DID FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE really believed God is dead?

The famous phrase “God is dead” is derived from a parable the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote in his book The Gay Science. Many people who quote Nietzsche mistakenly think that God’s death (or more precisely, the death of the idea of God) is a happy, liberating idea. But Nietzsche thought otherwise. In his parable, Nietzsche tells the story of a madman who in the early hours lights a lantern and runs to the marketplace shouting, “Where is God?” At first the people in the marketplace who do not believe in God respond with teasing humor. Did he lose his way like a child? Does he hide from us? Is he on a journey? Then the madman leaps up and with piercing eyes says, “Whither is God? I will tell you. We have killed him—you and I. All of us are his murderers.” But the madman is quick to let the people of the town know of how serious their deed was. He continues: What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder?345 Nietzsche’s point is clear. The absence of God also entails the absence of purpose and meaning in the universe. The French atheistic existentialist Jean Paul Sartre agreed with Nietzsche and found it “extremely embarrassing that God does not exist, for there disappears all possibility of finding values in an intelligible heaven.”346 Like the Earth untethered from the sun, life without God has no direction or purpose." - from Trent Horn's Answering Atheism: How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity
#GodIsDead
#FriedrichNietzche
#AnsweringAtheism
#TrentHorn
#Atheism

PAPAL HOMILIES AND SPEECHES IN A BOOK!

I already have my own copy of this. How about you? I will not attempt to talk about it much for I will let the book do the talking, and I hope you will have it very soon so you, too, will cherish and put into flaming action the words of the Successor of St. Peter, Santo Padre Francis.

These two paragraphs shown below are from the FOREWORD of the book by Don Padre Salvatore Putzu, SDB, the founder and General Manager of Word and Life Publications:

""On a Mission of Mercy and Compassion" is neither a coffee table book nor a scholarly records of all that transpired during the Pastoral Visit of the Holy Father Pope Francis. Rather, it is an attempt to offer to as many Filipinos as possible the texts of the Homilies and Addresses/ Speeches of Pope Francis, together with a series of "Study Aids," such as a subject index, a topical collection of a selection of his statements, and a methodology to be used in reflecting fruitfully on the important messages that he addressed to different audiences during his Pastoral Visit. (Emphasis mine.)"

"Such is the lasting legacy left behind by Pope Francis. This book contains the blueprint of a civil society and a Church revitalized and motivated by faith, hope, and love, as a "Bayang Pinili ng Diyos" should be. It is up to us now to make this "blueprint" a wonderful, lasting reality."

And here are the words of His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto, CBCP President Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, and Rev. Fr. Catalino G. Arevalo S.J. about the book. Also included are the contact numbers of Word and Life Publications if you wish to order your copy from them.

The Problem of Sola Scriptura

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone or Bible Alone) was believed to be an implicit interpretation of 2 Timothy 3:16 that says “All Scriptures is God-breathed (inspired).” It is the belief where Bible is the only authority that can be used for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (New International Version).

Protestants or any Sola Scriptura believer believes in the inspiration of the scripture because the Bible says it is inspired. They may have faith on that belief but it commits a flaw of circular reasoning fallacy where it is tantamount to saying that, “The Bible is true because the Bible says so that it is true” - where the state of being a false reasoning makes it more evident that it is wrong. It is indeed true that scripture states that scripture is inspired but scripture does not prove that it is inspired. In the Roman Catholicism, It shares the Protestant belief that all scriptures is inspired. Yet, it also made certain which of the alleged writings were really from God because historically speaking, many writings were coming from nowhere at that time where the New Testament canon [(Greek: kanon = measuring rod, rule, norm):the authoritative collection of Sacred Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Canon is the final collection of the writings in the Bible which
were declared as God-breathed or inspired.] was not yet finally completed. There was the Gospel of Thomas, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, the Epistle of Clement, the Acts of Peter, the Acts of John, and many more. Early Christians most certainly had a hard time to dispute with themselves which of the writings were inspired or not. So if one will use his commonsense by looking back to the Bible’s historicity especially on how it came about as to what it is today, he will definitely arrive at the thought of the probability that an organization had an authority to know and decide which must be considered and believed to be an inspired writing from what were not. The problem is that almost all of the Bible Alone believers could be presumed to be persons where authenticity for them can be proven when it is felt as spirit like their belief to the Bible but lacking of the authenticity of the flesh when they could not trace how the Bible came as it is for it cannot in any way made of spirit; the pages of the Bible were only made of papers. Therefore the history of the Bible can be checked, just as one investigates the origin of the papers used in a book.

2 Timothy 3:16 justifies Sola Scriptura as it is believed. However, Sola Scriptura believers never realized in history that early Christians have no compiled New Testament until year 393AD. So, the words, “All Scriptures” in 2 Timothy 3:16 as Paul meant refers ONLY to the Old Testament and was LATER ON used to include the New Testament when the early Christians closed the canon of the scriptures which they firmly believed to be inspired or God-breathed. It is uncommonsense not to notice that Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy will be believed to be included already in the New Testament when different sacred authors where on different time and places when they were writing the Word of God in scrolls or in parchments that will be included and will complete the New Testament. It may be presumed without any doubt that early Christians that Paul evangelized do not yet know that there are four written Gospels that will be included in the New Testament which were known to us today. It is ridiculous to conceive that writings at that time would be compiled in a snap making the New Testament given the long distances of the places that divides the authors geographically and was close to impossible to produce the Bible on that condition. Such implications contrary to these theories are highly unacceptable if Sola Scriptura is believed to be true and biblical.

IF SOLA SCRIPTURA IS BIBLICAL, THEN IT MUST BE HISTORICAL

If Sola Scriptura is biblical, can we trace it from the early Christians that they do believed in it and made churches like the alleged christian churches we now see today? For if it is biblical, we can see the evidence in history that many Christians who had the Bible made their own churches in order to baptize and evangelize the pagans all around the world! But there is no record in history of EVEN A SINGLE Christian church that flourished as a single fire will do in a mountain of dry grass like how Christian churches at present is flourishing by thousands after thousands of denominations. It is an asininity therefore of mine if I reasoned out that Sola Scriptura is biblical when early Christians of old never had any recorded teaching about it nor established a church that will be known to us today. And, if Sola Scriptura is true and taught by the early Christians, why there are no writings existed about it that were used to refute the “unbiblicality” of the Roman Catholicism which existed for two millennia up to now? Aside from that, Paul, Peter, John, and others were biblical personage. Therefore, they all have Christian contemporaries who believed in Sola Scriptura if they have taught it to them. But no. Never will you read Apostle John’s contemporary, Ignatius of Antioch, teaching Sola Scriptura. Even if one would do a research about the early Christians who have writings that were kept so much so that they were history old Christians, never will that one read that they taught about Sola Scriptura unlike Matt Slick and others who have so many written piece about it.

Sola Scriptura is unbiblical and unhistorical and if one will follow the train of events written in the New Testament and in the written works of the early Christians or of the early Christian Fathers, one will undoubtedly realize that Sola Scriptura is missing in their teachings. And if you believe in Sola Scriptura, you must know that you are missing the written history of everything for what is biblical must also reflect on history (although the Bible is not a historical book and does not convey precise historical information) for it is brainlessness to believe that the scriptures of God were spared from history where no one dared to say something about it and written books about it from its beginnings when it was handed on from teachers to students of the faith.

