Useless Division leads Nowhere

Social media has been quite lively especially within Catholic circles with regards to hostility between 'Conservative' Catholics as opposed to 'Traditional' Catholics.  This unfortunate battle, (authored by satan) is sadly dividing a camp that in theory should be united.  This trend has taken shape especially in light of the last 6 months.  Ironically, since the start of the Papacy of Pope Francis.

To be fair, I have never hidden the fact, that I am more of a Traditional mindset.  I have said before on this blog, that there is a disctinction between being 'Traditional' and being a 'Traditionalist.'  The latter presupposes an ideology.  While I generally tend to avoid labels, preferring Catholic as opposed to not Catholic.  (When I hear a person call themselves progressive Catholic, I ask them what they think of fluffy goldfish or three sided circles to illustrate my point.) I believe in the Church's teachings, (all of them) and affirm them when questioned about them.  My methodology with regards to apologetics, is to try and teach.  Using philosophy (metaphysics) and Theology, to show the 'Why' of controversial teachings.  Truth in itself can be confrontational, and the intellect then must make a choice to accept truth or not.  As Aquinas said, though,..'Information will only be received by the mode of the receiver.'

Conservative Catholics, the EWTN type, produce an incredible amount of solid television, apologetics and from what I can tell seem to act as a bridge especially for former protestant pastors on the way into Holy Mother Church.  This is a good thing, but perhaps the danger of being a 'professional' Catholic never set in.  You see, much of their staff have turned their 'guns' on Michael Voris, founder of Church Militant.TV.  Why?  Because in one of his Vortex episodes, he critiques the salaries of some of the people over at the establishment Catholic media.  It is true, that perhaps, Mr Voris could have gone to them in private first, yet nonetheless, these outlets have been constantly critical of him.  As far as I', concerned, I've met Michel Voris and found him to be quite charitable and accomodating.  A dude who sincerely cares for Holy Mother Church, and wants to do right by God.  The question is, when both groups, conservative and traditional start attacking each other, the question remains Why?  Sooo,..That being said, lets try to distinguish them.  A conservative Catholic accepts all teachings of the Magisterium, all papal encyclicals etc.  They will be more or less open to 'altar girls' and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion.'  A Traditional Catholic sees 'altar girls' as an exception to the norm (what it is)  See here .  Along with other 'exceptions' that are seen for what they are.  Tradtional Catholics usually prefer the Ad Orientum posture in Liturgy, in both Ordinary and Extraordinary Form of Mass.  The 'Conservative' is content with the 'Versus Populem.'  Both Conservative and Traditional are loyal, prayerful and have great devotions.  They both love and seek to do what is right by Holy Mother Church.  While both 'groups' are solidly orthodox, the Traditional will protect the identity a little more.  The error they can fall into is phariseeism and can come off as having a lack of love.  The 'conservative' will go with the flow, and the danger of their error is that they will accept the status quo and play ostrich.  A just middle must be found, still, why all the bad blood?

The short answer, as highlighted by Michael Voris, can be summed up by explaining that the crazy heretic crowd is heading into extinction.  So, there can only be two left.  As I've prayed about this shift, the reality is that the mainstream Catholic crowd, which takes on elements outside the Church is hesitant about exposing things inside.  Pope Paul VI, mentioned the smoke of satan, and well, we need to acknowledge it.  To defend the mainstream groups however, we need to see the Church as a family.  Nobody wants to admit mom and dad are fighting especially to the outside world.  While this may be noble, I feel that the time is coming to expose those inside the Church who are silent or complicit.  Pope Francis has thundered against 'career' ism, and can we not heed his call?

My friends, Traditional, Conservative, whatever,.. I believe the question is one of reverence and identity.  Our world is in a mess, and we, Catholics need to be together with regard to life issues and protecting Natural law.  Liturgical style? Ad orientum, Versus Populem, Byzantine, Melkite,.. All good, as long as we follow the rubrics set out.  The Liturgy is God's work, not our attempt at theatre.  I think all of us need a reminder.  Finally, we have to stop kidding ourselves that everything is fine, especially seminarians.  Pray for us, we need it!

