Fr James Martin says the Virgin Mary opposed Jesus Christ because Jesus was crazy

Father James Martin strikes again, taking another shot at the Holy Mother of God on his Facebook page. 

Martin says...get this... that Mary and Jesus's extended family thought Jesus was "crazy" and they (his family) needed to "restrain" Jesus Christ from his insane delusions. 😕

Fr. James Martin, SJ

Who's side are you on? Today's Gospel (Mk 3:22-33)  

Today’s reading is especially notable for what it leaves out. It omits one of the most surprising of all Gospel passages, which still has the power to shock many Christians. It was part of Saturday’s Gospel:
"Then Jesus went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, 'He has gone out of his mind.'"
Even that is a polite translation. Most New Testament scholars say that it’s not accurate to say that the family went to restrain him because others said he’s

out of his mind. No, his family went to restrain him because they were saying he was out of his mind. 
So Jesus’s family, that is, Mary and his extended family, have made the trip all the way to Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee, from Nazareth, which is a considerable distance, to “restrain him.” Because they thought he was crazy. Tomorrow we hear Jesus’s response to their showing up to restrain him. He’s told “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.” He says, “Who are my mother and brothers? Those who do the will of God are my brother and sister and mother.”
So his family opposes Jesus. And he rejects them. Can we believe this story? Could this have been added for some reason by Mark?
Daniel Harrington, SJ and John Donahue, SJ, write in the "Sacra Pagina" commentary on the Gospel of Mark, make this observation: “Such a charge would hardly have been made up by the early church, and so this may reflect the historical view of the relatives of Jesus, none of whom had been called to the circle of the Twelve.” 
In other words, some of his extended family, and apparently Mary, opposed him at least at the beginning of his ministry.
What we do read today is opposition from another group: the scribes. The scribes, especially those from Jerusalem, are the most adamant opponents of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. They were part of the religious leadership and the learned class. They critique Jesus for his healing, lobbing against him a far more serious charge than being crazy: he is in league with Beelzebul, or Satan. That name, incidentally, is associated with the Canaanite God Baal. So Jesus, goes the charge, is worse than crazy, and in modern parlance worse than a heretic: he’s evil. Imagine having among the most learned of the religious leadership say that.
I bring this up to emphasize that Jesus faced opposition, and fierce opposition, from two groups whom you would think would naturally have supported him: his family and religious leaders. 
But the Gospels give us little indication that it bothered him. He doesn’t explain himself to his family, with some lengthy brief about what he’s doing, what his mission is, what happened in the desert or at his baptism, and why he’s left them behind. Nor does he try to calm them down. He simply reminds his listeners, not his family by the way, that ties to God are more important than familial ties. 
He doesn’t really explain himself to the scribes in this passage either. Meaning he doesn’t say, “Look at all the good I’m doing; look at how many people I’m healing; and look at all the great things I’m saying; look at how I really am in line with the law. He points that out in other contexts but here he doesn’t. Instead he points out how illogical what they are saying is, and for good measure, says that they are sinning by denying the power of God at work in him. 
So he dismisses both charges, very forcefully, and then simply gets on with his work. He tells his family that they’re not his family and the scribes that they’re the ones doing the sinning. 
How is he able to do this? Well, of course he is the Son of God, with an intimate relationship with the Father, which gives him a grace that we cannot understand. But on a human level, in a way that we can understand, he’s free. He doesn’t need his family’s acceptance. He doesn’t need the approval of the religious authorities. He doesn’t need to be loved. He doesn’t need to be liked. He doesn’t even need to be listened to. He’s free. And that makes him both effective and dangerous. 
What can we learn from this? Well, as Christians, we can ask ourselves how free we are of the need to be loved, liked, or approved of? How free are we of the need to be important in other people’s eyes? How free are we of the need for status? For being part of the “in crowd”? How free are we of the need to be approved of by the religious authorities of our time? How free are we of the need to have the approval of the larger society? How free are we of the need for status and power? How free are we to proclaim the Gospel? Because there is the temptation that if we do, people will think we are out of our minds.
Sometimes being a good Christian does not lead to opposition, and in fact leads to people approving of you, and liking you and even loving you. Perhaps that’s most of the time. But there are times when it does not. When people will think that we are in league with the devil or will think that we are out of our minds. 
And then we have a choice. With whom do we stand? The crowd--or Jesus? Our families--or Jesus? Religious authorities--or Jesus? 
In those difficult times, the choice may be hard. But at least it’s clear. -end quote-

There is nothing "clear" in Fr. James Martin's theology, but there is always plenty of heresy. 

