Posts Tagged ‘catholic’

Don’t Poke the Bear. Catholic Edition

Posted: November 26, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, catholic devotions
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There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at with no result.

Winston Churchill

Two days ago I was taking a quick peek at Youtube in between the work/sleep cycle that the seven to fourteen days that black friday entails when I saw this video from Christine Niles who I recognized from Church Militant:

This was the first I had heard of Michael Voris resignation from Church Militant. I watched his statement when I did it reminded me of something a particular priest once mentioned in passing. That it was during Mass when he prayers the Eucharistic Prayers that he finds himself most attacked by the devil and that brings me to one of the most basic facts about the war for souls, something that my pastor and spiritual advisor has said move and over.

Don’t poke the bear.

One of the real dangers in deciding to take part in the war for souls is that the closer to the front lines you get the more you’re under the fire from the enemy. To a regular person the battle for your soul might be almost invisible. To the faithful and to those who struggle against sin it is more apparent but how much more for a religious?

A novice might be a target and struggle but the nuns are a bigger one and the target an individual nun is nothing compared to a Prioress whose call can bring down others.

A seminarian might struggle but a bigger target is a priest tending his flock or the Bishop who is over dozens of priests or a Cardinal and the biggest target is always the Pope and those who surround him because if you can bring down the top so many may be crushed beneath them by the fall.

It is the same in law ministry or apostolates the higher you go, the more prominent you are in the fight the more vulnerable you are to a fall, and the thing to remember is that it’s a battle of attrition.

And while there is nothing more exhilarating then watching the devil run when you meet him face to face the real victory doesn’t come from that transitory moment, it comes from the persistence in prayer and the trust in Christ that keeps him at bay.

Niles noted that Voris stopped leading the group in prayer as he once regularly did and that one of the first signs of trouble for a soul is when it walks from prayer. For the lay person prayer is an indispensable part of the life of faith how much more so for one on the front lines confronting the works of the enemy daily? That’s when the foothold is established and C. S. Lewis noted the results of such a situation:

If such a feeling is allowed to live, but not allowed to become irresistible and flower into real repentance, it has one invaluable tendency. It increases the patient’s reluctance to think about the Enemy. All humans at nearly all times have some such reluctance; but when thinking of Him involves facing and intensifying a whole vague cloud of half-conscious guilt, this reluctance is increased tenfold. ‘They hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in financial embarrassment hate the very sight of a pass-book.

Screwtape 13

The first duty of a person is to secure their own soul. Until that is done it’s almost impossible to help secure others as Christ put it:

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

Matt: 7:3-5

Based on Voris video and this post that followed:

I suspect he put off with dealing with an issue or tried to do it handle it himself rather than turning to Christ in prayer and the sacraments.

How will it end? I don’t know, there are plenty of people, particularly those who don’t want scrutiny that will enjoy his fall hoping it takes the apostolate with him. For me I’ll be praying for the lot and keeping this as a object lesson to remember the wise words of my pastor.

Don’t poke the bear.

Eight Days of Indulgences and the November Indulgence Calendar as Well

Posted: November 1, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, catholic devotions, Church doctrine
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It’s the first of the month so it’s time for the Indulgence Calendar at DaTechGuy Blog for any and all who wish to pray for and help out the souls in purgatory.

It’s also All Saints Day a holy day of obligation for Catholics as we honor the saints in heaven, the Church Triumphant who have fought and won the good fight that we the church militant are still fighting on earth.

Because it’s All Saints Day it also means that there is a special series of indulgences that we have earn every single day through November 8th either for ourselves or for the Church Suffering (the souls in purgatory).

Beginning today, continuing tomorrow on All Souls Day ( where the church remembers the souls in purgatory) and throughout the octave of this Holy Day of Obligation a Plenary indulgence is available each day for anyone who visits a graveyard and prays for the dead.

These indulgences are available under the normal rules: which are:

  1. Communion the day of the indulgence (covers all indulgences that day)
  2. Prayers for the intentions of the Pope (covers all indulgences that day)
  3. Confession within 20 days before or after the day of the indulgence (covers all indulgences during that period of time)
  4. MUST be in a state of grace at the time of the indulgence (no unconfessed mortal sins)

Also be aware that unless your death is imminent you can only gain one Plenary Indulgence a day so if you earned for say:

  • Visiting the Blessed Sacrament for a half hour or more
  • Reading scripture for a half hour or more
  • Praying a group Rosary

then the indulgence you earn will be only partial.

Finally a plenary indulgence automatically becomes partial if you have any attachment to sin (that’s why they are so hard to get).

So if you’re a Catholic take advantage of these next 8 days, your soul and the souls in purgatory will thank you.

Anyways here is this month’s indulgence Calendars to download if you want.

indulgence-calendar-nov-2023Download

That the full calendar the blank one is next

indulgence-calendar-blank-nov-2023Download

The Perfect Example of How Hell Works, The Jewish Left’s Sudden Encounter With Reality

Posted: October 14, 2023 by datechguy in catholic, culture, Israel, middle east, war
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I was in conversation with my priest this morning after mass and confession and I noted how today’s 1st reading from Joel was almost a blueprint for what is happening and going to happen in Gaza.

As we continued to talk we discussed confession. To get the forgiveness of God paid for by Christ one must be willing to look at oneself in the light of truth. The knowledge that you have sinned and contrition for them is what drives a good Catholic to confession. This is why before absolution one recites an act of contrition like this one.

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.

