will tire, and some of us will lose. Our “best bet” is to keep forging ahead, providing what we can to those in more need than ourselves. We are told repeatedly not to store up ‘treasures’, yet some of the best articles out there will tell you to do just that, especially in these times.

"Your gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days." (James 5:3)

"Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:33-34)

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

Pentecost 2012
 

Trinity Sunday 2013
 

Confirmation-The Seven Fold Grace of God -Fortitude

In the Catechism of the Council of Trent we read: Quote “In Confirmation is contained the true and proper nature of a Sacrament has always been acknowledged by the Catholic Church.” the Catechism goes on to say, “The truth of this doctrine St. Clement could not confirm in stronger terms than when he says, 'All should hasten without delay to be born again (baptized) unto God, and afterwards to be signed (confirmed) by the Bishop.” that is to receive the seven fold grace of the Holy Ghost; for, as has been handed down to us from St. Peter, and as the other Apostles taught in obedience to the command of Our Lord, he who culpably and voluntarily, and not from necessity, neglects to receive this Sacrament, cannot possibly be a perfect Christian.' To be a perfect and complete Christian one needs to be sealed at the day of their confirmation with the seven fold grace of the Holy Ghost.”

What is the seven fold grace of the Holy Ghost? And what is it used for in our Christian life?

The seven fold grace of the Holy Spirit that, initially, is magnified in us at our confirmation, and has unique skills and abilities given by the Holy Spirit, to faithful followers of Christ, to serve God for the common benefit of his people, the Church, and for reaching others, out side of the Church, for Christ. The seven fold grace, referred to by the Catechism, is described in Isaiah 11:1-3, where it mentions wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, and Piety and the fear of the Lord.

The seven fold grace of the Spirit, mentioned in Isaiah, are simply God empowering faithful Christians to do what He has called us to do.

The Catholic Church list them as:

1.Wisdom

2. Understanding

3. Counsel

4. Fortitude

5. Knowledge

6. Piety -Godliness

7. Fear of the Lord

In our last lesson we discussed one of the parts of the seven fold gift of the Holy Ghost called Counseling. And we said, that simply put, this gift, as it is called in the Bible, is defined as- To give advice or deliberate opinion to another. To exhort, warn, admonish, or instruct. To recommend.

Understand that everyone is given the seven fold graces at our baptism. But what our confirmation does is enhance certain ones in our lives and it is different for everyone. Romans 12:4-8, says “For as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office: So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. And having different gifts, according to the grace that is given us....” One of those gifts or graces that is mentioned in the Douay Rheims version of the bible is carefulness, or as in other versions, diligence, which in Isaiah 11:1-3, otherwise uses the word fortitude.

Now Concerning the grace of fortitude sometimes called endurance:

Fortitude is the inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God’s best. Fortitude is associated with the physical stamina required for a race. However, the character quality of Fortitude is much deeper than physical stamina. It includes the strength that comes by rejoicing in the reproaches that come as we follow the ways of God.

It is described as, “to undergo hardship, to hold oneself up against, to put up with to endure with patience.”

To have fortitude is to tenaciously hold on until a goal is accomplished. Jacob clung to the angel and declared, “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” God not only blessed him but affirmed, “Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?” (Genesis 32:28).

What Are We to Endure?

The following passages explain the types of trials we are to endure:

1. Endure hardness—“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 2:3).
2. Endure in all things—“But be thou vigilant, endure in all things...” (II Timothy 4:5). “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory.” (II Timothy 2:10).
3. Endure persecutions and tribulations—“… that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer. ” (II Thessalonians 1:5).
4. Endure undeserved suffering—“For this is thankworthy, if for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully.” (I Peter 2:19).
5. Endure chastening—“Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? ” (Hebrews 12:7).
6. Endure temptations—“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him. ” (James 1:12).

How Do We Endure?

Endurance is based on hope. A runner will endure rigorous and painful training because of the hope that he will win the race. Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame associated with it for the joy of knowing that His death would conquer Satan and bring redemption to mankind for all eternity. (See Hebrews 12:2.) The believer’s hope is that by enduring trials he will experience a greater measure of spiritual power in this life, as well as rewards in heaven.

How Does Truth Motivate Endurance?

