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The Last Things- The destruction of all things?

5/27/2013

Will this purification result in the destruction or annihilation of certain things?

Obj. To purify fire uses the matter of other things and thus as they burn their nature becomes void

Resp. This fire will cause only purification, not corruption since it is acting by divine power which can prevent the corruption. The matter will simply return to its original and pure state.

St. Augustine = “the world will pass by a change in things, not by their complete destruction

Conclusion

The elements will remain with respect to their substance and proper qualities

But they will be purified from the infection caused by:

1) sins of man and

2) their actions on each other which produce in them unnatural dispositions

The Last Things - Fire cleansing the earth

5/27/2013

Will this fire be of same species as earthly fire?

Obj. 2 - Something that works with a certain power indicates that its nature has this power earthly fire by nature can not do much.
Resp. 2 - This is only true when a nature operates by its own power, not when it is being used as an instrument and receives a power higher than its own. This purifying action comes from the divine power

Obj. 3 - The the various earthly fire work the same but this fire will move everywhere unlike it does now, so must be not earthly.
Resp. 3 - The fire as instrument of divine power it will have the power to move everywhere

Conclusion:

The generation of this fire will be different but variety of fires will be the same insofar as it affects all matter as an instrument of and by the special intervention of God.
This purging by fire will probably be a grouping together by divine power of all causes capable of causing fire (fire from heaven and below)

The Last Things - Questions

5/27/2013

Will this purification be by fire?

Obj. 1 - But fire is a part of the of the world so fire itself must be purified.
Resp. 1 - Fire is not used by us now in its own matter (pure state) and thus matter will be able to be purified by fire in its pure state
Obj. 2 - But does not water also has a purifying power (deluge)
Resp. 2 - The Deluge was a suitable purification for the personal infection of sin, but for the impurity mixed in with creatures water has not power to purify/separate. (fire can purify all things with or without the destruction)
Obj. 3 - By saying cleansing, this means to separate, but only God can do this, not a creature.
Resp. 3 – This is a purgation which means to return things to the purity in which they were created which can be done through an instrument, namely fire.

To all these we read in Scripture:

II Pet 3,10 “the day of the Lord will come as a thief; at that time the heavens will pass away with great violence and the elements will be dissolved with heat and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up”

Conclusion
Purification by fire in convenient for 3 reasons :

i) fire is the most noble of four elements is has properties most similar to glory (light)

ii) fire is not contaminated from something outside since it is an active power

iii) fire is not common (not an element) that can become tainted by sin and thus has a great efficacy to purify

Will the created world be cleansed?

5/27/2013

Will there be a cleansing of the created world?

Obj. 1 - All the creatures that God made were good therefore there is no need for purification
Resp. 1 - perfection of creatures considered in 2 ways

a) regarding their substance : creatures are simply good and therefore not in need of purification
b) as mixed with foreign nature which is inconsistent with its perfection : evil becomes accidental to creature this therefore needs purification

Obj. 2 - Purification is to take away uncleanness of fault but fault does not infect elements of world
Resp. 2 - The elements become the subject of fault by being used to commit the fault therefore they are not suited to to receive glory till this be taken away.

But in Scripture we see:

Apoc 21,1 and II Pet 3,10-13 speaks of a renewal of heaven and earth which implies a certain purification

Conclusion

The World which is the means for man to attain heaven, it also should attain to a better state when man is glorified by his body. Just as man attains glory by purification from corruption and faults, by suffering here or in Purgatory, so the elements of world must be purified from all contrary dispositions (due to bad use made of them) which produce in them a certain unsuitability to be glorified.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord

5/27/2013

They went with songs to the battle,
they were young.Straight of limb,
true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Signs at the end of the World

5/27/2013

Signs Which Precede the General Judgement

Are some signs to precede the General Judgement?

Before the General Judgement there will be peace and security which exclude terrifying signs so then it would seem that there would not be any signs!

To this we say that this will be a false peace and security, the good will fear on account of the persecution by the evil

But the signs are to manifest something, but the coming will be hidden “like a thief in the night” Our Lord says

No one knows the actual time as this will be unforeseen but these signs will manifest his coming

When Our Lord came the first time there were no signs that preceded the coming so not fitting for when He comes the second time.

The first coming Christ was hidden at a predestined time but in second coming He will be manifest at a hidden time

Now to these objections we say
There are four Principal signs (Council of Trent) (Just before general judgement):

a) preaching of Gospel throughout the world (Mt. 24,14)
b) apostasy from the Faith
c) coming of Antichrist (II Thes 2,2-3)
d) conversion of Jews (Rom 11,25-32)

Other signs related in Gospels (throughout all times) :

a) external persecution (Lk 21, 12-17) it is partially until now, but will be complete under Antichrist
b) internal persecution, “Many come saying I am Christ” (Mt. 24,4) = heresies & great apostasy
c) great wars among nations (Mt. 24,6-7) = throughout all times
d) natural signs, earthquakes, pestilence, famine etc. (Mt. 24,7) = always existed

- foreknowledge would only serve to make us presumptuous or fearful
- certain signs are fitting on account of the dignity of His judiciary power (inducing reverence and subjection) = to prepare men’s hearts to submit themselves to their judge
- these signs have always been present but will become worse at the end.

