1. Nexus.
We first laid down the Scriptural principles on how to hold a Eucharistic Congress using the latest documents of Vatican II and post Vatican II; specifically ‘Lumen Gentium’ the document on the dogmatic constitution ‘On the Church’. And ‘Mysterium Fidei’ the encyclical of Pope Paul VI on the Holy Eucharist.
‘Lumen Gentium’ describes the true Church that Christ established so all men can differentiate it from all other false churches. It describes supernatural and spiritual realities but using visible signs so all men can understand it and apply it in discerning the true Church.
‘Mysterium Fidei’ describes, also, spiritual and Divine realities but using sacramental visible signs so all men can understand the unknowable spiritual realities through the visible sign.
‘Lumen Gentium.’ which is Ecclesiology gives the four classical visible signs of the true Church; and these are enumerated in the Nicene Creed that we usually recite on Sunday Masses. These signs are: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Many of the Fathers of the Church had expanded these four signs for easier understanding. ‘Lumen Gentium’ is based on the joint description of the Church by St. Augustine and St. Robert Bellarmine. And we have concentrated on the work of St. Robert Bellarmine because he expanded the four visible signs into 15 Marks in describing the true Church. St. Robert Bellarmine’s description is so extensive that we cannot miss the true Church when we see it. On the other hand we will clearly see that it is not the true Church when we see a false one.
‘Mysterium Fidei.’ being a sacrament, also, have visible signs by which we can know the Divine realities it signifies. But we will not discuss this encyclical because knowledge of ‘Lumen Gentium’ is more than sufficient to conclude that the species of water and wine are consecrated or not. If there is a Church, Christ will be in her midst because the Church is His Mystical Body. On the other hand, if there is no Church, Christ will not be sacramentally present.
2. Procedure.
So the procedure we adapted in our analysis is; first, we laid down the four visible signs from the Nicene Creed and the 15 Marks by St. Robert Bellarmine on one side. This is from ‘Lumen Gentium.’ Then we compiled the ‘signs of the times’ both from history and from the news world wide and compared them with the visible signs of the true Church to find out if there is a Church or not. If there is a Church by the presence of the visible signs, then the Blessed Sacrament is surely there. If there are no signs, then there is no Church. If there is no Church, there is no Blessed Sacrament. In short, if there is no Catholic Congress, there will be no Eucharist.
So our concentration was in finding out if the Congress or the assembly has the four or 15 visible signs of Catholicity as described in ‘Lumen Gentium.’ Fortunately, St. Robert Bellarmine, while describing the 15 Marks of the true Church, described, also the marks of a false church. So we are able to use the two criteria in making our analysis, i.e. did the assembly have the 15 visible signs of the true church or did the assembly have the 15 marks of a Protestant sect.
3. The wolf under the sheep’s clothing.
It is more complicated to analyze psychologically a patient than to analyze evil from good. Our analysis is such an easy process that a child can do it. All that we did was what St. Augustine wrote; ‘just look for the wolf beneath sheep’s clothing. The saint wrote that the wolf cannot completely cover himself with the sheep skin because his tail is too long. It will show.
In the just concluded Eucharistic Congress we do not have to analyze everything. A cursory glance at You Tube and you have all the information you need to make an analysis.
Going back to the wolf in sheep’s clothing; the devil does not destroy souls by filling it up with errors. He needs only one error to destroy a soul. So the devil usually presents one error that is sugar coated with a thousand truths. The thousand truths plus an error will not bring us to heaven; but the one error can bring us to hell. So look for this one error; look for the tip of the tail of the wolf that will always stick out because it is too long to be covered by the sheep’s tail.
4. A visible Mark of the true Church – Prophesy.
What did we do just now? We laid down the description of the true Catholic Church as taken from Divine Revelation. Then, we analyzed the ‘signs of the times’ to see if today’s ‘signs of the times’ corresponds to certain ‘signs of the times’ pre-figured in Scriptures. Does our present signs similar to signs worked by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost or is it similar to the signs worked out by the devil on Good Friday? Does our present signs similar to what happened when Jonah preached and the Ninevites repented or when Jeremiah preached to the Jews and they threw him down a well?
Every Catholic must be able to say how the Eucharistic Congress would turn out; because prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church and it is the 12th visible sign of the true Church according to St. Bellarmine.
Prophecy is essentially knowing and teaching the commands of God; it is knowing how God wants things done before so we can do it exactly the same way in the future. Prophecy makes the Church consistent in doing God’s Will in the past, in the present and in the future. Did the preachers recall the commands of God taught in the New Testament; and did they teach these same commands to be observed today? If ‘yes’ then things went well. If ‘no,’ then we are in trouble.
When God loves a people He sends them prophets to remind them of His commands. When God punishes a nation He withdraws His prophets from them. When that happens then the people do not know the Will of God; do not know the commands of God. And consequently everything they do is sinful. So prophecy is a visible sign of the true Church; i.e. when the Church reminds all men what were God’s commands in the past and reminds them to observe the same commands in the present.
Bellarmine quoting the prophet Joel writes; ‘if you can announce what will happen in the Congress we will know that you are from God. If the preachers reminded the people all of God’s commands in the New Testament then we have a Church as shown through her gift of prophecy.
Prophecy is not a magical trick. It is a simple process using one’s mind, one’s memory and praying for the grace of God. That last part ‘the grace of God’ is what makes it come from God and only from His own Church.
5. Now, let us see what actually happened during the Eucharistic Congress basing our analysis from ‘ Lumen Gentium’ and from the ‘signs of the times’ found in a few You Tube videos; keeping in mind that we are looking for visible signs and videos are very good visible signs. A few videos is more than enough to provide proofs for our conclusions.
We cannot find any of the visible signs, either the four mentioned in the Creed or the 15 Marks mentioned by St. Bellarmine. That is more than sufficient to state that this group is not the Catholic Church and, therefore the Holy Eucharist cannot be present among them.
Worse, the signs opposite St. Bellarmine’s 15 Marks which are the signs that this is a Protestant sect are present; like the doctrines on universal salvation, toleration of aberosexual sins, receiving of Communion in the state of mortal sin, dissolution of marriage, indifferentism, and the liberty of conscience. The atmosphere smells with No. 77, 78, 79 and 80, the errors of modern liberalism condemned by the Syllabus of errors by Pius IX.
We do not have merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing whose tail is sticking out. We have a wolf that has thrown away the sheep’s clothing completely because it feels confidently safe since the Pope believes in the same heresies.
In short, there is no ‘Lumen Gentium.’ The four visible signs of the true Church cannot be seen in either bishops or diocese, neither in the crowds as a whole nor in specific individuals. Maybe we cannot find it because we have Alzheimer. Since many bishops, priests and theologians were present can they please show that they have the four visible signs of the true Church of Christ, or better still the 15 Marks of the Church mentioned by St. Bellarmine. They are supposed to exhibit these signs without anyone having to ask for them. These signs are supposed to automatically appear among Catholics. Nobody has to demand for them. Yet we find it very difficult to find these supposedly visibly signs.
Salvation is within the Catholic Church. So God gave His Church visible signs so it can continuously shine showing all men where to go to find salvation. If the bishops and their dioceses are not showing the visible signs of the true Church, where shall we go?
A EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS Part II. How it will probably be held.
1. Predictions. Psychology, astronomy, stock market, Scriptures.
Predictions are used in all spheres. We psychologists predict human behaviour. We based it on our concept of the natural mature human being. If a man acts according to his nature we can predict he will behave like a human in the future. But if he has insane tendencies then he becomes more unpredictable.
Astronomy is more predictable. The date of a lunar eclipse can be predicted on the exact date. But the passing of a comet can be unpredictable.
The stock market is the most unpredictable thing because its ups and downs are based on too many variants.
But eschatology is very predictable because it is based on prophecies and the signs of the times.
2. Eschatology is predictable because it is part of prophesy.
Like the on going Eucharistic Congress. We can picture how it will take place. We base it on two things; from prophecies from the past and the present state of the Catholic Church.
The Chosen people dancing around the Golden calf is a Eucharistic Congress gone bad. Remember they were worshiping God who was not there because of their infidelity. This is a prophetic picture that happened in the Old Testament and a type that will constantly occur through the history of men.
It would happen again on Good Friday. There was a Congress with the living Eucharist on the Cross crucified by the members of Congress. This is referred to as type-fulfilled.
3. God aids the Church with lessons from types.
To guide man towards his eternal goal, God have him signposts in the form of types. Types appear in three forms; first as a type, secondly as a type-fulfilled. And thirdly as a type-eschatologically realized.
And these types can be types for what we must do and what we must not do.
Types appear in the Old Testament in figures that is almost impossible to interpret at first, like Paradise is a type for what? Heaven, of course. This type is fulfilled in the New Testament as the Catholic Church. And eschatologically it is realized in heaven.
Types are lessons on what man must do and what he must avoid to attain eternal life. Like the shepherds and Magi before Christ is a type of a Eucharistic Congress that was help very well for the glory of God. While Good Friday was a Eucharistic Congress that redounded to the perdition of most of the participants.
