This is an example of what I like to call: “Catholics for Mortal Sin”. There are plenty of us who struggle with various sins which is why we need the sacrament of confession but it takes a certain type of catholic who loudly boasts of his sins and defies the church to do something about it.
If they really get the Eucharist, with the full implications of receiving as Paul describes in 1 Cor 11:27 (“Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.”), and if they really get the Four Last Things, then … would they really want to put at risk their eternal salvation by sacrilegious reception?
If the priest at his parish really cares about Mr. Lieu’s soul (not to mention his own see EK 3: 17) he will talk to him about this and explain to him the danger he is putting himself in. Like a doctor who is caring for a patient he will give him the bad news rather than sugarcoat the risks.
But when it comes down to it, there is also good news in the form of the very best advice that he can get which comes from a fellow by the name of Joel and it repeated in every Catholic Church every year on Ash Wednesday:
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
Perhaps he will again relent
and leave behind him a blessing,
Offerings and libations
for the LORD, your God.
Blow the trumpet in Zion!
proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the people,
notify the congregation;
Assemble the elders,
gather the children
and the infants at the breast;
Let the bridegroom quit his room
and the bride her chamber.
Between the porch and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep,
And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
with the nations ruling over them!
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Then the LORD was stirred to concern for his land
and took pity on his people.
He has the rest of his life to take this advice, I’m sure that if he chooses not to he will be celebrated and feted and held up as an example of courage for the rest of his days…
Joe Biden’s entourage requested permission for the president to attend Mass with Pope Francis during his European visit, which the Vatican “nixed,” according to a Wednesday report from Catholic News Agency (CNA).
The Vatican’s refusal stemmed from “the impact that Biden receiving Holy Communion from the pope would have on the discussions the USCCB [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] is planning to have during their meeting starting Wednesday, June 16,” the report stated, citing an unnamed Vatican source.
Tuesday’s report corrects a prior CNA story alleging that the president would meet with the pope on June 15, which will apparently not occur.
I’ve noted more than once that Francis while having some good points is a bit of a lemon as a Pope compared to the Saints but can you imagine his thinking that it’s not convenient to meet Joe Biden, the 2nd Catholic US president?
Ed Morrissey is a tad skeptical because of the single source and notes this:
This sounds a bit too good/bad to be true, but it’s certainly possible. Biden and his team would loooooove to get some political cover with a papal audience, as would most US presidents, and might even expect it with his own status as a practicing Catholic.
It’s not clear why the Vatican would refuse to even meet with Biden, however. Popes meet with world leaders all the time, even those whose agendas cut significantly against Catholic teachings. Except on abortion, there isn’t that much space between Biden and Francis, just as there wasn’t between Francis and Barack Obama, who had no trouble getting a papal audience when in office. And let’s not forget that Obama had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI in Obama’s first year in office, too. That gives some reason for skepticism about the veracity of this report.
It’s pretty clear why the Holy See wouldn’t want to provide Biden with the optic of Pope Francis offering him communion, however. They wouldn’t want to bigfoot the USCCB on this specific issue, assuming the White House requested this at all:
Francis being Francis and the Vatican being the Vatican Biden will eventually get a meeting but the irony here is palitable.
Why you might think the Vatican knows he’s not really in charge or something.
Personally I think he should meet him, after all admonishing sinners is a spiritual work of mercy.
Update: I think it would be much better if Biden asked if he could meet the Pope for Confession, in fact if I was in charge at the Vatican I’d arrange for the Pope to offer confession to any leader pol etc who met with him privately.
Daniel Hughes [PM senior policy advisor]:Jim Hacker will win though with a thoroughly public spirited self sacrificing policy. The PM will probably kick him upstairs: Lord Hacker of kamikaze.
