So it seems Francis just threw Saint JPII under the popemobile.  Remember it was JPII who presumptuously decided it was he himself who was the bishop in white as described in the Third Secret.  At least he had the decency to wait almost twenty years post the assassination attempt to declare himself so. Pay no mind that the prophesy ends with the immediate death of the bishop in white, not his full rehabilitation and long, full, life.
Now Francis has decided to perhaps predict his own glorious martyrdom. Because he has the humility and the ambition, you know.
From Rorate:

“Hail Mother of Mercy, Lady of the white robe! At this place where one hundred years ago you showed all the designs of our God’s mercy, I look upon your robe of light and, as bishop dressed in white [como bispo vestido de branco], I remember all those who, robed in baptismal white, want to live in God and pray the mysteries of Christ to attain peace.”

Not only does Francis know full well the fate of the bishop in white, dying on a hill. He also knows something we don’t, by virtue of his (apparent) office: The actual words of the Third Secret, which have never been publicly revealed.
Think about that.
I wonder if he has given any thought to that puzzling phrase which has mystified the faithful for 100 years, “we had the impression it was the Holy Father.”  Something in the vision must have cast doubt on whether or not it really was the actual Holy Father, right?
Could it be that things are really coming into focus now?
Stay frosty.

The leftists, the real hard cases, are always right on the edge of completely losing their minds.  I posted a few months ago about the Antifas being the real Nazis, and showed three videos as examples (original post HERE – alas, the third video has been taken down, but there is enough info in the post for you to track it down).
Now comes the case of Zach Ruff,  the vice principle of an elite academy outside Philadelphia who decided to confront two young abortion protesters on public property outside his school. He screams obscenities at them, tells them they can’t be there (a lie), tells them they don’t have a right to say what they are saying (a lie) tells them he will call police to have them removed (no, he can’t), tells them aborted children are just cells.
About that last one. Can we all agree to just start calling out these murders and promoters of murder who still use the “clump of cells” tagline? This isn’t 1973 anymore. Anyone who uses that line should lose all credibility, period. Everyone in the developed world can look down at their phone and search “15 week 3D ultrasound” and see what it is. Instead, this guy claims the scientific high ground: “They’re not children, they’re cells! … You’re at a science-based school, those are cells!” Watch him physically confront the teenagers. Watch him start to shake as he wags his finger at them, right on the edge.  “I’m as gay as the day is long”…”You and Trump can go to hell!” Excuse me, what? What does your gayness and Trump have anything to do with this? It almost looks like an SNL skit.
Ruff resigned today, after being on administrated leave since the incident a few weeks ago.  Given the state of affairs in this country broadly, and within academia especially, this might be the most shocking aspect to the story.
Full story from when it broke HERE
The video is 18 minutes but you only need to watch the first six. There’s language.

Friday was (another) Rigid Rant. At this point someone should be coming up with a soap opera for Italian TV called, “The Young and The Rigid.”

“They are rigid people living a double life: They make themselves look good, sincere, but when no one sees them, they do ugly things…When I say this, I think of the many young people in the Church today who have fallen into the temptation of rigidity. Some are sincere, they are good. We have to pray that the Lord might help them to grow along the path of meekness.” Others, he said, “use rigidity in order to cover over weakness, sin, personality problems; and they use rigidity” to build themselves up while sacrificing others. HERE

I’ve already written a bunch of times about Francis’ belief that living the gospel is impossible – that the Commandments are merely “ideals”. This position was specifically condemned at Trent. I’m not getting into that again here.  My purpose today is to expose and correct the notion that rigidity is opposed to meekness. On the contrary, rigidity is intrinsic to the nature of meekness.
Saturday, Francis had more on meekness . You might have missed it, because it was buried in the same talk under the MOAB comments.

In his response to the third question, posed by a youth named Luca who asked how the switch from violence to non-violence can be made, Francis pointed to the virtue of “meekness.” Violence is everywhere, and not just in wars, he said, noting that words can also harm… Using a phrase he has on several previous occasions, the Pope said the “terrorism of gossip” is the most dangerous in this regard, and told the youth that “if you are tempted to say something about someone, to gossip about another, bite your tongue.” This also goes for insults.

The violence of insults. Says Francis the Insult Machine.

