Smoke of Satan in The Church – Part 6

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.” See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)
On the evening of Thursday, the 29th of 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.”
Many Catholic’s are concerned about climate change, global warming, CO2, or a shortage of water. Many would like to have free healthcare, others want subsidized flood insurance or some other form of government assistance to calm their worries, eliminate risk and most importantly, to eradicate the consequences of their own decisions and actions. They are willing to hire politicians holding positions contrary to the teachings of Catholic Church and basic Christian values in exchange for the promise of security.
The Catholic Church teaches that God oversees everything, so why worry about Global Warming?
If God wants to, He can change the climate at will. He is the one who created the world and designed everything.
In elementary school, children are taught that CO2 is the source of carbon for trees and other vegetation. Without CO2 there would be no trees to hug, no fruits and vegetables for vegans and there would be no meat either. CO2 is not a pollutant, it is one of many great gifts from God.
Then why are many Catholics falling into the devil’s trap? Wouldn’t it be enough to look at who is behind all these scares and promoting these theories? If we would take a look at the leaders of these movements, we can easily find out that majority of them are socialists, fascists, communist, promoters of abortion, gay marriage and other abominations. All of them hold views in opposition to the teachings of the Church.
If a Catholic by reading and studying a non-Catholic Bible or attending non-Catholic worship is opening himself to false teachings and is committing a sin against the faith, isn’t a Catholic similarly sinning by accepting the pagan world’s Global Warming theory?
In the past, Saints such as Athanasius, Ambrose, Augustine, Bonaventure, Alphonsus Liguori, Francis de Sales, Thomas Aquinas, John of the Cross and many others, who are recognized today as Doctors of the Church, guarded the purity of the Catholic Church’s teachings against heresies, manipulations and harmful influences of other religious and secular philosophies. Blessed Pope Pius IX issued the Syllabus of Errors in opposition to the high tide of intellectual movements of the nineteenth century which strove to sweep away the foundations of all human and Divine order. Pope St. Pius X continued this battle and ordered that all clerics take the Sacrorum antistitum, an oath against Modernism. Today significant percent, maybe even majority of Catholics accept the so called climate change as a serious problem, worthy of talking about and taking steps to stop it or at least slow it down. They are like little ants stuck between the platform of semi-truck and its 30-ton load, claiming that they can change the course of a moving semi-truck. It is ridiculous on one side and at the same time tragic because among many of the solutions to solve this “problem,” the driver of the truck, God, the only one who can do it, is omitted. For Christians, especially Catholics, the first reaction should be to get on knees and pray to God for mercy, knowledge of His will, and guides for action and making corrections in life on a personal and societal level, in order to please God and convince Him to change course. Rosary Crusades, Eucharistic processions and an increase of pious practices is the Catholic way in times of struggle and crisis.
Why are these alarmists like Al Gore and so many other so-called scientists, who proclaimed Global Cooling in 1970, Global Warming in 1990 and 2000, and finally Climate Change in 2018 as a serious problem, aren’t calling for national or global prayer. General Patton in December of 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, ordered Chaplain O’Neill to write a prayer for good weather and to give a copy to each member of the Third Army and it worked.
Instead they are proposing carbon taxes, limitation of carbon emissions, unreliable and economically insufficient so-call alternative sources of energy like windmills and solar panels. The answer is simple, Satan is the architect of this scam. That is why there is no call for prayer, but rather a call to limit people’s rights, freedoms and ability to serve God and society according to their given talents. The plan is to separate people from God by creating false scares and promoting manmade solutions. Solutions which never solve problems, not in the past and not in the future. The government run retirement plan is not enough to live on, the war on poverty didn’t eliminate poverty, and people on welfare programs are not faring well. All of these so call solutions have side effects, slowly replacing God’s law with man’s law, faith in God with faith in government, turning Christians into Christians in name only and eventually to neopagans.
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5)
Why are we, as Catholics, falling into such obvious, easy to spot traps?
The answer is simple: “The Smoke of the devil is distorting the teachings of the Church.”
Know, love and serve.
Among Catholics attending regularly Sunday Mass, listening to reading from the Bible and sermons of priests, we will find some who are not satisfied, they want more. They are searching for God by studying Holy Scripture, religious books, attending lectures in order to get to know Him. They are praying more than others, creating a relationship with God, striving to love God. They are active in parishes, joining Catholic organizations. It seems like they are fulfilling all three requirements to know, love and serve God. What about rest of us, why are the majority of us not following a similar path?
The answer is in the prologue of the actual Catechism where we are reading “The life of man-to know and love God”
According to the Baltimore Catechism*, God made us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.
In the new Catechism, serving God is included, but is not recognized as a crucial part of path too salvation. For example, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church it is written: “Called to beatitude but wounded by sin, man stands in need of salvation from God. Divine help comes to him in Christ through the law that guides him and the grace that sustains him:” (1949) Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.1 Phil 2:12-13.”
Working out our own salvation- serving God is not a point, but is in the quote accompanying it from the First letter of St. Paul to Philippians.
As a consequence of small changes, the necessity of serving God is taken lightly and often ignored. Today the road to heaven generally speaking is: attending Mass on obligatory days, prayer, avoid breaking God’s Commandments, if you fail go to confession, and love God. We will be judge by the Love of God we are hearing.
Teachings of the Catholic Church are based on the Holy Bible and Apostolic tradition. For us Catholics, Holy Scripture should be the first source of guidance supplying us with information necessary to understand current events and to help recognize and follow the Will of God.
The Bible is full of examples showing benefits arising from serving God and the catastrophic consequences of failing to do so.
The best example is Adam. Adam was put in charge of the Garden of Eden: The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. (Genesis 2:15). As long as Adam was doing his job everything was fine, but when he lowered his guard, the snake (Satan) was able to persuade Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Satan alone wouldn’t be able to persuade Adam to disobey God’s order, so he started with Eve and by committing a sin, she was enslaved to Satan as his servant. She was the one who convinced Adam, not Satan.
Adam failed, he failed to serve God, didn’t protect the Garden of Eden, didn’t watch over Eve, and finally disobeyed God. Consequently evil was invited to the world, since then an ocean of blood has been shed, and suffering and tears have replaced happiness and joy.
At the same time, we have countless inspiring examples of those who succeeded: Noah built the ark, seventy year old Abram (Abraham) left the land of his fathers, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt; all the saints and the prophets of the Old Testament were doing the will of God. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Virgin Mary declared when the Archangel Gabriel announced to Her the Conception of Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus, son of God, God is saying in John 10:17-18 “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
In chapter 12:49 “because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.” and in Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”
Both, Mary and Jesus were serving God the Father fulfilling His will. Apostles after receiving the Holy Spirit opened their locked doors, went outside and with the zeal of maniacs proclaimed the good news of the Gospel. We are often encouraged to look at and follow examples of Saints. All of them were people of action, they were warriors of God, each of them according to the need of their time and place. God, through the Apostles and Fathers of the Church, gave the Church shape, Doctors healed Her wounds, others converted nonbelievers, bringing back Her lost children. All of them were martyrs, those who shed their blood and those who did not; they sacrificed and surrendered their lives by heroically serving God.
Is serving God necessary for salvation?
Our Lord Jesus answered this question in Matthew 7:21- 23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, o ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”
Each of us, according to our position and situation, is obligated to serve God. The ways of serving differ depending on whether one is a priest, politician, entrepreneur, teacher, factory worker, single, married, mother, father, etc. Each of us is walks a different path, facing different challenges and circumstances, in which we are supposed to act guided by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 12:4-6 writes: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.”
To receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord, we must be willing to serve God, but not like those who would prophesy, drive out demons, do mighty deeds in the Lord’s name for their own glory and prestige. According to tradition, each Catholic, by receiving the sacrament of confirmation, becomes a soldier of Christ, but if somebody doesn’t want to cooperate with God’s grace, and doesn’t want to do the will of God, doesn’t want to serve God he becomes a deserter and shouldn’t expect the gifts of the Holy Spirit (who would give weapons to a deserter?) and consequently shouldn’t expect to reach eternal happiness in Heaven. “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6)
The Jewish exorcists described in Acts 19:13-16 were acting in Jesus’s name too: Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” When the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, tried to do this, the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I recognize, Paul I know, but who are you?” The person with the evil spirit then sprang at them and subdued them all. He so overpowered them that they fled naked and wounded from that house.
To better understand the importance of serving God we have to return to the basic teachings of the Church, in the concise letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the high places.”
St. John -Baptiste-Marie Vianney in his sermon “We must expect temptation” is saying; “If you ask me what is the cause of our temptations, I shall tell you that it is the beauty and the great worth and importance of our souls which the Devil values and which he loves so much that he would consent to suffer two Hells, if necessary, if by so doing he could drag our souls into Hell.”
The reality is that every aspect of our lives, circumstances, considerations, decisions and every action we take are a part of spiritual warfare. Nothing is accidental or without its consequences. The term “spiritual warfare” comes from the fact that the Devil has no body, but the war he is imposing on us is not limited to our spirituality.
In a famous vison on October 13, 1884 which inspired Pope Leo XIII to compose the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, Satan approached the throne of God, boasting that he could destroy the Church. According to the Pope the Lord reminded him that his Church was imperishable. Satan then replied, “Grant me one century and more power over those who will serve me, and I will destroy it.” Our Lord granted him 100 years.
The Lord then revealed the events of the 20th century to the Pope. He saw wars, immorality, genocide and apostasy on a large scale.
The Devil, Satan, and Demons are spiritual creatures not limited by a physical body; they don’t need an open door to enter a room and there are no physical barriers which can stop them, they can go into our heads and our hearts and this way their actions can materialize. In the vision of Pope Leo XIII, Satan didn’t ask God for more power in general, he ask for more power over those who will serve him. St. Alphonsus Maria De Liguori, Doctor of the Church in his book “Preparation for Death” identifies that a servant of Satan is more dangerous then Satan himself. Today, like in the past, there are legions of servants of the Devil, a majority of them unaware, like those who crucified our Lord.
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
Only God can stop them, but we must, by our faith, our cooperation, and our service, give Him a reason to do so. We must cooperate with God’s grace.
Over two thousand years ago the words of our Lady, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” became the key to the gates of Heaven. Jesus dying on the Cross opened them, and through our service we can keep those gates open for us, our children, and future generations.
We sin because of our human nature.
A majority of us Catholics have heard that people sin because of our human nature, our fallen nature wounded by original sin.
Everything, material or not material has characteristic elements and aspects which allow us to categorize them under common names. For example: a hammer is a tool. There are different hammers but all of them consist of a weighted “head” affixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. We may say by that definition: a weighted “head” affixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object” describes the nature of this tool.
Every Catholic learns in catechism classes that we are a creation of God. Only God can create something from nothing or turn the dust of the ground into a man, not Charles Darwin. God gives us a body, He gives us our soul and our human nature, fundamental dispositions and traits of humans. It all comes from God and thus must be good; “God created mankind in his image… God looked at everything he had made and found it very good.” (Genesis 1:26-31)
Every catholic is obligated to accept the revelations of the Holy Bible, thus as good Catholics we must recognize that human nature is not to be blamed for our sins. Many will say that as a consequence of original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, human nature is disturbed, wounded and for this reason causes us to sin.
In the Baltimore Catechism #3 lesson 14 on baptism it is written: “Baptism is a Sacrament which cleanses us from original sin, makes us Christians, children of God, and heirs of heaven.”
From the official updated Catechism of Catholic Church we are taught that: Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.”(1213)
Many may remember the movie “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson, based on the private revelations of Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich, the Roman Catholic Augustinian Canoness Regular of Windesheim, mystic, Marian visionary, ecstatic and stigmatist. On the way to Calvary Jesus says to His mother, Mary; “See mother I make all things new.”
On December 4th, 1976 our Lady told Fr. Stefano Gobbi “My son Jesus gave you life forever at the very hour when He was slain on the Cross. At the moment of His death, He set all of you free from death.”(To the Priests our Lady’s Beloved Sons)
On June 14th of the same year our Lord explaining the reason for Satan’s hatred of human nature to the Italian Roman Catholic priest Ottavio Michelini, who is considered to be a mystic, said: “from human nature sprang the root of Jesse; for human nature the Word was made flesh, associating his divine nature to the human, in the person of Christ. Human nature, mortally wounded, fallen under the tyranny of Satan, was delivered and elevated; it was restored to its primitive dignity, brutally trodden under foot and destroyed through deceit; “if you eat of this fruit you will be equal to God.” (Confidences of Jesus to a priest, book III Deliver us from the evil one)
The teachings of the Catholic Church, based on the Holy Bible and supported by personal revelations, says that a Catholic cannot blame human nature for the sins he commits.
God allows us to commit the same sins again and again to make us humble.
To expose the falsehood of this popular opinion circling among Catholics we have to go to the basic teachings on the Sacrament of Penance. The Sacrament of Penance in which the sins committed after Baptism are forgiven was established by our Lord Jesus after His resurrection during His appearance to the disciples, described in John 20:21-13: 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.”
The Sacrament of Penance removes sin and restores the friendship of God to the soul by means of the absolution of the priest. Absolution, the form of prayer or words the priest pronounces over us with an uplifted hand when he forgives the sins we have confessed, given while we are saying the Act of Contrition after receiving our Penance. The Sacrament of Penance gives us in our confessor a true friend, to whom we can go in all our trials and to whom we can confide our secrets with the hope of obtaining advice and relief. It shows the goodness of Our Lord, having once saved us through Baptism, He may have left us to perish if we committed a sin again.
At the same time, to receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily we must do five things: examine our conscience, have sorrow for our sins, make a firm resolution to never more to offend God, confess our sins to the priest, and accept the penance the priest gives us.
One of the requirements of worthily receiving the Sacrament of Penance is a firm resolution to never offend God, reflected in the words of Act of Contrition: I firmly resolve/ intend … to amend my life/to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
Some of us may remember from Catechism classes that our aim as members of Christ’s Mystical Body is not merely to avoid mortal sin or venial sin, but to live a more abundant life given to us by Christ. For this reason, we should go to confession regularly, even if we have no mortal sin to confess. We should tell those venial sins for which we are sorry and which we are determined to avoid in the future. Then, during the time until our next confession, we should really work to overcome these sins. This way we are fulfilling the requirements of worthily receiving the Sacrament of Penance and our promises made in Act of Contrition.
Many sins which people tend to commit repeatedly come from bad habits, others from a lack of self-control. The enemy is trying to cancel our confession, to break our promises, and he will do whatever it takes to accomplish this task. Our job is to fight back, to get up after each fall and fight, we may lose this time, but we are learning how to win the next round. It is similar to computer games: to reach the next level we have to learn how to get past the previous, how to avoid traps and find safe passage. Humility is necessary to learn the truth and walk in truth to win in this war for the salvation of our souls.

