Where is God?

Richard Dawkins

The common response you might say to someone who is an Atheist when they say "I don't believe in God", may be "To bad, He believes in you." Or rather you might try to make them think a little bit and say to them, "Wouldn't it be better though to live thinking there is a God and find out there isn't, than to live as though there isn't a God and find out there is?" Recently when I heard this response made to a very well-known Atheist by the name of Richard Dawkins, he responded by saying, "If there is a God, then why did He make Himself so hard to find?"

Now, I am not a scientist… I didn't score that high in my ACT's, nor did I ever become a doctor in anything. But I am a Catholic, and I believe in God. And I know He exists because the world around me exists. I know that if it wasn't for Him, none of this would be here. No matter how you look at the world, whether you believe it got here over millions of years of evolution, or 7 days of creation… Something started it all, and that something is the author of all life. How do I know this? Look at just the simplest thing like a flower; each flower of this world has a unique and separate design from every other flower in the world. No two flowers are like, and each flower has a beautiful design that can no be reproduced by any means. How could a world that would have no God, have so many beautiful things in it?

What about even a snowflake? If you ever take a close look at a snowflake you will see that each and every snowflake has a very interracial and geometrically solid design? How is that possible without a designer? I heard the philosophy of the fact that if one were to walk down the road and see a rock, they would think nothing of it. But if that same person were walking down a road and discovered a watch, they would know that this time piece was created by someone. Someone who made all the gears and set it in motion in order to tell time. This is very different from just a rock laying on the side of the road that does nothing, a watch stands out as something that has been made. The same is with our Earth, it is not just a rock floating in space, it planet with living, thinking and intelligent beings living on it. The mere fact that there is more to life than just being alive should show us all that we have come into being for a purpose that has be deemed by a creator.

But before I go too far in these arguments that probably every atheist has heard and tried to dismantle with their own scientific debauchery why don't I dive into some things that even science is struggling to understand. Things that may not be often mentioned in apologetics, but none-the-less, they do exist in this world.

Whenever I sit back and try to challenge myself on whether the existence is true or false, I often will think of these things:

1. The Incorruptibles

The incorruptible body of St. Bernadette

Every person in this world who dies eventually decays and turns into dust. For Atheists, this is the end and there is no more. But what about those individuals in this world who lived their lives so devoted to God that their bodies are preserved? That's right preserved! And I'm not talking about mummification, I'm referring to saintly individuals whose bodies will not and cannot decay. They are incorruptible, preserved by means that are not of this world. How is this possible? There's only one explanation based on the life they lived and that is… God.

2. Demonic Possession
The way I look at, the prince of all lies who wants so desperately to make people not believe in God, is not helping his cause what-so-ever! All throughout time we have come across individuals who have been cursed with demonic possession. And even though many would like to think that its only science fiction and that science has proven that the case is only that of schizophrenia, any good exorcist who has done battle with the Devil knows, there is no cure for the Devil like there is for schizophrenia. In a recent article I read that gave the account of a real exorcism that took place in 1928, it described how the individual possessed was able to actually float in mid-air and when prayed over, sprung out of the bed and clung to a wall almost like Spiderman in order to get away from the priest. I honestly don't think someone with schizophrenia has the ability to do things like that. This isn't just hollywood people, this is the real deal.

3. Miracles
Though there are many miracles that can be seen as maybe just a trick, there are also some that can not be explained, even by science. One of these is the miracle of the little girl who had no pupils. Of all of Padre Pio's healings, one of the most remarkable may have been a blind girl from the Palermo area named Gemma DiGiorgio. “I had no pupils in my eyes,” said Gemma in 1971, several years after Padre Pio's death. “I had no sight at all. When I was three months old, my mother took me to a very famous eye doctor in Palermo. He told her that, without pupils, I would never be able to see.” In 1946, when the girl was seven, a nun took it upon herself to write Padre Pio on her behalf, and received a note saying that the girl should be brought to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotundo. That's exactly what Gemma's grandmother did: brought the girl to see the famous monk, who heard the child's First Confession and gave her her First Communion — then made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes. After the blessing, Gemma was able to see.

More astounding still may be the thoroughly-documented cure of a construction worker named Giovanni Savino, who was severely injured on February 15, 1949, in a dynamite mishap. When Dr. Guglielmo San- guinetti, a physican, and Padre Raffaele, another Capuchin, and Father Dominic Meyer rushed to the injured man's side, “all three men noted that among Savino's numerous injuries, his right eye was gone entirely. They agreed that 'the socket was empty',” reports biographer Bernard Ruffin. Other doctors confirmed that the eye was completely annihilated and the other one badly damaged.

