Nice sentiment , up to a point. What about the large numbers who infiltrate ones country with no intention to assimilate , remaining in their ethnic groups, working in the "black economy" thereby contributing nothing and subverting western Christian culture and values insisting that their own belief system should be followed by all?
Yes it's a two sided thing. Massive Islamic migration was a huge, huge mistake. We see in Scripture this two sided thing. On the one hand the Lord asks to be kind to the alien and the stranger. The other side is God asked the Chosen people to wipe out entirely the Pagan Races who occupied the Promised Land. We hear a lot about the Mercy Side, we hear nothing at all about the stern wipe out side. It was like this at Mass this morning when I went to the Novus Ordo Rite, the first reading being from St Paul: Ephesians 4:32-5:8 © Follow Christ by loving as he loved you Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. Among you there must be not even a mention of fornication or impurity in any of its forms, or promiscuity: this would hardly become the saints! There must be no coarseness, or salacious talk and jokes – all this is wrong for you; raise your voices in thanksgiving instead. For you can be quite certain that nobody who actually indulges in fornication or impurity or promiscuity – which is worshipping a false god – can inherit anything of the kingdom of God. Do not let anyone deceive you with empty arguments: it is for this loose living that God’s anger comes down on those who rebel against him. Make sure that you are not included with them. You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light. As you can see the whole reading is about Sexual Immorality and impurity. Apart that is from the first sentence which talks about being kind and forgiving. Before the Father even opened his mouth I thought to myself that he would not mention sexual immorality. and its consequences. Sure enough his whole homily was on the first sentence and the rest got dropped. This kind of thing happens all the time. The uncomfortable challenging bits get dropped/
I was told all of my life, repeatedly, that it was wrong for Europeans (99.6% of my genetic makeup) to go here and there, take this and that, impose themselves on others there before them. Now suddenly I'm supposed to be okay with other people doing just that? NOPE. I don't believe in double standards. I'm also tired of this being (it sure seems) 98% able-bodied, healthy males as "migrants." They apparently don't want to work or fight to improve their countries of origin, and I'm not their Mommy. These are grown adults. Others have sacrificed tremendously to provide stability for their people. They should too. An exception I do make are Syrians, caught in that ongoing terrible war. But once restabilized and a measure of peace, they should do their current host countries a favor; go home and rebuild.
I think one thing about immigration , for instance Islamic immigration into Germany and France that people simply do not understand. On the one hand it seems a great kindness. On the other hand it provides very,very cheap labour for the super rich and the big corporations. Because it proved super cheap labour it means they can lower the wages for the indigenous working classes. They become more slaves to the system. The working and lower middle classes can see this for it is happening right in front of their eyes. This is one of the reasons the working and lower middle classes voted for Trump and for Populist Nationalist candidates across the globe. They knew they were being scammed. Globalist Liberals like say Pope Francis cannot see thins because they simply do not live in the real world. Their Socialist intellectual instincts blind them. They think everything is about the lowest common denominator.
I would say Pope Francis is basically a Marxist. I know this sounds incredible , but everything he does and says indicates this. He's a Communist. If it walks like a ducks and quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, trust me , it's a duck. Being Marxist is almost a Trade Mark of intellectual Liberals like the Holy Father. The guy's a Communist.
South America seems to hold that as their default position where many priests and religious are concerned. Especially the Jesuits. It began as a horror at the right wing dictators abusing their own people and morphed into armed resistance that hardened into Marxism. Bishop Oscar Romero's story is salutary for understanding this. He tried to defend his priests and the poor without Marxism and the fascist government had him killed. And that radicalized many more clergy. And so it goes. Bad fruit from bitter trees.
Apparently when Pope St John Paul decided to do away the lot of them a posse of top Jesuit theologians stepped in to warn him off, the foremost being Karl Rahner. (It turns out that Rahner's own theology is suspect.} I think this may have intimidated poor Pope John Paul, the top brains of the Church saying a big , 'No' so, anyway, he backed off.
I am not too sure , but reading between the lines here, but I think the admirable Fr Mark is referring here to rapture or ecstasy, the Prayer of Union. The 4th Mansion or stage (I think) from St Teresa of Avila. French Mystical Theologians distinguished between the two by saying that in ecstasy you were still aware of your soundings but in rapture you were totally zonked. These French writers of the period (around late 19th century on) tried often to define prayer stages in terms of physical effect...a kind of pseudo scientific approach. (You got the same approach in say, Medugorje were they wired the poor kids up to test their brain waves and what not until Our Lady put a stop on it) I think this is what Fr Mark means , I am not sure. I think humility makes him careful in what he says. But I suppose he could simply mean contemplative prayer itself. I am sorry he does not go into detail, I would have been so interested.
Pope Francis has encouraged liberation theology throughout his pontificate. He hasn't officially pronounced on it, but his standard method is to speak and act ambiguously. A simple google search with his name and LT will bring up articles which conclude that he is a liberation theologian from his actions (inviting Gutierrez to meet with him). Liberation theology is Marxist thinking with a dog collar. Interestingly, in my search, I found Cardinal Muller's name mentioned as a friend of Gutierrez and sympathetic to LT. Strange that he's now called conservative after being sacked without explanation by the Pope of mercy.
I never knew this. I never realised so much. It's get your eyes opened time. The McCarrick Report for instance. I still can't quite my head round the fact that high ranking clerics can be serial liars and such total sleeze balls. But there you are. The loss of innocense.
When we pray we are already in heaven I think to some degree. I was adding up the kinds of way prayer lifts to heaven. I suppose each of us will have our own Christmas list of prayer gifts. Unending joy, it is the golden goose that never stops laying. Joy after joy after joy. Peace like an ocean. Repair of past hurts. The best hospital in the world for healing. Hope. I always wake with a smile. Each new day a prayer adventure. Light. The curtains to another world has opened. Knowledge, the Word of God has become alive and active, fine as any two edged sword. The Bread of Life has become my very beating heart. The Mass has become my day. Everything flows towards it and away from it. Reform I have actually become a person I can actually like and love and some others can too. Heaven and its dwellers come down to be my friends. The perpetual Friendship and company of the Blessed Trinity. The list goes on and on into Eternity.
AED, have you by chance read Father Malachi Martin's book, the Jesuits: The Society of Jesus and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church? It bears out your conclusions above. They have done much damage to the faithful there. Here is a free download of the book
