Octave of Pentecost: (5) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Counsel
Today let’s take a look at the unobtainable by natural means supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit called Counsel.
This refers to being provided with Counsel by the Holy Spirit, who fires us up altogether with the Charity that is living Truth, sanctifying grace, the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity.
This isn’t just mere prudence, a practical judgement about what is good to be done and what is evil and therefore is not to be done, based on conscience, which instructs us as to what is good and what is evil.
Prudence does look to conscience, and to the very essence of natural law embedded within us, but since we are so weak, that body of judgments of conscience is also to be formed by the teaching of the Church (which is always consonant with natural law). One’s prudence, the practical judgment about promoting that which is good when one acts and avoiding that which is evil when one acts, takes into consideration all circumstances, not so as to dumb down one’s ferocity in living what is good and avoiding what is evil, but so as to do all that with all the more zeal.
People get a bit stupid about prudence and define a prudential judgment as that which is never beyond the level of opinion, having it that ‘prudential judgments’ are allowable ways to do evil in nuanced ways, so as to make sure that no one is offended by whatever, etc., and so doing evil to feign that one is achieving good. That’s just a sin. Period. That’s not what prudence is about. Now, having said that…
Counsel goes beyond this. Counsel would have us know how it is that we are to act in a given situation in view of the love being poured into our hearts and souls by the fierce Holy Spirit. This works with the Fortitude and Knowledge and Piety and Fear of the Lord that have also been given.
Counsel is not so much about deliberation, as in the old bracelet thing: WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) You know it! Sure, some situations are complex, but none are so difficult that we can’t immediately cut through the mind-games, once knowing the facts, with the love provided with this supernatural Counsel. Love cuts through the self-centeredness and political correctness and pride that would have one say that a situation is so complex that we will just have to do what is less than optimal (in other words: sin). Counsel is indignant before such rubbish, and carries a zeal that perfects Fortitude.
Counsel is all about ever so eager, ever so humble listening in view of action, that is: OB+AUDIRE=Obedience.
Obedience is not at all oppressive, blind, cold, authoritarian. No!
The obedience that comes with Counsel is all about love, listening intently, at the insistence of the Holy Spirit, to our Heavenly Father, who speaks that one Word, His very Son, Jesus. It is through, with and in Jesus that we listen to our Heavenly Father. That Word He speaks is spoken into our souls through, with and in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit thus has us formed into being members of the Body of Christ.
Counsel is all about being in reverence, in humble thanksgiving, eager to be obedient to the least stirrings of the Holy Spirit that we do this good and avoid that evil. With Counsel, we live with the very life of the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity.
Counsel is the way in which virgins remain chaste, confessors proclaim the faith, priests provide fatherly governance, and martyrs give witness.
Counsel is that gift of the Holy Spirit which sets our guardian angels into frightening motion, for there is so very much for them to do with the likes of us, who are so weak, and yet are Counseled by the fiery Holy Spirit. Yikes! say our guardian angels.
Yikes! indeed! The Most Holy Trinity is just that good, just that kind.
Filed under Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Fisking Statement of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (Militant homosexualists)
As a service to bewildered members of the BSA, Holy Souls Hermitage fisks the statement of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. HSH [comments]///
* * *
REACTION TO POLICY CHANGE IN
MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
National Catholic Committee on Scouting
Thursday, May 23, 2014@ 5:48 PM
For over 100 years, thousands of children in Catholic parishes, schools and fraternal organizations have benefited from chartering Scouting units. The Catholic Church has maintained a strong relationship with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) through the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) for many years [Great!] and we hope to maintain that relationship. [To what good purpose? Cui bono? To provide scandal by implying that this is an unimportant decision? Nowhere does the NCCS say that they will work to overturn the result of the vote. Why is that?]
Today, the voting members of the BSA voted to change the membership standards for its youth members. The BSA proposed in its resolution that “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.” Its membership standards for adult leaders remain unchanged. [So far, but they've already intimated that militant homosexualists may be a next step as desired by some. The BSA leadership rammed through their homosexualized militancy with a secret vote, against all the rules of the BSA. How is it that you trust them so much?]
The Catholic Church teaches that people who experience a homosexual inclination or a same sex attraction are to be treated with respect recognizing the dignity of all persons. [Right. But that does NOT include encouraging minor children to declare themselves to be proud of any same sex attraction before, during, or after puberty, at such a formative time in their lives.] The Church’s teaching is clear that engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage is immoral. ["marriage"] Individuals who are open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic teaching. [Why? Just because they are not married? Is this a push for homosexual marriage? Or is this merely saying that it's actually O.K. to be an open and avowed homosexual as long as one is not promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct? Stunning ambiguity. Why? These statements are actually praising the BSA policy the way it is written right now, and accepted into Boy Scout Law. The policy is no sexual activity, but encouraging declarations is praised. So, let me say this: to encourage youngsters to declare themselves, categorize themselves, at such a formative time in their lives, as open and avowed homosexuals, is freakishly sexually abusive of youngsters. This destroys lives. To remain ambiguous on this for the leadership of the NCCS while also stating that a continued relationship with the BSA is truly immoral, objectively speaking. I would be tempted to say that Ed Martin - National Chair, should be forthwith removed and declared unfit to work with children, but let's give him a chance to make a clarification. I would be tempted to say that Father Michael Hanifin - National Chaplain, should be appropriately disciplined under the Dallas Charter, but let's give him a chance to make a clarification. If it is objected that they are not saying that the policy is good, well, it is to be answered that they actually are by way of their desire to maintain such a relationship with the BSA the way it is now, after the secret vote, with no push to overturn the vote. The BSA now, mind you, is overtly sexually abusive of minors in the encouragement provided to youngsters to declare themselves, and to have children around such declared children, with declared militant homosexualist scouts also leading and providing examples to others their age and younger than them. Not good, that.]
Since the change in policy will not take effect until January 1, 2014, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has adequate time to study its effects. [Actually, that's not true. That date is just for the admission of open and avowed homosexualists. (And what do you mean by the word 'avowed', which is a frightening word in this context?) But right now the policy is to prepare for this, meaning re-education, that is, brainwashing of those who are members right now. They made it clear that there is no room for dissent on this. Forgot that bit, didn't you? It's the BSA law right now.] The NCCS will determine how it may impact Catholic chartered Scout units and activities. [Can the NCCS be trusted with this? I should think not.] In doing so, we will work within the teachings of our Catholic Faith and with the various local bishops and their diocesan scouting committees. [Liars. You can't. Abusing children in this way is never within the teachings of the Catholic Faith, whatever local bishops or scouting committees have to say about it. If any bishop or scouting committee promotes the BSA, they are abusive of youngsters. Have we learned nothing from the John Jay report? This is extremely imprudent and nefarious. One cannot take or uphold an oath that promotes and celebrates homosexuality as normal and wholesome.]
Ed Martin- National Chair
Father Michael Hanifin-National Chaplain [Just. Wow.]
