Without a Vision(Catholic Spiritual Commentary on the Synod)

markmallett.com/blog/ ^ | Oct 15, 2014 | Mark Mallet

[RBStealth]

THE confusion we are seeing envelop Rome today in the wake of the Synod document released to the public is, really, no surprise. Modernism, liberalism, and homosexuality were rampant in seminaries at the time many of these bishops and cardinals attended them. It was a time when the Scriptures where de-mystified, dismantled, and stripped of their power; a time when the Liturgy was being turned into a celebration of the community rather than Christ’s Sacrifice; when theologians ceased studying on their knees; when churches were being stripped of icons and statues; when confessionals were being turned into broom closets; when the Tabernacle was being shuffled off into corners; when catechesis virtually dried up; when abortion became legalized; when priests were abusing children; when the sexual revolution turned nearly everyone against Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae; when no-fault divorce was implemented… when the family began to fall apart.

The destruction of the family is the fruit of a Church that lost its vision well over forty years ago.

Without a vision the people lose restraint. (Prov 29:18)

And now we’re harvesting the results—in the public square, in our families and in the confusion of our personal lives. —Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Political Vocation, February 23rd, 2009, Toronto, Canada

But the vision is not hidden; it is not difficult to find. For it was revealed to St. Paul:

He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. (First reading)

It is a work of the Holy Spirit to bring the body of Christ, the Church, to “full stature”, to a state of holiness such that she becomes a suitable bride for He who is the Holy One.

…that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:27)

In some ways, nothing has changed over the course of human history. For when the religious leaders of the Hebrews began to creep into apostasy, God sent them prophets to call them back to himself. So too in our times, God has sent mystics, saints, and even his Mother to call us back. But like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, we have ignored them too.

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets…

One of the prophets God sent us was St. Margaret Mary. Jesus revealed to her His Sacred Heart as a sign of His mercy and love in these latter times.

This devotion was the last effort of His love that He would grant to men in these latter ages, in order to withdraw them from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy, and thus to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion. —St. Margaret Mary, www.sacredheartdevotion.com

In a word, to make us holy.

For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God… (1 Pet 4:17)

Sadly, my friends, there are those who are building the empire of Satan, and those who are building the Kingdom of God. And now we are entering the final confrontation between them. Let us pray hard for all our bishops and priests that they may become effective shepherds in leading us toward the heavenly Father’s vision.

The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice… (Today’s Psalm)

[Torahman]

Where to begin... Lets start with this: the Church lost its vision 1850 years ago, not 40. When the Greek & Roman leaders rejected the Law of G-d the whole enterprise began to drift into heresy. For example, statues and icons; they are a direct violation of “ You shall not make a graven image nor bow down to them.” Mary is NOT the mother of G-d. She is a human being.
Forbidding priests to marry is in opposition to Torah as well. Priests (Levites) should be married by law since the continuity of the priesthood depends on them having children. If you are Catholic you must repent, i.e. return to Torah. Christianity is disintegrating right in front of you and the answer is not to dig your heels in and call out to Sister Margaret Mary. The answer is to return to the spring of living water: the G-d of Israel, his Messiah, and his Torah.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

” Let us pray hard for all our bishops and priests that they may become effective shepherds in leading us toward the heavenly Father’s vision.”

First you have no faith in the Church, then you say we should have faith. The Church is in good hands, Christ’s, but the humans involved in it are weak and fail a lot, so pray for them.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

You say “Where to begin?” Well, my friend, always begin with the facts. Not the facts of your beliefs, but of the Church you are critiquing. We don’t in fact worship icons. Icons remind us of whom we worship - Jesus. That’s why we are sad but don’t freak out when a bible is burned or a crucifix is dumped in a bottle of urine. We are saddened that someone treated badly what the intended to represent Jesus, and that hurt Jesus’ feelings of love for that person, but the object itself means nothing. Similarly, if you treat the icon with respect, then you are showing the real Jesus some respect, though this thing is just a statue or photo. Do you treat a photo of your dead mother with respect, the one on your dresser? Do you think of your dead father when you put his watch on before work? Of course then, you are worshiping icons???