The remedy for this, he said, is meekness, which “doesn’t mean to be stupid, it means to act in peace, with tranquility, to say things in a way that doesn’t hurt. We need to re-learn this, to find it again in our lives. Always with meekness, always with that meek attitude that is opposite of violence.” The answer also bled into another question asked by Aluizio, a teacher who asked the Pope what can be done to educate youth in becoming artisans of peace. Francis said the answer is much the same as the previous, and consists of teaching youth how to be meek and listen to others… HERE

No, meekness is not the opposite of violence. But yes, meekness does imply peace and tranquility. So where in the world can we turn for a reliable definition of meekness?
Ding ding ding. That’s right, The Second Epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy. The entire letter is a lesson in meekness.  I’m willing to bet that when you got up this morning, you had no idea you were going to read an entire book of the bible today. Well, sweet 2 Tim is only four short chapters, and you don’t even need to click a link, because I’m going to paste the whole thing right here.
The common misunderstanding of meekness as being timid, unassertive, accommodating, etc. is a construct of 1960s hippy Jesus flower power felt banner faux nuChurch. Do you really think the creator of the universe, Jesus, consubstantial with the Father, the God of the Old Testament, could in any way be described as UNASSERTIVE?
Meekness is a bearing. It’s about patience but also persistence. It’s about submission, but always in submitting your own will to the will of God, never to the will of men. It’s about wielding power in a restrained manner, but wielding it nonetheless. It’s about operating as Moses did. He said so himself:

“For Moses was a man exceeding meek above all men that dwelt upon earth” Numbers 12:3

Saint Paul neatly teaches on the dual aspect of meekness, the internal and the external. Internal meekness is the bearing of one’s own sufferings for the sake of the gospel. It’s closely related to humility, but it is active, not passive. Think about not just submitting to the suffering but actually wielding the suffering for the greater glory of God. External meekness relates to a patient but persistent bearing with others in your role as evangelist. By its very nature, meekness is rigid:

But the servant of the Lord must not wrangle: but be mild towards all men, apt to teach, patient, With modesty admonishing them that resist the truth: if peradventure God may give them repentance to know the truth, And they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will. I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.  For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. But be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober. 2 Tim 2:24-26, 4:1-5

Please go on and read it all. Paul weaves back and forth between his own trials and his instructions to Timothy. Examples of meekness and directions for meekness. You can feel the personal connection he has to Timothy and the church in his care.
It’s short, you can do it.

The Second Epistle of Saint Paul to Timothy

Chapter 1. He admonishes him to stir up the grace he received by his ordination and not to be discouraged at his sufferings, but to hold firm the sound doctrine of the gospel.

[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. [2] To Timothy my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord. [3] I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing, I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day. [4] Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy, [5] Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also.
[6] For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands. [7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety. [8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God, [9] Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world. [10] But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel:

[10] “By the illumination”: That is, by the bright coming and appearing of our Saviour.

[11] Wherein I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles. [12] For which cause I also suffer these things: but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day.[13] Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus. [14] Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us. [15] Thou knowest this, that all they who are in Asia, are turned away from me: of whom are Phigellus and Hermogenes.
[16] The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he hath often refreshed me, and hath not been ashamed of my chain: [17] But when he was come to Rome, he carefully sought me, and found me. [18] The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou very well knowest.

Chapter 2. He exhorts him to diligence in his office and patience in suffering. The danger of the delusions of heretics.

[1] Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus: [2] And the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also. [3] Labour as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [4] No man, being a soldier to God, entangleth himself with secular businesses; that he may please him to whom he hath engaged himself. [5] For he also that striveth for the mastery, is not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
[6] The husbandman, that laboureth, must first partake of the fruits. [7] Understand what I say: for the Lord will give thee in all things understanding. [8] Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel. [9] Wherein I labour even unto bands, as an evildoer; but the word of God is not bound. [10] Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory.
[11] A faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall live also with him. [12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. [13] If we believe not, he continueth faithful, he can not deny himself. [14] Of these things put them in mind, charging them before the Lord. Contend not in words, for it is to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
[16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they grow much towards ungodliness. [17] And their speech spreadeth like a canker: of whom are Hymeneus and Philetus: [18] Who have erred from the truth, saying, that the resurrection is past already, and have subverted the faith of some. [19] But the sure foundation of God standeth firm, having this seal: the Lord knoweth who are his; and let every one depart from iniquity who nameth the name of the Lord. [20] But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earth: and some indeed unto honour, but some unto dishonour.
[21] If any man therefore shall cleanse himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and profitable to the Lord, prepared unto every good work. [22] But flee thou youthful desires, and pursue justice, faith, charity, and peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. [23] And avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they beget strifes. [24] But the servant of the Lord must not wrangle: but be mild towards all men, apt to teach, patient,[25] With modesty admonishing them that resist the truth: if peradventure God may give them repentance to know the truth,
[26] And they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will.