Also see:
- I refuse to administer Holy Communion to any Boy Scout of America: All members are now militant homosexualists
- Dishonorable Homosexualized Boy Scouts of America Leadership smacks down super-majority of BSA
And most especially see:
Filed under Catholic, homosexuality
Can Eagle Scouts of the homosexualized BSA join a Catholic Seminary? No. Leave the BSA!
Part of the admission process in a Catholic Seminary involves NOT having belonging to a militantly homosexualist organization. The BSA, having youngsters provide an oath which celebrates homosexuality as an ordered good, is not only militantly homosexualist, but abusive of youngsters in the area of sexuality, encouraging them to declare themselves in such a formative period of their lives, setting them on the path of militant homosexualism. Really. Not. Good. This is a preliminary to man-boy “love” policies. Is that what we want in our seminaries? I should say not.
Think clearly people! The oath involves the Boy Scout Law. What’s that law right now? It practically takes effect later, but today, right now, staying in the BSA already involves approval of that law, as well as participation in celebration of homosexuality training programs for present members.
Also see:
- I refuse to administer Holy Communion to any Boy Scout of America: All members are now militant homosexualists
- Dishonorable Homosexualized Boy Scouts of America Leadership smacks down super-majority of BSA
And most especially see:
Filed under homosexuality
I refuse to administer Holy Communion to any Boy Scout of America: All members are now militant homosexualists
A Boy Scout has to swear, on one’s honor, before God and everyone, to uphold the revised Boy Scout Law of celebrating homosexuality. The BSA has made itself declared public enemies of the Church. So, no, I would not administer Holy Communion to any Boy Scout coming up in uniform. They are now just as bad as the Rainbow Sash crowd and all other militant homosexualists. They would have to renounce their membership first and not wear their uniforms.
Filed under homosexuality
Dishonorable Homosexualized Boy Scouts of America Leadership smacks down super-majority of BSA
This is now a total farce, blasphemy, actually. A lie. Dishonorable. Immoral.
When I was a kid, holding up one’s hand and saying “on my honor” was the thing to do.
Did the vote result the way it did by dishonorable means?
Since a secret ballot is against BSA policy, the vote is invalid.
The entire executive committee should be thrown out.
But none of that’s going to happen, unless the executive committee is brought to court.
Who will do that?
Certainly not the Mormon leadership, who wanted to homosexualize the BSA.
Perhaps the Baptists?
I think that the Catholic crowd ought best to start local gatherings of the Catholic Scouts.
For a ferocious, precise fisking of the policy:
Fisking the BSA Boy Scouts of America Homosexualist Agenda: Liars!
Now watch for draconian expulsion of all those who do not uphold the new policy.
It reminds me of what I think happened with Obama’s election, and what he is doing with the presidency now.
The BSA is no longer the Boy Scouts of America.
It’s America scouting for boys.
They are already talking about homosexualizing the leadership.
You know, the BSA is now like the Rainbow Sash crowd. If any Rainbow Sash crowd or any Boy Scouts showed up for Holy Communion, I would not administer Holy Communion to them, for they are swearing to uphold the homosexualized Boy Scout Law, which is now about celebrating how great homosexuality is, against the natural law, the teaching of Scripture and the Church. The BSA has made itself enemies of the Church.
Filed under homosexuality
Octave of Pentecost: (4) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Fortitude!
Fortitude! Forza! Power! Strength!
But not ours, except that it is given to us.
Totally unobtainable under our own power, this gift of the Holy Spirit, coming to with all the Charity that God is, has everything to do with, I think, the vocation the Holy Spirit provides to us both for our lives and at every moment, in every changing circumstance.
There is no fear of the kind which comes with thinking that we are insecure in whatever dangerous circumstances, for we know we are already in the hands of God, so that even torture and death simply do not throw into doubt whether we will be faithful to what the Holy Spirit has for us to do in this vale of tears.
Because there is no such idiotic, self-referential fear, there is also no rashness, which is simply an insane bravado out to prove NO FEAR! when, in fact, that is the driving force of one’s actions if one is without real Fortitude as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
With Fortitude, as you might now easily see, there is necessitated an agility of soul such that one is easily and with joy drawn along whithersoever the Holy Spirit goes. That very agility of soul, brought with sanctifying grace (Go to Confession!), is the work of that same Holy Spirit.
With all this, you can immediately see that the Holy Spirit is ferocious, a Warrior of warriors, who forms us always more as members of the Body of Christ, also the Warrior of warriors, not having us bereft of being held by our dear Immaculate Mother in death.
The very Fortitude enjoyed by Christ Jesus, Divine Son of His dear Warrior of warriors Immaculate Mother, is the very Fortitude the Holy Spirit instills within us.
Ever so consonant with Fortitude are all the fruits of the Holy Spirit:
Charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness and kindness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, being continent (contained by God!), and chastity (Yikes!).
I would also call Fortitude the provider of the virtue of stability, that is, being on an even keel no matter the stormy change of circumstances, however horrific, however otherwise catching us off guard. This stability that Fortitude provides is none other than an active friendship of humble thanksgiving with Jesus. We are secure, stable, with unshakable Fortitude for the reason that He has us carved into the palm of his hand with such goodness, such kindness:
Now, having said all that, I would also add that Fortitude admits of zeal, as in the very zeal of the great Elijah, who, when confronted with that which was anti-evangelistic, took care of the situation with divinely inspired energy and determination, anger and mockery and ever so very incisive irony not at all being foreign to his way of going about things on behalf of the Lord. Sometimes people need to be kicked and goaded with a presentation of where they are at so that they can come to their senses, wake up and die right. Saint John the Baptist, that Elijah of the time of our Lord, did not hold back. Nor did Christ Jesus, for whom he was the forerunner.
Times haven’t changed. We need people with the Fortitude provided by the Holy Spirit!
One way you can always but always — every time — tell if someone is enlivened with the Spirit of Fortitude, is if they go to confession and, if they are priests, not only go to confession, but also provide confession.
All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are dependent on the Charity, the sanctifying grace that the Holy Spirit provides, the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity.
Fathers: Go to confession!
Fathers: Hear confessions!
All: Go to confession!
The Holy Spirit, sent for the forgiveness of sins, will do the rest!
The gifts are all His gifts, after all.
Filed under Gifts of the Holy Spirit
BSA Boy Scouts of America: Secret vote ushering in homosexuality 23 May 2013
Sent in by a reader in one of the comments of another post:
Scouting Families Demand Openness and Transparency
Please Share this with Friends and “Like” us on Facebook
On May 23, 2013 1400 delegates from across the nation will meet in Dallas, Texas to vote on the most contentious issue to face Boy Scouts in its 103 year history, whether or not to admit openly or avowed homosexuals.
This past spring, scouts, parents and churches completed an extensive survey concerning this issue. From these surveys the views of the local councils on whether to amend Scouting’s membership policy were assembled and a resolution proposing a change in membership policy was drafted.
Scouters are raising concerns that their views on the policy change will not be represented because the votes of the 1400 delegates will be made in Secret.
Whether for or against the proposed change in membership policy scouts have a right to know how their representatives voted. Scouting’s own guidelines require there be no secrets in scouting stating, “All aspects of the Scouting Program are open to observation by parents and leaders”. The members of NoSecretsinScouts.Org insist this guideline should apply to the policy vote as well.
