The salvation of the world

May 25
“To bring about his salvation, all man has to contribute is his readiness to give himself up completely. The receptive, passive attitude of the feminine principle appears as the decisive, the positive element in the Christian order of grace. The Marian dogma, brought down to a simple formula, means the co-operation of the creature in the salvation of the world.”
-Gertrud von le Fort

Is America Tainted by Freemasonry?

Stone commemorating the laying of the original stone at the Washington Monument by George Washington in a masonic ceremony. (Wikicommons Images)

by Msgr. Stephen Rossetti

It is no secret that the U.S. Capitol building was dedicated in a masonic ceremony by our first president, George Washington. One can see today the stone in the Capitol building commemorating this event. It reads: “Laid Masonically Sept 17, 1932 in Commemoration of the Laying of the Original Corner Stone by George Washington.”

The U.S. Capitol building formerly housed the Supreme Court which is now located across the street. Many of America’s most important civic leaders have been freemasons including fourteen U.S. presidents and five Chief Justices of the Supreme Court.

For individuals with a family history of freemasonry, our team has been a bit surprised at the extent of spiritual problems they experience as a result. These individuals not uncommonly have a repeating generational history of similar dysfunctions. For some, it is the presence of a spirit of death. These families may have an abnormal generational history of suicides, homicides, early deaths, miscarriages and/or abortions.

The experience of exorcists is that individuals can be negatively affected by a generational history of freemasonry. But how about a nation? Our nation’s leadership has been strongly influenced by this organization, which has been condemned by at least eight Popes. As recent as 1983, the Holy See has said that the principles of Masonic organizations remain “irreconcilable” with the teachings of the Church and membership is forbidden. Could it be that we, as a nation, are tainted by such a history? Since Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been many millions of abortions.

In response to the leaked Supreme Court document likely overturning Roe vs. Wade, some are advocating a “summer of rage” and others are targeting the Catholic Church. From an exorcist’s perspective, these attitudes are reminiscent of the Evil One.

On our website, www.catholicexorcism.org, there are prayers for individuals to break Masonic curses. There is now a video for lifting Masonic curses on our website including a priest ratifying the prayer at the end. But how about for a nation? I plan to pray these prayers to lift these curses from our nation. Perhaps other priests will do so as well.

In the wake of all that is taking place, our response must be fully Christian. In response to rage, we offer peace. In response to persecution, we forgive. In response to death, we promote love, reconciliation and unity, which are constitutive of a culture of life.

This blog is posted with the kind permission of catholicexorcist.org.

Private Sorrows ~ Lift Up Your Hearts!

by Theresa Cavicchio

Each time we attend Mass, at the outset of the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest-celebrant enjoins us to lift up our hearts, and we respond, “We lift them up to the Lord!” Our intention is to unite and raise our hearts as a congregation preparing to celebrate the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice.

What about all those private times in our lives, however, when – if we can manage to lift up our hearts at all at that point in the Mass – we surely can’t lift them very high?

Sometimes we feel unbearably sad and burdened. Bad things really do happen at times, no matter how good we try to be. Sorrow, grief, worry, and anxiety are universal aspects of the human condition. They have no respect for age, gender, or any of the other categories by which we human beings classify ourselves. If we are human, we will weep, worry, and hurt.

The good news is that the human condition also allows for us to share our burdens with one another. A sympathetic ear, a shoulder to cry on, a kind hand to hold – these have the power to bind us together as a community of concern helping each other through the tough times.

What if it is impossible, though, to reach out to others for advice and support in a time of sorrow or personal struggle? A person may be extremely private by nature and would find it prohibitively distasteful to confide in another. The deeply personal nature of the concern may not lend itself to discussion, even with the most trusted confidante. In some cases, a person’s reputation may be at stake. There even may be times when baring the soul could jeopardize oneself or another physically, spiritually, or otherwise.

Whatever the reason, bearing a burden on our own can make us feel terribly alone and isolated. Things may work themselves out in time, it’s true, but a particularly thorny problem can hold a person long-term on a lonely road.

When we feel we have no one to turn to, we can try one or more of the following:

~Keep a journal
Even for people who have never kept a diary or written on a regular basis, setting down one’s thoughts on paper is a way of releasing them safely and confidentially. We needn’t ever read back over what we write, but if we do, we may be surprised at the perspective we can gain, in even just a few days’ time. Also, it is helpful to be able to do something, even as ordinary as writing, for a small measure of control over a situation that otherwise may be out of our hands.