In conclusion, to be an alien about the history of the Bible and the history of the early Christians who left written teachings about it is like disproving the fact that Christ became a man of history and he was just as imaginary as a mythology. If Sola Scriptura is biblical, then it must be put to the test by checking the history of the early Christians who preached about it. If no recorded preaching, then it is unbiblical. If the claim is true, then believers must not be averse to history of the Bible and the early Christian people.

Sources:

New International Version of the Bible

Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church by Stephen K. Ray

YOUCAT: Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church by Ignatius Press San Francisco

Catechism of the Catholic Church by Word and Life Publications/ECCCE/CBCP

The Faith Explained Revised Edition by Leo J. Trese

Mary Distributist

GESTURES OF GENEROSITY AND INGRATITUDE (Sunday, October 5, 2014)

World Teachers' Day

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Is 5:1-7

Phil 4:6-9

Mt 21:33-43

The Lord had a vineyard that have all its materials that will surely bring a good produce of grapes. All is well with it but of one thing - it just yielded wild grapes. The outcome cannot be caused by God for he provided everything that is good in His vineyard and so it is expected that its fruit will be of good quality so, we can safely assume that there is another person who is responsible for the fruits but of wild grapes.

In the Lord's cry of a one who had been mistreated unjustly despite of the good things He provided for His people, the favored ones were not even with the Lord as we can see with the bad produce they have caused, they were the cherished plant by God yet He just sees bloodshed and outcry from it instead of judgement and justice that were expected as the fruits of God's vineyard.

In the Gospel it became clear that the responsible for this "wild grapes" were the chief priests and the elders of the people themselves. They were the tenants of the vineyard. They were supposed to care for the vines that bear fruits but we have wild grapes instead. God is sending His prophets or emissaries from time to time but they were either get beaten, killed, or stoned by these tenants. It is a total rejection of God's rectification to them. In Jesus' parable, the chief priests and the elders of the people answered their fate by the time they had done the killing of Jesus. The Lord will surely strip-off their right over the vineyard and will give it to other tenants who will give the produce at the proper time. By this time, Jesus Christ will be the cornerstone - the first stone of His Kingdom which is the Church. 

Then what was St. Paul is saying and what can we draw from his pastoral letter to the Philippians? It must be clear that everything is provided for us by God and what'll just do is to pray and not be anxious for anxiety compromises the hope we have in God who provides everything for those who asks Him in prayer. If we pray with no anxiety at all, God Himself will secure His peace in us for He know that it is hard to ask Him without us being anxious of our prayer and what we pray for in our prayer. God knows that it is hard for us to differentiate the prayer of ours from the content of our prayer. Anxiety is fear and is contrary to hope, and prayer is of hope. If our attitude of praying is of hope and never of anxiety or fear or worry, then the peace of God will be with us in Christ Jesus, especially in our hearts and minds. We are taught by St. Paul to keep in mind the things of judgement and justice. To meditate on these things which St. Paul enumerated will make the God of peace be with us as we also keep on doing what we have learned and received and heard and seen in the tenants of God like St. Paul. Again, a prayer said in anxiety is no prayer at all for anxiety reflects the state of the worrisome problem whereas prayer is the solution and a step of hope on Heaven's ladder reaching God. So prayer is a law where you just state your case in hope to God and it's just that. When you pray with anxiety, you state your case in fear which is a violation of the law of hope for prayer is hope and a gesture of hope. An anxious prayer somehow shows ingratitude to God's unquestionable generosity.

It is evident that God's want is so simple: to return the materials we received from Him in judgement and justice. Let us never return it with bloodshed and outcry instead. If we attend to the Church with an utmost care for its materials of sanctification and its utilization then surely, no doubt, God will have His good fruits of grapes - our sainthood. Let us be good tenants of the Lord's vineyard!

Jesus I trust in You

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO RELATIONSHIP STATUS WITH GOD (Sunday, September 28,2014)

National Seafarers' Day
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Ez 18:25-28
Phil 2:1-11
Matthew 21:28-32


In the first reading, we heard that God defends Himself from the accusations of the Israelites. They are saying that the Lord is not fair towards them because of the death they are experiencing. But on the other side of the coin where God is on the one side and the Israelites on the other, it is rather them that did unfair deeds which is the cause of their experience of death which they blame unto God rather than themselves who are the caused of their own death - it is them, the Israelites, who were unfair in their ways for their wickedness and never God.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is important to observe the comparison of the two sons as what the Lord Jesus told the hearers. The first one refused but did as what was asked by his father. While the other just said his yes but never did anything as what was asked of him. It is so much like as this. The son who later on became obliging but refused at first can be compared to sinners who refuses God's love and mercy but changes their status into allowing themselves to embrace God's infinite and intimate compassion He has towards them, like the tax collectors and sinners who came to John the Baptist to be baptized for the admission of sins and always mindful of never sinning again. 

But the other son is in a very dangerous and deadly path of saying yes but do not in anyway did of what was asked of him. It can be compared to religious men or women or part of the laity yet complacent on the status of their being religious without a mindful look at themselves if they are indeed doing the will of the heavenly Father. They are religious men and women or of the laity and that is their yes to God by being religious yet they are not righteous. Actually, they are very much indeed to become righteous given the fact that they are already religious and yet no one walks to the path of righteousness. That is an outright disobedience to God's will. Why? Because you said yes by the mere fact that all of us are already here on this religious path yet we are saying no to God by not using the utmost gift of religiousness to become righteous. So, what do we do now? Let us never do anything out of selfishness or of vain glory as what St. Paul said in the second reading. Let us empty ourselves by not seeing ourselves religious although many of us can already be considered one. That is the only path to righteousness - to forget that we are already religious or even righteous because we are doing it not for ourselves but for the Lord. Emptying ourselves as if it is not us who lives in ourselves but Christ alone. By allowing Christ to live in us as we progress in virtuous life, we must be overwhelmed by joy because the Lord is exalted in us by the Father who is no doubt very much delighted of the obedience of us. Let us always be mindful of our own relationship status with God. If you are a sinner, say yes to God by reforming your ways and never to return to your sins again. And if you are a religious man or woman, whether you are a bishop or a lay, it is your prime duty to say yes to God by becoming righteous and not only as a religious. It is already a wickedness of sinners not to accept the mercy of God while the wickedness of religious people is the disobedience by not becoming righteous. We must become holy as the heavenly Father is holy, we must become perfect for He is perfect. Let us consummate the Lord's mercy while we are still alive. We must now do what we are ought to do as sinners or religious. Everyone must do his or her own Christian homework.

Jesus, I trust in You.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recoursed to thee.



Mary H. Distributist

NEW OFFICE OF EXORCISM IN MANILA WEBSITE!

THE LINK: http://exorcismphilippines.org/

REPOST: DEMONIC EXPRESSIONS

tHIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED HERE ON THIS SITE BY AN EXORCIST 

http://senseofthesacred.blogspot.com/2014/08/demonic-expressions.html

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014

DEMONIC EXPRESSIONS

Be careful with words because they are not as innocent as they seem to be. A friend sent me a book entitled A Message of Hope: Confessions of an Ex-Satanist: How to Protect Yourself from Evil written by Deborah Lipsky who, for many years, lived as a prisoner of a satanic cult. Browsing through the pages, I came across this part which spoke of expressions that are not meaningless but actually attract demons from hell. I would like to share this part for our guidance: 

TOP 5 EXPRESSIONS THAT ACT LIKE A DOG WHISTLE 

SUMMONING THE HOUNDS OF HELL

1. "GOD DAMN IT"

In this phrase you are directly asking that the Creator of the universe to curse someone or something into hell for eve. It is said in an atmosphere of anger where no love is present, only hate. If you derive some sort of satisfaction from using this expression, that satisfaction means you are under the influence of demonic thought tampering. If saying it gives you a sense of power, you are trapped into the mindset of demons. To a demon, this selfish unholy request means that you have the audacity to ask God to commit an evil act on your command. In essence you are ordering God to do your dirty work!

2. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST DROP DEAD?"

By saying this you are actually pronouncing a form of a curse on someone else because you are wishing for them to die. When I was in school, I was constantly bullied. There was always a group of girls who would publicly humiliate me and then tell me to drop dead. As I tried to walk away, I would either trip in my nervousness or drop my books. That made them cackle in delight and hurl even more insult my way such as "loser" or "moron". To actually feel delight in someone else's pain is a "character trait" of demons.To laugh at someone else's misfortune after telling them to drop dead is an obvious tell-tale sign that they are under the influence of a cluster of demons.  Having "friends" or people support or encourage such behavior means there is a cluster of demons at work within that group.

3. "I SWEAR TO GOD"

This expression means that you are making an unbreakable vow in front of God regarding your innocence. Jesus himself warned against swearing to God in Matthew 5:33-37, "Again you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, do not break your oath, but keep oaths you have made to the Lord. But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

To use this expression to hide behind a false innocence is disgusting. Not only are you lying but you are manipulating the other person's trust by getting them to believe that God is vouching for your innocence. This expression is a favorite of demons everywhere.

4. "HOCUS POCUS"

Mainly this phrase is used in magic tricks but every now and then I hear it when someone says something to the effect, "There is a lot of 'hocus pocus' going on there."No Catholic should ever use this phrase as it is a derogatory corruption referring to the Eucharist: "Hoc est Corpus" or "This is my Body". Protestants back in the Middle Ages used this corrupted term to mock the Holy Eucharist...They would hurl this insult not only at clergy but also Catholic lay people on their way to Mass.

5. "KISS MY ASS"

I saved this expression last because it is especially vulgar. Sadly it is such a common expression in our society today spoken to show defiance. It is better known to Satanists elsewhere as the "oscularum infame" or "Kiss of Shame". During the traditional black mass this was considered a symbolic requisite towards earthly success. Participants would literally kiss the bare behind of the devil (usually the high priest
conducting the mass). Nothing gets a cluster of demons charging headlong towards somebody faster than using excerpts from the satanic mass.

(Deborah Lipsky, A Message of Hope: Confessions of an Ex-Satanist: How to Protect Yourself from Evil, Phoenix: Tau Publishing, 2012, 175-176.)

Lecture on Exorcism

SATANISM AND THE EUCHARIST

I asked Nicolas whether this also was true. He again replied that it is, and he told us that he could do this himself before his conversion from Satanism. A chill went down my spine. If someone were to put ten identical communion hosts in front of him, nine unconsecrated and one consecrated, he would have been able to point directly and immediately to the host that had been consecrated. I asked him in amazement, “But how were you able to know?!?” He looked at me and the words he spoke are forever burned in my memory: “Because of the hate,” he said. “Because of the burning hate I would feel toward that host, apart from all the others.”

The most part of the article: http://saintfactory.com/satanism-the-eucharist/

CHESTERTONING ON OVER POPULATION

The answer to anyone who talks about the surplus population is to ask him whether he is the surplus population; or if he is not, how he knows he is not." 

- Gilbert Keith Chesterton: Introduction to 'A Christmas Carol.' (1922)

OF PRIESTHOOD, EXORCISM, AND MAUNDY THURSDAY

OF PRIESTHOOD, EXORCISM, AND MAUNDY THURSDAY

It’s Maundy Thursday. And this day, holy rites commemorates the last days the Lord had before going to His passion and is also a vigil with Him.

I just remembered an office which I really desire, and it may seem that it is related to this specific day of the Holy Week of the Lord’s passion. Hoping someday to become a priest of the Lord, I had this desire to become an exorcist. This Office of Exorcism may seem an adventurous feat to many if their knowledge of it is just a battle with demons on possessed persons as if it is like a fun sword-play fight between two young boys. But this office is totally different from that notion. Reading the books of an official exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila again and again, I was warned and alerted by the author in his books that doing exorcisms is a very tiring, draining, and even dangerous ministry, to the point that you’ll most probably get hurt and also your loved ones by unseen enemies.

I was very challenged by this exorcist to think about over and over again to consider the said office if I were to become a priest. His books led me to change myself dramatically – to be deserving of such an office and to follow suit if ever the Lord will grant me the grace to be part of this extraordinary office of love, compassion, mercy, and liberation. The exorcist’s style of speaking through his books inspired me to cling to the Blessed Virgin Mary so much and to look after my interior life healthily. His profound yet simple research, teachings and personal experience to this office is a valuable testimony as ever, that exorcisms are much more needed today (even badly needed) and still more in the years to come.

Speaking of fear that is always associated to horror, the only fear – yes, the only fear that I have in my heart is this – what if the demoniac reveal my embarrassing sins of the past? Imagining that still gives me a little fear. But that is the only worry that was left in me, the others were mostly conquered by prayers and maybe, not for me as of the moment, to experience.

This Maundy Thursday, in the washing of the apostle’s feet that is being played by priests and some men, reminds us that the ministry of the priesthood is to die to oneself in order to serve others. May I desire to really die to myself so that the Lord will be born in me. Lord, help me to die to myself and please die with me so that dying is a joy for You are with me, living in me, through Mary. Amen.

Mary H. Distributist

DOCTORS ON BIRTH CONTROL: Not Telling The Whole Truth is Lying

[This blog post is worthy of RE-posting]

Things Your Doctor May Not Have Told You About Your Birth Control



A problem exists with the way medicine is currently practiced. One issue is that things really aren't set up so doctors can get to know their patients well, thoroughly answer all questions and concerns, and also adequately inform their patients of all options and the ramifications of each one. A 15 minute office visit just doesn't lend itself to this. This is true in the area of birth control just as anywhere else. Overworked doctors, little rapport, a multi-billion dollar contraceptive industry, and incomplete education for OB/GYNs can make it difficult for patients to really know what happens to their bodies with any given birth control method. I passionately believe that women deserve to know how their bodies naturally work and how each form of contraception interferes with their natural functioning. How can they give informed consent without it?

The Pill


Many women know that the pill can cause blood clots, stroke, heart attack, weight gain, and decreased libido. Less well-known is that it is classified as a group one carcinogen for breast, liver, and cervical cancers,1 which is the same classification as cigarettes and asbestos. This risk is highest for women who have not yet had a full-term pregnancy. While it is true that the pill decreases risk of ovarian and endometrial cancers, these are rather rare types which most women have little risk of, while breast cancer is the most common cancer death among women of childbearing age. I hope your doctor has told you of these side effects if you are on the pill.

Here is something that you probably were not informed of: the pill ages the cervix about two years for every one year of use. This is one reason why pill use can lead to infertility later on (and why the contraceptive industry fuels the multi-billion dollar infertility industry). The cervix produces different types of cervical fluid, and each type has a different function. When a woman is in the infertile part of her cycle, her body produces a type of cervical fluid that blocks sperm from entering her cervix and uterus. During the 100 hours of her cycle when a woman is capable of becoming pregnant, her cervix produces types of fluid that protect, nourish, and guide sperm to her possibly waiting egg, as well as filtering out defective sperm. One function of the pill is that it changes her cervix so that it increases the amount of crypts that make the fluid that blocks sperm and decreases the amount of crypts that aid conception. This process happens naturally with age, but it happens twice as fast for pill-users.