Two general elements must be considered; the people and their relation with God.
4. In the last post, we considered these two elements basing them on two documents; ‘Lumen Gentium’ which describes the people. And ‘Mysterium Fidei,’ which referred to God the Son in the Eucharist.
If the people conforms to the description of ‘Lumen Gentium then they are like the Magi who truly worships God physically present in ‘verbum Dei.’ If the people do not conform to the description of ‘Lumen Gentium,’ then they are just dancing around a golden calf.
5. Let us put together the good and the bad types.
The good and the bad goes almost together giving all men a chance to chose sides that will spell their salvation or damnation.
For example; on the first Eucharistic Congress in Bethlehem the Magi, ‘Lumen Gentium, acknowledged and worshiped the God physically present in ‘verbum dei’. But there was also a Congress going on in Herod’s palace who claimed they want to worship the Messiah but was really intent to kill the babe. The Magi saw the child. The killers did not find the child.
So in a Eucharistic Congress, some may see and worship Christ present physically in the Eucharist but there will be some who will not find the Christ anywhere. The former because they believed; the latter because they did not believe. Belief here is defined as obedience to the commands of God. The Magi showed obedience to the star; Herod showed no obedience to anything.
Note that seeing the Divinity in the Child was due to the
Faith of the Magi showned by their obedience to the star prophesied by Balaam. Seeing the ‘Mysterium Fidei’ was based on being ‘Lumen Gentium,’ a true member of the Catholic Church. Without Faith or obedience to God’s commands one sees nothing.
6. Let us see if ‘Lumen Gentium’ is present. If so, there will surely be a ‘Mysterium Fidei.’ If not, then, there will be no ‘Mysterium Fidei’ as what happened before at the time of the Maccabbees and at Good Friday. When the Ark of the Covenant disappeared from the temple eschatologically teaching us that the presence of God in the tabernacle, like before, will disappear due to the disobedience of the people.
7. Let us analyze the signs of the times.
It had been like this from the time of Pius IX. It grew worst during Vatican II and intolerably bad today. ‘Lumen Gentium’ being the ecclesiological document states that a Catholic is one who submits his intellect and will to all the commands of God as preached by the apostles and the fathers of the Church and proposed by the Magisterium through its spokesman the Pope, not only in those things that are ex-cathedra but also in those which are non-exchatedra. Blessed John Newman’s definition is more complete in that he adds; if the Pope smokes a brand of cigarette we should also smoke the same.
At the time of Pius IX many priest were disobedient to both the commands of God and of the Pope. Thus he and Pius X issued the list of their sins in the ‘Syllabus of error.’ At that time the four visible signs of the true Church as described in the Nicene Creed had disappeared from the known Catholic Church.
Vatican I was meant to hold the spread of these disobediences but to no effect. Pope John XXIII when starting Vatican II mentioned in his speech that the purpose of Vatican II is to restore the visible signs of the true Church. Instead the opposite evil signs appeared. Though before the priest showed external obedience to the ex-cathedra pronouncements of the Pope, during Vatican II they no longer showed external obedience to those which were not ex-cathedra. They even opposed those pronouncements; this was almost perfect disobedience to the provisions of ‘Lumen Gentium.’ The dissension, the rebellion, the withdrawal from the true Church was complete. The four visible signs from the Nicene Creed were gone. The 15 Marks of the true Church mentioned by St. Robert Bellarmine in which ‘Lumen Genium’ was based were also gone.
8. Pope Benedict’s reaction.
Being a good theologian and a holy person, Pope Benedict saw what was happening. So, he did not resign, but not wishing to be the Pope of a church that does not have the four visible signs of the true Church, namely, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, he stepped out of this church to continue to be the Pope of the true Church which at the moment he could not see. At first he thought that this true Church with the four visible signs was among the emerging new ecclesial communities. But the visible signs were not there either. But he knows the true Church has to be around and he is the Pope of this true Church. His search was made easier when the Latin work of St. Robert Bellarmine on ecclesiology was translated into English showing an expanded version of the four visible signs in the Nicene Creed into 15. This, of course made the search for the true Church easier.
9. The ‘men of disobedience’.
Those men of disobedience described in the ‘Syllabus of error,’ who refused to submit in their minds and will but remained within the Church like cockles in the vineyard of the Lord, came out in the open during Vatican II. And out of sheer number begun the rule the Church.
Because of technologies, their names and their beliefs were all published in mass media. So we know who they are. And many of them are running the on going Eucharistic Congress here. Men who do not believe in the indissolubility of marriage, those who believe in universal salvation, those who do not believe in the real presence and state that the host is just a symbol, those who want to completely junk ‘Summorum Pontificum’, the men of the hermeutics of discontinuity from Bologna and Belgium, those who believe priest should marry even a man, that women should be ordained priest…..name it and it is in the ‘Syllabus of errors.’ The only consoling sight is Cardinal Zen who celebrated the old Mass.
When the Jews were disobedient at the time of the Maccabees and at the time of Christ, where was the Ark of the Covenant? Nowhere. And because of the infidelity of the world the Ark which was the only place where God’s presence was is still nowhere to be found. The eschatological equivalent of the Ark of the Covenant is the tabernacle in the center of the Altar. The tabernacle is still there. But is the presence of God still there? Yes, if there is ‘Lumen Gentium.’ No, if the four visible signs of the Church in the Nicene Creed cannot be found among the people.
A EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS – Part I. How to hold one.
Eucharistic Congress
Part I. How to hold a Eucharistic Congress today.
Part II. How this one would probably be held today.
Part III. How it was actually held.
Part I. How to hold a Eucharistic Congress today.
1. The blessings from an Eucharistic Congress
In an Eucharistic Congress, there must a congress and the Eucharist. The Congress (the Catholic Church) is described in Vatican II “Lumen Gentium” while the Eucharist is described in “Mysterium Fidei.”
A Eucharistic Congress is one of the most powerful celebration that can strengthen the Faith and bring prosperity to a Catholic nation. Specially if that nation while celebrating the Congress, consecrates itself to Christ the King or the Sacred Heart of Jesus present in the Eucharist. This nation would be blessed from heaven beyond one’s imaginings by the solution of most of its problems by Almighty God, Himself. And all it takes is an act of consecration where both Church and political leaders bend their knees and recite a prayer proclaiming God’s sovereignty which is a factual truth.
An actual example.
Prophesied by the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Good Success, consecration of Ecuador by President Gabriel Garcia Moreno, ‘the great Catholic President,’ and Bishop Jose Ignacio Checa y Barba to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, took place and was described by a Jesuit author. This was followed by immense blessings to the nation; unattainable by any political means. Yet, it was done without a Eucharistic Congress.
The Philippines had a similar opportunity during a Eucharistic Congress. The first Eucharistic Congress was held in France in 1881. That was at the time of St. Therese of Lisieux. 50 Congresses had been held. The 33rd Eucharistic Congress was held here in Manila, Philippines in 1937. Pictures of the event are eloquent to describe the state of the Faith of the Filipino people. We could be proud of their Catholicity if we can say it that way. There was union of Church and State. Manuel Quezon was the President during that Congress. The Papal legate stayed at the Presidential Palace, in Malacanang, as guest of Aurora Quezon. The Liturgy was solemn and regal. All the ladies seems to be wearing veils and the baldichino over the altar like a giant unbrella was the symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A very apt symbol for the Eucharist, Mary with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in her womb, worshiped by Filipinos with women wearing veils.
It was not clear if any consecration took place. But if in 1937, President Quezon and Bishop Douherty did in Manila what Moreno-Barba did in Ecuador and consecrted the Philippines to Christ the King probably today we would not have all the spiritual and political problems we have.
But no consecration is known to have taken place. And the Philippines was under the rule of the evil daughter of the French Revolution, American democracy; the Philippines was doomed to lose her Faith.
2. Attempts in what we believe.
Believing in the Moreno-Barba Ecuador phenomenon because it is a dogma that was never tried before until then, this was tried here several times without waiting for a Eucharistic Congress.
A first attempt was made to join Church and State to consecrate the Philippines to Our Lady of Guadalupe who had been declared irrevocably as the Principal Patroness of the Island by a Bull by Pope Pius XI. It didn’t even reach first base, because the President was deposed and the President of the Bishop’s Conference did not want to obey the Bull of Pius XI. The State was more disposed to the consecration than the Hierarchy. Imagine.
The attempt was to, first, get the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe (like the help of Our Lady of Success in Ecuador) to aid in uniting Church and State to eventually consecrate the whole islands to Christ the King present in the Blessed Sacrament. This is similar to what President Moreno and Bishop Barba did in Ecuador. Then we tried again.
Without waiting for a Eucharistic Congress a second attempt was made to consecrate the Islands to Our Lady of Guadalupe by a joint Church and State; headed by the President of the Philippines and the President of the Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Again, it was a failure due to the on going heated discussion between the State and the Church on the RH bill. Again, the President was more disposed than the Church. The President of the Bishop’s Conference refused the joint ceremony scheduled on Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a bishop substitute just went on his own. While the President went on with the consecration in a private chapel in the presidential palace. It is impossible to get Mary’s help this way. It was again a missed opportunity with the Church to blame. The life size image of Our Lady of Guadalupe sent for the purpose is still in the Palace, silent witness to the failed attempt.