Message for Our Times - Our Lady of Quito, Part 3

5/26/2013

( Part 2 )

It was August 6th 1875 the first Friday of the month the day dedicated to the Sacred Heart, Moreno attended Holy Mass and later visited the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament exposed, he then headed towards the government palace as he approached the entrance the main assassin rushed forward and attacked him with a machete. The three other conspirators pulled out pistols and began shooting, nearby soldiers killed one assassin at the scene and eventually captured the others.

The dying president was taken into the Cathedral and placed at the feet of the shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows to whom he had a great devotion. The priest who administered the last rites asked the President if he forgave his enemies. With effort Garcia Moreno opened his eyes and expressed his forgiveness moments later he died. Medical report relate that he was stuck six times and struck by a machete fourteen times. The President was found to be carrying a Relic of the True Cross, a scapular of the Passion and Sacred Heart, his Rosary and a medal of Pope Pius IX. In his pocket was a copy of the Imitation of Christ, in which the President had written, 'My Saviour Jesus Christ, give me a greater love of thee and profound humility and teach me this day what I should do for thee and thy greater glory and service'

In a public address in Rome on September 20th, 1875 Pope Pius IX had this to say, “In the midst of all this the Republic of Ecuador was miraculously distinguished by the spirit of justice and unshakable faith of its President, who showed himself ever the submissive son of the Church, full of devotion for the Holy See, and of zeal to maintain religion and piety throughout his nation. And now the impious, in their blind fury, look, as an insult upon their pretended modern civilisation, upon the existence of a government, which, while consecrating itself to the materiel well-being of the people, strives at the same time to assure its moral and spiritual progress. Then, in the councils of darkness organised by sects, these villains decreed the murder of the illustrious President. He fell under the steel of an assassin, as a victim to his Faith and Christian charity.. For Pius IX, also, the death of Garcia Moreno is the death of a martyr.”

Less than two years later on Good Friday March 30th 1877, Archbishop Checa was poisoned to death. He courageously resisted the anti catholic demands of the liberal Masonic government that had taken over shortly after Garcia Moreno's assassination, and it was this resistance that caused his death.

We pray to Mother Mariana and to Our Lady of Good Success that we be willing to suffer and offer penance, and keep the faith of Christ in times that are challenging. Our Lady said the souls that would remain faithful in these difficult times would need great strength of will constancy valour and confidence in God. Moments would come when everything would seem to be lost and paralysed that would be the moment she promised of the happy beginning of the complete restoration. Only one prophesy uttered by Our Lady of Good Success has yet to be fulfilled, it is the prophesy in which she states, “My hour will arrive when I, in an amazing manner will overthrow proud Satan crushing him under my feet, chaining him in the infernal abyss, leaving the Church and that land free of this cruel tyranny.”

In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.

Message for Our Times - Our Lady of Quito, Part 2

5/25/2013

PART 1

The truly Catholic President mentioned in Our Lady's prophesy was Gabriel Garcia Moreno one of his first acts was to issue a concordat restoring liberty to the church. In 1867 he established a constitutional government under the Kinship of Christ. In 1870 it was Ecuador alone among all the nations of the world that publicly protested the invasion of the papal states and offered a national subsidy for the captive pope. In 1873 together with José Ignacio Checa y Barba the Archbishop of Quito he formally consecrated Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus part of which read, “prostrate before your divine presence all the public powers of the church and of the state offer and consecrate to Thee now and for ever the Republic of Ecuador as thy exclusive possession and property.”

The enraged socialist and Freemasons who lost their offices when Garcia Moreno took over the presidency made calumny campaigns against him. But nothing succeeded at turning the people against one so honest and good. Under him Catholic schools and universities prospered. The national debt was dissolved highways and infrastructure were built, criminals were placed behind bars or hanged, and the streets were safe. The more the people loved him the greater the hatred of the Masons. Soon after his election to a third term and with a great impulse of fervour he shouldered a huge wooden cross during a Holy Week procession and lead the procession through the streets of Quito. Shortly thereafter the Freemasons arranged for his assassination.

Aware of this Garcia Moreno wrote immediately to Pope Pius IX asking for his blessing before the inauguration day of August 30. 'I wish to obtain your blessing before that day so that I may have the strength and light which I need so much in order to be unto the end a faithful son of our Redeemer and a loyal and obedient servant of His Infallible Vicar. Now that the Masonic Lodges of the neighbouring countries instigated by Germany are vomiting against me all sorts of horrible insults and horrible calumnities, now that the Lodges are secretly arranging for my assassination, I have more need than ever of the divine protection so that I may live and die in defence of our holy religion and the beloved republic which I am called once more to rule...What greater privilege still, if your blessing were to obtain for me the grace of shedding my blood for Him, who being God desired to shed His on the Cross for me? May I be deemed worthy to shed my blood for the cause of the Church and Catholic Society.”

