The Lord of the Rings

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

Rick Santorum's Presidential Campaign, in Memorium

Rick Santorum withdrew from the Republican Presidential Primary this morning.


A moment of silence, please.....

I need to grieve yet another little death of my American idealism and optimism. Once again, as a conservative Christian, my hopes for my beloved country are dashed. I know that, somehow with Rick’s step down, millions of more babies will be murdered in their mother’s womb, our social justice system will become more corrupt, our children will be destined to be raised in a culture of immorality and death. I do not see another candidate who shares my passion for reversing the roots of the problem, only candidates who want to bandage a few of the symptoms.


Rick’s withdrawal from the race seems a symbolic marker in the downward spiral of the U.S. from which I cannot see a possible reversal in my lifetime.

... I didn’t even get to cast a vote for him because I live in North Carolina and the republican primary isn’t until May.

I am furious at Americans, I am heartbroken for America and yet, amidst all the pain.... in the end, I rejoice as a Christian.

My Fury at Americans

This is our fault, citizens. We can't blame the demise of our country on the government when most people do not give enough of a damn to become educated and informed and then go out and vote. We are lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor, naked and blind Laodiceans. We are foolish, slumbering and unfaithful virgins.

We need to awake and realize that we, as conservative Christians are being manipulated as puppets by our system. The progressives (or should I write “the dark forces” with the anti-life, anti-family, anti-Christian agenda) do everything to split the Christian vote by dividing Christian values between the Democrat and Republican platforms--social justice for the poor on the Democrat side, and life/family issues on the Republican side to make sure we are always fighting against each other. Christian unity is the greatest fear of the progressives.

Then big business and their front group--the politicians--patronize and manipulate the voters by throwing in a couple candidates in the primaries that Christians can get behind to give us the the illusion that we have the freedom of choice. Then the progressives massively fund their candidates and so it appears when the conservatives were beaten, it was all fair and square.

Then the Presidential race is always between two “moderates” who really have the same agenda, yet whose promises are different enough that we are told, as patriots, we must vote for the lesser of the two evils. And both are so entrenched with the progressives that the winners will bow to DC’s powers as soon as the hand comes off the Bible at their inauguration.

It’s all about money, and we are being played like a stupid but sweet-sounding violin by big business. We are lulled to sleep by the dark forces of propaganda. We are dupes, enslaved by a system that promises freedom, but instead gives us entertainment and inspiring songs of patriotism.

What will it take to awaken us and force us to care? If we look back at history, we will ignore plague after plague and we won’t act until the winds of dark forces sweep through our homes and kill our firstborn.


My Heartbreak for America

Unfortunately, as hard as we try, we will never be able to really fix this. Our problem isn’t that our system is being abused and we need to return to more “freedom.” This is the erroneous premise of the Tea Party. We don’t need more freedom, we need more holiness. The problem is sin. And you can never get where you want to go on the wrong road. You must form your conscience, your life, upon a true premise in order to get to the fullness of Truth. America’s foundation is flawed.

We teach that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are God-given rights.

Wrong.

The idea of “God-given rights” is an insidious, pride-producing, mind-warping, intoxicant of Satan to raise up an army of anti-Christs.

Those rights are not in the Bible nor found anywhere in Christian historical teachings. Those are the rights of the arrogant gods of the Enlightenment.

God-given rights are a myth. Freedom to do what we want is a myth. Just on its very surface the premise is obviously false. Look at America. It is a complete illogical premise that we are wise enough to know what will make us happy (which, by the way, even the pagan Aristotle realized that man hasn’t the ability to achieve happiness when pursuing it).

God never gave us rights--ever. Life is not ours, it is His. He is life and at every breath that blessing is a loan that we may do His will, not our own pleasure.

God did not die that we may have the freedom to sin. He died that we may have the freedom to quit sinning. We only have one true right and that is to pursue holiness and a clean heart. And that means we throw our illusion of rights back into the face of the Devil and fall at the foot of the Cross in submission to Him.

All life is His vineyard and we are merely stewards of that vineyard. Everything is God’s and we have no intrinsic rights to any of it. We are gifted and honored to be guardians, protectors of God’s garden. He entrusts us with the responsibility to cultivate what is His and bear fruit for His glory.

We will only know joy and freedom when we let go of the idea of “rights” and pursue the Kingdom of heaven with all our hearts.