It looked like Savino was also going to be totally blind. For three days, the worker lay on a hospital bed with his head and face bandaged. When a surgeon entered the room three days later, Savino reported that Padre Pio had visited him — something Savino recognized because he had detected the beautiful aroma so often reported around the priest. A week later, at about one a.m. on February 25, 1949, Savino felt a slap on the right side of his face — the side where the eye was completely gone. “I asked, 'Who touched me?'” testified Savino. “There was nobody. Again I smelled the aroma of Padre Pio. It was beautiful.”

When later the ophthalmologist — an atheist — came to examine the remaining eye, there was a shock. “To their amazement,” writes Ruffin, “the doctors found that his shattered face was fully healed and covered with new skin. Savino, however, was most delighted at the fact that he could see. 'I can see you!' he said excitedly to the eye specialist.”

And indeed, as is medically documented, the doctor saw, to his “utter astonishment”, that Savino had his right eye back. Somehow, the eye had materialized. (“Now I believe too,” exclaimed the doctor, “because of what my own hands have touched!”) As Ruffin notes, it's one thing when diseases disappear; this is exciting. It's tremendous to hear of diabetes or arthritis or even cancer leaving a person. “For a missing part of the body to be restored, however, is another matter,” noted the expert biographer.

4. Fatima
Although it is widely taught that when you discuss apologetics to any non-believer, the topic of Apparitions is not to be used since so many people throughout time have claimed to see God and have often been found out to be liars only trying to get attention and start a movement. Yet the case of Fatima is not one to be argued with. In Fatima, Our Lady appeared to 3 young children and revealed to them 3 secrets which over time have come true. Secrets about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. And at the end of these series of apparitions, Our Lady performed a miracle. An estimated 70,000 people assembled and witnessed the sun dancing in the sky and then suddenly plummet toward the Earth at the Cova da Iria on October 13, 1917. And whether you want to believe that this happened or not, I guarantee you that there are still relatives (if not still living eyewitnesses) that can tell you, THIS REALLY HAPPENED!

5. The Resurrection
This 5th thing to me defines it all. If there was no resurrection of Jesus Christ, then our faith would be ruined. With the resurrection you can't simply dismay it as a lie that the apostles came up with after Christ's death on the Cross. No, they clearly saw the resurrected Jesus Himself and were willing amidst Roman and Jewish persecutions to die for this very truth. And many of them did! And there are still martyrs to this day! If St. Peter himself and the rest of the Apostles did not see the resurrected Jesus, they would have admitted to the lie over 2000 years ago and our Christian/Catholic faith would not be here. In those days, a lie such as that would never have lasted this long, the Romans wouldn't have never let that happen. But the truth exists, and amidst all the years of percussion and corrupt individuals who even have tried to destroy the Church from within, it still stands. How is that possible? God.

In conclusion, to answer Richard Dawkins comment on if God does exist, why God has made Himself so hard to find? Well, maybe you just haven't been looking in the right place? Maybe it takes more of an open heart to find God, than to try and find Him under a microscope. Yet at same time if you are a doubting Thomas and need some hard proof of God's existence, as I have just shown... it is out there.

I pray for Dr. Dawkins and all those who think that God does not exist. To me I believe that if one is so obsessed and devoted in proving the non-existance of God, then they might deep down be hiding the uncontrollable need to have Him in their lives.

God love you all! Pray the Rosary daily!

Live Your Life for God!

"He who attaches himself to the earth, remains attached to it. We are obliged to leave it. It is better to become detached a little at a time, rather than all at once." -St. Padre Pio.

I came across a comment the other day regarding some political events in this world in which the individual responded to them by saying, "Although I am Catholic, I do not believe that my personal beliefs should play a part in any political affairs. Therefore, outside of Church I don't see anything wrong with this."

This phrase that is so often used not only by "cafeteria catholics" but also by "catholic" politicians, is truly the lamest excuse in the face of evil that I have ever heard of! Yet at the same time, it's surprising to me how many people in this world hear it, and repeat it like its an intelligent thing to say when confronted with issues on morality. So let's answer this once and for all.