PART 3

Eleison Comments - CCCVI (306)

5/25/2013

ETERNAL DAMNATION ? -- II

It is idle to pretend that any of us human beings can fathom the mystery of one single soul’s damnation, let alone that of the majority of human beings that live and die, but there are certain things that can be said which make it easier to accept that there is a mystery beyond our human possibility of knowing.

The key to the mystery is surely the infinite greatness, or the limitlessness, of God. If he is infinite, then to offend him is to commit an offence which is in a certain way limitless. But the only way for a finite human being to suffer infinitely is for the suffering to have no limit or end in time. Therefore there is a certain proportion between any grave offence committed against God, and an eternal punishment.

As for the infinity or limitlessness of God, it is not too difficult for our reason to grasp it in the abstract. Effects exist all around us which require a cause. But a chain of causes can no more go on for ever than an endless series of links in a chain can hang without a ceiling-hook. So there must exist a First Cause, which we call God. But if this First Cause were composite, or put together out of parts, then whoever or whatever put it together would have to have been prior to the First Cause – impossible. Therefore God is in no way composite, he can only be simple and pure Existence. But existence is not by itself, as such, limited. Any limits on God’s being would have to have been put on him by a prior limiter, again impossible. Therefore the First Cause has no limits to his being, God is infinite existence.

In the concrete however, it is not so easy to get our minds around the infinity of God. Our human minds are working all day long on, with and from limited or finite creatures. Only when we turn our hearts and minds to God are we thinking of the infinite. Hence the common difficulty of prayer, because we can only think of what is limitless goodness by thinking of some limited goodness around us and then thinking away the limits. For instance God is as beautiful as a sunset, only infinitely more so.

It follows that the more we allow ourselves to be immersed in daily living, the less chance have our minds and hearts of grasping who or what is the God behind all the limited beings that make up our daily living. Contrariwise, the more we turn our minds and hearts to the knowing and loving of the unlimited Goodness necessarily behind all the limited good things of our daily lives, the better the access we will have to the mystery of God’s infinite goodness and to the corresponding mystery of the ingratitude of so many of his human creatures.

Therefore to lessen – without remotely fathoming – the mystery of souls’ eternal damnation, I need to follow St Dominic’s example, and to pray. That does not mean fooling myself that God is right when he is in reality wrong. It means my getting to the truth, namely that he is right, and that I -- am wrong !

St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises greatly help to turn heart and mind to God. A Saint prayed along these lines: “O love, thou art not loved. Would that thou wert loved. Give me only to love thee as thou needest to be loved, and then do with me what thou wilt.”

Kyrie eleison.

© 2011-2013 Richard N. Williamson. All Rights Reserved.

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Fruits of the Holy Ghost - 11. Contenency and 12. Chastity

5/25/2013

Continency

The Greek word used in Galatians 5:23 is "egkrateia", which means having command or "mastery over" (krat- as in "autocrat"), or possession of, "one's own behavior". Which is accomplished through and by the power of the Lord, "proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself".

Continency regards things which are lawful and unlawful. Thus a married person can resist the desire for lawful giving or receiving of the marriage debt. Thus a couple can agree to be continent as regards a pleasure which is lawful for them to receive, they are thus said to be Continent.

"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love".[2 Pet 1:5-7]

Two general objections are frequently urged against the state of continence.

First, it is said that the condition of continence is detrimental to the well-being of the individual. In such a statement, it will be frequently found, continence is understood as an unchaste celibacy, and such surely is not only a moral but a physical evil most pernicious. Certain it is, however, that the self-sacrifice and control involved in true continence finds fruitage in a greater measure of moral power. The words of Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:12) may be here appealed to. Moreover, the abstinence of which we speak is a condition of increased physical vigor and energy. Of this many savages are not unmindful; for among a number of these continence is imposed upon the braves during times of war as a means of fostering and strengthening their daring and courage.

A second objection rests upon considerations of the social good. It is contended that a state of continence means failure to discharge the social obligation of conserving the species. But such an obligation falls, not upon every member of the community, but upon society at large, and is amply discharged though there be individual exceptions. Indeed the non-fulfillment of this duty is never threatened by a too general observance of sexual abstinence. On the contrary it is only the unlawful gratification of carnal passion that can menace the due growth of population. But it may be said that the practice of continence withdraws form the function of reproduction the worthier members of society-those whose possible offspring would be the most desirable citizens of the State. This contention, however, overlooks the social service of the example set by such observance-a service which, in view of the duty incumbent upon every individual of society of observing absolute chastity for periods of greater or less duration, is of highest value.

Chastity - differs from Continency because chastity withdraws man from unlawful desires, whereas the continent man is subject to concupiscence, but is not led away; whereas the chaste man is neither subject to, nor led away from them.

Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite. It is a form of the virtue of temperance, which controls according to right reason the desire for and use of those things which afford the greatest sensual pleasures. The sources of such delectation are food and drink, by means of which the life of the individual is conserved, and the union of the sexes, by means of which the permanence of the species is secured. Chastity, therefore, is allied to abstinence and sobriety; for, as by these latter the pleasures of the nutritive functions are rightly regulated, so by chastity the procreative appetite is duly restricted.

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