August 2017 – Brigade of St. Ambrose

Smoke of Satan in The Church Part 2

Smoke of Satan in the Church – Part 2

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him. In love He destined us for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of His will, for the praise of the glory of His grace that he granted us in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

On the evening of Thursday, 29 June 1972, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in the presence of a considerable multitude of the faithful coming from every part of the world, the Holy Father celebrated the Mass and the beginning of the tenth year of his Pontificate as the successor of Saint Peter.

In His Homily referring to the situation of the Church today, the Holy Father affirms that he has a sense that “from some fissure the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God.”

“Protestants are taking the Bible literally and Catholics symbolically.”

To know, love and serve God is every Catholic’s duty, we were created for this reason, and to accomplish this task. At the time of the first covenant the role of the apostles of only true God was handed to Abraham and his offspring, the Israelites. Today this role is on the shoulders of every Catholic. The Catholic Church is the new Israel, built on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, His saints and martyrs, and stands on two pillars: Bible and tradition.

It is hard to love and serve somebody whom we do not know, how can we do the job we are assigned to do if we don’t take time to listen to the one for whom we are supposed to work, serve, and fulfill his requirements to receive a reward. Many Catholics today don’t attempt to get to know God, by studying His word, Sacred Scripture- the best manual for individual and societal life, guide to heaven, only historical book showing our past mistakes and providing flawless solutions crucial to mankind.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church in part one “The Profession of Faith” section one chapter two article 3 paragraph II line 105 says: God is the author of Sacred Scripture. “The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:4 points out how essential for our lives is God’s word; “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Anybody who has read the writings of Saints must acknowledge their great understanding of the Bible.

Saint Basil the Great Bishop, Doctor of the Church, would recall peace and happiness He had enjoyed, singing Psalms, studying Scripture, keeping vigil in prayer, and disciplining his flesh by manual work, from the days of being hermit.

Saint Bede the Venerable, Doctor of the Church, considered the most learned man of his time, spent his life in prayer, observance of the monastic discipline and study of the Sacred Scriptures. It was to the study of the Divine Word that he devoted the whole energy of his soul.

St Benedict Joseph Labré Beggar of Rome, His only possessions, besides his ragged clothes, were two rosaries, and three books: A New Testament, a Breviary, and The Imitation of Christ.

The Church recognized the importance of reading Holy Scripture, only half an hour is required to receive Plenary Indulges. We all are called to sanctity, so why do many Catholics today avoid reading the Bible?

We may blame priests.

But let no one accuse, let no one rebuke; with you is my dispute, priest! You will stumble in the day, and the prophet will stumble with you at night; I will make an end of your mother. My people are ruined for lack of knowledge! Since you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as my priest; Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against me, I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of my people, and are greedy for their iniquity. Like people, like priest: I will punish them for their ways, and repay them for their deeds. /Hosea 4:4-9/

We may blame people; parents, friends, ourselves, joining Pope St. Pius X Who once said: “All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics.”

But a lot has to do with the crisis of a smoke of Satan in the temple of God.

The Smoke of the devil is distorting the teachings of the Church, and is influencing our approaches to Holy Scripture.

It is popular among clergy opinion that; Protestants are taking the Bible literally and Catholics symbolically.

If this statement is truthful, all Protestants would recognize the consistency of the Bible and teachings of Catholic Church and become Catholics.

They would learn that Our Lord chose apostles “I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me.” (Luke 22:29), and through them created the entire structure of the Catholic Church on earth with Her head, Vicar of Christ St. Peter, bishop of Rome and first Pope and His successors, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”. (Matthew 16:18)

They would recognize that from those roots grows today’s Catholic Church. Today every ordained Catholic priest can be linked to one of twelve apostles, inheriting duties and powers coming with priesthood. Protestant churches, by breaking away from the Catholic Church, rejected the order established by Our Lord Jesus Christ, broke this continuation, and created a division among Catholics (divide and conquer) and for this reason can’t enjoy streams of God’s mercy, accessible to Catholics through the Catholic Church.