The pill also changes her chemistry and cellular function as to make a woman more susceptible to getting HIV/AIDS and other STDs.2 Pill-use increases susceptibility to HIV/AIDS, increases the rate of replication of the HIV virus, and speeds the debilitating effects of the disease. Pill and Depo-Provera use is a likely reason why more women have HIV than men.

The pill causes so many hormonal and physical changes in a woman's body that it seems there are always new discoveries about yet another way the pill affects a woman's body. Several studies have shown that the pill also affects the Major Histo-Compatibility (MHC) complex,3 which plays a role in immune function. Non pill-users are more attracted to a mate that has different MHC genes than her own. Though research is ongoing, it is suspected that this aids the immune function of their offspring, as the children would have a more complete MHC profile. Pill-users, however, are more attracted to MHC-similar mates, which leads some to suspect pill-use as contributing to the growing rate of children now dealing with various immune disorders.

IUD

In a healthy woman, the uterus is sterile. When an IUD is inserted, her body recognizes this as a foreign object and tries to expel it. Her uterus will contract, become inflamed, and shed its inner lining in an effort to remove the IUD, sometimes for months. Excessive bleeding can lead to anemia. For IUDs that contain hormones, these will reduce bleeding and cramping, but it has synthetic hormones and carries the same risks as the pill.

IUD makers warn that users are at greater risk of developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can lead to infertility, hysterectomy, and even death. IUD users are at greater risk of developing pelvic infections.4 IUD users are at greater risk of getting yeast infections and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV),5 which is a change in the normal bacteria in the vagina. With BV there is more pathogenic bacteria than healthy bacteria. A BV infection can increase a woman's risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Other risks of IUD use include perforation of the uterus, uterine embedment of the IUD, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. When an IUD fails, the pregnancy is extremely high risk to both baby and mother. Although I was unable to find scholarly articles on this, a suspicious number of women on various forums and other sites seem to have experienced their first seizure after IUD-insertion.
Depo Provera

Depo Provera is an injection of the synthetic hormone progestin. One function of the shot is that it alters a woman's cervical fluid. This ages the cervix and can lead to permanent infertility. (Please see "the pill" section for a more comprehensive explanation.) Women who use the shot are twice as likely to contract HIV/AIDS,6 have increased rate of HIV replication, and have an increased chance of transmitting the virus to others. A 2004 study concluded that the shot interferes with a woman's immune system and puts her at greater risk of contracting gonorrhea and chlamydia.7 Additional risks of the Depo shot include a double risk of breast cancer among recent users8 and bone density loss.

Barrier Methods

As I was working on this post, 1flesh.org wrote about the risks of condoms, so as they've done a lot of my research for me in this area, I'll sum up their points, and if you want more details you can head over here. What many people don't know is that semen is very healthy for women's health. Semen acts as an anti-depressant and women who use condoms have higher depression rates than women who do not. To quote a 2002 study on the subject, "Not only were females who were having sex without condoms less depressed, but depressive symptoms and suicide attempts among females who used condoms were proportional to the consistency of condom use."9 Other studies have suggested that semen can regulate a woman's menstrual cycle, prevent preeclampsia in pregnancy, and reduce breast cancer risk.

Spermicides irritate vaginal walls which makes women more susceptible to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.10

Female Sterilization

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure. As such it carries all the risks of an invasive surgery such as risk of infection, pain, blood clots, and death. Other risks include ectopic pregnancy and for younger patients, higher risk of hysterectomy later.11 Many women regret having the procedure and may become depressed. Women who have used the birth control pill prior to surgery may experience symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome.12

Male Sterilization

In normal male function, sperm are produced in the testes, stored in the epididymis above the testes, and during ejaculation are expelled directly out of the body. Sperm and semen never interact with any other part of a man's body and do not enter the bloodstream. Normal men produce approximately 200 million sperm per day.

Risks of sterilization include pain and swelling at the site. Some may acquire an infection. Some men will experience chronic pain and tenderness or may need to have a surgical removal of a sperm granuloma (a mass of sperm and immune cells).

A vasectomy does not inhibit sperm production. Instead of traveling through a tube to the outside of the body, after a vasectomy the millions of sperm spill into the male's body cavity and are recognized as foreign cells and are attacked by his immune system. After 6-9 months after a vasectomy, 90% of men had antisperm antibodies in their blood13 though the effects of these antigens has not been well studied. Some believe this may contribute to autoimmune disorders. Perhaps due to these antigens, it appears vasectomy is a risk factor for developing Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA)14 later on. PPA is a form of dementia which impairs a person's ability to form words in speech, and as it progresses, it can lead to other symptoms of dementia like strange behavior, lack of judgement, and personality changes. In men who have developed PPA, those who had a vasectomy had an earlier age of onset of the disorder than men who have not had a vasectomy.15 Depression and regretted sterilization is also a risk.

What’s a Woman To Do?

The belief that we have no choice but to bear with the side effects and expense of artificial methods of birth control if we do not wish to have a child at the moment is false. Natural Family Planning is a method in which women learn to observe the changes in their bodies so they know when they are fertile. In India, one study included over 16,000 poor Hindu, Muslim, and Christian women using NFP. They had an effectiveness rate of over 99%.16 Likewise, in China the effectiveness rates of NFP have remained at about 99%.17 Furthermore, couples who try NFP tend to like it and continue using it. NFP has a higher continuation rate than all reversible methods of birth control.

Though Natural Family Planning is often mistaken for the old rhythm method, modern methods are based on science. One thing that many people do not know is that a woman is fertile about 100 hours a cycle. During the time when a woman is capable of conceiving, her body secretes a particular type of cervical fluid. This fluid is produced as a result of hormonal changes that stimulate egg maturation in preparation for ovulation. In fact, Drs. Billings, Brown, and Burger studied how women's observations of their fluid correlated with their hormonal changes, and in 1972 published their findings that women can know through simple observation where they are in their fertility cycle just as accurately as doctors and medical personnel in laboratories with fancy lab equipment.

It might be misleading, however, to say that there are no side-effects of using NFP. There are some: NFP couples report increased respect for self and spouse; they almost never divorce; they report an increase in communication with each other and an increase in the quantity and quality of intercourse. For me, I think women deserve to have these side effects.

Links:
Chinese study comparing an NFP method with IUD

Information about the different NFP methods, including a quiz to find the one right for you.

Sources:
1. Department of Reproductive Health and Research, "Carcinogenicity of Combined Hormonal Contraceptives and Combined Menopausal Treatment," World Health Organization, (September 2005) accessed Sept 27, 2011 http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/ageing/cocs_hrt_statement.pdf

2. Jared M. Baeten, Ludo Lavreys, Manish Sagar, et al. “Effective of Contraceptive Methods on Natural History of HIV: Studies From the Mombasa Cohort,” Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 38 (March 2005): Suppl 18-S19, accessed July 25, 2012, http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Fulltext/2005/03001/Effect_of_Contraceptive_Methods_on_Natural_History.13.aspx

3. Melinda Wenner, “Birth Control Pills Affect Women’s Taste in Men.” Scientific American, September 5 2008, accessed July 25, 2012,
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=birth-control-pills-affect-womens-taste

4. Sumar Musmar, “Epidimiology of Aerobic Bacterial Infections Among IUD Users in the Northern West Bank,” An-Najah University Journal for Research, 18 no.1 (2004): 13-24, accessed July 25, 2012, http://blogs.najah.edu/staff/employee/article/Epidimiology-of-Aerobic-Bacterial-Infections-among-IUD-Intrauterine-lrmDevice-Users-in-the-Northern-West-Bank

5. Centers for Disease Control. Bacterial Vaginosis: The Facts. CDC Publication 99-8825, accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.cdc.gov/STD/Bv/the-facts/E01_BV_dummy.pdf

6. Pam Belluck. “Contraceptive Used in Africa May Double Risk of H.I.V.” The New York Times, Oct 3 2011, accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/health/04hiv.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

7. C.S. Morrison, P. Bright, E.L. Wong, et al. “Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Cervical Ectopy, and the Acquisition of Cervical Infections,” Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 38 no.9 (Sept 2004): 561-7 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15480119?dopt=Abstracthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15480119?dopt=Abstract

8. Rita Rubin. “Birth Control Shot Tied To Breast Cancer Risk, Study Says.” Vitals:MSNBC, April 5, 2012, accessed 25 July 2012, http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/04/05/11023876-birth-control-shots-tied-to-breast-cancer-risk-study-says?

