Posted on 11/28/2013 6:42:10 AM PST by markomalley
The persecution of Christians tells us that Christ's over evil "is near", over "worldly powers " for whom religion is a "private matter " and who forbid worship of God. Vatican Radio reports that the Pope spoke of a great danger: "universal temptation ." The temptation to give in to the lure of those who want to defeat God, have the better of those who believe in Him. But he who believes has a clear reference point upon which to keep his gaze fixed. It is the story of Jesus, with the trials endured in the desert and then the "many" trials born in his public life , seasoned with " insults " and " slander ," the extreme affront of the Cross , where, however, the prince of the world loses his battle before the resurrection of the Prince of Peace .
At Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis spoke of the final struggle between God and Evil, which the end of year liturgy offers us in these days.
These passages show that the life of Christ in the final upheaval of the world, described in the Gospel, the stakes are greater than the drama represented by natural disasters . "When Jesus speaks of this calamity in another passage he tells us that it will be a profanation of the temple, a desecration of the faith of the people: it will be an abomination, the desolation of an abomination . What is that? It will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God. At that final moment of disaster, it will seem that he shall come upon this world, he will be the master of the world".
Here is the core of the "final test" : the desecration of faith. Which by the way is very clear in what the prophet Daniel suffers, in the story of the first reading : he is thrown to the lions for worshiping God rather than the king . Therefore , the "desolation of abomination" has a specific name , " the prohibition of worship."
"We can not talk about religion, it's a private thing , no? Do not speak of this publicly. Religious signs are removed. We must obey the orders of worldly powers. We can do many things, beautiful things, but not worship God. Prohibition of worship. This is the center of the end . And when we arrive at the fullness - the ' kairos ' of this attitude, when this pagan time has come- then yes , it will be Him: ' And they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory ' . Christians who suffer persecution, prohibition of worship are a prophecy of what will happen to us all . "
Yet , when the " time of the Gentiles are fulfilled" is the time to raise your heads, because the "victory of Jesus Christ" is near. "We should not be afraid , He only asks us for faithfulness and patience. Faithful like Daniel, who was faithful to his God and worshiped God until the end. Patience, so that the hair of our head will not fall off . Thus the Lord has promised . This week we would do well to think of this general apostasy , which is called the prohibition of worship and ask: 'Do I adore the Lord ? Do I adore Jesus Christ, the Lord, or only a little, 'half and half, I play the game of the prince of this world ? ' . Worshiping until the end, with the trust and faithfulness: this is the grace that we ask this week. "
AMEN, “come, Lord Jesus!”
Pope Francis: Times of Persecution Mean the Lord is Near
Worldly powers that wish to make religion something private exists in this world. This was the warning Pope Francis gave this morning during Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
The Holy Father reflected on the first reading where Daniel is thrown in the Lion’s den for praying to God, while the Gospel recalled Jesus’ description of the end of days.
Speaking on the final battle described by Jesus, the Pope said that there is an underlying temptation that will be faced by all which he called “the universal temptation”: the desecration of the temple, the desecration of faith.
“What does this mean? It will be like the triumph of the prince of this world: the defeat of God. It seems that in that final moment of calamity, he will take possession of this world, that he will be the master of this world,” he said.
An example of this desecration of faith can be shown in the book of Daniel who is condemned to death for adoring God. This desecration has a specific name: “the prohibition of worship.”
“[There] religion cannot be spoken of, it is something private, no? Publicly it is not spoken about. Te religious signs are taken down. The laws that come from the worldly powers must be obeyed. You can do so many beautiful things except adore God. Worship is prohibited,” the Pope said.
“This is the center of this end. And when this arrives in its fullness - to the ‘kairos’ of this pagan attitude, when this is fulfilled - then yes, He will come: ‘And they will see the Son of man come on a cloud with great power and glory.’ Christians who have suffered in times of persecution, in times of the prohibition of worship are a prophecy of that which will happen to all.”
Concluding his homily, Pope Francis called on the faithful to be loyal and patient. The times of persecution mean that that the victory of Jesus Christ is near.
“This week it will do us well to think of this general apostasy, which is called the prohibition of adoration and ask ourselves: ‘Do I adore the Lord? Do I adore Jesus Christ, the Lord? Or is it half and half, do I play the play the prince of this world,” he said. “To adore till the end, with loyalty and faithfulness: this is the grace that we should ask for this week.”
Pope: faith is not ‘private,’ worship God firmly despite apostasy and persecution
There are worldly powers that want religion to be simply a private matter and today’s persecuted Christians are a sign of the trials that precede Jesus’ final coming – that’s the message Pope Francis imparted to the faithful gathered for early morning mass Thursday at the Santa Marta Guest house inside the Vatican.