If protestants are taking the Bible literally than they would recognize the consecrated bread as the Body of Christ and consecrated wine as His blood. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

If they are reading Bible and taking literally they would accept and practice the sacrament of penance the way Catholics do, recognizing the powers given to apostles and through them passed on to priests: [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:21-23)

Based on the Bible they should honor and cherish Our Lady Virgin Mary because She is mother of Son of God.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)

Idea of Protestants taking Bible literally and Catholics symbolically is the smoke of Satan and manipulation used to divide Christians, to build up pride, keep protestants enslaved in their religious groups, and to deceive Catholics.

Sadly, many priests, under impression of this misleading assertion proclaimed themselves the one who have a monopoly on understanding, and interpretation of the Holy Scripture. This is dangerous “second-hand smoking.” It is the truth that God called chosen ones to the priesthood so they will be saintly shepherds of His people, but God doesn’t need priests to communicate with His children, especially those who love Him and want to serve Him.

In the most popular book after the Bible, The Imitation of the Christ, Thomas A Kempis, book 3 chapter 43 is passing message from God:

“When thou hast read and learned many things, thou must always return to one first principle.

I am He that teaches man knowledge, and I give unto babes clearer knowledge than can be taught by man. He to whom I speak will be quickly wise and shall grow much in the spirit…“I am He who in an instant lift up the humble spirit, to learn more reasonings of the Eternal Truth, than if a man had studied ten years in the schools. I teach without noise of words, without confusion of opinions, without striving after honour, without clash of arguments.

The voice of books is one, but it informeth not all alike; because I inwardly am the Teacher of truth, the Searcher of the heart, the Discerner of the thoughts, the Mover of actions, distributing to each man,
as I judge meet.”

St. Therese of Lisieux in her autobiography “The story of a soul” is saying: “The path I trod was so bright and straight that I felt I needed no guide but Jesus. I considered spiritual director were like mirrors which faithfully reflected the light of Jesus into souls, but I thought that God needed no intermediary where I was concerned. He dealt with me direct!”

Many priests unknowingly are suppressing the reading of the Holy Scripture and promoting the rule “don’t try this at home” applied to the Bible. In effect, many Catholic won’t read the Bible, and many have a great excuse to not read, even among clergy there are many who didn’t read the entire Holy Scripture.

A little professional pride creating so much damage.

St. Ephrem Doctor of the Church who had not studied and knew only his own language, but he had absorbed Holy Scripture and profited from his intelligence of it. It is he who wrote:” You do not understand all that you read there? If you were traveling and, being thirsty, came upon a spring of fresh water, would you be incensed because you could not drink all of it? No, you would be happy that, on another journey, the spring would still be there to quench your thirst.”

What a beautiful and encouraging statement.

Holy Scripture should be read in search for truth, wisdom, and a way to serve God, with pure intentions and pure harts, keeping in mind important warnings:

Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation. (Peter 1:20)

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! (Galatians 1:8)

To be continued.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Bishop and Doctor of the Church
(1696-1787)
Feast – August 2
Saint Alphonsus was born in Marianella, near Naples, then part of the Kingdom of Naples, in 1696. He was the eldest of seven children of Giuseppe and Anna Cavalieri Liguori. Two days after he was born, he was baptized at the Church of Our Lady the Virgin as Alphonsus Mary Anthony John Cosmas Damian Michael Gaspard de’ Liguori. The family was of noble and ancient lineage. Alphonsus’s father, Don Joseph de’ Liguori, was a naval officer and Captain of the Royal Galleys. His mother was of Spanish descent.

