Ad Jesum per Mariam

Ad Jesum per Mariam
...if you genuinely wish to reach a high level of prayer in all honesty and without falling into the traps that the devil sets for those who pray, SAY your Rosary everyday... St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort

Friday, August 23, 2013

How's The Smoke of Satan in the Church Now?

"Taong 1999, nirebisa ang ilang bahagi ng eksorsismo sa Roman Ritual 1614. Ang reporma ay sinimulan ng Vatican II. Layunin nito na iakma ang eksorsismo sa diwa ng makabagong panahon. Ngunit para kina Fr. Syquia at Fr. Zerrudo, mas matapang pa rin ang Roman Ritual 1614 kaya ito pa rin ang kanilang ginagamit. Ito rin ang opinyon ni Fr. Gabriele Amorth, ang exorcist ng Rome. (In the year 1999, some of the parts of exorcism in the Roman Ritual 1614 was revised. The revision was spearheaded by the Vatican II. The purpose of the revision was to suit the exorcism on the spirit of modern times. But for Fr. Syquia and Fr. Zerrudo, the Roman Ritual 1614 is stronger and much more powerful hence they remained on using this.) [from I-Witness, "Exorcist", documentary of Jay Taruc, GMA channel 7]

30 Days magazine (June 2000) carried an interview of Father Gabriel Amorth, chief exorcist of Rome and the most famous exorcist in the world. Fr. Amorth said that the new rite of exorcism is "a farce. An incredible obstacle that is likely to prevent us from acting against the demon." He observes that the new exorcism rite forbids exorcisms on people who have been reportedly subjected to evil spells. Fr. Amorth exclaimed, "Absurd. Evil spells are by far the most frequent causes of possessions and evil procure)d through the demon: at least 90% of cases. It is as good as telling exorcists they can no longer perform exorcisms." He also noted that it also "solemnly declares that one should not carry out exorcisms if one is not certain of the presence of the devil. This is a masterstroke of incompetence: the certainty that the devil is present in someone can only be obtained by carrying out an exorcism." He considers the new rite "a blunt weapon. Efficacious prayers, prayers that had been in existence for twelve centuries, were suppressed and replaced by new ineffective prayers."

About Rome and the hierarchy, Fr. Amorth lamented, "We have a clergy and an episcopate who no longer believe in the devil, in exorcisms, in the extraordinary evil that the devil can cause, nor in the power that Jesus has given us to drive out demons." Explaining why he and other exorcists were denied an audience with the Pope, he warned, "The smoke of Satan has entered everywhere. Everywhere! Perhaps we were excluded from the audience with the Pope because they were afraid that such a large number of exorcists might succeed in chasing out the legions of demons that have installed themselves in the Vatican."

When asked by the reporter for 30 Days if he had made a joke, Fr. Amorth replied: "It may seem like a joke, but I do not believe it is. I have no doubt about the fact that the demon tempts the authorities of the Church especially, just as he tempts every authority, those of politics and industry."

Monday, August 19, 2013

Food for Thought! On the Existence of the Evil One

Those people who do not want to have a head-to-head combat with the devil by forgetting about him and believe that we should focus only on God are cowards, putting themselves in a very dangerous disposition, not detecting and educating themselves about the evil that is everywhere and invisible but real. They fear the devil but they do not fear God who is greatly feared by the devil - the only One who deserves to be feared by all creatures. These people cannot be considered as followers of Jesus whose entire ministry was composed of one-third of healing, deliverance and exorcisms. They are also victims of Satan, the evil one who wants everyone to believe that he does not exist. - Jesus Mary Hao

"God allowed Satan to have maximum freedom even to Judas."

"If we are aspirants of these modern times to become holy as God is holy, there is no other way than to imitate the saints, who are evident persons in imitating Christ."

"No part of the Gospel is not written down otherwise those are of no purpose and of no importance."

"Science cannot prove spiritual realm. Fr. Candido Amantini(+), and Fr. Gabriele Amorth who is the official exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, visited mental hospitals. They had done deliverance and exorcism on the patients. Half of them went home."