Chapter 3. The character of heretics of latter days. He exhorts Timothy to constancy. Of the great profit of the knowledge of the scriptures.

[1] Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. [2] Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, [3] Without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, [4] Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God: [5] Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.
[6] For of these sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, who are led away with divers desires: [7] Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth. [8] Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. [9] But they shall proceed no farther; for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as theirs also was. [10] But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,
[8] “Jannes and Mambres”: The magicians of king Pharao.
[11] Persecutions, afflictions: such as came upon me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra: what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me. [12] And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. [13] But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse: erring, and driving into error. [14] But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned them; [15] And because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
[16] All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice, [17] That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.
[16] “All scripture,”: Every part of divine scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But, if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures, which Timothy knew from his infancy, that is, with the Old Testament alone: nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles, and the interpretation of the church, to which the apostles delivered both the book, and the true meaning of it.

Chapter 4. His charge to Timothy. He tells him of his approaching death and desires him to come to him.

[1] I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: [2] Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. [3] For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: [4] And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. [5] But be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober.

[5] “An evangelist”: a diligent preacher of the gospel.

[6] For I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand. [7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. [8] As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. Make haste to come to me quickly. [9] For Demas hath left me, loving this world, and is gone to Thessalonica: [10] Crescens into Galatia, Titus into Dalmatia.
[11] Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. [12] But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. [13] The cloak that I left at Troas, with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, especially the parchments. [14] Alexander the coppersmith hath done me much evil: the Lord will reward him according to his works: [15] Whom do thou also avoid, for he hath greatly withstood our words.
[16] At my first answer no man stood with me, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their charge. [17] But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that by me the preaching may be accomplished, and that all the Gentiles may hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. [18] The Lord hath delivered me from every evil work: and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. [19] Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. [20] Erastus remained at Corinth. And Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.
[21] Make haste to come before winter. Eubulus and Pudens, and Linus and Claudia, and all the brethren, salute thee. [22] The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

The spending plan agreed to by Trump, praised by Pence, and passed yesterday:
Funded Obamacare
Funded Planned Parenthood
Funded EPA at 99%
Didn’t fund the Wall
Didn’t fund ICE task force
Nothing is going to change.  The republic is dead.  Stop being surprised. Yes, you had a moral duty to vote for Trump, but only in order to stop her. Only in order for more souls to possibly have a chance to achieve heaven. This never had anything to do with #MAGA, and you can go back to my original post where I laid out the case for Trump, and I said it right in that post.   You had no right to expect anything to really change. Or should I say, there was, is, and ever will be, until the war comes, absolutely no logical reason for you to think any of this is going to change. #draintheswamp is a myth.
There is one party, the oligarch party, and you’re not part of it. Do yourself a favor and get your head around this. Also helpful is to understand the inevitability of the “healthcare” crisis (and it’s way bigger than Obamacare), and  the inevitability of the overall financial crisis, which involves national debt, the global economy, the laughably overbought stock market, ZIRP, and all the major banks being insolvent. All the information is out there, folks.
So stay confessed, rededicate yourself to growing in holiness, and do what you can with your family to ensure they are on the right path. None of the rest of this stuff matters.

God createth Heaven and Earth, and all things therein, in six days.

[1] In the beginning God created heaven, and earth. [2] And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. [3] And God said: Be light made. And light was made. [4] And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. [5] And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.
[6] And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters. [7] And God made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so. [8] And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day. [9] God also said: Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear. And it was so done. [10] And God called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

[6] “A firmament”: By this name is here understood the whole space between the earth, and the highest stars. The lower part of which divideth the waters that are upon the earth, from those that are above in the clouds.

[11] And he said: Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done.[12] And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And the evening and the morning were the third day. [14] And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: [15] To shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done.
[16] And God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night: and the stars. [17] And he set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth. [18] And to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And the evening and morning were the fourth day. [20] God also said: Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.

[16] “Two great lights”: God created on the first day, light, which being moved from east to west, by its rising and setting, made morning and evening. But on the fourth day he ordered and distributed this light, and made the sun, moon, and stars. The moon, though much less than the stars, is here called a great light, from its giving a far greater light to the earth than any of them.

[21] And God created the great whales, and every living and moving creature, which the waters brought forth, according to their kinds, and every winged fowl according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth. [23] And the evening and morning were the fifth day. [24] And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and every thing that creepeth on the earth after its kind. And God saw that it was good.
[26] And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. [27] And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. [29] And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat: [30] And to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. And it was so done.