God bless!

Prayer!!!!!!!! The Weapon of Choice!!!!

** Padre Pio once said 'Bring me my weapon!' ** (He was referring to the Rosary.)

     Sometimes we just need to shut up and listen, and guess what?  Jesus will speak to you.  His voice often a tug on your heart whereby our prayers are answered.  That’s right,.God answers prayer!  The fact is, we, fallen mankind, sometimes we don’t like the answer He gives us.  Every morning, I spend an hour before Jesus presence in the Tabernacle,.. A spiritual protein shake in order to start my day!

     Prayer, the ‘life’ blood in any relationship with God.  Yet how many people truly pray?  Can we (myself included) honestly say that we pray enough?  St Paul exhorts us to pray incessantly, and as Catholics, especially in light of the Second Vatican Council’s Universal Call to Holiness, that the Liturgy of the Hours are heavily favored for Clergy, (A promise) and for laity.  We can sanctify our day, by offering it, Laudes, and Vespers especially, but as you relationship with God deepens, throwing in even None, Sext and Complines.  (Night prayer).  Prayer, properly defined is an elevation of the Intellect and will to God.  We can praise God, thank Him for our lives, we can petition God for the things we need and we can just meditate, sometimes sitting of front of The Blessed Sacrament, Jesus truly present in the Eucharist.  Still another form of prayer?  Lectio Divina!  A continuous reading of Scripture, especially the Gospels and using the ‘Olier method.’  We enter and see Jesus,..we place ourselves among His disciples, we hear Him when He speaks, and can sometimes even smell the environment.  The next contemplation, Jesus in our hearts…Surely Scripture is alive and tell us something different every time we read it.  Finally Jesus in our bodies,..a preparation for the Eucharist! 

     Why a post about prayer?  Well, the answer may surprise you, then again, it might not.   Recently social network has been awash with any and every criticism leveled at different aspects of Holy Mother Church.  Now obviously everyone knows where I stand on abuses, but I think a serious reflection needs to take place and not just constantly upload pictures of various Masses everywhere.  Not just disgruntled Catholics, but other groups (Orthodox?) showing the difference between the Eastern and Western Liturgies while using as an example for the west,..a Liturgy from the L.A. Religious conference that looks more like a Robert Schuller event, preceded by a Liturgical parade.  Then you have the angry SSPXers uploading every ‘Novus’ Ordo Mass, carefully selected that doesn’t do the Mass justice.  (Obviously they won’t show a reverent Ordinary Form Mass, EWTN style, or still something from St John Cantius,…noooo,..its an agenda, plain and simple.)   Then you have the reactive groups, showing EF Form Masses without the prayers at the foot of the altar.  Never have Mother Angelica’s words rung so clear!  Stop preaching and start praying! 

     My friends, there is no such thing as a Traditional Catholic, Novus Ordo Catholic, Neo-Conservative Catholic, Progressive Catholic or otherwise.  Our Faith is dogmatic and not a cafeteria, where you can pick a little of this and a little of that, you are either Catholic or you are not.  Period.  Statements such as ‘I’m pro social justice and pro-choice, but personally against abortion while attached to the Ambrosian Rite of Liturgy because all others are invalid’ reveals that the person uttering the statement is both intellectually as well morally schizophrenic.  Perhaps I’m being harsh?  My point is that Catholics need to band together and start praying, fasting and then we will bring about the full reception of Vatican II and not the silliness that we were fed growing up.  So, that being said, this is a shout out to Michael Voris, Fr Larry Richards, EWTN, Fr Z, and all the SSPXers who have an open heart, (and mind).  Our enemy the devil can easily sow pride in our hearts whereby we mistakenly believe that we will bring about change and that we will convert the world.  Not so!  The Holy Spirit will convert the hearts of people when the Holy Spirit is good and ready.   We can look to Lent and perhaps offer in prayer those who persecute us, those who are our enemies and even those who in good faith, do things because they were formed in that fashion.  That doesn’t mean we remain idle and do nothing, but we can reference 1^st Peter and can give an account for the joy that is in us! (Paraphrase).    We are a people of the Resurrection and Allelujia is our song!  (Pope John Paul II) 