NoSecretsinScouts.Org demands the May 23, 2013 vote be open and transparent.
http://www.NoSecretsinScouts.Org
…is requesting scouts contact their local council to demand the vote not be in secret.
HSH Comment: The only reason for a secret vote is to ram through homosexuality no matter how the delegates vote. I would be extremely surprised if the overwhelming super majority of scouts against the policy change will not be trumped by those trumpeting the virtues of youngsters declaring themselves one way or the other, that is, all those, unanimously, on the executive leadership. The executive leadership ought all to be removed from scouting forthwith. The vote, against the Scouting handbook itself, is invalid if held in secret and can be repealed.
For a ferocious, precise fisking of the policy:
Fisking the BSA Boy Scouts of America Homosexualist Agenda: Liars!
Filed under homosexuality
Octave of Pentecost: (3) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Spirit of Knowledge
Perfecting practical knowledge, the gift of the Spirit of Knowledge, whose driving force is supernatural charity, sanctifying grace, the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity, is directed not only to the instruction one ought to give to other believers (we all help each other out with this common gift), but also to the defense of the faith before unbelievers, that is, in the mode of evangelization, sharing with others the greatest love of our lives, Christ Jesus, in all truth, for He is Truth, for He is Charity.
We can surely be surprised (though we shouldn’t be) by what is not at all a piercing insight into the faith, but rather that which is provided to us by this gift, the Spirit of Knowledge. This is not just knowledge, but the Spirit of Knowledge:
The Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart (Hebrews 4,12).
It is the Holy Spirit which brings us that living Word of the Father, forming us to be the members of His Body. That expression of the Father in but One Word, who is, then, the Second Person of the Trinity, is living knowledge, that is, He who is the Truth, our Life. The Holy Spirit brings us that Knowledge with Charity. God is Charity.
Love, this Spirit of Knowledge, pierces through any mind-games of mere facts, providing us with reality, with who we are before God. We immediately see how to instruct both believers and unbelievers.
I have often credited my guardian angel for such times in which I averted to the the gift of the Spirit of Knowledge, but our best friends, our guardian angels, rather work on us with this Spirit of Knowledge. They work pretty furiously. I think their wings, as it were, knock me in the head. Which is O.K.
The only proper response to such a gift is humble thanksgiving. We are so very unworthy. We are so very thankful to rejoice in the irony that is our Lord using us as His instruments to instruct others, we who are so ignorant, but we who, by this gift, can look to Him.
Some fringe “charismatics” came up with their own version of a “word of knowledge,” blaming the Holy Spirit for this “gift” given to them. That “knowledge” can be expressed in a “prayer group” with blurtings such as “I have a word of knowledge from the Holy Spirit and it is this: ‘So and so is committing adultery right now as we speak. No one knows this but us and the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray for his conversion.’ So, mere slander. Just demonic. Self-congratulatory. Such is never from the Holy Spirit.
The gift of the Spirit of Knowledge takes all the worst objections to the faith, from the most cynical, bitter liberals or ultra-trads, and from ourselves, and points us to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which we would all otherwise ignore in our search for self-provided security. Instead of the Sacrifice of Jesus meaning nothing compared to any complaint, the Spirit of Knowledge puts one before Jesus just as the doubting Thomas was before Jesus, with his finger placed into the nail marks, his hand into that most Sacred Heart.
That Spirit of Knowledge would have us lead others before Jesus in the same way.
This is done with the New Evangelization: Confession.
Priests: Go to Confession.
Priests: Provide Confession.
All: Go to Confession.
It’s then that we’ll start to notice this Spirit of Knowledge with some agility of soul.
It’s then that we’ll start to notice our angel guardians working on us with this gift of the Holy Spirit.
It’s then that our parishes will be lit on fire with the ardent love of the Holy Spirit, who provides all these gifts.
Filed under Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Father Gordon MacRae on Bishops, Priests and The Judas Crisis: What Father Among You?!
Wrongly imprisoned Father Gordon MacRae (about) has written another fantastic article on The Judas Crisis called What Father Among You: Bishops, Priests and The Judas Crisis. He’s only got one thing wrong, the bit where he mentions yours truly. I’m sure you’ll notice it. It’s a glaring mistake. Anyway, in this post, I just thought that I would do all readers of both sites a favor, including our priests and bishops, some of whom have forgotten what it is to be a Father of the Family of Faith. That favor is just providing a few images that take up the questions of Christ Jesus to us about Fatherhood. You will remember them from Chapter 11 of the Gospel of Saint Luke. They are prefaced with the words: “For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Priests, mind you, are merely looking for the mercy that is justice, that is, due process, that is, truth in all things, whatever the cost. So:
What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?
Hand bitten by rattlesnake at 15 hours.
When the venomous saraph serpents were biting the Hebrew people returning from Egypt, Moses was instructed to make an image of such a serpent and put it up on a cross, so that all who looked upon it might be saved. We fatally bite each other like any serpents until we look to Christ Jesus, who looks like us, on the Cross. How dare we hand one another the venom of injustice and sin when we see the love of Jesus for us. We must provide that FISH to each other, that FISH who is Jesus, in Greek, Ichtus, ιχθυς, the letters of which stand for Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior, with the last word being a translation of the first word. 
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
Scorpions, mind you, are a sign of the demonic in the Sacred Scriptures. The question of our Lord is about a father who would want to provide demonic tortures to his own son. Not a good thing. Fathers? Bishops? Jesus contrasts this with an egg, a sign of life, and great nutrition, a sign of love of father for son. No rotten eggs, please!
A gargantuan chicken egg at from the free range hens at Holy Souls Hermitage.
One might want to ask how many there are among those who go out of their way NOT to provide the mercy that is the justice of due process to priests who also go out of their way NOT to ask our heavenly Father for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. It’s good to have the Holy Spirit, is it not? It is!
David F. Pierre and The Judas Crisis: Dorothy Rabinowitz on Father Gordon MacRae
David F. Pierre provides us with a brief, clear, incisive overview of the case of Father Gordon MacRae, inspired to do so, again, in these last few days, by the great work of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist of The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz.
David provides many links for your review. Kudos for his hard work. Here it is:
Well worth the read. David’s site is one to bookmark. He’s always well researched. Always right on top of things. This is a resource, a go-to site.
Some HSH readers have already left comments on that post. Go have a look!
Tornadoes: Is God mocking us, playing Hide and Go Seek? Where is He?
We pray for the repose of the souls of the victims.
We pray for the survivors.
Years ago, Italian journalist Vittorio Messori interviewed Blessed John Paul II for what would eventually become Crossing the Threshold of Hope.
Vittorio, enfant terrible that he was, asked the pain filled question about where God was to be found in the midst of all human tragedy. In my paraphrase: Is God mocking us, playing Hide and Go Seek with us? Is God merely some abstract figment of our imagination out in outer space somewhere? Did He just kick-start the universe and then take off? Where is God? Doesn’t God care? Isn’t this a scandal?