Sir Humphrey:I hardly think that’s funny Daniel or likely
Daniel Hughes: Why not? I mean he [Jim Hacker] ran the leadership campaign against the PM didn’t he? This could be the PM’s master stroke. In one fell swoop, approbation, elevation and castration. In one fell swoop You know the PM’s motto: “In defeat malice, in victory revenge”
Yes Minister: The Writing on the wall 1980
In yesterday’s piece I wrote this quite startling proposition:
This is heading to a place where the people left in the military will be the ones who will when a woke officer decides that a crowd of conservatives are a threat and says “Fire”
This is heading to a place where the people in the police will be afraid to stop a looter or a violent criminal of the left but will not hesitate to fire at or arrest a person of the right defending themselves or their property.
Ashley Babbitt is the future the left wants for us. Her death is not a bug it’s a feature to them.
One enough people realize this is the case all hell is going to break loose.
To a lot of people I’m sure this sounded alarmist just like in the 90”s those of us who saw the logical conclusion that “civil unions” would lead to were told. It took but a generation for the calls for “tolerance” to become an inquisition any who would declare these now dubbed evil words:
The question is how did we get to this point and why are we heading to where we are going.
Easy. We have a society and culture that is divided between it’s Christian component (Traditionally American) and non Christian (Communist Marxist) society.
That is why as I wrote years ago the enemy for the left is always Christianity because the rules of Christianity are anthemia to all that the left wants to achieve:
Love your enemies, Thou shalt not steal, all men are equal before the Lord, Honor your father and mother, male and female they created them, Thou shalt not kill.
All of these principles are deadly to the left but the worst of all is the Unity of belief in Christ in Christ and the brotherhood of man. Many passages of scripture are hated by the left but none more than this one:
One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that (he) answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Mark 12:28-34
Love of God, the idea that there are principles and rules beyond ever changing memes and the love of neighbor not limited by the division of rich and poor, of race, of national origin, or of sex all of these are poison to he left. As Paul Wrote:
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:27-29
You can’t divide and conquer if all men are brothers , nor can you wreak vengeance if you embrace empathy and tradition:
Shame not a repentant sinner; remember, we all are guilty.
Insult no man when he is old, for some of us, too, will grow old.
Rejoice not when a man dies; remember, we are all to die.
Spurn not the discourse of the wise, but acquaint yourself with their proverbs; From them you will acquire the training to serve in the presence of princes.
Reject not the tradition of old men which they have learned from their fathers; From it you will obtain the knowledge how to answer in time of need.
Kindle not the coals of a sinner, lest you be consumed in his flaming fire.
Let not the impious man intimidate you; it will set him in ambush against you.
Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21-22
For forgiveness is what checks hate and division and once you have forgiveness, once you seek 1st the kingdom of God then ends and means goes out the window. And you can find no better description of the tactics of the left than the parable that followed that passage:
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. 22 He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.
Matthew 18:23-30
This is the left all over. Begging for tolerance when they are weak and wreaking vengeance when they are strong but it That is what the left is, that is what the left always will be and that is why they must be fought while we still can. Our willingness to stand up and having courage to fight against this will be our second greatest test.
It, like the parable started above will end bad for them.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
Matthew 18:31-35
And it it does end bad for them, either by our courage to fight it now or by the courage of our our children and grandchildren who will throw off their yoke, our greatest test will be to forgive them after we prevail.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7
This is the post I had planned to go up at datechguyblog.com on Monday before everything crashed and burned.
Today I’m launching a Catholic Devotional aid that I mentioned a few days ago on the site called The Indulgence Calendar.
Many people going to Mass weekly and even many who go daily are aware that these indulgences are available and quite a few might already be doing prayers and devotions that carry an indulgences but because they are not declaring their desire and/or intention to earn these indulgences they are not obtained.
The idea is that if you are a daily mass person you can make it a point to earn an indulgence each day for a different departed soul (or multiple souls if you earn multiple indulgences). A weekly mass person can earn indulgences for at least one person a week or if a family unit goes they can cover some of the daily folk that they might miss.
On a local level my goal is to earn an indulgence for every person who has ever died in my parish, particularly those who have been dead for a while and have been forgotten. If you decide to adopt this idea as your own for your own community you can do the same.
