Did you know that this is what is happening in your heart and soul during the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? This is what happens. So, we are in reverence and humble thanksgiving.
Given that many readers of this blog follow by way of email and therefore do not see any updates made to particular posts (pity, that), such as the numerous updates to the previous two posts, I’m putting up this post recalling that there is a ferocious Holy Souls Hermitage Series on Priestly Celibacy on the sidebar of the blog. It seems that the instigator of my comments is unaware that I have said something about the nuptial aspect of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. She might be interested to read over this series, especially numbers 6 & 7, about Eunuchs.
Ferocious HSH Series on Priestly Celibacy
The Biblical Foundation of Priestly Celibacy by Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. This is one of the more visited posts of the blog. Father Ignace was a good friend. A confidant. I used this in a course on priestly celibacy that I gave at the Pontifical College Josephinum. I was very pleased that so many of the seminarians were extremely well read, and were, indeed, on the cutting edge of research involving Scripture, Canon Law, Patristics, Church History, Ecumenical Relations, particularly with the Orthodox, the prudence in regard to Anglicanorum Coetibus, the for the moment the ignoring of matters regarding the permanent diaconate, etc. Some were planning on doing doctoral theses on the subject. All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal!) celibacy. My heart rejoiced each class. People, you have to know that we have very, very excellent priests coming up. Some of those I’m talking about were just ordained in the last couple of weeks. (Spring of 2012). Also know — Yikes! — that is is because of this very article (among some others), that Father de la Potterie was so very bitterly hated by some few, who could not provide an answer to what he said, so well did he say it.
Continence — C.W. fanatics will not like the reference to JPII in this very short post. Oh well. The definition of continence might surprise quite a few readers. The definition of terms is important! and enthralling! I wrote these notes up for a course given to the seminarians of the Good Shephard Seminary of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The Rector at the time wanted me to innoculate the seminarians from the heresy that they would be getting in their classes at a certain Catholic institute where they were attending lectures at the time. Yikes!
Chastity — Another brief, important article with an in your face, perhaps rather unexpected definition. Knowing the definitions introduces us also to the spiritual life, as to why chastity is a gift of grace, bringing us into friendship with the Lord.
Celibacy — Another in your face, perhaps unexpected definition that we need to know. This and other terms are bandied about with few knowing what they are saying. Bonus: a video of the great Irish singer, John McCormack, in reference to the priest who addressed Pope JPII during, I think it was, his first trip to the U.S.A. Hah!
Virginity — Another in your face, perhaps unespected definition that we need to know. I’ve added a rant on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother of God, and also commented on topics such as consecrated virgins, rape, “spiritual virginity”, etc.
Eunuch – Part I — This is, in my opinion super important commentary. I always get the remark from seminarians and priests that they’ve never seen anything like this before. Indeed, I haven’t seen this anywhere else. This is all about the depth of Christ’s love for His Immaculate Bride, the Church. That charity, in which we participate, is awesome indeed. You are dead wrong if you think you already know what a eunuch is. Dead. Wrong. Behold, something truly awesome about the love of God for us.
Eunuch – Part II — A necessary follow-up and continuation of Part I, with lots of scriptural references in both Old and New Testaments. You’ll never think of these passages in the same way. This is so important for priests to understand what they are doing as priests, especially when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sin and such. Priests are married to the Church by the Sacrifice they offer! Priests must know this or they will find themselves in touble. In knowing just how they are married to the Church, they will rejoice. It is just this which will bring much healing to the priesthood.
LUST & angels — This is a refreshing anecdote from the life of Saint Jerome when he went further off into the desert to be a hermit. Instructive and bringing us right before Jesus. Totally cool.
Repression idiocy — This is a rather severe critique of the hell of repression and doubled over concealed and especially for that reason very dangerous repression that was foisted upon seminarians for decades and is, I fear, still foisted upon them in some places. The kind of repression idiocy which I critique has been hailed as “Catholic” and “orthodox” by “conservative” Catholic seminaries and universities and colleges. It’s anything but that. If you want to risk going straight to hell, do up some of this kind of oppression. If you want to be on your way to heaven, be at ease with weakness, in all chasity, in all honesty, before Jesus, and He will show you the way to rejoicing in holy purity. It’s not about mind games. It’s about knowing the wholeness and holiness of our Lord and Savior.
Wounded Healer idiocy — The Wounded Healer idiocy is perhaps one of the most evil dynamics there is. Ever hear of it? Know who wrote popularized it? This is the method of “nice” and “caring” psychology, but is really just a horrific projection of the “Wounded Healer.” This is a necessary read just because you will surely run across this kind of thing. Blech!
Impure, lustful thoughts — This is very much a favorite post on HSH blog. I have very often also directed people to it. It seems it is very useful indeed.
My experience with porn — This post generated by far the most heartfelt emails and comments on the blog. Porn is a huge problem in the USA and increasing around the world. This post speaks to that catastrophy. Yikes!
AD CINGULUM! — This is from the series on the Vesting Prayers for priests for Holy Mass. However, I think all will be able to rejoice in what they read here, and will know more about the priesthood of Jesus among us, and what priestly celibacy is all about. Awesome!
There are many other posts I would like to add to this series. If you readers have any ideas, drop a comment in the comments box or send an email to holysoulshermitage using gmail dot com. Thanks!
Father Christian Kappes got married. What’s the name of the Spouse, you ask? That would be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You can read about such things regarding Catholic priests in the rather ferocious priestly celibacy series on the sidebar of the blog, which includes these posts so far:
The Biblical Foundation of Priestly Celibacy by Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. This is one of the more visited posts of the blog. Father Ignace was a good friend. A confidant. I used this in a course on priestly celibacy that I gave at the Pontifical College Josephinum. I was very pleased that so many of the seminarians were extremely well read, and were, indeed, on the cutting edge of research involving Scripture, Canon Law, Patristics, Church History, Ecumenical Relations, particularly with the Orthodox, the prudence in regard to Anglicanorum Coetibus, the for the moment the ignoring of matters regarding the permanent diaconate, etc. Some were planning on doing doctoral theses on the subject. All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal!) celibacy. My heart rejoiced each class. People, you have to know that we have very, very excellent priests coming up. Some of those I’m talking about were just ordained in the last couple of weeks. (Spring of 2012). Also know — Yikes! — that is is because of this very article (among some others), that Father de la Potterie was so very bitterly hated by some few, who could not provide an answer to what he said, so well did he say it.
Continence — C.W. fanatics will not like the reference to JPII in this very short post. Oh well. The definition of continence might surprise quite a few readers. The definition of terms is important! and enthralling! I wrote these notes up for a course given to the seminarians of the Good Shephard Seminary of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The Rector at the time wanted me to innoculate the seminarians from the heresy that they would be getting in their classes at a certain Catholic institute where they were attending lectures at the time. Yikes!
Chastity — Another brief, important article with an in your face, perhaps rather unexpected definition. Knowing the definitions introduces us also to the spiritual life, as to why chastity is a gift of grace, bringing us into friendship with the Lord.
Celibacy — Another in your face, perhaps unexpected definition that we need to know. This and other terms are bandied about with few knowing what they are saying. Bonus: a video of the great Irish singer, John McCormack, in reference to the priest who addressed Pope JPII during, I think it was, his first trip to the U.S.A. Hah!
Virginity — Another in your face, perhaps unespected definition that we need to know. I’ve added a rant on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother of God, and also commented on topics such as consecrated virgins, rape, “spiritual virginity”, etc.
Eunuch – Part I — This is, in my opinion super important commentary. I always get the remark from seminarians and priests that they’ve never seen anything like this before. Indeed, I haven’t seen this anywhere else. This is all about the depth of Christ’s love for His Immaculate Bride, the Church. That charity, in which we participate, is awesome indeed. You are dead wrong if you think you already know what a eunuch is. Dead. Wrong. Behold, something truly awesome about the love of God for us.
Eunuch – Part II – A necessary follow-up and continuation of Part I, with lots of scriptural references in both Old and New Testaments. You’ll never think of these passages in the same way. This is so important for priests to understand what they are doing as priests, especially when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sin and such. Priests are married to the Church by the Sacrifice they offer! Priests must know this or they will find themselves in touble. In knowing just how they are married to the Church, they will rejoice. It is just this which will bring much healing to the priesthood.
LUST & angels — This is a refreshing anecdote from the life of Saint Jerome when he went further off into the desert to be a hermit. Instructive and bringing us right before Jesus. Totally cool.
Repression idiocy — This is a rather severe critique of the hell of repression and doubled over concealed and especially for that reason very dangerous repression that was foisted upon seminarians for decades and is, I fear, still foisted upon them in some places. The kind of repression idiocy which I critique has been hailed as “Catholic” and “orthodox” by “conservative” Catholic seminaries and universities and colleges. It’s anything but that. If you want to risk going straight to hell, do up some of this kind of oppression. If you want to be on your way to heaven, be at ease with weakness, in all chasity, in all honesty, before Jesus, and He will show you the way to rejoicing in holy purity. It’s not about mind games. It’s about knowing the wholeness and holiness of our Lord and Savior.
Wounded Healer idiocy — The Wounded Healer idiocy is perhaps one of the most evil dynamics there is. Ever hear of it? Know who wrote popularized it? This is the method of “nice” and “caring” psychology, but is really just a horrific projection of the “Wounded Healer.” This is a necessary read just because you will surely run across this kind of thing. Blech!
Impure, lustful thoughts — This is very much a favorite post on HSH blog. I have very often also directed people to it. It seems it is very useful indeed.
My experience with porn — This post generated by far the most heartfelt emails and comments on the blog. Porn is a huge problem in the USA and increasing around the world. This post speaks to that catastrophy. Yikes!
AD CINGULUM! — This is from the series on the Vesting Prayers for priests for Holy Mass. However, I think all will be able to rejoice in what they read here, and will know more about the priesthood of Jesus among us, and what priestly celibacy is all about. Awesome!
But a tiny handful of commenters on some other sites have other things to say about Father Christiaan…
But Father! But Father! That’s not news! Tell us something salacious, lecherous even, ’cause that’s where I’m at and I like to project my idiocy onto other people to kick them, especially when they are, like, defenseless and in fear for their lives and not paying attention to me and stuff, ’cause, like, I’m a coward and just like to make myself look better than others in my own eyes in front of other people when it’s safe to do and stuff like that there. Lasciviousness is what we want. Sex, sex, sex!
Some, of course, sincerely dismiss clerical celibacy as some pious piffle and rejoice in the idea of Father Kappes dismissing clerical celibacy as well (not that he has!), and they make their idea known, thinking out loud, you know, to save his life if he really was in any danger as he tries to go on a secret honeymoon. Such lateral thinking, they reckon, could offer some clues. But they just cannot see the idiocy of thinking that a secret honeymoon is best prepared by drawing the attention of the world. Such people are invited to rejoice that their projections of themselves onto others are not the way things are, and that they can repent of such foolishness. I’m sure Father Kappes not only would not hold anything against them, but would instantly offer them absolution in confession. Isn’t it great that we have great priests? I think it is.
But Father! But Father! [-- the knuckleheads exclaim --] I don’t get the priestly marriage with no wife thing. What does religion have to do with marriage? You write too much about it in those posts and I don’t have time.
But you have time to slander others, right? Sigh. Just read the posts I’ve linked to above. I double dare you. I guess that means you have to do it. The response is predictable:
But Father! But Father! You’re not ecumenical with our Orthodox separated brethren! They get married all the time.
Sigh. Just read the articles.
Furthermore, I’m not so sure that “separated brethren” is any way to speak of the Orthodox. Are we to forget the mutual lifting of any excommunications? When there is no ex- in the communion, there is just communion, right? Sure, there are some discussions that need to take place, but, hey, that’s what Father Christiaan Kappes is getting involved in, right? I rejoice in that very, very much.
I’ve added a widget on the side bar for priestly celibacy. Here’s an overview of the contents of those titles:
The Biblical Foundation of Priestly Celibacy by Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. This is one of the more visited posts of the blog. Father Ignace was a good friend. A confidant. I used this in a course on priestly celibacy that I gave at the Pontifical College Josephinum. I was very pleased that so many of the seminarians were extremely well read, and were, indeed, on the cutting edge of research involving Scripture, Canon Law, Patristics, Church History, Ecumenical Relations, particularly with the Orthodox, the prudence in regard to Anglicanorum Coetibus, the for the moment the ignoring of matters regarding the permanent diaconate, etc. Some were planning on doing doctoral theses on the subject. All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal!) celibacy. My heart rejoiced each class. People, you have to know that we have very, very excellent priests coming up. Some of those I’m talking about were just ordained in the last couple of weeks. (Spring of 2012). Also know — Yikes! — that is is because of this very article (among some others), that Father de la Potterie was so very bitterly hated by some few, who could not provide an answer to what he said, so well did he say it.
Continence — C.W. fanatics will not like the reference to JPII in this very short post. Oh well. The definition of continence might surprise quite a few readers. The definition of terms is important! and enthralling! I wrote these notes up for a course given to the seminarians of the Good Shephard Seminary of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The Rector at the time wanted me to innoculate the seminarians from the heresy that they would be getting in their classes at a certain Catholic institute where they were attending lectures at the time. Yikes!
Chastity — Another brief, important article with an in your face, perhaps rather unexpected definition. Knowing the definitions introduces us also to the spiritual life, as to why chastity is a gift of grace, bringing us into friendship with the Lord.
Celibacy — Another in your face, perhaps unexpected definition that we need to know. This and other terms are bandied about with few knowing what they are saying. Bonus: a video of the great Irish singer, John McCormack, in reference to the priest who addressed Pope JPII during, I think it was, his first trip to the U.S.A. Hah!
Virginity — Another in your face, perhaps unespected definition that we need to know. I’ve added a rant on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother of God, and also commented on topics such as consecrated virgins, rape, “spiritual virginity”, etc.
Eunuch - Part I – This is, in my opinion super important commentary. I always get the remark from seminarians and priests that they’ve never seen anything like this before. Indeed, I haven’t seen this anywhere else. This is all about the depth of Christ’s love for His Immaculate Bride, the Church. That charity, in which we participate, is awesome indeed. You are dead wrong if you think you already know what a eunuch is. Dead. Wrong. Behold, something truly awesome about the love of God for us.
Eunuch – Part II — A necessary follow-up and continuation of Part I, with lots of scriptural references in both Old and New Testaments. You’ll never think of these passages in the same way. This is so important for priests to understand what they are doing as priests, especially when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sin and such. Priests are married to the Church by the Sacrifice they offer! Priests must know this or they will find themselves in touble. In knowing just how they are married to the Church, they will rejoice. It is just this which will bring much healing to the priesthood.
LUST & angels — This is a refreshing anecdote from the life of Saint Jerome when he went further off into the desert to be a hermit. Instructive and bringing us right before Jesus. Totally cool.