A Human is the composite of soul and body in the unity of form and matter. This does not seem to be too different from other natural substances. What makes the difference is that the human soul has two faculties, the intellect and the will.
Human free will is the target and reason for so much accommodation. “Endowed with a spiritual soul, with intellect and with free will, the human person is from his very conception ordered to God and destined for eternal beatitude.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1711).
Satan, who before his rebellion was the masterwork of creation hates all men and Christians in particular. He is working hard to separate man from his Creator.
By removing the word serve from the purpose of man’s existence he is redirecting man’s priorities.
Blaming human nature for man’s sins he is shifting the responsibility from himself (the designer of every sin) on to God, the Creator of man’s nature.
The idea of God allowing us to repeatedly commit the same sins again and again to make us humble, allow him to stop man half-way in his spiritual struggle. Examine conscience, have sorrow for sins- humble yourself, confess sins to the priest, accept the penance which the priest gives- mission accomplish. What about a firm resolution to never offend God?
Conclusion
The Smoke of the devil is distorting the teachings of the Church in order to make Catholics lukewarm.
Pope St. Pius X, over a hundred years ago at the beatification ceremony for St. Joan of Arc, warned: “All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics.”
In the book of Revelations 3:15-16 it is written “I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
Hot Saints of God of the past and those among us. Those on pedestals and those hidden in monasteries, holy hermits and holy Popes are inspiring for good.
Cold evildoers like Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot and many others through their actions revealed the true nature and ugliness of their master, Satan and because of its contradiction to human nature were rejected.
The Lukewarm are the fifth column of Satan, working from within, promoting an easy-going lifestyle, salvation for nothing and Heaven’s for free. Discouraging people from following the examples of saints, “can’t fix the world” they say, and they cover up for evildoers: “by de-legalizing abortion you will put at risk the health and life of many women.”
Looking back at the history of different countries, we can see that when the Catholic Church and Christian values flourished, they brought about the greatest prosperity. Medieval ages were not evil like the enemies of Catholic Church suggest.
The Holy Inquisition, because its chief aim was to reconcile heretics to the Church, was much more tolerant and holy than courts in a majority of countries at that time and even today. The real number of victims, over the hundreds of years of its existence, can be compared to one slow day in a German concentration camps during WWII.
Crusaders were giving up comfortable and peaceful earthly lives to gain eternal life: spending a fortune on armor and equipment to defend people’s right to worship the one true God in the Catholic Church. We have to remember that the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam was born in the year 571 AD. Before him, in North Africa, Armenia, Syria and lands of entire Roman Empire Christianity was the leading religion. The number of saints and their lives should prove this to all of us.
Today we bear witness to a great evil conquering the world. Meekness for many is not accepting and following the Will of God, but rather an excuse to stand for nothing and do nothing. Discussions yes, exchanging opinion – yes, complaining – yes, action – forget about it.
In effect a false spirituality limited to good feelings, locked inside the walls of churches is replacing the Service of God.

“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:28-31)

* A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Council of Baltimore, was the official national catechism for children in the United States of America, based on Robert Bellarmine’s 1614 Small Catechism. The first such catechism written for Catholics in North America, it was the standard Catholic school text in the country from 1885 to the late 1960s

Smoke of Satan in the Church – Part 2

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)

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.”

The Smoke of the Satan is distorting the teachings of the Church.

One God, two Gods or one God with two personalities?

In the past, people were naturally drowned by necessity and the challenges of everyday life to God. During times of need, God, not 911, was the first thought on the people’s minds. They were learning how to read and write using the Bible or other religious books. The best source of reliable information and knowledge was their priest. Today we are bombarded through mass media, radio, television, internet, various forms of entertainment, and schools and universities with faithless confusing messages. In many self-proclaimed “scientific” films there are inserts intended to weaken our faith and undermine the authority of the Catholic Church, films proving that David defeating Goliath didn’t required divine intervention, that an identical copy, in every aspect, of the Shrine of Turin can be made by man, or proclaiming Pope Saint Gregory the Great was a brilliant manipulator who created the story of Mary Magdalen to benefit the institution of the Catholic Church. Those are just three examples of manipulation, and indoctrination we are subjected to through “greed free” Public Television.

Simplicity is slowly replaced by “sophistication,” and action by discussion. People are picking what they like and rejecting what they don’t like, starting with clothing and ending with the Bible and teachings of the Catholic Church. There is no more one God. Everybody has his own version of God.

God of Old Testament vs God of New Testament. – Divide and Conquer

In the Nicene Creed, we pray, “We believe in one God.” At the same time for many Catholics, the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. God of the First Covenant is powerful, terrifying, and punishes people for misbehaving. On the other hand, the God of the New Testament is loving, forgiving and merciful.

This may happen only if we neglect our duty to study Holy Scripture and teachings of the Catholic Church.

In Matthew 5;38-42 it is written:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

If we compare it with the opening of the Smoke of Satan in the Church – Part 3, the fragment from Matthew 5:17-20 seems like Our Lord is contradicting Himself. Only 18 verses later He says that old law is wrong. Is it possible?

To bring some clarity and understanding we should step back, like a painter who, after working for a while on a detail, steps back to see the bigger picture.

From the Book of Numbers, we learn that in the second year after the departure from Egypt, Moses was leading a group of over six hundred thousand men over twenty years of age with their families. Even if these families were following the modern European model of two adults with one child, this would give us almost two million people. Anyone who has seen a traditional Jewish family would say a crowd no smaller than three million. At the time Moses was not just the one who was guiding the Israelites through the deserts on the behalf of God, but was also the only authority solving disputes and conflicts by acting on the behalf of God, until his father-in-law came up and told him: “You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. The task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now, listen to me, and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. Act as the people’s representative before God, and bring their disputes to God. Enlighten them in regard to the statutes and instructions, showing them how they are to conduct themselves and what they are to do. But you should also look among all the people for able and God-fearing men, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain, and set them over the people as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”  (Exodus 18:18-21)

In the Book of Exodus Part VI Covenant and the legislation at Mount Sinai, God gives Moses the laws for the Israelites to follow. From chapter 21 verse 24 comes the famous line: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”

If we take the law passed from God through Moses as a part of what we would call today’s judicial guide lines used by authority to solve disputes, and to keep order in society, then it is consistent with what St. Thomas Aquinas writes in Summa Theologiae Question 108. Vengeance Article 1. Whether vengeance is lawful? In Reply to Objection 1, St. Thomas writes, “He who takes vengeance on the wicked in keeping with his rank and position does not usurp what belongs to God but makes use of the power granted him by God. For it is written (Romans 13:4) of the earthly prince that “he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” And he continues, “If, however, a man takes vengeance outside the order of divine appointment, he usurps what is God’s and therefore sins.” We can easily recognize that Our Lord is talking about personal vengeance in Matthew 5:38-42. On many other occasions Our Lord is addressing abuses of the law and clarifying misunderstandings.