(Note of clarification: I am speaking of the relationship of rights between man and God. I believe you can make a case for civil religious liberty for humans based upon charity and extending the golden rule, but that is a man to man relationship.) 

Rejoicing as a Christians

In America’s cultural river rapids we Christians are attempting to maneuver through, many of us are horrified to see right ahead a cloud of spray and a deafening roar. We know what that means.... a huge waterfall lay ahead and if we do not all pull together and reverse our course we are going to plunge headfirst to our nation’s death.

Our family gave sacrificially to Rick Santorum's campaign. We prayed fervently for him and his family. We hoped that his presidency would put pressure on America’s bleeding economy, the government’s financial irresponsibility and unconstrained debt. We saw him as actively fighting our culture of death and corruption.

Praying and grieving at mass this morning, the Lord gave me reason to rejoice. He has not abandon us. In fact, America’s suicidal launch into wanton depravity is a controlled fall--because God is still in charge and He is still merciful.

Out of love, He is allowing us to see the fruits of our choices. The problem is that we pray for miraculous interference in order that we do not have to experience the consequences of our passivity, our desire for comfort and bounty. In the end, Christianity becomes confused and broken. For true joy and freedom God wants us to be unified by effort and struggle. This cannot happen when we are not allowed to see the fruits of our choices.

Humans must eat the fruits of our choices. We must learn that what we sew we will reap. God is not withdrawing His blessings and mercy to harm us but that we may see sin and its destruction. It is for our eternal education. He is calling us to repent.

What are we supposed to be seeing?

God is showing us that in a global, historical perspective, all human government will fail. Sin has made us unable to successfully rule ourselves and our fellow man. Autonomy fails, anarchy fails, independence fails, self-rule fails--secular governments of dictators, republics, democracies, socialism, communism, oligarchies--all fail. Theocracies and dynasties and monarchies based in wrong gods also fail. No matter how sincerely and intelligently begun--all eventually enslave.

God is patiently waiting for us to feel the utter failure of our best human effort at government and under our own oppression strangle, cry “uncle.” Actually, until we cry, "Abba Father, Thy will be done." We are being brought to our knees into our own personal and corporate Gethsemane.

He knows we need to discover that in the end, we do not wish for self-governance and autonomy. We will cry out for his Iron Rule and His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Week of Free Promotional Videos from Real Catholic TV

Michael Voris has done more to educate our family about Catholicism than pretty much every thing else we've studied--such as books, Catholic DVDs, RCIA, etc. (With the exception of Chad Mackins and David Brokke--who spent years online debating the faith with us!)

Real Catholic TV--the premium channel--has so many excellent programs--not just for entertainment purposes but for people who truly want to understand Catholicism. For those of you who are sick of television and want to be fed the Word of God and learn about the Mother Church, this is highly recommended. EWTN.com is wonderful too--and I would feel horrible not to recommend them, but they are a more feminine view of Catholicism, Michael and Real Catholic TV builds up the masculine side. It is resetting the men as protector of their own families and the church families. It re-establishes the God-given priestly position of the male. My husband and our two boys are becoming the strong, powerful, understanding and intelligent men of God they were meant to be. As as their wife and mother, I feel more feminine and loved than I ever did before. I LOVE IT!

Watch these promo videos for a taste and then subscribe to the internet channel: Realcatholictv.com


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Armor of God

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Good Friday, by Bishop Dolan

   

Shameless Popery: Good Friday

This post is from:
Shameless Popery: Good Friday
Thanks to, JOE HESCHMEYER 

Good Friday

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him -- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men -- so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.

Matthias Grünewald, The Crucifixion of Christ (1524)

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Andrea Mantegna, Altar of San Veno in Verona, Crucifixion triptych (1459)

"Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.

Pietro Lorenzetti, Shaped Cross (1325)

He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father.

Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.

Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected."

Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls; for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.

Wisdom 2:12-24

My Imaginary Conversation Part II

Part one was about authority. Not a popular way of thinking anymore. Very countercultural. People want to democratically pick their authorities but that is not the way it is in God's kingdom. Our rights fall at the foot of the cross and we then obey Christ and those He appoints.

_____

Catholics have a vastly different vocabulary than Protestants. Words common to us both are understood very differently. Catholicism goes back to the culture and understanding of the first century and is born of Judaism. The way we understand religious words is tied to the past, not todays individualistic, post-enlightement thought.