     This Lent, let us purify our prayer life and like the Christian martyrs be ready to be fed to the lions while singing hymns.  We can eagerly await the next Vortex, or Fr Barron commentary, but we are followers of Jesus, not fans of a certain personality type.   In the face of an abuse, recite 3 Hail Marys!  In the face of heresy, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet!  In the face of all who persecute you, echo the words of Jesus from the Cross,..’Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’

God bless and I wish all a very holy and contemplative Lenten Season

St Pio de Pietrelcino,…………………………………………………………..ora pro nobis!

Time to Think,...

     This reflection was written a while back as an article for a newspaper,..please excuse the spelling and grammatical errors,..For those asking, I will be publishing several posts this week, one of them being a continuation of the SSPX issues,..I wish all of my readers a very happy, Holy and healthy 2013!  Please continue to sustain me in prayer,..

God bless!

-Marco/Optimusmastro

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     The context of social philosophy can provide an individual with a canvas whereby people can’t paint with different lenses.  These ‘lenses’ are the visuals with which to look out past the obvious, the sensual and the real and straight into the subjective.  Truth, the statement or idea that Pilate questioned Jesus upon relates in so far as much as to theology as it does to every other facet that life can give us.  To define it, in a very Aristotelico Thomist mindset would be ‘that which is in accord with the nature of the thing.  For this particular reflection, we will attempt a look at population control under the radar/microscope as well as post context of Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, its reception after the Council and finally break down its rejection and thus its consequences from both a moral position as well as an economic one.  The essay will attempt to be as objective as possible while at the same time showing certain evidences and trends that are now marking the decline of western (Occidental) Civilization while awaiting two new potential ideologies looming and poised to replace the post Christian ‘West.’  One being of rampant secularism, while the other being Islam.  This essay will also attempt to connect the ‘dots’ and show a ‘cause and effect’ chain linking the sexual revolution, contraception, abortion and population demographics, a roadmap to show and articulate how western civilization got from ‘there’ to ‘here,’ being our current political mindset and so-called ‘common good’ approach.

1.1     End of the Era

    

     The Legalization of Christianity, (Edict of Milan), and fall of the Roman Empire paved the way for a new and bold way of life.  Christianity was trumpeted as a backdrop to institute political structures, education (confessional schools) and ethical norms, and through its canon law built up civilization for most of Europe and the Americas.  By the time Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the Cathedral door at Wittenberg Germany, a subsequent downward spiral was put in motion and is culminating with what we see today.  The subjectivist mindset replacing the objective, births a selfish culture, but one that is ultimately headed for self-destruction with regards to having no exterior concern or consequence.  From the Social Philosophy perspective, the common good gives way for the individual ‘good’ thus in this light, we can begin to see society go backwards.  Can it be safe to assume a connect the ‘dots’ approach and thus attempt to reason our way through the false selfish man centered ideology all the way through to where we now find ourselves?  Feminism, the sexual revolution and a post Vatican II euphoria (ironically having nothing to do with Vatican II itself) usurping man’s means to an end and making it the end itself.  In between Civilizations, a sociological no man’s land whereby the post Christian European identity, (Yes even in the Americas) has now positioned itself for a new civilization to take over and assert itself.  Gone is canon law, while our society cannot maintain a culture of secularism, all the while Islam is on the rise.  

2.  Humane Vitae;

     

