Ijournal entry 071717 #28. July, Month of the Precious Blood. The Rule of St. Benedict. Quotes by St. Gregory the Great, St. Dionysius and St. Basil the Great. "The Mature Witness of Child Saints", by Brian O’Neel. "Who are you to judge?", by Mark Mallett. YouTube video: presentation: "The Holy Spirit & Mary", by Fr. Thaddaeus Lancton, MIC
"The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
• Catholic doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
• And as such, it is worthy of adoration and veneration proper to latreutical worship (cultus latriae) which is rendered only to God. In other words, we adore the human nature of Christ because of its intimate and eternal union with the Person of the Divine Word.
• It is for this same reason that we honor the Most Sacred Heart or the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ"
Info from this site:
http://www.tfp.org/july-month-of-the-most-precious-blood-of-our-lord/
• Catholic doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.
• And as such, it is worthy of adoration and veneration proper to latreutical worship (cultus latriae) which is rendered only to God. In other words, we adore the human nature of Christ because of its intimate and eternal union with the Person of the Divine Word.
• It is for this same reason that we honor the Most Sacred Heart or the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ"
Info from this site:
http://www.tfp.org/july-month-of-the-most-precious-blood-of-our-lord/
The Rule of St. Benedict
"Let the abbot exercise all diligence in his care for erring brethren, for they that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick.1 He ought, therefore, as a wise physician, to use every remedy in his power. Let him send senpectae, that is old and prudent brethren, who may as it were secretly comfort the troubled brother, inducing him to make humble satisfaction and consoling him lest he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.2 As the apostle saith: Let charity be strengthened towards him;3 and let everyone pray for him. For the abbot is bound to use the greatest care, and to exercise all prudence and diligence, so that he may not lose any of the sheep entrusted to him. Let him know that what he has undertaken is the charge of weakly souls, and not a tyranny over the strong; and let him fear the threat of the prophet, wherein God saith: What you saw to be fat, that ye took to yourselves: and what was feeble, ye cast away. 4 And let him imitate the merciful example of the Good Shepherd, who left the ninety and nine sheep in the mountains and went after the one sheep that had strayed; and had so great pity on its weakness, that he deigned to place it on his own sacred shoulders and so bring it back to the flock"
MC= We must model our behavior after the Good Shepherd. It is proof that the Lord loves sinners, the fact is that it's not the "holy" ones that are carried on His shoulders, but it is the stray sinner sheep that gets the ride of his life. Let us take advantage and soak up all the graces we can as we ride high on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd, or may it be me a sinner taking advantage of such a lofty position on the shoulders of Christ Jesus, and Lord God, please let it not be in vain.
"Let the abbot exercise all diligence in his care for erring brethren, for they that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick.1 He ought, therefore, as a wise physician, to use every remedy in his power. Let him send senpectae, that is old and prudent brethren, who may as it were secretly comfort the troubled brother, inducing him to make humble satisfaction and consoling him lest he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.2 As the apostle saith: Let charity be strengthened towards him;3 and let everyone pray for him. For the abbot is bound to use the greatest care, and to exercise all prudence and diligence, so that he may not lose any of the sheep entrusted to him. Let him know that what he has undertaken is the charge of weakly souls, and not a tyranny over the strong; and let him fear the threat of the prophet, wherein God saith: What you saw to be fat, that ye took to yourselves: and what was feeble, ye cast away. 4 And let him imitate the merciful example of the Good Shepherd, who left the ninety and nine sheep in the mountains and went after the one sheep that had strayed; and had so great pity on its weakness, that he deigned to place it on his own sacred shoulders and so bring it back to the flock"
MC= We must model our behavior after the Good Shepherd. It is proof that the Lord loves sinners, the fact is that it's not the "holy" ones that are carried on His shoulders, but it is the stray sinner sheep that gets the ride of his life. Let us take advantage and soak up all the graces we can as we ride high on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd, or may it be me a sinner taking advantage of such a lofty position on the shoulders of Christ Jesus, and Lord God, please let it not be in vain.