For example "grace." When I was a Protestant the word wasn't defined as anything other than a good feeling, a type of forgiveness and high-five from God. Catholics see it as the actual power received from heaven to overcome. Grace for a Protestant is more symbolic, for Catholics it is real.

I have found this to be true about so many of Catholic and Protestant differences. Catholics see as real what Protestants see as symbolic-- Peter given the keys to bind and loose; a religious, organized, structured (or visible) church; "take eat this is my body"; "be fruitful and multiply" and on and on.

Catholics do not reject scripture, they just interpret it differently. They see the ways the Father's of the church interpreted scripture in the first few centuries of Christianity more trustworthy than most of those today. We look back to get our answers; Protestants look at today.

We love rituals! We think it is God's love language (after all look at the Old Testament! Look at Jesus at the last supper, His command for baptism and the imagery of prophecies. All very ritualistic.)

We think differently on the very basics. Catholics have throughout the centuries--believed that man must be taught. We must go out and search for wisdom, pursue her and work for her. Wisdom and understanding doesn't flower up within us naturally, it is cultivated by hard work. Protestants tend towards believing that everything should be simple and the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts everything we need to know. (They, of course, also use the Bible.) But their mindset is that we develop spiritually from within and flow out. The individual comes to church to give knowledge and truth to the group, whereas, Catholics go to church to receive knowledge and truth given to the church as a whole.

Protestants see each individual as the final judge of truth, they only trust themselves and their conscience. Catholics teach that the conscience must be cultivated and trained by the church and you can trust God's appointed church to judge truth. It is an individualistic versus community idea. And we see this as firmly rooted in what Christ taught through the Apostles and written in God's Holy Word.

Again.... I am having whole conversations in my head with my family and friends... I doubt they would listen to any of it. So I have them here--or at least make notes of all the conversations I would have if I could.

It took me six years of intensive study (dozens of books, talks--or better said--arguments with priests, listening to online sermons and debates) to "get" Catholicism, so I know I won't be able to do much to open up understanding in a sound bite.

There is a song from a musical with the words, "If they could see you through my eyes, they wouldn't wonder at all. If they could see you through my eyes, I guarantee they would fall.... like I did!" That is how I feel about Catholicism. The doctrines show me a Jesus I never expected. Scary. Powerful. Dominating. Authoritative. Strong enough to carry me when I am weak. Strong enough to heal the sins I fall so easily into. Strong enough to give me supernatural courage to face life and the spiritual battles of each day. Strong enough to make me a saint. Strong enough to make me obey.

And when you encounter that kind of strength, there before you each time you gaze at a crucifix,  you see that He is strong enough to save. Strong enough to have mercy. Strong enough to love.

An Imaginary Conversation with My Family about Catholicism

My family is Seventh-day Adventist. Seventh-day Adventists teach and many believe that in the last days (which to them is imminent) the Catholic Church will spearhead a movement to force all people to go to church on Sunday--and then hunt down, torture and kill Adventists for keeping the Jewish Saturday Sabbath. They believe the Catholic hierarchy is the antichrist and the Whore of Babylon. So, as you can imagine, they are fearful of me now and believe I have fallen to the dark side.

They will not discuss Catholicism with me, for terror of being deceived and that I will cause them to "wander after the beast" and receive the 666 on their foreheads. They actually believe this with all their hearts. And even the more progressive Adventists in my family who are not sure all the SDA "truths" are actually truth, are skeptical and distant. Which breaks my heart because we were at one time, the SDA version of the Osmonds--we were close, sang together publicly.... we had so much fun. Now there is tension and a whole list of censored topics of conversation--to keep me muzzled.

I know they are terrified of my Catholicism. They are hurt and confused. They know, without a doubt, that Catholicism is a child-abusing, alcoholic, Bible-hiding, truth-oppressing, idolatrous cadre of the devil's tyrants. But they think lots of Catholic people are nice!

So, I have constructed a little world of my own in my head which one of them actually has the courage to ask me something about Catholicism. I practice what I will say for I know I will have one shot of about twenty seconds and then they will interrupt and loose focus. I have to hook them in the first few sentences or the opportunity will be lost--the opportunity to lavish on them the love I have received from the Catholic Church and its doctrines. The peace I have received. The courage I have received. The grace I have received.