The present 51st International Eucharistic Congress being held today in Cebu is a grand opportunity for a joint State-Church consecration of the Philippines to Christ the King present in the Eucharist and imitate what a Jesuit author described in Ecuador.
We have a president trained by the Jesuit. We have many bishops, like the Bishop of Manila, trained by the Jesuits. We have a Pope, who will address the Congress who is a Jesuit. The picture is perfect for a grand consecration of this nation to the true God. Maybe someone have read that book written by the Jesuit about Ecuador and its greatest President. Is anything happening towards that direction?
3. Since everything necessary is present, then this consecration should take place, i.e. if everything necessary is present. What are the things necessary? First, a Eucharistic Congress needs a Church and, secondly it needs a Sacrament. Both documents are available during Vatican II.
4. ‘Lumen Gentium’ is the description of a Church within which the Sacrament is consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ. ‘Lumen Gentium’ is a Vatican II document describing the Catholic Church. Its teachings were mainly taken from St. Augustine and St. Robert Bellarmine. The latter being a Jesuit saint Doctor of the Church.The document describes the True Catholic Church as differentiated from other religions and beliefs. And the Eucharist is explained in ‘Mysterium Fidei’ by Pope Paul VI written immediately after Vatican II
A Eucharistic Congress is an international meeting of the members of the Catholic Church held in a particular church. So it is a meeting of the international members of the Catholic Church held in a particular church, like in the Catholic church of Cebu, with the presence of the Eucharistic Christ in their midst. The Eucharistic Congress is the Sacrament of the Mystical Body of Christ in the world. The Physical and Divine Presence of Christ amidst His Church of believing members.
‘Lumen Gentium’ describes the Church. And ‘Mysterium Fidei’
describes Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (an Encyclical of Pope Paul VI, written after Vatican II.)
5. Vatican II and ‘Lumen Gentium’
‘Lumen Gentium’ is the Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution on the Church. Its main teaching is this; that all must adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ as taught by the Apostles and proposed by the Magisterium of the Church through the Pope in matters of Faith and Morals with a loyal submission of will and intellect…. even when the Pope does not speak ‘ex cathedra.’
A Eucharistic Congress must be held by people from the world coming together in a particular place (like Cebu) all of whom are adhering to all the teaching of Christ as taught to the Apostles, interpreted by the Fathers of the Church and proposed by the Magisterium of the Church on matters of Faith and Morals whose spokesman are all the Popes through the centuries, with a loyal submission of will and intellect even when the Pope does not speak ‘ex-cathedra.’
To simplify the application of ‘Lumen Gentium’ to the Eucharistic Congress, just see to it that the Congress has a handful to true Catholics that will make up the true members of the Congress. It cannot be avoided to have cockles but there must be more wheat otherwise the consecration of the Eucharist cannot take place if it is consecrated by the cockles.
An easier way of checking on this is by applying the four visible signs of the true Church found in the Nicene Creed. See to it that a portion of the crowd have the four visible signs of the true Church. Or even easier to see if a portion of the crowd has the 15 Marks of the true Church according to St. Robert Bellarmine. If there is, at least, a portion, then there is a Congress within which the Holy Eucharist can be consecrated. Christ cannot be present in an entirely unbelieving crowd; He can only be within His Church. So it must be proven that His Church is present in the Congress otherwise there will be no Eucharist. Just a Congress no different from the one in Quezon City.
Even more important is that the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops, priests and nuns participating have, either the four visible signs of the Church from the Nicene Creed or the 15 Marks of the true Church from St. Robert Bellarmine. It almost follows if the hierarchy has the signs, the probability is great that the laymen attending would have the same signs; and vice versa, if the majority of the hierarchy do not have the signs, the probability that most of the laymen do not have the visible signs.
And if those without the visible signs surpass those who have the visible signs of catholicity there is a danger that the Congress is more a group of unbelievers and the danger that the Eucharistic Presence might not there.
6. Important
It is important that everybody in the Congress check if they are Catholics by using the only visible signs the Catholic Church had taught to be the only dependable visible signs of true Catholicity; the four visible signs from the Nicene Creed and……to make is easy for all,… the 15 Marks enumerated by St. Robert Bellarmine, which are identical with the four signs. They should specially check on their speakers.
If everybody, both the priests, bishops and cardinals and the laymen have the visible signs of Catholicity, then surely the Eucharistic Presence will be there during Mass; even if there are cockles as long as they are in the minority. Why do I say that? What if the minority is the one who celebrates Mass? Will the Eucharist be present? The Old Testament figure during the time of the Maccabees and New Testament figure on Good Friday tells us that at these times this eschatological figures of the absence of the Ark of the Covenant will again occur today; the Blessed Sacrament will one day not exist in our tabernacles.
It is because of this threat prefigured in Scriptures that we must be very careful when celebrating Eucharistic Congresses lest we celebrate an empty tabernacle.
7. If ‘Lumen Gentium’ is followed faithfully, ‘Mysterium Fidei;’ the encyclical on the Holy Eucharist will automatically be observed. If ‘Lumen Gentium’ is not observed, there will be no ‘Mysterium Fidei.’ Just a vast picnic in Cebu.
FAITH HAS CERTAINTY – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
1. St. Luke assures us that Theophilus’ Faith has certainty. A person is certain that in the Act of Faith, what he believes in is the truth and the good. Because the source of truth cannot deceive not be deceived. There is absolutely no element of doubt in the supernatural act of Faith. The certainty in Faith is supernatural. When there is doubt, faith is purely in the natural level which is the fate of all things natural.
2. Pope Francis’ first publicized speech is entitled ‘Love without dogma.’ Love (or Charity) is love of God and love of neighbor. It is impossible to love God without knowing God. And God is known through dogmas.
It is, also, impossible to love one’s neighbor unless we know our neighbors they way God wants us to know them; that they are children of God. And this is, also, a dogma. So it is impossible to love God and neighbor without knowing the dogmas revealed by God since these dogmas are in the supernatural level.
So, without dogmas the love Pope Francis was referring to was just the Freudian ‘Id’ described in Psychology. It is mere natural love; and even possibly sub-natural love. This love cannot save and cannot make anyone happy.
Let us look at the elements of Faith and how St. Luke helped Theophilus attain the perfection of Faith. Then let us see whether Pope Francis followed the same steps.
3. Faith has two great elements; first, is to HEAR the Word of God. And secondly, is to SEE the Word of God. This is according to St. Thomas of Aquinas in his commentary to today’s Gospel. Let us explain each briefly.
The first stage in the Act of Faith if to ‘hear’ the Word of God. Hearing comes through the ear and what is heard is implanted in the mind or intellect.
Hearing with the ear implies someone outside the hearer is speaking. So there is an outside stimulus that is heard and what is said is stored in the intellect. This is a part of the Act of Faith so Christ commanded the apostles to preach the Word of God so people can ‘hear’ the Word of God.
After hearing the Word of God we must ‘see’ the Word of God. Like the Shepherds and the Magi, after ‘hearing’ about the Word of God from prophets, they went to ‘see’ the Word of God.
Seeing the Word of God is, also, an act of intellect but with the cooperation of the free will and both are aided by Grace. Here is an added element, an enlightening of the intellect and free will by God’s grace. We cannot ‘see’ the Word of God without God’s grace. It is possible to ‘hear’ the Word of God as many are doing so but it does not necessarily follow that they shall ‘see’ the Word of God. Most Protestants hear and even memorize the Word of God but most often do not see the Word of God. Sadly, the same thing is happening among the Catholics which is tantamount to being Protestants.
St. Luke was seeing to it that Theophilus has certainly (‘that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed’) made an Act of Faith and is, therefore, a Catholic. By the way, the name Theophilus means ‘lover of God,; and refers to all men who loves God after having made the mature Act of Faith.
4. Let us see the first act of ‘hearing’ the Word of God.’ Has Theophilus heard the Words of God?
St. Luke was worried because ‘many are going around declaring they are the right preacher of those things that Christians believe in.’ As today, so many are pretending to be evangelists pretending to preach the things that Catholics are supposed to believe in. But they are fakes because they were not the eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word first chosen by Christ. They have not personally heard the preaching of Christ and the apostles,… unlike St. Luke. It is impossible to make an act of Faith on words that did not come from Christ and the apostles.
Only those who were trained personally by Christ ” have the perfect knowledge and understanding of all things from the very first. They alone can do this.’ And St. Luke, being one of them, will write to Theophilus about all these things and in their proper order’ that ‘thou mightiest know the certainly of those things, wherein thou has been instructed.’
So, ‘hearing’ the Words of God would consists of these elements; first, that Theophilus was fully instructed. Note that the Gospel begins with Chapter 1 and halfway continues on Chapter 4. In between these two chapter is a Liturgical summary of all that must be done to be able to ‘see’ the Word of God.