In the final battle between God and evil that we read in the liturgy in these days, there’s a trap which Pope Francis calls “universal temptation.” It’s the temptation to give in to the deceitful ways of those against God. But those with true faith can look to Jesus for the strength to withstand the insidiousness of evil. Jesus, who endured insults and lies in his public life and the trials of evil in the desert, bore them to his death on the Cross. But, as Prince of Peace, Jesus triumphed over the prince of the world through the Resurrection.
In his homily, Pope Francis pointed to these events in Christ’s life because, he said, as we hear the Gospel recount the tumultuous time of the end of the world, we become aware that the victory of the prince of the world over God would be more disasterous than a devastating natural disaster.
“When Jesus speaks of this calamity in another passage, he tells us that it will be a profanation of the temple, a profanation of the faith, of the people: it will be an abomination; it will be desolation and abomination. What does this mean? It will be like the victory of the prince of this world: the defeat of God.”
Today, the Pope observed, people are discouraged from speaking of religion in public. “It’s (considered) something private, no?” It’s something you don’t talk about in public, he said, pointing to the fact that religious objects have become tabu’. “One has to obey the orders that come from worldly powers. One can do many things, nice things, but not adore God. It’s forbidden to worship. This is at the heart of the “end of times.” It is when this pagan attitude reaches its height, that’s when the end times will come, the Pope stressed. This is when the Son of man will return in glory.
“Christians who suffer times of persecution, times forbidding worship,” are a prophetic sign, the Pope said, of “what will happen to everyone.”
“This week it will do us good to think about this general apostasy which is called a ban on worship and ask ourselves: ‘Do I worship the Lord? Do I adore Jesus Christ the Lord? Do I in some measure play the game of the prince of this world?’ Worship to the end with trust and fidelity,” the Pope said, “this is the grace that we must ask for this week.”
“Worshipping until the end...”? The end of what? and what is to follow the end?
**This week we would do well to think of this general apostasy , which is called the prohibition of worship and ask: ‘Do I adore the Lord ? Do I adore Jesus Christ, the Lord, or only a little, ‘half and half, I play the game of the prince of this world ? ‘ . Worshiping until the end, with the trust and faithfulness: this is the grace that we ask this week.”**
Amen to the Pope’s last sentences!
He wants the athiest-marxists to win elections and then persecute Christians so they go directly to heaven.
I think the leaders of satans world are aware that many people do not pray openly but go into that closet with in them to pray to God.
Matthew 6:6
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
“The end of what?”
Time.
“and what is to follow the end?”
The beginning. The beginning of forever.
I see the mumbo jumbo is already in full flower. Death isn’t death, it’s life and the earth is boot camp for heaven?
Psa 14:1 ¶ [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
“I see the mumbo jumbo is already in full flower.”
The mumbo jumbo is all yours.
“Death isn’t death, it’s life”
Who said that? Not me. Care to make up anything else while you’re at it?
“and the earth is boot camp for heaven?”
Is this not a pilgrimage? Are we not sojourners on this earth? This is not my permanent home. Is it yours? 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Chronicles 29:15; Psalm 39:12
How’s that old hymn go?
I ’m but a stranger here,
Heaven is my home!
Earth is a desert dreary,
Heaven is my home!
Dangers and sorrows stand
Round me on every hand—
Heaven is my fatherland,
Heaven is my home!
“...see the mumbo jumbo is already in full flower. Death isn’t death, it’s life and the earth is boot camp for heaven?”
That’s why we have a Mass of the Resurrection, not a funeral mass.
“Oh Death, where is your victory? Where is your sting.”
Christ conquered Death and Hell.
“Worshipping until the end...”? The end of what?
"And they* shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captives into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles till the times of the nations be fulfilled" (Lk. 21:24 DRB)
"And they* shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Lk 21:24 AV)
* this people = all of the Jews
and what is to follow the end?
"But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your* redemption** is at hand"(Lk. 21:28 DRB)
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your* redemption** draweth nigh" (Lk. 21:28 AV)
* your = the faithful Jews of Israel who hear and obey Messiach
** redemption = imposition of the Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God over the global earth, which was promised by John Baptist in Jesus' time; but refused by Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee (and Sanhedrin?), who killed John and thus postponed this descent of he Kingdom until now, when reestablishment of the nation Israel signifies the end of the rule of goyim over Jerusalem.
^ Study Lk 21:7-28
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