By way of comparison, Our Lord used his own 'Trojan Horse' strategy to strip hades (death) and satan of their spoils. He took a human nature and flesh from the Virgin's womb so that by dying He could pass through the gates of the netherworld. The 'Gospel' of Nicodemus, an ancient Christian text, piously narrates this tradition. We profess our faith in this truth every Sunday when we pray the Creed, "... He descended into hell."
Some disciples adored the Risen Christ, yet others doubted. All had difficulty recognizing Him. Why? His appearance is clearly different. He chooses to remain with us in His mysteries. Thus, our focus should be on how He is present at Mass – by faith and by the power of the Holy Ghost. Sadly, many aspects of the Mew Mass deform our belief in the Mass and our understanding of what it means to participate in the Mass. Pay special attention to Our Lady's role in the Mass and participate in the Mass after her example.
St. Paul of the Cross (April 28 feast day) preached Christ crucified unceasingly. In particular, he prayed for England to return to the Faith. Surely his intercession played a role in the conversion of John Henry Newman. Yet on April 18, Anglican "ministers"–including women–held a heretical service at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. The ceremony was led by a fake bishop who is divorced and "remarried" and a known Freemason. The idolatry of pachamama took place in 2019 at St. Peter's. Now we have sinful rituals upon the altar of the Mother of all Churches in the entire Catholic world. [...]
One reason Catholic missionaries had great success is because they preached "the word of the dead man on the wood." This differs greatly from the false gospels of riches, greatness and wonders. But Catholics today are so accustomed to the easy life that we can't relate to such a God. Sacrifice is the only thing that matters for the Catholic because it is the only way for us to be made like Christ. So why do we consistently refuse it? See sacrifice not as a burden to carry, but as God's badge of honor.
God unceasingly offers us gifts. He gives all men natural gifts, but the ‘perfect’ gifts He bestows are supernatural gifts. For example, He gives truth (through the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church). How necessary is this gift, especially as we live amidst so much error, deceits and misinformation. Powerful forces are even compelling us to accept things which are clearly not true. The world, the secular media, even many in the Church hierarchy believe they can create truth. Let us instead pray for the grace to love what God commands and to desire what God promises.
The world is not at peace because man has forgotten God and systematically removed Him. We are imbued with distraction that focus on self; so we are slow to hear and swift to anger. Anger darkens our judgment, prevents prayer, and leads to resentment - even depression and despair. The angry man always thinks he is right. Yet anger is a waste of time, energy, and sacrifice. Anger gives a place to the devil and opens the door to many additional sins. It even hurts us more than that which caused the anger. Consider the following remedies: [1] Do you best [...]
By His Incarnation and Death, Our Lord employed a 'Trojan horse' type strategy. In His human nature, Christ could suffer and die. Contending with Death, Christ descended into, and conquered, the netherworld. His spoils of victory were the holy souls from the Limbo of the Fathers. The traditional doctrine of Christ's 'descent into hell' is summarized by four main points. These dispel the blasphemous error, in vogue today, that Christ suffered fire and despair in hell, similar to the souls lost for all eternity.
The mission of the Holy Ghost is to bring Christ's work of redemption to fulfillment. He brings to souls the grace merited by Our Savior in His Passion and Death. He judges the world as to wether one believes and accepts - or rejects - Christ. Just as our Lady cooperated uniquely with Christ in Redemption, so she cooperates uniquely with the Holy Ghost in His mission, particularly through her apparition at at Fatima. She comes to warn the world of sin and judgment. She also brings the grace of her Son in a beautiful and special way, through devotion to [...]
In Proverbs, Solomon asks “Who shall find a valiant woman?” Ultimately, Solomon is speaking of the Catholic Church. Commenting on Lamentations, St. Albert notes it too refers to the search for a valiant woman, a kind of test which reveals and purifies. We can find this woman, but do we value her? The saints teach the whole world was created by God for the sake of the Church. The Church is the goal of all things and there is no salvation without her. All things are willed, or permitted, by God for the good of the Church. When Our Lord speaks of a treasure hidden in a field, [...]
God's best gifts come from above. They are perfect and unchanging. They make us more like Him. We are to conform our lives to them. Motherhood is one such gift. It is sacred and unchanging. However, our fallen world is doing much to try to change, devalue, even destroy motherhood. It is so great a gift that God provides us with two spiritual mothers: Our Lady and the Church. It is through them that God chooses to transmit His life (grace) to us. A mother [1] gives life and she [2] nourishes life. She must also strive to [3] bring the life of [...]
