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A move is underway to remove God from the Canadian Constitution. That Canada is a nation under God's guidance is to be removed in deference to those who do not believe in Christianity (As though God specifically refers to Christianity). Instead, say it's supporters, it should read that they are nation under the law, thus assuring safety and freedom for all Canadians. For some, this may seem understandable and acceptable, but it's really a very dangerous step further away from God, from freedom and safety.
That this is occurring shouldn't come as a surprise. God has been systematically removed from all aspects of life since the French Revolution and the dawning of the Age of Reason. Some point to the Renaissance as the point were man began to remove God from life and science. The reality is that it occurred when the French revolutionaries drove the Bishop of Paris out and placed a prostitute on his 'throne' as the 'Queen of Wisdom'. Ever since, this earthly 'wisdom' has, indeed, prostituted itself.
Voltaire wrote that if God did not exist, we'd have to invent Him. And that is precisely what many say we did. Christ didn't feed the multitudes with a few loaves and fishes. No, He got the people to share. He didn't drive demons out of people, rather, He treated their epilepsy or mental disorder. (What is fascinating about this is that the people of the day knew what epilepsy was and considered it a blessing of God. Julius Caesar suffered from it.)
Science, since then, has bent over backward to show that there is no God. Darwin showed (?) that we weren't created, but rather 'evolved'. No God, just chance. The survival of the fittest. Obviously then, if human life is by mere chance, there is no value in it. Is the Eyohyppus really the ancestor of the horse or just a 'horse like' creature now extinct?
Dr. Charles Spivak, appearing on EWTN's "Journey Home", used this analogy. If scientists came upon a beautiful cabin home in the middle of the wilderness, they would begin to explain how it came about naturally. How falling trees and climatic conditions made the walls. How winds blew dirt and rain to make the wattle between the logs, sealing them together and keeping the elements from entering. Etc.
In schools throughout the world, it can't even be mentioned that evolution may not be the answer. Yet, there are a large number of scientists who realize that the Universe (like the cabin) shows signs of an intelligence, planned and made. One reason they give is that the time frame we use isn't long enough for 'chance' to come into play. Things fit too well and work perfectly. Hardly what one would find in something which came about purely by chance. However, if we are chance, if we are nothing more than just clever animals, then we can act as such. Survival of the fittest.
In the realm of national politics, it may seem alright to 'just' live by law. However, with God, that law is 'subordinate' to a higher authority. By and large, every religion believes in God that is kind, compassionate, merciful. A God by which our laws must refer. What are our laws, after all, but the human extention of the Ten Commandments? Wasn't the American Constitution based on the premise that all men are 'created' equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights? If God is removed, who becomes the 'arbitrator' of what is just and right?
We've had our example. The Constitution of the old Soviet Union was very similar to the Constitution of the United States, with one exception. No mention of God. It was, in fact, based on the rule of law with the State being the arbitrator of what is just and right. In order not to 'offend' anyone, to foster a sense of unity, they called each other comrade (the French revolutionaries called each other citizen). In both cases numerous atrocities were committed 'under the law' and under the 'age of reason'. Consider that it was 'lawful' to enslave blacks in the pre-Civil War United States. It was 'lawful' in Nazi Germany to confiscate Jewish property, and to exterminate them and any other 'undesirable' in Germany (the terminally ill, the handicapped, etc.). Anyone in the Soviet Union who protested was sent to psychiatric hospitals (or gulags) for treatement (sensitivity training?) since they were obviously deranged and not 'thinking' correctly. And need we remind everyone that it is 'lawful' to abort an unborn child for no more reason than it hampers it's mother's lifestyle.
Yes, life under a system of law only has been a great success. The novel "Lord of the Flies" is a great example of how society degenerates when God is removed. Just as a boy's choir degenerates into a savage society without the guidance of an adult, so too society degenerates without the 'guidance' of God. We don't need to rely on a novel to see that this is true. Haven't we seen what happens to a child when no adult, no parent, takes an active part in guiding them? According to 'their' law, they are not doing anything wrong, though what they do may (and will) hurt those who oppose them or get in their way.
"… what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man" (Matthew 15:18-20).
These things Christ mentions are 'natural' for mankind. Instead of the law of God, we go to the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. How can the 'law' of God be written in our hearts if we cannot know of God? St. Paul wrote about this: "if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; the very commandment which promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good" (Romans 7:7-12).