Repression idiocy — This is a rather severe critique of the hell of repression and doubled over concealed and especially for that reason very dangerous repression that was foisted upon seminarians for decades and is, I fear, still foisted upon them in some places. The kind of repression idiocy which I critique has been hailed as “Catholic” and “orthodox” by “conservative” Catholic seminaries and universities and colleges. It’s anything but that. If you want to risk going straight to hell, do up some of this kind of oppression. If you want to be on your way to heaven, be at ease with weakness, in all chasity, in all honesty, before Jesus, and He will show you the way to rejoicing in holy purity. It’s not about mind games. It’s about knowing the wholeness and holiness of our Lord and Savior.
Wounded Healer idiocy — The Wounded Healer idiocy is perhaps one of the most evil dynamics there is. Ever hear of it? Know who wrote popularized it? This is the method of “nice” and “caring” psychology, but is really just a horrific projection of the “Wounded Healer.” This is a necessary read just because you will surely run across this kind of thing. Blech!
Impure, lustful thoughts — This is very much a favorite post on HSH blog. I have very often also directed people to it. It seems it is very useful indeed.
My experience with porn — This post generated by far the most heartfelt emails and comments on the blog. Porn is a huge problem in the USA and increasing around the world. This post speaks to that catastrophy. Yikes!
AD CINGULUM! — This is from the series on the Vesting Prayers for priests for Holy Mass. However, I think all will be able to rejoice in what they read here, and will know more about the priesthood of Jesus among us, and what priestly celibacy is all about. Awesome!
There are many other posts I would like to add to this series. If you readers have any ideas, drop a comment in the comments box or send an email to holysoulshermitage using gmail dot com. Thanks!
[[The "Hell is Real" billboard along I-65 in Kentucky is near one of the umpteen zillion "Adult super-stores" making a swamp of despair in America and beyond. This is a good reminder for those prostituting their souls to pornography. Thanks to whoever put that up.]]
There have been quite a number of calls for me to write an article on pornography. I mentioned I might do just that in a post on this blog during, I think it was, Holy Week of 2012.
Not everything needs to be experienced in order to write about it! One can “know” about such things because of knowing the contrast, the Standard of Goodness, our Lord Jesus. It is a rather stark contrast, pornography of any kind on the one hand and holy purity on the other. They know this, those who live chastity in whatever state of life one is in, whether single, married, or given over in marriage to the Church as consecrated religious or priests.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was fond of saying that only the sinless know sin (for they alone see the contrast with Jesus) while those lost to sin simply do not see beyond themselves, not seeing, therefore, any contrast with anything, and therefore thinking that there is no such thing as sin. But, of course, with our Lord being good and kind, all such things can catch up with a person, and that’s when wonderful things may begin to happen.
In this post, I’ll offer quite a few preliminary thoughts, and then hand the post over to one of our lay readers, who offers a jaw-dropping testimonial of the power of our Lord’s grace, and then offer an analysis of the experience I’ve had with pornography. I think both perspectives can be enormously helpful.
This is a longish post. Bookmark it and come back to it if you don’t have time to read it now. Do read it, however. Don’t put it off! If you can, link to it. Pornography is a grievous problem in the United States and everywhere else.
As a disclaimer, know that I am not a clinical psychologist. Nor would I ever claim to be a “counselor”. I do not pretend in this post even to begin to solve the problems of the world of pornography. I don’t even give an overview of how things go from bad to worse, from the teenager who happens to see an image he doesn’t want to see to films in which the prostituted victims are kille. But I do think that the spiritual advice that will be given is well worth having a look it in regard to any sin whatsoever. I know that what will be said here has already helped very many people to live chastely. And that should be of interest to everyone.
So, let’s begin by saying the obvious, that pornography, seen objectively, is entirely horrific, a totally cowardly abuse of one’s “power” to exploit another individual, whether they want to be exploited or not. Greed is another aspect. If the greed is more important than the lust for power, and the lust for… lust… then it is easier to deal with. As an example, a parishioner in one of my parishes owned and operated a gargantuan newsstand with pretty much every publication in the English speaking world being sold there, including many pornographic titles. I complained to him about this, saying that it was a public scandal for a pillar of the town and of the parish community to be selling such things and that there may be ecclesiastical remedies for the situation which may have to come into play. He, of course, rebelled, claiming coercion by the magazine companies. However, he soon found a way around this and stopped selling such rubbish, “not even to the Hell’s Angels types” who would sometime frequent his store. He had previously told me that he considered their souls as not being worthy of salvation. He was one of those “nice” Catholics. But he did convert, and thanked me for taking a stand as a real Father would. It can be done.
But let’s look at this with even a bit more reality. Almost without exception, those who prostitute themselves into the porn industry are rather roughly pimped into it, or they have even desired to get pimped into it in total despair, this having been the only thing they knew since they were children. That already makes all this trafficking of human bodies very ugly from the very start, right? Those who are lost to pornography simply do not at all worry about such things, for pornography is not about respecting others, is it? Really not. More on this below.
I should mention that one of the hoped for effects of this article will be that people will get disgusted with some popular but terribly misguided presentations of Blessed John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body”, presentations contradictory to what the Roman Pontiff himself taught, presentations which, horrifically, promote the viewing of pornography as a virtue. This is exactly the opposite of what John Paul wanted. And yet, even the most “conservative” Catholics will defend the virtue of viewing pornography because it is popular to defend the popular misrepresentation of John Paul’s Theology of the Body. These “conservative” Catholics need to get a good slap. They need to wake up and die right. They are leading people straight to hell. Viewing pornography is not avirtue.
One of the sickest things I’ve ever heard of in my life — some twenty years ago — had to do with a clinic for sex abuse on the Mid-Atlantic Seaboard. When I was in Rome, one of the priest-students of one of the priest-professors of that clinic admitted to me — with embarassment — that such horrible things went on. As it is, there were always a handful of priest-psych-students with whom I lived in the various priest-student residences in which I lived in my two decades in Rome. Beside reading some of their longest, erudite, published studies, I had long made it a practice to pick their brains during innumberable, fairly intense table conversations, sometimes quietly pointing out glaring contradictions and horrific perversions in methodology. One priest-student threw a hissy-fit for two full weeks, at which time he admitted that I was right. At any rate, over the decades, I think I got a good grasp of the state of “Catholic” psychology throughout the world, especially in seminaries and “clinics”. But that was quite a few years ago. However…
That some of the worst aspects of such “therapy” are still going on until now was confirmed for me only last week (Spring, 2012) by someone who would know. It seems that pornography is used as a therapy to get people “to manage their lives.” In other words, it is a policy to make sure to send those already having difficulties straight to hell, but sending them manageably, you know, nicely. It was said that all this would be horrible for someone who was not addicted to pornography, but, you know, hey, there are theologians who say it is O.K. for those who have already entered that sleazy world by their own choice. Sigh. No. It’s never O.K. It’s always damaging. It’s always but always disrespectful of others and self and, if by policy, a blatant rejection of God. Hell is forever. Those who would send others to hell risk going there themselves, do they not? Hell is real, as the billboard say. Porn by sanctioned policy is the straightest way to despair there could possibly be.
At any rate, I recommend the great Dawn Eden’s Master’s Thesis, defended at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. (Here’s the *.PDF). It’s a quick read, enjoyable, demonstrating the hermeneutic of continuity which JPII provided in his teachings of Theology of the Body, contrasting those teachings of the Pontiff to the ramblings of those who simply do not understand. I laughed out loud many times at the way Dawn phrased things. She’s quite the journalist and accomplished author, and is gearing up to do her doctoral thesis. My efforts to get her to speak at the Pontifical College Josephinum paid off, though I was already a hermit by the time she spoke there. The great seminarians loved everything she had to say. At any rate, the publisher of her latest book on healing for true victims of sexual abuse is sending me a review copy. I hope to write a review of that on this blog and elsewhere. Oh, and did I say this: (Here’s the *.PDF of her wonderful Thesis)?
Now when, please God, I write my popular version to my own doctoral thesis on Genesis 2,4–3,24, a thesis ever so quietly taking Rome and the world by storm, I’ll have quite a lot to say about the fallen state of humanity, which is basically denied in the ugly, mistaken presentations of JPII’s Theology of the Body mentioned above (however much that fallen nature is acknowleged here or there in passing by those mistaken presentations).
Some of the difficulties people have with pornography are, it should be obvious, lusty thoughts and whatever goes along with that for any particular individual. Upon request of a layman (not the one who will offer a testimonial below), I wrote a rather lengthy post about how to deal with lusty thoughts, well worth the read if I do say so myself! I categorized it in the series of this blog entitled priestly celibacy, since such can be a difficulty for a few priests as well. The particular post in question is this: 11 Priestly Celibacy — Notes from Holy Souls Hermitage — “I am having a real struggle with impure and lustful thoughts.”
Monitum: What I say in this post may not make much sense to those who, so blind to anything but their own self-congratulations, think that there is no such thing as sin, abuse of another, exploitation of another, using another for oneself, that that just can’t happen, since — such people think — we are all of us always and in every moment of our lives necessarily totally nice people, unable to do anything bad, never anything evil. But I mean, just look around… No evil? No exploitation? Really? That attitude is a license to kill, literally.
I certainly don’t pretend to know all there is to know about shutting down the porn industy, nor about how to solve absolutely everything for everyone having difficulties with pornography. I don’t know what it means to have an addiction to pornography. I can’t offer an instant cure to temptation. None of that. However, what I do offer here is, I think, enormously helpful to those who suffer from such things. At least that’s what I’m told. The viewing can stop immediately and forever with our Lord’s grace. Having the proper attitude toward that grace is extremely important. It’s just that attitude which I wish to describe in this article.
Before getting into this, however, just to break up the heaviness of this article, let me provide you with a video I created as one of the presentations on a “critique some villainous points of popular culture night” at the Pontifical College Josephinum just before Christmas 2010, just some weeks before my becoming a hermit here on Holy Soul Mountain. I’ll preface that video with another, namely, the song/video which I chose to critique.
The song being critiqued is a take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, which is nearly the all-time all-time most popular song ever.. This version is sung by Kurt Nilsen, Espen Lind, Askil Holm and Alejandro Fuentes (with @48 million hits just for this youtube version alone. There are very many. Another version was also used in Shrek. It’s been an ultra favorite of the popular talent shows such as American Idol, and dozens of television and stage and endless, forever repeated radio productions, etc., etc., etc. Views / listens are surely getting into the billions.
Here are the highly poetic words, extremely condensed statments which were continuously rewritten, Leonard Cohen says of himself, in great anxiety and agony. You really have to stare at each word for quite a while:
1. I heard there was a secret cord that David played and it pleased the Lord. But you don’t care for music do ya? Well, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift. The baffled king composing, “Hallelujah!” Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
2. Your faith was strong but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya. Well, she tied you to a kitchen chair. She broke your throne and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew the “Hallelujah!” Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
3. Well, maybe there’s a God above. But all I’ve ever learned from love is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya. It’s not a cry that you hear at night. It’s not somebody whose seen the light. It’s a cold and it’s a broken “Hallelujah!” Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
[[By the way, an incisive critique about David's betrayal of the troops has been written by a great two star Admiral, a good friend of mine. He was the head of the chaplaincy for the Department of Defence, all branches, until very recently. You can find that here: “Betrayal of Trust. David and Bathsheba Revisited,” New Theology Review (May 2008) 38-46.]]
Anyway, here’s the video critique of these verses of Leonard Cohen’s song that I created myself. If any of you have tried to make an animatronic video like this, you’ll know that I had to spend quite a little time on it. You might have to watch it a couple times to get all the nuances. Remember, this was produced for viewing by some seminarians who I knew would be ready to critique it if they could, it being that they were also my students in class! The “text” voices of the characters aren’t always as clear as I would have liked them to be.
Now then, having trashed King David’s gawking at Bathsheeba as analogous to the idiocy of viewing pornography, let’s move on to the testimonial of one of our faithful readers, who was lost to pornography altogether, but who has now given himself to the Lord Jesus. Here’s what he wrote for this article on the blog. I’ve slightly edited this to make it more anonymous, to add paragraph breaks, etc.:
I was an only child in a neighborhood with few other children, so I was always solitary and given to daydreaming. I read quite a bit as a youngster and, as I got older, watched too much TV. On a January day when I was a sophomore in high school, I convinced a senior to buy a couple of girlie magazines for me. For 31 1/2 years thereafter, not a day went by that I didn’t use or at least think of using, pornography, sometimes multiple times in a day. Most nights when I closed my eyes to sleep, images of porn flashed before my eyes as the last thing before sleep. It was exciting to have a secret and the content of the secret added to the excitement.
The level of explicitness went up and the media went through many changes, but the biggest changes were in its effect on me. At first the cycle was simple: desire, abandonment to the desire and euphoria. My upbringing let me know this was wrong, but I thought I could be forgiven simply for nothing more than the asking. In college I read Bonhoeffer’s critique of cheap grace and found myself convicted. The cycle now went from desire to abandonment to euphoria to a feeling of degradation.
After a few years, I drifted away from any religious observance to avoid the feelings of degradation. In the late 90s I started going to church again and realized that porn was my biggest problem. It then became much more insidious. At first I tried to give up porn for short periods of time in gratitude for one thing or another, but before long that switched into using any disappointment as an excuse to use porn. The cycle of desire, abandonment, ecstasy and degradation intensified.
Shortly after the year 2000 I struck me that I had never once been to confession. I dreaded my first confession, but went to a Lenten reconciliation service at my parish. The priest I went to kept interrupting me, so I didn’t even get to most of the sensitive material. I felt like I had dodged a bullet.
A few days after Easter, though, I found myself back to my old habits. For the first few years after my first confession, I went to confession frequently and confessed new episodes. I was active in the parish and people thought well of me – they still do. I was once caught with pornography and once told a friend a bit about it, but other than that it was still a secret and compartmentalized from the rest of my life, even as it took up larger and larger swaths of time and attention.
After a while I started to convince myself that the Catechism’s note about habits reducing fault for sin covered this situation. One Lent was especially productive and I made it nearly two months without using porn, even though I thought about it every day. As the weeks rolled on I became more and more stressed out and my inability to console others after an unrelated catastrophe in the family convinced me that I had to “blow off steam” by using porn again. The cycle now was desire, abandonment, ecstasy, degradation and numbness, with numbness being the most prevalent. It became more difficult to what I wanted with pornography. Eventually it became difficult to feel anything but numbness or degradation.
For a few years I quit going to confession because I was embarrassed to keep saying the same things. I fell into presumption and made sacrilegious Communions. Eventually presumption became despair. I remember praying that, if I were bound for hell anyway, that God take me soon so I wouldn’t drag anyone else down with me.
In Lent of 2011 I came back to confession after a three-year absence. I knew that I had to keep at confession and prayer, which I did to the best of my ability. I made a point of praying the Angelus every morning and evening. I got rid of all the porn I had stashed about the house and in online storage. The bright spots of life without porn were gradually becoming bigger and closer together.
On July 1 when I was praying in front of the tabernacle after confession, I had an intense connection with the phrase “Thy Kingdom come”. Every part of my life had to be subject to the King and His Kingdom all the time. I asked God to take away my remaining enjoyment of porn. I’d asked to lose the desire before, but never to lose enjoyment of it.