St. Thomas Aquinas explain that lawfulness of individual vengeance is limited too: “If, however, the avenger’s intention be directed chiefly to some good, to be obtained by means of the punishment of the person who has sinned (for instance that the sinner may amend, or at least that he may be restrained and others be not disturbed, that justice may be upheld, and God honored), then vengeance may be lawful, provided other due circumstances be observed.”

We may reach the conclusion that the Old Testament at this point is more oriented at God’s children as a group, a society, the offspring of Abraham, the twelve tribes of Israel. The Gospel on the other hand seems more like a guide for an individual.

In the second part of the teachings of Our Lord, in Matthew 5:38-42, it is written:

“When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

If we compare it with God’s teachings in Exodus, Chapter 23; 3-5: “When you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, you must see to it that it is returned. When you notice the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you should not desert him; you must help him with it.”

We will easily recognize that both of those directives are showing different ways to break barriers and bring peace and love to adversaries. In Luke 10:25-28 (The Greatest Commandment) we are reminded that commandment of love of God and neighbor is a law of both the Old and New Testament.

Both the Old and New Testament together are the ultimate guide in spiritual struggles, the struggle between good and evil, where real enemies are not people, but the one who is creating hate and division: the devil.

Do it, or do it not?

In Holy Scripture we can find many more so call “contradictions” which evil forces use to weaken our faith and trust in God, create confusion and influence our actions. Many of us in our conversations and arguments, fell in to the trap of using, in support of our point of view, one excerpt of the Holy Scripture against another.

For example, the two passages:

When I say to the wicked, “You wicked, you must die,” and you do not speak up to warn the wicked about their ways, they shall die in their sins, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. If, however, you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, but they do not, then they shall die in their sins, but you shall save your life.   (Ezekiel 33:8-9)

and

A Brother Who Sins. “If your brother sins, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17)

These passages remind us about our duty to care for the salvation of other people. The second most precious object in the world, after the body of Our Lord in the Holy Sacrament, is the human soul. To instruct the ignorant and admonish the sinners are two spiritual works of mercy listed in Book of Tobias, part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the Council of Hippo (in 393), Councils of Carthage (in 397 and 417), Council of Florence (in 1442) and confirmed for Roman Catholics by the Council of Trent (in 1546).

Then why do so many Christians in response to first two quotes, will almost automatically bring up the verse from Matthew 7:2-5.

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Is it possible that Matthew 7:2-5 cancels the obligation from Ezekiel 33:8-9 and Matthew 18:15-17?

Do we have to be free of sin, like some would suggest, to be suitable to instruct ignorant and admonish the sinners?

Imagine walking down the street, and seeing a man who stepped in dog dung. According to the first two passages from the Scripture and teaching of Catholic Church our duty is to tell the man, “brother you stepped in dog dung”, and maybe offer him a napkin or other form of assistance in taking care of the problem.

Then imagine walking down the street and stepping in dog dung, and then seeing a man about to walk in to one too, or maybe he already stepped in it. Isn’t the right thing to say: “brother be careful, there is dog dung on the sidewalk. I already stepped in some.”

“Stop judging” is an extremely important warning in Matthew 7:2, but recognizing the wrong-doing of others is not necessarily judging, and there is nothing wrong with a humble warning, if motivated by a love of God and neighbor. Catholics should follow the example of the saints, and on the top of the warning offer some form of reparation to God, understanding that we daily lose battle after battle in our spiritual war, and are far from being perfect.

The problem starts when, in contrary to the teachings of our Lord from Luke 18:10-14 (The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) pride will find the place in heart and open it to the influence of the evil one. The truth is that using one passage from Holy Scripture against another comes from the devil, it is a smoke of the devil creating confusion, and in this way stifling our actions.

The truth is that we must struggle to fulfill both mandates, watch our own steps and warn others, because doing the will of our Father in heaven is the way to salvation.   

To be continued.

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.

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.”

How many Catholics have encountered this statement from Pope Paul VI from 1972 and taken the time to think about it, or perhaps we should ask how many priests meditate on it? Let us go little further, how many professors in seminaries refer to this during their classes? Only God knows.

I’m sure that I have never heard a sermon touching this subject nor was it mentioned in my private conversations. The Smoke of Satan is in the temple of God, in the Catholic Church, and nobody is paying any attention to it. The Pope is talking and nobody listens, the Church is under attack, there are casualties and yet nobody is fighting back?

In his homily the Holy Father points at the already visible fruits of the influence of evil forces in the Church. “There is doubt, incertitude, problematic, disquiet, dissatisfaction, confrontation. There is no longer trust of the Church; they trust the first profane prophet who speaks in some journal or some social movement, and they run after him and ask him if he has the formula of true life. And we are not alert to the fact that we are already the owners and masters of the formula of true life. Doubt has entered our consciences, and it entered by windows that should have been open to the light.”

“There is no longer trust of the Church,” and “Doubt has entered our consciences, and it entered by windows that should have been open to the light.” are two key sentences in the Holy Father’s statement to identify the problem.

Trust is a fruit of virtues like reliability and honesty. It is easier to gain trust than lose it. Opinions of a third party may be enough to gain somebody’s trust, but to lose trust, most of the time rumors are not enough; someone who has already gained trust must himself do something to lose it.

The Holy Spirit through Pope Paul VI is showing us where the problem lies, “Doubt has entered our consciences, and it entered by windows that should have been open to the light.”

A window separates the outside and inside world, allowing natural light to come in. Windows with high quality glass will allow a large amount of light to enter the room, and will allow us to clearly see images through them. Muddy glass will limit not just the brightness of light, but will limit our ability to see clearly thus creating false images. In spiritual life the window between man and God is the Catholic Church, with its teachings.

The Smoke of the devil is distorting the teachings of the Church.

Satan and Sin

(smoke of Satan – part 1)

Let us start this series of reflections with the devil himself.
Fr. Bill Casey, a few years back during a conference in Bloomington, IN on spiritual combat “The Devil: Liar and Murderer,” ask the audience the question “How many of you have ever heard Sunday homily in your home parish on the devil?” The answer was none.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in the Ratzinger Report: “Whatever the less discerning theologians may say, the devil, as far as Christian belief is concerned, is a puzzling but real, personal and not merely symbolical presence,”… “He is a powerful reality (the ‘prince of this world,’ as he is called by the New Testament, which continually reminds us of his existence), a baneful superhuman freedom directed against God’s freedom. This is evident if we look realistically at history, with its abyss of ever-new atrocities which cannot be explained by reference to man alone.”

Through the history of the Catholic Church evil spirits and their ability to influence man were always treated seriously.