[26] “Let us make man to our image”: This image of God in man, is not in the body, but in the soul; which is a spiritual substance, endued with understanding and free will. God speaketh here in the plural number, to insinuate the plurality of persons in the Deity.

[28] “Increase and multiply”: This is not a precept, as some Protestant controvertists would have it, but a blessing, rendering them fruitful; for God had said the same words to the fishes, and birds, (ver. 22) who were incapable of receiving a precept.

[31] And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.
Genesis 1:1-31
You have to love how God, right up front, wanted to show us how awesome He is, by creating light a full three days before He got around to creating the sun, moon and stars. So the essence of light comes first, then the physical manifestation of light comes later. He then goes on to create man, first with the soul or spiritual substance of man in His own image, then later (in Chapter 2) the physical manifestation in the form of Adam and Eve.
And it is immediately following the creation of the soul of mankind, before even the creation of the body, that God commanded that we should have DOMINION over the whole earth. Verse 26, bada bing. Could He make it any more clear? The root of dominion is dominus. That’s the opposite of earth-worship… it means we are lord over the earth.
Happy Earth Day!
 
 

He chose to empty Himself of glory and enter into the depths of human suffering to redeem it and to be one with every person who suffers.

— Bishop Olmsted (@BishopOlmsted) April 14, 2017

Exactly. His emptying of self was not an accident, nor a sideshow. It’s the keystone and the model we are supposed to follow as best we can.

As happens occasionally but not often, Good Friday fell on March 25 this year, the Feast of the Annunciation.  In the Catholic Church, at least the Latin Rite, the Annunciation is transferred to today, April 4th, the first day after the Easter Octave. But despite the transfer, the fact remains that they actually occurred on the same day this year.
Much has been written on this occasional convergence.  We are concerned here with the central theme that runs through the events of these two days, and it is THE concept that is the keystone of true conversion: Emptying of self.

You could say that emptying of self is the pathway, or the doorway, or even the ladder of true conversion, and you wouldn’t be wrong.  But keystone is more accurate, because emptying of self isn’t just what gets you there, it is what keeps you there. It’s the thing that holds everything else in place.  The stone that the builders rejected, which has become the Cornerstone, desires that we embrace the keystone.
Let’s break down the events of the day.  God provides models in Our Lord and Our Lady.
The Annunciation and Mary’s fiat:  The angel announces what is about to go down.  How often, as I contemplate this mystery, I try to get inside Mary’s head.  This angel just delivered the single biggest mind blowing message of all time.  And it wasn’t over; a response was required, because God imposes His will on no one.  Scripture reveals her response was immediate, and it was a complete emptying of self. “Be it done unto me.”  Complete trust in the Lord.  No qualifying questions back to the angel before she said yes.  Just total self-denial and acceptance of God’s will.  Has there been a better example of Prudence and Courage in all of human history?  How far we would advance if we could each practice these virtues just a little bit every day.  God, being God, could have chosen to redeem the world in any way He pleased.  But because His love for us is so intense, He chose the way that would best help us understand and obey.
The Incarnation:  Now it’s God’s turn.  The Incarnation is the literal outpouring of God Himself into our humanity.  In this instant, He became one of us in all ways except sin, by emptying Himself in a way that we can scarcely contemplate. His Divine Nature was united to His (our) human nature in a way that was real and substantial, yet not commingled, with each retaining its own properties HERE. This is the John 3:16 moment.   If Mary’s fiat was a demonstration of Prudence and Courage for the ages, Christ’s Incarnation is the model of Humility par excellence. Anything less would not have been good enough for our sake, so what excuse have we?
The Agony: Fast forward 33 years. We arrive at the Garden, where Christ’s anguish is NOT METAPHORICALLY demonstrated in His sweating blood.  Bursting capillaries caused by human stress.  And no, our Lord was not a coward in any way. “Let this cup pass” was not some cowardly request from a fraidy cat Jesus who suddenly changed His mind about the whole deal.  While it is possible He did experience fear of physical pain, in so much as He was fully human, and fear of physical pain is a natural human emotion, He was not trying to “get out of it”.  He was, at this moment, contemplating what was to come, while at the same time bearing the weight of every sin ever committed and ever to be committed. Not only that, but it seems likely that Jesus in this moment was contemplating in a particular way the souls of the damned.  Here he was about to undergo this tortuous death, and yet a multitude of beloved souls through the ages would choose to ignore it.  That had to hurt, don’t you think? HERE“Yet not my will, but thine be done” is a complete emptying of Jesus’ human nature in subservience to His Divine Nature and God the Father.
The Way of the Cross:  From the anguish of the Garden, we pass to the relative serenity of the Via. Not that it was a serene scene; it was brutal every step of the way.  Rather, I’m referring here to Christ’s demeanor, His bearing. It was one of relative serenity compared with the Garden and the contrast is worthy of reflection. Isn’t it likely that His focus here shifted from that of the damned to those beloved souls He was about to save?  Here he becomes the Lamb, His total submission was in His emptying.  Emptying at the beating, at the trials, at the pillar, at the crowning, at the stripping, at the mocking, at the carrying, at the falling, and at the nailing.  If you can watch Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, I don’t care if you’re watching it for the tenth time, and I don’t care what kind of bad ass you think you are, I don’t care if you are Marine Infantry EOD… if you can watch that movie without sobbing like a four year old girl, you have not sufficiently emptied yourself.
The Crucifixion:  For this He was born, for this He came into the world.  The Annunciation, Incarnation, Passion and Death of Jesus Christ are all tied together on His lips. Nearly dead at this point, Jesus is hoisted aloft.  If you’ve never read a physical account of the Crucifixion, you need to HERE  As the tree was the instrument of our fall, so it is the instrument of our redemption, with the complete emptying of Jesus upon it.  A spiritual emptying of the God-man, and the physical emptying as well. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”
I repeat: God, being God, could have chosen to redeem the world in any way He pleased. But because His love for us is so intense, He chose the way that would best help us understand and obey.
True conversion can only begin when you take the decision to empty yourself.  It cannot be conditional.  It must be total submission.  That’s when God will begin His work in you.  And it’s the most liberating thing you will ever experience, like chains being thrown off.
It’s not just a path, a door, or a ladder.  It is the keystone you must work to perfect everyday.