About two weeks later I felt the desire again and went to a porno shop. When I arrived there, I immediately felt revulsion. I left and went on my way. About two weeks after that I went to an online porn site and felt desire mixed with revulsion. I didn’t want the desire to return ever again.
In a city not too far distant from my house there are confessions available throughout the week. On July 29 I drove there with the purpose of confessing everything from 1980 onward. The drive felt much longer than an hour and the wait for a few others to confess felt longer yet. I made my regular confession and then explained how I wanted to finish my first confession. It got less difficult as I went along, but I did feel pretty self conscious about the big numbers.
Since that day I’ve only had very fleeting temptations to relapse, to which I promptly respond with prayers that have always been answered. I still have plenty of other things to confess like gluttony, sloth, anger and pride, and I’ve been going to confession (closer to home) monthly as well as doing some penance every Friday. In September I started praying a daily Rosary again and a few others things as well, including daily thanking God for delivering me from this addiction.
Wow. We thank our reader for bringing us this testimonial of the Lord’s goodness and kindness for him. Very inspiring. Remember, no matter how great our sin may be, our Lord’s forgiveness is always more powerful, if we but put ourselves on our knees before Him, also by His grace. But we must cooperate with that grace. Thank you, dearest reader! I’m sure this puts us all in humble thanksgiving before the Lord.
O.K. I realize that his article is rather long, so let’s move on to what lessons can be drawn from my own experience with pornography and then bring this to a close…
When I was studying in Rome, I would find myself trying to avoid getting run over by buses. Sometimes the buses would sport advertisements on their sides, which, from time to time, using special technologies, would also cover the windows (transparent from the inside), so that the entire bus would be a moving billboard. From time to time, some rather suggestive, even outright pornographic advertisements would be portrayed. This is very typical in Italy. Such images were impossible to avoid.
I remember a friend joking that the saints in Rome, like the great Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J., didn’t have custody of the eyes, never looking up, because they wanted to avoid seeing untoward images, but because they didn’t want to step in dog poop which those walking their dogs in Rome to this day leave right on the sidewalk. Maybe. At any rate, in today’s Rome, one has to watch out for the buses!
Anyway, the bus thing was my experience with pornography. I suppose those who have seen such things will laugh at me for my thinking that such is offensive to the general public, but let’s analyze what I myself went through in seeing a very provocative image of a thirty-something woman for a nanosecond.
My first reaction in the first nanosecond of seeing this was attraction, perhaps, it struck me, something along the lines of the newly created Adam seeing the newly-built-up-from-his-rib woman: “This one! This time! is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called woman for she was taken out of man” (Genesis 3,23, from memory, if it serves me rightly).
My second reaction in the following nanosecond — almost simultaneous — of seeing this imagery, was revulsion, not to the image or to the woman who prostituted herself for that image to be taken, but because such objectification of women for the utilitarian pleasure of men was disgusting to me.
My third reaction was actually not so much a reaction as a calm reflection about the mechanism of pornography works, how this mechanism, if you will, must have been studied and exploited quite literally to death by the porn industry. Although everyone goes through life and meets up with such things with an entire history of unrepeatable circumstances which are influential perhaps only to that person, there is, I think, nevertheless, much commonality in our fallen human condition.
What I came up with is this: We already have a fallen human nature, ever so weak, ever so ready to congratulate itself that all is well,no matter what. We all find complementarity in the opposite sex. Complementarity, by its nature, goes to the essence of who we are. Since we are weak in a way that militates against any need for complementarity, that is, temptations to self-sufficiency, egoism, individualism, correctly implemented complimentarity is not so easy to come by. There can be temptations to prove this self-sufficiency by way of that which seals one in non-complementarity, that is, that which objectifies, de-personalizes the other, that is, pornography. It is the fact of depersonalization, really, a kind of murder of the other, which brings delight to the egotistic eyes, which lust after what is effectively a self-embrace, a kind of Cartesian ”Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore, I am) seen through sex: ”I depersonalize the other, therefore, I am.” If sex isn’t for life, it tends to death. It only gets worse, as the testimonial of our reader above has laid out for us so well. It’s a matter of cowardly power: kill the other, and then do it again, and again, always getting locked into a more violent downward vortex.
Reflecting more on this, I knew that, wow, I had really better stay away from porn. I mean, I knew that already! But this unavoidable nanosecond experience reinforced my resolution never to compromise. None of us are better than anyone else, ever. Circumstances play an important part in what we do in life, but we can always choose to be stupid and sin. It’s when we reject that, congratulating ourselves that we are somehow above the human fray, that we are setting ourselves up for a fall.
(1) Make a good confession of all mortal sin. Don’t let the priest distract you, as related in the testimonial above. Talk over the priest if you have to. Don’t worry. He’ll give up his stupidity and listen. (That’s kind of stupidity is rare, by the way).
(2) Know that you will sin again, no matter how many confessions you do, how many Masses you attend, how many rosaries and chaplets you say, blah, blah, blah, IF… IF you have the attitude that you are the one in charge of getting yourself away from the draw of porn. Instead of being so very intense, and then frustrated, and then lost to depression and despair, and then more sin, just give up trusting in yourself and instead trust in the Lord, simply, like a child. Run to Him like a little child. He knows we are weak. He has the marks of the crucifixion to prove it. He knows. Don’t be more intense, just more simple, looking to Him.
(3) Don’t think you’re so unworthy to be loved by God that you are in fact not loved by Him. Just because we are weak and even tempted does not mean we are evil. It just means that we’ve recognized that we have a cross to carry. That cross does not weigh us down in the spiritual life. It has us give up on trusting in ourselves so that we turn to the Lord, following Him. He didn’t just say “Pick up your cross of weakness”… He said this, and then immediately added, “Come, follow me!” We look to Him, not to the cross. We know the weakness is there, but we look to Him.
(4) No repression of weakness! Don’t throw the cross down. Embrace it. Don’t sin, don’t dwell on sin. Just know that we can sin at any time, but be looking to the Lord in humble thanksgiving in all this. On the one hand, never condemn yourself, cutting yourself off from the mercy of Jesus. Just look to Him with humble thanksgiving. On the other hand, don’t forgive yourself either. I mean, sorry for the language, but what the hell is that? Forgiving yourself? Just look at what the Son of God went through on the Cross to have the right in justice to say to His Heavenly Father for us: “Father, forgive them!” We look to Him for forgiveness. Do it! His forgiveness is complete.
(5) Know that after Confession there is still weakness. Don’t think you’re not forgiven. That’s just the cross. Pick it up. Shoulder it. Don’t look at it. Follow Jesus. Don’t sin again. We must sin again on our own, but we are not on our own. Jesus is with us. We can stay away from sin thanks to His grace. From one confession to the next, be in a state of humble thanksgiving, continuously. That’s a sign of good friendship. That’s what our Lord wants. That’s what He gives us. That friendship is stronger than temptation, stronger than death. Death before sin! exclaimed little Dominic Savio. He could say that not because he was strong, but because he knew how strong the Lord was, though he, Dominic, remained weak. We all stay weak, but have our strength in Jesus.
(6) It’s a matter of love and respect for God, for others, for self. Pray for those lost to porn. Pray for those who have prostituted themselves or been pimped into the porn industry. Joy will increase. The rejoicing will be great.
Now, I suppose there will be nay-sayers who say that everything I’ve said here is age-inappropriate. To them I address the following anecdote of my preaching against porn so many years ago:
Long before perverted, false presentations of John Paul’s Theology of the Body were starting to be popularized (quite a while back), I had given a rather incisive Sunday homily against pornography, how degrading this is to women, how this turns men into what they otherwise would never want to be. After Mass, outside the Church, on the sidewalk, while people were pouring out of Church. Some thanked me for the homily or offered a “Happy Sunday, Father”, but were quickly on their way. People were pretty muted, actually. I thought I had made quite a few enemies with that homily, however calm and reasoned I was in the presentation. Meanwhile… meanwhile!… a young girl, I’m guessing eight years old, literally launched her tiny self toward me from the Church steps, wrapping her arms around my neck. This was long before 2002, in the mid-1980s, but I had enough sense to put my arms straight out so that she would drop to the sidewalk on her own. She did. On her feet. The whole crowd was staring at this scene. It was well and truly an ”Out of the mouths of babes” event. I wish it had been filmed. I would put up the video so that you could see this prophetic child in action. She couldn’t stop effusively thanking me for the great, wonderful, fabulous, much needed sermon I had given, since no one speaks about the evils of pornography and I had done the right thing in speaking up because so many people suffer because of pornography and it has to stop and I really spoke well and people should listen to what I have to say and… and… All rather breathless, but rather prophetic from what I could gather from the faces of those who stood listening, speechless at her animated, strong speech, acurately repeating my homily point by point for all to hear, again. What a woman she’ll turn out to be, I thought, and she already is. Wow. She must be in her mid-twenties as I write this, a real force for the good both in the Church and in society.
And speaking of children and porn, and specifically about showing porn to children,which I think, on it’s own, makes someone a pedophile, I would like to call your attention to an article I wrote about “VIRTUS”, a child-protection program, which has it that showing porn to children doesn’t necessarily mean that one is a pedophile. It’s for reasons like that, that I don’t support VIRTUS as a child-protection program. To see that article, such as the Catholic Diocese of Westminster is doing today, click HERE.
A young, very happily married reader working for the defense of our great country writes:
I am having a real struggle with impure and lustful thoughts, and I was wondering if you had any advice on how to avoid these sorts of thoughts. I’ve been reading some of your writings on how repressing these types of things is not the way to go, but I don’t think I have completely understood. If you could give me some practical advice, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks for that. I’ve been meaning to put something up about just this topic for some time. I’m putting this in the priestly celibacy series, as I think some of our priests and bishops would appreciate this post as well, not to mention specifically some of the spiritual directors and confessors in our seminaries.
First off, let’s clarify the terminology. A “struggle” should refer to temptation. One can be victorious or a failure. Never confess: “I struggled with impure thoughts.” The confessor will think that you mean that you failed with the struggle, when you might just be asking his advice.
Having said that, I have to encourage you. Very few these days would be in any kind of struggle at all, just caving in to such thoughts and, often, consequent actions.
The reason for no struggle is the dumbing down of a sense of sin in society and among many members of the Church, not excluding some priests and bishops (as we found out with the German bishops recently and so many times with USCCB film reviews).
The dumbing down of a sense of sin started in a big way in the 1950s with the over-optimism of biological/psychological/spiritual evolution that all would be O.K., and we shouldn’t be concerned with “negativity,” all was nice, free and easy, you know, like at Woodstock. Those were the days which paved the way for many today to be convinced that they were now “mature” and “balanced” and well able to watch all sorts of “artistic skin flicks”, you know, “erotica”, that socially acceptable, sophisticated porn which we won’t call porn, but rather “mature”. Those rejecting such trash were mocked also in seminaries.
So, erotica, soft porn, porn, snuff films — all a progression in the same line — just with varying degrees of intensification, is pervasive, everywhere.
From the world, unwillingly: Society can be pretty agressive with foisting impure and lustful images upon the masses, on occasion with billboards, sometimes in lyrics of songs, more frequently now on television at any time of day or night, pretty much everywhere on the internet. And so on. Impure and lustful images are registered by the brain whether one likes it or not.
From the world, willingly: Of course, unwillingly happening upon an impure and lusty image is a matter for an examination of one’s conscience. If you know that certain television stations or internet sites will put out rubbish when you least expect, do you rationalize this, making excuses? “But everybody goes to this site and watches that program!” Nope. Everybody doesn’t. Some people are so disgusted with the disrespect of men, women and children that, out of love of God and neighbor, they do not watch programs with side bits of erotica or porn whatever else. There is much subliminal rubbish even in the “plot” lines of otherwise pretty clean shows. It all takes a toll. How one chooses to be entertained says much about a person. Is it all passive entertainment, or do you have to do a bit of work, as in reading good books? Great people make their entertainment, and love it, loving life. Those who busy themselves with trash in / trash out entertainment can hardly avoid the trash out bit.
The flesh: If one has ever had experience of any impurity or lustiness whatsoever in whatever way, such memories can work on the brain combined with everything from the world, willingly or unwillingly. The least expected thing can trigger such memories, and with such subtlety that one cannot even pinpoint what it might have been which set off impure and lustful thoughts. The brain is pretty awesome. It’s made to remember. It can be abused.
The devil: Of course, Satan’s minions can crank up any of the above. It’s so simple to do to weak human beings. A joke for them on our Lord. Satan couldn’t care less about us. If he bothers us it’s out of hatred for our Lord, who loves us so much.
But, in the end, what is wrong with erotic, porn or any lusty and impure image? What’s wrong? Disrespect for the human bodies of men, women and children, and their souls, for one thing. Instead of agility of heart and soul and mind, one pretends to have power over others, abusing them, using them for one’s egotistic self. It is like killing the other person, owning them, stomping them into the ground. It’s all about power.
When sex is not for life, open to life, in marriage, with respect for the other, then sex instead tends to death. One pretends to have absolute power over the other in a way that denies what sex is all about. Again, it’s all about “power”, but the power of absolute cowards. Let’s repeat that: absolute cowards.
At any rate, even having lived a life of chastity, one can still have encountered impure and lusty images which might invade one’s mind when one least expects. One doesn’t want to bother with such things, and has two options:
(1) One can attempt to repress the fact of such an event. “I was never even tempted!” This is just stupid. It’s not facing reality. This is the option of the coward. This kind of thing always explodes into worse unchastity or in some other way, perhaps, for instance, arrogance. Not facing the reality of weakness of man after original sin always makes things worse.
This is different than avoiding impure and lusty images, which prudence comes, instead, from a healthy recognition of the weakness of our fallen human nature, and is to be commended. Those who do this have other things with which to fill their minds and hearts and souls, such as love of God and love of neighbor. The Legion of Mary, so trashed by liberal priests I have known, started with a mission to prostitutes in brothels, to get them out of such a life. Pretty cool, huh?
(2) Instead of repression, one can face the fact that one is vulnerable to impure and lusty images. And everyone is vulnerable to some degree in this way, a fact I’ll write at length about, please God, in the popular commentary on my thesis on Genesis 2,4–3,24 (see the My Books page). Facing this fact of vulnerability doesn’t mean not distracting oneself from such thoughts. If you want, practical advice, there it is. No daydreaming about such things! As our Lord says, one can also commit adultery in one’s heart, which is always such a violent sin, turning one into quite the obnoxious abusive monster. One can also turn to the Lord and ask Him, with all the reality of non-denial, for strength that He alone can grant.
What is that strength? It is love for one’s neighbor, for men, for women, for children, knowing that behind each lusty or impure image (whether from published porn or one’s own imagination) stands a real man, woman, or child, or, if a creation of one’s imagination, a symbol of any real man, woman or child. The Lord will grant us the grace to respect others, to love others as He Himself has loved us. He takes us where we are at and, changing us by grace, He enables us to live enthusiastically, joyfully, strongly, a life of perfect chastity, whether married and begetting children, or married to the Church, as priests and religious, never having us deny our need of redemption, but having live in humble thanksgiving before Him.