Blessed John Paul answered. In my paraphrase: Oh yes! What a scandal! The Lord does in fact hide from us in this most hidden place, not hidden because it is hidden, but because we ourselves don’t look in the most obvious of places. He is in view of all, for everyone to see, stripped down, nailed to the cross, arms wide open, in such plain sight that we, not expecting to see the Divine Son of the Living God tortured and in total agony and put to death, just cannot see how this could be God. We would sometimes like for God to remain abstract and out in the outer-space of our own cowardly imaginations.
But there He is, nonetheless.
Yes, God does know what it means to suffer.
And He does have the power to prevent such tragedies.
And we can see Him in the help that others provide in the aftermath.
But why doesn’t He prevent this from the get-go?
Our Lord didn’t come to save us in this world from the effects of original sin freely chosen with that sin, effects of weakness of mind, of will, of emotions, of sickness and death. He respects the consequences of what was chosen with sin, effects that all of us suffer even though it is Adam alone who sinned so terribly that the rest of us suffer with him, the unity of humanity being just that close.
Rather, in taking on the worst of that sin, death, He had the right in justice to have mercy on us.
That mercy is seen in the opportunity we have to live His love despite the consequences of original sin raging away within us. And that grace, His life and friendship within us, turns to glory in heaven, where all the consequences of sin will fall away. No more suffering. No more death. Life for ever. Our time on this earth being so very short, it hardly making a difference if we die young or old in the face of all eternity. Our home is in heaven, not here.
Without original sin, mankind would have so worked together, not seeking profit, but the common good with full respect for each individual. We would have dominated the earth, easily being able to escape such things until we should also be able to dominate such forces in nature. But we sinned. We don’t work together.
This mayhem is what our Lord stepped into on purpose, knowing what would happen. When we are faced with such goodness and such kindness, we can’t but, in our weakness, hold that to be an incrimination of us, and we have to put that goodness and kindness to death. We, in our sin, had to kill our Lord to get Him out of the way. He knew that. That’s why He came. In taking on the worst we had to give out, what we ourselves deserve, He had, again, the right in all justice to have mercy on us.
And now it is our turn to do the same. With His love, we go out with full love of God and love of neighbor, whatever the cost. For instance, should the Westboro “Baptist” Marxist front group show up to say that all the kids should have been killed by the tornado instead of just a few, it would be an act of goodness and kindness to shut such loudmouths up, even vigilante style, inasmuch as they interfering with rescue operations, endangering the lives of others in this way, using even a bit of force, whatever force is necessary. Sure, you might risk prison for forcibly keeping such people away, but — hey — it’s worth it, right? Yep. And I don’t think a judge would convict anyone for helping to keep law and order.
Just to say: Those who would say that someone deserves to die rather than us because we’re better than them are risking going straight to hell for their arrogant pride. Anyway…
We can see God, we can see Jesus in all of this. We can see with a bit more reality the mayhem Jesus stepped into. We can see why we need to be saved from this world to be brought to our home in heaven. We can see His love in the heroic actions and exhaustion of those who survived and helped others. We can see His love in the growth of perspective, in the revising of priorities, in the recognition of shortness of this life, in the love that we bear toward one another.
Yes, also and especially in the midst of such tragedy we can exclaim that Jesus is just so very good, just so very kind.
Now then, a prayer for the repose of the souls of the departed:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Filed under Jesus, news, Spiritual Life
Octave of Pentecost: (2) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Piety
Also see: Octave of Pentecost: (1) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Fear of the Lord
Today, let’s take a look at Piety, truly a gift of the Holy Spirit that we ourselves simply cannot obtain on our own.
Piety goes beyond the Fear of the Lord, as it has us honor God not only as a loving Creator but also quite specifically as our dearest Heavenly Father, as the smallest child with the most tender Father.
Piety builds on the Fear of the Lord. That Fear acts as a springboard, launching one into a different perspective. Whereas with the Fear of the Lord we come to know of the love of our Heavenly Father for us through His creation and provision of love, with Piety we come to know the greatness of His creation and provision of love from the perspective of being carried lovingly in the arms of our Heavenly Father.
Fear and Piety are not mutually exclusive, not contradictory. With these two together, we begin to delve a bit more into the mystery of living in body and soul together. Stop for a moment or two and take that in: our bodies, so limited, but so taken by discovery of all that God provides, our spirits, able to carry, almost unknown to us consciously, the weight of the glory of God by way of sanctifying grace, the indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity, the seed of eternal life already within us…
In regard to our Lord, take that another step, using that as an awkward introduction to a moment’s reflection on the wondrous hypostatic union of our Lord Jesus, that is, His human nature and His divine nature coming together as but one Divine Person.
Now, recall that the Holy Spirit, in the life of the Most Holy Trinity, is spirated, as it is said, by both the Father and the Son (Filioque!). Yet, in regard to the human nature of our Lord, the Holy Spirit brings Jesus into the most tender love of Son for Father possible to the human nature of our Lord as hypostatically united to the divine nature of our Lord.
The Holy Spirit would have us weak nothings, who have crucified the Son of the Living God with our sins, we, who are so prone to sin… this Holy Spirit would have us know something of this piety of our Lord Jesus before our dear Heavenly Father by having us formed more and more as members of the Body of Christ, in the multitude of which members our Heavenly Father positively delights.
No matter what day Fathers’ Day for our earthly fathers lands on in earthly calendars, we can daily wish our dear Heavenly Father a Heavenly Father’s Fathers’ Day.
It makes a difference to say it. Just stop for a second and say it:
Happy Heavenly Father’s Day, Heavenly Father!
And He thus fills us with the joy of the Holy Spirit!
I’m beaming right now. I bet you are too.
Filed under Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Canon Law and The Judas Crisis: On behalf of the betrayed
Canon Law and False Abuse Allegations, Part I
Canon Law and False Abuse Allegations, Part II
Cathy Caridi has written an overview about canon law and allegations (Part I) with some examples (Part II), the latter also mentioning Father Gordon MacRae. Good on Cathy. More and more canon lawyers are signing on to Father Gordon’s defense. Get that? Times are changing, and those who continue to self-congratulate themselves over their injustices to innocent priests, thinking that this makes them look good, are about to have a rude awakening. But it’s surely good to wake up and die right.
It strikes me that the longer the injustice against Father Gordon MacRae is perpetuated because people like Monsignor Edward Arsenault, Bishop Francis Christian, Bishop John McCormack do not come forward and tell the whole story about, for instance, stacking the jury, or, for instance, about how some went out of their way by fraud to try to ensure that he would not have a good chance at any appeal, well, the worse it will be for the likes of Arsenault, Christian and McCormack. It seems to me that Bishop Peter Libasci could bring these and other matters to light. And he does want to do things in the light of day, doesn’t he?
