Dear Padraig, Thank you so much for opening the Forum! I missed reading the wonderful messages of our brothers and sisters at MOG. So much has been happening since you closed the forum. These are indeed perilous times. Bless you for sharing your forum with us. It is so coincidental that a few days ago I began remembering some sins that I committed but cannot recall whether I asked forgiveness. Maybe the Holy Spirit is waking us up to sins we have forgotten?
davidtilg, what is a 'Tradionalist"? I would call myself one if it means holding true to ALL Church doctrine. I am not, however an ultra-traditionalist. Now if all we are to read is the liberal blogs, I might as well go to my own Church and hear another sermon on social justice. Now one can hope and pray that Pope Francis has a change of heart, but his track record to this point has been to chide and demote orthodox Catholic clergy (fact). Just because we want a Pope that can meet and great all sides of the faith, it should not mean that we have our head buried in the sand with the reality of it all. There is GREAT spiritual confusion in the church today and for better or worse the synod going on now has not helped to this point. We need Holy Father to squelch confusion, not participate in it. Whatever draft comes out of the synod better be supported by scripture and tradition or it is nothing more than pandering to the sinners and that is not mercy.
I have to ask you a question.... (to Padraig perhaps ?) because I do not know anymore where I can find the answer in the forum.... A priest just wrote me that Conchita wrote in a letter that the Warning would come after a Synod. Is that true or not ? Did Glenn deny this or not ? I can't remember it anymore. Any of you knows the answer ?
Hi Everyone! The synod is upsetting, if only that it, like Vatican II, can and will be misquoted by the media, and people that" want their sin and the Eucharist too" have already been crowing that the Church has finally "come around to modern standards". I hear it at work, I see it online, and it's very discouraging. The only thing I do know is that Jesus told me (when I asked about the Church) that He is separating the sheep from the goats in the Church and everywhere. And although I own two precious goats and love them dearly, they are very naughty! So lets all be very good and not be goats
Sorry David. I do not read traditionalist blogs. I read the synod report myself. Shocking. It is a betrayal. I am a loyal and orthodox Catholic. Whilst parts of this document are fine, some of the suggestions in the document stink of compromise and dumbing down of the faith to suit the world. Capitulation to the spirit of the age. Not one mention of spiritual warfare, hardly no mention of sin and not one mention of 'sins of the flesh'. How ironic it was produced on the 13th October anniversary of Fatima. Those who composed it want to administer cheap grace. Grace is not cheap - it was purchased by the precious blood of the Lamb who emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave. Christ came to save and redeem those who sin because to sin is to be a slave to sin. Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Where is the call to repentance and conversion? Where is the mention of saving faith as the medicine for all ills? Where is the call to the faithful to seek first the kingdom of God? What good is it if a man gains the whole world yet he loses his soul? Souls are at stake. Lost souls need to be told they are lost for then they will turn to the One who can rescue them Christ the Lord. Where is the proclamation in the document of the Lordship of Christ? Social workers would be proud of such a document because it reads like something that came from an NGO and not the one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
It is not being misquoted. The report is a capitulation to the spirit of the age. I do not say this lightly for it breaks my heart as I am a loyal and faithful son of the Church. Folks read it - read it all and see that it is a true break from what has gone before. Thankfully, it is not the finished document and there is time to change it -- but the message has already gone out to the world.
This was simply the Extraordinary Synod, a preparatory synod for next years official Synod of Bishops. The relatio drew the battle lines of what is going to be a long protracted and vicious battle over the next year. The MSM will assist the progressive authors of the relatio in breaking down the resistance of the orthodox bishops and cardinals, marginalizing them as intolerant judgmental and Pharisaical hypocrites who dissent from the Holy Father. In other words, buckle your seat belts, because we ain't seen nothing yet.
I agree as well. Without the forum, I spent more time in prayer. I did miss it, of course, but the prayer was very powerful. I do believe we need to be braced and prepared for something life-changing. Prayer is key. Padraig I prayed for you as well during the past month. I hope you are well.
I've experienced the same thing and still today. We have had trial after trial for the past month or so. And just like the world is getting worse so does our own assaults. I have desperately missed this forum and would go to other like Charlies and After the Warning for that confirmation of "your not alone". I would trek back to this site almost daily at first like a lost puppy hoping it will find its home. I have been trying to fast and pray most but some days are so difficult. This made my day! Thank you Padraig for opening the forum back up! God Bless!