If one starts to get to know our Lord, one will also start to have a sense of what He does for us. When we have a sense of what He does for us, for me, then one sees this possibility also for others, seeing in men, women and children His love for them, His ability to take them to Himself, their capacity to reflect the beauty of the entire universe and much more, the capacity to reflect the very love of God. It is at this point — when one is in humble thanksgiving before the Lord — that one begins to grow humanly, that is, to have a proper respect for others. This doesn’t permit one to be so “mature” as to freely view erotica and porn, as some think, but to be indignant that others are being hurt in this way, and wary that one might hurt oneself in this way. It is always hurtful to oneself to be disrespectful of others. It’s always helpful for onself and others to recognize that our Lord — while hanging in bleeding shreds of flesh on the cross — consecrated our bodies in this way to be the temples of the Holy Spirit, He who provides the chaste with agility and freedom of heart and soul and mind.
An important distinction: Just because a lusty or impure thought comes to mind does not at all mean that one is in sin. A struggle is not a sin.
For the pure of heart, this can be an occasion of virtue, carrying the cross well, learning in this to look to our Lord all the more simply, in humble thanksgiving.
For the impure of heart, such can be an occasion of vice, a rejection of the cross, learning to look to one’s egotistic self at the expense of others all the more thoroughly.
But it’s the same lusty and impure thought.
That distinction has helped untold multitudes in my priestly ministry to get out of a vicious cycle:
Impure and lusty thought.
Depression.
Following the impure and lusty thought, even unto impure actions.
… which bring more impure and lusty thoughts, more depression, and so on.
To break the cycle, one needs not to repress one’s cross, such thoughts in all denial, but, recognizing the fact of them, to take them up as the cross, shouldering this cross, not looking at it, but rather, as our Lord also commanded, looking to Him, following Him with that cross that we carry. That cross reminds us of our need for His love, His goodness, His kindness, knowing that we are bereft of that on our own. We follow Him enthusiastically, like men after their leader into a life or death battle. We see His wounds. We know how serious the battle is. And the battle is that serious. If one could only see the wrecked lives and wrecked marriages because of erotica and porn. If one could only see the absolute hell of those men, women and children who are the subjects of the porn. If one could only see what happens to men, women and children when some people who crank up their impure and lusty images, dwelling on them, turn into monstrous abusers of others in whatever way.
Præcinge me, Domine, cingulo puritatis, et exstingue in lumbis meis humorem libidinis; ut maneat in me virtus continentiæ et castitatis.
Gird me about, O Lord, with the cincture of purity, and extinguish in my loins the inclinations of wanton desires, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide in me.
When I was a chaplain in Lourdes, I remember a gentleman coming into the little sacristy of the chapel of Saint Gabriel (in the crypt of the Immaculate Conception Basilica above the grotto) just before Mass, just when I was wrapping a cincture around my waist, very quietly mumbling this prayer, “Praecinge me, Domine…” He mockingly looked at me and said that we’ve moved beyond all that. We don’t do that kind of thing anymore.” I think he was an ex-priest. I quietly responded that with all the sexual stupidity of some priests, if he didn’t think that such a prayer was appropriate for all priests to say. No response to that, of course. Another chaplain, one who would never have even known such a prayer existed as far as I know, was speechless as such an exchange, not knowing whose side to take.
The syntax of this prayer has it that it is the Lord Himself who places this spiritual cincture of purity about oneself in such manner that any sexual untowardness might be extinguished in such manner that the singular virtue, mind you, of continence and chastity might abide within oneself.
Wow. Lots to comment on there, gentlemen!
I mean, repression of anything sexual is absolute idiocy (the link from the series on priestly celibacy). And no rope tied about the waist, either by oneself or spiritually by the Lord, is going to do anything if it is seen in this fashion by the priest or bishop. Zero. If you think that, you’ll be filled with wanton desires. The same goes for extinguishing anything. If one thinks that one can guide oneself by sheer determination, well… hell!
It’s interesting that this prayer refers to a singular virtue for both continence (the link from the series on priestly celibacy) and chastity (the link from the series on priestly celibacy), with continence referring to being contained in God, and chastity referring to being cut off from the lusty ways of the world. The use the singular virtue for both of these virtues makes for a definition of purity, a cincture of purity, so to speak, so that the extinguishing of any untoward desires is not wrought by way of repression, but by way of positive containment in God (which of itself means that one is cut off from the lusty ways of the world). The strength of being contained in God (which is positive) is what keeps one away from the ways of the world (a result of what is positive). Again, this is not about repression. The Church never pushed repression, ever.
Remember the words of our Lord? –
Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them (Luke 12,35-37 of NAB).
The Master’s wedding was the Last Supper and Calvary. At the Last Supper, the Lord girt himself and washed the cursed dirt, Satan’s home (see Genesis 3,14), from the Apostles feet, for they were unclean inasmuch as Judas, possessed by Satan, was with them. The apostles, at the Last Supper, were bidden to do the same washing as time went on. The apostles, mind you, were not there for the entire wedding, which included Calvary, which all fled, until John alone returned. Nevertheless, we are now to be ready for Him. Vigilant, girt round about by the cincture of purity, ready to recline at table, to be waited on by our Lord. This is exactly what happens at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This prayer is a wonderful preparation for Holy Mass. The prayer refers to this very passage in Scripture. He serves us first of all by providing the virtue of purity, and then, with that agility of spirit, He provides to us Himself in the Most Blessed Sacrament, entering within where He might speak Heart to heart with us in all goodness and kindness.
But there is more to this prayer.
About the Passover, the forerunner of the Last Supper:
This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first– born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt– I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution (Exo 12:11-14 NAB).
And remember John? the greatest prophet, whose words we repeat at every Mass with the “Ecce, Agnus Dei! Ecce, qui tollit peccata mundi! –
John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey (Mark 1,6 NAB // Matthew 3,4).
This comes, of course, from Genesis 3,21, where we see that the Lord had the man and his wife be clothed in leather garments. They had tried to cover their own untoward inclinations with a few fig leaves: repression. Not good. Our Lord did cover them, but this time with an indication of the violence of vicarious sacrifice. Of course, this was only pointing to the violence of another vicarious sacrifice in the future, that of our Lord, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which we read about a few verses earlier, in Genesis 3,15. Our Lord takes the initiative to place enmity within us by reaching out His heel to crush the power of Satan while Himself being crushed, He taking on the death we deserve and having the right, therefore, in justice, to have mercy on us.
Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take (Mar 15:24 NAB).
We are clothed in the vicarious death of Christ that we might manifest His resurrection in our lives of continence and chastity, of agility of soul, of holy purity, girded about by the goodness and kindness of our Lord.
By the way, the cincture, or whatever it is called by so many, that is worn with religious habits and with the Roman Cassock, hearkens back to the leather garments of Genesis, of John the Baptist… The Carmelites insist, for example on a belt of leather which is as long as the longest stretch on a bull, signifying the death of the beast…
A while back, “wounded healer” was the new up-to-date jargonization of pop-psychology that had to be used by the politically correct “in” crowd of seminary formators. I always thought the term to be creepy, at best, but when I thought about it, I thought it to be a sick form of predatory whatever at worst.
At its best, “wounded” could refer to victimhood, such as having been beaten to a pulp by one’s drunken parents continuously as a child, in which case “healer” would refer to a “been there, know all about it” condescension of transference, in which the circumstances and psychology of the one to be healed is insignificant compared to the all important paradigm-for-everyone’s-life-archetypal-wounded-healer-person. This is a kind of mocking of others’ pain, vomiting one’s own history on others. Absurdly thinking that “My pain is better than your pain! Nyeah, nyeah, nyeah, nyeah, nyeah!” isn’t going to get anyone anywhere better, but will only make them worse for the experience of the mockery. Of course, in all this, everyone is so very nice.
At its worst, “wounded” could refer to self-inflicted sin, in which case, mind you, the wounded-healer-person is not a victim, however much that is the scenario painted by brow-beating gnostic power-seekers: “I’ve been there, done that. I’m a victim and I admit it. And that makes me better than you, at least until you become just like me.” See above.
Since this is a series on celibacy, let’s use illicit sex as an example of this kind of rubbish, just to show how dangerous it is. Someone comes to confession and confesses some sins against holy purity, and you, the priest, jump in to say that you’ve been there, done that, and that you’re just the person, therefore, to help such a penitent overcome their struggles with remaining chaste. [Vomit here...] Sexuality is terribly profound and complex, psychologically, emotionally, and in every other way on every level. In this example, the confessor should be upbraided in whatever way for making a pass at the penitent. A confessor should not point to his own sin and similarity in whatever way to the penitent, but rather point the penitent directly to our Lord, who has the grace to provide chastity in the ardent love of the Holy Spirit for those who ask. Big difference there, no? Jesus grants wholeness and healing. It is He alone who is so good and so kind.
Repression of anything untoward is evil cowardice. Deal with whatever it is. Dealing with something doesn’t mean caving in to it. It means being honest. See the previous post in this series for more about that.
Also, just to say, celibacy is not repression of anything. If it is, you’re in trouble, and so are those around you. Priestly celibacy is about being married to the Church, truly a spousal giving, wherein you give all right unto death: This is my body, given for you, in sacrifice… This is the chalice of my blood, shed for you and the many, in sacrifice… These are wedding vows at the wedding banquet which, in those very words, is about self-sacrificing love, the kind of love that is demanded in marriage, the kind of love that is made possible by the wedding of Jesus to the Church, His laying down His life for His Bride, the Church.
* * *
Since the mid-twentieth century there has been a certain psychological approach used in a few ecclesiastical universities and seminaries which holds that there are no rebukes issuing from one’s conscience which are based in the Natural Law (such as “Do not murder the innocent!”). Instead, this absurd approach to psychology and morality holds that rebukes issuing from one’s conscience are merely learned, emotional reactions. Thus, everything for which one might feel to be rebuked by one’s conscience is merely an ideological accusation belonging peculiarly only to this or that culture or local subculture (such as “Do not wear clothes having clashing colors”).
According to that reductionist way of thinking, there is no morality other than superficial ethics (Greek, for mere custom), a kind of salvation by democracy if one is politically correct. In such a world, evil behavior is actually good if most everyone is doing it. But that’s like saying cavities in teeth are a good thing.
At any rate, it is thought that since one is born into a culture which has taken centuries to nuance with many and varied customs – and it cannot now be known why such customs of behavior have come about – one finds oneself living in a society which one perceives as simply saying “No!” in regard to this or that, or a society which becomes frantic if one does not say “No!” to this or that, or which, with ever more sophisticated ambiguity, complains that “Perhaps we should never say “No!”
Those who propose such a world devoid of Natural Law declare that a person cannot fail to repress what is hurtfully felt as the result of what always seems to be an inappropriate rebuke. They then complain that mere political correctness forced upon the person in a superficial manner cannot change the person for the better. They they say that since one has merely been deceived into repression, then mere conformist repression will, of course, only have the person explode into more uncustomary, politically incorrect behavior, until repression kicks in again with ferocity and damage.
It is thought by those who negate Natural Law that in order to heal “uncustomary” behavior well and truly, there are two steps to follow, the first having three directives:
Firstly: (1) “You may [do, think...] everything [that you want]”; (2) “For you there are no rules, laws or commandments”; (3) “The pleasure you experience as the result of abiding by the other directives is the most perfect thing for you.”
Secondly: One is to realize – upon glutting oneself with whatever it was that one was trying to repress, and this to the point of making oneself sick with one’s very self – that there is a reason for the admonitions of democratic morality, of customary behavior, even if these are not now known by the society in which one lives. In other words, it is only through acting out untoward behavior that one can find out for oneself that such self-destructive behavior is, in fact, self-destructive, and that by way emotions created by unpleasant feelings. This, it is thought, will have the person positively accept societal norms.
An emotion created by unpleasant feelings is not Natural Law (rational participation in the Eternal Law), that is, it is not any rebuke issuing from conscience. It is simply an emotion pushing one to avoid unpleasant feelings. Armed with this new emotion, it is thought that now one can follow in a reasonable manner even a rebuke (mindlessly) parroted by present-day society, thus avoiding dangerous repression. One is then thought to be “cured” of one’s lack of conformity.
Inasmuch as this kind of “psychology” has been foisted upon seminarians – who later, as priests, foist it upon penitents in the Confessional – that is just how much the Church has been weakened by such anti-evangelical counsel. This kind of thing may well have contributed to the crisis the Church suffered in America, Ireland and elsewhere. One will notice that the directives given in such a system of self-redemption proposed above are directly contrary to Natural Law, to the commandments of God, to the precepts of the Church, and to all that is reasonable and good. The critique of all of this is quite simple:
(1) Anyone following through with this way of avoiding repression will suffer from a double repression which is doubly evil both psychologically and morally, and doubly dangerous considering the explosion of immorality that is later bound to occur. One is much worse off than before. Even if one learns not to sin exteriorly by this double repression, one cannot grow in any way. One is simply so afraid of the emotion coming from unpleasant feelings that one continue’s to repress and then repress all the more. One’s selfishness and self-redeeming arrogance will come out in a different, perhaps more subtle and insidious ways.
(2) Admonitions coming from Natural Law (or God’s Law), are real admonitions; they are not arbitrary, merely experiential admonitions demographically extracted from whatever culture in which one happens to be living (compare Deuteronomy 30,9-10 and Romans 2,14-16). It is a false anthropology which negates the Natural Law and replaces it with statistics which cannot but be manipulated to one’s private ends.
(3) The self-redemption inherent in psychology as spirituality, the saving of oneself apart from the Crucifixion and Resurrection, apart from the Sacraments, is bound to fail. Anyone promoting sin as a way not to sin[!] is promoting merely himself, but nemo dat quod non habet (no one gives what one doesn’t have). By oneself, one can only give oneself sin and a promise of repression that will explode in more sin. It is Christ who lifts one up to the Cross, to Himself. Dying to oneself so as to live for Christ, to embrace the cross, carrying it daily, while following Christ, is not repression, but a God-given charity so full of life that it wants to bring all to know Him who loves us so much as to die for us. The false way has the person wrapped up in himself. The true way, that is, the Way, has the person immersed in the love of others.
Here’s a bit of a letter from Saint Jerome to Eustochium, a consecrated virgin in Rome, about his own temptations to lust in the desert as a hermit. This is from Mike Aquilina’s expanded edition of The Fathers of the Church.
When I was living in the desert, in the vast solitude that gives hermits a savage dwelling place, parched by a burning sun, how often I imagined myself among the pleasures of Rome! I used to sit alone because I was filled with bitterness. Sackcloth disfigured my unshapely limbs, and my skin, from long neglect, had become as black as an Ethiopian’s. Tears and groans were every day my portion; and if drowsiness chanced to overcome my struggles against it, my bare bones, which hardly held together, clashed against the ground. Of my food and drink I say nothing, for even in sickness, the solitaries have nothing but cold water — and to eat one’s food coooked is looked upon as self-indulgence.