In the Old Testament we read about the devil portrayed as a snake in the book of Genesis, under the devil’s influence King David had a census, and the devil is present in the book of Job. The Gospel is full of stories where Our Lord casts evil spirits away. In Luke 4:40-41 it is written; “At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many…” Luke 11:14 “He was driving the demon [that was] mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute person spoke…” Worthy of reminder is the second temptation of our Lord in Matthew 16:23, were Satan uses Peter to tempt Jesus, and Our Lord said “Get behind me, Satan!”

These are just several example of many showing the great variety of powers the demons can exercise over people.

St. Peter in his first letter 5, 8-9 writes: “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.”

St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians 6, 12 explains: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the high places.”

There is no Saint who would deny the existence and influence of evil spirits on mankind, all of them have experience its attack.

In St. John Vianney’s sermon – “WE MUST EXPECT TEMPTATION” we read: “’It is most unfortunate for ourselves if we do not know that we are tempted in almost all our actions, at one time by pride, by vanity, by the good opinion which we think people should have of us, at another by jealousy, by hatred and by revenge. At other times, the Devil comes to us with the foulest and most impure images… And even more, since the time of Adam, you will not find a saint who has not been tempted – some in one way, some in another – and the greatest saints are those who have been tempted the most. If Our Lord was tempted, it was in order to show us that we must be also.’ It follows, therefore, that we must expect temptation. If you ask me what is the cause of our temptations, I shall tell you that it is the beauty and the great worth and importance of our souls which the Devil values and which he loves so much that he would consent to suffer two Hells, if necessary, if by so doing he could drag our souls into Hell.”

In The Imitation of Christ book 1 chapter XIII the mystic Thomas a Kempis writes:

“So long as we live in the world, we cannot be without trouble and trial. Wherefore it is written in Job, The life of man upon the earth is a trial. And therefore ought each of us to give heed concerning trials and temptations, and watch unto prayer, lest the devil find occasion to deceive; for he never sleepeth, but goeth about seeking whom he may devour.”

In book 3 chapter VI

“Know thou that thine old enemy altogether striveth to hinder thy pursuit after good, and to deter thee from every godly exercise, to wit, the contemplation of the Saints, the pious remembrance of My passion, the profitable recollection of sin, the keeping of thy own heart, and the steadfast purpose to grow in virtue. He suggested to thee many evil thoughts, that he may work in thee weariness and terror, and so draw thee away from prayer and holy reading. Humble confession displeaseth him, and if he were able he would make thee to cease from Communion.”

And in chapter XV of the same book we are reading: “For not every desire is from the Holy Ghost, although it appear to a man right and good.”

St. Francis tells us that one day God allowed him to see the way in which the Devil tempted his religious, especially in matters of purity. He allowed him to see a band of devils who did nothing but shoot their arrows against his religious.

St. Padre Pio once said: “If all the devils that are here were to take bodily form, they would block out the light of the sun!”

These statements are consistent with testimonies of priests’ exorcists.
In one of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger most celebrated books, Dogma und Verkundigund, we will find that the topic of the devil should be one of the “major themes of preaching.”

Sadly in many sermons and occasions we are told that our body, human nature etc. makes us sin. A certain highly respected professor of a seminary when asked “what makes people evil?” said “it is sin that makes people evil.” A person commits a sin, then this sin leads to the next and eventually it make him evil. The Devil was never mentioned in his explanation, because “evil is not being, bur absence of being.”

This approach is more and more common. Matthew 15: 19 is used to support the no devil theory: “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy.”

At the same time they overlook Matthew 13:24-25: “He proposed another parable to them. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.”

Is it possible that God put the human soul, a soul of great beauty and great worth into an evil body with evil heart, giving it an evil nature? Nobody is born evil, but from the moment of our birth we are under the constant influence of evil spirits, that is why it is extremely important that we live in and raise our kids in a good, Godly environment.

In Preparation for Death –consideration XXXI –- Saint Alphonsus Maria De Liguori is calling wicked companions “ministers of Lucifer “ and pointing out the importance of avoiding the occasion of sin by quoting confessions of the devil:

“Being compelled by exorcisms the devil once confessed that of all sermons, that which displeased him most was the sermon on avoiding the occasions of sin: and justly; for the devil laughs at all the resolutions and promises of penitent sinners who remain in the occasion of sin.”

Only if we recognize that every sin committed by humans one way or another is inspired by the devil, then we may understand the reason why God gave us a second chance. Only in this context does redemption through the sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His plea “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” (Luke 23:34) redemption in the sacrament of penance and the existence of Catholic Church make sense.

In The message of Jesus to the priests, through Ottavio Michelini, Our Lord says:

“A huge mistake of the modern pastoral care is that it does not explain clearly the problem of the Church and of Christian life: God, the Supreme Good! Satan, the Evil! And between them, the man who is the subject of constant struggle.”

Pope Benedict once said: “The devil does not simply stand for ‘sin’; he is not a mere symbol or image; an approach of denial is one authored by Satan himself.”

It is extremely important to clean up the teachings of the Church from the smoke of the devil to avoid creating confusion and to rebuild trust. It is the duty of every Catholic.

To be continued.

On the Inquisition

Part 3 By Raymond de Souza, KM

Answering More Objections

2nd objection: Were the penalties of the Inquisition too harsh?