🔴 "There are, in truth, three states of conversion -- the beginning, the middle and the perfection. In the beginning, they experience the charms of sweetness; in the middle, they experience the contests of temptations; at the end, they experience transcendent delights. A gentle beginning, therefore, soothes the life of every convert; a rugged middle course proves it in the way and, afterward, full perfection gives it lasting blessedness". By St. Gregory the Great
🌰"Leave the senses and the workings of the mind, and all that the senses and the mind can perceive, and all that is not and all that is; and through unknowing reach out toward oneness with the One who is beyond all being and all knowledge. In this way, through an uncompromising, absolute, and pure detachment from yourself and from all things, you will be led upward towards that radiance of the divine darkness that is beyond all being". By St. Dionysius
🌑 "This is self-renunciation. . .to unlock the chains of this early life which passeth away and to set oneself free from the affairs of men, and thus to make ourselves fitter to enter on that path that leads to God and to free our spirit to gain and use those things which are far more precious than gold or precious stones". By St. Basil the Great
🌰"Leave the senses and the workings of the mind, and all that the senses and the mind can perceive, and all that is not and all that is; and through unknowing reach out toward oneness with the One who is beyond all being and all knowledge. In this way, through an uncompromising, absolute, and pure detachment from yourself and from all things, you will be led upward towards that radiance of the divine darkness that is beyond all being". By St. Dionysius
🌑 "This is self-renunciation. . .to unlock the chains of this early life which passeth away and to set oneself free from the affairs of men, and thus to make ourselves fitter to enter on that path that leads to God and to free our spirit to gain and use those things which are far more precious than gold or precious stones". By St. Basil the Great
A text message sent out one day, was a quote from John Clark:
John Clark: "Da prodigal son’s father wasn't a permissive parent—dat is, a parent who endorses his child’s sinful behavior—& neither is God. Neither should any of us b. Da pity of it is that da behavior dat constitutes permissive parenting isn't da sole domain of parents; it can b shown by prelates as well as parents, friends, as well as family. Scripture tells us da truth will set us free; there4, it's a lie 2 suggest R behave as though da reverse is tru: dat sin sets us free. All of us must try 2 help others return home, 2 strive 4 repentance & contrition, & 2 seek da merciful luv of God; but we must always do so in truth"
(MC=We should strive 2 promote excellence & perfection as well, in regards 2 da areas of lovin, worshipin, & servin da Lord our God. Dat's da purpose of truly being led by da Holy Spirit, so dat He can do what we can't do. There is no excuse. If 1 can't walk, then use a wheelchair, but get going, even crawl if necessary. There R no excuses for 1 who refuse 2C da lite. Doing da same things over & over, not opening up 2 truth, manning one's own ship, such a person can't possibly be considered Holy Spirit led. We all need a reality check, day by day, so that we can respond 2 dat high call from on above. Speaking 2 myself & any other interested party who desires 2 truly seek God's way with their whole heart & soul. Da key is 2 "DESIRE" dat God might fulfill da desire we hold on 2. 4 He alone knows da hart of each one of us, created out of great love. Da stakes R 2 high 2miss opportunities than can increase our merits in heaven & provide God wit mo glory)
A was a pleasant surprise to find it's confirmation the following day when another quote by St. John Chrysostom was providentially discovered. It enhanced my truly remarkable meditative day. Desires can be spiritually lofty or worldly, the choice is ours.
St. John Chrysostom: "To be rich can be a danger to the soul; but a greater danger is TO DESIRE to be rich. This desire leads men into many foolish and harmful lusts. These in turn make them err in the faith, piercing their hearts with many sorrows"
Later during the day, what came at Holy Hour from my regular Scripture readings was a passage so suitable to the morning mediative reflections.
