Pro-family Catholics reject Synod mid-way report, calling it ‘a betrayal’

Note: Voice of the Family, a coalition of 15 international pro-family groups, released this Monday morning. 

The Extraordinary Synod on the Family's mid-term report is nothing short of a "betrayal" of Catholic and family values, says an influential pro-family group.

Mincing no words, Voice of the Family's British spokesperson John Smeaton said that "those who are controlling the Synod have betrayed Catholic parents. The Synod’s mid-way report is one of the worst official documents drafted in Church history."

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XXVIII Sunday in Ordinary Time – A

Isaiah 25, 6-10a;

Psalm 23;

Philippians 4, 12-14, 19-20;

Matthew 21, 1-14

The invited were not worthy ...

How many times have I been invited to the feast, the Holy Eucharist? How many times Lord has sent me His servants with an invitation? I always found some kind of excuses......? It was usually something more important to do, I was tired, I had no time or simply I did not want to accept the invitation... For the repeated invitations I reacted with growing impatience, I explained to others and to myself, that after all I am a free man, that I had time later at the older age, that God doesn’t coerce me ... and so on, etc..

Do I realize Whom I continually refuse? Constantly finding excuses do I really choose what is better, what is more important, what is more valuable...? Do I realize that eventually I will not be invited to the most important feast in eternity, or maybe I will become regarded as unworthy and kicked out?

God does not get tired repeating invitations, but when continually ignored, He will certainly not force anyone. I decide whether to accept the invitation or reject and ultimately I should not blame anyone when I don't find myself among the feasting in the Kingdom of Heaven. I will be the only responsible for it, constantly rejecting invitations- I will condemn myself for the "weeping and gnashing of teeth."

How long can I ignore the invitation of God...?

God constantly invites me.

Why do I constantly underestimate him?

Pope Francis' Prayer to the Holy Family for the Synod of Bishops

Prayer to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may the approaching Synod of Bishops

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

Prayer for the Synod

Lord Jesus Christ,

whom the Father has commanded us

to listen as his beloved Son,

shed your light upon your Church,

so that she might have nothing more holy

than to listen to your voice and follow you.

You are the Supreme Shepherd

and Ruler of Souls.

Look then upon the Pastors of your Church

gathered in these days

with the Successor of St. Peter in synod assembly.

We implore you to sanctify them in truth

and confirm them in faith and love.

Lord Jesus Christ,

send forth your Spirit of love and truth

on the bishops in synod

and on all who assist them in fulfilling their task.

Make them more faithful

to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches;

stir their souls and teach them truth

by that same Holy Spirit.

Through their work,

may the faithful of their Churches

be purified and strengthened in spirit,

so that they might greater follow the Gospel

through which you accomplished salvation

and they might make of themselves

a living offering to the heavenly Father.

May Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God

and Mother of the Church,

assist the Bishops in these days,

as she assisted the Apostles in the Upper Room,

and intercede with motherly affection

to foster brotherly communion among them,

to allow them to rejoice in prosperity

and peace in the calmness of these days,

and, in reading the signs of the times,

to celebrate the majesty of the merciful God,

the Lord of History,

to the praise and glory

of the Most Blessed Trinity,

Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Extraordinary Synod on the Family ...

Voice of the Family is an initiative of Catholic laity from major pro-life/pro-family organisations. We have formed to offer our expertise and resources before, during and after the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, 5 to 19 October 2014, Rome. We are supported by (in alphabetical order):

• Campagne Québec-Vie

• Campaign Life Catholics

• Campaign Life Coalition Canada

• Catholic Democrats

• Catholic Voice

• CENAP

• Culture of Life Africa

• European Life Network

• Famiglia Domani

• Family Life International NZ

• Hnutí Pro život ČR

• Human Life International (HLI)

• LifeSiteNews.com

• National Association of Catholic Families (NACF)

• Profesionales por la Ética

• Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC)

Church sufferings

Each of my personal sin, even the smallest one is contributing to the deepening of the sufferings and sorrows of the Church. Just like each one of my good deeds contributes to the holiness of the Church.

You could even say that Christians in India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Syria and Iraq are persecuted because of my sins ...  Yes!!! because of MY sins.

The Church operates on the principle of "interconnected vessels". Nothing in the Church happens without a cause (authorized or intended by God) and nothing happens without a purpose.

