I spent most of today reading on a variety of topics. Perhaps the most challenging and interesting reading that I did today was a sermon of St. Robert Bellarmine's, Hell and Its Torments. To quote the man from whom I took my pen name, "I have considered that I shall be doing a work most pleasing to God an useful to yourselves if today... I call to your memories and place before your very eyes how horrible, how atrocious and how abiding are the tortures which God has prepared for wicked and impious people." So, without further adieu, let us have a look at just what this Doctor of the Church had to say about Hell.
Bellarmine begins his 1574 sermon by expressing his astonishment that anyone could not be Catholic in light of the prophets, miracles of Christ, and the hope that nourishes Christ's Church. He then bemoans that fact that a great many Catholics live in sin despite Jesus's teachings on Hell.
Having wondered at the tendency of even Catholics to sin, St. Robert attributes this to three factors: 1. a lack of consideration, 2. ignorance, and 3. self-love. St. Bellarmine exhorts us to consider Hell and its torments in order that we might repent and refrain from sin on account of our understanding what will happen should we be condemned. He then moves to ignorance; particularly to the ignorance of those who fail to understand the magnitude of sin. He quotes St. Augustine in saying: "Now eternal punishment seems hard and unjust to human senses for the reason that in (our) infirmity of dying senses there is lacking that sense of the highest and purest wisdom, whereby it can be felt what a great outrage was committed in that first prevarication." In other words, we mortals cannot sense the severity of an offense against the infinite and eternal God. Finally, Bellarmine decries the self-love that persuades us to believe that in spite of our wickedness, God will have mercy because our good deeds can be attributed to us whereas the evil that we do can be attributed to external factors. He then refutes several other excuses for sin put forth by misguided Catholics.
After establishing reasons why those who should know better sin, St. Bellarmine turns his attention to the wage of sin, death. He explains the dual punishments of the loss of Heaven and the active torments of both body and soul reserved for the damned. He emphasizes that the condemned must continually be aware of what they have lost, excruciating physical and mental pain that intensify one another continually, and the never-ending nature of condemnation.
In doing all of this, St. Bellarmine reminds us that forgiveness is no farther away than repentance and confession; a paltry price to pay for eternal life with God.
Perhaps the most chilling aspect of this account of Hell is that it is not so simple as eternal death, rather, it is a combination of what can be the worst parts of life and death. Like life, Hell endures and unlike death, it never ends.
St. Robert Bellarmine's goal, the one I now more emphatically share with him, is to seek to alert souls to the dangers of Hell and the promises of eternal life. May the Lord have mercy on us and help us to see even our hidden faults so that we might repent and believe. Please consider reading this work and definitely be sure to examine your conscience carefully, but not scrupulously.
God love you,
-Bellarmine
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Somewhere, some village is missing their idiot
Since we've got two here in Rochester!
Okay, fine...I suppose we've got more than that, but the picture made me chuckle...Grosswirth and the Bish...tehe
-Arialdus
-Arialdus
C'mon, Bish, just 2 more!
As you've all heard by now, it appears that St. Thomas the Apostle is on the chopping block. And this, just as I was trying to find a good time to get over there on occasion this summer. Just as I was excited that perhaps Fr. Peter Abas would be saying Mass there at times (as he is at Christ the King for the next 6 months), these self-serving idiots wind up reccomending the closure of one of the few decent churches in this diocese.
This would leave a mere two places in the entire diocese I trust to go to Mass when I have my choice...Our Lady of Victory/St. Joseph's and, of course, at St. Stanislaus.
It also sounds like they're trying to destroy St Monica's. Great. Nothing I like more than ruining a beautiful church in favor of hiding the tabernacle.
On the plus side, I did get out to Our Lady of Victory for Mass this weekend. As is always the case, the music was beautiful, the preaching of Fr. Antinarelli did not sugar-coat a thing, and the church was reverent throughout the pre- and post-Mass times, and reverently focused throughout the liturgy.
Everytime I see a child receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on the tongue (which happens quite often there!), I can't help but smile. I always want to shake the hands of the few parents around who raise their children with Catholic Orthodoxy at the forefront of their lives. And, I think to myself..."Brick by brick!" 1098 days, I suppose, and perhaps the diocese will be turning around.