Mary, Mother of God - look it up (we Catholics don’t hide anything having to do with the Truth of Christ, only try to hide our sinfulness and the shame we feel, like anyone else, when we fall. The Church does not fall, only it’s human members. Look up at your perusal what is meant by this - perhaps seek a simple explanation by former protestant Scott Hahn as I am doing a bible study about this very topic! It’s SO amazing....the Ark is precious, housed God, Mary is the new Ark, housed God. The Ark could not be defiled by man. Mary was ever virgin. Mary bore one person, Jesus, not two people, not twins. One person, two natures, Divine and Human. The Holy Spirit came over her, not just so she could create a human, but for the divine....BEFORE I FORMED YOU in the womb, I knew you. Is not a surrogate mother or a naturally conceived mother equally the mother of the child? The Mother of God....The Mother of Jesus was like your Hebrew mother’s of the Kings....the Queen!, the intercessor!...the Mother of God, Jesus. So we ask her to bring our petitions to Jesus as only a Queen Mother would know and be able to do, we being pitiful sinners. Did you not ask your mother to tell Dad that you broke the window or got in a fender bender? We pray to Jesus. We ask Mary to intercede with the holder of the rod of Iron, for though we love Him and we know He loves us, we fear offending Him yet again. Faith of a child. Scott Hahn explains it better!

[NTHockey]

Hate to say it, but: “I told you so.” I fought this monstrosity called Vatican II and its heresies. I was ostracized by my bishop at the time and reaffirmed by the present bishop. I have no place to worship. I have no place to receive the Sacraments.

And yet, Pelosi, Biden and the other apostates are members in good standing. Welcome to Acirema where the guilty are rewarded and the innocent are punished.

[Petrosius]

When the Greek & Roman leaders rejected the Law of G-d the whole enterprise began to drift into heresy.

If you mean the Law of Moses, then this started with Jesus Christ himself.

For example, statues and icons; they are a direct violation of “ You shall not make a graven image nor bow down to them.”

You cannot take one line out of the entire commandment which reads:

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall not have other gods beside me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but showing love down to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

This is a commandment against idolatry. Since Catholics do not recognize any image as a god nor worship them but worship God, and only God, there is no violation of this commandment.

Mary is NOT the mother of G-d. She is a human being.

Mary is the mother of Jesus who is God, therefore … But wait, you do not believe that Jesus is God. Sorry but the Resurrection proves that he is.

Forbidding priests to marry is in opposition to Torah as well.

The Catholic priesthood is not a continuation of the Levitical priesthood. Is was established by Jesus Christ (who is God incarnate) as something new.

Priests (Levites) should be married by law since the continuity of the priesthood depends on them having children.

And yet the Catholic Church has been able to maintain the apostolic priesthood for two thousand years with a celibate clergy. Go figure.

If you are Catholic you must repent, i.e. return to Torah.

What we Catholics, and all people, must do is follow the will of God. In Jesus Christ God in his sovereignty has established a new covenant which is now the new Law of God. To abandon it and return to the Mosaic Law would be to reject God. It is God, not the law, that is supreme.

The answer is to return to the spring of living water: the G-d of Israel, his Messiah, and his Torah.

Jesus Christ is the God of Israel and the Messiah; the Gospel is his law.

[cloudmountain]

Good rebuttals.

[SumProVita]

Well done! ;-)

[SumProVita]

The Vatican has finally had enough of U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi illogically insisting she’s a “good Catholic” while consistently supporting unrestricted abortion.

Burke The Vatican’s chief justice, Cardinal Raymond Burke, said the California Democrat should no longer receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, according to CNS News.

[NTHockey]

There is a world of difference between “should not” and “must not”. Which is it to be?

[piusv]

Hate to say it, but: “I told you so.” I fought this monstrosity called Vatican II and its heresies. I was ostracized by my bishop at the time and reaffirmed by the present bishop.

You betcha. Good for you for recognizing the monstrosity that it was so early on. Good for you for fighting its heresies. More and more Catholics are finally realizing that it is the reason why we are in the mess we are in today. Until a pope comes along and rescinds it all, things will only get worse.

[Torahman]

You may know the Catholic teachings but you do not know or understand the bible. Don’t be afraid of leaving Rome. It will fall into the pit with all other man centered religions. You still have time to walk with the Messiah. He is not going there. He is going to Jerusalem.