     In the nineteen sixties, specifically July of 1968, in the wake of both the sexual revolution (secular) and the aftermath of the second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical to clear up any misunderstanding or questions with regards to Catholic moral teaching as it pertains to artificial means of contraception.  Catholic moral teaching reserves the sexual act as an act between a man and a woman inside marriage for the propagation of children and of unity.  The Pope, despite internal pressure and amidst a growing secular whirlwind, stood up to re affirm the Church’s clear teaching and thus, Her adhesion to the Natural Law, not to mention conventional cultural growth and progress.  At the time, many Catholics saw this reaffirmation by  Paul VI as a sociological step backwards as theAnglican Communion had already decided that contraception was acceptable as a practice, not being able to distinguish the reality that a marriage breakdown was also at stake, and an acceptance of contraception would only exacerbate the issue at large.  While to be fair, the first real signs of dissent occurred way before Vatican II, the aftermath (aftershock) of post counciliar foolhardiness was used as the Launchpad, and sadly most Canadian Catholics, especially in following the Winnipeg Statement followed their ‘consciences’ to the current crisis that we now face.   The Winnepeg Statement being the all too familiar intervention by Canadian Bishops publically disobeying Rome.  A catastrophic earthquake in light of the sexual revolution was now inevitable yet no one foresaw it, because everyone was too caught up in the idea of ‘free’ love.  ‘Free?’  Nothing is free, and sex divorced from authentic love is but legalized lust. 

     

     Pope Paul VI, no doubt seeing that society was (and elements inside the Church) was akin to a wild horse sought to reign in the dissidents and heterodox thinkers advancing this modernist approach whereby ‘if it feels good and doesn’t harm anybody, then why not?’ 

2.1 Contraception.

    

     Properly speaking the act of contraception means to willfully interfere and disrupt through natural means, a normal course of action.  In this case it happens to be pregnancy.  The most common and popular form has been the ‘Pill’a medication brought forth in order to de stabilize a woman’s hormonal cycle thus not allowing her to conceive through normal means.  She would become master of her own particular nature and leave the natural law out of the question.  We were told that we were made in God’s image, yet with the inception of the pill, we now dictate the terms to God.  Along with the pill, the condom industry grew and gave birth to a generational gap of open sex whereby it was considered normal for anyone to fulfill their own instinct without regard for consequence.  Unfortunately for the contraception industry, it didn’t always work, and thus another ‘solution’ had to be found.

2.3 Abortion

    

     Following suit upon a breakdown of thought, and morals comes the ultimate act of selfishness rooted in senseless killing, all in the name of a ‘common’ good.  Planned Parenthood in the 1960s financed a marketing campaign designed at pushing the contraceptive agenda because it would lessen the number of abortions which in their mindset was killing.  Fast forward 35 years later, and the ‘baby’ name in their pamphlet has been changed to ‘fetus’ thereby attempting an abstract vision of something concretely alive, which can be demonstrated not only by Faith, but also within a common sense/ Natural Law framework.  Gone was the argument of whether or not a person is a person when they are in ‘being’ essentially in potential and subject to change.  The only thing which changed was our vocabulary which in following the Roe V Wade abortion ruling in the United States, the fetus became a clump of cells and property of the woman’s body, thus enshrining it as a jewel within feminist causes.  So the marketing strategy as a result, in order to keep the industry (contraception) rolling, because after all it is lucrative, will trumpet the women’s ‘rights’ card advancing a so-called ‘common good’ all the while masking an intrinsic moral evil.

3.  Economics

    

     According to the law of supply and demand, along with cultural statistics, it has been demonstratively shown that in order for a culture to prosper, or at the very least sustain itself, a birthrate of 2.1 per family is essential.  One child to replace the mother, the other child to replace the father, while the ‘.1’ falls within the statistical anomaly of the case of accidental deaths or handicaps with the children.  The western model has not been following this model and to use Germany as an example (figures stem from 2006) we can show that Germany’s birthrate is staggering, eye-opening 1.3!. The mathematics which follow are only a logical projection all the while showing the inter-relational dimension between the breakdown contraception, abortion and the breakdown of the family culminating with an economic disaster.  Essentially when the current generation wants to retire and benefit from pensions, they will not have enough money subsidized by the next generation of workers because essentially there are so few of them.  This then effects the supply and demand chain.  Essentially contraception is a deception, a perversion of an act attempting to capitalize on man’s carnal desires.  Sex is a natural impulse, however it is also a disordered natural impulse.  This is not a theological affirmation, but a realistic one, whereby our society needs to recognize.  The parameters of marriage provide the necessary natural society whereby a free total giving of oneself can take place between one man and one woman.  The result being the openness to new life, shows that the couple is not closed off while celebrating their complimentarity.  Should children, the natural fruit of this union come into being, they can be educated inside the marriage parameter which has by now transformed itself into a family.  Any deconstructionist vision of this ultimately leads to chaos.