Bill Donohue: Philadelphia Inquirer’s Catholic persecution at all costs
Yikes! (*.pdf) After reading that, to contact the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding, “Twin Philly Scandals,” contact Philly Inquirer exec. ed. Stan Wischnowski: swischnowski@phillynews.com
Pentecost: Extraordinary and Ordinary Form Calendars / Florae for the Immaculate Conception
No flower is too insignificant to present to the Immaculate Conception. There are no “ordinary” or, to be consistent, “extraordinary” flowers. We can exclaim Ooohh! and AAAAaaahh! before this or that flower, but the closer we look, the more agile our souls are, the more, I think, we can appreciate the greatness of all that which we would otherwise consider merely ordinary. Each has its place. Each has its glory.
Having said that, we note that this is a rather confusing week in the Latin Rite of the Church, what with both Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Liturgy going on at the same parishes in increasingly many places. There is an Octave of Pentecost in the Extraordinary Form but not in the Ordinary Form.
I think it would be great if the Ordinary Form of the Liturgy would include an Octave of the Pentecost.
Until that happens, perhaps we might inscape the concept into the Ordinary Form calendar that all of ordinary time is to be considered an extended octave of Pentecost. Does not the Extraordinary Form calendar count the Sundays after Pentecost instead of Sundays of Ordinary Time? Yes, it does.
We are, in fact, ever since Pentecost, living in the time of Pentecost, the end times, the times in which the Holy Spirit forms us as members of the Body of Christ.
We are to look to the Holy Spirit, asking that He put us to death, death to ourselves, that we might be enlivened with His fiery love, manifesting the very love of Christ in these lowly bodies of ours, our weakness, then, pointing to very strength of His glory.
[By the way, I use the word liturgy, which some think is, you know, suspect of being somehow a liberal word. Such people fail to realize that the liturgy is made up of more than the Mass. There is the Breviary (LotH) etc. 
]
Octave of Pentecost: (1) Gifts of the Holy Spirit – Fear of the Lord
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the most exalted of which is wisdom, come from Isaiah 11,2-3, with number six coming from the LXX (translated with the Vulgate):
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a seed thrusts from his roots: on him the Spirit of the Lord rests:
[1] a Spirit of WISDOM and
[2] understanding
[3] a Spirit of counsel and
[4] fortitude,
[5] a Spirit of knowledge and
[6] piety;
[7] He will be inspired with the FEAR of the Lord.
CCC § 1830 The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. /// § 1831 [...] They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
Proverbs 1,1-7 — The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence; May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest; That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance, That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise.
* * *
So, let’s examine these over the next seven days in reverse order. Let’s begin with the beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord.
Note that the passage in Isaiah is speaking about these gifts as received by the anointed of the Lord, the Messiah.
Also note that these are not things which we acquire under our own power, but are instead received as a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Here’s my extremely pedantic translation from Hebrew of number seven:
“And He will be caused to be inspired by the fear of the Lord.”
In other words, the Holy Spirit will come upon Him, and will be working upon Him, so that His perspective will be that of the fear of the Lord, our Heavenly Father.
The word, by the way, is fear, timor, φοβος, יראח, which has more of an edge than does the more politically correct awe. To be in awe is great, mind you, but we can say “That’s just awesome!” when what we really mean to say is that we have simply been distracted by something that’s really pretty cool.
Fear, instead, takes in all that which being awestruck could ever mean, but adds a further dimension of humility before the majesty of Almighty God.
The constant mantra one hears in Confirmation classes is that fear does not mean servile fear, but filial fear, not a fear so much of being punished for wrongdoing therefore to be avoided, but a fear which thrusts one in one’s proper and humble place before God.
Well, O.K., in reference to our Lord Himself, such fear of punishment for wrongdoing would have no place, and He would always have been in His rightful place before our Heavenly Father.
We, on the other hand, can sin, and, lacking in a proper fear of the Lord, without wisdom, do sin. It is good for us to fear the loss of heaven and to fear the pains of hell. Without that kind of fear, would any of us ever go to Confession? Would any of us ever be on our way to heaven? Would any of us care about anything? The fear that a slave might have before his master (servile fear) is also good for us to have.
Filial fear is something that, for us, builds on servile fear, though it has a quality about it that is altogether different. Filial fear not only looks with respect to the justice and mercy of our Heavenly Father in regard to ourselves, but, in going beyond this, has us look to our Heavenly Father with a the bond of love that is provided by the Holy Spirit.
Filial fear wants to do what is right before our Heavenly Father as a matter of love.
The foundation for this, however, is fear, which I would here describe, again, as that sense of knowing our proper, humble place before almighty God. The Holy Spirit inspires this within us, indeed, as within the human nature of our Lord (without prejudice to the hypostatic union of His human and divine natures), by drawing us before the breadth and height and depth, the entire expanse of the creative power of our Heavenly Father unable to be entirely fathomed (as also Aquinas says) by the human nature of our Lord.
This goes hand in hand with confession of sin on our part, and with increasing agility of spirit that is a consequence of the sanctifying grace we then enjoy. We being to see God’s grandeur upon the examination of the tiniest dust mite, or taking in images of the universe from the revamped Hubble telescope.
And while our Lord always knew His humble place in His human nature before our dear Heavenly Father, we are, instead, brought quite suddenly into this humility. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift. It cannot be imagined or practiced. It is to be received and lived.
Indeed, it is the love of the Lord which becomes evident to us, that is, to us who have so been without love that we have crucified the Son of the Living God with our sins. We stand, we kneel, before Him and His wounds, He grabbing our fingers so as to shove them through the nail marks of His hands, grabbing our hands so as to shove them into His side, into His still open Sacred Heart, open, yet beating for us.
Eye-opening, jaw-dropping, overwhelming awe… well… fear of the Lord, in all love.
The Holy Spirit, just that good, just that kind.
Stay tuned for subsequent rants on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Filed under Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Penal Code of Canon Law continues being revised under Pope Francis
Church teaching doesn’t change, but church laws can.
Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service | May. 18, 2013 Vatican City
[...] The current code was drafted in the 1970s, [Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, Secretary for the Pontifical Council for the Authentic Interpretation of Legislative Texts] said, “a period that was a bit naive” in regard to the need for a detailed description of offenses, procedures for investigating them and penalties to impose on the guilty. It reflected a feeling that “we are all good,” he said, and that “penalties should be applied rarely.” [Yes. It's what I call the heresy of over-optimism, which is actually pessimism about the redemption offered to us by Christ Jesus' sacrifice for us. Did you ever hear even once in the 1970s any talk of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?]
“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when Pope Benedict was prefect, was obliged to act as a consequence of the fact that the (church’s) penal law was not working,” he said.
The naiveté of the law became clear with the sexual abuse crisis, Arrieta said. In addition, the sanctions section of the 1983 code was written with such an emphasis on the role of the individual bishop in his local diocese that each bishop bore the full weight of deciding when and how to intervene and what sort of sanction or punishment to impose on the guilty.
The law ended up being too vague and church sanctions were being applied so haphazardly that the church appeared to be divided, he said. [And I would put the blame for this directly on the "spirit of Vatican II" crowd, who rejected the Council in favor of the tyranny of ramming their own relativism down the throats of others. This is the result, every time.]