Apparently, Martin believes that Mary suddenly got struck dumb and everything the Angel Gabriel told her was wiped from her memory along with all that happened since the birth of Christ...the angels, the shepherds, the prophets etc. Poof! Gone from her memory so she had zero idea that Jesus was the Christ and believed Jesus must be "out of his mind" to think as he did. 

The only one "out of his mind" here is Fr. James Martin. This guy is dangerous! 

I would pity Fr. Martin if he didn't repulse me so much. 

Our Church is in a terrible, terrible state to spawn priests such as Fr. James Martin. 


God have mercy on us all and deliver us from such priests! 

In Christ,


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


To anyone interested in what set off Fr. Martin, it is chapter 3 of the Gospel of Mark beginning with Saturday's reading (20-21). 

Please read it, and tell me if you come to the same conclusions Fr. Martin has...that Mary opposed her son because she thought he was crazy. 

Mark 3  Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)  

1 And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

2 And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse him.

3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst.

4 And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace.

5 And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.

6 And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

7 But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea,

8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him.

9 And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.

10 For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils.

11 And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying:

12 Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known.

13 And going up into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would himself: and they came to him.

14 And he made that twelve should be with him, and that he might send them to preach.

15 And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.

16 And to Simon he gave the name Peter:

17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

18 And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean:

19 And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

20 And they come to a house, and the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21 And when his friends had heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him. For they said: He is become mad.

22 And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils.

23 And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan?

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and cannot stand, but hath an end.

27 No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he plunder his house.

28 Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme:

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin.

30 Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.

31 And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

32 And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

33 And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren?

34 And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren.


35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.




Fr. Martin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin/photos/a.139618381495.120357.46899546495/10155047024851496/?type=3&theater

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3&version=DRA

Walking across Fr. James Martin's LGBT bridge

Over on Father heretic James Martin's Facebook page, he is promoting his new book "Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity", as if the Catholic Church wasn't already respectful, compassionate and sensitive to people who are suffering with homosexuality. 

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Father Martin says all that, all over this social media outlets and now again with his latest book on the subject. Great! 

The Catholic catechism is also perfectly clear that homosexual "acts" are intrinsically disordered and of grave depravity.

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, 141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." 142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

What Father Martin NEVER says is the issue here. He overlooks all the Catholic catechism has to say on the matter of homosexual acts being a sin and the need to repent of sin.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.  

2396 Among the sins gravely contrary to chastity are masturbation, fornication, pornography, and homosexual practices.

Currently there is an on going discussion on Martin's Facebook page over his neglect to mention the Church's complete teaching on homosexuality.

Comments from Fr. James Martin's Facebook page:

Matt Beard writes:  Fr. James Martin, what is your aim here? If your argument is that the Church built by Jesus Christ should welcome all people in His spirit of charity, then you are absolutely right. That is fairly obvious and should be uncontroversial. Looking down this thread, however, I see lots of comments suggesting that the Church should essentially redefine the entire theology of marriage. Both Scripture and Tradition - the joint deposit of our Catholic Faith- prohibit such a move. It should be noted that heterosexuals are by no means immune to sexual sin. Pornography, masturbation, contraception, and fornication are all mortal sins that would strip a straight person of the right to receive Holy Communion without first going to Confession. The Church has long taught that a person's sexual orientation is morally neutral, but his sexual behavior is not. Helping people identify and avoid their sins is at the very heart of the Church's mission to save souls. It is not compassionate, pastoral, or acceptable for the Church to abdicate its mission, even with the best of intentions. Christ Himself loved and welcomed sinners, but He always admonished them not to sin any more. The Church, too, must speak the truth in love.

Fr. James Martin responds:



Upon seeing this, the question came to my mind "Then what?" 

What happens after the "encounter"? Jesus told people to "go and sin no more" does Father Martin say that?

I decided to find out, so I purchased Fr. Martin's "Building a Bridge" book today and downloaded it on my Kindle for $12.99 from Amazon. Then I sat down and began to read. The book is short, made up of 'Why I am Writing" and the "A Two-Way Bridge" chapters divided into "Respect: The Church and others TO LGBT people", "Compassion: The Church and others TO LGBT people", "Sensitivity: The Church and others TO LGBT people" and then the same chapters flip now going from LBGT people TO the Church, ending with meditations and scriptures and finally a prayer. 

Let's start at the beginning. 