John Clark: "Da prodigal son’s father wasn't a permissive parent—dat is, a parent who endorses his child’s sinful behavior—& neither is God. Neither should any of us b. Da pity of it is that da behavior dat constitutes permissive parenting isn't da sole domain of parents; it can b shown by prelates as well as parents, friends, as well as family. Scripture tells us da truth will set us free; there4, it's a lie 2 suggest R behave as though da reverse is tru: dat sin sets us free. All of us must try 2 help others return home, 2 strive 4 repentance & contrition, & 2 seek da merciful luv of God; but we must always do so in truth"
(MC=We should strive 2 promote excellence & perfection as well, in regards 2 da areas of lovin, worshipin, & servin da Lord our God. Dat's da purpose of truly being led by da Holy Spirit, so dat He can do what we can't do. There is no excuse. If 1 can't walk, then use a wheelchair, but get going, even crawl if necessary. There R no excuses for 1 who refuse 2C da lite. Doing da same things over & over, not opening up 2 truth, manning one's own ship, such a person can't possibly be considered Holy Spirit led. We all need a reality check, day by day, so that we can respond 2 dat high call from on above. Speaking 2 myself & any other interested party who desires 2 truly seek God's way with their whole heart & soul. Da key is 2 "DESIRE" dat God might fulfill da desire we hold on 2. 4 He alone knows da hart of each one of us, created out of great love. Da stakes R 2 high 2miss opportunities than can increase our merits in heaven & provide God wit mo glory)
A was a pleasant surprise to find it's confirmation the following day when another quote by St. John Chrysostom was providentially discovered. It enhanced my truly remarkable meditative day. Desires can be spiritually lofty or worldly, the choice is ours.
St. John Chrysostom: "To be rich can be a danger to the soul; but a greater danger is TO DESIRE to be rich. This desire leads men into many foolish and harmful lusts. These in turn make them err in the faith, piercing their hearts with many sorrows"
Later during the day, what came at Holy Hour from my regular Scripture readings was a passage so suitable to the morning mediative reflections.
It then came to mind that it's more humble to realize we are worthy of nothing and can in no way merit even the least without grace. Therefore to humbly ask for a front row seat requires more humility than to expect a back row seat over hell. The thought might be present that enough was done not to merit hell. Even the back row seat is not possible except by grace. So if all is grace, than the gracious mercy and kindness of God can easily usher someone to a front row or back row seat, and to whomever He wishes. But to ask is to receive, to knock is to find an opening., to desire is to find fulfillment
"The Mature Witness of Child Saints", by Brian O’Neel
Info from this site:
www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-mature-witness-of-child-saints
"With Changes in the Sainthood-Making Process Initiated by Pope St. John Paul II, Causes of Young Saints Began to Proliferate. When Pope Francis canonized child seers and siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto May 13, the centenary of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, he added to a long list of children and young people who are at some point on the road of sainthood. Granted, the number of child saints is a small percentage of the 10,000 saints and blesseds recognized by the Church. Still, at more than 400 souls, the number of known saintly children is substantial. This figure includes “Servants of God,” “Venerables,” “Blesseds” and saints. It encompasses both those who lived truly heroic lives and those counted as martyrs simply because their parents held them at the moment of martyrdom. According to an analysis by the Register using the most readily available sources, there are 429 children and youth — including teenagers — who can roughly be called sanctus, Latin for “holy,” from which we get our word “saint.” This list includes 210 Servants of God, 15 Venerables, 84 beati and 120 saints. This does not include the Holy Innocents, because we can’t know how many children were in that group. It does include, however, the 110 children martyred during the French Revolution, who are all counted as Servants of God.
Roughly 40% of the saints are female. The sex of one beatified child is unknown because the infant underwent martyrdom (technically, death in odium fidei, that is, in hatred of the faith) inside its mother’s womb just days before the expected delivery, along with six siblings.
Indeed, were it not for martyrdom, we would have very few child saints. Of course, in the early Church, there were martyr saints such as Tarcisius, Agatha, Agnes and Faith. Even then, however, children accounted for just a few handfuls of saintly souls. And between 400-1499, the Church gained at most three child saints per century.
Starting in the 1500s, however, the number of child saints rose sharply, mostly due to martyrdom. Of the eight saintly children who died in the 16th century, only St. Stanisław Kostka did not die a martyr. In the 1500s, we see the Americas’ first martyrs, three boys in Mexico, who will be canonized in October. In 1597, the Church gained huge numbers of martyrs of all ages in Japan, where authorities executed up to 50 people in a day. Of the 46 children eligible for sainthood from the 17th century, all but three died in Japan. And of those three, one has never even had his beatification cause introduced. He is simply considered a saint in the Philippines. The Japanese martyrdoms were particularly brutal. Like those in France nearly 200 years later, authorities would execute parents and the children in their arms. Some babies were just days old.