Secondly, that the instruction consists of the proper order of what is to be done, like repentance must come before Faith and Faith must come before Charity. Thirdly, that the instruction come from one who is an eyewitness to the teachings of Christ, i.e. an apostles or a disciple. By having done the above one can surely say that he has ‘heard the Words of God.’ To do less is to be Protestant.
5. ‘Seeing’ the Word of God.
In the first part of the Gospel, Chapter 1, St. Luke wrote about ‘hearing’ the Word of God. In the second part of the Gospel, Chapter 4, he wrote about ‘seeing’ the Word of God.’
In this second part, St. Luke describes Christ speaking in the Synagogue. Christ is no longer in the Jewish Synagogue. So the Synagogue is now a type of the Catholic Church. Christ is teaching with wisdom and power within the Church. And those who have ‘heard’ the Word of God ‘see’ that the Spirit had possessed Him, thus recognizing Him as the Son of God.
With their minds, those who have ‘heard’ the Word of God had been enlightened by grace and can now ‘see’ the Word of God in the person of Jesus Christ as Son of God. And Christ confirms this by saying that the prophecy of Isaiah that they will ‘see the face of God’ had been fulfilled now in their midst.
6. St. Luke is not teaching Pope Francis.
It does not have to be St. Luke but one who can do exactly what St. Luke did; i.e. to teach him all the commandments of Christ and how to do it (which is the Apostolic Commission given to the Apostles and all their successors up to the end of time.) No one is telling him that he is listening to those fake preachers who claim they are teaching what Catholics are supposed to believe but which, in fact, teaching the opposite like the dis-solubility of the marriage bond. Nobody is teaching him that he must be complete in his teaching like that there can be no mercy without justice and purity of heart. Nobody is teaching him that his teachings are not in the right order like saying that love can come without Faith and Hope.
In fact, Pope Francis seldom quotes Jesus and His apostles. He is like those preachers during St. Luke’s time claiming to preach truths of Faith but who is just preaching their own man-made doctrines. He often quotes humans who were not witnesses to Christ’s teachings and activities like Cardinals Martini, Kasper, Teilhard, Kung and, mostly, himself. So Pope Francis goes against the teaching of St. Luke by repeating that Faith always has the element of doubt.
We seems to have a Pope who does not conform to St. Luke’s definition of one who have ‘heard’ the Words of God. It would follow he never ‘saw’ Christ. How can he lead a religion whose goal is to ‘see’ the face of God. Is there no St. Luke even among that vast follower of St. Ignatius who can save the Pope’s soul? Not to ‘hear’ and ‘see’ the Word of God is a mortal sin against Faith and Charity that leads surely to hell. And nobody even among his confrere is lifting his fingers to help?
I can only write posts like this, hoping someone read and see what’s wrong and do something about it; while continuing to wish that I am wrong all the while.
I should be quietly praying in my cell but all these news are pouring in. The old religion I have learned is nowhere to be found today. The new religion with ‘original sin’ as its god had taken over the whole world. And I see Catholic relatives, priest and bishop friends engulfed by this maelstrom. And there is no St. Luke to help them. But the Gospel tells us what to do if we do not have a St. Luke. Just follow the steps. Blessed John Newman, Pope Benedict reminded us did it that way. We can do it. So we have no valid reason not to ‘hear’ and ‘see’ the Word of God.
7. St. Luke’s worry is a world wide phenomenon today.
The Catholic Church was, once upon a time, filled with St. Luke. These were the Saints, who in their preaching, proved that what they are teaching came clearly from the teachings of the apostles and interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. Their teaching were complete and in order. A few that comes to mind are St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Thomas Aquinas, Theophilact, St. Alphonsus Liquori, St. Robert Bellarmine. These saints almost verbatim quoted Christ, the Apostles and the Fathers in explaining Catholic Truths. Nothing of their explanations came from themselves.
Today, we do not have such teachers so our modern saints are those who went directly to the writings of the Apostles and the Fathers of the Church. And this is equivalent to learning from St. Luke. We mentioned John Newman. No one taught him. He simply went directly to the New Testament and the Fathers of the Church. Scriptures and Tradition were his St. Luke that gave him certainty at the things he was instructed to believe.
WHO IS A CATHOLIC?
1. The visible signs of the true Church.
When Christ founded His Church He gave it unmistakable signs that will distinguish it from other religious bodies, specially from other Protestant sects who are closely akin to her.
The official visible marks of the true Church of Christ are: One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic. These are enumerated in the NICENE CREED and repeated by all Catholics during Sunday Mass for their instructions.
Christ made certain that all men can easily recognize these visible signs so all men can effortless know which is the true Church. Only God can make these signs and they are found in Divine Revelation; ordinary men cannot make it up.
2. The Church is faced with many questions today. What is going on with the Church today? Why is there so many voices shouting different instructions? What are all these accusations that are filling up the air with poison? Why are the bishops playing opposite tunes in their horns? Is this Pope doing his job? If not, who, then, is the true Pope? And who is this sitting on the throne of St. Peter? There are thousand more questions that are being asked with many laymen joining the chorus; ‘what is going on?’ It is the same question even politicians are asking because the state of a nation simply reflects the state of the Church; just as the spiritual state of a monastery, according to St. John Chrysostom, reflects the state of the whole Catholic Church.
3. To answer all these questions is enough to drive anyone crazy. But if we just sit down for a while, keep silent and think, all the questions can be answered if we answer one basic question; ‘who is a true Catholic?’
Who is the true Catholic? We have seen the answer in the Nicene Creed; it is the community that has the visible signs of ‘Oneness,’ ‘Holiness,’ ‘Catholic,’ and being ‘Apostolic.’ There is no other answer to this question; and this answer is the answer to all the questions being asked today.
We can answer all the questions being asked today if we only answer the question; Is the Pope Catholic? The answer will, also answer the question ‘are our bishops and priests Catholic.’ It will answer the question ‘are our parishes and dioceses Catholic?’ And we can just go on; ‘are our catholic schools catholic.’ Are our Masses valid? Are the inhabitants of our tabernacle Christ or just mere bread? Who is residing in the Vatican right now? Should we obey our bishops and priests? Let me stop here for a while otherwise there will be no end to these questions.
Let us go to the one and only answer we need. Do our pstidhrd snf and dioceses have the four visible signs of the true Church of Jesus Christ as mentioned in the Nicene Creed; namely, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic?
4. The Four visible signs.
Even in the Old Testament, but more specially in the New Testament, Christ gave His Church four visible signs. No other church or religion has these signs. They were made so by God precisely to differentiate the true Church from the rest of the other so-called churches. These signs are God-made and cannot be duplicated by men. God saw to it that with ordinary sincere effort all men can know these signs and use them to identify the true Church of Christ.
5. These four visible signs emanate from the very supernatural essence of the Catholic Church. And as such cannot be understood by men. So God placed these signs outside the supernatural level just at the border line between the supernatural and the natural. As such they are still difficult to understand unless one is assiduously seeking the truth. These signs are called visible signs, not because they emanate from the essence of the Church, but because they are the historic footprints of the Catholic Church in the sands of time as she travels through the centuries. We can know the Church by her footprints she has made in the past as she walked through the history of men. The four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed are historic footprints. In other words, how did the true Church behaved in the past 2000 years? That is how she should behave today.
6. Those with Faith can understand the very essence of the Catholic Church so they can easily see how the visible signs are the results of the dynamics on how the Church works. It is an almost impossible task to understand the Church and her signs when people do not have Faith. ‘Almost impossible’ but possible when souls have the proper disposition instilled by a life of repentance.
7. Ratzinger’s ‘Crisis of Faith.’
With Ratzinger’s ‘Ratzinger Report,’ a best seller in the 1980’s where he described the state of the Church as undergoing a ‘crisis of Faith,’ we saw that bishops and priests are already ignorant on how the Church works and how the visible signs mentioned in the Creed are visible outpouring of the essence of the Church.
From Pope Francis down to the cardinals, bishops, priests and lay men, it has become even more evident that they do not know the four visible signs of the true Church though they recite the Creed every Sunday. And though St. Robert Bellarmine’s 15 Marks of the Church had been translated a few months ago into English, no one had even noticed that they do not have the true Marks of the Church.
The few who recalls what the Nicene Creed says cannot explain or describe the meaning of each sign.
8. Lack of knowledge and understanding of the visible signs of the True Church.
This lack of knowledge and understanding of the visible signs of the true Church mentioned in the Creed had already been noted before the Council of Trent c. 1500. It was to address this sin against Faith that the Council of Trent was convened. But Councils cannot solve problems of Faith. It can only verbalize the problem and the Catholic solution.
The problem persisted and grew worse c. 1800 when like cancer it burst openly into ‘modernism.’ The French revolution was God’s chastisement for a nation that has, not only lost its Faith, but has gone against the Faith. The deterioration of men was unstoppable. Vatican I was a futile attempt to stop the descent; it became worse because of the war that postponed the continuance of the Council.
