Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Judith,
Chapter 4, Verse 1-2
1 When the Israelites who lived in Judea
heard of all that Holofernes, the ranking general of Nebuchadnezzar king of the
Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had looted all their shrines
and utterly destroyed them, 2 they were in very great fear of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem
and the temple of the Lord, their God.
Join the resistance! No not the worldly one but the
resistance to all that is evil. Godly resistance is much different than the
guttural “take no prisoners” of modern time’s resistance promogated by the unhinged
media, politicians, news outlets, TV and social media platforms.
·
The
Israelites’ reaction to invasion differs from their neighbors in two respects:
The nature of their fear and their response.
·
Their
fear is not only for themselves but primarily for Jerusalem and the temple of
the Lord.
·
Most
secularists surrender to evil with joy; but the holy prepare to defend its most
precious possession: faith and trust in He who is.
·
We
must prepare to defend the mountain passes by defending our faith
·
However,
the most important preparation for siege is spiritual through prayer and
fasting.
·
Note
Mary the Mother of Christ via Fatima apparitions tell us that we like the
Israelites must continue in prayer,
making reparation and consecration to God.
·
The
key is cry unto the Lord.
Judith
was a holy widow. She wore haircloth and fasted almost every day. She
spent most of her time in a chamber of her home, praying. The land of Israel
was in distress, being under siege by Holofernes. It is when Israel is in it's
greatest need that she comes forth from the chamber to save them by her
intercession. This is symbolic of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her victory over
Satan in the very last days to come. What is most interesting and noteworthy is
the talk she gave to the leaders of the people. Her words apply to us in the
latter days of this great apostasy from the Catholic faith. We should pay heed
and learn from her as they are words Our Lady would no doubt address to each of
us: Have patience, be humble, pray to God for mercy, it was our fathers that
drew down this chastisement upon us: Our part is to suffer these tribulations
as penance for our sins. It is for our sanctification.
Judith
was symbolic of the Virgin Mary
And
they came to her, and she said to them: What
is this word, by which Ozias hath consented to give up the city to the
Assyrians, if within five days there come no aid to us? And who are you that tempt the Lord?
This is not a word that may draw down
mercy, but rather that may stir up wrath, and enkindle indignation. You have
set a time for the mercy of the Lord, and you have appointed him a day,
according to your pleasure. But forasmuch as the Lord is patient, let us
be penitent for this same thing, and with many tears let us beg his
pardon: For God will not threaten like man, nor be inflamed to anger like the
son of man. And therefore let us humble our souls before him, and continuing in
an humble spirit, in his service: Let us ask the Lord with tears, that
according to his will so he would shew his mercy to us: that as our heart
is troubled by their pride, so also we may glorify in our humility. For
we have not followed the sins of our fathers, who forsook their God, and
worshiped strange gods. For which crime they were given up to their enemies, to
the sword, and to pillage, and to confusion: but we know no other God but
him. Let us humbly wait for his consolation, and the Lord our God will
require our blood of the afflictions of our enemies, and he will humble all the
nations that shall rise up against us, and bring them to disgrace. And
now, brethren, as you are the ancients among the people of God, and their very
soul resteth upon you: comfort their hearts by your speech, that they may be
mindful how our fathers were tempted that they might be proved, whether they
worshiped their God truly. They must
remember how our father Abraham was tempted, and being proved by many
tribulations, was made the friend of God. So, Isaac, so Jacob, so Moses,
and all that have pleased God, passed through many tribulations, remaining
faithful. But they that did not receive the trials with the
fear of the Lord, but uttered their impatience and the reproach of their
murmuring against the Lord, Were destroyed by the destroyer, and perished by
serpents. As for us therefore let us not revenge ourselves for these things
which we suffer. But esteeming these very punishments to be less than our
sins deserve, let us believe that these scourges of the Lord, with which like
servants we are chastised, have happened for our amendment, and not for our destruction.
And Ozias and the ancients said to her: All things which thou hast spoken are
true, and there is nothing to be reprehended in thy words. Now therefore
pray for us, for thou art a holy woman, and one fearing God. JUDITH 8, 10-34
As
Bishop of Phoenix, I begin this
letter with a clarion call and clear charge to you, my sons and brothers in
Christ: Men, do not hesitate to engage in the battle that is raging around you,
the battle that is wounding our children and families, the battle that is
distorting the dignity of both women and men. This battle is often hidden, but
the battle is real. It is primarily spiritual, but it is progressively killing
the remaining Christian ethos in our society and culture, and even in our own
homes. If
we fail to enter the breach in the wall of faith:
Young Catholic men
will have a devastating impact on the Church in America in the coming decades,
as older men pass away and young men fail to remain and marry in the Church,
accelerating the losses that have already occurred.
The world is under
attack by Satan, as our Lord said it would be (cf. 1 Pt 5:8–14). This battle is
occurring in the Church herself, and the devastation is all too evident. Since
AD 2000, fourteen million Catholics have left the Faith, parish religious education
of children has dropped by 24 percent, Catholic school attendance has dropped
by 19 percent, infant baptism has dropped by 28 percent, adult baptism has
dropped by 31 percent, and sacramental Catholic marriages have dropped by 41
percent. This is a serious breach, a gaping hole in Christ’s battle lines. So,
I call upon you to open your minds and hearts to Him, the Savior who
strengthens you to step into the breach!