~Research the Church’s position on the matter causing concern
Our Church is always there to guide us, even through the murkiest of waters. There is no aspect of life outside the realm of her concern. We need not wander aimlessly, left to our own devices. Today, the Internet makes it easy to research the Church’s teaching on any given subject. It can be comforting to know that there is a solid foundation of authority and principle underlying her position. The insights gained can be a source of wisdom, right thinking, and clear judgment.

~Go to Confession
Confession is greatly underutilized today, but frequent reception of the sacrament can have powerful effects besides absolution from sin. Confessors can provide counsel of a practical as well as a spiritual nature, with the assurance of confidentiality. Also, we shouldn’t forget the sanctifying and actual graces that result from the sacrament – exactly what we need when struggling under a burden which we believe we must shoulder alone. The fact is that we are not alone. Jesus is waiting there, in the confessional, to strengthen us with His grace in times of trouble through the ministration of His priest.

~Don’t hesitate to ask for prayer support
Prayers can be solicited without going into detail about the nature of the problem – we simply request prayer for a special intention. Most people would be willing to intercede on our behalf if we only ask, and we should remember not to limit prayer requests to adults. God hears the prayers of children with an especially loving, attentive ear, and little ones respond generously to a sincere request for prayer.

~Pray, pray, pray
God has heard it all. No matter how difficult, distasteful, hurtful, or even shocking our particular burden may be, it will not be news to Him. No one knows the human heart better than its Creator; we do well to remember that we can open that heart to Him freely. The Lord will always listen and understand. His is the most sympathetic ear, the strongest shoulder, the kindest hand. He will walk the journey with us if we only ask.

A time of personal trial can become not only more bearable but also filled with grace, pulling us ever closer to Our Lord. During those times when we feel most alone, our private sorrows need not be kept totally to ourselves. Then, even when our hearts are heavily burdened, we will be able to respond with great confidence born of faith, “We lift them up to the Lord!”

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Follow in Mary’s footsteps

May 23
“…I am confident that the Holy Spirit is sending down His gifts of fiery tongues on the Church today – all with the emphasis on the women. He is inspiring them to follow in Mary’s footsteps and do for the beleaguered faithful in our own day what she did for the infant Church in her day…But, I repeat, it will take Mary-like women to achieve this miracle of renovation of the Church of God.”
-Father John A. Hardon, S.J.

Bring all back to God

May 22
“The Immaculata must conquer the whole world for herself, and each individual soul as well, so that she can bring all back to God. This is why we must acknowledge her for what she is, and submit to her reign,
which is all gentleness.”
-St. Maximillian Kolbe

The Problem with Iridology

The is the second of a two-part question from AR: “ . . . (M)y mother is very much into alternative medicine and healthy eating, etc, and I grew up going to an iridologist and have been amazed at some of the things she picked up on in my body.  For instance, she noticed “irritation” in my lower back, and a few years later, due to strenuous activity, I thought I had developed a seriously problematic spinal condition, but doctors said I was either born with or it happened when I was a baby and was just aggravated by the activity.  Anyway, even if you think iridology is bologna, it doesn’t seem to be problematic with our faith, as it’s not like its reading palms or anything whacky like that…it is looking at the iris and seeing if something is not quite right.  BUT, I still wanted to check with you all.”

Read the rest…

Her warmth and great affection

May 21
“Mary became all to all; to all she offers the bosom of her mercy, that all may receive of it: the slave, his redemption, the infirm, health; the afflicted, comfort; the sinner, pardon; and God, glory – that there should be no one who would not feel her warmth and great affection.”
-St. Bernardine of Siena

Beware of Emails from St. Benedict’s Prayer Wall

CF writes: “I started getting these emails and they seemed ok until I got this email from them. Since I was unfamiliar with the “Archangel Asrael, I looked it up and this archangel is the angel of death in Islam. I also found a disclaimer that was odd, claiming they were sending these daily messages for “entertainment only.” I have since unsubscribed. Just wanted your take on this as I think they want to send these to people who are true prayer warriors.”

Read the rest…