The answer is simple: if we wish to judge – by modern standards – the penalties inflicted by the Inquisition on heretics and enemies of Church and State, yes, they were undoubtedly severe. Penalties in our time are, more often than not, so lenient that they do not deter crimes, as the ever growing prison population proves ad nauseam. And yet, the penalties were no means harsh in the terms of the standards of the time.
Was the death sentence applied? Yes, it was. However, unlike the practice of the civil courts, the Inquisition often admitted appeals against the sentence, while most civil courts allowed no ap­peal against sentences for certain crimes. Truth is that relatively few encounters with the Inquisition ended at the stake. This was a fate reserved for the relapsed, the impeni­tent, and those convicted of attempting to overturn certain central doctrines of the Church and threaten the stability of the State. But even in these cases lesser forms of punishment often prevailed. The lesser punishments were generally medicinal and spir­itual: public abjurations of error, penances, work in a charitable institution, a cycle of prayers and devotions, pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela or the Holy Land. The goal was the conversion of the heretic, not his destruction.
But who were the ones who were burned alive? That’s the question most often asked. If we leave aside the exaggerations of the anti-Catholic historians, it was only those unrepentant to the end who were burnt alive. The most common execution of dangerous heretics was made by hanging or beheading, long before the burning at the stake. But those overcritical historians systematically ignore the care taken by the Church took regarding conditions in Inquisition prisons.
I insist in reminding readers that the activity of the heretics was also criminal: When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, and still more when the peoples of Northern Europe became Christian nations, the close alliance of Church and State made unity of faith essential not only to the ecclesiastical organization, but also to civil society.
This is an important reality in those times: Heresy was a crime which secular rul­ers were bound in duty to punish. It was regarded as worse than any other crime, even that of high treason. For society in those times, allowing heresy to flourish, was the equivalent of allowing an­archy.
3rd Objection: The Catholic Inquisition was unique in History, as Protestants always respected the right of other people to interpret the Bible as they felt the Holy Spirit inspired them.
Reply: This is absolutely untrue, to put it mildly. First of all, Protestant punished their opponents exactly as Catholics dealt with theirs, but often far more cruelly, especially with sessions of pro­longed torture on the rack. But do not think that those killed by the Protestant Inquisition were only Roman Catholics. Not at all! For instance, some Protestants regularly put Unitarian heretics to death for their heresy of disagreeing with the Protestant particular interpretation of the Bible! Those who preached the Bible alone with no Church magisterium made themselves their own magisterium and punished others who had their own interpretation of the Bible. Consistency was definitely in short supply those days.
For ex­ample, Calvin had Michael Servetus burnt at the stake in 1553; King James I, an Anglican, had two Unitarian heretics burnt at the stake in 1612; in Scotland, the Presbyterians hanged Unitarians until as late as 1696.
I insist on this point: The Protestant Inquisition was unjust not only by the excessive cruelty of their methods, but especially because it was contradictory: they preached the Bible alone, but it should only be interpreted as they did. They did not admit the Magisterium of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, but imposed a ‘magisterium’ of their own; yes, their severity of Protestants was indefensible, on their own grounds, since they maintained the liberty of private judgement and, therefore, admitted that their victim might be right and they themselves wrong. The Catholic Church never admitted the Bible alone, and was therefore consist­ent with her doctrine that She alone possess divine truth. Therefore, the heretic working amongst Catholics is necessarily a source of moral or spiritual infection, a slayer of souls, and is consequently, more dangerous than the thief or murderer.
It is easy for supposedly ‘charitable’ people today – even inside the Catholic Church – to criticize a ‘severity of the Inquisition in its attempts to eliminate error and evil from the midst of God’s people. Like in every human undertaking, there were abuses in the Inquisition. At times a penalty was more severe than the criminal deserved. There was a specific instance when a totally innocent person was burned at the stake – Saint Joan of Arc, the glorious Patroness of France! But abuses were rare, as the historical record proves it. And yet, the abuse does not destroy the use – the Church was always at work to prevent abuses and exercises Justice.
But are our times truly better? What will future generations think of the abortion industry, murdering millions of pre-born people every year? Just because it is “legal”? And the forced sterilization of women and men the enforced steriliza­tion of handicapped people; the involuntary euthanasia of people deemed ‘useless’ (well documented in several countries, but never are the guilty doctors prosecuted); the destruction of children’s innocence through expo­sure to obscenity; the glorification of base immorality and gratuitous violence under the name of ‘entertain­ment’; the idolization of ‘stars’ who lead lives of sheer depravity; the widespread sale of mind-destroying drugs; the plague of divorce and the attendant aban­donment of children; the degradation of motherhood and family; the relegation of many old people to a life of loneliness and isolation; the bombing of entire cities in wars—and countless other modern evils unimagined by past generations.
Add to this the crisis in the faith inside the Church herself, where we find heresy and teachings dissenting from the Gospel teaching spread everywhere by laymen and women, priests, bishops and even Cardinals! And this smoke of Satan goes on with impunity in so many places…!
Today’s critics of the Inquisition are, more often than not, like the Pharisees of old: do as I say, don’t do as I do… and Jesus called them hypocrites, whitewashed sepulchers and race of vipers!
Oh, yes, in comparison with today’s evils, the Inquisition was very moderate and lenient indeed!
Last but not least, even if we suppose that the Inquisition was horribly severe according to the anti-Catholic accusation, in the final analysis is does not touch the Church’s infallibility in her teaching Magisterium. It would only condemn the behavior of some of her members. It also proves that the misbehavior of some Catholics does not affect the vitality and growth of the Church in number and virtue, and the many saints prove ad nauseam. The parable of the fishermen shows that in the kingdom of God (the net) there are both good and bad fish…
David committed adultery and murder, and yet he is called a ‘Man after God’s own Heart” in the Bible. His religion remained untouched. Even the Apostles you find wrongdoings: the man in charge of the purse sold Jesus out; the first Pope denied Jesus three times; and the other ten run away like chickens when the going got tough… what a sorry lot Jesus chose to work with Him! And yet they were the Apostolic College, the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Raymond de Souza KM is available to speak at Catholic events anywhere in the free world in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Please email SacredHeartMedia@Outlook.com or visit www.RaymonddeSouza.com or phone 507-450-4196 in the United States

On the Inquisition

Part 2 By Raymond de Souza, KM

Answering Objections

1st objection: The Inquisition was intolerant!

Reply: Before we dissect the Inquisition, we have to, first of all, define the terms we use, to ensure that we share the same meaning. What is ‘tolerance’? In today’s liberal parlance, it means something like accepting other opinions, views and preferences, so that we are not seen to ‘impose’ our views on anyone. To keep our views to ourselves and to share them only if we do not intend to change other people’s views, and, conversely, expect them to reciprocate. To oppose other people’s views might be seen as judgmental, therefore ‘intolerant’.

But true tolerance is something quite different: when you know that something is evil, but you are unable to suppress it, you have no choice but to put up with it, it is tolerance. But you never give up the intention to abolish it. For instance, narco-traffic, prostitution, homosexuality, abortion, terrorism. I disagree with all of these evils, and profoundly so, but I am unable to suppress them from the face of the earth. Although I continue to do my best – however small my best may be – to eradicate them, I have to put up with the reality of their evil existence for the time being, until their total extinction – I tolerate them. I disagree with them, abhor them, fight them, want to see them extinct, but am unable to change the status quo at this point in time. Therefore, I am said to tolerate them.

This is radically different from accepting the opinions, views and preferences of the drug dealers, prostitution ringleaders, homosexual activists, abortionists, or terrorists, so that we are not seen to ‘impose’ our views on anyone. To do this I to condone the evil, not to tolerate it.

* * *

OK, once we have defined the word, let us apply it to the historical context of the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition.

The objection of ‘intolerance’ in today’s acceptation of the term ignores completely the religious, social, economic and political context of Europe. Apart from a small contingent of Jews, whose religious independence was respected, Europe was Catholic from A to Z. It was a time when ‘the philosophy of the Gospels governed the States’, as Pope Leo XIII said in the encyclical letter Immortale Dei. And he explained it further: “Then it was that the power and divine virtue of Christian wisdom had diffused itself throughout the laws, institutions, and morals of the people, permeating all ranks and relations of civil society. Then, too, the religion instituted by Jesus Christ, established firmly in befitting dignity, flourished everywhere, by the favor of princes and the legitimate protection of magistrates; and Church and State were happily united in concord and friendly interchange of good offices. The State, constituted in this wise, bore fruits important beyond all expectation, whose remembrance is still, and always will be, in renown, witnessed to as they are by countless proofs which can never be blotted out or ever obscured by any craft of any enemies. Christian Europe has subdued barbarous nations, and changed them from a savage to a civilized condition, from superstition to true worship. It victoriously rolled back the tide of Mohammedan conquest; retained the headship of civilization; stood forth in the front rank as the leader and teacher of all, in every branch of national culture; bestowed on the world the gift of true and many-sided liberty; and most wisely founded very numerous institutions for the solace of human suffering. And if we inquire how it was able to bring about so altered a condition of things, the answer is-beyond all question, in large measure, through religion, under whose auspices so many great undertakings were set on foot, through whose aid they were brought to completion” (Immortale Dei, par. 21).