The project to revise the section began in 2008. [Just to say, it was very soon after that then Father Edward Arsenault went on sabbatical, not that the two are related. ] The draft was completed in 2011 and sent to bishops’ conferences and pontifical faculties of canon law, which had a year to respond. The suggestions were organized and synthesized, and now council officials and consultants — mostly professors of canon law — meet for an afternoon every two weeks to go through them, line by line. [Unfortunately, none of that synthesis includes observations about The Judas Crisis and The National Catholic Risk Retention Group (TNCRRG), a mirror of what is done in most every Catholic Diocese in the United States, that is, zero due process for priests. However, now I know where to send a summary along with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the CDF. You can bet that no matter how much the Canon Law crowd works on this, it will, in the end, receive a thorough review by the CDF, and rightly so. Their own procedures will have to be appropriately tweaked. Indeed, in the meantime, their procedures should reflect this admission on the part of the Holy See that not all bishops' preparation of cases for the CDF are of the same standard of quality, which is a travesty of justice.]
Arrieta said it will be at least two years before a new draft is ready to present to Pope Francis. As the church’s chief legislator, it is the pope who decides whether or not to promulgate it and order that it replace the current law.
The proposed draft incorporates the Vatican’s 2010 updated definition of “delicta graviora” — Latin for “graver offenses,” including clerical sexual abuse of minors, the “attempted ordination of women” and acts committed by priests against the sanctity of the Eucharist and against the sacrament of penance.
The two chief concerns in the new section, as in all church law, he said, are “to safeguard the truth and protect the dignity of persons.” [In other words, both due process for those who are accused, instead of their being treated as guilty with no chance of defending themselves, and respect for the accusers, that is, instead of violently shoving money down their throats without, in some cases, giving a damn, quite literally, if the accusations are true, or how serious they are -- precluding pastoral care -- which was the practice of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, the epicenter of the abuse of canon law, all these years and surely the root cause for this major overhaul of the penal code of Canon Law. What irony.]
At the same time, the rules are more stringent — “if someone does this, he must be punished,” the bishop said. [Great! And I would hope that that "this" also refers to the horrific injustices of chancellors and bishops and risk management teams and companies such as TNCRRG. If not, this entire revision is farcical.] While it withdraws the discretionary power of the bishop in certain cases, he said, “it is for the good of the bishop.” [...] [I can surely believe that.]
Pope Francis and Dialogue. Don’t forget it’s Pentecost! Share the greatest love of your lives!
I made this video — edited into ultra-slow-motion, frame by frame — when I lived on Mount Carmel, over the Cave of Saint Elijah, for a month, upon the invitation of the Discalced Carmelites, even while I was a chaplain at Lourdes, France. The dove showed up on the patio-roof where I was, and stayed with me for the longest time just as I was trying to figure out the most difficult of conundrums. At the time I was working on dialogue with both our Jewish brothers and various Muslims. Pope Francis has a great interest in both. The gorgeous singing that you hear in the video I recorded when, in the cave itself, a pilgrimage group started to sing. There’s a pretty constant flow of pilgrims who sing away at Mount Carmel as they move about Israel and Palestine. [Note that I shut down the blog advertised at the end of the video some four years ago.]
I think that the sorrow our Holy Father, as Cardinal Bergoglio (just a few months before his election as the Bishop of Rome), shared with our Jewish brothers for the events of Kristallnacht in the Catholic Cathedral of Buenos Aires was most appropriate. He was bitterly, horrifically condemned for this by some few. HSH defended the Holy Father.
In fact, I had occasion after that to record the memories of a wonderful Jewish lady some 93 years young about her recollections of surviving the Holocaust era in Europe. I intend to put up that interview, but wanted to wait until after this evening, when she will give a presentation in Western North Carolina. I was told that I absolutely must meet another wonderful Jewish lady who will also be there this evening. Perhaps we will be able to set up an appointment for another interview. Much of her family was put to death in the camps.
One of the first things Pope Francis did in his Pontificate was to re-iterate the main point of Pope Benedict’s Regensburg Address on dialogue with Islam, which is that one is to use reason, the very thing that Islamicists absolutely refuse to do. But it has to be insisted upon. He did. In the next days, I’d like to post an analysis I did some years ago on Muslims and Nostra aetate of the Second Vatican Council. Some are afraid of this because, although they know Latin, they won’t do the work on the Latin of Nostra aetate, and rely on translations which are justifiably to be rejected.
Some reject the idea of dialogue altogether, as if they were somehow better than any others in the world just because they call themselves Catholic. But one is not saved because one calls oneself Catholic. One is saved because of sanctifying grace and gift of final perseverance, neither of which we can give ourselves. We’ve all crucified the Son of the Living God, the greatest Jewish Man ever to walk this earth, with our sins. If one does not want to share with others the greatest love of one’s life, one doesn’t know anything about the Son of the Living God, who, not seeing the Holy Spirit within such a one, will say: “I never knew you.” Wanting others to come to know the greatest love of our lives is not an insult to them.
Filed under Catholic, interreligious dialogue
Fiery Pentecost to ye all! Fiery Florae for the Spouse of the Holy Spirit
Long time readers will remember these pictures from last Summer, all on Holy Souls Mountain.
Filed under florae
21 Rosary Rant – Glorious Mysteries – 3 – The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Please God, more Scriptural and Patristic sources will be added to the present “rant style” meditations when circumstances at Holy Souls Hermitage aren’t quite so utterly barbaric.
The purpose of this first run through these mysteries is to note especially the goodness and kindness of Jesus amidst the violence and chaos back in the day… and today. Hang on, it might be a bit of a rough ride, as rough and tumble as we focus on, in this post, the Descent of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2,1-41 1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” 12 They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, 21 and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.’ 22 You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. 23 This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. 24 But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says of him: ‘I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. 26 Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, 27 because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ 29 My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. 30 But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. 33 Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear. 34 For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”‘ 36 Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38 Peter (said) to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. (nab)
[[ It was my great joy to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the "upper basilica" of the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes on Pentecost Sunday in the spring of 2009, getting very close to the time when I would round out my two years in Lourdes as a chaplain for the Italian, English, French and Latin chaplaincies. It was my great joy to sing the Veni Sancte Spiritus. I remember that clear as a bell.]]
There is just one comment in Saint Peter’s preaching that I’d like to emphasize:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
This is the Pentecost preaching of our Holy Father, Saint Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit in uttering these words. No, he hasn’t forgotten that he is an Israelite, indeed, one who scrupulously kept the Law of Moses. No, he hasn’t forgotten that he himself denied the Lord three times. No, he doesn’t fall under the condemnation of our Holy Father, the Successor of Saint Peter, Benedict XVI, in that Peter himself does not say that only the Jews put Jesus to death, and not us also be way of our sins.
The fact is that the Holy Spirit — all charismatics take note — came also upon Peter at Pentecost, and to this precise end of making converts to the fiery truth and charity of God, revealing hypocrisy, promoting repentance and humble thanksgiving.
Did Peter’s speech promote unity? Yes. Peter is the sign of unity. Do politically correct tyranny of relativism “consensus builders” despise Peter? Well, they wouldn’t say so. But, yes, they do. So where’s the unity in that? Everyone, without exception, is subject to the Lord, though many do not want this, many others do. There are many won for the Lord. There is clarity, not ambiguous nothingness in which all go to hell. No, many are won. And those who are lost want to be lost. But many are won to the Lord in a unified way.