Saint Alphonsus, like so many saints, had an excellent father and a saintly mother. Don Joseph de’ Liguori had his faults. He was somewhat worldly and ambitious, at any rate for his son, and was rough tempered when opposed. However, he was a man of genuine faith, piety and stainless life, and he meant his son to be the same. Even when taking him into society in order to arrange a good marriage for him, he wished Alphonsus to put God first, and every year father and son would make a retreat together in some religious house. Alphonsus, assisted by divine grace, did not disappoint his father’s care. His spiritual formation was entrusted to the Oratorian Fathers of that city, and from his boyhood Alphonsus was known as a very devout little Brother of the Minor Oratory. A pure and modest boyhood passed into a manhood without reproach. A companion, Balthasar Cito, who afterwards became a distinguished judge, was asked in later years if Alphonsus had ever shown signs of levity in his youth. He answered emphatically: “Never! It would be a sacrilege to say otherwise.” The Saint’s confessor declared that he preserved his baptismal innocence till death. Alphonsus received his doctorate at the age of sixteen. When he was 18, like many other nobles, he joined the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mercy with whom he assisted in the care of the sick at the hospital for “incurables.”

Still there was a time of danger, by the age nineteen he was practicing law. There can be little doubt but that the young Alphonsus with his high spirits and strong character was ardently attached to his profession, and was on the way to be spoiled by the success and popularity which it brought. About the year 1722, when he was twenty-six years old, he began to go constantly into society, to neglect prayer and the practices of piety which had been an integral part of his life, and to take pleasure in the attention with which he was received everywhere.

“Banquets, entertainments, theatres,” he wrote later on–“these are the pleasures of the world, but pleasures which are filled with the bitterness of gall and sharp thorns. Believe me who have experienced it, and now weep over it.”

A mistake, however, by which he lost an important case, showed him the vanity of human fame and glory. For three days, he refused all food. Then the storm subsided, and he began to see that his humiliation had been sent him by God to break down his pride and wean him from the world. Confident that some special sacrifice was required of him, though he did not yet know what, he did not return to his profession, but spent his days in prayer, seeking to know God’s will. Visiting the local Hospital for Incurables on August 28, 1723, he had a vision and was told to consecrate his life solely to God.

He was ordained on 21 December 1726. He lived his first years as a priest with the homeless and the marginalized youth of Naples. He became very popular because of his plain and simple preaching. He said, “I have never preached a sermon which the poorest old woman in the congregation could not understand.” His father stopped in a church to pray one day, and amazed, heard his son preaching; he suddenly saw clearly how God had marvelously elevated his son, and was filled with joy, saying, “My son has made God known to me!”

As for Alphonsus, he loved and devoted himself to the most neglected souls in the region of Naples. He was a very perfect confessor, and wrote a manual which has been used ever since for the instruction of those who administer the sacrament of Penance. He founded the Evening Chapels, which were managed by the young people themselves. The chapels were centers of prayer and piety, preaching, community, social activities and education. At the time of his death, there were 72, with over 10,000 active participants. His sermons were very effective at converting those who had been alienated from their faith. A musician of the first rank, Saint Alphonsus gave up his instruments to devote himself more perfectly to his apostolic labors; he nonetheless composed joyous religious hymns for the poor folk he heard singing in the streets, that they might glorify God and not waste their voices and efforts in vain and worldly songs.

In April 1729, Alphonsus went to live at the “Chiflese College,” founded in Naples by Father Matthew Ripa, the Apostle of China. There he met Bishop Thomas Falcoia, founder of the Congregation of Pious Workers. This lifelong friendship aided Alphonsus, as did his association with a mystic, Sister Mary Celeste. With their aid, Alphonsus founded on November 9, 1732 the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer dedicated to evangelization of the poor.