-Arialdus
This would leave a mere two places in the entire diocese I trust to go to Mass when I have my choice...Our Lady of Victory/St. Joseph's and, of course, at St. Stanislaus.
It also sounds like they're trying to destroy St Monica's. Great. Nothing I like more than ruining a beautiful church in favor of hiding the tabernacle.
On the plus side, I did get out to Our Lady of Victory for Mass this weekend. As is always the case, the music was beautiful, the preaching of Fr. Antinarelli did not sugar-coat a thing, and the church was reverent throughout the pre- and post-Mass times, and reverently focused throughout the liturgy.
Everytime I see a child receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on the tongue (which happens quite often there!), I can't help but smile. I always want to shake the hands of the few parents around who raise their children with Catholic Orthodoxy at the forefront of their lives. And, I think to myself..."Brick by brick!" 1098 days, I suppose, and perhaps the diocese will be turning around.
-Arialdus
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Caritas in Veritate
Friday, July 3, 2009
The bishop's column: as delusional as Fr. Richard McHeretic?
The quotes come from the latest Catholic Courier Bishop's Column.
"Nevertheless, as we near the end of our pledge payment period for our Partners in Faith capital campaign — which to date has raised more than $44 million dollars to build a new theology and ministry school, renovate our cathedral as well as provide much-needed funds for our parishes — we all are amazed at how generous our parishioners really are."
Ha! Let's discuss this, shall we? We've expanded the French Road Center for Heresy, Dissent, and Schism. We've turned Fulton Sheen's lovely Cathedral into a protestant barn, and...the funds for the parishes?? What's happened in my childhood parish goes like this...we paid the diocese great sums of money, some of which they gave back. With this we built a parish center, with a daily Mass chapel and a new "Parish Hall." But, since we couldn't afford to keep this and other things heated, all winter, twe don't have daily Mass in a legitimate church. Also, we closed down the wonderful 3+ story building that was used for parish offices, religious ed, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation. Now all of this is jammed into the existing Catholic School, which has lost well over 60% of its enrollment since 1995
Works out great!
While it is no secret that Mass attendance has generally declined since the mid-1960s nationwide — not unlike attendance for other mainline Christian denominations — we saw last year in our own diocese a leveling off of that trend. I can only attribute that leveling off to our Spirit Alive-related efforts. Even as we engage the people already in the pews through this spiritual renewal, we also are reaching out in new 21st century ways to people we want to welcome back — and especially to attract young people to become active member of our faith communities. This is so important in an age in which all religious groups must vie with Hollywood, the Internet and other media in touching and forming the lives of the young.
ARGH! How pompous can this man be? We have not leveled off at all? The numbers don't lie! We have lost...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOy2aclzdOETNefgYO2kXnBeJz83k85FN90-h9iku_wKUDPdLGwLzf6zF5ZfYwFWwK_qTrbDWh-QuvXXKktv7ENwoQL-gJZ7uJnDhGj-8UG6iU6FK7peyg-toM65_R7wmYE8asT6teCs/s1600-h/DOR-AOA.JPG
There, there's a graph! We lost another 4000 per week in the last october-october comparison. In fact, since Spirit Alive! began, we've continued losing people at exactly the same rate. In the same time period, Dioceses with Orthodox Bishops (see Charles Chaput and Fabian Bruskewitz...both of their diocese are quite healthy!) have not really declined at all...in fact, nationally, Mass attendance has been relatively consistent for the past few years...but since 2001 we've lost over 25%...what gives?
Does he honestly believe his own greatness? How about some legitimate catechesis, Bishop Clark? Show your flock that Orthodoxy is important. Replace "Illiturgical Prancing" with Eucharistic Processions, and nuns in albs with altar boys in cassocks. Since the mid-60's, even the heterodox admit the church hasn't done as well. Shocking how much better orthodoxy works, eh?