Other than that, something rather spiritual in a different way:
We do not know how to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit takes us and transforms us into the image of Jesus, making us members of His Mystical Body, having us look through, with and in Jesus to the Father. This is how things will be in eternity. Inasmuch as we carry about the death of Jesus in this world in this way, that is how much we are already proclaiming the resurrection, not only of Jesus, but also of our own future resurrection at the Last Judgment. The Holy Spirit prepares us for eternity by uniting us always more to Jesus.
Oh, and all those languages which were understood. Very cool, that. I wish the charismatics would just follow Paul’s rules for speaking in tongues. The one common language that must always be spoken is that one Word, that Logos, now Jesus, spoken by the Father, and resounding within us. The Holy Spirit has us “sound down” (see Luke 1,1-4) the Sacred Tradition of the Church, of which He is the author.
Remember, Sacred Tradition does NOT mean handing down the faith. That’s a tyranny of relativism definition. Although Vatican II uses two sentences to describe this, Trent just comes right out and says it. Sacred Tradition is a handing down of the faith quasi per manus, almost as if my hand, as if it were something so the same that we were handing down an inanimate object, the same for all generation. Instead, we pass down a living faith, but the author of that living faith, of those traditiones, is the Holy Spirit, who speaks univocally to all, throughout the ages. The Holy Spirit is the author of Sacred Tradition, not us, not our efforts. The Holy Spirit leads us to know the truth, the living truth, Christ Jesus, whom we crucified, but who, by His grace, has us be in humble thanksgiving for His goodness and kindness. Very wonderful, that. Happy Feast!
Fisking the BSA Boy Scouts of America Homosexualist Agenda: Liars!
[[The BSA homosexualist leadership is extremely defensive. They just put this up today. [comments] and emphases by Holy Souls Hermitage: ///]]
Membership Resolution Points of Clarification
In April, the Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts of America drafted a resolution that maintains its current membership policy for all adult leaders and states that youth may not be denied membership in the BSA on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone. The resolution proposes the following:
Membership in any program of the Boy Scouts of America requires the youth member to (a) subscribe to and abide by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law, (b) subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle (duty to God), and (c) demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.
The Boy Scouts received reaction about the proposal from those who approve of the potential change and those who oppose it. Many of those who oppose it, both for personal and religious beliefs, have asked questions about the proposal and its potential impact on Scouting. The Boy Scouts of America respects the deeply held religious, moral, and ethical beliefs of everyone within the Scouting family and firmly believes that dedicated Scouters can be people of good will and still disagree about this policy. However, the Boy Scouts of America wants to address some key concerns and misunderstandings about the proposal and provide you with Scouting’s perspective as you prepare to vote.
1. This proposal is in line with Scouting’s principles and virtues.
Some have asserted that having different standards for adults and youth is illogical or contradictory and runs counter to the principles of Scouting. Asserting this proposal is contradictory is based on a misunderstanding of the resolution. The resolution states:
Youth are still developing, learning about themselves and who they are, developing their sense of right and wrong, and understanding their duty to God to live a moral life.
Any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting.
The organization will maintain its current membership policy for all adult leaders.
No member may use Scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda.
Members must demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
By reinforcing that Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting, and that no member may use Scouting to promote or advance any social or political position or agenda, this resolution rightly recognizes there is a difference between kids and adults while remaining true to the long-standing virtues of Scouting.
[What a pack of liars these BSA leaders are. Look: the very proposal is about kids who trumpet that they are already defiantly decided to be militant in their advertising of their perversion, regardless of whether they otherwise act this out in sexual actions. This militant attitude is blessed and encouraged by the BSA leaders. What a pack of liars they are.]
2. This proposal is in line with the beliefs of most of Scouting’s major religious chartered organizations.
Some have asserted that the proposed change for youth runs counter to values of and raises concerns among Scouting’s religious chartered organizations. We are unaware of any major religious chartered organization that believes a youth member simply stating he or she is attracted to the same sex, but not engaging in sexual activity, should make him or her unwelcome in their congregation. [Why do they publicly trumpet this if they are not also promoting it? Being proud of that which is a disorder is defiant militancy against any bible-believing religious organization. This is another blatant lie of the homosexualist leadership of the BSA.]
This proposal reinforces Scouting’s belief that sexual conduct by any Scout, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting and is reflective of the beliefs of most of our major religious chartered organizations.
While, if this resolution is passed, no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of stating their sexual orientation alone, Scouting expects appropriate behavior from all members, which includes sexual conduct, regardless of sexual orientation. [This is all inconsistent. If you're going to trumpet your going against the natural law and religious law, why oh why would anyone hesitate after that to hesitate to contravene any law of the BSA? Are the homosexualist leadership of the BSA serious? Yep. They're militant.]
3. This proposal remains true to the long-standing virtues of Scouting and allows all youth who sincerely want to be a part of Scouting the chance to experience this life-changing program.
Some have asserted that this proposal didn’t go far enough and the Boy Scouts should remove any sexual orientation standard for membership for both youth members and adults leaders. [Let's not forget the John Jay study which found that 82% of sexual abuse of minors is homosexual in nature. Let's not forget that predators try to insinuate themselves into situations where they will be working with youngsters. Who are those homosexualists who have demanded the BSA become an easy playground for predators?]
The Boy Scouts recognizes some wish this proposal would have included changing the standard for adult members. [If the BSA fails to maintain its standards in the vote, it won't stop until the admission adult militant homosexualists is the result. This would be seen as a resolution of inconsistencies.] The BSA reviewed a variety of policy options that would allow us to provide kids a place to belong while they learn and grow. [But the BSA encourages militant trumpeting...]
The conclusion the executive officers of the Boy Scouts of America reached is that this is the option [=encouraging youngsters to trumpet their militant homosexualism] that did not, in some way, prevent kids who sincerely want to be a part of Scouting from experiencing this life-changing program [life perverting at this rate].
While people have different opinions about this policy, kids are better off when they are in Scouting. [Not if the homosexualist leadership gets their way. By the way, if they don't get their way, the entire executive homosexualist leadership should be removed.]
4. The BSA is a leading expert in youth protection, and kids are safe in its programs. The BSA is fully equipped to administer this policy [The policy itself is sexual abuse, as it encourages youngsters at a very formative time to go ahead and think that they are homosexuals, and that it is great to be militant homosexualists.].
Some have asserted that this proposal will put children at higher risk of being sexually abused or bullied and that the organization will not be able to administer this policy while protecting the safety and privacy of all Scouts. [See above. Also, those who reject the natural law and religious law as does the homosexualist leadership of the BSA are not be entrusted with the sexual safety of youngsters. This safety is what they are militating against.]
The BSA would never consider a proposal that increased risk to young people. To be clear, the BSA makes no connection between the sexual abuse or victimization of a child and homosexuality. The BSA takes strong exception to this assertion. Some of the nation’s leading experts reinforce this position. [And there it is. They are defending that their encouragement of militant homosexuality on the part of youngsters is just great, and they will not tolerate any divergence from this: "Strong exception."]