"Why I am Writing" by Fr. James Martin 

Quote: "So when New Ways Ministry, a group that ministers to and advocates for LGBT Catholics, asked just a few weeks after the Orlando tragedy if I would accept their "Bridge Building Award" and give a talk at the time of the award ceremony, I agreed." 

First, New Ways Ministry has been constantly condemned by the Holy Catholic Church ( http://www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-028.cfm ) and Fr. Martin knows it. Promoting them in public and in his book is just outrageous. 

USCCB writes: New Ways Ministry is an organization based in Mount Rainier, Maryland, that describes itself as "a gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities." From the time of the organization's founding in 1977, serious questions have been raised about the group’s adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality. In 1984, the archbishop of Washington denied New Ways Ministry any official authorization or approval of its activities. At that time, he forbade the two co-founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Fr. Robert Nugent, to continue their activities in the Archdiocese of Washington. In the same year, Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent were ordered by their superiors to separate themselves from New Ways Ministry. Although they resigned from leadership posts, they continued their involvement in New Ways Ministry activities until 1999, when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that because of errors and ambiguities in the approach of Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent they are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.
         In reference to his decision not to grant any approval or authorization to New Ways Ministry in the 1980s, Archbishop James Hickey of Washington cited the organization's lack of adherence to Church teaching on the morality of homosexual acts. This was the central issue in the subsequent investigation and censure of the founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent. This continues to be the crucial defect in the approach of New Ways Ministry, which has not changed its position after the departure of the cofounders.

And "No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. Their claim to be Catholic only confuses the faithful regarding the authentic teaching and ministry of the Church with respect to persons with a homosexual inclination. Accordingly, I wish to make it clear that, like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of Church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and that they cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States."[clipped for length]

Fr. Martin is very clearly in this book promoting New Ways Ministry, even giving them kudos for their help. Also, his award from New Ways Ministry is what inspired his book title. New Ways Ministry is giddy with Fr. Martin who attempts to give them credit that Christ's Holy Catholic Church has been denying them for years because they are spreading heresy and confusion among the LBGT communities. This should be a red flag to any knowledgeable Catholic- most certainly the clergy who put their stamp of approval on this book- scandalous! Talk about giving the laity mixed signals! 

"Respect" (Chapter One) 

Quote: "Respect also means acknowledging that LGBT Catholics bring unique gifts to the church- both as individuals and as a community. These gifts build up the church in special ways, as St. Paul wrote when compared the People of God to a human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Every body part is important: the hand, the eye, the foot. In fact, as Paul said, it is the parts of the body that "we think less honorable" that deserve even greater respect. Many LGBT people have indeed felt "less honorable" in the church. So, following St. Paul, it is to these members and to their gifts that we should pay even greater respect. "Those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor," he writes.Just consider for a moment the many gifts brought by LGBT Catholics who work in parishes, schools, chanceries, retreat centers, hospitals, and social service agencies. Let us "honor" them, as St. Paul says." [clipped] 

So we are to "honor" people who are called by God "abominations" for the acts they are committing? Clearly, I am not speaking of chaste and celibate people, but rather homosexuals engaging in homosexual acts- which the catechism clearly states is sinful. I bring this up, because Martin has continually praised homosexual unions (I wrote about it in my post "Fr. Martin another Pied-Piper of Hell" back in 2015) over the years. 

Martin then goes on to bemoan the handful of times LBGT have been fired from positions in the Church because they have caused scandal by their homosexual unions (he declares this is "a sign of unjust discrimination" #2358 in the catechism). 

He worries about the hurt feelings of the LBGT people, but not the scandal homosexual unions cause the rest of the laity. He goes on to ask the question "Do we give pink slips to those who practice birth control?" How would anyone know who is or isn't using birth control? A "married" (as if!) homosexual couple are PUBLIC sinners, flaunting their immoral grave sin for all to see. The Church has a moral duty to correct them and NOT allow them to scandalize the faithful. Martin doesn't like correction, in fact, not once in his entire book does he call homosexual acts sinful nor does he tell the LBGT community that they must repent of homosexual acts because it is a mortal sin. 

Martin twists so many scriptures by leaving out the obvious point...Jesus accepts sinners in love...blah, blah, blah. Jesus of course loves sinners, we are all sinners, but what Jesus said was "go and sin no more". That phrase is never mentioned in Martin's book, or from what I can see on any of his social media outlets. 

Martin wants to "encounter" the sinner and leave them in their sin! I can think of nothing more cruel! It's like spitting in Jesus' face. Jesus loves us all and he wants us to enter Heaven, to do that we must ALL repent of all our sins, whatever they may be. If not, we have only one destination to look forward to. Hell. 