Pope John XXIII’s Vatican II, as he clearly stated on November 13, 1960 after a Mass in the Byzantine-Slav Rite was the last Conciliar attempt to preach the dogmatic truth on the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated in the Nicene Creed. Pope John described the four visible signs one last time and instructed the Council to enhance these signs in the Church and never to forget there four signs while proceeding with the Council. Otherwise……..
Pope John passed away and together with him was the goal and primary reason for the Council…….to make sure that the Catholic Church have the four visible signs mentioned in the Creed. A coup d’ etat occurred. All the distinguished chairmen of the committees appointed by Pope John were removed and changed with ‘modernists’ tainted chairmen. The Council was derailed and instead of enhancing the four visible signs of the true Church in the present Church, every effort was exerted to erase the four visible signs from the Church.
Vatican II ended with the Catholic Church looking like just another Protestant sect or just an NGO with no priest, bishop or even the Pope knowing anything about the four visible signs of the true Church.
9. Because of this ignorance and inability to learn the four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed we are in this state:
We cannot find any of the four visible signs of the true church in practically all the parishes and Dioceses. We cannot find them in religious organizations, ecclesial communities, religious communities and even in Pope Francis.
We occasionally find one visible sign in a handful of priest and bishop but the visible signs cannot be found in their own parishes and dioceses. Showing that the visible sign in the priest or bishop is not sipping down to the parishioners and members of the Diocese. A clear example is the African Bishops who showed one visible sign by defending orthodox doctrines against Pope Francis’ unorthodox proposals. When the Pope went to Africa, we could not find the four visible signs in the African Liturgy.
10. Present findings.
We used the four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed to check if our Catholic surroundings are truly Catholic. Because Vatican II distorted the original definitions of these four visible signs, our analysis went haywire. We could not resolve the Catholicity of our Catholic institutions.
Fortunately, a work of St. Robert Bellarmine, Jesuit saint and Doctor of the Church was recently translated into English recently. It described into 15 Marks the original four visible signs of the Church. It was a blessing in disguise; or we can more properly call it Divine Providence. It immensely clarified everything. It became evident that most Catholic institution did not have even a single Mark of the true Church……from the Vatican down to the smallest convent of men, down to the lay family with their children.
Dioceses, Parishes, religious communities, catholic associations cannot present their Catholic credentials in the form of the four visible signs. Even the defenders and spokesmen of the Holy Father, the Pope, cannot prove that Pope Francis is a Catholic.
With the uncertainty that Pope Francis is a Catholic, everything Catholic became uncertain. Even our own salvation. With the four visible signs of the true Church unapplied to all Catholic institutions, all the problems of the Church will remain and grow worse. But if we just answer this one question; ‘who is Catholic’ then we can proceed to answering all the rest of our questions; like, should the orthodox church and the Pius X group unite with the Vatican? Otherwise it would be jumping from the prying pan into the fire for them. Should we close the Franciscans of the Immaculate or better still the Jesuit order. Should we obey Pope Francis or Cardinal Burke….etc, etc. etc.
If we master the 15 visible Marks of the true Church according to St. Robert Bellarmine, look for the man or the community who has all of them. Then follow them, stick with them, treasure them and die with them. For as the Psalm says; as you close your eyes in death, you will see the face of God.
The BAPTISM OF CHRIST – ‘Uncontrollable love.’
1. Uncontrollable love is a sin.
All sins are uncontrollable forms of love. And many find it difficult to accept that what they have committed is a sin because they believe these sins are acts of love.
St. Augustine had placed it in another way when he said that sin is the absence of goodness. Another way of saying this is; sin is the absence of love or love that is out of control. Sin is distorted love. Sin is unseasonable love. Sin is love expressed wrongly. But let us stick to what St. Thomas used in his commentary of today’s Gospel; sin is uncontrollable love.
2. There are two levels of existence in the world; first, is the natural level. The second is the supernatural level.
There are many things that exist in the natural world. And there are many things that exist in the supernatural world.
In the natural world we should not love any thing more than the object deserves. We should love father, mother and brothers. We should not love a sister less than another sister.
We should not love anybody more than they deserve. To love anyone more than what they deserve is to love them uncontrollably; and St. Thomas wrote that both the one loving and the other person loved commit sin. Their sin is uncontrollable love or love devoid of goodness.
Here the semblance of love remains but there is really an absence of love. This tend to deceive many in thinking that there is love when there is none.
3. Examples. To love another woman more than one’s own wife is uncontrollable love and is, therefore, a sin. It is a sin, precisely for that reason; that there is uncontrollable love. To love other children more than your own children is uncontrollable love and is, therefore, a sin for being uncontrollable love. And this is what happens when divorce is practiced.
To love your job more than your wife is uncontrollable love because it is, St. Thomas says, giving your job the love it does not deserve. To love your computer more than your sister is a sin for the same above reason. To love to be abroad in a foreign land more than your old father is loving the foreign land more than your own father and is, therefore, uncontrollable love
As St. Thomas wrote; uncontrollable love is loving things, objects and persons more than what they deserve. And this is a sin.
4. St.Thomas puts it in another way. He wrote that uncontrollable love is when one passes the due measure and bound of love so that both he who loves and he who is loved will be in sin.
He who loves an atheist more than a believer. He who loves a evangelical Pentecostal more than a Catholic. He who loves a Mason more than a Christian. He who loves a Muslim more than a countryman. One who loves a homo more than a heterosexual. One who loves a tranvestite more than a normal man. One who loves a heretical bishop more than a regular bishop. One who loves the SSPX more than than the Franciscans of the Immaculata. One who loves the Novus Ordo more than the Old Mass. And news shows that Pope Francis is guilty of all of these uncontrollable loves making him the most sinful Pope we know.
5. The natural and the supernatural
He who loves the natural more than the supernatural has an uncontrollable love for the natural and, therefore, commits sin.
And this is the great sin of the world today; giving due undeserved love to the things of the world which the world does not deserve. This is uncontrollable love and is, therefore, a sin. Love is most dangerous when it is uncontrolled, repeated St. Thomas.
Since the natural world can be sensed while the supernatural world cannot be sensed, there is a great tendency to love the natural more than the supernatural thus preventing most men not to be able to make an act of Faith, which is a supernatural Act.
Pope Francis from the very beginning of his Pontificate had showed his uncontrollable love for the natural and practically nothing for the supernatural showing his great sin of uncontrollable love. His well publicized first papal speech entitled ‘Love without dogma’ is uncontrollable love for Protestant teachings over Catholic teachings. That uncontrollable love destroys the very foundation of Catholic theology.
His so many uncontrollable love for public relation gimmicks over true humility is a sin. His uncontrollable love practically shows he has no Faith, Hope and Charity. And as a consequcnce he surely does not have the four visible signs of the true Church and St. Robert Bellamine’s 15 Marks of the Church.
6. The HELPS.
What helps us control our love for natural things is the baptism of water that St. John preached. The ancient prophets taught us how much each natural things should be loved. A summary list can be seen in the 10 commandments of God.
What help us love the supernatural more than the natural is the baptism of the Spirit.
So there we have two baptisms and how they help us give everything around us the love that is deserved.
7. The Gospel message.
The Jews were showing uncontrollable love towards St. John the Baptist giving him a love not his due but is due to the Messiah so they had to be corrected. They should love St. John but they must love Christ first and foremost before loving St. John. St. John did not want to be loved more than what he deserved. And all of us should feel the same. We must wish to be loved according to what is due to us. .
8. We cannot give the exact worth of all things. We cannot say that love of brothers must be 80 percent and love of sisters is 75 percent. We can just compare; like we should love parents more than brothers; love God more than neighbor. Love the faithful more than the atheist. Love the Catholic more than the Evangelical Pentecostals. Love the faithful bishops more than the Protestant bishop.
Again, it is difficult to detect uncontrollable love. It is almost similar to ‘secret sins,’ as described in the Psalms because both are acts of love, like love of parents and love of brothers. And yet when we love parents and brothers more than God, then both we, parents and brothers commit sins
Christ, Himself, reminded us. ‘He who loves father, mother, brother, sister, homes and lands more than Me is unworthy of Me.
9. The modern world is saturated with a million things all uncontrollably loved. Most obvious is the love of this world over the spiritual world. Unable to control one’s love for the world, everyone is unable to love the spiritual world. Like the Jews we show love due to the Messiah to John the Prophet. For this we deserve more evangelical chastisement than the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The all important ACT OF FAITH – EPIPHANY
1. The all important ACT OF FAITH It is Charity, really, that is all important. Charity is the crown that makes us deserving of eternal life. But without Faith we cannot have the virtue of Charity. So in this respect Faith is more important.
2. Faith – by St. Thomas of Aquinas
Faith is a state of the mind by which it assents to propositions, not by its intrinsic evidence, but because of the Authority of God.
There are three elements in the Act of Faith. First, is that it is an act of the mind. Secondly, that there should be propositions presented to the mind. Thirdly, even if the propositions have intrinsic evidence of its veracity, they are not believed because of its veracity but because they were proposed by God.