Now, although in my fear of hell I had consigned myself to this prison, where I had no companions but scorpions and wild beasts, I often found myself amid bevies of girls. My face was pale and my frame chilled with fasting; yet my mind was burning with desire and the fires of lust kept bubbling up before me when my flesh was as good as dead.
Helpless, I cast myself at the feet of Jesus. I watered them with my tears. I wiped them with my hair. And then I subdued my rebellious body with weeks of abstinence. I do not blush to avow my abject misery. Rather I lament that I am not now what once I was. I remember how I often cried aloud all night till the break of day and did not stop beating my breast till tranquility returned at the chiding of the Lord. I used to dread my very cell as though it knew my thoughts; and stern and angry with myself, I used to make my way alone into the desert. Wherever I saw hollow valleys, craggy mountains, steep cliffs, there I made my oratory, there the house of correction for my unhappy flesh.
There, also — the Lord Himself is my witness — when I had shed copious tears and had strained my eyes towards heaven, I sometimes felt myself among angelic hosts, and for joy and gladness sang: “Because of the savor of your good ointments we will run after you” (cf. Song 1:3-4).
Good on Saint Jerome, keeping his chasity while drowning in lust, lust, lust. Yikes! A time of purifying onseself from depending on oneself to depending on Jesus. Very good.
We should be clear, however: penance is never, ever meant to be a tool — in and of itself – to overcome any kind of self-centeredness, as if concentrating on one’s own efforts would do anything more for chastity than castration did for silly Origen! That would be superstition. Instead, penance and mortification begins and ends with friendship with Jesus. For instance, when you fast, do this while looking to the Lord, beseeching Him to let you know more clearly by this means just how terribly weak and beholden to the body over against the spirit that you are, and this not to beat yourself up and get depressed, but so as to use that clarity regarding your own weakness to all the more truthfully call to the Lord.
That calling out to the Lord, perhaps tears and all, is to look to His friendship, His enthusiasm, His joy in bringing one to Himself. It is to be a calling out not of frustration, but of the littlest child looking to his heavenly Father, with simplicity, with enthusiasm. The more the temptation, the simpler and more enthusiastic for the friendship with the Lord. How’s that?
If there is frustration, one is depending way too much on oneself. If there is joy, that speaks of a great friendship with our Lord, depending on Him. If one does not deny the effects of original sin (and any personal sin… and societal, environmental influence), but rather, with honesty, presents such weakness to the Lord, confessing that such weakness is due to the just consequences of sin, then one can take this up as the cross, and know in honestly following Jesus — looking to Him as our Savior, while knowing full well the weight of the cross – that one can look forward to being and be absolutely chaste, and this with the enthusiasm and joy of a little child. So what if there are temptations! They just point one to the goodness and kindness of the Lord in coming into this little hell of this world to bring one out of such idiocy and into the fullness of love and goodness and kindness that He brings to us. Though one is weak, the Lord’s strength shines through those who are chaste in His grace.
Sanctity begins with the cross also of temptations, and ends in heaven. Some think that the spiritual life only begins when they have repressed anything untoward. That’s a roadmap to hell. More on that later. Instead, to the cross! to the frank recognition of weakness! to great friendship with Jesus!
And yes, I have reason to agree with Saint Jerome. Angels make their presense known to the pure of heart, even though, as it were, one has been tempted in this way or that during one’s life. Yikes! Angels are so very good and so very kind. They behold the face of God in heaven now, and bring us to Jesus, to whom we belong as members of a body do to the head: Jesus sees our heavenly Father for us and in some way with us, even now, for those who, however tempted, are joyfully chaste. Awesome.
The ordained priest, who is the instrument of The Priest, Christ Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Prince of the most profound peace, has charge of the marriage bed shared by Jesus and His Bride, the Church. The ordained priest keeps the bride perfect in purity by his administration of the Sacraments. He prepares the Bride for Christ with Baptism and Confession. In his office as Eunuch, the priest does what the Lord does in preparing, metaphorically, the Bride for marriage. Scripturally, the doctrine proclaimed is as strong as the images provided in, e.g., Ezekiel 16,6-14:
And when I passed by you, and saw you weltering in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live, and grow up like a plant of the field.’ And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full maidenhood; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare. When I passed by you again and looked upon you, behold, you were at the age for love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yea, I plighted my troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord GOD, and you became mine. Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I decked you with ornaments, and put bracelets on your arms, and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; you ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful, and came to regal estate. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed upon you, says the Lord God.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Calvary is where the marriage of Christ and His Bride, the Church, is celebrated and, so to speak, consummated. The priest is ordained to be an alter-Christus, another Christ. But there is only one Christ, one Priest, one Lord, one King, one Bridegroom, in whose Person the ordained priest acts (in Persona Christi). The ordained priest has a priestly character in Christ’s image that is far different from all other Christians’ ‘royal priesthood’. The celibacy, the chastity, the continence and even the virginity he can enjoy finds its fulfilment in the charity of this wedding of Jesus and His Bride of which the eunuch priest is officially in charge and in which he participates, being married to the Church by the Sacrifice he offers, by the marriage vows he pronounces in Persona Christi, in the Person of Christ: This is my body — given for you in sacrifice… This is the Chalice of my blood — given for you in sacrifice. Total self-giving to the other. The priest is in love with the Church, also his Bride, through, with and in Christ Jesus. Remember the opening paragraph of this series from the Congregation for Clergy? Here it is:
Through Him, with Him, and in Him, the priest becomes the servant of mankind. His very being, ontologically assimilated to Christ, constitutes the foundation of being ordained for the service of the community. Total commitment to Christ, aptly effected and witnessed through celibacy, places the priest at the service of all. The marvelous gift of celibacy is clarified by, and draws inspiration from, assimilation to the nuptial gift of the crucified and risen Son of God to a redeemed and renewed mankind.
Note that this nuptial gift has nothing of the sexual about it, nothing of a pornographically fallen eroticism that is so often effervescently spoken about these days by some few in glowing terms, making the Last Supper and particularly Calvary some sort of sexualized experience even for Christ. That’s just blasphemy.
The begetting of children, the primary end of any marriage, is wrought in Christ’s marriage with His Bride, the Church, not by sexual activity, but by way of justice: He took on the consequence of the guilt we incurred because of original sin, death, which is also the worst we can give out, and is, therefore, exactly what we deserve in justice… He took this on and, remaining innocent, had the right in justice to have mercy on us, to tell our Heavenly Father: “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.” This is how He begets the children of God, usurping the rights of Adam over us, and then the rights of Satan over us. Satan had rights over us because Adam was obedient to Satan instead of God. But the Lord transformed us from being the members of the fallen body of Adam that had been given over to Satan into the members of His Mystical Body. To become the members of His Body is marriage terminology of Saint Paul.
Saint Paul speaks of the Body of Christ, for this we become by way of the Eucharist, coming from the Last Supper and Calvary. These are united by Christ’s usage of the present participles: This is my Body now being given over for you… (eδιδόμενον) This is the Chalice of my Blood now being shed for you (ἐκχυννόμενον).
The priest, in acting in the Person of Christ, pronouncing these words, must himself be at the ready and in fact be laying down his life for his Bride, the Church, all in total self-giving for the other, the height of matrimonial love for the other. Here’s what Saint Paul has in Ephesians 5,22-33 (RSV):
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Note that the purity of chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven brings with it a lively silence of heart and soul, an openness to listening to the Incarnate Word whom the priest preaches and whom the priest brings upon the altars where the nuptial joys of the Paschal Mystery are celebrated. The ordained priest rejoices by means of His obedience to the Incarnate Word, obedience meaning to be so transformed by that to which one listens that one’s life is conformed to this. The Father speaking the Word into us – that Word which resounds in the ever so lively silence of the chaste heart and soul – so transforms us into another Christ, an alter Christus, that there cannot be loneliness, only purification… and abundant innocent joy, beatitude and goodness.
Perhaps the fact that it is the bridal chamber of Christ’s own marriage with His bride, the Church, by way of His two wedding vows at the Last Supper, as manifested on Calvary — the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass — that is meant for His Apostles, His priests, when He says in the passage about the eunuchs, the keepers of the bed, of the bridal chamber: He who is able to make room, let him make room.
Mt 19,12 – Eunuchs for the sake of Heaven’s Kingdom
(1) For there are eunuchs who have been brought forth from their mother’s womb like this and (2) there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men and (3) there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who is able to make room, let him make room.
Eunuch — from the Greek words εὐνη, which means bed, and ἔχειν which means to have [and, in context: have charge of something], is understood to be someone who has [charge of] the bed [that is, for someone else]. “The bed” may very well refer to a large harem of a powerful king. The eunuchs would not dream of touching any of the women of a king like Solomon, even with his three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines (1 Kings 11,3). This kind of misbehavior would mean certain death. To keep them from physical temptation, most eunuchs were castrated by means of even total removal of the genitals… However, this is merely the prudence of whatever king, and has nothing in itself to do with the actual office that is being executed by the eunuch, the keeper of the bed. To be a eunuch and to be castrated are not synonymous. At any rate, eunuchs, not surprisingly, were often the most trusted individuals of most any empire. They were often second only to the king in power. Not infrequently, they were more powerful than king or emperor who was only a figurehead for the eunuch who actually ruled the land. The “bed” which is being supervised by the bed-keeper, the eunuch, was often the political relations of the king. Eunuchs were so respected, I suppose, because the horrendous barbarism so often inflicted upon them was seen to be some sort of participation in a materially effective redemption, something seen as a correction of the havoc original sin has caused, havoc which is manifest both within individuals and in relations with others. Indeed, the destruction of the image of God in man by original sin wrecks havoc on the impetus for man and woman to come together and procreate. But hacking off genitals is not the way to go for the true redemption of specifically that kind of destruction. Such violence only causes further spiritual and psychological chaos inasmuch as attempted repression of the dreaded devastation caused by original sin can only bring about more frustration. This only makes the individual and all of society much worse.
Having said all that, the word eunuch is by far the richest of all of the terms we’ve seen, and it is the only one used by Jesus Himself in describing those men whom He draws to Himself for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven, though there is a synonymous phrase He uses, which will also be examined briefly further below. Again, Matthew 19,12 reads as follows, with my rather precise translation:
(1) For there are eunuchs who have been brought forth from their mother’s womb like this and (2) there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men and (3) there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who is able to make room, let him make room.
The usage of the term eunuch by Jesus admits of three types, the first two have similarities, while the third is unique.
The first, “there are eunuchs who have been brought forth from their mother’s womb,” is a not infrequent correctable congenital defect.
The second, “there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men,” refers to those who not only have the office of eunuch described above, but have also suffered the humiliation of being castrated.
The third type of eunuch, “there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” cannot refer to self-castration despite the fact that some of the greatest thinkers, such as Origen († @ 254), have mutilated themselves because of what they thought they saw in this passage (perhaps paying too much attention to the Latin Vulgate translation). The Vulgate at this point changes the phrase to say “castrate themselves” (se ipsos castraverunt). While this has a correct spiritual sense, one must further nuance this rendition by paying more attention to the original Greek!
Those who do something for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven do what they do only with the greatest respect and reverence for God’s economy of salvation. It would be positively anti-evangelical to castrate oneself while saying that this was done for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Thinking one can save oneself from temptation and sin, and also do something positive for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and simply because one castrates oneself, is a most gross, crass insult to the saving power of the grace or charity (χάρις – caritas) which Christ granted to us from the Cross.
Being continent, chaste, celibate and virginal for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven must be wrought in a manner which demonstrates that the establishment of the Kingdom is paramount in our lives, that the transformation in grace of the individual (Ephesians 1,3ff ) who would generously give himself to the Lord (with the generosity provided to Him directly by the Lord) is what has enlivened the individual in the Trinity’s fullness of life.
This does not mean that the carrying of the cross in regard to faith-filled chastity is any kind of burden, a woeful curse, a cruel condemnation to suffer the most useless loneliness – an attitude only those suffering from the most stultified torpidity come up with. That there would be those who would not be open to the radiance of Jesus’ loving union with His Bride, the Church, is here recognized by Jesus with His ever unsurpassed agility in setting the matter straight. He offers this admonition: “He who is able to make room, let him make room.” This is often mistranslated to read: “Let he who can receive this, receive it,” or “Let he who can understand this, understand it,” or some such thing along the lines of “Let him who has ears to listen, listen!” Instead, here, we read about making room. This, take note, is the named office of the eunuch, who is to have care specifically of the bedroom (again: εὐνη, which means bed, and ἔχειν, which means to have [and, in context: have charge of something], is understood to be someone who has [charge of] the bed [that is, for someone else]). One’s vocation to the priesthood depends upon one’s being able “to make room” because of having received that very ability from the Lord. What is “making room”?
Virginity — to be a virgin, comes from virgo (virginis), which is like unto virga, a twig, a slender branch, a young sprouting shoot. In other words, someone young, male or female, who does not know willing sexual intercourse. Saint John, a priest, uses the word virgin for men in Apocalypse 14,4. The beloved disciple himself is thought to have always been a virgin. The same word, παρθένος (virgin), is used for the Blessed Mother of God (Luke 1,27, etc.). Continence, celibacy and chastity can be thought to have primarily negative meanings to which positive spiritual motivations must be added. Virginity has a primarily positive meaning, the pristine, wonderful, lively goodness of men and women who, for even very positive reasons, have not (yet) known willing sexual intercourse (or willing sexual compromise for that matter). Saint Augustine, not a virgin, came to know chaste, continent celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven more than many virgins.
I should add here that unwilling sexual intercourse, such as being raped, would not disqualify one from being a virgin even in the strict sense. The hymen may be missing for many reasons, including disease or disfigurement or birth defect. Whatever. Can women who have been raped be admitted, for instance, to the order of consecrated virgins? Yes, of course they can. Much has been made of comments to the contrary, but I would bet that those who made such comments did not have rape in mind! Honestly!
What about those who have known willing compromise? Let’s review: Saint Augustine, not a virgin, came to know chaste, continent celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven more than many virgins. Does that make him a virgin? No.
However, I don’t think people should be singled out for a past life. Women who were previously married, but, for instance, their spouse died, and they want to get remarried, don’t want to wear a white dress since that would somehow negate the great married life they had with their beloved who have now died.
But should women who fell in weakness before getting married be forced to wear a non-white dress? That, in my opinion, would be perverse. And what about the men? Honestly!
Also, by the way, our ever virgin Blessed Mother remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. Why? There are many reasons. A very important one was the her Son was the Son, by whom we all exist, and with whom we are to be unified as members, so to speak, of His Mystical Body, of which He is the Head. She is the mother of us all, giving birth to the rest of us in her Son by way of her perfect intercession for us under the Cross, those birth pangs which brought us to see the light of day in the Son of God. She is not the mother of a monster — as I think Saint Bernard said — the mother of only a Head, for instead, she is mother of the whole Christ, the Head, Jesus, and us, the members. This divine work was first wrought by Holy Spirit, not the intervention of man. This divine work continued by the Holy Spirit, not the intervention of man. The virginity of Mary is a sign of all of this.