Fr. Martin talks about being "sensitive" to LBGT people by changing our language. 

Quote: "One way to be more sensitive is to consider the language we use. Some bishops have already called for the church to set aside the phrase "objectively disordered" when it comes to describing the homosexual inclination (as it is in the Catechism #2358)."

That is ridiculous! Homosexual acts ARE disordered. The natural order which God made man and woman is for each other- to procreate. That is what is natural to God's creation of man and woman. To be "inclined" to same sex acts is by definition disordered to the natural order! 

It doesn't matter that Fr. Martin says this is "...needlessly hurtful. Saying that one of the deepest parts of a person-the part that gives and receives love is "disordered" in itself is needless cruelty".

It is not 'needlessly hurtful' nor 'needless cruelty'! And too bad if the truth hurts! Lies that lead to Hell will be a whole lot more painful! Martin is clueless as to what true love is. Love is not the lust of sex, love is about wanting to get yourself and others to Heaven because that is what Jesus wants for each of us. Eternity with him. There is only one way that can happen- repenting of all our sins, not wallowing in them and crying about hurt feelings because the Church won't condone your sins.

I could go on and on, but I am going to end with what screamed off the pages of this book to me from the first introduction pages to the end of the book. 

It's when Martin brings up the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) which he rightly points to as a story of true compassion. 

Unfortunately, he twists it the wrong way and completely overlooks the point. The Good Samaritan didn't merely "encounter" the poor beaten and robbed man, he helped heal him of his wounds by biding up his wounds and seeing to his care until he was healed. He didn't leave him in the near death state he found him in. 

The Church has always done this for Her wounded. To cure the wound, the Church must tell the person what is sin, so the person can confess the sin and turn from it. Repentance is what we are called to, each one of us! If the person continues in the sin, the wound is never healed. 

Homosexual relationships are one-way tickets to Hell if not repented of, the exact same way fornication and adultery for a heterosexual is.

Fr. James Martin's book spouts about "encountering one another" and "accompanying one another", again I ask to where?  His book never answers, you just keep walking back and forth over this bridge to no where, because sin and the need to repent are never mentioned. 

Just keep on "encountering" each other until Judgement day, see where that bridge leads you.



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Links: 

USBBC on New Ways Ministry: http://www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-028.cfm

Very Rev. John Lankeit: Catholics have ONE choice in this election

There is only one candidate in this 2016 election that Catholics can vote for, and it isn't Hillary Clinton! 

Fantastic homily on voting, abortion, elections and political parties. 

Youtube details: Published on Oct 3, 2016The Catholic Mass is broadcast live at 9 a.m. (Arizona time) each Sunday from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix.
Please help support this critical outreach to our home-bound and elderly Catholics by making a contribution to help offset the costs of producing and broadcasting the Mass:
TV MassDiocese of Phoenix400 E. Monroe St.Phoenix, AZ 85004Or call: (602) 354-2479
Thank you and may God bless you!
Subscribe to the Phoenix Diocese on YouTube for more videos:http://www.youtube.com/phoenixdiocese Like the Phoenix Diocese on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dioceseofpho...Follow @PhoenixDiocese on Twitter: https://twitter.com/phoenixdioceseFollow @PhoenixDiocese on Instagram:http://instagram.com/phoenixdiocese

In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881aDDE5qFY

Catholic nun's traditional kikuyu "wedding" ceremony to the Church

Never seen anything like this nun's ceremony...

Quote: In a rare traditional kikuyu ceremony held at Gititu Catholic Church in Tetu Nyeri County, a catholic nun exchanged wedding vows with the church in a symbolic act to Signify her marriage to the church. Sister Rose Catherine Wambui took a vow to live in the church and dedicate her life to christ's mission. Here’s more from Nyeri. 

In Christ, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


links: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9v21Ad7Rxo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2B9RaFNons

The Biter Bitten

The following is from The Fountain of Catholic Knowledge (copyrighted by Office of Catholic Publications, 1900)... 

  Two young officers, when walking one day in Paris, entered the Church of the Assumption. After having looked at the pictures, the architecture; after having thought of everything excepting God, they were going out, when they perceived a priest wearing a surplice kneeling down close to a confessional. He seemed to be waiting for someone. 

