Close but not quite. Geralyn was a Radiation Therapist treating cancer patients. She was thorough and sweet at the same time, usually getting two or three presents from patients at Christmas time!
The one thing that strikes me about the new synodal Church they are trying to set up is how very,very attractive it is. A Church without the Cross!! Whats not to like.? It appeals on so many levels for our personal comfort. Especially as regards sexual sin. As regards this an incident that happened last year when I was camping springs to mind. I was at a seaside town going to Mass everyday in a Parish which is at the vert center of the push for the Synodal Church. One layperson in particular strode about this Church with a huge folder under his arms and talking away to any poor soul who would listen. He is one of the foremost persons in the Synodal push in Ireland. After mass when I was saying my rosary he scurried over to me but as he opened his mouth to speak I gave him a very hard Paddington Bear stare and he scurried away a lot quicker than he came.## It is terrible what these people are doing. Most of it centers on sexual sin and pride.
Initially a church without tbe Cross might seem appealing but the Protestant churches are barely surviving these days. Eventually this kind of false religion starves the soul and people go seeking elsewhere. Sadly they often turn to new age ( a misnomer since it is as old as the garden of Eden).
All the Lord’s rules are just, true, and desirable to men. In the face of the seven deadly sins, there are seven spiritual virtues that lead us to the happiness of those who build their dwelling on the living rock, that cornerstone rejected by the builders. The Virgin is the new Ark of the Covenant. Thru her we can maintain the covenant between God and us. The Mother of God is a virgin before childbirth, a virgin during childbirth, and a virgin after childbirth. Immaculate and born without original sin, daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, and spouse of God the Holy Spirit. She is the first living monstrance to have borne within her Lord the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the divine Shepherd. Therefore, any synodal attempt to abolish the vow of purity and chastity of priests or to accept a homosexual relationship, whether within or outside of marriage, is a direct attack on the faith. In the future; It doesn’t matter that there’s a synodal agreement inviting us to sin. It doesn’t matter that an overwhelming majority of believers are in favor of that sin, because we can never accept such a change. What can happen is that the Church is persecuted by civil authorities and accused of violating human laws. For example, there is an effort to make abortion a constitutional right in Spain. Perhaps they want to constitutionally force the Catholic Church to accept sexual promiscuity or any other sin. We don’t know if politicians will use those strategies to increase their popularity and win votes.
The All Saints’ Day indulgence refers to the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence (the full remission of temporal punishment for sins) during the period from November 1 to 8. To obtain it, a faithful person must meet requirements such as being in a state of grace (through confession and repentance), receiving Holy Communion, praying for the Pope’s intentions, and performing a pious act such as visiting a cemetery or a church and reciting the Our Father and the Creed. This indulgence can be applied to the soul of a deceased person or to oneself, although only one can be earned per day. Conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence State of grace: To be free from mortal sin. Sacramental confession and sincere repentance for sins, including attachment to venial sins, are required. Communion: Receive Holy Communion, preferably on the same day as the pious work. Prayer for the Pope: Pray for the Holy Father’s intentions. You can pray at least one Our Father and one Creed. Pious work: Perform a specific pious work. For the indulgence during this period, one may piously visit a cemetery or a church and there recite the prescribed prayers. Intention not to sin: Renounce sin and intend not to commit it again.
We bear the cross each day in a response, in an unexpected matter, in accepting a circumstance that troubles us, in the fear of what will happen next, in treating contempt with kindness, etc. But there are times when the cross is heavier: an illness, an accident, an economic crisis, a death, etc. All of humanity bears those crosses because they are the fruit of original sin and subsequent sins. We Christians are the ones who find a practical meaning in them and can use them to transform them into good alongside the Lord. He himself endured the heaviest Cross for our salvation, and that is our greatest good. Once, a pious woman told me as I was leaving Mass, “Don’t you dare ask God to send you everything you can bear,” and I wouldn’t dream of doing it. But what is true is that we can voluntarily offer small sacrifices, such as fasting or giving up any small pleasure or amusement, to offer it to God or the Virgin. That must be done daily because, as a saint said (I don’t remember his name right now), when we realize the spiritual benefits we gain from such sacrifice, “we will seek it like the miser who hoards his money.”
