Rebuke The Sinner

The title states the First Spiritual Work of Mercy.  The properly educated Catholic will understand his/her responsibility to administer these, and the Corporal Works of Mercy, diligently.

When we reach out to others in prayer at abortion mills, we exercise many of these works of mercy simultaneously.  Some are emphasized more than others.  Today we caught sight of the abortionist of 1111 Spring Street, Silver Spring, MD.  He tried to dash past us, but he heard these few words that we were able to utter before the doors closed behind him.  Let us pray that he and others will heed our words of rebuke.

Randall Terry Has A Message For Bishop Callahan

 Here it is!  With the proper tone, I might add!

Distorting The Spiritual Works Of Mercy

Note: While I'm using the bulletin from my own parish as an example, I've no doubt that they published what they did due to "orders from on high".

In our parish bulletin (page2) appears what is being passed off as the Spiritual Works of Mercy.  Some of us older types might notice the problem immediately, having received solid training thanks to the Baltimore Catechism.  For comparison, here are those works as they appear in that Catechism; you'll have to scroll down to Question 813.  As you compare the two, you'll notice one major difference.

In the Baltimore Catechism version, please note that the First Spiritual Work of Mercy is "Rebuke the Sinner".  In the bulletin you'll notice that it has been rendered "encourage sinners to seek forgiveness".  The others remain essentially the same.

So why do today's Catholic leaders eschew "rebuke the sinner"?  Quite simply, they are part and parcel of what can be called the "church of nice".  You see, it's not considered "nice" to rebuke anybody, although both the Old and New Testaments are replete with godly men (and Our Lord Himself) with rebuking those in sin, particularly those who are obstinate about it.  It's not "happy-clappy smiley-face" enough for those whose spinal columns are calcium-deficient.  Perhaps they don't believe in the reality of hell.  The latter is a grim reality, and those who rebuke the sinner simply see that is where the sinner is headed if he or she doesn't repent.

That dovetails into today's Gospel reading from Mark.  The very first recorded word that Jesus uttered in Mark's Gospel is "repent".  It even comes before "believe the Gospel".  The order is important.  However, too many of our leaders want to put false "happy faces" on God's clear teachings that they distort them in the presentations: hence the distorted version of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.  Too often they won't even tell Catholics what actions constitute inherent sins for fear of pricking seared consciences.  What doctor worthy of the name would withhold a truthful diagnosis to a sick patient?  How would that patient be able to follow proper remedies, uncomfortable those these remedies might be?  But that is what the "church of nice" is doing to Catholics in their pews. 

Let us pray that our priests find the resolve and courage to preach the whole truth to Catholics so that they can come to true, soul-saving repentance this Lent.

Pope Meets With Lesbian Couple - To What Purpose?

By now you've probably heard that the Pope met with two lesbians on Saturday January 24 in Vatican City.  One of them calls herself a "transgender man", having mutilated her body to resemble one.  She calls herself "Diego".  As she probably did legally change her name, I'll call her that.  However, I will NOT use masculine pronouns as I refer to Diego, as I refuse to acquiesce to her lies.

It seems that she felt rejected by her parish after she commenced the mutilation procedure and complained to the pope via letter.  After some back-and-forth, Diego and her partner in perversion traveled to the Vatican and met with the pope.  While the pope and his office are mum on the details and proceedings of that meeting, Diego isn't.  Her version of it is that the pope was accepting of their perversions and even went so far as to say to her "of course you are a son of the church."

Now we haven't heard corroboration from the Vatican on this.  It could well be that Diego is flat out lying about that statement.  I certainly hope so, simply because Diego is not a "son of the church" but rather a daughter of the church.

Father Peter Carota, who writes the "Traditional Catholic Priest" blog, noticed some interesting parallels in some situations where the pope contacts those who consider themselves "marginalized" because of their ongoing sinful lives.  As you read this, think of his encounter with the Argentine woman married to the divorced man; the pope told her it was fine for her to receive Holy Communion while living in de facto adultery. These people feel uncomfortable in their local churches, precisely because they are being confronted with their deadly sins.  They whine and somehow their complaints are heard by the Vatican.  In reply, the pope offers them some very public "compassion.  As Father says, this compassion is misplaced for it does not correct the sin that will cause eternal damnation.

Again, we don't know the Vatican's version of what happened during that meeting, and we might well never know.  However, we are not completely in the dark about what happened, for even though the women might be lying we can glean a lot from the nature of what they say, be it ever so true or false.
Sometime ago it was explained to me that when truth is proclaimed plainly and properly, the reactions of the hearers will fall into two general categories. In one category will be those who are convicted of sin and who thus repent. The other category are those who won't repent, and they'll make very plain that they hate what they heard. The reactions of those women fall into neither category as they both had very positive things to say about their encounter as they continue to carry out their perverted lifestyles.  They even plan to "get married".  In short, their reactions are those who did not hear unambiguous truth and who were not the recipients of the First Spiritual Work of Mercy: that is, "rebuke the sinner".

We need to pray for those women, that they be delivered from the path that seems to be taking them to eternal hell.  We need to pray that our shepherds, including the Chief Shepherd in the Vatican, start taking their sacred duties seriously.

Election Time Means Wisdom On Windshields

In less than two weeks the polls will open as many elected offices are up for grabs.  In Maryland, for example, every local office from the governor on down to the county clerks will be filled based on the people voting.

Many people will be sporting on their cars the names of their favorite candidates.  Unfortunately that means you may well see, in a Catholic parking lot, a car touting the candidacy of someone promoting abortion, gay lifestyles, etc.  Obviously they are either dissident from the Church in matters of public morals OR they are victims of lousy catechesis.

Either way, they can benefit from Wisdom on Windshields.  It is an educational flyer that can be placed on the car of the obviously oblivious fellow Catholic.  You can download it here and have it handy on your own computer.  Print it out and always carry a supply with you to Church, as you'll never know when an opportunity will arise to educate an ignorant fellow Catholic.

This flyer is a tool that can be used to "rebuke the sinner" or "instruct the ignorant" as the case may be with the individual recipient.  Wisdom on Windshields.  Never go to church without it!

Being Nice Is Destroying The Church And Damning Souls To Hell

Below I'll present two video clips.  Watch/listen to them and the common themes of their messages will become obvious.  In the first one (yesterday's Vortex), Michael Voris details how good priests are being persecuted by their higher ups (meaning bishops) for preaching the truth and offending dissenting "katholycs" who happen to toss lots of cash in the collection basket.  Voris is in Rome at the moment.  One wonders if he heard of the plight of Father Marcel Guarnizo, for said persecution is precisely what happened to him at my own parish a year ago this past Lent.  Father Guarnizo was heaved under the bus because he refused Holy Communion to openly practicing lesbians.  Kowtowing to the noisy gay community of the DC area, the chancery heaved Father under the bus.  Father is also in Rome at this time.

My fellow lay Catholics, listen closely to what Voris says, starting at 5:36.  We are at liberty to speak, even if it ruffles feathers in our respective chanceries.  We are not vowed to silence and anyone who insinuates otherwise is either misinformed of the rights of the laity or is downright dishonest in any attempt to shut us up.  CLEAR??

The second video is a clip from a homily given by Msgr Charles Pope almost two years ago.  He illustrates the contrast between being "nice" versus being authentically holy.  The word "nice" is a word one will never find in the Bible.  Some folks confuse the words "nice" and "kind".  They are not synonyms.  In fact, they can be antonyms.

From Mother Angelica: "If you're not a thorn in someone's side, you're not doing Christianity right."