If you say you are Catholic, then you must practice what you believe. Even for someone who calls himself a dentist, can't call himself a dentist if he doesn’t practice dentistry. We all know faith without works is a heresy! (James 2) We also must know that we have an obligation to stand up for what we believe in and be apologetic (1 Peter 3:15). It is wrong to think that outside of Church, anything is okay. We must make Christ the center of our lives so that no matter where we go, we recognize that we are in the midst of God. And whether you are in Church or not, does not make a difference on issues of morality. It's still sinfully wrong, whether you are in Church or not. Therefore we must stand up for our beliefs whether they interfere with politics or not. In then end, we will all be judged for what we did and did not do in the face of sin.

Some will often use the misguided interpretation that there must be a "separation of church and state." And indeed there should be, but by the means of it's original meaning. Originally when Thomas Jefferson called for a separation of church and state, he was calling for the state (I.e. Britain) to stay out of church affairs. This is completely opposite from how people are using the phrase today when they think it means for the church to stay out of state affairs. It is actually our Judeo-Christian faith that founded this country, and which the constitution and many of the freedoms of this country get their basis in morality from. It is because of fear, and the lack of having any backbone when it comes to dealing with these issues over the years, that has resulted in the current sinful chaos we are in.

“If we earnestly endeavor to love Jesus, this alone will drive all fear from our hearts, and the soul will find that instead of walking in the Lord’s paths, it is flying.” -St. Padre Pio

We should not be afraid to stand up to sin! We should not be afraid of the tortures and the ridicule we will get for following the will of God in this world. And if we are afraid I must ask why? Jesus Christ died for all of us on a cross and conquered all fear! In Him there is no fear, in Him there should be no worry for what they will do to us. If they challenge you, if they persecute you and torture you for your beliefs, fear not – your reward will be great in Heaven. And isn't that what its all about? If you give into the ways of the world only hoping that God will be merciful to you in the end… You are mistaken! As Catholics we are born again in Christ's blood on the cross, and therefore must live a new life in Him. We must put away the world, the flesh, and the Devil and make our ways like unto God!

Another common thing I hear is the phrase, "I am not religious, and I'm okay. I can be successful without God." Whoa to you who say such a thing like that, for it is only the words of the Devil himself that you are speaking. For were not his words the same before he was cast into Hell? Oh but of course you would be successful, but the rewards in fame and fortune that you are receiving from the world, come with a price – your soul. The true man of God works humbly for his dues, and offers up all his rewards to God, praising Him for all that he receives. And he honors God by giving to Him what is also due, so that in the end he will receive his greatest reward in Heaven; a Crown of Victory over sin and death! A crown more precious than any earthly gold. Why would you ever want anything less?

If you must desire, then desire love from God. If you must over-indulge yourself, then over-indulge yourself with grace, and show temperance towards worldly things. If you must be greedy, than be greedy for your reward in Heaven and give to those who have nothing. If you must be lazy, be lazy to the desires of the world, but find zeal in your love for God! If you must be angry or become enraged with hatred, then hate the sin, but love the sinner and show forgiveness to those who wrong you! If you must be resentful, then resent all sinful behaviors and show kindness towards everyone and live out your faith daily in prayer and witness! And if you must show any pride, be proud to be Catholic and humble in all things!

God love you all!

Nations Will Be Annihilated!

South Korea says North Korea has moved a missile with "considerable range" to its east coast after an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean army warned the U.S. Wednesday that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons.

South Korea's defense minister said Thursday the missile moved is not capable of hitting the United States.

Kim Kwan-jin dismissed reports in Japanese and South Korean media that the missile could be a KN-08, which is believed to be a long-range missile that if operable could hit the United States.

Kim told lawmakers at a hearing that the missile's range is considerable but not far enough to hit the U.S. mainland. He said he did not know the reasons behind the missile movement, saying it "could be for testing or drills." - Fox News, April 4, 2013

I am bringing recent events to our attention not to predict the future and cause panic, but rather to bring awareness that events like these are a clear sign that a catastrophe like this or similar will happen in this world eventually. And we must be prepared.

As Our Lady of Fatima has warned us, "Nations will be annihilated." And I believe that if we ignore any of these threats, and predict that none of these missiles will hit us, we will be proven wrong. We will see the day that our country and many other nations will witness the worst of the worst. God's hand of chastisement is moving and to regions where sin is most prevalent, like the east and west coasts of our country.

