https://media.defense.gov/2024/Nov/26/2003594225/-1/-1/1/OES_Q4_SEP2024_FINAL_508.PDF

By Father David Nix

Many good Catholics today are striving for an increase in purity by both prayer and mortification.  This is extremely commendable.  But did you know the virtue of purity is directly connected to supernatural hope?  And the virtue of supernatural hope is directly connected to gratitude?  I found this while studying Scripture:

Gratitude increases hope:

The hope of an ungrateful man will melt like wintry frost and flow away like waste water.—Wis 16:29.

… and hope increases purity:

And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure.—1 John 3:3.

Therefore, real gratitude increases both supernatural hope and purity.  Purity of heart is not only something in regards to the 6th and 9th commandment (although it is certainly those too) but also refers to seeking God-alone above all creatures and gifts.  It’s amazing that thanking God for those creatures and gifts (if done the right way) detaches us from those very creatures as obstacles while ironically attaching us God alone.  This leads to purity of heart and mind.  And again, this is done by increasing gratitude.

Gratitude, hope and purity all make us love God above all things, and all creatures for His sake.  Strangely, we love them more while detached.

We can’t automatically increase hope or purity.  But we can automatically increase thanksgiving in our prayer by naming specific things.  We should do this meditation on Thanksgiving Day.   But we should also make this a daily exercise of thanking God for real things, especially His Son dying and rising on a cross for us.   In such meditation (when we live real thanksgiving) we not only receive more blessings from God, but we see that gratitude is already a foretaste of heaven-on-earth. Why? Because heaven will be the saved eternally praising and thanking God.

At this same time last year on my Life Update pull-down section, I wrote about some of the specific things I am thankful for here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Yes, we should GIVE THANKS that Bergoglio is an antipope. Because if he were true Pope, or ever had been, there would be a LOT of explaining to do. Remember, the Office of the Papacy is conferred by Christ Himself… not by the Cardinals, not by the Church, but by Christ Himself. In doing so, He binds Himself to the Officeholder in a special way, whereby the man is transformed into His Vicar on earth, supernaturally incapable of teaching error in matters of faith and morals. After all, what good is the Papacy without such protections? Christ, being God, cannot bind himself to error, much less outright heresy and apostasy. In fact, this is the biggest contrast between Bergoglio and all the dozens of other antipopes throughout history… all the rest were Catholic! So give thanks, enjoy this little essay, and pray for Jorge’s conversion. Your duty is such. Happy Thanksgiving!

Is Francis a Pope or a Pretender?

“At this point, however it seems that the faith of many Catholics will be more badly shaken should Francis turn out to be the true pope. How, it will be asked, could God allow his Church to be ruled by a man whose teachings contradict what Christ taught? Why does God permit the confusion and demoralization that Francis has wrought? Why does Francis bear so much animosity toward good and faithful Catholics like Bishop Strickland?

“The possibility that Francis is the pope does far more damage to the credibility of the Church than the possibility that he is not. If Francis continues to introduce novel and divisive changes to Church teachings on an almost weekly basis, then the credibility of the Church and the papacy will decline rapidly. If, on the other hand, he is revealed to be an imposter intent on subverting the Church, then much of the current turmoil would be seen in a new light. It would be seen not as the result of some inherent flaw in the Church, but as the result of a deliberate plot to destroy the Church.

“If Francis is actually an enemy of the Church, then it makes sense that he would favor harmful innovations—that he would be open to same-sex blessings, that he would participate in pagan rituals, that he would put the John Paul II Academy for Marriage and the Family in the hands of a man who would not be welcome in the homes of most Catholic families, that he would put another such man in charge of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, that he would issue a motu proprio calling for a radical paradigm shift in Catholic theology and on and on. All of these innovations have sown confusion in the Church. But that, it seems, is what they were intended to do.

“If Francis were really a false prophet, then it would be understandable that he thinks conversion is undesirable, that he tells seminarians to forgive all sin in the confessional even if there is no repentance, and that he maintains that sexual sins are nothing to worry about.

“If for some reason—an invalid resignation by Pope Benedict, a rigged papal election, or evidence that Bergoglio had no intention of guarding the Catholic faith—it becomes evident that Francis is not a valid pope, then many Catholics would breathe a sigh of relief. If Francis/Bergoglio is an antipope then the promises of Christ and the protection of the Holy Spirit do not apply to him. Catholics would be free to ignore his new doctrines, to resist him, and above all, to better understand the trial that has been visited on the Church.

“Some think that the antipope/false prophet accusations against Francis are reckless, but scripture teaches us that at some point in time, something of this nature is exactly what we should expect…”

https://turningpointproject.com/is-francis-a-pope-or-a-pretender/

Two new full-length courses from Dr. Mazza start next Tuesday. Join me!

The ANCIENT WORLD

The ADVENT of CHRIST

“Long Lay the World in Sin and Error Pining…”

This Advent/Christmas learn how The Light came into a World of Darkness and Pagan Civilization transformed into Christendom.

Each Christmas Catholics face the challenge of navigating a yearly routine of commercialism, cards, presents, and parties entirely divorced from the real “reason for the season.” Yet, separated from authentic history, the stable in the little town of Bethlehem is nothing more than a cardboard cutout among the rest of the decorations. While no sensible person would form an opinion on a great book having only read the last chapter, many today light candles and sing Christmas carols in blissful ignorance of the incredible events that led up to the appearance of the Babe in the Manger. But where do you turn to learn the “rest of the story?”