-Arialdus
"Nevertheless, as we near the end of our pledge payment period for our Partners in Faith capital campaign — which to date has raised more than $44 million dollars to build a new theology and ministry school, renovate our cathedral as well as provide much-needed funds for our parishes — we all are amazed at how generous our parishioners really are."
Ha! Let's discuss this, shall we? We've expanded the French Road Center for Heresy, Dissent, and Schism. We've turned Fulton Sheen's lovely Cathedral into a protestant barn, and...the funds for the parishes?? What's happened in my childhood parish goes like this...we paid the diocese great sums of money, some of which they gave back. With this we built a parish center, with a daily Mass chapel and a new "Parish Hall." But, since we couldn't afford to keep this and other things heated, all winter, twe don't have daily Mass in a legitimate church. Also, we closed down the wonderful 3+ story building that was used for parish offices, religious ed, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation. Now all of this is jammed into the existing Catholic School, which has lost well over 60% of its enrollment since 1995
Works out great!
While it is no secret that Mass attendance has generally declined since the mid-1960s nationwide — not unlike attendance for other mainline Christian denominations — we saw last year in our own diocese a leveling off of that trend. I can only attribute that leveling off to our Spirit Alive-related efforts. Even as we engage the people already in the pews through this spiritual renewal, we also are reaching out in new 21st century ways to people we want to welcome back — and especially to attract young people to become active member of our faith communities. This is so important in an age in which all religious groups must vie with Hollywood, the Internet and other media in touching and forming the lives of the young.
ARGH! How pompous can this man be? We have not leveled off at all? The numbers don't lie! We have lost...
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOy2aclzdOETNefgYO2kXnBeJz83k85FN90-h9iku_wKUDPdLGwLzf6zF5ZfYwFWwK_qTrbDWh-QuvXXKktv7ENwoQL-gJZ7uJnDhGj-8UG6iU6FK7peyg-toM65_R7wmYE8asT6teCs/s1600-h/DOR-AOA.JPG
There, there's a graph! We lost another 4000 per week in the last october-october comparison. In fact, since Spirit Alive! began, we've continued losing people at exactly the same rate. In the same time period, Dioceses with Orthodox Bishops (see Charles Chaput and Fabian Bruskewitz...both of their diocese are quite healthy!) have not really declined at all...in fact, nationally, Mass attendance has been relatively consistent for the past few years...but since 2001 we've lost over 25%...what gives?
Does he honestly believe his own greatness? How about some legitimate catechesis, Bishop Clark? Show your flock that Orthodoxy is important. Replace "Illiturgical Prancing" with Eucharistic Processions, and nuns in albs with altar boys in cassocks. Since the mid-60's, even the heterodox admit the church hasn't done as well. Shocking how much better orthodoxy works, eh?
-Arialdus
Douay-Rheims etc.
So I've been spending a wee bit of money lately, and got an old Douay-Rheims...which is awesome! I'm working up a collection of good translations to keep in a prayer room/library. I suppose I should pick up a Vulgate at some point, then learn some Latin. In any case, the next thing I desperately want is a Liber Usualis, but...the cheapest one I can find is $110 online! I'm not sure if I want one badly enough to pay that much...It's free online and all, but...I would love a hard copy. Hmm
Other interesting pickups of late:
Both old and new St. Joseph's Daily Missals
An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis deSales
Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Cardinal Newman
Wish I had more time to read and study them over the summer!
-Arialdus
Other interesting pickups of late:
Both old and new St. Joseph's Daily Missals
An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis deSales
Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Cardinal Newman
Wish I had more time to read and study them over the summer!
-Arialdus
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.
I saw this little post over at Rochester Catholic, and couldn't help commenting here in some depth.
I will quote a bit of Chestertonian wit throughout, as in the title.
“The word ‘adult faith’ has in recent decades become a popular slogan. It is often used to refer to the attitude of those who no longer adhere to the Church and her pastors, but choose for themselves what they want to believe and not believe - a kind of do-it-yourself faith.” - Pope Benedict XVI
It's true, ladies and gentlemen...the pope just called out Cafeteria Catholics! The fact of the matter is that as a Roman Catholic, it is just fine to question anything, to say that you do not understand something, why it is, how it is, what it is, etc. Dissent is quite another matter.