The dual betrayals of Judas and Peter offer to us some instructive lessons on juridical culpability – a topic that you might say has been in the news lately as it relates to marriage, adultery, fornication and the like in Chapter 8 of AL. The differences are grounded in motive, intent, premeditation, and remorse.  Really only the first three play into culpability, but the fourth is worth noting for contrast as well.  Let’s examine these elements as they apply to Judas and Peter.
Remember, we are only comparing culpability, not gravity.  The sin of Judas would seem to be far more grave, in that he actually handed over the Son of God.  Peter’s thrice denial and swearing of oaths would not seem to be as serious, but it is no light matter. Regardless, what we are contrasting here is only culpability. Also, I’m not a lawyer, canon, civil, or otherwise. You don’t really need to be; the concepts just aren’t that hard. This is going to be a bit of a mash-up of moral theology and civil law, but hopefully you will get the point.
Motive:  Judas was motivated material greed, and probably revenge.  Peter was motivated by primal fear. Do you see which is worse?
Intent:  In secular law, this is known as the concept of mens rea (“guilty mind”) and refers to what degree the perp personally desired the bad outcome. In moral theology we would speak of giving our assent to the sin. Judas directly intended the result he orchestrated, which makes his culpability very high. Peter was acting/reacting to events as they unfolded, and, overcome with fear, may not have even been conscience of the seriousness of his actions, which reduces his culpability potentially to zero.
Premeditation:  This refers to weather the action was planned out in advance.  The fancy term is “malice aforethought.”  Remember I said Judas was motivated by greed but also probably by revenge? That’s because it’s likely he started plotting all the way back in John 6. At the very height of Jesus’ popularity, and therefore the popularity of His apostles, He delivers the Bread of Life discourse, and the multitude desert Him. It’s at this very moment that the betrayal of Judas is mentioned (John 6:65, 71-72). Judas was probably both embarrassed at the teaching and enraged over the lost popularity and prospect for riches. It seems appropriate it was in this moment he began to plot his revenge. Contrast this to Peter, who only acted in the heat of the moment. Do you see which is worse?
Remorse: In the moral realm we would call this “contrition.”  Whether or not you are found culpable for a crime/sin, you can’t be forgiven for it without contrition. This means not only being truly sorry, but it’s also bound up in the idea of having a firm purpose of amendment – to not want it ever to happen again. Judas is sorry, but he’s not sorry about what he did nor the end result of his actions.  If he was sorry about the result, he still had time to try to intervene, but he didn’t. No, Judas was sorry FOR HIMSELF. He was sorry about how the result affected him. Selfish to the end, he commits the ultimate act of selfishness and hangs himself.  In sharp contrast, Peter’s contrition is like a bolt of lightning.  As the cock crows, he is made acutely aware of what he has done, by remembering the words of our Lord, and he is devastated by his own betrayal, and he is fully contrite, and all of this happens in the same instant.
I’m out of time, but let me just tie this back to Amoris Laetitia. Someone who willfully commits mortal sin (all three conditions are present), is not contrite, and does not intend to amend their life, is 100% culpable for their actions. There is no such thing as “concrete situations” by which “accompaniment and discernment” can mitigate the facts of the matter. There is no such thing as God’s laws being impossible to keep. There is no such thing as God’s laws changing to confirm to “differing cultural norms”. There is no such thing as objective, intentional, repeated mortal sin being reduced to zero culpability and actually becoming (!) a moral good “for the sake of the children.”  This is simple situational ethics, and it’s always wrong.