Each day on the calendar looks like this:
I will be making such calendars available each month. The one for June which is being used by WQPH 89.3 FM is here and below. For those unsure of the rules on earning an indulgence the 2nd page of the Calendar has the complete norms on indulgences I am repeating it here for those who which to have them handy online:
Indulgence Norms and notes
Communion on the day of an indulgence. This can be applied to any amount of indulgences that day.
Confession within 20 days of the day of an indulgence. Applies to all indulgences during that period
Prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (an Our Father, Hail Mary or any appropriate prayer) once per day of indulgence.
To earn an indulgence you must be in a state of grace (no unconfessed mortal sin) at the time of the indulgenced act.
Indulgences can only be applied to the dead or to the person earning the indulgence. They can not be applied to any other living person.
For a PLENARY indulgence you must have NO attachment to sin. If such an attachment exists the indulgence earned is only partial.
A plenary indulgence can only be earned one a day (expect if death is imminent), there is no limits to partial indulgences daily.
An indulgence attached to a feast day is still valid if the feast day is transferred lawfully.
A specific day’s indulgence requiring a visit to a particular church or oratory can be made from noon the previous day to midnight on the actual day.
No unbaptized person nor any Christian who is currently under the penalty of excommunication may earn an indulgence.
You must ACTIVELY seek and or state your intention to obtain an indulgence for the act or prayer that carries it to be valid.
Prayers & Acts that carry an indulgence (Partial list) All indulgences partial unless BOLD UNDERLINED
Prayers
The Actiones Nostras, Act of faith hope and Love, Any Devout Mental Prayer, Adsumus, Adoro te Devote, Prayer to St. Joseph, Prayer of Thanksgiving, The Angelus, Domine Deus Omnipotens, Spiritual Communion, The Apostles Creed, Angels Dei, The Niceane Creed, The office for the dead, Any approved Litanies, Psalm 130, Iesu Dulcissime Redemptor, Ave Maria Stella, Maria Mater Gratiae, Exaudi Nos, O Sacrum Convivium, Prayer for the Pope, Prayer for the Dead, Psalm 51, Sub tuum praesidium, Prayer for Benefactors, Angel of God Prayer, Te Deum, Public Novenas for Pentecost Christmas or the Feast or the Immaculate Conception, Tantum Ergo, Prayer for Vocations, The Sign of the Cross, Sancta Maria Succurre Miseris, The Magnificat, Vista Quaesumus Domine, Act of Contrition (expect during Sacramental Confession), Prayer to St Michael, Chaplet of St Michael, Come Holy Spirit, Prayer before a CrucifixPlenary if done after communion Friday in Lent, Five decades of the Rosary Plenary if done in a family, religious community or Pious association, The Stations of the Cross Moving from Station to Station (unless physically unable to do so)
Actionsthat carry an indulgence
Making a Pious invocation raising your mind to god while performing the duties of life
Devoting yourself or your goods in compassionate service to your brothers in need
Voluntarily abstaining from something that is licit & pleasing in the spirit of penitence
Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Plenary if done for a half hour or more
Reading the scriptures Plenary if done for a half hour or more
Teaching Christian Doctrine
Visiting a church on All Souls day (Nov 2)
Going on a religious retreat for 3 or more days
Use a blessed religious object Plenary if blessed by a Pope & used on the Feast of Sts Peter & Paul
Visiting a Parish Church on the Feast day of its Saint(s) or on Aug 2nd (say Our Father & Creed)
Attending the 1st Mass of a newly ordained priest or his jubilee mass (25th 50th or 60th anniversary)
Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead (Plenary if done from Nov 1st through Nov 8th)
Praying for the dead is not only a spiritual work of mercy but spiritual exercise of this type tend to fortify one’s own soul so I would encourage you to disseminate this far and wide,
Perhaps that’s why everything crashed and burned on my primary site the day this was supposed to go up.
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