Cargamos con la cruz cada día en una respuesta, en un asunto inesperado, al aceptar una circunstancia que nos inquieta, en el temor a lo que sucederá después, al tratar el desprecio con amabilidad, etc. Pero hay momentos en que la cruz pesa más: una enfermedad, un accidente, una crisis económica, una muerte, etc. Toda la humanidad carga con esas cruces porque son fruto del pecado original y de los pecados posteriores. Nosotros, los cristianos, somos quienes encontramos un significado práctico en ellas y podemos usarlas para transformarlas en bien junto al Señor. Él mismo soportó la cruz más pesada por nuestra salvación, y ese es nuestro mayor bien. Una vez, una mujer piadosa me dijo al salir de misa: “Ni se te ocurra pedirle a Dios que te envíe todo lo que puedas soportar”, y ni se me ocurrió hacerlo. Pero lo cierto es que podemos ofrecer voluntariamente pequeños sacrificios, como ayunar o renunciar a algún pequeño placer o diversión, para ofrecérselo a Dios o a la Virgen. Esto debe hacerse a diario porque, como dijo un santo (ahora mismo no recuerdo su nombre), cuando comprendemos los beneficios espirituales que obtenemos de tal sacrificio, «lo buscaremos como el avaro que atesora su dinero».
I have wondered lately if the Lord allowed my wife and I to have the crosses of suffering after our accident to "help" in his plan of our salvation and the young lady who hit us? Not that He needs our help but I think St. Paul wrote something about making up in small way what is in Christs suffering? I confess I never really understood this but its been on my mind this past year. Ive seen what happened to me as the greatest gift - a blessing from Jesus- to be willing to walk this cross with him. I pray often it us not my own ego (which is gigantic) getting in way. All that has happened i give praise to Jesus. I hope that it mat help this young woman now in jail to forgive herself. I pray it also help my kids and family to have trust always in God.
In my humble experience, a serious illness brings us closer to God and we maintain a strong bond with Him. Sometimes I think the crosses I see on other people are too much for me to bear.
Colossians 1:24 St Paul: 24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church
Part of the nature of Christ is the cross, as we get closer to Him it manifests in our lives. The other part of the nature of Christ is absorbing all of the suffering that comes from the cross willingly. This will also manifest as we get closer to Him. Thankfully, resurrection happens too. So I don't see it as a why question but a rather natural outcome. I don't know if this helps, but I can see both the cross and the acceptance of the cross happening in your life, as well as resurrection. I also don't believe Jesus needs our help at all with anything. I could see Him thinking it is cute, our believing we could help Him. Like a little kid at his father's side while he is changing a tire, patting the little kid on the head and thanking them for "helping". Thanks for sharing your experience, it is inspiring to see you come out of it faithful.
It dawned on me, that our crosses are possibly those of Christ. Not in the sense that they fulfill anything, but that as the nature of the Person of Jesus begins to flow through our lives, the crosses must also be those of Christ or somehow tied to Christ. Given that no cross is without merit, they do not simply go to waste. Ultimately, those crosses go on to help others along the Way. Such is the nature of Christ Himself. Which explains why martyrs have so much power in furthering the church, they sacrifice everything, fulfilling in completeness the nature of Christ. Which is to sacrifice everything for the other. Simply by following and emulating Christ faithfully, the nature of Christ manifests including the redemptive nature of the cross, it cannot be any other way.
Hell can't be made attractive, so the devil makes attractive the road that leads there. (St. Basil the Great)
I also don’t think Jesus needs our help with anything. I imagine him thinking it’s funny that we believe we can help him. Like a little boy standing next to his father as he changes a tire, patting him on the head and thanking him for “helping.” For Jesus, it is very important that we participate in building the Kingdom. As you rightly say, He is God and will remain so with or without us, but He has placed a great deal of trust in us. He takes risks, humbles himself as much as he can, and loves us madly even when we sin and reject him. He has become a defenseless child, has allowed us to punish him, and has endured immense humiliations, yet he still knocks on our door every day. He is our head, and we are his mystical body. Know that in heaven we will all be united to Him as living stones of the New Jerusalem. We are all important. We are God’s dream of love, and we are all loved madly. Jesus Christ will not leave anyone abandoned... but there may be people who prefer not to be with Him. For example, Judas Iscariot, who, knowing Jesus in person and seeing what he was like, chose to betray him. Everything we do is very important. Sometimes I think that Jesus Christ convinced God the Father to share His Kingdom with us, and it wasn’t entirely clear whether things would turn out well. Now we can’t be the ones to make him feel ashamed of his answer. If they tell us that the door of pain leads to heaven, let’s go thru it. Because if we don’t, our free choice will be disastrous, and frankly, we’re old enough; no one is going to come and fix that problem. Jesus Christ speaks to us as if we were responsible for our actions. He doesn’t want the lukewarm or the indecisive; he has already given everything for us.