3. The Faith of the Magi.
Let us journey with the Magi in their journey of Faith. The Magi were, probably, Persians who have heard of the prophecies of Balaam. They belong to that group that are interested in such things as astrology, prophecies, magic, etc. So it seems that one day, while watching the stars to increase their knowledge of astrology, they saw a star whose movement was strange. This reminded them of the prophecy of Balaam about a star that will appear when the child of the virgin is born.
Now, there is nothing in that vision that should inform them to go look for a child in Bethlehem. But a proposition was presented to their minds. And that is for them to leave their cities and homes and travel to a far place in the East. Their traveling would make them past through long, lonely vast deserts conducive to prayer and meditation. As they reached Herod’s place, they received another proposition; that the child would be born in Bethlehem. They left Herod and the star re-appeared and led them to a house where they saw the child with Mary. That scenario was another proposition; that this is a God, therefore, you must adore Him.
Notice that some elements Faith are already present; the act of the intellect and the propositions presented to the intellect, At first sight the propositions were had their intrinsic worth because they were proposed by men. The prophecy was proposed by Balaam, the go signal to search was proposed by a star, to go to Bethlehem was proposed by the Pharisees and Scribes.
Who proposed that the child with his mother was the awaited King of the Jews? God alone.
The proposals from Balaam, from the star and from the Pharisees and the Scribes were from God, also. But these were not obviously coming the authority of God. So any ‘assent’ of the part of the Magi would not be an act of Faith.
It was when the Magi were in front of the Child with His Mother that God proposed to the Magi that this is the King of the Jews, the promised Messiah.
The Pharisees and the Scribes had exactly the same information that the Magi had. In fact they were the ones who gave the second to the last proposition, yet they were not able to reach the Act of Faith that the Magi reached. Why? They lacked the two last steps for a mature Act of Faith. Let us continue with the Magi.
The Magi received the propositions from Balaam, from the star, from the chief priest and the Scribes and again from the star. They assented to these proposition. But these are propositions from creatures and humans. So their assent cannot be an act of Faith.
The Chief priest and Scribes, on the other hand, did not even give an assent to the proposition presented to them by the Magi, that the King of the Jews is born. This shows utterly the absence of Faith.
4. The assent of the Magi.
When the Magi, following the star that suddenly re-appeared after their meeting with Herod, the Chief priests and the Scribes, reached the house where they saw the Child with His Mother, that scenario was a proposal with the authority of God. God was proposing; this is My Mother and This is My Son, the King of the Jews. Remember, they worshiped the Child.
Notice that St. Joseph was not around to fulfill the prophecy that the virgin would give birth. The Magi would be a little confused if they saw Joseph there. They might Mary was not the virgin described by Balaam.
Further proof of the Magi’s Faith. After worshiping the Child they received another proposal; i.e. not to return to Herod but return to their country by another route. Note that the Magi rejected an invitation by King Herod to return to him. Ordinarily that could earn them a death sentence for refusing a king’s invitation. But they felt that the proposition to return home by another route is from God who spoke to them in a dream. And they assented to that proposition, skipped Herod’s invitation and returned home as instructed by God.
The Magi made an act of Faith by knowing the propositions presented to them, accepting the last propositions as coming from God and giving assent to those propositions coming from God. And this is further confirmed by their assenting to the proposition to avoid Herod as coming from God and obeying it.
Note that when one has made an Act of supernatural Faith, from then on everything that one does is the right thing to do, as did the Magi. They rejected King Herod’s invitation and return by another route as dictated by their Faith.
5. A project with the Diocesan Priests.
A project was approved by the Bishop’s Conference for the spiritual improvement of the Parish Priests. Since all priests have intellects, the project was meant to expose them to the proposals of the Magisterium as revealed by Christ and interpreted by the Fathers of the Church. The proposal was distributed in the form of a newsletter. It was distributed to all priests for more than 35 years. 35 years!!! And no noticeable fruit of Faith was noticed after 35 years being exposed to the proposed objects of Faith. What happened? There was no intellectual assent to the fact that these proposals were proposed by the authority of God as found in Divine Revelation. That is the only reason. And it prevented most if not all the priest in this country from making an Act of Faith.
6. The assent is a personal act.
The assent to the proposal because of the authority of God was never taught in the seminary or theological schools. It was not taught in the newsletter….because it is supposed to be done as a personal act by each priest. An act they never did because of the modern heresy of looking for intrinsic proofs for the proposals which St. Thomas emphasized should never be the motivation for believing. So as Joseph Ratzinger noticed in his ‘Ratzinger Report’ the Catholic Church is suffering a ‘Crisis of Faith.’ The world has no Faith because the priest, bishops, and cardinals, themselves, do not have Faith. If the teachers do not have Faith, what do we expect from the students.
7. Faith goes along with humility, the first Beatitude, the visible signs of the Catholic Church and with Charity.
To know the state of the Faith of all the priests and bishops, all we have to do is look at the Faith of their model, the Pope.
Pope Francis is advertised as a very humble person. But all his humility is not according to the humility described by St. Ignatius of Loyola whose description of humility was taken from St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Thomas of Aquinas and specially St. Benedict whose Rule St. Ignatius studied while he was in Manresa guided by Cisneros, a Benedictine Abbot.
His humility is pure P.R. That kind shown by actors and politicians to please people and gain votes. That is why his PR are mostly directed to transvestites, atheist, Evangelicals, Masons, heretics and other peripherals. And the Vatican has employed an expensive PR office for that purpose. But for good Catholics like Cardinal Burke and Archbishop Livieres not an ounce of PR. What is more evident is the ‘superbia’ of St. Gregory the Great.
If there is no true humility, there is no first Beatitude to whom the kingdom of God is promised. Imagine, having a Pope that is not sure to go to heaven because he does not even have the first Beatitude.
Because true humility cannot be found, the visible signs of true Catholicity as enumerated in the Nicene Creed cannot, also, be found in him. Not one. And if we use the Marks of the Catholicity written by his co-Jesuit confrere St. Robert Bellarmine, doctor of the Church, whose works has just been translated into English and, therefore, can be used more widely, we cannot find any single mark of the true Church in him. Not even No. 1 nor No. 2 which he is violating the most.
Without true Christian humility, which is ‘poor in spirit, without the 4 or 15 Marks of the true Church, and without Charity that builds on Faith……all of these are signs is due to the absence of Faith.
Pope Francis is the display window of the entire Catholic priesthood just as, St. John Chrysostom wrote, a monastery is the display window of the whole Catholic Church. If just one monastery is corrupt, it is a sign that most of the monasteries are corrupt. If we cannot find Faith, or true christian humility, or the 4 or 15 Marks of the true Church in Pope Francis, we will not find the same in most of the priests and bishops and in most parishes and dioceses.
8. What do we do to have Faith.
St. Thomas had defined what we should do. First, we must have an intellect. I think we all have that. Secondly, we should have in our intellect all the teachings of Jesus Christ as interpreted by the Fathers of the Church and as proposed by the Magisterium of the Church. Thirdly, we must be certain that these propositions are teachings of God and not by man even if his name is Francis. And fourth, we must make an assent to these truths revealed by God just because they are revealed by God. Today, hardly anybody had done this fourth step. So some of us can be theologian but not Catholic. Learn, therefore, from the Magi, who during that era only a handful of souls could do. May we be among those handful.
THE HOLY FAMILY
1. Feast of the Holy Family. The feast of the Holy Family comes within the Christmas Octave. The whole Christmas Octave is still an extension of the Liturgical feast of Christ the King. The Liturgy still teaches how to prepare oneself for the general judgment at the end of the world.
We have seen how the feast of Christ the King and the entire Christmas octave are preparations for the second coming of Christ. We are no longer preparing for the first coming of Christ because that is over. In which case, the Christmas octave must be viewed eschatologically and not historically.
2. Eschatological view of the feast of the Holy Family.
The Holy Family is the type of the Catholic Church. Like the Holy Family, the Church will have Christ with her at her birth. But there will be times when it seems the Church will lose the ‘face of God.’ And this had happened through the church’s history. There were many times when He is lost like today.
Of course, the Liturgy is rescinding from the fact that Christ is never lost from the Church. He is always with the Church……among the wheat. But He is often lost from the cockles and often blurred with the wheat. This comes sometimes in the form of a chastisement and sometimes as a test or trial. But it does happen.
In the case of Joseph and Mary it was not a chastisement for wrong done. It was meant, as St. Paul would say, for everyone’s instructions; all should know that He is about His Father’s business.
Anyway, the lesson is clear. For His own reasons Christ does disappears. Definitely not because He is lost in the temple. God never gets lost. He does it intentionally for our benefit.
3. Christ did not do something wrong.
The first impression many have is that Jesus did something wrong and, therefore, caused Mary and Joseph to be worried. Well, that was what Pope Francis thought. Christ cannot do anything wrong. Not even venial sins because that would be contrary to His nature.