In the 1700s, there was only one potential young saint (not including the 110 French children). But starting with Korea in 1800, we see 27 martyrs among the 19th century’s 31 candidates. One of these came from Vietnam. Born into a Christian family in 1820, Thomas Thien Tran was accepted into Di-Loan, a Catholic college, after he graduated high school. Upon his arrival for classes, however, authorities arrested him and other indigenous Christians. A local official tried to persuade Thomas to apostatize by offering him worldly inducements. When Thomas refused, the man had him caned 40 times. Thomas mocked every blow. He said he was glad to shed blood for his Savior. The official then tried a different tactic. He had had more success with some of Thomas’ classmates, and they came to him with promises of great riches if he followed their example. The youth wouldn’t budge. In the face of his intransigence, the official had Thomas beaten so badly that his skin was flayed. The boy was then strangled to death on Sept. 21, 1838.
The 1900s were even worse for Christians. The century started with hundreds losing their lives during China’s Boxer Rebellion, including 12 young people. Spain’s Civil War cost 57 youth their lives, all but seven of whom died in 1936, with 27 perishing in August alone. The 20th century, however, is also when the Church began to welcome non-martyr saints from the ranks of children. Until roughly 1950, a divide existed amongst theologians. Some believed children could show heroic virtue, the key quality sought in so-called “confessor” causes. Others said children weren’t capable of the maturity needed to rule their passions, which they considered the pivotal component of such virtue.
With the canonization of Sts. Maria Goretti and Dominic Savio in the early 1950s, that began to change, albeit slowly. Then, with changes in the sainthood-making process initiated by Pope St. John Paul II, causes of young saints began to proliferate. Currently, there are more than 150 before the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
To demonstrate the change in the type of potential saint being considered today, the 20th century produced 153 children who have at least reached the Servant of God stage. Of those, 83 are martyrs, including 12 who died in defensum castitatis (in defense of chastity).
That means 73 youth died as confessors of the faith, more than in any other century. In what may be a first, these modern saints include best friends Carlo Grisolia and Alberto Michelotti, who died a month apart from one another in 1980. There is also the young Czech girl Annie Zelíková who died in 1941 and wanted to be a Carmelite nun. The Carmelites compare her to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Realizing she was dying, she offered her suffering for unborn children. Or consider the Hungarian István (Stephen) Kaszap. An incredible yet humble athlete who went from being a poor to good student, he was also a Boy Scout and a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By 16, he recognized his vocation to the priesthood, so he entered the Jesuit novitiate. Not long thereafter, however, he contracted an infection of his tonsils, leading to his death in December 1935.
Perhaps the most famous of the recent young saints at present is Chiara Badano, an Italian who died of cancer at age 18. She was a normal teenager. She didn’t get the best grades. She loved dancing, singing, hanging out with friends and playing tennis. But mostly she loved Jesus, and as a member of the Focolare movement, she had a strong devotion to “Jesus Forsaken.” She wrote that she had “discovered that Jesus forsaken is the key to unity with God, and I want to choose him as my only spouse.” She died Oct. 7, 1990. Two more children might see their names added to this list. The first is Ellen Organ, better known as “Little Nellie of God.” She showed great reverence before the Blessed Sacrament. Of ill health, she was taken care of by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Nellie told them she wanted to receive Communion. The sisters sought the bishop’s approval, and Nellie received her first Communion in December 1907, a few months before her death at age 4. Her life inspired Pope Pius X to lower the age for first Communion. Given the Irish child’s love for the Eucharist, John Paul II may have had her in mind when he said, “For how many children in the history of the Church has the Eucharist been a source of spiritual strength, sometimes even heroic strength?” The other is Audrey Stevenson, an American-French girl who died in 1991. Before her death, she singlehandedly evangelized her parents to a fervent practice of their faith. Several priests also count her prayers as the cause of their vocation.