He refused to become the bishop of Palermo, but in 1762 had to accept the see of St. Agatha of the Goths near Naples due to Papal command. He tried to refuse the appointment by using his age and infirmities as arguments against his consecration. At the age of sixty-six he undertook the reform of his diocese with the zeal of a Saint. He made a vow never to waste a moment of time, and thus his life was spent in prayer and work. Here with 30,000 uninstructed people, 400 mostly indifferent and sometimes scandalous secular clergy, and seventeen more or less relaxed religious houses to look after, in a field so overgrown with weeds that they seemed the only crop, he wept and prayed and spent days and nights in unremitting labor for thirteen years. More than once he faced assassination unmoved. In a riot which took place during the terrible famine that fell upon Southern Italy in 1764, he saved the life of the syndic of St. Agatha by offering his own to the mob. He addressed ecclesiastical abuses in the diocese, reformed the seminary and spiritually rehabilitated the clergy and faithful. He suspended those priests who celebrated Mass in less than 15 minutes. He sold his carriage and episcopal ring to give the money to the poor. He wrote sermons, books, and articles. These volumes were filled with such great science, unction, and wisdom that in 1871 he was declared by Pius IX a Doctor of the Church. Saint Alphonsus wrote his first book at the age of forty-nine, and in his eighty-third year had published about sixty volumes; at that time, his director forbade him to continue writing. The best known of his books is his volume entitled The Glories of Mary, by which he exalts the graces and narrates the wondrous deeds of mercy of the Mother of God for those who invoke Her. Very many of these books were written in the half hours snatched from his labors as a missionary, as a religious Superior, and finally as a Bishop, often in the midst of unrelenting bodily and mental sufferings. With his left hand he would hold a piece of marble against his aching head, while his right hand wrote. Yet he counted no time lost which was spent in charity. He did not refuse to maintain a long correspondence with a simple soldier who asked for his advice, or to play the harpsichord in his declining years, while he taught his novices to sing spiritual canticles.

His austerities were rigorous, and he suffered daily the pain from rheumatism that was beginning to deform his body. He spent several years having to drink from tubes because his head was so bent forward, so bent was it in the beginning, that the pressure of his chin produced a dangerous wound in the chest. Eight times during his long life, without counting his last sickness, the Saint received the sacraments of the dying, but the worst of all his illnesses was a terrible attack of rheumatic fever during his episcopate, an attack which lasted from May, 1768, to June, 1769, and left him paralyzed to the end of his days. It was this which gave St. Alphonsus the bent head which we notice in the portraits of him.

Saint Alphonsus suffered from scruples much of his adult life and felt guilty about the most minor issues relating to sin. Moreover, the saint viewed scruples as a blessing at times and wrote: “Scruples are useful in the beginning of conversion…. they cleanse the soul, and at the same time make it careful.”

He lived in times of religious laxity, and met with many persecutions and disappointments. During his last seven years he was prevented by constant sickness from offering the adorable Sacrifice, but he received Holy Communion daily, and his love for Jesus Christ and his trust in Mary’s prayers sustained him to the end. He died in 1787, in his ninety-first year.

Alphonsus’ greatest contribution to the Church was in the area of moral theology. His masterpiece was The Moral Theology (1748), which was approved by the Pope himself and was born of Alphonsus’ pastoral experience, his ability to respond to the practical questions posed by the faithful and his contact with their everyday problems. A prolific writer, he published nine editions of his Moral Theology in his lifetime, in addition to other devotional and ascetic works and letters. Among his best-known works are The Glories of Mary and The Way of the Cross, the latter still used in parishes during Lenten devotions.

He was canonized in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871. One of the most widely read Catholic authors, he is the patron saint of confessors.

[1] “Saint Alphonsus Liguori – Lives of the Saints,” Magnificat, 24 February 2016. [Online]. Available: http://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_alphonsus_liguori.html. [Accessed 2 August 2017].
[2] “Alphonsus Maria de’Liguori,” Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonsus_Maria_de%27_Liguori. [Accessed 2 August 2017].
[3] “St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori,” Catholic Online, [Online]. Available: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1284. [Accessed 2 August 2017].
[4] “St. Alphonsus Liguori,” New Advent, [Online]. Available: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01334a.htm. [Accessed 2 August 2017].