Celibacy— from cælibatus and cælebs and the indo-european roots, means alone-living, that is, living alone, or, at least, unmarried. This is simply descriptive of that which we see in this world. If it is without a spiritual dimension, celibacy is sterile, cold, lonely, something which positively rejects the way God made us. Here is where some of those in Holy Orders limit their understanding, and whine about loneliness and lack of fulfilment, begging to have a physical marriage in this world, or putting themselves in de facto concubinage, i.e., the state of being with someone in one’s cubo (in Latin), that is, “cube” or hut or shack. “Shacking up” is simply a translation of concubinage. A concubine, then, is the person with whom one lives without the benefit of marriage. Celibacy, living alone, is the most unfortunate word to be used for the marriage of the priest to the Bride of Christ, for this is hardly living alone, or being in an unmarried state. The priest is to be married to the Church. He must understand that, or he’s in deep trouble. And if he’s in trouble, others are as well. To avoid misunderstanding, the words for the sake of the kingdom of heaven are added from Matthew 19,12, the passage about Eunuchs (which will be discussed further on in this series, please God).
Now, I did mention whining above? Perhaps I shouldn’t tread so rough shod over those who never had anyone to invite them to a deeper understanding of their marriage to the Church through the Sacrifice of the Mass they offer daily. I suppose one can be so enthusiastic that others come to know the awesome love that celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of God entails that one gets a bit carried away. It’s just that I remember when I was much younger than I am now, during one of the first trips of Blessed John Paul II to the United States, that a priest was chosen by some Federation of Priests or other to address the Holy Father in the name of all the priests of the United States. He went way, way, way over time. No one knew what to do. 15 minutes. 20 minutes. Half hour. 35 minutes. 40. John Paul was most patient throughout the most whining diatribe of cloudy thinking imaginable. The priest’s biggest gripe was that priests are soooooooooooo loooooooooonely. Yep. I bet that’s true… for those who don’t know that they are married to the Church. Anyway, this fellow, although American, was very, very Irish. Finally, he finished. All looked for the response of Pope John Paul. What could he say after this diatribe, this whining? Knowing the priest was Irish, he simply said — quoting the popular song — “It’s a long way to Tipperary!” Muffled laughter was heard throughout the crowd. JPII is awesome! Here’s the greatest Irish singer ever, ever, singing “It’s a long way…”
Meanwhile, Jesus on the Cross, cites Psalm 22, “My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me?” Lonely, in the very moment when His self-giving to His Bride, the Church, is complete? No. Look at the rest of Psalm 22, and discover the wonderful filial unity with His Father, the trust, respect, the love. This is the very moment when he drawing all to Himself. If priests don’t get this, they are absolutely dead in the water. Done. This is the Mass they offer. If they don’t understand the Mass they offer, they are absolutely dead in the water. Done.
Save celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, save the priesthood.
Chastity— to be chaste, comes from castus, the past participle of carere, which means to [be] cut off. The meaning of “cut” is not in reference to castration[!] but refers to the result of living in a manner contradictory to the fallen ways of the world, keeping the commandments, cut off from the utter stupidity of the world specifically to be in awe before God, especially the priest (see ἁγνός – 1 Timothy 5,22). Everyone is meant to be chaste, so that begetting children in the married state is living chastely. Chastity is holiness of life in regard to sexual morality. Priests are held up as examples in this regard since people have a sense that if priests do not know they are married to the Church, not having, then, the ferocity of spousal self-giving, unto death to themselves so as to live for this Bride of Christ, the Church, then surely they will not be chaste. Christ “married” His Bride, the Church, at the Last Supper, with those ferocious wedding vows said by the priest today in the first person singular, acting in the Person of Christ: This is my body, given for you in sacrifice…. This is the chalice of my blood, shed for you in sacrifice. This is total self-giving to the other, in this case beyond death. Again, if the priest does not realize that he is married to the Church by the very sacrifice that he offers at daily Mass, then surely he will be lost to all sort of sexual idiocy, at least in his spirit if not otherwise. There’s a reason why Saint John of the Cross’ drawing of Christ crucified heads up these posts on priestly celibacy!
As we begin this series, the definitions might seem a bit pendantic, but even these will start to get rather interesting. Anything really worthwhile takes some effort, right? Bear with these first posts! Our first word to describe is continence, which can have a spiritual sense to it, however physical is seems.
Continence — from continentia and continere, means to contain. In its most graphic sense, this refers to the proper containment of sexual behavior, but not at all to the repression of untoward sexual behavior (which is always evil, for mere repression fails to correct problems). Continent or incontinent sexual behavior is open to the understanding that one who is continent or contained enjoys a lively peace of soul in that, by grace, he is contained in God. One will sometimes read the phrase perpetual continence as referring to the result of undertaking a promise or vow of chastity, so that the application of the word refers to not getting married and having children. When understood with the nexus virtutum in the Thomistic sense, continence, in reference to temperance, can be said to be a virtue. John Paul II speaks of the “imperative of self-control,” bringing one to “the necessity of immediate continence and of habitual temperance” (27 Oct and 4 Nov, 1984). Biblically, priests who are incontinent deserve death, such as Hophni and Phinehas, the ever so truly evil sons of Eli, who spent their priesthood raping the women at the entrance of the temple (1 Samuel 2,22).
O.K. That description of continence might bring up more questions. And that’s not bad. We’ll get to at least some of those questions as the series continues in some ten or twenty posts down the line, please God.
[Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J., a most extraordinary biblical scholar after his conversion to be a Catholic long after being a Jesuit[!] was a close friend and confidant in the last years of his life. Some publishing I hope to do in the future, please God, heavily involves Father Ignace. May the Lord grant rest to his soul. Thanks Father! The following bit is one of his extraordiary works which I used to teach seminarians in various seminaries throughout the world. Very, very cool. It is one of his works which showed some of his comrades in arms to be bitter enemies of his. Yikes! He really does have some awesome, far-reaching material in his last decades of life. The bit in this post can be found at Vatican.va Praise God, a miracle on its own!]
The biblical foundation of priestly celibacy
Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. – Biblical scholar
For several centuries there has been much debate
as to whether the obligation of celibacy for clerics in major orders (or at
least that of living in continence for those who are married) is of biblical
origin or whether it is based merely on ecclesiastical tradition dating back to
the fourth century, since from then on, without question, legislation exists on
the subject. The first Continue reading →
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.
All told, Masses offered for Benedict XVI came to 918.
י ב ר כ ך י ה ו ה ב ה ת א ם ל ת פ י ל ת מ ר י ם ה ק ד ו ש ה May the Lord continue to bless you according to the intercession of Mary Most Holy
Proud to be a 4th degree K of C
N.B. As far as I understand, if you a non-practicing Catholic Knight, vid., a pro-abort politician, your membership remains because of laws about any purchased insurance. It seems that if such pro-aborts could be thrown out, they would be thrown out.
Stained glass windows at the Fathers of Mercy Shrine of the Divine Mercy
Dear seminarians, fellow priests and bishops... don't say you can’t be bothered to join in this novena for the healing of autistic children and adults and for help for their families, carers and the professionals who work with them. Send in the first names of those with autism.
When I was a chaplain in Lourdes I also used to bring the names of these kids to the prayer box in the grotto at Lourdes.
Here is a recently updated list of names of those who have joined the novena so far. Remember: Each name here carries a hugely awesome story of joy, anguish, pain, exhilaration, confusion, prayer – and lots and lots and lots of worry. Say a prayer for them now. Don’t forget: their souls are sustaining yours. Really, don’t forget that, not even for an instant. You will be happy you didn’t forget when they welcome you into heaven, and you are astonished at how they, by their prayers, got you into the pearly gates, even if just barely! It is the souls of just such as these which sustain seminarians, priests and bishops. Am I not right? Say a prayer for them now.
Andy
Doug
Steven
Wesley
Mikah
Stephanie
Brandon
Greg
Alec
Eric
Chris
Justin
Jon
Timothy
Laura
Dane
Keith
Robert
Nick
Thomas
Mark
Elliot
Josh
Nick
Joseph
Vijay
Renea
John
Anne
Gabriel
Frank
Sandeep
Tom
Benjamin
Ryan
Brenda
Jonathan
Dylan
Teddy
Jacob
Christopher
Jared
Dylan
Anthony
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Joseph
Raven
Stevie
Nathan
Trevor
Joseph
Mark
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John
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Robert
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TJ
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Hamilton
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Annie
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Mikey
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Marcus
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Max
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McKenzie
Dylan
Robbie
Jason
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Kevin
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Zarchary
Derek
Philip
Johnny
Caitlin
Raymond
Luke
Stephanie
Jacob
Theodor
Luke
Anthony
Eric
Shawn
Charlie
Jimmy
Max
Cody
Rebecca
Arianne
David Jonathan
Bailey
Lucas
Randall
Eric
Nolan James
John B.
Michael B.
Stephen G.
Daniel S.
Peter Michael
Martin
Lauren
Keegan
Jacob
LB
Kyle
Mark
Bobbie
Lorrain
Andrew
Jack
Grant
Abdula
Rose
Anthony
Tia
Alexander Michael
Christopher
Michael
Alexander
Nicholas
Paul
Amelia
Alexis
Kathy
Karen
Samantha
John Paul
Joseph
Sean
Jonathan
Joseph
Michael
Joy
Chase
Michael Sean
Joey
Ian
Kathy
Gail
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Dillon
Natasha
Scott
Steve
Julie
Nicholas
Ryan
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Dean
Paul
Jonathan
Jacob
Gina
Brendan
Michael
Colin
Isiah
Greg
Mathew
Ashley
Karl
Jay
Ryan
Thomas
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Casey
Danny
Robbie
Max
Jenny
Christopher
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Juliana
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Nathalie Elizabeth
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Daniel
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Ophelia-Ann
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John (Junior)
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Marie
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Joseph
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Jack
Jordan
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Timothy
Maryanna
Michael
Lauren
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Spencer
Gavin
James
Mark
Jonathan
Luka
Stephanie
David
Paul
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Andy
Frankie
Brett
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Nestor
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Matthew
Hutson
Kaleb
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John Paul
Gianna
Ali
Heidi
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Darcy
Josh
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Casey
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Tyler
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Amy
Frank
Evan
Jamie
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Mark
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Therese
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Ray
Eva
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Nick
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Matthew
Joseph
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Eric
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Will
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Christy
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Michael
Stephen
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John
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Parker
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Michael
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Will
Austin
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Isaac
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Kevin
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Patrick
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Melissa
Max
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Dena
Henry
Giancarlo
Matthew
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Cody F.
Andy
Eric
Adam
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Paul
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Michael
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Joshua
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Matthew
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Katharine Micheal
Brandon
Gabi
Kristian
Ben
Alexandria
Christopher
Erica
Nejweh
Rahem
Reece
Alex
Kristina
Jiza’s brother
Evan
Michael H.
Michael M.
Hunter
Lydia
Brady
Alec
Victoria
Manny
Marshall
Luke
Shane
Ebony
Nick
Anna
Marisa
Addie
James and John (twins)
Domingo
Charlie
Kholton
Jaden
Josh
Kris and Khole (twins)
Thorin
Baily
Trent
Dylan
Ethan
Marshall
Courtney
John
Marianna
Peter
Genaro
Mikayla
Zachary
David
Matthew James
Daniel
Kenny
Charlene
Neil
Laura
David
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Brittany
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Taylor
Michael Joseph
Jonathan
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Jacob
Scott
Benjamin
Sarah
Nolan
Sully
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Garrett Andrew
Rafael
Edward
Alex
Andre
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Padraeg
Vinnie
Cathy
Eddy
Ramon
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Michael
Nicole
Sam
Jon
Steven. Joshua
Jacob
Abijah
Redempta Marie –Eugenie
John
Max
Steven
Jack
Alexa Marie
Peter Joseph
Felix
John
Lorenzo
Jared
Jacob
Justin
James
Roger
Nate
Matthew
Michael
Erica
Selena
Logan
Patrick
Mallory
Joanne
Peter
Maria
Amelito
Kaitlin
Ryan
Josef
Andrew
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Ryan Joseph
Matthew
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Ashton
Luis
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Andrew G.
Celina
Nathaniel
Oscar
Marco
Steve
Tim
Travis
John
Kelly
Mary
Lori
Linda
Michele
Rita
Sandy
Becky
Justin
Cassie
Ryan
Darrel
Andrew
Thomas
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Emily
Jason
Zach
Renee
Paul
Leah
Eric
Mary
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Stacey
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Angie
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Philip
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Joseph
Alicia
Dana
Elizabeth
Kohl
John
Kaleb
Jordan
Lindsey
David
John
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Kaitlyn
Adam
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Evan
Thomas
MelissaAnn
Derek Richard
Tommy
Jordan
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Robert
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Robert T.
Christopher C.
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Mark
Alexander
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Dale
Lawrence
Grant
Trevor
Phillip
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Jonathan
Bob
Julianne S.
Louis R.
Julie S.
Vincent
Bobby
Grace
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Trent
Marko
Natalia
Patrik
Patrick Mitchell
Crawford
Elijah
Harrison
Adrian
Ian
Matthew
Chris
Cameron
Robert
Richard
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Michael
Brian
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Rick
Sean
Connor
Gus
Samuel
Ryan
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Sean
Eric
Nora
John
Terri
Harsh
Chris
Carito
Joseph
Caroline
Barrett
Dougie
Billy
Michael
Troy
John John
Joshua Alexander
Nicholas Krystov
Alexander Joseph
Christopher
Alexander
Gianfranco
Julian
Carmen
Shauna
Theresa
Michael
David
Donato
Paul
Janet
Ben
Liam
Bridget
Randy
Josh
Sean
Albie
Pouya
Aria
Michael
Tom
Brian
Christopher
Matthew
Adrianne
Brian
John
Brianne
Alissa
Elizabeth
Tyler
Jacob
Micayla
David
John
Sam
Oliver
Christina
Joseph
Devin
Toren
Travis
Isabel
Phillip
Mary
William
Conner
Joey
Daphney
Paul M.
Tony M.
Pete C.
Becky C.
Cody B.
Michael B.
Annie B.
Kendall C.
Kaleb S.
Matthew S.