Hello everybody! I was very surprised to see the forum opened. I have prayed the rosary during the time the forum was closed. Just like Bernadette I would periopically check the site and feel guilty like a kid peaking at a Christmas gift before that special morning. I thank you for shutting the forum down as it readjusted my priorities. These weeks have not been easy ever since I started the Rosary but I must persevere. At first it was scary. I sat down and started to pray the Rosary. It was a hot day in upper Michigan which in the fall usually brings on hatchings of all sorts of winged creature. Anyway I started praying and noticed a winged ant on my leg. I brushed it off and continued. another one landed on me and I thought it was the same one so I crushed it and continued the prayers. I started hearing some ticking noises, when I looked up I saw hundreds of these winged ants all over my living room windows. I knew satan didn't like what I was doing and you can bet that i was scared! I tried to stay as calm as possible. I got my vaccuum out and sucked them up while holding the Rosary and praying loud enough to hear myself over the vaccuum noise. I'm sure it looked strange to the people walking down the street seeing a man vaccuum his windows and yelling out prayers at the top of his lungs. It took me a good couple of hours to vaccuum them all up. Anyway... Thanks for reopening the forum. I miss everybody & I must remember not to loose my momentum of praying. God bless! Shepard
I am glad to read so many positive things from people that occurred for them during the time away but sadly it was not a pleasant time for me. We say every Sunday in church, "I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have sinned...." Well, my friends, I am confessing to you right now that in that time away I fell back into old sinful habits. If it was a test, then I failed the test. Being away from here I felt it harder to be around like minded souls that I have needed to keep me on the faithful and true path. I don't have close friends in the world that share in this. I find it amazing to me that I finally had the chance to go to confession today and now this forum is back open when I need it most. God and His Mother are my rock and my strength but so is this place. It is you that help me keep that fire for the Lord especially during the times when I feel the distance. I felt the distance again these past three weeks but this time I did not have this home to turn to. I feel strong and full of devout faith again (thankfully that is what absolution does for us) but again without the MOG board and family to visit, when the attacks came hard from the evil one, I did not find the strength inside to keep the temptation away and fell into the old habitual sinful patterns of my past and it hurt bad. I continued to pray but felt ashamed to pray to be in such a state. I even missed a Sunday mass (which I never allow happen these days). Again if this is what it will be like in the storm then I truly have fear for myself because though I always pray for strength I somehow did not find it when I needed it most. Pray for me is all I can say and ask of you, my family. It hit me the hardest yesterday. I had put down the rosary for a few weeks (honestly I find it so hard to pray the rosary when I am in a state of sin. I feel ashamed to pray it even though I know I should not). I picked it up yesterday knowing I needed to. Of course Thursday is the Luminous mysteries and when I got to the Mystery of the Eurcharist, I completely broke down. I felt so empty inside not having it since I had not had it in 2 weeks due to missing mass this past Sunday. I have all this worldly stuff going on with a new job promotion, that I did not find the time for daily mass these past few weeks plus, being in mortal sin since Sunday, wouldn't have allowed me to partake anyway. It was a hard realization to not have it when this is the time we need it most. Maybe this is a lesson learned for me? I truly long for this Sunday when I can have it again. Maybe I am sharing a bit too much with you all but I don't feel like I have anything to hide from all of you. Why hide behind my shame and sins with family when it is family that can help right.
I will say this though....in my dark time away and this forum, there was one song constantly in my head that I find myself singing and singing and singing and it is one that I feel will be very important in the times to come:
Thing is Brian, do we have another year to get it right? If everything that Catholic prophecy, mystics and locutionists are saying is upon us now, and the storm or tribulation has already begun, it seems highly unlikely that there will be 'a next year syond' and some would argue that there may not even be a Vatican left by then. I hate to say it, but it seems our Holy Father opened up a can of worms that may not be able to get sealed again. If he does not come out with clear language very soon supporting what scripture and sacred tradition has always held, it will be to late to unmuddy the waters later.
Andy, my prayers are with you. Our Lord is so merciful and he is always finding ways to humble us. Everytime we fall and rise again, we are humbled. I am headed to listen to Ralph Martin tonight and I am always reminded of his 1975 prophecy at Rome. One cannot think it is not coming true as we speak. We will learn to trust only in Jesus or like Peter we will sink. This my friend is why our meriful Lord allows us to stumble once in a while. Ralph's prophecy: https://www.renewalministries.net/files/freeliterature/Prophecies_Pentecost_Monday.pdf
It's hard to say just how the next year will unfold. I do think holy orthodox and Faithful leaders like Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Pell have found their voice and will not be silent. See the latest from Cardinal Burke: http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder...d-with-pope-francis-confirms?s=mobile#34tdc0v Conservative Cardinal Who Clashed With Pope Francis Confirms He Has Been Ousted A top cardinal told BuzzFeed News on Friday that the worldwide meeting of church leaders coming to a close in Rome seemed to have been designed to "weaken the church's teaching and practice" with the apparent blessing of Pope Francis. Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American who heads the Vatican's highest court of canon law, made the remarks in a phone interview from the Vatican, where a two-week Extraordinary Synod on the Family will conclude this weekend. An interim report of the discussions released on Monday, called the Relatio, produced a widespread backlash among conservative bishops who said it suggested a radical change to the church's teaching on questions like divorce and homosexuality, and Burke has been among the most publicly critical of the bishops picked by Pope Francis to lead the discussion. If Pope Francis had selected certain cardinals to steer the meeting to advance his personal views on matters like divorce and the treatment of LGBT people, Burke said, he would not be observing his mandate as the leader of the Catholic Church. "According to my understanding of the church's teaching and discipline, no it wouldn't be correct," Burke said, saying the pope had "done a lot of harm" by not saying "openly what his position is." Burke said the Pope had given the impression that he endorses some of the most controversial parts of the Relatio, especially on questions of divorce, because a German cardinal who gave an important speech suggesting a path to allowing people who had divorced and remarried to receive communion, Cardinal Walter Kasper, to open the synod's discussion. "The pope, more than anyone else as the pastor of the universal church, is bound to serve the truth," Burke said. "The pope is not free to change the church's teachings with regard to the immorality of homosexual acts or the insolubility of marriage or any other doctrine of the faith."