4. Christ was teaching us several lessons.
First, that the Catholic Church should expect some times when they will feel that He cannot be found. And this will often happen up to the end of times. This is the eschatological dimension of the Gospel. Jesus had to do it to Joseph and Mary because they were the Church. So the lesson is clear that the Church will occasionally lose the face of God. Thus the psalm cries out; ‘do not hide Your face from us.’
Secondly; He wants to teach us how to look for Him. St. Augustine states that Mary, being the figure of the Church, is voicing the question of the Church in such circumstance; ‘why have you done this to us? And Christ gave an answer that was addressed to the whole Church. ‘That you may learn the lesson that we must all be about our Father’s business.’ Not concerned with the business of the world. Joseph and Mary knew that. But they had to voice what will be the questions of the future Church when this happens to her. This is all part of God’s pedagogy, the way He knows how best teach us.
Thirdly, then Christ teaches the next lesson. Joseph and Mary looked for Christ among their relatives. And St. Thomas of Aquinas remarks; the Gospel says you will never find Christ among your relatives. Then Joseph and Mary looked for Him among their friends. And again St. Thomas comments; you will never find Christ among you friends. So don’t dream you can really find Christ amongst your relatives and friends.
Fourthly, then Joseph and Mary goes to the temple. Ahhh…If you are looking for Christ, go to Church. Go to the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. But to do so you have to enter the right Church. You must check that they have the four visible signs enumerated in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. When Joseph and Mary entered the temple, the Church, they did not find Christ right away. He was still nowhere.
Fifthly, they found Christ with the teachers; not with the priest, bishops, the miracle workers, the administrators nor the cardinals. They found Him with the teachers. To find Christ we must look for Him in the teachings of the real teachers of the Catholic Church; which the Church had declared to be the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. This is the important lesson on how to find Christ.
5. What is a good teacher.
A good teacher is one who knows his art well; who can practice his art well; and who can teach his art well. It is not enough for a cook to cook well. He must, also, know how to teach others how to cook well. It is not enough for the apostles to know the truths of Christ. They, also, had to know how to teach those same truths well.
These kind of teachers are rare today, that is why many cannot find Christ. Pope Benedict gave the example on how Blessed John Newman found the true Christ. As an Anglican he knew the wrong Christ. But when John Newman went to the official teachers of the Catholic Church, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church he was not only converted to Catholicism. He even became a Catholic priest, a Catholic Cardinal and now a Catholic Blessed. That is how to do things right. Just like Joseph and Mary. They looked for Christ in the Catholic church among the teachers, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Nowhere else.
6. So?
Expect to loss Christ. It is part of our test of Faith. When that happens look for Him. Where? First, look for the true Church of Christ. It has four visible signs mentioned in the Nicene Creed; One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Or consult the expanded version of the four visible signs in the 15 Marks of the true Church by a Doctor of the Church, St. Robert Bellarmine. When you have found the Church enter her. And within her look for the works of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. Study them further. And you will surely find Christ.
From there, bring him back home with you that you may grow in age and grace.
A LAYMAN’S INITIATIVE – Celebration for the 500 YRS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINES
Introduction
1. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines had issued a pastoral letter on the ‘new’ evangelization to help prepare Catholics for 2021, the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in the Philippines. The bishops planned a 9 year preparatory journey re-evangelizing the Philippines with a different theme for each year.
The topics and activities planned are too difficult for the ordinary faithful to participate in. The four major aspects of the plan that will include the family will need expertise in sociology.
The current situation described by the pastoral letter with five question had no answers.While the annual conferences planned require scientific experts. And the four pillars upon where the ‘new’ evangelization stands, namely, ‘Mission ad gentes,’ ‘bringing the Good News to the poor,’ ‘reaching out to those who have drifted from the Faith,’ and lastly, awakening or reawakening Christian life of young people……are all beyond the capability of the ordinary laymen with a job and a family to feed.
Then there are the programs which busy laymen cannot attend.
2. In view of this program wherein only ecclesiastics can participate, it is good to review how this country was evangelized successfully that it may be a model for others and even for the same country who have lost its Faith. And so, we would want to review how this country was successfully evangelized during the golden years of the Catholic Church by revered Catholic kings. Instead of the highly complex CBCP plan we made a plan for ordinary laymen.
3. A group of laymen basing it on their canonical rights enumerated in Canons 208, 209, 210 and 211 took the initiative to present a program made by laymen and adjusted to the capability of a busy laymen that will enable them to participate in the centennial celebration with a little contribution in enhancing the Faith in the Philippines. This layman’s initiative is based on what happened in 1521 with the Royal Mandate from the ‘Reyes Catolicos’ of Spain whose concern for the Philippines we will commemorate in 2021.
4. We wish first to express our eternal gratitude to the ‘Reyes Catolicos’ (the Catholic kings and queens ) who, praised by Pope Alexander VI in 1494 for spreading the Catholic Faith, saw to it that the ‘True Kingdom of God’ as taught by Christ is spread not only to the places that they colonized but specifically in the Philippines.
Descendant from the Catholic royalties, Ferdinand and Isabella (who was made servant of God in 1974), Phillip II while still a prince saw to the proper Catholic evangelization of the Philippines. Though burdened by bad colonizers the conversion of the country, by the grace of God, was accomplished with speedy success.
5. Here are the reasons for the laymen’s initiative in emphasizing, recalling and repeating the events of 1521
First, the year 1500 was the tip of the Golden era of the Catholic Church in Europe from where she would begin to descend to the depths of darkness she is now. We wish to relive that golden moment even briefly.
Secondly, there was union of Church and state. Both were working under God with the Church over the State. This Catholic teaching was proven to be the best form of relationship.
Thirdly, both Popes and head of states were holy or at least very good Catholics.
Fourthly, Spain was the only country who did not have a serious heresy.
Fifthly, the Catholic Church, specially the Church of Spain, had all the visible signs enumerated in the Nicene Creed; namely One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, that it was the true Church and the true religion.
Sixthly, even if there were countless heresies, like the Protestant revolt of Martin Luther, all were successfully refuted by the Church heroes in the Council of Trent. Luther’s Protestantism could not enter Spain at that time due to both efforts of Church and State.
6. Man wants to relive history. The civil war battles in the US are often commemorated with re-enactment of the historical events. Call it nostalgia but it is fun. So the laymen’s initiative would want to relive most of the events around the year 1521 in the hope that what was golden during that era could restore that glitter in today’s dark atmosphere.
What do we wish to relive?
First. During those golden era of the Catholic Church, the Church exhibited all the visible signs of the true church as enumerated in the Nicene Creed. These signs were confirmed in the Council of Trent c. 1545 and expanded by St. Robert Bellarmine into 15 marks of the Church c. 1542. Catholics knew their doctrines as summarized in the catechism of council of Trent. The Catholics knew who were Catholics and who were not.
Both Popes and Kings did everything right seeing to it that the kingdom of God they were propagating had the four visible signs when they colonized other countries, the Philippines included. Not all the missionaries were saints but they taught the doctrines right. We have met very old people today whose knowledge of the Catholic religion is almost mystical that could put most modern theologian to shame. Yes, we don’t have those kinds anymore, that blessed era!
The Protestant revolt of 1517 that devastated Germany had not affected Spain yet. It will later.
Resolution: During this preparation for the jubilee celebration the layman’s initiative would try to give this nation a taste of that glorious past when knowledge of the Catholic religion was as common as wine and chorizos. And the four visible signs of the true Church was spread out all around the country like manna.
7. Two popular icons.
Icons are necessary at the beginning of conversion. It is also necessary when re-converting a nation. The East that is the first to hear the Good News had the ‘face of Christ’ as taken from the image of the burial shroud of Christ. It was a face connected to the passion and corresponds to man’s desire as expressed in the Psalms to ‘see the face of God.’ And the second popular icon still very popular in the Orthodox Church, are the icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Perpetual Help being one of the more popular one.) What were the icons that came to the Philippines around 1500?
The Santo Nino made in Belgium, a gift of Magellan given through Pigafetta, to Lady Humaymay (baptized as Juanna) together with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and an ‘Ecce Homo.’ These are very significant gifts of great theological import.
The Santo Nino, an image of the child Jesus, shows the importance of being born again by entering the Catholic Church, ‘unless you be born again…’ The ‘Ecce Homo’ is an image of the suffering Christ, which shows the need to take up one’s cross and follow Christ to attain eternal life in Heaven. And the Blessed Virgin Mary is the personification of the Catholic Church to which the Philippines should conform with.
The Marian image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
True to that tradition of orthodox Catholicism the Spaniards brought the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with the Legaspi expedition. She is known to John of Austria, the half brother of Philip II who miraculously won the battle of Lepanto against the overwhelming hordes of Turks with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in his ship while the rosary was being prayed in Christendom.
When Phillip II sent Legaspi to Manila, he had an expert navigator, an Augustinian, Urdaneta, assigned in Mexico who brought an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that calmed the natives in Manila. Enshrined in the Augustinian convent in Makati she supervised the speedy conversion of the island to Catholicism. Around 1609, Antonio de Morga of the royal Audiencia of New Spain wrote that the natives had been converted to the Gospel from the darkness of paganism and their place is called Filipinas Island after King Philip II. 1521 to 1609 was a miraculous speedy conversion. That was less than a 100 years. Let the whole Church repeat that today.