We must also remember what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah when they did not head the words of God. In countless apparitions, Our Lady has reminded us, "You don't learn from your history." And for this, we will be punished.

Now, I don't mean to preach all fire and brimstone, but we should be always aware of the signs of the times and to prepare ourselves daily. Pray that we may not faulter in our faith. Pray that we may be spared any chastisements that come. And worry not, for in the end the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph and there will be peace!

God love you all! Pray the rosary daily!

Listen to Our Lady of Fatima

After the election of Pope Francis, I began to see many who wrote that the St. Malachi prophecies and all the other papal prophecies were clearly wrong, just like every other end time prophecy. I for one was never sold on the whole Malachi prophecies to begin with, and I knew that there was more to them than I thought. And as I discussed it with my fellow parish Priests, I learned that the St. Malachi prophecy doesn’t actually say that immediately after Benedict XVI will be "Peter the Roman", it only says that "Peter the Roman" will be the last Pope. So clearly we aren't done just yet!

Now, I don't know if its just me, but I still have that sense that something big is about to happen. Even after Pope Francis walked out onto the balcony in St. Peter's… I still had this feeling that we are still in the midst of something very extraordinary about to happen. It's this feeling of nervous-excited, almost that feeling that the Apostles probably had on Holy Thursday. They knew from what Jesus told them that he would be betrayed and crucified, and on the third day, rise again. The fear and horror of seeing Our Lord arrested, beaten, scourged, mocked and then crucified was upon them. That same feeling seems to exist today in this world as sinful deeds are being done, and once again it feels like Christ is about to be arrested, beaten, scourged, mocked and then crucified again!

During this Holy Week my wife and I have been trying to watch some good saintly movies before we go to bed at night. Last night we watched a children's movie on the story of Fatima. And suddenly Our Lady's words began to make me think.

"…God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father."During this time, World War I was going on, and just as Our Lady said, it did end and then in 1939 shortly after the death of Pius the XI, World War II began… Even though it was already underway before that time during his pontificate.

"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world." 

Now this is were things get controversial. Our Lady reappeared to Sister Lucy on June 13, 1929 at Tuy, Spain, and announced that "the moment has come for God to ask the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the Consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart. By this means, He promises to save Russia."

But did it happen? No. The pastors of the Church, chose to delay and, on August 19, 1931, Our Lord Himself appeared to Sister Lucy in Rianjo, Spain and expressed His displeasure, saying "make it known to My ministers that, given they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution My command, they will follow him also into misfortune."

So did it happen then? No. In 1942 Pope Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and it included substantial involvement of the bishops. Yet Sister Lucy has written that this imperfect act of obedience, while not fulfilling Our Lady's Fatima request, nevertheless hastened the end of the Second World War, thus sparing the lives of tens of millions of souls.

Since then several popes have undertaken consecrations of the world (including Pope John Paul II in 1982 and 1984), sadly, none of these have fulfilled the specific requirements of Our Lord and Our Lady's requests. In repeated visits to Sister Lucy, Jesus and Our Lady have insisted that it is Russia (and Russia only) that is to be the object of this public act of obedience and prayer. In addition, Our Lord and Our Lady have indicated that the Holy Father is to be joined in the act of consecration by all the Catholic bishops of the world on the same day and at the same time in their respective dioceses.

Some will say in response to this that these consecrations have counted, but as Our Lady has predicted, Russia has "spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church." What errors are these? Communism! The Cold War did not end Communism. It is still alive and weeding its way into the world. Look at China where Catholics have to practice underground, and many who have been caught have been killed. Europe is loosing its faith and even in the United States, many communistic ideas are being implemented, and many Catholics are having to fight for religious freedoms.

"The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer." We all have begun to see the persecution of the Church, and many who have been killed because they have followed her teachings. And I do find it ironic that Pope Benedict XVI resigned out of the blue. Leading me to believe what my previous article talked about that possibly Our Lady told Benedict to resign so a new and stronger Pope could take his place for the years to come. Why do we need a stronger Pope in the years to come? 

"Various nations will be annihilated." I believe that a great chastisement is coming just as Our Lady predicted. And I believe that there may be some reason why Pope Benedict XVI had to step down and Pope Francis had to take his place. Something big is about to happen and we need a strong shepherd to guide us through it. This may even be why Mirjana from Medjugorje looked so worried in this photo when she was receiving her apparition from Our Lady in March. Something is going to happen.