But, the heterodox will argue, we need to search for unity! It's minutia! Who cares if they:
Fail to properly vest themselves for Mass
Randomly add greeting time during Mass
Sing Happy Birthday during Mass
Use He's got the whole world in His hands as an offertory hymn
Stand for the Consecration
Dance in the aisles during Mass
Omit the Sanctus
Allow laypeople to preach the homily
Ad-lib the prayers
Read the Gospel from the Epistle side of the Altar
Hide the Tabernacle
Don't use a Tabernacle Candle
Include their favorite sports team or cartoon character into a homily
Play some popular music from an ipod during the Homily
"I understand that you love the liturgy but when you begin to love the liturgy more than you love your neighbor...well I think you now the rest." These words from a dissenting Youth Minister in the Diocese shed some light on an entire attitude. It's not the ad-libbed prayer, really, it's not the crappy music, really, nor is it any of these things alone...it's that this behavior conveys an entire attitude--one that believes that the magisterium matters not. But without the magisterium, what authority do we have? None, really. Without apostolic succession, an uninterrupted line, we cannot say things with authority. But the church is not simply an group of men who control things. This is not about politics, it is about truth.
But, then, people will say, you need to celebrate the diversity! You should be impartial. I argue, as Chesterton did, that "Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance." Diversity is wonderful, I agree...there is so much diversity among particular churches! Greek Catholics, Maronite Catholics, The Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form within the Latin Rite, there's the Anglican Use...the list goes on, and all in full communion with the Bishop of Rome! But all of this unity must be, as Father Corapi has put it, a subset of TRUTH.
“Rather it takes courage to adhere to the faith of the Church, even if it contradicts the ’scheme’ of the contemporary world,” said the Pope. Just as Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they are fashions.
-Arialdus
I will quote a bit of Chestertonian wit throughout, as in the title.
“The word ‘adult faith’ has in recent decades become a popular slogan. It is often used to refer to the attitude of those who no longer adhere to the Church and her pastors, but choose for themselves what they want to believe and not believe - a kind of do-it-yourself faith.” - Pope Benedict XVI
It's true, ladies and gentlemen...the pope just called out Cafeteria Catholics! The fact of the matter is that as a Roman Catholic, it is just fine to question anything, to say that you do not understand something, why it is, how it is, what it is, etc. Dissent is quite another matter.
But, the heterodox will argue, we need to search for unity! It's minutia! Who cares if they:
Fail to properly vest themselves for Mass
Randomly add greeting time during Mass
Sing Happy Birthday during Mass
Use He's got the whole world in His hands as an offertory hymn
Stand for the Consecration
Dance in the aisles during Mass
Omit the Sanctus
Allow laypeople to preach the homily
Ad-lib the prayers
Read the Gospel from the Epistle side of the Altar
Hide the Tabernacle
Don't use a Tabernacle Candle
Include their favorite sports team or cartoon character into a homily
Play some popular music from an ipod during the Homily
"I understand that you love the liturgy but when you begin to love the liturgy more than you love your neighbor...well I think you now the rest." These words from a dissenting Youth Minister in the Diocese shed some light on an entire attitude. It's not the ad-libbed prayer, really, it's not the crappy music, really, nor is it any of these things alone...it's that this behavior conveys an entire attitude--one that believes that the magisterium matters not. But without the magisterium, what authority do we have? None, really. Without apostolic succession, an uninterrupted line, we cannot say things with authority. But the church is not simply an group of men who control things. This is not about politics, it is about truth.
But, then, people will say, you need to celebrate the diversity! You should be impartial. I argue, as Chesterton did, that "Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance." Diversity is wonderful, I agree...there is so much diversity among particular churches! Greek Catholics, Maronite Catholics, The Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form within the Latin Rite, there's the Anglican Use...the list goes on, and all in full communion with the Bishop of Rome! But all of this unity must be, as Father Corapi has put it, a subset of TRUTH.
“Rather it takes courage to adhere to the faith of the Church, even if it contradicts the ’scheme’ of the contemporary world,” said the Pope. Just as Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they are fashions.
-Arialdus
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