It needs to be noted that along with contraception being the norm, an entirely familiar set of words have now been hijacked and are subject to reinterpretation along the lines of what the majority ‘feel’ is true, and not what necessarily is true.

4 Conclusion

     

     Within the Christian, specifically Catholic mindset, the sexual act represents man’s co-operation with the Divine in the very act of creation.  We, as human beings and out of love are invited to participate within this notion.   God, the personification of Love Himself, exists as an eternal exchange of relationships.  God who is at once the Lover, the Beloved and the act of Loving always is in a constant free giving of oneself.  The same is true for human beings.  The sexual act is one of constant giving.  When we separate ourselves from this mindset, we enter into a constant taking and thus turn the act inward on itself.  An addiction can thus be formed through chemical cocktails in the brain secreting epinephrine and dopamine secreting from our pituitary gland in the brain.  An example can be shown of an individual addicted to food, how they eat to stimulate the taste buds, instead of as a primary reason for sustaining oneself in ‘being.’  The result is heart disease, fat and high blood pressure/cholesterol.  Within the sexual context, the end result of the addiction is the population decrease, along with sexually transmitted diseases, however because of the chemicals in the brain, a link can also be shown to equate rape cases whereby people cannot control themselves and are past the ‘point’ of no return.  The passion thus rules the 'Will' thereby rendering it no longer free.

     

     This reflection at best tried to show a ‘connect the dots’ approach to an issue all too familiar to 21^st ears and sensibilities.  Every election especially in the United States sees a resurgence of people attempting a full out return to an authentic common good and the establishment of a potential authentic  global ethic.  As has been demonstrated, our contraceptive generation did not give way to ‘free’ sex as was its original intent.  Instead it birthed an entirely different mindset and has set into motion the impending collapse (irreversible) of western civilization.  The results have seen an increase in abortions, a complete breakdown of the family along with a redefinition of traditional marriage, an emasculated masculinity devoid of any semblance regarding traditional roles.  Finally an economic tsunami and market crash brought on by a lack of population ready and able to work so that older people can retire and sustain what our society has always sought to maintain, a culture of growth and prosperity, instead, we are saddled with trauma and potential extinction.   In order for a society to function, it needs people to work, this is what feeds the economy, the age old adage of supply and demand.  The contraception deception at its core is the cause of our current economic breakdown and as has been already stated will usher in a new reality of civilization, especially considering to keep our heads above water we need immigrants and only one religion is populating itself. 

Our Lady of Fatima,.....................................................................Ora pro nobis.

Dolan Dilemma,..Part Deux..

I dread writing these posts,..I really do,..because it forces me to choose and thus further divide an already fragile Church in the West concerning issues that really matter..  Case in point,..William Donahue of the Catholic League has now waded into the debate accusing Catholics who are voicing their concern as the 'piety police.'   He recently appeared on Lou Dobbs and well,...see for yourself...

From what I can see on this video, Michael Voris is representing a large number of practicing Catholics who are truly scratching their heads over this issue.  Bill Donahue, using the term, 'Piety Police' is actually the one coming off as harsh and condenscending.  It seems the Cardinal has put himself into a little bit of a political and moral jam.  So,..the establishment 'orthodox' blogs are bending over backwards and putting together articles justifying the Dolan invite to Obama.  Either way,..both now sound like a high end pissing contest,..see for yourself,.. here.

Let me say that I like Cardinal Dolan,.but he, nor myself, nor anyone out there is infallible.  We are allowed to scratch our heads and wonder.  Everyone is entitled to a brainfart now and then, but when you are in the middle of a massive lawsuit which threatens the very freedom of practicing your Faith,.. What would Jesus do?  Did he break bread with criminals?  Absolutely!  However Jesus was also known for rebuffing the Pharisees of His time as well.  Can one take a break from 'yelling' at each other to dine with a president, who in the name of 'women's health' is aborting (that's killing by the way) children day in and day out?  Strangely enough a quote from Chesterton is on my mind,... 'Don't be quick to take down a fence, until you know the reason it was put up.' 