Matthew
Anthony
Haydn
Sarah
Anna
Colby
Christy
John Paul
Brad
Anthony
Evan
Andrew
Connor
Tyler
Walter
Joseph
Mary Anna
Catherine
Thomas
Alex
Jericho
Jed
Antoinette
Anne
Max
Miggy
Eric
Joel
Nate
Morgan jnr
Morgan Snr
Evan
Thomas
John
Evan
Enda
Niall
James-Michael
Doreen
Harrison
Anna
Jan
Dominic Benedict
David
Billy
Caleb Allen
Holly Elizabeth
Cian
Eoin
Don
Brandon
Mathew
Lucas
Elias
Raelene
Carson Kodiak
Corinne Amelee
Alonzo Martin Petras
Isabel
Mark
Rohann Reelijah
Jennifer
Kevin
Campbell
Collin
Kyle
Lillian
Patrick
Angelo
Galen
Denzel
Benjamin
Rhea
Sean
John Calvin
Benjamin
Kyra
Jacob
Alex
Tom
Daniel
Sean
Timothy
Monica
David
Rafael Gabriel
Jude
John Karl
Ryan
Anna
Rodrigo
Natalie
Luke
Niko
Anthony
Brendon
Ferouk
Bronwyn
Khang
Tyrone
Ryan
Nathan
Alex
James
Basma
Kosta
Jared
Patrick
John
Matthew
Margaret
Christian
Rebecca
Daniel
Aiden
Colin
Nicholas
James
Victor
Rusty
Ben
Frank
Tony
James
Daniel
David
Sean Patrick
L.W.
Nathan
Cameron
Eric
Sean
Chris
Robert
Rosalia
David R.
John R.
Nicole Ann
Rebecca Rose
Annabell
Nick
Erin
Alexander Francis
Nicholas Raymond
Mark K.
Alex
Caitlin
Tyler
Michael
Jayce
Gloria
Liam
Ed
Nicola
Paula
Paul
Kayla
Bernadette
Sebastian
Sammy
Nicholas
Donald
Shawn-Michael
Matthew
Emily
Ryan
Matthew
Dylan
Dustin
Jake
exy
Sophie
Nick
Alice
Cedric
Neander
Danielle
Van Robert
Thomas
Caleb
Johnny
Jackson C.
David P.
John-Luis L.
Sarah M.
Bryce
Ayden
Allan
Liam
Alex
Ethan
Alexander
Brielle
Alex
Cian
Paulina
Luke David
Libby
Jack
Augie
Dillion
Kyle
Joel
Daniele
Enrique-Gabriel
Justin
James
John
Kieran
Daniel
David
Alisha
Mast Fenwick
Nicolas Alexander
Scott
Bryan
Emily
Ben
Alfredo
Michael
Tanner
Cian
Eoin
Dylan
Connor
Marcus
Thomas
Vinodh
Josef
Anthony Mariano
Elijah Robert
Shreshto
Jadiel
Gabriela
Nabila
Nahin
Darwin
Dylan
Beth
Teddy
Joseph
Dayne
Dayton
Tom
Jed
David
Matthew
Alasdair
Emmanuel
John
Peter
Ashley
Lane Gabriel
Max
Sean
Vincent
William
Braden Kipling
Charles William
Jonah
Ian
Henry
Adam Timothy
Joey
Gabriel Jesse
Charlie
Micahbelle
Stella
Elizabeth
Thomas
Marcus
Peter Anthony
Brian
Joshua
Andrew
Peter Anthony
Brian
Mikey
Leia
Erin
John
Ryan Stephen
Gerald Dave
Colleen
Elijah
Michael
Laura
Taylor
Suryia
Sean
Cory
Maddie
Luciano
Joe
Austin Steven
Tilemachos
Andrew
Christopher
Yuan
Francis
Ae
Denise
John
Gus
Sari
Max
Anne
Michael
Dylan
Brianne
Chris
Nick
Luke
Paul
Eden
Benjamin
Calum
Gage
Lucas
John Anthony
BrandonBoy
Carter
Codi
Aiden
James
Nini
Alexander
Emma Claire
Caulden
Robert
Trevor
Andrew
Ethan
Thomas
Matthew
Natalie Kaye
Juven
Marc
Peter Anthony
Daemon Michael
Joseph Patrick
Oliver James
Toni
Jack
Mark
Joshua
Lucas
James
Jenny
Mathew
Adonia
Anna
Kristopher
Megan
Erin
Ryan
Ryan
Enda
Connor
Trevor
Katai
Monte
Lorenz Ann
Brendan
Jack Michael
Buddy
Marshall
Ethan
Chris
Max
Marybeth
Andrew
Liam
Ethan
Tyler Adam Zachary
Grayson Paul
Courtney
Kyle
Ryan Robert
Andrew Ryan
Nicholas
Luke
Patrick
Nicholas
Antonio
Adan
Nicholas
Parris Eve
Corynn
Anthony
Cody
Aram
Tony
Jimmy
Brendan
Gwyneth
Byrce
Martin
Ethan
Michael Christopher
Zachary Thomas
Daniel
Zachary
Evelyn Grace
Joseph
James
Sam
Edward
Travis
Joshua
Vivek
David Michael
Ethan Andrew
Dustin
James
John
Michael
Rachel
Jack
Nick
Brendan
Mark
Alyssa
Luka
Nicholas
Andrew Wallace
Alexander
Alyssa Jean
Anne Marie
Mary
James
Roman
Anna
Ireneusz
Alexander
Julian
Joseph
Mitchell
Bruce
David Alberto
Olivia
Jacob
Adam
Corey
Joe
Tristan
Matias
Joaquin
Sarah
Connor
Theodore Marlo
Michael
Rachel
Michael
David
Elizabeth
Nathan
Bill
Harry
Frank
Mary
Dave
Trevor
Ethan
Shawn
Stephen
James
Kristian
Nathan
Morgan
Montana
Charles
Jacob
Joshua
Warrick
Charlie
Spencer
Monique
Peter
Joel
Avery
Vincent
Peter
Colin
Fiona
Emma
Neema
Matendo
Mutume
Titus
Julian
Henry
Max
Matthew
Tim
Michael
JP
Danny
Martin
Austin
John
Justin Matthew
Kaitlyn
Alan
Gerik
Stephen
Isabella
Christopher
Eric
Matthew
Ryan Isaiah
Vincent
Katy Rose
Eliana
Luke Mathew
Daniel
Andrew
Sean Matthew
Ankush
Conner
Thor
Max
Andrew
Joseph
Christian
Ciaran
Larry
Austin
Jacob
Patrick
Sean
Joey
Joe
Margaret
Juni
Jeanne Marie
Jacob
RJ
Jack
Andrew
Dustin
Carter
Evan
Riley
Jack
Riley
RJ
Jacob
Austin
Liam
Bridget
Andre
Erin
Jim
Adam
TJ
Ronnie
Graham
Danny
Joseph
Noah
David
Bain
Nathaniel Michael
Jason
Josh
John
Preston Manuel
Hank
Joe
Gabriel
Jackson Patrick
Brian
Jonathan Richard
David
Dianne
Rick
Nikolas Alexzander
Jonathan
Liam
Ryan John
Aimee
Francesco
Mason
Gianna
Cameron
Gianna
Samuel Charles
Alexander
Jack
Alexis
Ryan
Caitlin
Ethan
Rachel
Pratik
Claire Sophie
Carolyn Elizabeth
David Joseph
Timothy
Jaruis
Jacob
Derek
Skyler
Gian Ryan
Ethan
Jessica
Carlos
Alexander
Henry
Sergio
Natalie
Dan
George Joseph
Katie
Ethan Manuel
Mia
Carly
Nicholas Alexander
Steven
Ella
Ryan
Megan
Leo
Michael
Matthew
Meghan
Alvin
Ethan
Thomas Jay
Mark Girard
Allison
Hillari
Terri
Adriana
Matthew
Jason
Nattan
Oskar
Aryan
William
Rachel
Charlie
Colton
Arthur
Nicholas
Nick
Henry Joseph
Anna-Kate
Timothy
Josie
Christopher Afonso
Hunter
Sydney
Gavin
Tyler
Vincent
Cameron
David
Isabella
Karic
Colsen
Jeannine
Dennis
Sandra
Paul
Isabella
James
William
Joshua
Jack
Andre
Derek
Emily
Christopher
Jack
Adam
Sean
Noah
Sebastian Francisco
Sujith
Apoorva
Sanjay
Jeremy
Akash
Nandana
Kichu
Dev
Harish
Nathan
Ken Roy
Raghnall
Seamus
Matt. Josie
Dominic
KyleeAnn
Ryan
Ethan
Joseph
Benjamin
Elisha
Allysa. Dea
Kris
Jennifer
Devon
James
James Harold
Zachary
Caleb
Pierson
Robert
Andrew
Matthew
Eddie
Louisa
Gregory
Jacob Lawrence
Josephine
Michelle
Dominic
Ed
Ava
Dermot
Martin
Noah
Nick
Jordan
Victoria
Colton
Joseph
James
Mackoy
Evan
Paul
Daniel
John Patrick
Sophie
Luke
Brianne
Cecilia
Louie
Ethan Samuel
Neil
Luke Xavier
Matthew Joel
Neil
Filip
Romario
Ekene
Roxanne
Jayden
Samuel
Jackson
Chris
Neil
Matthew
Neil
Hannah
Brian
Brendan
Joseph
James
Joey
Allan
Mathew
Mike
Patrick
Sarah
Evan
Braden
Alejandra Sofia
Chizenum
Daniella
Nneoma
Erik
Felix
Moses
Joshua
Victoria
Corey
Paloma
Bradely
Charlie
Sierra
Samantha
Joseph.
Gianna
Joseph
logon
John Matthew
Liam
Kyle
Maddison
Nicholas
Monica
Jack
Zachary
Jennah
Benjamin
David
Darryl
Paloma
Etienne
Nicholas
Santino
Danny
Ben
Tommy
Angela
Matthew
Yamuna
Barnabas
Chase
Kobe
Marcus
Julian
Gaby
Josh
Susane
Erica
Elijah
Benjamin
Thomas
Jayden
Nicholas
Elyas
Peter
Amar
Matthew
James
Dylan Michael
Steve
Sneha
James
Abhishek
pranav
Rhisheb
Dylan
R. Matthew
Brady
Christopher
Jordan
Michael
Ainsley Nicole
Elise Renee
Blaze
Nahom
Aryan
Manuel
Jacob
temiloluwa elijah
Maddox
Roman
Derrick
Robert William
Skyler
Cali
Hyatt
Alexandra
Robbie
Joseph K
Andrew K
Luke
Haven
Alexa
Jacob
Hunter
Alexander Jeremy
Joel.
Joshua Michael
Steven
Kobe Ryan Harris
MaKenna
Francis
Adam
Thomas
Anika
Benedict
Jessica Rose
Riah
Ryan
Joseph
Brannon
Jesse
Gabriel
Ali
Nick
Faith
Jesse
Joey
Zander
Gianna
Luca
Matthew
Keegan
Jaedyn
Riley
Nicholas Alexander
Andrew
Matthew H
Jaycee
Matthew
Andrew
Ryne
Sara
Nick
Jim
Giana
Jacob
Chase
Benedict
Rahul
Gable
Rachel Elizabeth
Charlie
Jasmine
Jonathan
Heather
Matthew
Alexy Belle
Nicolas Jiovani
Brian
Jeremy
Mike
Matt
Marcus
Aaron
Jethro
Joe
Jim
Pat
Kaleb Paul
Tarkan
Devin
Olivia
julian
Anna
Kaitlyn
Alex
Adam
Aubrey Marie
Colby
Dante
Jorge
Michael Angelo
Sophie
Justin
Peter
Marcus
Nigel
Matthew
Anthony
Katie
Merric Michael
Bianca Ysabelle
Jacob Patrick
Tim
Noel
Sandro
Jamie
Victoria
Brook
Paulina
Skyla
Nicholas
Sophia
Olivia
Mackenzie
Alexis
Matthew
Ethan Samuel
Thomas
Kahlil
Stephen
Brian
Sami
Jake
Chris
Matthew
Luke
Angela
Jake
Paolo
Betsy
Jeremiah
Alex
Kieran
Luke
Jake
Mikhail Bern Bidaun
James
Andrew
Marco
Andie
Colin
Joseph
Ian
Summer
Amanda
Michael
Alex
Mohammad
Dumebi
Jamie
Thomas
Albert
Haley
Joey
Micheal
Quinn
Ian
Ryan
Melissa
Ashton
Jack
Noah
Aidan
Adriel
Julian
Joey
Ralph Ivan
Allysa
Cailyn
Bob
Oleksiy
Gus
Tyler
Shaun
Julian
lisa
Stephen
Luke
Terry
Pam
Kilian
Joshua
Luke
Jake
Brandon
Eamon
Missy
John
Joel
Krishan
Penelope
Hunter James
Matthew
Aiden
Gianna
Rafael
Oskar
Sarah
Matthew
Nathan
Francisco Alejandro
Aaron
Connor
Lewis
Jordan
Ayrton
Bridgette
Jesse James
Colin
Alexander
Lara Emmanuelle
Julienne Lois
Sophia
Mate
Jessica Rose
Francis
Jason
Reinhard
Jessica
Nathaniel
Christopher
Alexy Belle
Nicolas
Lauren
Naveen
William
Paul
Philip
Ozzy
Ashwant
Hunter
Christopher
Matthew
Tommy
David
Janaya
Daniel Vincent
Alexa
Lorenzo
Jack
Griffin
Ronan
Jude
Izu Brian
Catherine
Darryl
Chase
Corbin
Anthony
Alex
Ben
Liam
Jacob Ronald
James
Lainey
Jon
Will
Chrishanth
Nickolas
Ingrid
Astrid
Eldrid
Wyatt
Andrew
Jessalyn
Clements Joseph
Mary
Dan Edrich
Joss Kevyn
Addison
Marshall
Irene Mary
Tony
Patrick
Anirudh
Christopher
Atticus George
Isadora
Josh
Joseph Luigi
Lucas
Michael
Ava
Tommy
Josh
Nathan
Christopher
Anthony
Linnea
Marcel
Caelen-Marc
Luke
James Christian
Daniel
Mossel Andrei
Jason
Matthew
Gabriel
Aiden Jesse
Mary Grace
Nadia Frances
Maximilian
Jessica
Jennifer
Marty
Charlie
josh izyl
Katherine Elizabeth
Carter
Deacon
Bryan
Denise
Sara
Maxwell
Adrian
Anthony
Olivia
Alanna
Ethan
John
Michael
Joseph
Joseph Edward
Alex
Joseph
Dennis
Mary
Anna-Marie
Patrick
Daniel
Didier
Hana
Joey
Luke
Jordan
Christopher
Thomas John
Robert
Rebecca
Noah
Zachary
Benjamin
Dominic
Jayden
Matthew
Carlo Alfonso
Sean
Benjamin
Jaylen James
Jordan Anthony
Michael Anthony
Jackson
Holly
Marc Antonio
Mary Grace
Andrew
Cliff
Danial
Adam
Adam
Aleena
Anthony
Jerry
Alejandro
Niysah
Diego
Ryan
Benjamin Andrew
Christopher
Patrick
Matthew
Jack
Hunter
Nathaniel
Euwone
Leonardo
Luke
Michael
James
John
Donato
Jackson
Thomas
Joel
Matthew
David
Alex
Alexander
John
Nicholas
Oliver
Noah
Joseph
Makhai
Johnnie
Herb
Eric Anthony
Zachary
Kevin
Aidan
Eugenio
Jarrod
James
Katherine Bella
Nathaniel
Jack
Austin
Shaun
Brittany
Mariel
Nathaniel Ilagan
Nicola
Ainley
Dan
Cole
John
Roland
Thomas
Cian
Eoin
Joseph
Peniel
Augustine
Hannah Ayessa
Hans Guiseppe
Sabina
Martin
Angelo
Austin
PJ
Lexie
Erwin
Elijah
Lindsey
Caroline
Jarrett
Zack
Axel
Oliver Maximilian
Conor
Jacob
Gavin
Joshua
Jacob
Miguel
Xavier
Michael
Tiffany
Dylan
Djonkep
Dominick
Andrew Joseph
Gerard
Ansel
Audrey
Gavin
Karin
Marin
Jason
Jodie
Janice
Ian
Michael
Aga
Madeleine
Nadya
Therius (Terry)
Lala
Alen
Hanif (Koko)
Fadli
Fauzan
Yansen
Ethan
Gamal
Dio
Clara (Lala)
Aldy (Fidi)
Tyas
Joshua C
Joshua H
Dhafin
Niko
Akram
Ismail
Dandy
Nurchalis
Callista
Neo
Asti
M. Lukman
Celine
Rahman
Alfonsus
Adit
Naraya
Aden
Lutfi
See See
Baihaqi
Kelvin
Amadeo
Franklin
Joshua
Rahadian
Nelson
Rifkie
Fadhel
Stevanus
Akhfiya
Dicky
Revvano
Ruben
Aryasatya
Evan
Taufan
Lucky
Arga
Arga Byantara
Aldi
Rigel
Farhan
Yakobus Kristian
Ghazi
Andrew
David
Mischa
Ibrahim
Tiffany
Bernadeth
Daniel
M. Iqbal
M.Fadil
Arga
Farrel
Ezra
Fikri
Adrian
Eason
Putri
Egan
Kevin G
Beni
Dypa
Avie
Diaz
Devin
Cindy
Harvian
Gilang
Aurelio
Paul
Axel
Richard
Boby
Rijal
Banyu
Kay
Thomas
Dominic
Gladden
Maximillian
Dyleth
Cilla
Daffa
Dio
Ifa
Marvella
Hendrick
Jerico
Fazad
Oscar
Kevin
Michael
Pattie
Eugene
Eileen
Emma
Mick
Eamon
Dymphna
Carlos
Faiz
Emma
Jake Anthony
Penelope
Odie
Cole
Andrew
Juan Gabriel Antonio Marquez
Braydon
Nicolas
Sophia
Michael
Nathan
Marc Brendan
Hyatt
Guillaume
Caleb
Luke
Daniel
Sean
Brian
Kyle
Peter
Joshua
Owen
Taylor Louis
Angela
Corinne
Carson
Andrew Joseph
Marcus
Benjamin
Adam
Richard Allan
Reilly
Isabelle
Stennifer Spanic
Aiden
Isabelle
Isaac
Antonio Francesco
Trey
Gio
Lomax
Jake
Henry
Francis
Aidan
Jack
Alanna
Jacob Anthony
Dane Michael Henry
George
Artie
Joseph
Harry
Anthony Matthew
Matthew
Austin
Michael
Michael
Kaia
Kurt Axel
Nicholas
Daniel Ryan Romana
Tobias Alexander
Jenna
Andrew
Lorenz
Kurt Karl
Eric
Tristan
Alexis Victoria
Coby
Dante
Vincent
Andrew
Jeremy
thomasowen
Joseph
Richard
John Christopher
Chiagozie
Anthony James
Caleb Dennis
Carmichael
Zachary
Nathan
Sidharth
Nicholas
Eva
Madelynn
Zander
Xavier
Joshua
Rob
Brandy
Christian
Mark
Brandon
Michaela
Eoghan Lynch
Guy
Edson Richard
Ryan
Parker
Richard Elias
Nicholas
Zachary
Aden
Alex
Zachary
Andrew
Aidan
Avery
Kian
Timothy
Brianna
thersa
Lisa
Alexandra Raquel
Cristian
Peter Theodore
Christopher
Gabriel
Isaac