This is why Our Lady of Guadalupe had been declared by papal bull as the principal patroness of the Philippines.
Resolution; Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe shall be propagated with emphasis on her being the Woman that appeared as ‘A great sign in the Sky’ in the Apocalypse, an image and declared Patroness of the ‘new’ evangelization by Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
The black Nazarene.
Mary comes first, then Christ follows. That is no accident. So the Nazarene, made by an Aztec in Mexico arrives c. 1600 to the Philippines. Turned black due to a fire aboard ship, devotion to the black Nazarene, the suffering Christ, developed. The devotion to the Black Nazarene, like the Face of Christ from the Shroud, is a reminder that ‘we cannot resurrect Christ unless we die with Christ. It is a necessary doctrine for salvation; Christ said, ‘we have to take up our cross and come follow Him.’
Resolution; devotion to the Black Nazarene shall be fostered to emphasize the need to carry our cross and follow Christ to resurrect with Christ to everlasting life.
8. Purity of doctrine.
The year 1500 was the high tip of golden era of the Catholic Church in many respect. First and above all in the knowledge and expression of Catholic Doctrines. The Catholics, specially the priests and bishops, knew their doctrine and morals very well. The Church, in the Council of Trent, answered all dogmatic and moral questions completely and clearly. The century was filled with saints and brilliant theologians. One of note is St. Robert Bellarmine, Jesuit saint and doctor of the Church.
The 1500 had the last glimmer of golden light. A total disruption of the Catholic Church will follow in which she would never recover. But the light remained a few years more in Spain. God’s dispensation to allow the discovery of the Philippines by good Catholics. At this era while the whole world was collapsing under the weight of Protestantism, Spain and Portugal alone remained Faithful because of the ‘Reyes Catolicos,’ where church and state cooperated in preventing the entry and dissemination of protestant teachings within their respective kingdoms.
As the 1500 progressed we see the total collapse of the Catholic Church everywhere, beginning with Germany. But for a while we will not read the names of Spain and Portugal as both continued colonizing the world according to the demarcation line established by the Pope. Spain, after the Philippines, colonized North and South America. They were known as the best and most humane colonizers in the world. This cannot be said with England and the US.
Resolution; we wish to restore the purity of doctrine as promulgated in the Council of Trent even just for a while.
9. The establishment of the Kingdom of God.
This was the Royal Mandate of Phillip II in sending missions to the Philippines after Magellan looking for the island of spices landed instead in Homonhon, Eastern Samar.
Two things happened here; first, the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel and the celebration of the first Mass at Limasawa, March 21.
The first question is how was the Kingdom of God preached here. The Catholic way or the Protestant way as was prevalent in Europe. Answer; the first church in the Philippines had the four visible signs of the true Church as enumerated in the Nicene Creed. She, also had the 15 signs enumerated by St. Robert Bellarmne who lived c. 1542. The ‘Reyes Catolicos would have known and would have lived by his writings since they were contemporaries.
Resolution; we must find out if we have those visible signs. Then we must find out if our parish and parish priests, if our diocese and our bishop have those visible signs. Only by these signs can we say that we belong to the Kingdom of God as mandated by the Royal Decree.
Checking if we still have the kingdom of God upon us will based on the only reliable foundation of the four visible marks of the Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed and on the expanded version according to St. Robert Bellarmine. Both were available in the 1500
10 The Mass during this centennial preparation will be as close as possible as it was celebrated in Limasawa. This is the Latin Mass. We do not know what missal was used in Samar. But we are certain it is a Latin Mass.
Resolution; We shall use the Latin Mass version according to the ‘Summorum Pontificum’ of Pope Benedict XVI for the consecration of the Sacred Host, ‘Cristo Rey’ our Christ the King. The black Nazareno will bear INRF, Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Filipinorum. Of course, He is the King of the World. But we shall let other nation do their own proclamation. For our own centennial celebration we will call Him Our King, Rex Filipinorum.
11. All are in place for the remembrance of 1521.
The complete teachings of the Catholic Church as perfected in the Council of Trent and contained in the Catechism of Trent will be available live streaming for anyone to read and hear.
Devotion to our Lady of Guadalupe is in place since the Abbot of Guadalupe, Mexico entrusted propagation of her devotion to our community, thus connecting us with again with Mexico. The black Nazarene is temporarily housed in the Oratory of the Blessed Trinity but will be transferred in the garden of the stations of the cross around the pergola. Lectures on the visible signs of the true Catholic Church according to the Nicene Creed and the 15 Marks of St. Robert Bellarmine will be on going. And the Latin Mass according to ‘Summorum Pontificum’ are often celebrated in OL of Guadalupe oratory
We pray that during this preparation for 2015, we Filipinos experience even for a brief moment the glory of the Catholic Church that existed then in Europe in general, and in Spain in particular that was shared with us in 1521.
The ADVENT LITURGY
1. The Advent Liturgy. Evangelization comes in two forms; one slightly different from the other but both are essentially identical. The first evangelization is often referred to as ‘classical’ evangelization. And the second is referred to as ‘new’ evangelization.
The first evangelization can be seen both in the Old and New Testament; when God used to send prophets to preach His words in the Old Testament. And this continued in the New Testament when God sent apostles to preach to the Jews. In this evangelization, God used men to preach His Words to other men.
This first evangelization was shown as a type during the early part of the Old Testament and this type was realized in the preaching of the apostles in the New Testament.
2. Eschatological evangelization.
Evangelization was shown to us as a type in the Old Testament and then taught to us as fulfilled in the New Testament. While this evangelization was fulfilled in the New Testament, what was fulfilled in the New Testament can be eschatologically realized today. What are we trying to say? That the way evangelization was done before. wherein men were sent to preach to other men. was the practice in the Old Testament. It is still the way it is done in the New Testament with the apostles’ preaching to other men. But even before the apostles who were men were preaching to men, during Christmas. the ‘new’ evangelization was already being presented as a type for the future ‘new’ evangelization. There is an overlapping here.
While the apostles were not yet chosen and were not yet evangelizing, the people were already learning the Word of God without human preachers. The Shepherds and the Magi learned and recognized the Word of God without need of a human evangelizer. This is the ‘new’ evangelization pre-figured during Christmas and taught by John Paul II and Benedict XVI
3. New evangelization.
The Shepherds came to know the Son of God without listening to any preacher-evangelist. The same thing with the Magi. While it may be said that the Shepherds learned from Angels and the Magi learned from the star……in both cases they did not learn from human teachers. We can probably say both of them learned directly from God. This is the singular trait of John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s ‘new’ evangelization. There is no need for humans because at this time in history no priests or bishop or cardinal know the truths. And God knew this time would come, so He made provisions for this.
4. How is God’s Words learned?
Here, souls learn directly from God. “God will teach you.” At this time in history, mankind had been divided into cockles and wheat. The cockles cannot be taught anymore, so no one teaches them. While the wheat are souls in different degree of advancement in the Faith. God allows those who have begun their journey of Faith to continue their journey.
Those who are caught at this time without Faith cannot be helped. Like when Christ, seeing the unfaithfulness of the Jews abandoned them and transferred to the Gentiles.
This is clear in the parable of the cockle and wheat. Christ did not order the apostles to preach to the cockles and the wheat. He ordered the apostles to bundle the cockle to be burned, while the wheat to be gathered and brought to the barn.
This is, also, clear in the parable of the unfaithful servants. Christ took away the vineyard away from the unfaithful servants and gave to others. One was abandoned, the other cared for.
This is clearer in the fishing trip of the apostles in Lake Tiberias. Christ ordered the apostles to lower the net, not anywhere, but only on the right side; i.e. to evangelize only on the right side where the 153 large and good fishes were. The apostles were told to evangelize only where there were good souls and not anywhere.
5. Preaching in the ‘new’ evangelization.
Preaching in the ‘new’ evangelization, as exemplified in the Shepherds and Magi, is done exclusively only on those with the proper disposition to Faith. And this was done by heavenly agents and not by humans.
St. Thomas of Aquinas described these proper disposition thus; firstly, that like both the shepherd and Magi they have left their homes, relatives and the world. Secondly, like the Shepherd, souls must watch for the good things that they already have, like watching over sheep. And they must be watchful to drive every evil things away from their hearts as they drive away wolves from their flocks. Like the Magi they must be concentrating only on heavenly topics.
The evangelizers of the present should be the children of the Woman who flew to the desert to stay in a place specially prepared for them by God. They occasionally leave the desert and go to the world to invite those with proper disposition to improve by going to the Catholic Church in the desert.
6. There is absolutely no school to prepare for the ‘new’ evangelization.
The school is contemplation; its teachers are contemplatives.The School of the ‘new’ evangelization is in the desert and the lone teacher is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its first practioner is St. John the Baptist.
The school is contemplation; its teachers are contemplatives.The School of the ‘new’ evangelization is in the desert and the lone teacher is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its first practioner is St. John the Baptist.