Regardless of what you, me or anybody else may think,..I think we should all remember that it is the Holy Spirit who is in charge.  I will never claim to be wiser, but this issue has weighed heavily on me. 


Sacred Heart of Jesus,...........................Have mercy on us.

Relativism or Martyrdom? Up to You..

How is it that I keep finding myself writing mini editorials and reflections especially with regard to our current culture 'shift' that is steadily underway?  The secularist alliance with Islam and the political 'left' have whipped up a subjectivist mentality, and modern man drinks this stuff by the gallon.  We are to tolerate all,..except one thing,..Christianity.  I guess its fitting, because Jesus caused such political unrest...So why now?  Why this utter assault upon anything remotely Christian while everything else is off limits...Why?  Because Christianity, The Catholic Church is the one true Faith, and let's face it, the only obstacle to satan.

Within Salvation history, we know satan has been defeated in Eternity.  The Passion, Death and Ressurection of Jesus redeemed humanity from the clutches of death.  In time, however, satan wishes to take as many souls with him as he can.  His tools of choice?  'Political correctness,' So called 'Feminism' and the 'Social Justice' marxist movement.  Too many Catholics are asleep at the wheel and forget that our Faith calls us to witness to the Truth. Either that, or they have become incredibly secularized to the point that their 'Catholic' identification is more cultural and less of a true relationship with God. 

How did we get to this point?  At one time or another, most of us who have experienced a conversion (ongoing) felt as if we had all the answers!,..Well right now it would seem,..we (or I anyway) are trying to find all the right questions instead.  God creates us in His image, we do not create God in ours.  Socio Political issues (their words..) such as abortion are wrong, not because they go against a discerned Catholic dogma, but because they go against the very Divine Law itself.  (5th Commandment,..'Though Shall Not Kill').   This issue seems to be a no-brainer for the greatest thinkers of our time,..yet we still have the pro-'choice' crowd.  An issue, seeking to murky the waters by aligning it to 'women's rights.'  What if in the name of 'women's rights' we decided that Blacks or Jews can be killed instead of babies?  We need to seriously ponder this reality.  If a society can kill babies, we are capable of any other evil.  As Catholics we cannot be complicit with evil. 

Since birth we are conditioned to put 'man' first and God second.  So is it any wonder why we are now in the State we are in?  The 1960s saw the sexual revolution complete with its demonic agent of birth control.  'Humanae Vitae' was ignored, and behold a shrinking population so bad we won't be able to sustain our retirees in a few years.  I drank the Kool Aid of casual sex as did most of my generation, I am now trying by the grace of God to undo all these habits, and believe me, there are times when storms gather that I need a good jog at 3am,..while clutching my Rosary.  I have already accepted the idea that the next generation will live in a completely different world.  A world whereby the population is overwhelmingly muslim.  This is not a cryptic prediction, but an upcoming reality.  Have we become so desensitized to the point where even within the Ecumenical 'dialogues' that we have with other 'Christian' brethren, we have become afraid to tell them the truth?  My friends, ecumenism is set up to help bring our separated brethren home!  While yes, it must start with coffee and getting to know each other,..but we've had nearly 60 years of that,..we need to take action.  The Catholic Church is not one denomination among many, She is the Church of Christ which subsists in Her!  That is not me,..that is what Vatican II states! 

The danger with any heresy is that it mixes itself up with 'good,' and both plays to our ego and what is conveniant.  The adherents of the so-called 'social jstice crowd fit this bill.  Authentic Catholic social justice has at its heart the dignity of man.  It must start in the womb.  We must be free to love and through our love imitate Jesus by feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.  However when it becomes the primary forced issue, it leaves out the salvific one.  We forget that we are a pilgrim people and that Heaven, communion with God is our true home.  Christianity is not conveniant.  Christ came to die so that man could be redeemed.  We must take up our Cross and follow Him, yes, even if it means to death.  I have included then Cardinal Ratzinger's homily from 2005,. (see here ).  The world is changing,..Islam will dominate, the population will shrink, economies are starting to collapse, abortion is on demand, being pro Traditional Marriage is seen as being 'intolerant.'  As Christians we are called to Love,..we must be tolerant of people, that doesn't mean we must tolerate their ideologies. 