9. Gordon G. Jr. Gallup, Rebecca L. Burch, Steven M. Platek, “Does Semen Have AntiDepressant Properties?” Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31 no.3 (2002): 289-293, accessed 25 July 2012, http://www.springerlink.com/content/wrkl9lc5ueu43rh8/

10. Gretchen Cuda Kroen, “What Spermicide Users Should Know, But Often Don’t.” Shots: NPR’s Health Blog, Feb 6, 2012, accessed 25 July 2012, http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/02/06/146343080/what-spermicide-users-should-know-but-often-dont

11. M.M. Cohen, “Long-Term Risk of Hysterectomy After Tubal Sterilization.” American Journal of Epidimiology, 125 no.3 (March 1987): 410-419, accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3812448http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3812448

12. “Getting Your Tubes Tied: Is This Common Procedure Causing Uncommon Problems?” WebMD, Last modified Jan 30, 2005, accessed 25 July 2012, http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51216

13. K.S. Tung, “Human Sperm Antigens and Antisperm Antibodies I. Studies on Vasectomy Patients.” Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 20 no. 1 (Apr 1975): 93-104, accessed 25 July 2012, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1538169/

14. Maria Paul, “Vasectomy May Put Men at Risk for Type of Dementia.” News Center: Northwestern University, Feb 13, 2007, accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2007/02/vasectomy.html

15. Sandra Weintraub, PhD., Christopher Fahey, MD., Nancy Johnson, PhD., et al. “Vasectomy in Men with Primary Progressive Aphasia.” Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, 19 no. 4 (Dec 2006): 190-193, accessed July 25, 2012, http://journals.lww.com/cogbehavneurol/Abstract/2006/12000/Vasectomy_in_Men_With_Primary_Progressive_Aphasia.4.aspxhttp://journals.lww.com/cogbehavneurol/Abstract/2006/12000/Vasectomy_in_Men_With_Primary_Progressive_Aphasia.4.aspx

16. R.E. Ryder, "'Natural Family Planning': Effective Birth Control Supported by the Catholic Church," British Medical Journal, 307 no.6906 (18 Sep 1993): 723-6 accessed Sept 27, 2011 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8401097

17. Shao-Zhen Qian, “China Successfully Launching Billings Ovulation Method.” Shangai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, (presented at International Jubilee Conference, 50th Anniversary of Billings Method, Universersity of Melbourne, Australia, (Mar 28-30, 2003) accessed July 25, 2012, http://www.woomb.org/bom/trials/chinaLaunching.html

(source: http://www.myfemininemind.com/2012/07/things-your-doctor-may-not-have-told_25.html?utm_content=bufferf85f0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer&m=1

The Effect of the Holy Rosary to Satan

"One day a colleague of mine heard the devil during an exorcism: Every 'Hail Mary' is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end." - Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican.


Attorney Bro. Marwil N. Llasos O.P. gave a comment similar to this post on my Facebook account. He said that, "in an actual exorcism I witnessed, the devil shouted in a shrill voice upon hearing the "Ave Maria" being recited over the possessed by the assisting Deacon, "ayoko n'yan!" (I don't like that!) I joined in praying the Ave Maria and the devil was confused and didn't know who to face: the exorcist-priest, the deacon, or me. The possessed collapsed."

DISCOURSE ON TEMPTATIONS (Part I – The Unsatisfied Flesh)

DISCOURSE ON TEMPTATIONS (Part I – The Unsatisfied Flesh)

The temptations of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) are a wellspring of teachings on regarding how the devil tempts and to what extent is his temptations and how we can trample him down just as what Christ did against his enticements.

Although this scripture reading is not lengthy so as to show how the devil operates, all the same, I believe, that this reading is so great and so enough so as to sense temptations and how are we to do in overcoming them.

To begin, let us background ourselves on what a temptation is and what it is not. Temptation is an attack of the devil against us humans in order to keep us away from God and to cut-off our relationship with Him by sinning. It is a test for us to sin against God or not, so, temptation in itself is not a sin but it may lead us to sin or it may lead us to be more attached to God.

Moving forward to the first temptation, the devil is accustomed to tempt Christ in a manner which basically lies on the primary need of all human beings to sustain their life and that is bread, or food for the body. What can we draw out from this temptation?

The devil knows our need for the good of our body and he also knows that humans are inclined of course to look after food. God also knows this. But in Jesus Christ, He silenced the enemy by saying that “man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Because Christ is indeed hungry after a fast of forty days and forty nights, in Him, in His hunger, we found strength and what are we ought to look after which is the Word of God both in scripture and in Mass more than bread for the body. This temptation is so great for the enemy is after the satisfaction of the stomach that never satisfies. In Christ, we found that what satisfy are the words that come forth from God’s mouth. The excitement of the devil is so strong that even stones were to be turned by Christ into bread as what he said for Christ to do. It is evident here that this temptation goes to the extent that Christ was seen by the devil as a God who is desperate for bread. But our Lord's greatness was revealed for what really satisfies and what is most important to Him are the “words that come forth from the mouth of God.”

The devil as we must see here is an enemy that sees humans as people desperate for food. He just knows that we humans cannot live without becoming desperate for what satisfies the stomach. And we see the effect of this temptation even today. People crave in desperation for what satisfies the stomach. The problem is that the stomach was never satisfied and so are the humans who are after food alone. This temptation of the devil measures humans in these points: What are humans after? What makes humans desperate and what must make them desperate? What things can satisfy a human flesh? Another point I want to emphasize is that this temptation is not all about food, it can also pertains to what are humans after more than food, that in desperation of us humans, we are going to turn stones into cell phones, laptops, etc.

In this first discourse of the three-fold discourse I am in to, it is a valuable lesson for us what must make us really satisfied, and that is the Word of God in scripture and in Mass. Of course we need things such as food, shelter, clothing (and any other necessities connected to these), nevertheless, what we must be after is what really satisfies and it is God alone. For if Christ is after the food that really satisfies the soul, what then are we supposed to be after? Are we after the stones that we must turn into bread showing to the devil how desperate and pathetic we humans are? Then let us follow the footsteps of Christ into settlement of the soul in what satisfies us truly, the Word of God. Then the bread for the body will definitely follow according to our need.

Mary H. Distributist

WHY A MODERN MAN LIKE ME EYES ON THE OLD-FASHIONED MASS?

WHY A MODERN MAN LIKE ME EYES ON THE OLD-FASHIONED MASS?