I guess that I don't have enough faith. If Christ wants to give them the super grace to listen, He can do it and that is what I pray for. I don't want to convert them, just help them give up their fears of Catholicism--to quit seeing us as the "bad" guys. My heart is for Christian unity with them.

Where do you start when up against such misinformation?

In my fantasy world, I would have time to go back to the beginning and show them how everything in the Old Testament was building towards the Messiah. From Genesis onward, the world was being prepared for the mystery of the Incarnation and God with Us. Israel and the Patriarchs were given little pieces, the Moses and the Jewish law--all pointed towards the fulfillment of all--to Christ. God told David that his kingdom would be forever and through his genetic line the Messiah would come.

When Jesus did come, He was constantly being referred to as Son of David, thus fulfilling that promise that David's kingdom would have no end. Jesus established the Kingdom of David and of Heaven here on earth. It came as a seed that would one day become a great tree that encompassed the whole world.

Catholics believe that it was a visible kingdom; a kingdom with God-appointed, God-anointed leaders. The Kingdom of Heaven was there to deal with problems (as Christ commanded that the church be the final say in disputes, Matt. 18: 15-18) it was to be the salt and light shining to the world. He placed Peter in charge, giving him tremendous power--Matt. 16: 18-- just as He put Moses in charge of the Old Testament. The New Testament is establishing an organized religion with leaders: pastors, elders, deacons, etc....

I know organized religion isn't popular--but the Bible clearly sets one up and tells us to be obedient. (Heb. 13; 17; John 15: 20; Acts 16: 4; I Peter 2: 13; Rom. 13:1, 5; 2 Thess. 3:14; James 3: 3; Rev. 3: 3). Over and over the Bible is full of themes of our expected obedience to God's chosen leaders. Children are to obey parents, wives are to obey husbands, slaves to obey masters, and we are all to obey civil law as well as religious leaders. Our culture teaches that God's "rights" are what we should focus on and fight for. However, we never have the right to disobey God's chosen leaders.

What about rotten, stinkin', mean, ornery, blaspheming leaders, are we still to obey them?

Do children still have to obey parents, even if the parent is wrong? (or is perceived to be wrong in a child's eyes?) Do we still have to obey civil authority even when we disagree with Obamacare or traffic lights or government-sponsored wars? Yes, if we have no other choice....

Look for a moment at Israel. It's religious leaders were hardly good; Jesus repeatedly called them a brood of vipers and hypocrites. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 23 that because they sit on Moses seat, "you must obey them and do everything they tell you." And Jesus KNEW that His appointed leaders were placing additional laws on them that He had not given them permission to do. Look at verse four, "They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."

Christ was aware that life isn't fair, at least this life on earth. But we still must obey even the worst of leaders if they are true God-appointed shepherds. Look at the rotten Samson, Saul, David, and the list of ungodly Israel and Judah's leaders in the Old Testament. Some of them made babies to pass through the fires in idolatry to Molech. God's leaders often go astray. Even Jesus disciples were cowardly and one was a thief. On earth, God's kingdom is not governed by the perfect.

I Peter 2: 18-21, "Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."

Well, I would have lost my family long ago.... but this is how I would begin. I would need hundreds of hours to explain how Catholics think and how their religious worldview is vastly different from Protestants....

I would tell them about the most brilliant theological minds of all times being Catholic: Sts. Alexander, Anthony of the desert, Ambrose, Anselm, Augustine, Athanasius, Aquinas.. and those are just the A's! I would talk about the juxtaposition of the mystery and reason I find there, the beauty of the rituals that bring me always humbly to the foot of the cross, the strength and weakness, the unity...

The doctrines are why I am Catholic. But the more I study and believe their Biblically supported doctrines, passed down through the centuries which were given to the church by the Apostles,--I find that I see more and more Catholics who are quietly devoted to the Lord. I overlooked them before because they were not demanding my attention. They were invisibly serving the Lord and making visible things happen without need of recognition.  And how exciting, wonderfully biblical, challenging and grace filled it all is. More than anything else, Catholicism is Christ--the all in all.

The Greater Glory Trailer

I think with the HHS Mandate and religious freedom in America becoming such topics of interest to Catholics that this movie seems very apropos.