In that historical context, where there was only ‘One Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Eph. 4:5) in the one Church of God, the pillar and main stay of the Truth” (1 Tim. 3:15), a heresy was not only a different opinion: it was a crime against both Church and State, as it happened in the medieval inquisition regarding the Cathari and Albigentians, the ISIS of the time.

Yes, a crime. Because when Christianity became the religion of the empire, and still more when the peoples of Northern Europe became Christian nations, the close alliance of Church and State made unity of faith essential not only to the ecclesiastical organization, but also to the good order of civil society. The insanity of relativism had not yet been concocted by sick minds.

Heresy, in consequence, was a crime which secular rul­ers were bound in duty to punish. It was regarded as worse than any other crime, even that of high treason. For society in those times, it was the equivalent of an­archy. Wrong ideas bring about wrong actions, and the peace and order of Christian nations would be endangered.

Therefore, since the Church and State were perfectly able to suppress the evil, the crime, the heresy, they did not have to put up with it – they did not tolerate it. In very simple terms, if the State today, secular as it is, know that there are ways to suppress the network of drug dealers, why should it tolerate its existence? If it were a Christian state, concerned with the Common good, able and willing to abolish pornography, prostitution, abortion, homosexual propaganda, why tolerate it?

Today many States – ours including – do not only tolerate evils that are harmful to the Common Good, but they promote them, finance them, and discriminate against those who disagree with the corruption of society. What a difference from medieval times…!

Second objection: The methods of the Inquisition were unjust, illegal, and cruel!

This objection parrots a historical lie, concocted by anti-Catholic agents, purely and simply. The Inquisition was much milder in its methods than the secular courts. The rights of the accused were much better guaranteed in the Inquisitions than in the ordinary civil trials of the major European countries.

First of all, suspects were not arrested until careful investigation. The Inquisition gave the heretic ample time to recant. Its officers were bound under most severe penalties to move by slow delays, so as to give the accused every opportunity of retraction. The accused was guaranteed a defense lawyer, paid for by the Inquisition if unable to afford it himself. But when the civil authority acted, as it often did, without any reference to the Church, they gave no time for repentance.

Here is the historical reality: The Inquisition marked a great improvement on the treatment meted out to heretics. Before its institution, summary executions by the State or by the enraged populace were the order of the day. Remember, those nations had been recently converted from a barbarian culture, comparatively speaking. Further, the Inqui­sition punished false accusers.

But weren’t there abuses sometimes? Yes, as in each and every human undertaking. Nothing is perfect in this valley of tears. Whatever its defects, the Inquisition provided that cases of heresy would be judged by competent and impartial judges.

Raymond de Souza KM is available to speak at Catholic events anywhere in the free world in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Please email SacredHeartMedia@Outlook.com or visit www.RaymonddeSouza.com or phone 507-450-4196 in the United States

Forgotten War – Part 4 – It makes no sense.

Strange things are happening today, hard to understand, many times they make no sense at all. A logically thinking person, will say, it is stupid to:

1. Promote equal rights by giving preferences to one group of people over another,
2. Kill unborn babies, at a time when American families are getting smaller,
3. Equalize same-sex relationships with the sacrament of Holy Matrimony,
4. Reduce gun violence by disarming law abiding citizens,
5. Gender neutral bathrooms,
6. Black lives matter movement,

1. God created us in His image, for this reason a majority of the population is naturally opposing evil, causing the devil to perfume or camouflage himself to sneak into our hearts and manipulate them. As an effect of the Goodness planted in our hearts by Creator, a majority of us seek equal rights for all people, we like the idea of being judged not by the color of skin but by the content of character. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Satan know how to manipulate us by praying on peoples’ good hearts. Instead of creating equal, Satan, through his servants, imposed unequal rights. They forced preferential treatment of minorities, in public schools, universities, in access to social programs, hiring practices in the public sector and on many occasions in the private one too.

The result of this constant brainwashing and pressure is the “white person’s guilt” mentality evolved among the “oppressive” majority, and entitlement attitude in “oppressed” minority.

Guilty syndrome built on the foundation of slavery and oppressions from the past, is used to force us to accept and tolerate today’s sins and atrocities committed by minorities, and to break the golden rule “love sinner, hate sin”. In effect sin is not sin any more, it is just pay back. At the same time in those who work and pay through taxes for this form of reparations, their love of sinner is slowly murdered. The division is getting bigger and bigger.

After 50 years of struggle against racism, at the time when we have the first black president, the problem is not solved, it is far from being solved and it is getting worse. We see more and more “reversed” racism, racism against white people.

2. Legalizing, sponsoring and promoting abortion, also known as the slaughter of unborn babies, in the country where the birth rate is declining makes no sense. The government need taxpayers, a growing government needs population to grow, so why do many politicians favor abortion at the taxpayers’ expense?

The correct answer to this question is – a majority of them have no idea, but they are still supporting it, and will use any excuses to defend their positions (they’re stuck on stupid).

There is no logical explanation, or logical answer in this matter, unless we recognize it as a part of spiritual war, another sneaky attack in our spiritual struggle.

Unfortunately, without even realizing it, proponents of abortion on demand have sold their souls to the devil in pursuit of temporary materialistic benefits. Now they are slaves and servants of Satan. By legalizing, promoting, sponsoring, abortion they are trying to corrupt our morality, kill consciences, and entangle as many of us as possible in this sinful practice. We have to remember that this influences all of us. Those who are against abortion, if they do nothing to stop it, according to the Ezekiel, 33:8, will be held responsible for the blood of sinners. It is truly evil thing.

3. Equalizing same-sex relationship with the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is pushed on us by many politicians, activist judges, media, Hollywood stars, etc. In society, homosexuals and lesbians are a tiny minority, less than 2% of the population. In reality this group of deeply disturbed people is too small to seriously influence elections or to have a big impact on crucial national affairs, they don’t even have enough money to influence anything, but they are part of Evil United – Coalition of Servants of Devil.

According to the teachings of the Church our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. As a result of the sins against 6^th and 9^th commandment the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped off the surface of the earth. Equalizing same-sex relationships with sacrament of Holy Matrimony is simply a push directed especially against easily influenced and manipulated young people to change their understanding of right and wrong, changing the meaning of words, equating perverted sexual acts with love, and sinful, fruitless relationships with the holy, life giving, sacrament. Another way to drag us to hell.

4. Reducing gun violence by disarming law abiding citizens. Logically thinking it makes no sense, law abiding citizens are not committing acts of violence. Terrorists and criminals do, and they do not obey the law, but if we will think like a chess player, a couple moves ahead, and look at the consequences we will realize that it will limit our ability to stand up for what is right and take action against evil. Imagine how you’re going to stand up against a group of young people raping a 12 year old girl in a park without some kind of weapon giving you a chance to succeed in an attempt to help. Without a weapon, most people would walk away feeling powerless, allowing evil to flourish. We may easily becoming passive like those Germans who decided not to see what the Nazis were doing during WWII, and in effect after a short time many of them cooperated with the regime in the holocaust. Remember, Hitler’s first action when he became chancellor of Germany was confiscating firearms.