I am very delighted to be updated to some of the developments that I am seeing about the Traditional Latin Mass. And when I say development, I am pertaining to the good taste of unbelievable youth of today who are now searching for an act of worship that is very fitting for God and which is just for God alone.

Due to the recent exchanges of opinions that I have seen regarding the Traditional Latin Mass, I am urged by myself to write my mind in defense of many young people such as myself who attends the Old Mass and have countless appreciation and love for it.

In this changing world, I greatly believe that the act of worship to God which is the Traditional Latin Mass do not deal with fashion. The Traditional Latin Mass is a flesh that worships. For if the identity of a sacrifice cannot be seen in a Mass, how can we appreciate the grace we are going to profit when the flesh does not agree with the spirit? For if the flesh of us is not drawn in the flesh of the Mass, how are we sure that our flesh will be agreeable to what is spiritual?

For if I do not see and sense in the Mass the angelic atmosphere that it must have, how can my soul agree to what I see and sense when the Mass is adorned with emptiness and worldly adornment? Will my soul who goes deep to what is spiritual in the Mass by imagining suffice? Perhaps not. For my mind will be filled with emptiness or worldly images because of what I see and sense.

If a Mass must have the flesh of bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Christ, is not it worthy and reasonable to have the real flesh of the Mass that is worthy of the spirit?

And I will boldly say that the Traditional Latin Mass meets the criteria – the criteria that the flesh is agreeable with the spirit. It tries to become worthy of the spirit. It is like a pure white Host that is worthy to be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

We Catholics are not just spiritual beings. We also have flesh. But if a Mass do not give the worship for God that must be see and sensed by the flesh so that the flesh will be turned to the spirit, how can we be certain that the soul of us will be like that of Christ?

The Traditional Latin Mass is not a fashion. It has the flesh that respects what is of angelic worship. It is incomprehensible like that of the bread and wine turning into the Body and Blood of Christ. You do not understand it, but by believing or with faith, you understand. Same with the Traditional Latin Mass. The flesh cannot comprehend it, but the spirit does.

The bread that was made was made worthy so that it is worthy to become the Body of Christ. Just so, a mass must be worthy also of a flesh that is due to its natures. These are the angelic and sacrificial nature. And as we meet these natures, we hope that it is worthy of God and in turn, we hope that God will be pleased for our worship and will grant us the graces to understand mysteries of Him by our spirit, turning the incomprehensible for us to be comprehensible.

Mary H. Distributist

THE SECRET OF MARY: A COMMENTARY

THE SECRET OF MARY

St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort’s humble book which is humble in its content and how literally little it is, is a cornerstone of all souls who pray for a way of life that is entirely for God alone. This book is a must for all who desire to serve God in a most majestic way but do not have the humility yet as one’s foundation. This book, The Secret of Mary, will always be a secret even if its contents were read and re-read for humility is a secret virtue that this book contains. I have read a good number of books that deals with spiritual matters but I just only found out now that The Secret of Mary is a book that must always be read again and again amidst the great spiritual books that other saints had written. The book can be likened to a golden ring and necklace that must always be worn by a person. Yet, it is humble even if it is gold when the book’s contents were put into action. How happy a thousand times is the man who has this humble book as his cornerstone even if he had met so many great books in his life. The secret for a life of gold is to read it once again when the person is aware of the fact that the gold is getting covered with dust, the fact that he is covered by everything he read, learned, and acquired from any other books. The Secret of Mary is a book that is practical and simple. All who prays to become a simple follower of Christ must have a foundation for his pillars that can be seen by others, and that foundation is The Secret of Mary. Once you found this book, you will realize that the spirituality the book shows for you to live by is a perfect spirituality that is so humble and easy, which is the secret of its greatness.

Humility is the cornerstone or foundation of all the virtues and so is this book that I now exhort you to acquire. And I say that in acquiring all the virtues so as to live a virtuous life, a person must have humility in everything that he does that will make him virtuous. Just so, always return to read this humble book again and again even if you have a thousand books at hand other than this. For it is a grave danger to acquire so many learning from a thousand books without foundation which is a great spirituality that The Secret of Mary contains. So, practically speaking, to avoid any danger, just be humble to read the book again and again whenever possible and, if it is inevitable for you not to read books that are more or less important to be read, then the more reason you must recourse to this little book in order for you not to be lost and be led into darkness that the many books you are about to read might bring you. The Secret of Mary is not only a book. It is life, and its pages are alive, and it is a life for eternal life.

God is a humble God. In Jesus Christ we see that His Divinity and humanity were subjected to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the law of spiritual grace and natural grace, Jesus Christ’s being as God and His humanity was made possible and united by God through Mary and only in her. So, we humans are the most supposed to subject ourselves to Mary if we wish to be more like Jesus who, although He is God, preferred to subject Himself to the law of natural grace to become human, and now He is God-man in order for the humanity to be saved and be brought back to the law of spiritual grace. If God made it possible through Mary, how much more we humans are supposed to subject our body and soul to Mary in order to be more like Jesus? This reality does not require much common sense. At the moment we found Mary; let us thank God that He made St. Louis de Montfort as His great Marian teacher that taught that it is lawful to go to Mary in order to be more like Jesus and there is no spirituality that is greater than Montfort had already taught, which can be found in his masterpiece, The Secret of Mary. As for me, this is what I can say: “Let the reader understand. Let him accept this teaching who can.”

Mary H. Distributist

MATTHEW 16:13-20

This picture is worth a sacred text of Matthew 16:13-20 

"Ans so I say to you, You are Peter and upon you I will build my Body and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

TO BE WITH ST. PETER IS TO BE WITH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

TO BE WITH ST. PETER IS TO BE WITH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

St. Peter is one of the many persons I’m so thrilled to know about. It is because he is the second disregarded person next to the Blessed Virgin Mary by many protestants or simply people who were not in communion with the Catholic Church on the truth about the Blessed Virgin Mary and others that the Catholic Church believes about them.

Due to my ineptness, I just now start to have strength to stand up for this poor man who is controversial next to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I am also mystified by this person why on earth he is blessed by Jesus Christ to become the prince of the apostles of our Lord. So, I present to you why to have this poor man is to have the Church, and to have Jesus Christ as well.

Let’s take a look on the sacred scriptures on Matthew 16: 13-20 (I suggest you open a Bible what you got).

Jesus Christ’s identity was known to the disciples and to the people just by what they see with their eyes. The fact that Christ is a man and a prophet is answered for He is the Son of Man. Bad thing to know is He is widely known not as Jesus but by other names of prophets.

Then here goes a very mysterious question from Jesus which will show that He is also the Son of God.

“But who do you say that I am?”

Of course the disciples knew that He is Jesus. The only thing they don’t know is what Jesus is besides His identity as the Son of Man to which, only Peter had an answer:

“You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God.”

Peter knew what Jesus is and his answer to Jesus’ question did not come from what Peter sees or what is apparent to him but by what is revealed by no other than the heavenly Father. What a blessing it is indeed to reply to Christ with the help of the Father of Christ! Peter’s answer is not from flesh and blood but by the spirit. I am 100% sure that it is the Holy Spirit who manifested Himself to Peter in order for Peter to had the answer. For it is God’s will that it is Peter. No wonder Jesus Christ blesses Peter where here, Christ is giving an office to him.

So because the heavenly Father willed that it is Peter, what can Jesus Christ do? Of course Jesus Christ will not act against the will of the Father. Here, the Anointed One of God appoints Peter as His Church.