"Do you want proof about the devil's existence? Bring me a man who do not believe that the devil exist and you will have proof." - Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman

"Christians nowadays are the more persecuted than the Christians of old."(Because Satan uses institutions so that his presence will not be detected.) - one of Pope Francis' Homily.

"We should not attack one another. Rather, we should stand united and attack the one who is evil and toying us to attack each other."

"If you are a true follower of Jesus and is under attack by the devil and his demons, then, that's a good sign! This shows that we are a threat to him. But if not, then, something is wrong and in this state, he will not for now 'rock the boat' until he has full power over you."

"If we are real followers of Jesus, we are under attack by the evil one."

"Do not keep them (Christians) away from spiritual combat but protect them from the attacks and snares of the enemy."

"The early pagans before baptism undergoes exorcisms every week. Their God-parents were exorcist themselves. These pagans were believers of Grecko-Roman religion."

"The favorite method of the devils is idolatry."

"Islam is the heresy of the early Church in the 7th century. Mohammed just snatched or robbed a bible of the early Christians and changed many details of it on his own."

"St. Ignatius of Loyola is known as Master of Discernment."

"In Folk Catholicism : Inculturation is all right but it should not consist of anything that is pagan in origin or those beliefs, actions, rituals, prayers, and the like that should be condemned; these are not compatible with the Church' teaching and cannot be used as means for adoring, glorifying, and worshiping God. We can preserve the cultures that is compatible with religion and for God and avoiding contamination."

"Many Filipinos avail the sacraments and use the sacramentals of the Church together with the use of things or actions that were not used by the early Church nor of the saints of their time. The sacraments and sacramentals for many Filipinos were for good luck and not devotion."

"Blessing and grace of God is enough."

"Demons can predict but are out from the existing and present things or events. They do not know the future. That's why manghuhulas or fortune-tellers do not engaged in lottery or if engaged, with no winnings at all."

"Charismatics must be discerning when it comes to 'gifts'. It is questionable now if they are charisms from the Holy Spirit, or psychic powers that are demonic. For many 'charisms' are used that are demonic."

Material faculties of Man that the Devil can play with :
1.) the five senses
2.) imaginations
3.) emotions (feelings)
4.) psychic faculties

Sometimes where we are most psychic :
1.) Sleep
2.) Near-death
3.) childhood

What he cannot play with are the spiritual faculties such as :
1.) Will
2.) Intelligence

"Devils attack people who are religious and spiritual, if it is so, then that's a good sign!"

"Superstition will put you to a fear and anxiety based disposition."

"Don't say your prayers. Pray your prayers. No lip service." - Fr. Jose Francisco 'Jocis' C. Syquia

"New Agers believe that God is  life force."

"The real angel will never point to himself; He will not desire to be the center or attention of everyone. That's why they do not appear to us for they know there is a danger of worshiping them and we may forget whom we must only worship."

'Good luck' Catholics actions, bad, paganistic inculturation examples:
1.) Scapular side-by-side with anting-anting
2.) Novenas side-by-side with orasyon
3.) Devotion to the angels side-by-side with having an 'alagang duwende' or white dwarfs as cared companion.
4.) Sacred Heart Statue side-by-side with Buddha
5.)Image of the Child Jesus side-by-side with Good luck figurines (popular is a golden-colored cat who waves its one hand back and forth.)
6.) House blessing side-by-side with 'padugo' and feng shui (geomancy) that leads to house' infestation.
7.) St. Benedict's Medal side-by-side with saying 'Tabi-tabi po' (a Filipino incantation that is used to excuse oneself from the elementals such as dwarfs giving them respect out of fear and anxiety of Filipinos and by doing so, they will not be attacked and punished by them.)

Some Current Filipino Occult Practitioners
1.) Albularyo
2.) Mangkukulam
3.) Mambabarang - Its expertise is the use of fungus beetles or insects to send curses
4.) Magtatawas
5.) Manghihilot (with bulong, or whispering)
6.) Mananambal
7.) Manghuhula

"Know that God is a jealous God."

"We are against cosmic powers."

Some of the text were quoted from Ministry of Liberation Talk on Exorcism and Deliverance by Fr. Jose Francisco 'Jocis' C. Syquia, Santuario de San Jose Greenhills Mandaluyong City, August 17, 2013.

