Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Reintroducing Logic and Reason to the Age of Sentimentalism

Purgatory is Real and Those Poor Souls Need Prayers

The Church teaches that those unfortunate souls who do not go straight to Heaven, but are fortunate enough to avoid the fires of Hell, are in Purgatory. In Purgatory, they will suffer for their past transgressions until their souls have been purified, perfected, and made worthy to enter into Heaven. For some souls, Purgatory is a pit-stop, for others a temporary home.

Purgatory

While in Purgatory, souls rely on the prayers of the faithful here on Earth to help guide them along in their purification. Without these prayers, they become stuck.

Eventually what will happen is a soul who is in Purgatory will have no living relatives on Earth who remember them due to decades passing by and generational gaps. They become forgotten and are left in the torments of Purgatory, waiting…

Because we are able to pray for the repose of their souls, we should pray for them as often as we can. In addition to praying for those souls by name, we should include all deceased relatives in our blood line in our prayers. You can be certain your deceased relatives are prayed for, even the ones who you have never met.

Many of us are far from perfect and by the grace of God will depend on Purgatory. Ending up in Purgatory is why we must stand vigilant in our prayer and stay strong in the face of temptation. Only one mortal sin is enough to send us to Hell.

Attend confession as often as needed. Confess your sins, both mortal and venial in type and number regularly. Make frequent confession a habit.

Make prayer a daily habit. Pray the rosary daily and invest yourself in the Brown Scapular. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel mentions she will assist you and guide you out of Purgatory if you are devoted to her Brown Scapular.

Our Lady of Carmel Saving Souls From Purgatory

Remember, our time on Earth is short. Pray for souls in Purgatory and teach your children to do the same. If you are fortunate enough to end up in Purgatory, you will need all the prayers you can get. Unlike the souls in Hell, the hope you will have is Heaven is on the other side.

Jeff August 23, 2014 Leave A Comment Permalink

Living Out Your Faith Isn’t the Only Way To Win Souls

Somewhere along the line, many leaders in the Church forgot about the need for proper evangelization. That is, to make proselytites.

Now, I want to be clear, we are not to force people to convert. That is not how proper conversion works based on our understanding of the sacraments needing free will in order to be valid.

Many in the Church today are under the false ideology that if we only live authentic Catholic lives, that that is all we need in order to win over souls. We don’t need to meet people where they’re at, we don’t need to even try to convince them of why they should become Catholic. This is erroneous and a danger to the souls of those who we should be trying to convert.

As a convert myself, it was not the idea of Catholics being hunky dory that led to my conversion. What led to my conversion was the deep shame I had for my sins and the realization that I would never be the same for committing them. On top of that, I felt guilty for my actions and didn’t feel that I was worthy of Heaven.

My friend eventually told me that I needed the saving waters of Baptism to not only cleanse me of Original Sin, but of the sins that I had committed.  On top of that I needed to worship the Triune God, in His Son’s Church, the Catholic Church. This is what drew me into the Catholic Church. Not a life of happiness, but of second chances.

It is rare that we choose a life-changing event based on how happy we see others doing it. This idea that we only need to live an authentically joyful life in order to win over souls, is not something that Christ preached:

Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. Matthew 28:19-20 DR

There are two figures who can shed more light on this.

Mother Theresa interacted with many people both directly and indirectly. I have never met her, but have heard the stories of those who have, as well as have heard her speak. Likewise, I was not Catholic when Pope St. John Paul 2 was alive. Nevertheless, I can read what he had to write and hear what he had to say.

Pope St. John Paul II and Blessed Mother Theresa

With the combination of Blessed Mother Theresa and St. John Paul 2 and the way they joyfully lived out their lives, wouldn’t you think that a majority of the world would be Catholic? When you look at the numbers, it doesn’t add up. The number of Catholics in India is only about 19.9 million. This makes up for roughly 1.55% of their population. This tells me that just living out your faith joyfully isn’t enough.

Part of living out your faith requires that you evangelize and teach non-believers to come into the Church. We Catholics know that we are doomed if we step foot outside of the Church as she teaches beautifully EXTRA ECCLESIAM NULLA SALUS or No Salvation Outside of the Church.