The BSA has stringent polices that protect the safety and privacy of youth and adult members and has always worked to ensure that it is a supportive and safe environment for young people. [How the BSA is falling!]
As it relates to logistical issues for volunteers, Scouting is already equipped to address these issues. No other organization has the same level of expertise for administering logistics and protecting the safety of its participants. [Kind of self-congratulatory, that.]
Also, to further prepare the organization, the BSA has created an implementation task force to make sure it is ready, should this resolution pass. It is looking into how other organizations have dealt with these issues. The BSA chose the effective date of Jan. 1, 2014, to give the organization the time it needs to make sure it is operationally ready for this policy. [This will be entirely aimed not at possible abuse, which they refuse to consider, but at sanctions and expulsion for those who criticize such militantly homosexualist policies.]
5. Scouting will remain focused on its mission, the Scout Oath, and the Scout Law.
Some have asserted that this proposal will unduly interject sexuality into the BSA and take away parents’ rights to discuss sexuality at the time and place of their choosing. [Got that right!]
The BSA believes parents should decide if, when, and how to discuss matters of sexuality with their kids. [But the homosexualist leadership have taken this away by encouraging youngsters to publicly declare themselves, thus becoming militant homosexualists. This is sexual abuse of youngsters. The BSA are the most influential leaders in sexual abuse.]
This proposal reinforces Scouting’s belief that sexual conduct by any Scout, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting. [Liars.]
While, if this resolution is passed, no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of stating their sexual orientation alone, Scouting expects appropriate behavior from all members, which includes sexual conduct, regardless of sexual orientation. [The inconsistencies of the BSA instruct youngsters that militant homosexualist trumpeting is great, and this is sexual abuse of youngsters. So what in hell does the leadership of the BSA mean?]
6. Boy Scouts of America membership is unequivocally unified about the value of Scouting.
Some have asserted that if this proposal is adopted—or if the Boy Scouts does not amend its current policy—Scouting will see significant and unrecoverable losses in membership and monetary support. [Got that right. I've already been working with E.G. for a very workable alternative.]
Recently, the Boy Scouts completed the most comprehensive listening exercise in its history, gathering perspectives from inside and outside of the Scouting family. At the time of this review, most regions, councils, and volunteers participated with the belief that the Boy Scouts was considering a change to its adult leader membership standards, a proposal significantly different from the resolution under consideration. [We remember the oft-times sarcastic responses of the leadership of the BSA to polite statements.]
It is extremely difficult to accurately quantify the potential impact, in terms of membership and financial support, of maintaining or changing the current policy. [Just a slight adjustment there. So, virtue and all that good and pure and not perverted is not a strength, but rather a liability. What a pack of hypocrites.] However, over the course of nearly three months, more than a quarter of a million Boy Scout members and leaders participated in research that examined their views of Scouting.
The Boy Scouts of America is encouraged that this research showed, even with the uncertainty of which direction the membership standards policy might go, their loyalty to the BSA increased, and Scouting’s parents, members, and leaders believe Scouting is fulfilling [Before the vote, right?] its mission to develop youth into responsible, capable adults. [What does that even mean to such leadership?]
Regardless of the results of the vote, the membership policy will not match everyone’s personal preference. The Boy Scouts will undoubtedly face challenges; however, Scouting is bigger than this single issue, and good people can disagree and still work together to accomplish great things for youth. [If the vote is to maintain the status quo, the homosexualist leadership should be immediately sacked.]
7. The BSA is committed to listening to the Scouting family and engaging in open dialogue.
Some have asserted that the Boy Scout’s leaders didn’t listen to its Scouting family in this process or are keeping information from voters. Through this process, Scouting embarked on the most comprehensive listening exercise in its history, gathering perspectives from inside and outside of the Scouting family. [Mocking many who expressed concerns.]
Over the course of nearly three months, more than 200,000 BSA members and leaders participated in research. Our review confirmed that this remains among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today.
The BSA has been and remains committed to sharing information with voting members and the public throughout this process. To learn more about the BSA’s review process and the proposed membership standards resolution, please visit http://www.bsamembershipstandards.org.
Scouting’s vision is to serve every eligible youth in America, and this policy would allow it to serve more kids and focus on their development [This is exactly what this policy change would not do, and in fact, it would do the opposite, trying to get youngsters to entrench themselves in militant homosexuality]. The Executive Committee unanimously agreed that this resolution is in the best interest of Scouting. [So, get rid of the Executive Committee, unanimously.] While perspectives and opinions vary significantly, parents, adults in the Scouting community, and teens alike tend to agree that youth should not be denied the benefits of Scouting. [Typical ambiguity of those trying to push an agenda, shoving it down people's throats.]
Filed under abuse, homosexuality, news
Florae for the Immaculate Conception: Lady Slippers by the hundreds
These are just a few feet away from Holy Souls Hermitage.
How they survived the chickens rampaging all around, tearing up everything like any 600 pound wild boar would do is beyond me. Perhaps it’s the chicken poop fertilizer.
Not all the plants are in bloom, but there are very many indeed.
The seminarians are away again. Whirlwind. Always.
Filed under florae
IRS: We didn’t think Billy Graham’s crowd were religious enough (=too religious)
IRS Targeted Well-Known Christian Ministries / Groups Opposed Gay Marriage – By: toddstarnes (Diary) May 15th, 2013 at 11:17 AM [RedState.Com]
Several well-known religious organizations say they were targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, including the ministry founded by famed evangelist Billy Graham and a 180-year-old Baptist newspaper, Fox News has learned.
Among the ministries targeted are the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Samaritan’s Purse and the Biblical Recorder – the newspaper of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. The revelations seem to indicate the IRS was targeting more than just Tea Party groups and conservative political organizations.
“I am bringing this to your attention because I believe that someone in the Administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us,” wrote Franklin Graham in a letter Tuesday to President Obama. “This is morally wrong and unethical – indeed some would call it ‘un-American.’”
Graham is president of the ministry his father founded – as well as the international charity known as Samaritan’s Purse. Both organizations were notified of the IRS audits on the same day – not long after running advertisements supporting North Carolina’s Marriage amendment.
* * *
Thanks to a priest reader who sent this in. Read the rest there — It’s infuriating…
Why isn’t Marxist, anti-American Obama impeached?
By the way, what happening with the Boy Scouts of America?
P.S. Maybe this is why the IRS has been visiting HSH. Heh heh heh. They can come to HSH. I invite them to crash in at 2:00 AM with all their riot gear and take away wheelbarrows not of silver and gold, but chicken poop. Heh heh heh. Maybe they think HSH is not religious enough. I’ll have to ask the seminarians who are visiting Holy Souls Mountain today what they think.
Filed under homosexuality, separation of church and state
Facepalm angel — heh heh heh
Sent in by an Australian reader. I’d nickname my guardian angel Facepalm except for the fact that he never has time to do this, but is rather rushing about saving me from this and that horror.
Filed under angels
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