"Ite inflammate omnia!"

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Holy Days of Obligation in the Philippines

What are the Holy Days of Obligation in the Philippines? by Carlos Antonio Palad (From a Status Update of Sir Dennis Raymond P. Maturan)

Every time a well-known Solemnity / First Class Feast comes around, I hear the inevitable question: "Is this day a Holy Day of Obligation"? I saw this question get asked on various Facebook pages on August 15 (the Assumption of Our Lady), just like in previous years. 

In this post I will present the legislation on this matter that is currently recognized by Rome and the CBCP, without in any way delving into the question of its wisdom, propriety and fidelity to the Tradition of the Church. 

In this regard, Filipino Catholics are "lucky" (or unfortunate, depending on who gets asked) that, under the Code of Canon Law currently recognized by the Holy See and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, the Philippines has only three Holy Days of Obligation, namely, the Immaculate Conception (December  Christmas Day / Nativity of Our Lord (December 25), and the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1).

Three other days that are Holy Days of Obligation in the normative liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite, namely the solemnities / feasts of the Epiphany (January 6), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter Sunday) and Corpus Christi Thursday (the Thursday after Trinity Sunday), have been moved by the Philippine hierarchy (with Rome's blessings) to Sundays. Epiphany is observed in the Philippines on the first Sunday after January 1, while Ascension and Corpus Christi are moved to the Sunday after their traditional dates.

The remaining four Holy Days of Obligation in the normative calendar of the Roman Rite -- St. Joseph (March 19), SS. Peter and Paul (November 1), the Assumption of the BVM (August 15) and All Saints (November 1) -- are not considered as such in the Philippines. 

The list of Holy Days of Obligation for the entire Roman Rite, as well as the authority of the local episcopal conferences to suppress or transfer some or all of these, are delineated in the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

Can. 1246 §1 The Lord's Day, on which the paschal mystery is celebrated, is by apostolic tradition to be observed in the universal Church as the primary holyday of obligation. In the same way the following holydays are to be observed: the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of St Joseph, the feast of the Apostles SS Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints. 

§2 However, the Episcopal Conference may, with the prior approval of the Apostolic See, suppress certain holydays of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

On September 27, 1985, Pope John Paul II approved and confirmed the Norms Approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines for the Local Implementation of Some Provisions of the New Code of Canon Law. The entire text of this document can be found in CBCP Monitor, Vol. VI No. 6 (November - December 1985), pp. 32 - 43. To this very day this document has not been overturned or abolished. This document says the following regarding Holy Days of Obligation (pp. 39-40):

Can. 1246, 2: Holy Days of Obligation 

1. With reference to Canon 1246,2, the following feasts are holydays of obligation in the Philippines: 

a. January 1 - Motherhood of Mary (New Year)
b. December 8 - Immaculate Conception (Patroness of the Philippines)
c. December 25 - Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) 

Note: The Feast of Corpus Christi is not recommended by the CBCP because it always falls on a Thursday which is a working day; for this reason the solemnity of the feast will not be fostered because only very few people can go to church and the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, instead of being enhanced, will be diminished. Why? Because the people who usually go to the church only on Sundays can no longer celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi because it is already observed on a Thursday and cannot join the procession. 

2. All other feasts mentioned in Canon 1246, 1, are transferred to the nearest Sunday, preceding or following the feast.

Note: Three other feasts are celebrated on the nearest Sunday, namely: Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi. The reason why the Bishops do not want to change the present discipline is because, pastorally, they find it hard to have to explain to the people that it is again a mortal sin not to go to Mass on Epiphany or Ascension or Corpus Christi, when all these past years we have been preaching that it was not, because these feasts are no longer Holy Days of Obligation.

3. The parish priest has the obligation to apply the Missa pro populo for his parishioners on Sundays and holydays as stated above, in accord with Canon 543, 2.

Ironically, while December 8 (an official Holy Day of Obligation) is not an official holiday in the Philippines, November 1, All Saints' Day, which is not recognized by the Philippine hierarchy as a Holy Day of Obligation, is an official holiday. As a result many Filipinos go to church on November 1 in the belief that it is a Holy Day of Obligation.