Because we know of this teaching, we realize that all other practices are poisonous. Much like you wouldn’t let a friend or family member drink an actual bottle of poison, you shouldn’t let a friend or family member stay outside of the Church. It is indeed a matter of life or death, of the soul.

We learn from the Catholic liturgy the importance of living out an authentic Catholic life. Worship, doctrine, and prayer all come together as it all points us back to God.

Living out your faith, while important, is not the only way, nor even the best way to bring about conversions. Regular conversation is the best way. It may not be your job to fully convince them of the Truth, but it is your job to tell them the Truth.

Jeff August 17, 2014 3 Comments Permalink

The Black Mass: An Alternative Solution

Bishop Slattery of the neighboring diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma offered some sound and pastoral words in response to the Oklahoma City Black Mass scheduled on September 21.

I appreciate and approve of His Excellency’s request for some hardcore fasting and prayer leading up to this blasphemous event. Fasting and prayer worked well during the last Black Mass. The event ended up becoming cancelled all together. It was a triumphant victory. As critical as prayer and fasting is, I would like to suggest an alternative approach as well.

These Satanists have taken Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist as hostage, it only makes sense that we send in some strong Catholic men and priests to take him back.

Crusaders

St. John Chrysostom said when it came to blasphemy:

And should you hear any one in the public thoroughfare, or in the midst of the forum, blaspheming God; go up to him and rebuke him; and should it be necessary to inflict blows, spare not to do so. Smite him on the face; strike his mouth; sanctify your hand with the blow, and if any should accuse you, and drag you to the place of justice, follow them thither; and when the judge on the bench calls you to account, say boldly that the man blasphemed the King of angels!

The Black Mass is a blasphemous affair. These poor souls who violate our Lord in this sacrilege have admitted that they understand what they are doing. Thus, it would make sense to go in there, smiting these blasphemers left and right.

I do not see the saints standing idly by while Our Lord is desecrated upon these Satanic “altars”. The saints would go in and take back Jesus, the laity doing the fighting, the priests handling Christ. St. John Chrysostom would organize a take back strategy, while praying the Rosary for victory over his enemies. The saints would fight for Jesus.

You may accuse me of being angry, but if you aren’t angry that Jesus has been taken hostage, then you aren’t practicing your faith right.

All-Saints

It would only seem appropriate that while these modern day saints are rushing in like soldiers, marching on to battle, that they sing “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

Jeff August 10, 2014 5 Comments Permalink

What Vatican 2 Actually Said: Don’t Change the Liturgy

It bothers me when I attend a Novus Ordo Mass and a priest does things…different.

Clown Mass

I’m not talking about minor things here. I mean additions, subtractions or changes words around that he shouldn’t be changing. When I offer up a complaint, I am responded with “he’s a priest, he’s allowed to do that.”

Interestingly enough, the Second Vatican Council has a response to that:

22. 1. Regulation of the sacred liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church, that is, on the Apostolic See and, as laws may determine, on the bishop.

2. In virtue of power conceded by the law, the regulation of the liturgy within certain defined limits belongs also to various kinds of competent territorial bodies of bishops legitimately established.

3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

23. That sound tradition may be retained, and yet the way remain open to legitimate progress careful investigation is always to be made into each part of the liturgy which is to be revised. This investigation should be theological, historical, and pastoral. Also the general laws governing the structure and meaning of the liturgy must be studied in conjunction with the experience derived from recent liturgical reforms and from the indults conceded to various places. Finally, there must be no innovations unless the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them; and care must be taken that any new forms adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing.

As far as possible, notable differences between the rites used in adjacent regions must be carefully avoided.

The Second Vatican Council, while many times may be unclear, is clear that only the Magisterium of the Church can determine when a part of the Liturgy may be changed.

Tridentine Mass

This means that not the deacon, not the priest, not the Bishop, not even the Pope, can change something based on his personal preference. This right alone is left strictly for the Church to determine.

The Church is the safeguard of the liturgy. The next time you attend a Mass where the priest changes things to his liking, call him out. If he uses the Second Vatican Council in his defense, use this in yours.

Jeff August 5, 2014 2 Comments Permalink

Jeff August 2, 2014 Leave A Comment Permalink