There are those who are unwilling and incapable of looking at once self in the light of truth. Who are in denial of their sins. This is why Hell is in fact a mercy of God. Demons under compulsion during exorcisms have bluntly admitted they understand the love of God and the decisions they have made but when asked if they would change their choices they’ve replied emphatically NO! Their pride will not allow it.

Thus do people put themselves into hell as the merciful alternative to admitting a reality that they can’t bear to admit. Pride the ultimate sin.

And that brings us to the pains that parts of the left, particularly the Jewish left is now feeling.

You see many of on the right, particularly folks like Pam Geller and Robert Spencer have been talking about the antisemitism of the left in General and the Muslim left in particular for many many years. For their troubles they were called bigots and hate mongers by all the “right” people of the elite left. How DARE they suggest that any people of the left might think this way! Any such statement was “hate” speech and “violence”.

And then came the Hamas attacks and the slaughter and worse of not only of men but of women and children.

That was painful and awful, particularly to those who had argued for the Palestinians (although a lot more painful for some and even fatal for others) but the pain increased when in colleges around the nation and the world groups (particularly groups heavy in the DEI defended hamas and the slaughter of woman and children. As Victor Davis Hanson put it:

In Australia you actually had the spectacle of people publicly shouting “Gas the Jews” while the only person taken into custody was a single Jewish counter protester with an Israeli flag. In America the highest bastions of Education openly supported these murderous bastards.

To some on the left, particularly the Jewish left it was an eye opening moment. A moment of clarity that shows their “allies” for what they actually are and have always been. Ready to decry “microaggressions” of any of opposed them but declaring that loud public support for the mass murder of woman and children is “free speech’ to be protected and/or excused.

To these people comes the great decision. Do they divorce themselves from this barbarians, do they admit that those of us on the right have been telling the truth all along or do they hate us on the right so much that allying with folks who support their own murder is better?

But for all the angst that this decision will bring their situation at least they now see beyond the bubble and are in a position to make a choice.

There are others on the left who still maintain denial, both of the acts of Hamas or that they bear any responsibility for them.

You see for those folks acknowledging any of these things means they must face the possibility of being wrong. They mustn’t see things in the light of truth it is more then they can handle. Much better to live the lie and remain in the bubble.

How these groups will respond to the reality will define them for the rest of their lives. The question: How many will rather suffer the hell of denial than the pain of reality?

Pray for them all.

Five Completely Non Israel Things Under the Fedora: How Cool is that? House Keeping, Slightly Premature, The (Now) Under the Radar Synod and a Mathematical Patriots Update

Posted: October 10, 2023 by datechguy in baseball, catholic, fun, nfl, politics, Sports
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I know there is a lot of serious stuff on Israel to write about but for one day we’re going to almost completely ignore it:

As a python fan and a bit of a geek I don’t think it gets any cooler than this:

It’s easy to make him laugh; he’s that sort of fellow. But I have to tell you that when I made him laugh, when he actually laughed, complete with head tossed back, it was one of those moments in life you just encase in Lucite and put on the shelf. Put that on my tombstone: “Made Michael Palin Laugh, and Did Not Otherwise Embarrass Himself. Much. Well, a Bit. Alright, Somewhat. Honestly, Loads” or something.

With all the horror I’ve been reading about the last few days to be able to read that and imagine the joy of that moment, that was special.

Today there should be a vote on a new speaker for the house. Jim Jordan is considered a favorite although there is at least one report that Speaker McCarthy might be nominated by some allies and of course Steve Scalise who was Majority Leader is in the running.

Whoever wins will have a lot on their plate to deal with but that it’s been reduced to a second or third string story gives the GOP some flexibility in how they deal with it.

When I heard on my way home that the highly favored Dodgers had lost their 2nd straight against the Arizona Diamondbacks in their best of five series to go to the National League Pennant Series against either Philly or Atlanta all I could think of was their welcoming the anti Catholic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to their Stadium and found myself spontaneously making up and singing a parody song titled: “Don’t Piss off God” (sung to the tune of “Don’t bring me Down”).

Baseball being baseball it might be premature for such a song but if the Diamondbacks complete the sweep or even win the series I just might write out the lyrics and post them.

Never thought I’d be cheering against a Dave Roberts team but hey the Dodgers made their bed.

Speaking of both God and the practical news blackout on stories not involving Israel and Hamas the Synod is still going on in the Catholic church and one of my big worries is that the folks hoping to push though their whole “Mortal Sin is OK” platform.

It’s moments like this when I’m not surprised that there were at one time up to three popes each claiming to be the legit one and the church highly divided.

Of course the last time this type of thing came up Saint Pope Paul VI surprised everyone by his issuance of Humanae Vite which, to the shock of the left, not only affirmed the church’s position on life and contraception but urged governments to do the same.

I would be both shocked and not shocked if Francis ended up doing the same. I would be shocked because that would be completely out of Character of for this pope but I would also not be shocked because over history that’s how God rolls.

Faith is not just believing in God, but believing he knows what he’s doing. That’s how I’m handling it.

A week or so ago I noted that the 2023 New England Patriots after four week2 had averaged 13 1/4 points offensive per games with Bill (the savior) O’Brian as the offensive coordinator as opposed to Matt (The Evil One) Patricia’s 16 3/4 offensive points per game.

We’ve now finished week five.

In week five last year Patricia’s offense scored 22 of the patriots 29 points in a win vs the Lions bringing their record to 2-3 and their avg points on offense per game to 17.8

Meanwhile Bill O’Brian’s team was shut out in a 34-0 rout vs the Saints putting their record at 1-4 and putting their avg points per game at an even 11.

That is better than a touchdown per game worse that an offense that was constantly under attack by local media

Maybe if they ask really nice Patricia might come back.

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