Child saints, pray for us!"
Info from this site:
www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-mature-witness-of-child-saints
"With Changes in the Sainthood-Making Process Initiated by Pope St. John Paul II, Causes of Young Saints Began to Proliferate. When Pope Francis canonized child seers and siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto May 13, the centenary of the first apparition of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, he added to a long list of children and young people who are at some point on the road of sainthood. Granted, the number of child saints is a small percentage of the 10,000 saints and blesseds recognized by the Church. Still, at more than 400 souls, the number of known saintly children is substantial. This figure includes “Servants of God,” “Venerables,” “Blesseds” and saints. It encompasses both those who lived truly heroic lives and those counted as martyrs simply because their parents held them at the moment of martyrdom. According to an analysis by the Register using the most readily available sources, there are 429 children and youth — including teenagers — who can roughly be called sanctus, Latin for “holy,” from which we get our word “saint.” This list includes 210 Servants of God, 15 Venerables, 84 beati and 120 saints. This does not include the Holy Innocents, because we can’t know how many children were in that group. It does include, however, the 110 children martyred during the French Revolution, who are all counted as Servants of God.
Roughly 40% of the saints are female. The sex of one beatified child is unknown because the infant underwent martyrdom (technically, death in odium fidei, that is, in hatred of the faith) inside its mother’s womb just days before the expected delivery, along with six siblings.
Indeed, were it not for martyrdom, we would have very few child saints. Of course, in the early Church, there were martyr saints such as Tarcisius, Agatha, Agnes and Faith. Even then, however, children accounted for just a few handfuls of saintly souls. And between 400-1499, the Church gained at most three child saints per century.
Starting in the 1500s, however, the number of child saints rose sharply, mostly due to martyrdom. Of the eight saintly children who died in the 16th century, only St. Stanisław Kostka did not die a martyr. In the 1500s, we see the Americas’ first martyrs, three boys in Mexico, who will be canonized in October. In 1597, the Church gained huge numbers of martyrs of all ages in Japan, where authorities executed up to 50 people in a day. Of the 46 children eligible for sainthood from the 17th century, all but three died in Japan. And of those three, one has never even had his beatification cause introduced. He is simply considered a saint in the Philippines. The Japanese martyrdoms were particularly brutal. Like those in France nearly 200 years later, authorities would execute parents and the children in their arms. Some babies were just days old.
In the 1700s, there was only one potential young saint (not including the 110 French children). But starting with Korea in 1800, we see 27 martyrs among the 19th century’s 31 candidates. One of these came from Vietnam. Born into a Christian family in 1820, Thomas Thien Tran was accepted into Di-Loan, a Catholic college, after he graduated high school. Upon his arrival for classes, however, authorities arrested him and other indigenous Christians. A local official tried to persuade Thomas to apostatize by offering him worldly inducements. When Thomas refused, the man had him caned 40 times. Thomas mocked every blow. He said he was glad to shed blood for his Savior. The official then tried a different tactic. He had had more success with some of Thomas’ classmates, and they came to him with promises of great riches if he followed their example. The youth wouldn’t budge. In the face of his intransigence, the official had Thomas beaten so badly that his skin was flayed. The boy was then strangled to death on Sept. 21, 1838.
The 1900s were even worse for Christians. The century started with hundreds losing their lives during China’s Boxer Rebellion, including 12 young people. Spain’s Civil War cost 57 youth their lives, all but seven of whom died in 1936, with 27 perishing in August alone. The 20th century, however, is also when the Church began to welcome non-martyr saints from the ranks of children. Until roughly 1950, a divide existed amongst theologians. Some believed children could show heroic virtue, the key quality sought in so-called “confessor” causes. Others said children weren’t capable of the maturity needed to rule their passions, which they considered the pivotal component of such virtue.