Truth sets us free from the destructive attitudes and influences that diminish endurance. When trials and temptations come, we are to meet and endure them with the following four responses:

1. Thank God for each trial.

We can be thankful for all things, because all things come from the hand of God. They are for our benefit and can teach us character. They also “work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.” (Romans 8:28). Job endured a great affliction, and he understood this important point: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

    2. Rejoice in all things.

Once we recognize the benefits that God intends through our trials, we can rejoice in them. If we lack wisdom to discern these benefits, we can ask God for it and He will give it to us. (See James 1:5)

    3. Cry out when necessary.

Some situations cannot or should not be endured and require us to cry out to God for deliverance. “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15).

    4. Overcome by doing good.

“Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.” (Romans 12:21).

Personal Evaluation: How Strong Is Your Fortification?

• Do you live as a soldier who is in the most critical spiritual war ever waged, or as a civilian in a time of peace, prosperity, and pleasure?
• Do you rejoice when rejected by those who do not follow the ways of God, or do you complain that you have to suffer because of your identification with God?
• Do you rejoice in being falsely accused and blamed for things you did not do, or do you become reactionary, defensive, and bitter toward those who question your integrity?
• Do you accept God’s chastening for things you have done wrong, or do you become discouraged and want to give up on the Christian life?
• Do you resist temptation and bring every thought into captivity, or do you easily surrender to the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the mind?

I pray that our lesson today on gives you deep thoughts about the Gift of Fortitude from the Spirit of the Lord. the basic point I want us to get about the Gift of Fortitude from the Spirit of the Lord is this-God wants us to look to Him for what we cannot do ourselves.

Let us pray. Father, I repent of all my sins. Forgive me Lord. I trust you Lord. Help me, your child, as you have helped many. Rest the gift of fortitude on me so that I can stand against all evil that try to weaken me. As your child, I do not want to be spineless in your ways. Spinelessness does not glorify you. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What Is The Difference Between Logo and Rhema?

 

Logos—The Word of God

There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are translated word in the New Testament. The first, logos, refers principally to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, Who is the living Logos.

Biblical Examples of Logos

The following passages of Scripture give examples of the logos of God:

• “In the beginning was the Word [logos], and the Word [logos] was with God, and the Word [logos] was God” (John 1:1).

• “The seed is the word [logos] of God” (Luke 8:11).

• “Holding forth the word [logos] of life” (Philippians 2:16).

• “Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word [logos] of truth. ” (II Timothy 2:15).

• “For the word [logos] of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two edged sword ” (Hebrews 4:12).

• “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word [logos] of God, which liveth and remaiineth forever” (I Peter 1:23).

Rhema—The Spoken Word

The second primary Greek word that describes Scripture is rhema, which refers to a word that is spoken and means “an utterance.” In the written word, [logos] the rhema is God's logos communicated by word [rhema] of mouth.

Every word of God is inspired, and “All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice” (II Timothy 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit, Who through the spoken word or the written word, illuminates particular Scriptures for application in a daily walk with the Lord.

The words of Jesus are significant on this point. “Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word [rhema] that proceedeth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also stated, “The words [rhema] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

When God gives a rhema for us to act upon, He confirms it by a second rhema, that “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word [rhema] stand.” (II Corinthians 13:1).

Hence, the spoken word is confirmed by the witness of Apostolic Tradition (anything the apostles authoritatively passed down to the Church, whether written [logos] or spoken [rhema] ).

Biblical Insights Into Rhemas

The following passages of Scripture provide insight into the rhemas of God:

• “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema] of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

• “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

• “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the laver of water in the word [rhema] of life: ” (Ephesians 5:25–26).

• “If ye abide in me, and my words [rhema] abide in you, ye shall ask whatever ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

Biblical Examples of Rhemas

The following passages of Scripture give examples of the rhemas of God:

• Under the high priests Annas and Caiphas; the word [rhema] of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert. (Luke 3:2).

• But if you do not believe Moses writings, how will you believe my words [rhema]? ” (John 5:47).

• Simeon recalled the promise that he would see Christ before he died: “Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word [rhema]” (Luke 2:29).

• God gave John the message he was to preach as a forerunner to Christ: “The word [rhema] of God came unto John” (Luke 3:2).

• It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words [rhemas] that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. [John 6:63].

• Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3).

Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, (teachings that the apostles passed on orally through their preaching and teaching.-rhema) are important because anything the apostles authoritatively passed down to the Church, whether written or not, is inerrant. As one Catechism states: “There exists a close connection and communication between sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit. To the successors of the apostles, sacred Tradition hands on in its full purity God’s word, which was entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Thus, by the light of the Spirit of truth, these successors can in their preaching preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same devotion and reverence.”