"Look! Do you see that priest?" said one of the young men, laughingly, to his companion. "What is he doing there?" 
"Waiting for you, perhaps," replied the other. 
"Not very probable," answered the first; "but what will you bet that I go up and speak to him?" 
"I bet you will not." 
"And what is more, that I will confess to him?" 
"I bet you will not." 
"I bet that I will. Come, what do you bet?" 
"A good dinner." 
"With champagne?" 
"With champagne." 
"Done!...Agreed!... Wait for me, and watch the manoeuvre." 

    And the foolish young fellow advances boldly to the priest of God. He whispers to him, and he rises immediately, enters the confessional; then the officer goes in at one of the sides and kneels down, just as is always done. 

"Will he ever have the effrontery?" thought the other. And with a smile of admiration on his lips, he sat down to wait for the improvised penitent. 
This went on for about seven or eight minutes, at the end of which he thought the joke had lasted a little too long. At length, after more than a quarter of an hour, the officer rose, came out of the confessional, and left after making a sign to his friend. His face was serious, and he seemed deeply moved. However, he laughed about the adventure with his companion, but would not tell him why he had remained so long. Upon the first excuse he left him and returned home. 

   Two days after, he again entered the Assumption, and, after having prayed for a long time, approached the same confessional where the same priest had just gone in. 

   This time he remained for half an hour; there were tears in his eyes when he came out...Peace and joy were written in his face...He had just received the pardon of his sins...And what was the meaning of all this? and what had happened to him two days before? It happens as follows, and I tell it in the officer's own words: 

   The priest to whom he addressed himself very quickly perceived, by the tone of his penitent, that he was listening to no serious confession. 

"This is all in mockery, monsieur," he said gently, interrupting him. "You are doing wrong; you must not scoff at the things of God nor at His appointed ministers. But I pardon you from my heart, and I pray God to do the same." 

The officer, a little disconcerted, tried to excuse himself. 

"No, no," said the good priest, smiling. "You have done wrong; let us say no more about it. Still, since you have sought me out, allow me to speak to you for a minute, to ask you what you are-what is your calling?" 
"Willingly, father," replied the young man; "I am an officer." 
"Ah! That is a very fine calling. And what is your grade?" 
"I am a sub-lieutenant." 
"And after that what will you become?" 
"I shall be a lieutenant." 
"And afterward?"
"Afterward a captain." 
"And afterward?" 
"A commander; then lieutenant-colonel, then colonel, then general, then lieutenant-general, perhaps." 
"And what age will you be then?" 
"Well, if I have good luck, and if I go to Africa, about forty or forty-five." 
"And do you not intend to marry?" 
"Oh, yes, I shall marry!" 
"Well, then you will become a general and married; and after that what will you become?" 
"After that? Why there is nothing left but the grade of a marshal." 
"And supposing that you should obtain that, what would you do afterward?" 
"Upon my word, I should do nothing more. I should rest with my wife and children." 
"And afterward?" 
"How afterward?" 
The serious tone of the priest troubled the young officer. 
"Ah, well! I shall die afterward." 
"And afterward?" 

The young man shuddered. Of this afterward he never thought. 

"You give me no answer, monsieur." said the confessor gravely. "You are ignorant perhaps, of what will come to pass afterward. You have told me only of what will happen before. But now I will tell you, in my turn, what will happen afterward. After your death, your soul will appear before Jesus Christ, and will be judged, not according to that human glory which will have vanished like a dream, but according to the good or evil it has done. If you have been virtuous, a faithful observer of the laws of God and of His Church; if you have been humble, pure, chaste, just, and merciful to others,-in a word, if you have been a good and faithful Christian, you will be saved, and will enter into the immutable happiness of eternity. If, on the contrary, you have followed the bent of your evil passions; if you have forgotten the services of God; if you have been proud, sensual, negligent, merciless, and unjust,- in a word, if you have not been a true Christian, you will be damned, understand me, monsieur. 
    General, marshal, though you may be, you will be judged by Him who has no respect for persons, and you will hear the thunder of the terrible sentence: 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.' Now I have only one word more to say to you. It was no slight offence to come thus to mock me, face to face. I demand some satisfaction which, as a man of honor, you cannot refuse. 
    I demand, understand me,-I demand that during one week, very night before you sleep, you shall think of what I have just said to you, and shall pronounce these words: 'I shall die; but I laugh at it. After my death I shall be judged; but I laugh at it. After my judgment I shall be eternally damned; but I laugh at it.' 
This is the reparation that I exact. Will you give me your word of honor to that you will not fail to grant it?" 

  His penitent, wholly entangled in the snare he had intended for another, dared not refuse. He promised upon his word of honor to do what was asked from him. 