If we will analyze, and understand the issues listed above as a part of the spiritual war for our souls everything becomes clear and understandable.

Summary

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. (1 Peter 5, 8:9)

The goal of the “Forgotten War” articles is to remind us this truth from first letter of St. Peter, that in our voyage in this valley of tears we have to face an enemy, an evil, powerful enemy, a deadly enemy, an enemy without mercy, Satan.

In today’s world the devil and his powers are underestimated. For many he is just a figure from horror movies or Halloween. In reality we experience his existence as individuals and as a society. He is everywhere.

St. Padre Pio ones said, “If all the devils that are here were to take bodily form, they would blot out the light of the sun!”, and he knew what he was talking about. Satan is an intelligent creature and for this reason his main targets are people of influence; priests, politicians, media and pop culture figures, teachers etc., knowing that with their help he can impact more people, be more successful in his evil plan. He is working 24 hour a day, seven days a week, trying to catch us in his traps.

We have to choose a side in this battle, “No one can serve two masters.” Serving God means fighting the devil, there is no neutrality in this war. We have to resist and fight temptations planted in our hearts, minds, in our body, influences coming from inside and outside. In our spiritual struggle it is important to recognize who the real adversary is. It makes it easier to forgive trespasses, to pray for enemies, to love and have compassion for them, and fight them with pure hearts, because we know that they are just poor puppets of devil.

In this war weapons are: prayer, pious practices, sacraments, especially the sacrament of penance, fighting bad habits, giving a good example to others, fulfilling our duty as a parent, neighbor, and citizen by standing up for what is right.

“Live and let live” is not the option.  We have to be “the salt of the earth” to serve God and by this service be made worthy of the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have to fight Satan and oppose him by following the example of saints, and by standing strong prove that in the Catholic Church is the Truth.

On the Inquisition

Part 1 By Raymond de Souza, KM

In order to properly understand the historical event called ‘Inquisition’, a basic, primary distinction must be made: there were three distinct inquisition tribunals in History: the medieval Inquisition, the Roman Inquisition and the Spanish Inquisition. Let us consider them, one by one, as their circumstances and historical contexts were very different.

The Medieval Inquisition: If you think that the ISIS so-called ‘caliphate’ terrorist upsurge in the Middle East is a novelty in History, whereby a large sectarian movement takes hold of land and cities and attempts to set up a state within a State, you would be mistaken. It has already happened before, in the 12th and 13th Centuries. In areas of Southern Europe, especially France, the Cathari and the Albigensians made their appearance. They were nearly as radical as today’s Muslim terrorists of ISIS: they attacked the Catholic clergy (remember, in those happier days there was just one Church, one Lord, one Faith – the one Roman Catholic Church, founded by Jesus Christ. Protestantism and other “isms” were invented centuries later – but I digress).

Yes, they attacked the Clergy, destroyed churches and monasteries, caused many to die for the faith – martyrs – and the like. They introduced contraception in a weird way by opposing child-bearing as a curse, introduced immoral practices such as concubinage, euthanasia and a so-called ‘religious’ suicide by starvation. As they wanted to form a state within the State, they encouraged revolt against the civil government. They regarded themselves as exempt from taxes and were not bound by allegiance to anyone except their own members.
The result: the whole fabric of society, then a Catholic society, was threatened with serious disruption, both within Church and State.

I ask the Reader: if you lived in those days, what would you suggest the Church and the State to do? Let the medieval ISIS do as they pleased? Try to hold a “positive dialogue” with them? Or defend both the country and the Church from that destructive murderous threat?

There was not much soul-searching needed: The Church, then united with the State for the promotion of the Common Good, established the tribunal of the Inquisition – to make inquiries, that what it was called for – to investigate the charges of heresy. Remember: a heresy in those days had profound socio-economic-political consequences: it was not like the foundation of just another little Baptist church in the neighborhood, it was a threat to the stability and well-being of the nation as such. We must understand the historical context of the time.

It was around the year of Our Lord 1232. The Preaching Order of the Dominicans – Saint Dominic of Guzman, who received the Rosary from Our Lady, was himself an Inquisitor – and the Franciscans – founded by the great Saint Francis of Assisi, who were given the task to investigate the new heresy of the Cathari and Albigensians – the medieval version of ISIS.

Our response to ISIS today is a lot more severe – and rightly so – than the Medieval Inquisition. Its purpose was more often than not corrective. If the heretic recanted his error and became reconciled with the true Church and gave up his plan to form a state within the State, he would be given a penance, often a light one, like a fast, a pilgrimage, etc. If the heretic remained obdurate and insisted in continued his attempt to disrupt Church and State, he would be pronounced guilty by the Church and handed over to the State for punishment. Now it meant real trouble, to fall into the hands of the State, as kings did not see it too kindly a heresy that wanted to make a state within their State.

The State would pass sentence and the punishment would be a good deal of flogging, imprisonment, temporary or perpetual, confiscation of property and sometimes death.

Fact is that, officially the Church never condemned anyone to death – the State did. But it is true and good that the Church accepted the repression of the heresy by the State, since it posed not only a serious danger to society but especially a danger for the salvation of souls, which is the first and foremost mission of the Church. The Medieval Inquisition continued intermittently until the 16th Century.

The Roman Inquisition: In the year of Our Lord of 1542, Pope Paul III established a tribunal in Rome to organize and coordinate the work of the several small tribunals in the Italian states. Again, let us bear in mind the historical context: Italy was not a unified country as it is today. The unification of the Italian peninsula took place in the second half of the 19th century. When the Roman Inquisition was established, there were many small states in the peninsula, such as the Papal States, two independent republics, two independent Kingdoms, two kingdoms dependent on the Austrian Empire, One Grand Duchy, four Duchies and one principality. Now imagine the risk of confusion with having so many mini-tribunals run by a variety of Italians… (the last idea is a joke, of course…) So it became necessary to set up a central tribunal in Rome to coordinate the operations and also to establish a court of appeal for cases of heresy – that would also help prevent abuses.

In time it changed its name to the Tribunal of the Holy Office, and more recently to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, of which Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who was elected Pope with the name of Benedict XVI, was the Prefect for many years prior to his election to the Papacy.

This tribunal, Office, Congregation whichever name is chosen to give it, is a most necessary institution, especially in our days, where there are all sorts of heresies and sects that threaten the purity of the Faith in the Church – even heresies inside the Church are at work. It is a duty of the Church is to defend her children from error. The Roman Inquisition did its job at its time in the cultural atmosphere of the time. Like in every single human institution, there were abuses, although immensely less frequent than the Courts of Law of today – especially Supreme Courts who dare to legislate against human nature!

Raymond de Souza KM is available to speak at Catholic events anywhere in the free world in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. Please email SacredHeartMedia@Outlook.com or visit www.RaymonddeSouza.com or phone 507-450-4196 in the United States