"In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world." This last message should tell us regardless to not be afraid and that good will win. And Our Lady's mention of a period of peace does correlate with other end time prophecies about the time of peace to come and the coronation of the Great Monarch.

These times ahead are exciting and scary. We must all be prepared.

God love you all!! Pray the Rosary daily!!

Our Dear Holy Father!

It's a little bit embarrassing to hear so many of my Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) friends chattering, questioning and even bashing our new Holy Father. Some begin to say how they fear that he will suppress the Latin Mass. That even in his home country, he was very apathetic to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass which is why there are little to no Latin Mass Churches in Buenos Aires. Some are even going as far to say that he is a "sworn enemy to the TLM!" There is panic over all the forums; will he undo what Bl. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI did? Or will he continue it?

First things first… STOP IT!! I will say this once more… You DO NOT rebuke Satan using Satan's ways!! Can't you see that he is already trying to turn us against this new Pontiff? Clearly any bit of temptation to gossip, bash or even threaten disloyalty to our Holy Father is the work of Satan himself! So STOP IT!!!

Second, I remember asking my Dad once if a Pope could ever undo what another Pope did? And he answered me saying no. Yet at the time I think I was referring to a Pope declaring something a Dogma of the Church; no Pope would ever undo something like that. Yet practices and rituals have been changed when certain ways of doing things just weren't working out. For example, Pope Benedict before he resigned made some changes in the process of electing a new Pope. Things like that can be done. But on the topic of the TLM which has become such a powerful movement in the Church, gathering such great responses in faith, reverence to the Mass and an increase in vocations, I would highly doubt that the Pope would want to undo what is going so well in the Church. Plus it is also providing a step in the right direction for those who are of the SSPX to make a full communion with Rome. This is something every Pope desires to do; bring the Church back into one fold. Why would he want to challenge that? I highly doubt that is the mission of this Pope to undo what has been done with the Latin Mass in the Church.

I would venture to guess that this Pope has a main focus on getting us back to the basics of being a Christian. Reminding us of the importance of prayer, humility and aversion to worldliness. As I even said in my last article, I believe this Pope is going to work on rebuilding the Church family. And with this focus on the traditional family, I believe that it is then and only then that a traditional church will flourish!

Who cares if he is a Jesuit! From what I hear most Jesuits who are of the political left way of thinking, dislike Pope Francis. This to me is a good sign that we are in for good things! I even read another source that said that Fr. Fessio, who founded the Adoremus – Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy speaks highly of him. Specifically, he stated when asked his thoughts: “You’ll love him. The other Jesuits hate him. I’m ecstatic.” He also has a deep devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, is said to practice the Five First Saturday Devotions, and prays 15 decades of the Rosary each day. So really, what's not to like about him? 

So many of the TLM followers desire for the whole Church to be turned on its end and for us to revert completely back to pre-Vatican II, so that everywhere, everyone will be practicing the Latin Mass again and the Church will be as beautiful as she once was almost 50 years ago. Then there will be no more scandals, no more problems, just good sold Catholicism the way it used to be. But you have to sit back and realize when you wish a thing like that, that you are forgetting something… Vatican II happened for a reason. The Holy Ghost is in the driver seat of the Church and He allowed it to happen for a reason. Therefore, if it was never supposed to happen in the Church, then it would have never happened at all. I remember the words of St. Padre Pio saying how we are all like little children sitting on a very small stool looking up at the tapestry of our world that God has created. We can't see the full picture, and to us it doesn't make sense why God allows such things to happen. But if we could only see what God sees, we would notice the full beauty of God's work and see the tapestry in the way that it was meant to be seen. There is something to Vatican II that I believe will eventually be ironed out. But maybe not right now.

The way God seems to always do things is to uproot from the bottom up. I believe with Pope Francis he is starting with bringing us back to our Christian roots as I mentioned earlier, and from there in time we will eventually see the beauty of the Church restored!

Thirdly, in order to bring some peace of mind to this whole issue, I would like to point out that one of the first things that Pope Francis did while in the Basilica, was that he went and knelt in front of a tomb of a Pope. Which Pope? Pope St. Pius V (1504-1572), the Pope who, being a Dominican, declared the Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas a Doctor of the Church and commissioned the first edition of his complete works. The He also patronized the sacred music composer Palestrina, and, in his the Apostolic Constitution Quo Primum on July 14, 1570, promulgated the 1570 edition of the Roman Missal, making it mandatory throughout the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, except where a Mass liturgy dating from before 1370 AD was in use.
 