St. Paul alludes to the fact that apart from God, the law governs us, and without the law there is no crime. If we live by the law we are subject to punishment according to the law. Yet, with Christ, with God, we transcend the law by writing the law in our hearts. Living according to the law, not for fear of punishment, but for fear of hurting God. A child, for example, without guidance, without 'parental' law can and will grow out of control, according to his own wants and desires. A 'law' unto himself. A child who follows his parent's 'law' for fear of punishment grows, but longs for and seeks ways to escape that law. But a child who follows his parents 'law' for fear of hurting his parents, he writes that law in his heart. He grows strong, able to withstand the pressure of peers.
So when we live by 'God's law', written in our hearts, fearing to hurt and disappoint Him, we grow strong, able to withstand the Zeitgeist (the spirit of the times) that call us to seek self gratification first. However, without that 'guidance' we become a law unto ourselves.
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full…..You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you"(John 15: 10-11; 14-15).
Life, without God, is valueless. Laws, without God, are valueless. Without God, we become, godless, soulless, and lifeless. We live, not as we should, but as we want. And instead of truly living, we truly die. "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." (John Milton; "Tenure of Kings and Magistrates")
"The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right; for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequal. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man" -(G. K. Chesterton; Chapter 19, What I Saw In America, 1922 ).
part three
PRAYER
Time to seek Mercy Verbi Sponsa
Through the prayers of the faithful and learning from mistakes made, the situaltion is hopefully finally coming full circle again as the pendulum is beginning to swing back toward the right after a thrust to the left over the past three decades. This can best be seen in a return of Verbi Sponsa - Bride of the Word - the religious - priests and nuns who are returning to the traditional, the orthodox way of life in dress and lifestyle. Thirty years ago many priests discarded their Roman collars in favor of suit and tie or even a more casual look; nuns felt a sense of temporary freedom when they proudly threw off the shackles of their habit for the freedom of short dresses, see-through blouses and earrings and make-up. What happened after this divesting? Vocations dwindled rapidly, positions were abdicated as disallusionment and confusion set in, despair and defeat followed and the ranks of the religious were reduced greatly. But no one should be surprised because Our Lady foretold all that would happen.
Today we take a closer look at the messages of La Salette and, in future installments - messages from other sites, and how they specifically affect and effect Holy Mother Church. The messages of La Salette, France have been termed the "SECRETS OF LA SALETTE" but they are secrets no longer for all that Our Lady warned of has sadly occurred. However in 1846, Our Lady gave the visionary Melanie Mathieu a moratorium of twelve years in which to keep these messages secret, imparting to the 14-year old girl that she could only make these public in 1858. Little did Melanie know that would be the year of Our Lady's famous appearances at Lourdes.
We will now deal with only those messages that are pertinent for the Church today. One hundred and fifty years ago the Blessed Mother said, "The priests, the ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures, the priests have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads. Woe to the priests and to those dedicated to God who by their unfaithfulness and their wicked lives are crucifying my Son again! The sins of those dedicated to God cry out towards Heaven and calls for vengeance, and now vengeance is at their door, for there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people. There are no more generous souls, there is no one left worthy of offering a stainless sacrifice to the Eternal for the sake of the world."
It's interesting to note here that though Our Lady was speaking in the mid 19th Century, she was really referring to the late 20th Century for time in supernatural terms is a mystery and God regulates all time. Thus, the Blessed Mother was sadly talking about our times. Her comment about "no one left to beg mercy" is her cry today as she, along with her Divine Son, urge us to plead for God's Mercy outlined through the beautiful devotion Jesus gave Blessed Sister Faustina Kowalska in the 1930's and which is so vital today. God has given us so many signs of His Mercy and how to attain it and still we turn a deaf ear and a cold heart to Him. It is another reason the Two Hearts asked, through private revelation to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart, that a congregation of nuns be formed with the specific purpose of calling down Divine Mercy on the entire world. This, of course, was the orthodox, cloistered and contemplative Institute of Divine Mercy, a follow-through of what not only Our Lord and Our Lady asked, but what the Holy Father has desired and which he emphasized in his latest document on religious life "Verbi Sponsa".
It is also a known fact that over the last several decades satan has penetrated the priesthood, snuck into the sanctuary and firmly ensconced himself in the seminaries as the communists, homosexuals and liberals have infiltrated the priestly ranks, deceiving the faithful and diluting the Doctrines, Dogmas and Teachings of the Church while discarding many Traditions. Many believe Vatican II was altered by these same clerics who had risen to high and influential positions over the years within the Magisterium. That is something we will cover in this series down the road. For now we will concentrate on Our Lady's priest-sons. In subsequent installments we will deal with her words regarding the Holy See, the laity, and governments interferring with the Church. We must also remember that while Blessed Mary warns of the infiltration of these priests, she is always loving toward them, begging them to return to their true vocation. And there are, thankfully, many, many good and holy priests who are heeding her call and fulfilling all God has asked of them. Yet they, unfortunately, are often lumped together with the others giving the priesthood and religious life a negative image in the secular world today. The publicity over a few priests guilty of pedophilia is an excellent example of this, but Our Lady said this would happen:
"The righteous will suffer greatly. Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God's people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession...I call on the true disciples of the living God Who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Savior of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me so that I may lead them to my Divine Son, those who have lived on my spirit. Finally I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends."