But what is a Church? A Church is a Temple of the Holy Spirit and the Body of Christ. Here, Jesus Christ is saying, “And I say to you, you are Peter and upon you I will build my Body, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” That is what I call appointment. Jesus Christ appoints Peter as His deputy, representative, or vicar. That is the office of Peter. He is the Vicar of Christ. The question now is this: why it is Peter?

It is because Peter is a weak human being, and that’s it. God made perfect sense when He chose Peter to become the deputy of Christ when Christ will not be physically present as a human being is. Peter is a weak human being and this includes the fact that he can make errors and can sin against God but Peter cannot in no way be wrong when it come to the matters that the Holy Spirit manifests through him, of course I say that this applies to Peter’s power to act in behalf of Christ where Peter is infallible only on the matters of the faith or matters of revelation where he acts by means of the Holy Spirit as God wills.

Peter can make a mistake while making coffee and uses an iodized salt instead of white sugar but he cannot be wrong when he is speaking about abortion; that abortion cannot be in any way good and right. As I said, the Pope cannot be wrong when it comes to the matters of Divine revelation but can get wrong in making his own coffee.

Going back to the appointment, Jesus Christ chose Peter because he is a very perfect example of a weak human being. Peter is weak in the sense that he is human and he can sin. The only difference between Peter and Judas is that Peter sought God’s forgiveness. Peter is a perfect example of a weak human being whose strength is God. Peter shows that to become a weak human being, one must have God as ones’ strength. It is very shameful to deny God three times. And what a grave sin Peter had done. Yet, the rest is history.

Peter has the Church for God placed the Church above Peter. He is living in behalf of Christ and he does not own his body anymore but Christ for he is supposed to be. The Spirit of God is much more superior than the flesh of Peter. So to have the Pope and to be in communion with him is to have the Church, the Body of Christ.

Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO JOHNS: THE INTIMATE RELATION OF SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND EUCHARIST

THE TWO JOHNS: THE INTIMATE RELATION OF SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND EUCHARIST (January 3, 2014)

“Everyone who remains in God through sanctifying grace is an agent of God in driving away sins and the Evil One.” “Let your material body be on earth but your soul must always be in heaven.”

(1 John 2:29- 3:6; Psalm 98; John 1:29-34)

This day, we refresh in our memory the Most Holy Name of Jesus that’s why it’s a memorial. In the Gospel of St. John the apostle, we are told that St. John the Baptist preached about Jesus Christ saying, “See, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The Baptist knew that Jesus Christ is the sacrificial Lamb of God that will save the world from sin the moment he saw the Holy Spirit came down and remained in Jesus Christ. The Baptist had the Holy Spirit from the beginning of his existence and there is no doubt that this same Holy Spirit who had spoken through the prophets of the Old Testament will not reveal everything to the Baptist. Of course the Holy Spirit will reveal everything to him on everything that was said by the prophets of old about Jesus Christ who chose the Baptist as His prophet or preacher now. The Baptist is the preacher of Jesus Christ and the Baptist must know everything about the person whom he will go to preach about and of course by the means of the Spirit of God which is the Holy Spirit. The Baptist’s baptism of the admission of guilt by ordinary water is an indirect reference to the Baptism that Jesus Christ will establish using holy water that contains the Holy Spirit; the Baptism of the forgiveness of sins which washes away the sins that were admitted by the people and makes them holy for the Holy Spirit remains in them now. And in Christ’s baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are made children of God and the Holy Spirit remains in us which is the Spirit of the Son which make us adopted children through our Brother Jesus Christ.     

Now, in the first letter of St. John the apostle, we are told by him that if we consider that Jesus Christ is righteous or holy, then we also know that everyone who acts in righteousness or holiness is begotten by Him which means that everyone who acts in holiness is one in Christ’s being as Christ intended the person to be for the person now has the Holy Spirit in him/herself. That’s why the Sacrament of Baptism is so important so that everyone will become one in Christ’s being and will know who God is and what God has intended him/her to be as he/she advances in age and wisdom by the help of the Holy Spirit. That’s why a new born baby must be baptized right away, at the appointed time according to the Catholic Church. We became children of God because of the Holy Spirit which God bestowed on us. We children of God are unknown to the world for the world does not have the Holy Spirit and what they have is sin, darkness, and the devil. For everyone who has the Holy Spirit knows who God is and knows who God’s children are. St. John further teaches us that as children of God on this earth, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed for we are not in heaven yet. But when the time has come for us to be in heaven, then and only then will we see that we are the image and likeness of God and we are one in God’s being. That’s why everyone who has this hope based on God makes oneself holy or pure for God is holy and pure. And the beloved apostle goes on that sin is lawlessness or against God’s law. Everyone who remains in God through sanctifying grace is agents of God in driving away sins and the devil. And for those who commit sin, they do not know fully who God is and what God is: the truth that God came to destroy sin away from us and in God there is no sin for He is pure and holy. And everyone who knows the Word of God by all of his mind, heart, soul, being, and strength is sensitive enough in sensing what is sinful and what is of holiness and of God. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the Lamb of God makes us pure every time we worthily take him in our selves. We must be pure like the Sacred Host for God, the Lamb, is holy. And as we take Him, we are called to be more like Him.

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

PRIESTS MUST WEAR THEIR PRIESTHOOD

PRIESTS MUST WEAR THEIR PRIESTHOOD

"Wear the talk."

Have you heard the term, “wear the talk?” If not, I’ll tell you.

If we have the term “walk the talk” which may mean “act on what is said”, then I have my version too which is “wear the talk” or “wear what is said.”

Students of any schools or universities have their Identification cards on their neck and in addition to this; some of them are required to wear official uniforms said by the school to wear by them. Even the soldiers or constabularies have their own respective and robust uniforms. These people I mention do wear and unwear their Identification cards or uniforms when the students are not in their school premises and even soldiers and police officers unwear their uniforms when they are out of duty.

The term “I wear the talk” is acted on by these people I mentioned. If Mary Hao is a police officer and it is said that I am so, then I will wear what a police officer must wear. If I am a police officer who is a man of the law, then I will wear my suit which is according to the law for I am a police officer who is a man of the law.

Now, let’s talk about our priests. They are religious men. Whether they are secular or diocesan, or a member of a religious Order, they must have their own uniforms or Identification suits. These men I mentioned are men of no other than Jesus Christ our Lord and God. And in the sacred scriptures, it is written that, “You are a priest forever.” If these unidentified priests are priests forever, why is it that they cannot be recognized as a person of eternity? Why these priests do not wear the talk that was made clear in the sacred scriptures? If they are priest forever, is not it better to wear the priests must wear even in eternity? For it is a disgrace not to be identified as a man of God. It is a shame that a man or an agent of God cannot do better about his eternal priesthood. The priest’s suit, whether of a diocesan or a religious man of an Order, must be worn forever, for they are priests forever. These agents of God must wear the talk at all times. If ever they will say that they do not wear it or they take their suits off because they must be humble in wearing their priesthood in the eyes of the world, then I will say that that is one of the stupidest reasons I will hear in my whole life! For everyone must be humble what he/she wears.

I exhort our priests to wear the talk. For these priests are a shame in the eyes of our nuns and religious sisters who wear the talk. These women of God do better. How about our priests? These women of God wear their suits, as I witnessed it, at all times and every time I see them. But I want to take my eyes off when I see a man of God who is not wearing the talk. It’s a shame. It’s a disgrace. Soldiers and constabularies wear the talk, how about you, men of God? All of you are priests forever, right? Why not put on with humility your respective suits that you will wear forever?

My dear priests, do better!