This “St. Pius V” form of the Mass remained essentially unchanged for 400 years until Pope Paul VI’s revision of the Roman Missal in 1969–70. It is this form of the Mass that we know today as “the Tridentine Latin Mass,” or, the “Extraordinary Form” of the Mass. It seems clear that by kneeling and praying before the tomb of this great, and holy, Pope, Pope Francis was making a statement of respect for him and his work, and so, by implication, for the form of the Mass that he implemented.

Therefore, all-in-all I would not worry at all about what Pope Francis is about to bring to the table. Instead I would pray for him as he has asked us to do, and learn from him. He may have a lot to teach us. For those of us who are Traditional Latin Mass Catholics, we need to let go of this pride of always thinking that we are better than the rest of the church and that everyone needs to conform to us. We are apart of a Universal Church that has many different parts. It would be wrong of us to say one part is better than the other. The Body of Christ should be working together as one, so that as one we may enter into that Heavenly home where we all belong.

Viva Christus Rex!

Habemus Papam!!

What a joy it brings to the Catholic Church that we now have a new Holy Father, Pope Francis I! Awe yes, I remember it like it was yesterday… Oh wait, it was! 

This is another moment in history when one can say, "I was [here] when this happened." For myself, I was working with my headphones on and my iPhone turned onto EWTN. After hearing black smoke on the last vote, I had looked away for sometime. Not long after, I turned it on again to find a chimney with white smoke bellowing out of the top of it. Habemus Papam!!! My heart began to beat really fast. Who was it? Who did the Holy Ghost pick?? The wait seemed like forever as I was also trying to keep busy at my cubical. Soon the doors opened and the Cardinal came out to announce, "Habemus Papam!" Then he said the name of the chosen Cardinal in Latin. I along with many of my other traditional friends were expecting to maybe hear a "Raymond Burke" announced. But suddenly I heard a name I didn't recognize. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio? Who is he? I knew nothing about this man who had been elected Pope. Soon the curtains opened and he came out. Immediately I began to love him. He was humble. Truly a man who wanted nothing of himself. And as he prayed with everyone for Pope Emeritus Benedict, and later asked everyone to pray for him, I was awed by his desire and promotion of prayer. 

I wanted to learn more about him. I wanted to know why God had chosen him? A man from Latin America… A Jesuit, none the less! After going through a Jesuit college, I have been a bit jaded by the Jesuits and their lack of reverence and tradition on most topics regarding the faith. Yet right away I learned that when most Jesuits were teaching about liberation theology, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio stayed with the traditions of St. Ignatius. Which is good!! Plus he was said to be a doctrine conservative - another plus!! And the fact that he was made a Cardinal by Blessed John Paul II, I knew that this man must have some very good qualities to be our new Holy Father. And I trusted in my heart that the Holy Ghost made the right choice.

As I continued to research him and look for more information, I was soon appalled at what some were beginning to say in some traditional and orthodox circles. I discovered many of the Traditional organizations I was apart on Facebook begin to bash the new Holy Father, saying he was an enemy to the Latin Mass… And that it was time for us all to be ready to go "back into the catacombs!" This was horrible to me! How dare they say such things about our Holy Father? A man who so humbly asked us all to pray for him! I highly doubt that the Holy Father who has so much love for our faith and for the Church would be so against it's traditions, especially the age old Traditional Latin Mass? There must be some misunderstanding on this issue. All I know is that whether his views are more modern than conservative, or not… He has been chosen as our Holy Father and therefore we must respect him and lend him our prayers. It would be wrong of us to judge him so quickly! I remember even St. Padre Pio saying to a man who was rebuking a Bishop that we "do not cast away Satan with Satan's ways!" Plus I also hear that supposedly Pius IX was a Freemason prior to his election. So I would venture to say that, whatever a man's views are before they are Pope, they are often changed once they are Pope!