In an engaging and entertaining way, Dr. Mazza makes sense of Scripture, Tradition, and history to reveal startling insights from an astounding array of serious sources. Through Old Testament prophecies to ancient oracles to modern discoveries of astronomy and archaeology you will boldly overcome modern ignorance and indifference to enjoy your most profound experience of Christmas ever.

Ancient Egypt, Ancient Israel, The 300, Helen of Troy, Gladiators, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra, The Sybils, The Seven Wonders, Alexander the Great, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles and First Christian Martyrs–and much more! Starting Tues Dec 3rd

Enroll for $235. SAVE $ by taking BOTH Apologetics & Ancient World for only $450!

Weekly Live Classes start Tues Dec 3rd, at 5pm PDT/8pm EDT and will run approximately 70-80 minutes. Q&A will follow for 10 minutes or more for those who can stay. I will suggest readings. No tests. No pressure. Content: Ages 13 and up. Recorded video link sent afterwards so you can watch on your own time!  (Projected duration 12-13 weeks)

Join us for an adventure Thousands of years in the Making!

ENROLL

Make or Break Apologetics!

Catholic Church: Whore of Babylon or Bride of Christ?

Witch Burning, Jews & Spanish Inquisition, Did Christ establish the Papacy? What about Bad Popes, Bible Banning? Suppressing Science & Galileo, Islam & Crusades, “Worshipping” Mary, Eucharistic “idolatry,” Women’s Rights, Divorce, Abortion, Contraception & IVF, Usury & Slavery, “Pope” Francis, Freemasonry & One World Government

Enroll for $235. SAVE $ by taking BOTH Apologetics & Ancient World for only $450!

Join us for TRUTHS THAT SAVE SOULS!

ENROLL

Weekly Live Classes start Wed Dec 4th, at 5pm PDT/6pm EDT and will run approximately 70-80 minutes. Q&A will follow for 10 minutes or more for those who can stay. I will suggest readings. No tests. No pressure. Content: Ages 13 and up. Recorded video link sent afterwards so you can watch on your own time!  (Projected duration 12-13 weeks)

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. If you aren’t wearing her medal 24/7, you should be.

COLLECT: O Lord Jesus Christ, who wast pleased that the most Blessed Virgin Mary Thy Mother, immaculate from her first conception, should shine resplendent with miracles beyond number; grant, that, ever imploring her patronage, we may attain the joys of everlasting life.

https://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/2024/11/our-lady-of-miraculous-medal-1830-ad.html

Join us this Advent for the TRUTH about CONCLAVES and ANTIPOPES in the history of the Catholic Church: Including 2013, 2005 and more! The Powers of Darkness vs the Powers of Light. From the Prophecy of St. Malachy to Malachi Martin. From Saints to Saint Gallen Mafia…the plots, the violence, the antipopes, the tragedies and the triumphs.

Early Bird Pricing $99 by Dec 1st

ENROLL

Weekly Live Classes start Sunday December 1st, at 6pm PDT/9pm EDT and will run approximately 70-80 minutes. Q&A will follow for 10 minutes or more for those who can stay. I will suggest readings. No tests. No pressure. Content: Ages 13 and up. Recorded video link sent afterwards so you can watch on your own time!  (Projected duration 4 weeks)

I mean, even cheap domestic wine is going to run you way past that…

LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

GOSPEL Matt. 24:15-35
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: “When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand… For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo here is Christ,’ or ‘there’: do not believe him. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. Behold I have told it to you, beforehand…” 

Thus concludes your Advent 2024 preparation briefing.

“God so made the human mind that it remembers joys more easily than pains. Man’s very destiny is eternal joy, and joy is the life of his hope. But for Christ’s members, even pain has a vast meaning and dignity, because it is the price by which Christ opened heaven, and the price He asks every Christian to pay in imitation of Him. The Final Judgment will reveal what use each soul has made of joy and of pain. During the past year of worship, what increased sorrow for sin, what deepened love for Our Lord, and what greater kindness to others, especially the poor and forsaken, have prepared you for the joyous peace of heaven? https://tridentine-mass.blogspot.com/2024/11/twenty-seventh-and-last-sunday-after.html

Jaguar boss says criticism of new advert is ‘vile hatred and intolerance’

By Matthew Field

From the article:

The boss of Jaguar has defended the carmaker’s controversial rebrand and said criticism of its marketing campaign had featured “vile hatred and intolerance…

Rawdon Glover, the Managing Director of Jaguar, said the campaign message had been lost in “a blaze of intolerance”, adding that the carmaker must move away from “traditional automotive stereotypes”.

It comes after Jaguar ditched its historic “growler” cat logo and released an advert featuring models with asymmetrical haircuts and dressed in brightly-coloured clothing. It also includes the phrases “break moulds” and “create exuberant”.

Mr. Glover told the Financial Times: “We need to re-establish our brand and at a completely different price point so we need to act differently.

“If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out. So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand.”

He said he had been disappointed by the “level of vile hatred and intolerance” aimed at those who featured in its advert.

The campaign, intended to promote Jaguar’s new electric vehicle, was met with widespread ridicule earlier this week after it published a 30-second video that did not feature a car.