Our Lady of Fatima,.....................ora pro nobis.

Compromise or Balls?

I think I'll choose balls.  The reason is because I have a set.  Sifting through some email recently, an alarming trend started to surface, apparently I'm 'pro' reconciliation with the SSPX and that frightens some aging hippie 'catholics..'  Well, once again, although I've answered you all personally and you know who you are,..what is really cute is that your all 'pro' ecumenism,.or should I say 'ecu-mentalism' (except for the Catholics in schism)  FEEL that we might alienate the Buddhists or Zoroastrists should we welcome our brethren in schism back home.  You see, this is the fruit of their infallible 'pope' Hans the 1st, and his proclamation from a few weeks back,.. (see here) .  For the record, I am a loyal son of the Church, in all Her teachings... Like any sinner, I have difficulty following some, but Trust in Jesus to lift me back up again when I fall.  I desire reconciliation with all Christian groups,..not just the 'politically correct' ones.

That being said, the next issues were concerning my approach.  I'm considered dangerous and a loose canon,..well, a few years back, I would tend to agree!  I was angry, (could make Mike Voris look like a teletubbie..) rigid and unbending...Then something happened,..I actually read the Gospel!  What does this mean?  Well,.for one, Our Lord at times gets angry especially with those He loves,. ('Get behind me satan!' was directed at Peter), He also cleared out the Temple,.so hypocrisy caused Jesus to get just a little nervous... However, throughout His ministry on Earth, Our Lord was incredibly merciful and hung out with all the 'riff-raff' of His day!  Mary Magdalen? Check!  Zaccheus up in the Tree?  Check!  He meets them where they are, then leaves off with a 'Go and sin no more' challenge.  Yes, God is Love, and yes we need to find pastoral ways of reaching people, but 'pastoral' does not mean hiding the truth from them, even if the truth hurts.

Working in the fitness industry saw me deal with a wide range of people.  From obese to skinny, from athletes to the elderly.  If I gave them a 'cookie cutter' template program and sent them on their way, I would make money, but I wouldn't be doing my job.  People with diabetes need to be told that there blood sugar levels are out of balance, that they shouldn't eat the banana split that they are craving.  Overweight people need to burn more calories than they intake in order to drop weight.  If I withhold this kind of information while making money, I am a fraud and contribute to their decline in health.  People come to see me for a reason, because I will tell them what's what.  The same is true for the Church, especially concerning the souls.  As Catholics we need our priests to speak about abortion, or the gay agenda, if not, how will people know?  The media does an incredible hack job in articulating what the Church teaches, and sometimes the priests can deliver a homily which is nothing more than an exercise in ear tickling.  I know women who've had abortions, I have witnessed their pain,..I've even heard them say, they didn't realize it was going to be so traumatizing.  We need to cry with them, but we need to speak the truth so that it doesn't happen again.  The same holds true for people with same sex attraction.  The Church recognizes their pain, but their act is incredibly dangerous and a health hazzard.  Again, I know people who suffer, and alone they will tell you, they wish they didn't have this cross.   Again, to my detractors, I will gladly introduce you to any of these people,..people that wish they would have been told otherwise..

I use the examples above simply to illustrate a point.  If it is God's will that I, one day become a priest, I will preach on these issues.  Will I judge their souls?  No!!!  Only God can do that, and besides, me pointing a finger, always reveals three fingers pointing back at me.  People deserve to know the Truth, their salvation (and ours) depends on it.  I would hate to meet Jesus on Judgement Day, knowing that I witheld information for the sake of 'being nice.'  As I prepare for Southdown, I encourage everyone to keep me in their prayers.  I will not play a game, I've lived too much, and know how deadly the world can be...Hey, my Dad told me to eat my vegetables when I was a kid,..didn't like them, but now I thank God he told me what's what!

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,............ora pro nobis!