And, you my dear priests are the ones who offer sacrifices as what a priest is defined. Now, to wear your suits forever is your sacrifice forever.

Your loving, tall frater,

Mary H. Distributist

THE TWO JOHNS: BAPTISM OF GUILT AND COMMITMENT TO BAPTISMAL VOWS

THE TWO JOHNS: BAPTISM OF GUILT AND COMMITMENT TO BAPTISMAL VOWS

“To remain in Truth and sanctifying grace is to remain in God. To remain in falsehood and sin is to remain in the devil.”

(1 John 2:22-28; Psalm 98; John 1:19-28)

St. John the Baptist was questioned on who he is and why he is baptizing. St. John told the truth saying, “I am ‘the voice of the one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

The Gospel is very fitting for this second day of the year for it invites us to know who we are and what are we doing for God. St. John know what is his commitment and that is to preach and baptize in the desert of penance and suffering to all people as they acknowledge their sins. St. John is baptizing water for the admission of guilt or contrition while our Lord gives the Holy Spirit bestowing forgiveness of sins and adoption.

Just so, let us ask ourselves: in these first days of the year, does my ways made straight for this new year of the Lord? Do I know now what it means to be a Christian? Do I know now myself? Do I know now my obligations for God? For just as St. John the Baptist knows who he is and what is his obligation, so also must we. And as we acknowledge our sins, may we know or recognize that our Lord is the one who can forgive sins and the one who is offended and is wounded by our sins. The Gospel also teaches and reminds us to become prudent always, all throughout the year. Prudence is the habit of proper decision-making. This day, we must have a bird’s-eye view of what we must do this year. To be prudent is to have “the knowledge of what to seek and what to avoid” as St. Augustine had taught. So this second day of the year, we must be prudent always so as to be committed to our “New Year’s resolutions” for God and as children of God.

In St. John the Apostle’s first letter, we see here that to deny Christ is to be a liar and not to have the truth. To admit that our Lord is Christ is to have the truth and to have Jesus Christ who is the Truth Himself. If we are in mortal sin, we do not love the Lord for we denied Him when we acted on what is sinful and what will hurt God. It is not enough to admit the truth and to admit that Jesus is Christ who came to forgive sins and to sanctify us of His Holy Spirit. It is not enough for to admit the truth, it requires us to act on what we admit by our mouths. If we admit the truth by mouth but we act sinfully living in mortal sin, then we are lying and denying Christ and the truth is not in us. If we are in mortal sin, we do not have the Holy Spirit, and what we have in us is the spirit of the devil which is falsehood, deception, and sin. And for those who are in mortal sin, they are the antichrist. For to live in mortal sin is to be against Christ and to be against the Holy Spirit of Christ.

So what is St. John’s teaching as resolution? He wrote that we must have the truth in us so as to remain in God. In our anointing that we received from the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we received the Teacher of Truth and empowered in the Truth respectively. To remain in Truth is to live in sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit and God.

What we heard in preaching is the Truth, and what we received in the said Sacraments sanctifies the Truth that we have heard. If we have the Holy Spirit that we received in the two said Sacraments, we will know if the preaching is the Truth and if the preaching is falsehood. For the Holy Spirit is the Teacher of Truth. The anointing we received in the two said sacraments will remain in us even if we sinned. But if we fell into mortal sin, the Holy Spirit in us will leave us, but will return if we recourse to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Sacrament of Confession. Again, to live in mortal sin is to cut-off oneself to the promised eternal life and to be admitted to eternal damnation. St. John instructs us to remain in sanctifying grace and Truth so as to be evident that we are prepared for the coming of the Lord.

“Jesus, I trust in You “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist

THE SHEPHERDS MET THE SHEPHERD OF ALL THE SHEPHERDS!

THE SHEPHERDS MET THE SHEPHERD OF ALL THE SHEPHERDS!

“Mary kept all these things she had contemplated, and meditated on them in her heart.”

(Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21)

The Gospel for this first day of the year of the Lord which is also the day of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, shows us the visitation of the shepherds to our Lord who is the Shepherd of all, but cared first by His parents. The story in the manger tells us that the God and Shepherd of all chose to be laid in a poor box-like container where the animals eat. This scene is referring indirectly to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we have. Our Lord sacrificed or compromised His Divinity in order to become a human for our salvation. These shepherds who visited the Lord are our witnesses to the acknowledgement of the truth that God came here on earth as a poor creature like any other babies but preferred to be laid in a poor box where animals eat. The shepherds are our examples in finding who God is and what God is in order for us to know and understood that God humbled Himself for us and we must know and understand this, for God preferred to be laid as a baby in a place where animals are fed, as if God is a food for the animals.

And as the shepherds preach the message that was preached by the angel they had seen who was with the heavenly host, all were amazed at their preaching. The shepherds testify that the poor baby is not an ordinary baby but Christ and God as what the angel said to them. The angel and the heavenly host praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to His people who have God’s will.”

And Mary, the Mother of God, transforms in love on all the she had contemplated by meditating in her heart. This is what we must know about the Blessed Virgin Mary! She kept all of these things in her heart or she knows everything by heart yet she reflects on all of these things! This is a proof that Mama Mary is a humble Queen and Mother of God for she does not say to herself that, “Oh! I am the Mother of God! All ages will call me blessed! I know all these things already!” Mama Mary kept all these things in her heart and still reflecting on all of these things.

This great day invites us to imitate our Queen and Mother Mary in her contemplation in everything and on meditating on what she had contemplated. What Mama Mary contemplated by the senses, she bears all of these again by meditation. Mama Mary teaches us today how to pray!

In St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he tells us that God’s Son was born under the law of nature where His Son was born of a woman and did not came here on earth in an instant. And under the law of God which was cared by God’s people, God’s Son subjected Himself to the law like everybody else. Just so, all of us must be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary to become like Jesus Christ, who subjected Himself in the womb of Mary to become human. If we have Mary as our Mother, we will be born under the law just like His Son, Jesus Christ, for Mama Mary will care for us for we are vulnerable to danger of living against the law. For it is against the law of spiritual grace not to be born first of the Blessed Virgin Mary before becoming like Jesus Christ, who have the Holy Spirit that God sent into our hearts and cries out, “Abba Father!” For just as Jesus Christ subjected His spiritual nature as God and humanity to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so also must we who are humans only.

This first day of the year of the Lord is very perfectly matched with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Gospel for today. This day invites us to imitate Mama Mary to be always reflective on everything especially for us humans who do not know all these things already. This day teaches us not to be arrogant for we do not know everything at all. It just shows that we must always be humble in everything by looking – again on all of these things. Our Queen and Mother Mary teach us here to be contemplative, meditative, humble, discerning, and to be prudent! Let’s go back again to January of last year up to now in order to see all these things if we followed God’s will, and will still ready us for this new year. Amen. Let us come to our Shepherd as an animal and let us preach on all of what we have witnessed as poor shepherds of the Shepherd!

Our Lord in this Gospel is not only a cared Shepherd cared by Joseph and Mary, He is also the Lamb of God laid in a manger. The shepherd’s who visited the Lamb of God were shown here doing their work at night watching their flock before the angel spoke to them. This scene refers indirectly to God as a Shepherd who watches His people day and night. These shepherds are our priests who care for us – we who are God’s flock. As they heard the word from the angel, they went in haste to where the Lamb of God is laid. And as these shepherds contemplated Him, they made known the words of the angel that they meditated on. Just so, it is the principal task of the priests to contemplate the Lamb of God before they go on their mission, glorifying and praising God. 

“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”

Mary H. Distributist