Sabina
Carlos Andres
Lane Gabriel
Adam
Kellen
Nicholas Bui
Joseph
Shawn
Ciara
Joseph
Andrew
Aidan
Elizabeth
Adriene
Jordan Scott
Courtney
Shawn
Ciara
Kalista
Allysa
Caledon
Kinley
Leah
Charlotte
Jordan Scott
Courtney
Gregory
James
William
Jack
Auden
Tyler
Kellen
Patrick David
Bart
Him
Alexa
Ryan Thobias
Charlotte
Nathan Rafael
Waqui
Niven
Aldrich
Tom
Simon
Michael
Jack
Michael
Anthony
dj sellars
Ryan
Tyler Austin
Philip
Meagan Pho
Jordan
Ayrton
Gian
Jackson
Jessie
Migo
Mefika
Meaghan
Joe
Megan
Troy
Meaghan Olivia Ann
Henry Mathew
Jewel-Mzuri
Troy
Richard II
Richard
Nichole Marie
Romulus
Jordan
Ayrton
Dylan
Jordan Scott
Courtney
Henry
George
Anthony
Christopher-Jon
Ian Walter
Dhruv
Hayden
Paul
Marcello
Lucia
Joseph
Matthew
Gian Jude
Jackson
Jessica
Danny
Joshua
Cody
Dylan
Michaela
Victoria
Ayden
Alesander
Harry
Cookie
Andrew Jordan
Avelynn
Guy
Allan
Melissa
Loren
Na
Nikofi
John
Alexander
Franz Daniel
Joseph
Ryan
Samuel
Joseph
Lee
Avery
Megan
Enrique
Jonathan
Benjamin
TJ
Deacon
Brian Anthony
Blake Patrick
Elijah
Lukas DeAntonio
Omari
Cal
Aanyah
Kyle
Clary
Kati
Denise
Riano
Adam
Peter
Michael
Peter
Joseph
Nicholas
James
Dylan
elijah aragon
Dean
Antonia
James
Clay
Michael
Kenny Paul
Josh
Joey
Jack
Elijah
Andrea
Nathan
Arian
Liam
John Emmanuel
Michael Jude
Coral
Kenneth Paul
Rocco Antonio
Gabriel Aaron
Rivan
Rozelle Marie
Raymond
Donavan
Kian
Preston
Austin
Kenneth
Richard
Alexis Nonis
Michael Jovani
David
Kassie
Williams
Archangel
Bucky
Basil
Joseph
Osayame Mark Osifo
Romeo
Ralph
Jared
Charles
Francis
Osayame
Thomas
Tawana
Massimilano
David
Henry
Danielle
Tiana
Benjamin
Avery
The novena is in honor of Saint Philomena the Wonder Worker.
Taking in the view during my Confession run -- This includes my brothers all time favorite picture on the blog (and with a gazillion pictures, that's saying a lot). Great advice about how to go to Confession.
A hermit does not "FIND HIMSELF" ever! -- This is one of personal favorites. Brief but to the point about being found by our Heavenly Father instead of pretending to find Him.
JESUS GOES TO CONFESSION -- Another of my favorites! If you want to know how much Jesus loves us, this post will give you an indication. A seven-fold Yikes!
Dangers on the Road to Confession -- Ever get the impression that there's always something which stops you from getting to Confession? Here's the post for you (some great pictures!)
The Biblical Foundation of Priestly Celibacy by Father Ignace de la Potterie, S.J. This is one of the more visited posts of the blog. Father Ignace was a good friend. A confidant. I used this in a course on priestly celibacy that I gave at the Pontifical College Josephinum. I was very pleased that so many of the seminarians were extremely well read, and were, indeed, on the cutting edge of research involving Scripture, Canon Law, Patristics, Church History, Ecumenical Relations, particularly with the Orthodox, the prudence in regard to Anglicanorum Coetibus, the for the moment the ignoring of matters regarding the permanent diaconate, etc. Some were planning on doing doctoral theses on the subject. All were 1000% in favor of strict priestly (and diaconal!) celibacy. My heart rejoiced each class. People, you have to know that we have very, very excellent priests coming up. Some of those I'm talking about were just ordained in the last couple of weeks. (Spring of 2012). Also know -- Yikes! -- that is is because of this very article (among some others), that Father de la Potterie was so very bitterly hated by some few, who could not provide an answer to what he said, so well did he say it.
Continence -- C.W. fanatics will not like the reference to JPII in this very short post. Oh well. The definition of continence might surprise quite a few readers. The definition of terms is important! and enthralling! I wrote these notes up for a course given to the seminarians of the Good Shephard Seminary of the Archdiocese of Sydney. The Rector at the time wanted me to innoculate the seminarians from the heresy that they would be getting in their classes at a certain Catholic institute where they were attending lectures at the time. Yikes!
Chastity -- Another brief, important article with an in your face, perhaps rather unexpected definition. Knowing the definitions introduces us also to the spiritual life, as to why chastity is a gift of grace, bringing us into friendship with the Lord.
Celibacy -- Another in your face, perhaps unexpected definition that we need to know. This and other terms are bandied about with few knowing what they are saying. Bonus: a video of the great Irish singer, John McCormack, in reference to the priest who addressed Pope JPII during, I think it was, his first trip to the U.S.A. Hah!
Virginity -- Another in your face, perhaps unespected definition that we need to know. I've added a rant on the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother of God, and also commented on topics such as consecrated virgins, rape, "spiritual virginity", etc.
Eunuch - Part I -- This is, in my opinion super important commentary. I always get the remark from seminarians and priests that they've never seen anything like this before. Indeed, I haven't seen this anywhere else. This is all about the depth of Christ's love for His Immaculate Bride, the Church. That charity, in which we participate, is awesome indeed. You are dead wrong if you think you already know what a eunuch is. Dead. Wrong. Behold, something truly awesome about the love of God for us.
Eunuch - Part II -- A necessary follow-up and continuation of Part I, with lots of scriptural references in both Old and New Testaments. You'll never think of these passages in the same way. This is so important for priests to understand what they are doing as priests, especially when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sin and such. Priests are married to the Church by the Sacrifice they offer! Priests must know this or they will find themselves in touble. In knowing just how they are married to the Church, they will rejoice. It is just this which will bring much healing to the priesthood.
LUST & angels -- This is a refreshing anecdote from the life of Saint Jerome when he went further off into the desert to be a hermit. Instructive and bringing us right before Jesus. Totally cool.
Repression idiocy -- This is a rather severe critique of the hell of repression and doubled over concealed and especially for that reason very dangerous repression that was foisted upon seminarians for decades and is, I fear, still foisted upon them in some places. The kind of repression idiocy which I critique has been hailed as "Catholic" and "orthodox" by "conservative" Catholic seminaries and universities and colleges. It's anything but that. If you want to risk going straight to hell, do up some of this kind of oppression. If you want to be on your way to heaven, be at ease with weakness, in all chasity, in all honesty, before Jesus, and He will show you the way to rejoicing in holy purity. It's not about mind games. It's about knowing the wholeness and holiness of our Lord and Savior.
Wounded Healer idiocy -- The Wounded Healer idiocy is perhaps one of the most evil dynamics there is. Ever hear of it? Know who wrote popularized it? This is the method of "nice" and "caring" psychology, but is really just a horrific projection of the "Wounded Healer." This is a necessary read just because you will surely run across this kind of thing. Blech!
Impure, lustful thoughts -- This is very much a favorite post on HSH blog. I have very often also directed people to it. It seems it is very useful indeed.
My experience with porn -- This post generated by far the most heartfelt emails and comments on the blog. Porn is a huge problem in the USA and increasing around the world. This post speaks to that catastrophy. Yikes!
AD CINGULUM! -- This is from the series on the Vesting Prayers for priests for Holy Mass. However, I think all will be able to rejoice in what they read here, and will know more about the priesthood of Jesus among us, and what priestly celibacy is all about. Awesome!
There are many other posts I would like to add to this series. If you readers have any ideas, drop a comment in the comments box or send an email to holysoulshermitage using gmail dot com. Thanks!
♬ “Kíll the priest! ♬ Kíll the priest! ♬ Kíll the chí-ld ráp-ing priest!” ♬ (Meet the cheerleader) A HSH Special - In this article you will meet Monsignor Stephen J. Rossetti, one time president and director of the Saint Luke Institute (shudder) and – how to say it? — a one time paper-giver at the 2012 Pontifical Gregorian University Abuse Symposium (in preparation for the preparation of guidelines of the Holy See on how to treat abuse cases right around the world, coming up in another year or two). You will also see a never before published in full exchange of emails between Rossetti and Mr. Ryan MacDonald.
Abuse terminology that favors The Judas Crisis - This covers the specious terminology, which, however defined in this or that document, means something different in every case: substantiated / non-substantiated -- credible / non-credible. For some, non-substantiated and non-credible means unfounded, which means false, which calumny. But not all are in agreement about that usage. Thus, something can be deemed credible (though not in court of law), though non-substantiated, thus effectively destroying the priesthood of a priest with no proof.
The Judas Crisis $$$ — settlements vs litigation - This brief post is very important to understand the monetary motivation for not providing due process to priests. This should be an eye-opener, and make you sick. This is how bad things can get. If bishops and chancery toadies can do this to their priests, how will they treat real abuse victims in the future?
Prisons are for free! Didn’t you know? - Part of the collateral damage of NCRRG policies is that innocent priests will end up in prison. The prisons babysit these innocent priests "for free." Not giving innocent priests due process saves money. Using prisons saves more money. And tax-payers don't care? Really?
The Judas Crisis: NCRRG (Arch)Dioceses complicit in encouraging murder of priests? - This is a rather hard-hitting article. It is commentary on an article written by the NCRRG. This is of utmost importance to understanding The Judas Crisis. This is ground-zero of The Judas Crisis. The cold-blooded, callous indifference of The Judas Crisis is most evident here.
NOTA BENE: There are many more articles which are linked in those articles, and they are also important, such as the article critiquing the homosexualized VIRTUS® program: Msgr Stephen Rossetti, Msgr Edward Arsenault, VIRTUS ®, Saint Luke Institute, militant homosexualism The VIRTUS Child Protection Program Team: We must be militant homosexualists! That particular article is important to read in regard to the Judas Crisis in that VIRTUS® is one and the same with the NCRRG.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen was fond of saying that only the sinless know sin (for they alone see the contrast with Jesus) while those lost to sin simply do not see beyond themselves, not seeing, therefore, any contrast with anything, and therefore thinking that there is no such thing as sin. But, of course, with our Lord being good and kind, all such things can catch up with a person, and that’s when wonderful things may begin to happen.
At any rate, I recommend the great Dawn Eden’s Master’s Thesis, defended at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. 
A young, very happily married reader working for the defense of our great country writes:
AD CINGULUM
And remember John? the greatest prophet, whose words we repeat at every Mass with the “Ecce, Agnus Dei! Ecce, qui tollit peccata mundi! –
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. 