A Call to Battle
Sometimes we are tempted
to follow any leader who is popular. We forget God’s warning about following
the proud and evil hearted, for lo, the day is coming, blazing like an
oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is
coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the
LORD of hosts. (Mal 3: 19) We may think that following the leadership of
our bishops is a waste of time. You have said, “It is useless to serve
God; what do we gain by observing God’s requirements, and by going about as
mourners-before the LORD of hosts? But we call the arrogant blessed;
for evildoers not only prosper but even test God and escape.” (Mal
3:14-15) God knows the heart of a man and if his heart be true God raises that
man up as He did Joshua and Moses. God is not a God of the past and continues
to this day in the action of raising a man up and He does so in our Priests and
Bishops. Just like an architect that uses rocks and sticks to become temples or
bridges God uses men to build his Kingdom. Strive therefore to be God’s man or
woman. Emulate Joshua in proclaiming, if it is displeasing to you to serve
the LORD, choose today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors served
beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15).
What
practices can help us to take up our cross and follow our King?
If we think of soldiers who do not remain in
strong physical and mental shape and who fail to practice the essential combat
arts, we know they will not be ready for battle and will be a danger to
themselves and their comrades in arms. The same is true for Catholic men; those
who do not prepare and strengthen themselves for spiritual combat are incapable
of filling the breach for Christ. While there are many habits and devotions
that a Catholic man can form, I charge you with keeping these seven basic
practices on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. If these practices are not
(yet) part of your life, start now!
1. Pray every day. Each Catholic man must start his day with prayer. It is
said, “Until you realize that prayer is the most important thing in life, you
will never have time for prayer.” Without prayer, a man is like a soldier who
lacks food, water, and ammunition. Set aside some time to speak with God first
thing each morning. Pray the three prayers essential to the Catholic faith: the
Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. Pray also at every meal. Before
food or drink touches your lips, make the Sign of the Cross, say the “Bless us,
O Lord” prayer, and end with the Sign of the Cross. Do this no matter where you
are, with whom or how much you are eating. Never be shy or ashamed about
praying over meals. Never deny Christ the gratitude that is due to Him. Praying
as a Catholic man before every meal is a simple but powerful way to keep strong
and fill the breach.
2. Examine your conscience before
going to sleep. Take a few moments to review the day, including both
your blessings and sins. Give God thanks for blessings and ask forgiveness for
sins. Say an Act of Contrition.
3.Go to Mass. Despite the fact that
attending weekly Mass is a Precept of the Church, only about one in three
Catholic men attend Sunday Mass. For large numbers of Catholic men, their
neglect to attend Mass is a grave sin, a sin that puts them in mortal danger.
The Mass is a refuge in the Spiritual Battle, where Catholic men meet their
King, hear His commands, and become strengthened with the Bread of Life. Every
Mass is a miracle where Jesus Christ is fully present, a miracle that is the
highpoint not only of the week, but of our entire lives on Earth. In the Mass,
a man gives thanks to God for his many blessings and hears Christ send him
again into the world to build the Kingdom of God. Fathers who lead their
children to Mass are helping in a very real way to ensure their eternal
salvation.
4. Read the Bible. As St. Jerome so clearly
tells us, “Ignorance of the Sacred Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” When we
read God’s word, Jesus is present. Married men, read with your wife and your
children. If a man’s children see him read the Scriptures, they are more likely
to remain in the Faith. My brothers in Christ, this I can assure you: men who
read the Bible grow in grace, wisdom, and peace.
5. Keep the Sabbath. From the creation of Adam
and Eve, God the Father established a weekly cycle ending with the Sabbath. He
gave us the Sabbath to ensure that one day out of seven we will give thanks to
God, rest, and be refreshed. In
the Ten Commandments, God asserts anew the importance of keeping the Sabbath.
With today’s constant barrage of buying and selling and the cacophony of noisy
media, the Sabbath is God’s respite from the storm. As Catholic men, you must begin, or deepen, keeping the
holiness of the Sabbath. If you are married, you must lead your wives and children to do
the same. Dedicate the day to rest and true recreation, and avoid work that is
not necessary. Spend time with family, attend Mass, and enjoy the gift of the
day.
6.Go to Confession. At the very start of
Christ’s public ministry, Jesus calls on all men to repent. Without repentance
from sin, there can be no healing or forgiveness, and there will be no Heaven.
Large numbers of Catholic men are in grave mortal danger, particularly given
the epidemic levels of pornography consumption and the sin of masturbation. My
brothers get to Confession now! Our Lord Jesus Christ is a merciful King who
will forgive those who humbly confess their sins. He will not forgive those who
refuse. Open your soul to the gift of our Lord’s mercy!
7. Build fraternity with other
Catholic men.
Catholic friendship among men has a dramatic impact on their faith lives. Men
who have bonds of brotherhood with other Catholic men pray more, go to Mass and
Confession more frequently, read the Scriptures more often, and are more active
in the Faith. Proverbs tells us: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”
(27:17). I call on each of our priests and deacons to draw men together in
their parishes and to begin to rebuild a vibrant and transforming Catholic
fraternity. I call on laymen to form small fellowship groups for mutual support
and growth in the faith. There is no friendship like having a friend in Christ.
Daily Devotions
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