"Go, then, monsieur," said the priest; "I pardon you from my heart, and I promise to remember you before the throne of God." 

    From a sentiment of loyalty and honor, the young officer performed the penance thus imposed. He made no resistance, and two days after his heart changed, and, sincerely repentant, he returned in good earnest to that confessional which he had entered in jest. He has since become an excellent Christian. 

   If we were wise, we should reflect every day upon the shortness of life, and the unchangeable eternity which awaits us; and by means, we too, should become good and faithful Christians." [end, pg 379-382] 

~~~

I highly recommend watching this excellent episode of The Download which speaks of what awaits people in hell...and a few of the sins, especially betrayal that will send a person to hell.

In Christ,


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 




Link: http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/watch-the-full-show-the-downloadhell-and-traitorous-clergy

image: http://sib-catholic.ru/katolicheskomu-svyashhenniku-v-ssha-prishlos-vyislushat-ispoved-pod-dulom-pistoleta/

RIP Fr. Peter Carota, you will be missed

I am so incredibly sad to hear that Fr. Peter Carota has passed away. 

Here: http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2016/07/08/fr-peter-carota-gone-eternal-reward/

For years I have read his blog "Traditional Catholic Priest" and found so much wisdom, comfort, and solid Catholic teaching in the pages of his posts. 

He will be dearly missed. 

By Father David Nix-In Memoriam: Fr. Peter Carota: http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2016/07/08/memoriam-fr-peter-carota/

Rest in the peace of Christ, Father Carota. 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 

Catholic surfing again...

  My insomnia strikes again and I find myself randomly surfing the Internet and reading email that usually fills my spam file when I should be sleeping. 

Realizing I haven't done a "Catholic surfing" post in nearly a year, I thought I'd put my annoying insomnia to use and write a post about the crap I find when I'm bored and online. Most of its terrible (perhaps this explains some of my insomnia?), but sometimes I find a gem among the rubble that sets things right again.

First up...the sad reality of a family who has decided to have a "non-first Holy Communion" celebration because the parents no longer believe in God, but don't want their child to feel left out of the celebration of all the children who are celebrating their First Holy Communion. 

There is nothing "wonderful" about an "Irish granny" (or any granny) laughing that her grandchild is skipping First Holy Communion to go to an adventure park while his friends are celebrating their First Holy Communion with Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist.  

This is the First Holy Communion card that was altered to remove "God" and "Lord" by the "Irish Granny" and grandfather then sent to their grandchild...

This is a tragic story, but this media outlet and Facebook find it hilarious and "just wonderful". Idiots. 

***

Now this IS "just wonderful"!  An Irish girl uses her First Holy Communion money to feed the homeless... 

For her full story go HERE. 

***

God help me with this next story...

Pope Francis recently met with "influential Youtubers". 

quote: "The conversation with Pope Francis... is the latest example of creators coming together to passionately advocate for issues they believe in, such as creating a more tolerant, empathetic and diverse web. During the meeting with the Pope, these creators raised topics they hope to continue exploring as YouTube role models, including how to counter online hate through tolerance, empathy and education."

Here are a few of the "influential Youtubers" Pope Francis met with who are considered "role models" for youth...

me going insane

This first video is not in English, but giving the finger is a universal language that I am sure even Pope Francis understands. Perhaps Pope Francis will explain how this guy is a "role model" for our youth?

This woman provides videos on how she takes a bath, moisturizes and applies make-up and dresses. Role-model for youth? "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" maybe? 

and a couples first attempt at a music video entitled "Cheap Thrills"...

 Ok, that's enough of that.

***

Moving on to Poland.  
When a Catholic priest said he supported a ban on abortion (that is he actually believes Catholic teaching and mentions it in his homilies), Catholic women got up and walked out of Mass during the priests homily. 

Guess they want their abortions more than they want Jesus.  Thus, making abortion their god by placing it before God and breaking the First Commandment along with the 5th Commandment [thou shall not commit murder]. 

***
That's it for now, I need a refill of black English tea. 


God bless and keep you.
In Christ and trying to sleep,  


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Sources: 

http://www.dailyedge.ie/granny-non-first-holy-communion-card-2797243-May2016/

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/kindhearted-irish-angel-spends-communion-money-on-food-for-homeless-in-dublin-34760694.html

http://www.teenvogue.com/story/pope-youtube

http://crooksandliars.com/2016/05/polish-women-stage-walk-out-catholic-mass

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/command.htm