With the canonization of Sts. Maria Goretti and Dominic Savio in the early 1950s, that began to change, albeit slowly. Then, with changes in the sainthood-making process initiated by Pope St. John Paul II, causes of young saints began to proliferate. Currently, there are more than 150 before the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
To demonstrate the change in the type of potential saint being considered today, the 20th century produced 153 children who have at least reached the Servant of God stage. Of those, 83 are martyrs, including 12 who died in defensum castitatis (in defense of chastity).
That means 73 youth died as confessors of the faith, more than in any other century. In what may be a first, these modern saints include best friends Carlo Grisolia and Alberto Michelotti, who died a month apart from one another in 1980. There is also the young Czech girl Annie Zelíková who died in 1941 and wanted to be a Carmelite nun. The Carmelites compare her to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Realizing she was dying, she offered her suffering for unborn children. Or consider the Hungarian István (Stephen) Kaszap. An incredible yet humble athlete who went from being a poor to good student, he was also a Boy Scout and a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
By 16, he recognized his vocation to the priesthood, so he entered the Jesuit novitiate. Not long thereafter, however, he contracted an infection of his tonsils, leading to his death in December 1935.
Perhaps the most famous of the recent young saints at present is Chiara Badano, an Italian who died of cancer at age 18. She was a normal teenager. She didn’t get the best grades. She loved dancing, singing, hanging out with friends and playing tennis. But mostly she loved Jesus, and as a member of the Focolare movement, she had a strong devotion to “Jesus Forsaken.” She wrote that she had “discovered that Jesus forsaken is the key to unity with God, and I want to choose him as my only spouse.” She died Oct. 7, 1990. Two more children might see their names added to this list. The first is Ellen Organ, better known as “Little Nellie of God.” She showed great reverence before the Blessed Sacrament. Of ill health, she was taken care of by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Nellie told them she wanted to receive Communion. The sisters sought the bishop’s approval, and Nellie received her first Communion in December 1907, a few months before her death at age 4. Her life inspired Pope Pius X to lower the age for first Communion. Given the Irish child’s love for the Eucharist, John Paul II may have had her in mind when he said, “For how many children in the history of the Church has the Eucharist been a source of spiritual strength, sometimes even heroic strength?” The other is Audrey Stevenson, an American-French girl who died in 1991. Before her death, she singlehandedly evangelized her parents to a fervent practice of their faith. Several priests also count her prayers as the cause of their vocation.
Child saints, pray for us!"
WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE?, by Mark Mallett
Info from this site: https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2017/06/30/who-are-you-to-judge/
"Sounds virtuous, doesn’t it? But when these words are used to deflect from taking a moral stand, to wash one’s hands of responsibility for others, to remain uncommitted in the face of injustice… then it is cowardice. Moral relativism is cowardice. And today, we are awash in cowards—and the consequences are no small thing. Pope Benedict calls it…
…the most terrifying sign of the times… there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. --POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia, December 20th, 2010
It is terrifying because, in such a climate, it is the stronger part of society who then become the ones to determine what is good, what is wrong, who is valuable, and who is not—based on their own shifting criterion. They no longer adhere to moral absolutes or the natural law. Rather, they determine what is “good” according to arbitrary standards and assign it as a “right,” and then impose it on the weaker part. And thus begins…
…a dictatorship of relativism that recognizes nothing as definite, and which leaves as the ultimate measure only one’s ego and desires. Having a clear faith, according to the credo of the Church, is often labeled as fundamentalism. Yet, relativism, that is, letting oneself be tossed and ‘swept along by every wind of teaching’, appears the sole attitude acceptable to today’s standards. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI) pre-conclave Homily, April 18th, 2005
As such, while rejecting religious and parental authority under the claim that we should not “judge” anyone and be “tolerant” of all, they go on to create their own moral system that is hardly just or tolerant. And thus…
…an abstract, negative religion is being made into a tyrannical standard that everyone must follow… In the name of tolerance, tolerance is being abolished. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, A Conversation with Peter Seewald, p. 52-53
As I wrote in Courage… to the End, in the face of this new tyranny, we can be tempted to withdraw and hide… to become lukewarm and cowardly. So, we must provide an answer to this question “Who are you to judge?”
