Succumbing To Darkness

"In 1248 it happened at Paris that a cleric was to preach before a synod of bishops; and while he was considering what he should say, the devil appeared to him. "tell them this alone, " the devil said. "The Princes of infernal darkness offer the princes of the Church their greetings. We thank them heartily for leading their charges to us and commend the fact that due to their negligence almost the entire world is succumbing to darkness." Excerpt from Guide to St. Thomas Aquinas by Josef PieperWith the recent vote in Ireland a once devoutly Catholic country, to normalize relationships ordered to sodomy, rather than marital love, I think we can say that the world is succumbing to darkness. The absence of a life of in union with Christ in prayer and sacrifice tends to drive a culture to collapse. When there is an absence of prayer at the highest level of the Church, there is an absence of union with Christ. A genuine disconnect from the mind of Christ and the absence of the Holy Spirit soon follows. We now know that many bishops neither believe the Church's teaching on Marriage, nor nature's truth in regards. Cardinal Casper for example seems to think that there can be debate about what marriage actually is:"when we debate about marriage and family, we have to listen to the people that live this reality. There is a sensum fidelium. It cannot be decided only from the top, from the hierarchy of the Church, especially you cannot quote old texts from the past century, we have to observe today's situation, make a discernment of the Spirit, and reach concrete results. I believe this is the Pope's approach, while many others depart from the doctrine and use then a more deductive method.”The recently appointed Fr. Timothy Radcliffe is really not clear on the Church's teaching on same sex unions, sodomy, or true marriage:"We cannot begin with the question of whether it is permitted or forbidden! We must ask what it means, and how far it is Eucharistic. Certainly it can be generous, vulnerable, tender, mutual and non-violent. So in many ways, I would think that it can be expressive of Christ’s self-gift....This is not to denigrate committed love of people of the same sex. This too should be cherished and supported, which is why church leaders are slowly coming to support same-sex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love."We find ourselves just after a Synod having this discussion in a different place and time the Church finds herself enjoying the same problems. Sinners and Saints some vying for holiness others to hard hearted to concern themselves with the journey. There is no arguing the point, that the loudest and most powerful voices in the Church today are the heretics. They were then as well. It took the holy contemplation of a saint, who was not a saint at the time, St. Thomas Aquinas to shut them down and to give to the Church the gift of his work. He took on the heretics directly rebuking their arguments. But he did not simply rebuke them, he prayed, he prayed for them. It was not simply a question of victory, rather, it was a question of truth and the conversion of hearts. The Homoheresy is in full swing in the Church. It will not be defeated by slick videos and mainstreaming  Catholicism. It will be defeated by holiness of life. It will be defeated by prayer, mortification, fasting, and sacrifice. Darkness cannot outlast the light. Our hearts can be hard even if we are telling the "truth." Be certain that you are compelled not by the desire to win but, by the desire for truth, conversion of heart, and charity to prevail."And they watched Him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.  And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with Anger, grieved at their HARDNESS OF HEART, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored." Mk. 3: 2-5Are we not today confronted by so many Churchmen who seem to share this same hardness of heart toward the gospel? Do we not suppose that Jesus looks at them with anger, grieved by their hardness of heart? At times it certainly does seem like the darkness is closing in. The hierarchy of the Church is calling for the blessing of same sex union in some countries and regularizing them as "marriage" in others. While the vatican and the bishops of those countries either have little to say or are pushing the agenda themselves. That is the definition of darkness. But Christ is the light that conquers that darkness. He gives us a good reminder in the gospel of John:"I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to GOd. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them......Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the counselor will not come to you: but if I go, I will send him to you. And when He comes, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because  they do not believe in me: of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and yo will see me no more: of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." Christ is the light and the light conquers the darkness. The ruler of this world is "judged." IN other words, victory is Christ's. Does that mean we do not have to do anything, just set it on cruise and let the Holy Spirit do all of the work? No! You have to be holy. Dig into your prayer life, read, and frequently receive the sacraments. Ask Christ how you are called to be holy during this time of the darkness in the Church. Pray about it. I guarantee you St. Thomas did. He did not spend his days worrying or fretting over what might happen as a result of those bishops and priests who as a result of their hard hearts neither believed the true faith, nor preached it. He simply, prayed, worshipped, sacrificed, and lived the faith. Which led to his repudiation of those in his time, even the hierarchy.Even if it seems that the world around us is succumbing to darkness, let us not be overtaken by it ourselves. Do not collapse because of Card. Kasper and Ratcliffe, they are dopey and they simply do not believe the faith of the Church. Their hardness of heart, has Christ looking upon them in anger as I write this. Take a couple of deep breaths and remember that. And then repudiate them every chance you get, with goodness, truth, and beauty! Let your life and your words, be witness to the gospel. Live it in courage! Be holy, trust in Christ's salvific work, embrace the suffering of the Cross, and then do what you are called to do publicly to witness to the truth of the faith in charity. Calling those hard hearted pharisees to conversion! Be not afraid! Be Holy, Not Worldly.Pray the Rosary Daily!Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy On Us!

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