Maybe God's plan is to promote prayer and humility? It would certainly fit with a name like "Francis" chosen. I even remember thinking to myself before I heard the news of how humbled I would be after years of being jaded by liberal Jesuits, to hear that a Jesuit would be our next Pope! And here I am… Humbled.
Another thing I learned about Pope Francis is that when he was a Cardinal he was also a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Maybe God's looking at the world from a different perspective? Maybe He wishes to start from the basics of building up the family and prayer, and from there renew the Church from within. If the traditional family is growing, so will the traditional Church!I am not worried about what our new Holy Father brings to the table, since I know that he was chosen by God and has a purpose for our Church in this time in history. I believe after all my writings on Papal Prophecies and the end times, that the end is still near… But we still have some "soul-saving" and "house cleaning" to do before the tribulations come. I believe that with this Pope, God is using him to continue to build His army to fight the Devil in the end. And who knows, maybe He is using this Jesuit Pontiff to fix up the other Jesuits who were at once great solders for Christ!!

I pray too for an increased humility and understanding that God's ways are not our ways. And that we can all fall in love with this Pope as we did with both Blessed John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I truly would love to develop a prayerful relationship with this Pope. I wish to love him in all the things he does and pray for him in the things he may struggle to do. The world is a nasty place, and he can use all the prayers and help he can get.

Viva il Papa!!

Things to Think About...

Here are some articles I recently found online that I truly think are worth reading!

Did the Blessed Virgin Ask Pope Benedict to Step Down?
Canturbury Tales reported on February 25, 2013:

How does a Pope make the decision to resign from the Papacy? The effects of such a decision are staggering. It's a decision that affects every Catholic, and even every person on earth. He is the Vicar of Christ. His prayers and actions (through participation in the High Priesthood of Christ) win graces for the world.

It is obvious that Pope Benedict XVI appreciates and venerates the Petrine Office. His Holiness also has a profound understanding of redemptive suffering. Pope Benedict, it would seem, would desire to fight it out to the end. Failing physical health and old age have captured Pope since Saint Peter. Surely, poor health alone would not lead our Holy Father to step down from the Holy See of Saint Peter.

This raises the question: Why, then, is Pope Benedict making this historic decision? Is his decision based solely on poor health...or something else?

I recently heard a homily from a priest that I greatly admire. This priest suggested that Pope Benedict was getting "orders from above." Pope Benedict, after all, does have a superior whom he must obey: Jesus Christ Our Lord. 

This priest suggested that Pope Benedict received a message or apparition from the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is speculation, but the announcement of His Holiness' abdication on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes may indicate a Marian origin to his decision.

There are enemies both inside and outside the Catholic Church. Personally, I believe there is spiritual rot festering in the machine work of the Vatican. When he became Pope, His Holiness referred to the "wolves" that were within the Church. It is no secret that there are cardinals who are opposed to Pope Benedict. I suspect (and this is pure speculation), that Heaven is about to intervene in a way that we could never foresee.

I believe that Pope Benedict would have never resigned unless he was told to do so through a heavenly command. I believe that Jesus and Mary told His Holiness to make this historic decision and announcement. Our Lady is the Exterminatrix of Heresies. She is about to clean house. 

As Saint Peter (our first Pope) once said: "For the time is, that judgment should begin at the house of God." (1 Pet 4:17 DRB)

Pope Benedict XVI implicitly indicated that he had received a heavenly command just the other day is hisfinal Angelus address from the papal window:

"But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength." - Pope Benedict XVI "Angelus Address" Feb 23, 2013.

Divine judgment begins first with His own people. The resignation of Pope Benedict may be the first domino to fall leading to a chain reaction of important events. Again, I think we are seeing a mystery of supernatural intervention. Who would have thought that Year of Faith would require so much faith!

Keep praying the Rosary daily, go to confession weekly, say your morning and evening prayers, begin reading the Bible daily. Make it a good Lent.

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 Cardinal Raymond Burke, a Strong Candidate for the Papacy...
 Cardinal Burke has been widely known around the world for his defense and love of the orthodoxy and traditions of the Church. He is one of the few cardinals and bishops in the Catholic Church who publicly state that they will not give Holy Communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians. 
He recently told Irish priests that they should deny Holy Communion to any Irish Catholic politician who supports the new abortion laws in that country. He is one of the Church’s foremost supporters of the traditional Latin Mass. During his time as bishop, archbishop and finally cardinal, Burke helped found several religious orders that followed the rules of the Church before Vatican II. In fact, Cardinal Burke has spent much time traveling across the world offering solemn Pontifical Latin Masses and ordaining traditional priests who are faithful to the Church. He has been vocal in his condemnation of the anti-Christian policies of the government in America. He warned that Christians will soon be persecuted in America and that it is the duty of all Catholics to act as martyrs for the faith.