Our Mark Mallett really said it today re: all of the fear out there… fear of the Pope; fear of Ebola; fear of war; fear of economic collapse; of empty stores shelves; of terrorism… of so many things when he said "but what is the Holy Spirit doing"! I can't help but see an emphasis on the promised sifting by that Spirit. Our wonderful Pope whose whole life has pointed to his goodness and faithfulness is now bringing about an honest forthcoming by each and every Bishop/shepherd. This to me goes along with the promise that "all that is hidden will be revealed"....beginning with the Church: no more hidden agendas; no more "pharisaical" leadership by those who feel comfortable only within the law and with a rather self anointed following who also feel that having the obedience to the law on their side completes the moat around them, protecting them from "smelling like the sheep". But most of the fear and doubts that I hear from truly good and faithful friends places that security within the law over and above a continued unity with the person of this Pope. So many of the self anointed blogs also seem to be adding to the division by naming particular names with the thumbs down going for the seemingly compassionate (but perhaps noisy) vs the law while not seeming to notice those who have practically set themselves up as "little popes" to be followed over and above Francis who have for some time used the media (mostly American and conservative) for their own advantage. There is a real danger of a real apostasy coming from such as those who see nothing wrong with overstepping their authority. So yes it would appear that Francis IS leading ALL sheep, preparing them during threatening times for even greater threats....perhaps even helping them to see themselves for the sake of repentance BEFORE the bigger shock of the Illumination of Conscience....so seeing themselves as God sees them won't come as such a great blow.
The MSM will join the progressive forces inside the Church in trying to overturn Catholic teachings by accusing the Faithful Remnant of being legalistic, judgmental, Pharisaical, opposed to Mercy, and many other calumnies, lies and slanders. Don't be fooled by this tactic. Don't succumb to accepting error and heterodoxy based on a false sense of Mercy or a false charge of "dissent." If a Church leader, even a Pope embraces and promotes heterodoxy he is not owed any obedience. Decide who you will serve. God will not be mocked. His Church was Merciful for 2000 years. Our age of apostasy has not just now discovered "Mercy" and Mercy cannot be divorced from either Justice or Truth.
Even though I am often inclined to anxiety over the Synod I just can buy that line... if the Pope doesn't do X or Y it will be too late for Z. God's will in God's time. What is the point of having bishops and cardinals that would be happier with a diluted faith? A line is being drawn in the sand. I think it is a great service to us if we know for sure who in standing on either side. As someone else said in another post - the sheep and the goats are being separated...
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/b...anipulation-only-3-in-ten-support-kasper-prop ...Cardinal Pell said, “We’re not giving in to the secular agenda. We’re not collapsing in a heap. We’ve got no intention of following those radical elements in all the Christian churches including some of the Catholic Churches in one or two countries and going out of business.” “If people are heading in the wrong direction, it’s no virtue for the Church to say that’s good. A lot of people that are outside and don’t accept our views will welcome it,” he said. “But certainly not the people in the pews, the good people.” Today’s news in the Italian press is full of the story of the general revolt of the Synod bishops against what they argue are the attempts made by the Synod’s own administration to control the message and promote the views of this small “radical” cadre. In his interview with Catholic News Service, Cardinal Pell, a member of Pope Francis’ inner council and the prefect of the newly formed Secretariat of the Economy, all but identified a cabal working to control the Synod. Cardinal Pell said the issue of giving Communion to divorced and remarried couples is supported by “very few, certainly not the majority of the synod fathers.” But he added that “it’s only at the tip of the iceberg. It’s a stalking horse. They want wider changes: recognition of civil unions, recognition of homosexual unions.” “The Church cannot go in that direction,” because “it would be a capitulation from the beauties and strengths of the Catholic tradition.”