No matter what dire warnings Our Lady portends, she always expresses glorious hope if we but follow her Divine Son. Just as the early Christians were persecuted and martyred for their faith and loyalty to Jesus, so also in these times we, too, will be persecuted and yes, some of us martyred. What a beautiful gift! What a blessing God has bestowed for in tough times God grants even more graces, including sending His very own Mother in an unprecedented way. She specifically addressed the state of the priesthood to messenger Father Don Steffano Gobbi who published scores of editions of her vital messages to her beloved priest-sons in "To The Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons" available from The Marian Movement of Priests, c/o Rev. Albert Roux, PO Box 8, St. Francis, ME 04774. In the next installment we will examine the Heavenly Signs and Warnings manifested through nature which Our Lady foretold at LaSalette.
Next installment: More Heavenly Signs and Warnings: Will we ever learn?
On this solemn feast where My True Church recalls all the saints in Heaven, I wish all of My little ones to make of this day a forerunner, a precursor of their own eternal joy with Me in Heaven.
Little children, this should be upon your mind every day. You are called to holiness, to sanctity. It is I who call.
Your path to Me is the Way of the Cross as I give it to you daily in the vocation I desire for you, nourish you in and guide you through.
O! If only you knew of the great multitudes of Blessed Saints who are forever enjoying the Beatific Vision. Countless blessed, pure souls who have not received the recognition of those saints canonized by My Church. O! Little children it is I who select those who are set apart as a model and example in their earthly life, because I am always teaching and guiding My Flock.
Therefore, anticipate with joyful hope that upon your entry into Paradise so you also shall share in the commemoration offered by the Church Militant upon this day.
Yes, I ask you to strive for holiness. Be pure in body, mind and soul! Heed My Words, for My adversary would make you complacent, would make you despair of such a lofty goal!
Therefore I say: Lift up your hearts. Surrender them to Me without reserve, for it is I who will purify you, transform you and bring you to Heaven.
Therefore, heed My words and the words which My Mother speaks to you today in these end times, and rejoice that upon you has been placed My Seal -- the Cross!
I Am God and I call out to you every day.
Do not deny Me, Who Am the Source of all life, all holiness, all good. Be humble, little children and understand through the Holy Spirit the beauty of spiritual simplicity. I dwell in a simple heart. I abhor a proud heart.
The pride of mankind will bring about the fulfillment of all Scripture, and My sheep will be gathered into one fold; I Am Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son of God, Savior and Redeemer of the world.
Come to Me! Come! I am waiting. Enter into My Heart, the Doorway to eternal joy!
To all of my little ones, I plead with you today to reflect with deep piety upon the holy souls in Purgatory. As Queen of Mercy, I desire for all of these souls, now deprived of the Beatific Vision, to be released from their sufferings and to enter into Paradise. How tenderly do I watch over these souls in their place of purification. With how many sighs and tears do I offer the Triune Divinity to relieve their terrible torment.
My little ones, my call back to my Divine Son is a return to Divine Mercy. I desire for you to seek Divine Mercy for the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for your family, your home, yourself. Offer everything in union with my Divine Son's Passion, for Its Merits are Infinite. Be abandoned to my Divine Son and store up nothing for yourself upon earth; while with great charity you dispose of all heavenly treasure, allowing my Divine Son to dispense graces and Mercy according to the Divine Will.
I do solemnly tell you: Do not be afraid to act in such a heroic manner. At the hour of your death I and St. Michael shall be with you, and I will give to you my Divine Son. You will be clothed then in the garment of Mercy, upon which God shall look with kind and loving eyes.
Dear children, do not lose one opportunity to release souls from Purgatory. This month is dedicated to these holy suffering souls. Therefore, begin now your preparation for Christmas, by penetrating into the deep mystery of the Incarnation, which is Mercy revealed to the world. Grow daily in humility and simplicity, and I shall guide you surely along the path of righteousness for the birth of my Divine Son.
I love and bless you. Heed my words for if you do these things you will hasten my Immaculate Heart to triumph.
I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!