JESUS ON JUDGING
When Jesus says, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned,” what does He mean?[1] We can only understand these words in the full context of His life and teaching as opposed to isolating a single sentence. For He also said, “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” [2] And again, “Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.” [3] How are we to judge justly? The answer lies in the commission that He gave the Church:
Info from this site: https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2017/06/30/who-are-you-to-judge/
"Sounds virtuous, doesn’t it? But when these words are used to deflect from taking a moral stand, to wash one’s hands of responsibility for others, to remain uncommitted in the face of injustice… then it is cowardice. Moral relativism is cowardice. And today, we are awash in cowards—and the consequences are no small thing. Pope Benedict calls it…
…the most terrifying sign of the times… there is no such thing as evil in itself or good in itself. There is only a “better than” and a “worse than”. Nothing is good or bad in itself. Everything depends on the circumstances and on the end in view. --POPE BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia, December 20th, 2010
It is terrifying because, in such a climate, it is the stronger part of society who then become the ones to determine what is good, what is wrong, who is valuable, and who is not—based on their own shifting criterion. They no longer adhere to moral absolutes or the natural law. Rather, they determine what is “good” according to arbitrary standards and assign it as a “right,” and then impose it on the weaker part. And thus begins…
…a dictatorship of relativism that recognizes nothing as definite, and which leaves as the ultimate measure only one’s ego and desires. Having a clear faith, according to the credo of the Church, is often labeled as fundamentalism. Yet, relativism, that is, letting oneself be tossed and ‘swept along by every wind of teaching’, appears the sole attitude acceptable to today’s standards. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI) pre-conclave Homily, April 18th, 2005
As such, while rejecting religious and parental authority under the claim that we should not “judge” anyone and be “tolerant” of all, they go on to create their own moral system that is hardly just or tolerant. And thus…
…an abstract, negative religion is being made into a tyrannical standard that everyone must follow… In the name of tolerance, tolerance is being abolished. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Light of the World, A Conversation with Peter Seewald, p. 52-53
As I wrote in Courage… to the End, in the face of this new tyranny, we can be tempted to withdraw and hide… to become lukewarm and cowardly. So, we must provide an answer to this question “Who are you to judge?”
JESUS ON JUDGING
When Jesus says, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned,” what does He mean?[1] We can only understand these words in the full context of His life and teaching as opposed to isolating a single sentence. For He also said, “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” [2] And again, “Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.” [3] How are we to judge justly? The answer lies in the commission that He gave the Church:
Clearly, Jesus is telling us not to judge the heart (appearance) of others, but at the same time, He is giving the Church the divine authority to call mankind into God’s Will, expressed in the moral commandments and the natural law.
It is schizophrenic, then, to hear Christians who have fallen into the trap of moral relativism say, “Who am I to judge?” when Jesus has explicitly commanded us to call all to repentance and to live by His Word.
Love, in fact, impels the followers of Christ to proclaim to all men the truth which saves. But we must distinguish between the error (which must always be rejected) and the person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person even though he flounders amid false or inadequate religious ideas. God alone is the judge and the searcher of hearts; he forbids us to pass judgment on the inner guilt of others. —Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 28
RIGHT JUDGMENT: When a police officer pulls someone over for speeding, he is not making a judgment of the person in the car. He is making an objective judgment of the person’s actions: they were speeding. It’s not until he goes to the driver’s window that he discovers that the woman behind the wheel is pregnant and in labour and in a hurry… or that she’s drunk, or simply being careless. Only then does he write up a ticket—or not.
So too, as citizens and Christians, we have the right and duty to say that this or that action is objectively good or evil so that civil order and justice prevail in the society of the family or town square. Just as the policeman points his radar at a vehicle and concludes that it is objectively breaking the law, so too, we can and must look at certain actions and say that they are objectively immoral, when that is the case, for the common good. But it is only when one peers into the “window of the heart” that a certain judgment of one’s culpability can be made… something, really, only God can do—or that person can reveal.
Although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033
But the Church’s objective role is no less diminished.
To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2246
The idea of “separation of Church and State” meaning that the Church has no say in the public square, is a tragic falsehood. No, the Church’s role is not to build roads, run the military, or legislate, but to guide and enlighten political bodies and individuals with the Divine Revelation and authority entrusted to her, and to do so in imitation of her Lord.