Sometimes the strange cha- cha- changes just slap you in the face in a way that brings such clarity, there is no need for further comment. I have written a few times about the gutting of the Breviary as a most devastating development for the faith, as all the powerful prayers/Psalms calling down God”s vengeance have been expunged. So 95% of the world’s religious are no longer saying these prayers. Do you think that might have something to do with something?
Every Catholic in the world who attended Mass today and prayed the Communion Antiphon made an effort to get God’s attention and action. Which of the two forms do you think appealed more to God?
Mass propers for Monday of Holy Week:
2017 COMMUNION ANTIPHON  Cf. Ps 102 (101): 3
Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Turn your ear towards me; on the day when I call, speedily answer me.
1962 COMMUNION ANTIPHON (Ps. 34:26)
Let all who rejoice at my misfortune be put to shame and confounded. Let those who speak maliciously of me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
Just sayin’.

You have a duty to fish for souls, whether you like it or not. We have to pick and choose our spots. Francis isn’t making it easy, but that’s no excuse.
The Passion and death of Jesus Christ is a historical reality. It is easily verified through secular non-biblical sources. It requires zero faith to accept this reality, so it’s a really good starting place for evangelizing.
Here is what I put on my personal facebook status today. Maybe you can try something similar to grab the attention of all your pagan friends.  You kind of owe it to them.

Happy Palm Sunday!  The Passion and death of Jesus Christ is not a fairy tale.  It is a historical reality and easily verifiable from many non-biblical sources of the time, including non-believers. You can choose to ignore it, but you can’t claim it didn’t happen.  Why did it happen? Because Christ willed that He would take on the punishment due for your sins, so that you might someday enter heaven to be with Him forever.  No one ever merits heaven on their own. There is no such thing as being “good enough” to get there, apart from Christ’s sacrifice.  Think about how enormous the weight of the sins of all humanity past present and future, that the appropriate counterbalance to blot out this guilt was for God Himself to come down from heaven and be executed.  It is only by the merits of the Cross, and by uniting your sufferings to it, and finally amending your life by cooperating with the sanctifying grace which God is offering to you every second of every day. Stop trying to do it all on your own, and admit that you can’t.  How many more years are you going to waste trying to focus on “positive energy”, being “true to yourself”, or following the gospel according to Whitney Houston, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” Please stop.  The way out of this is exactly the opposite: You empty yourself. Dying to self and having that singular moment of clarity where you finally hand it all over to Christ, even while knowing you still aren’t really ready. You don’t need a plan, you don’t need to know how to be “holy”, and you certainly don’t need anyone’s permission.  Be advised that it’s a life-long project, and you will still fall many, many times.  We all remain sinners on the journey, and no one ever out-holies the need for a Savior. I know it’s scary, but you have to work up the courage. It’s only scary because you don’t know what comes next. Let Him take care of that for you. Prayers to all who read this; have a blessed Holy Week.

Amoris Laetitia was published one year ago today.  In the dumb way we in the States write the date (month first, then day), it was 04/08/16, which always seemed to me to have some weird numerology thing going on.
We knew it was going to be bad, we just didn’t know the exact words. What many of us expected was ensuing war, and the fact that this hasn’t happened is the saddest part of the whole saga.
Here is what I posted on the eve of the release of the document. How silly of me to expect SOME bishops to stand up for the truth.  How many would be willing to wage total war for the sake of Christ and His Church? Could we expect at least one percent of the episcopacy to stand and fight?  Well, no, that would have been aiming too high. I’m still astonished to the point of not being to admit naivete.