Indeed, if police stopped enforcing traffic laws so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings, the streets would become dangerous. Likewise, if the Church does not raise her voice with the truth, then the souls of many will be in peril. But she must also speak in imitation of her Lord, approaching each soul with the same reverence and delicacy that Our Lord showed, particularly to grave sinners. He loved them because He recognized that, anyone who sinned, was a slave to sin [4]; that they were lost to some degree,[5] and in need of healing.[6] Is this not all of us?
But this never lessened the truth nor erased one letter of the law.
[The offense] remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1793
DO NOT BE SILENCED! Who are you to judge? As a Christian and as a citizen, you have ever right and duty to judge objective good or evil.
Love, in fact, impels the followers of Christ to proclaim to all men the truth which saves. But we must distinguish between the error (which must always be rejected) and the person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person even though he flounders amid false or inadequate religious ideas. God alone is the judge and the searcher of hearts; he forbids us to pass judgment on the inner guilt of others. —Vatican II, Gaudium et spes, 28
RIGHT JUDGMENT: When a police officer pulls someone over for speeding, he is not making a judgment of the person in the car. He is making an objective judgment of the person’s actions: they were speeding. It’s not until he goes to the driver’s window that he discovers that the woman behind the wheel is pregnant and in labour and in a hurry… or that she’s drunk, or simply being careless. Only then does he write up a ticket—or not.
So too, as citizens and Christians, we have the right and duty to say that this or that action is objectively good or evil so that civil order and justice prevail in the society of the family or town square. Just as the policeman points his radar at a vehicle and concludes that it is objectively breaking the law, so too, we can and must look at certain actions and say that they are objectively immoral, when that is the case, for the common good. But it is only when one peers into the “window of the heart” that a certain judgment of one’s culpability can be made… something, really, only God can do—or that person can reveal.
Although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God. —Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033
But the Church’s objective role is no less diminished.
To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2246
The idea of “separation of Church and State” meaning that the Church has no say in the public square, is a tragic falsehood. No, the Church’s role is not to build roads, run the military, or legislate, but to guide and enlighten political bodies and individuals with the Divine Revelation and authority entrusted to her, and to do so in imitation of her Lord.
Indeed, if police stopped enforcing traffic laws so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings, the streets would become dangerous. Likewise, if the Church does not raise her voice with the truth, then the souls of many will be in peril. But she must also speak in imitation of her Lord, approaching each soul with the same reverence and delicacy that Our Lord showed, particularly to grave sinners. He loved them because He recognized that, anyone who sinned, was a slave to sin [4]; that they were lost to some degree,[5] and in need of healing.[6] Is this not all of us?
But this never lessened the truth nor erased one letter of the law.
[The offense] remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1793
DO NOT BE SILENCED! Who are you to judge? As a Christian and as a citizen, you have ever right and duty to judge objective good or evil.
But in this growing dictatorship of relativism, you will meet hardship. You will be persecuted. But here is where you have to remind yourself that this world is not your home. That we are strangers and sojourners on our way to the Homeland. That we are called to be prophets wherever we are, speaking the “now word” to a generation that needs to hear the Gospel again—whether they know it or not. Never before has the need for true prophets ever been so crucial…
Those who challenge this new paganism are faced with a difficult option. Either they conform to this philosophy or they are faced with the prospect of martyrdom. —Servant of God Fr. John Hardon (1914-2000), How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today? By Being Loyal to the Bishop of Rome; http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/intro/loyalty.htm
Those who challenge this new paganism are faced with a difficult option. Either they conform to this philosophy or they are faced with the prospect of martyrdom. —Servant of God Fr. John Hardon (1914-2000), How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today? By Being Loyal to the Bishop of Rome; http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/intro/loyalty.htm
Video presentation: "The Holy Spirit & Mary", by Fr. Thaddaeus Lancton, MIC
YouTube video link:
youtu.be/bXSY5Kl_z9M
YouTube video link:
youtu.be/bXSY5Kl_z9M