Church -the Spouse of Christ- must go the way Christ himself went through, means the Way of the Cross.

There is no salvation without suffering and conversion; there is no glory of the Kingdom of God without passion on the Calvary. Who doesn’t accept it, cannot consider himself to be a member of the Suffering Body of Christ – the Church.

"… Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too …" (John 15:20)

The "church of nice" or the synagogue of Satan?

Jesus brought us The Good News and not the "nice news". So, we don’t accept the Good News and we try to make it nice and fitting our human expectations.

·        He proposes eternal life and not an easy life. This is why so many people reject Him, because he is demanding and challenging in His teaching.

·        He proposes long-term relationship and we prefer some kind of short term entertainment. This is why the Church "should necessarily change" the Christ's teaching about

o   the indissolubility of marriage,

o   sacredness of life,

o   human sexuality,

o   catastrophe of sin and

o   necessity of conversion

to fit the humans' expectations of an easy life. This is to not upset anybody, because the biggest sin one can commit is to upset somebody.

Some are even using a very diabolical reasoning and threatening: "If the Church doesn't accommodate to the needs of the contemporary people, to our expectations we will abandon the Church and go "directly" to Christ!" Such reasoning is absolutely perverse and even diabolic … it is separating Christ from the Church founded ultimately by Him …

Is it at all possible? Blessed Isaac of Stella, abbot in his writings says:

"The Church is incapable of forgiving any sin without Christ, and Christ is unwilling to forgive any sin without the Church. The Church cannot forgive the sin of one who has not repented, who has not been touched by Christ; Christ will not forgive the sin of one who despises the Church. What God has joined together, man must not separate. This is a great mystery, but I understand it as referring to Christ and the Church."

It is not the Church which has to adjust and accommodate its teaching to the caprices of the contemporary "Catholics" searching for niceness … This is sure!

As says Cardinal. Gerhard Ludwig Müller:

"The Church did not invent himself what She teaches. The Church's teaching is rooted in the person of Christ, the mystery of God's self-revelation."

The best ever book about Saint John Paul II.
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XXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time - A

Ez 33:7-9 ; Rom 13:8-10 ; Mt 18:15-20

Stay out of this, it's none of your business  ...

And by all means: "Do not be judgmental!!!!"

How often do we hear these words, as a response to our admonition, or even when we only try to help someone? Give advice, to reprimand someone, respond to the obvious evil or injustice ... puts us immediately and directly in opposition, exposes to the massive criticism or immediate denial. We are rapidly labelled: annoying, rude, impolite, irritating, JUDGMENTAL ...  After all you have to be nice, cool and not interfere with the lives of others. Be more diplomatic and, do not cling to everything, why do you care what someone is doing? You have to be able to live peacefully with others and not "hunt" for trouble.

A polite and well-mannered person, educated and nice man don't pay attention to anyone's business and does not interfere with other people's lives. And if you dare to do this, then know to whom, when and what are you telling. Even parents should not reprimand and admonish their children, or criticise them, so to not stress them and not cause any kind of neurosis ... And at the school … teachers and educators have no rights and no capacity to discipline or even educate children because in a case of any attempt of admonishing pupils, parents intervene ... and the situation for the teacher becomes deplorable.

In general, today's Gospel is outdated and most probably should not even be read in the church. We live in a different world and different conditions, in other cultural realities. Reprimanding, rebuking, admonishing, disciplining, or disagreeing with evil and errors …. is rude, judgmental and demonstrates a serious lack of education and personal tact or diplomacy!!! A neighbour behaves badly and makes noise the whole night ... no, nobody will say anything, so as not to be accused of lack of good manners. A doctor in the hospital behaves arrogantly and treats patients rudely... no, nobody will react, so as not to be exposed and accused of impoliteness.

And yet in today's Gospel Jesus tells us:  "If your brother sins against you go and reprove him ..."  But we know better what to do, because we are after all exceedingly polite and politically correct. And instead of reprimanding or admonishing we will rather be silent and we will be talking or complaining behind or gossiping with a pharisaic sorrow.

Sometimes, I make mistakes, and I'm wrong, BUT I could not be criticized or called to order ... and I don’t  want anyone admonish me, because why at all anybody has to meddle into my affairs??? Let he keep his nose out of my business. Nobody is saint and no one will tell me how and what to do. I am an adult and I know what am I doing ...

The old Latin proverb says: "qui tacet consentire videtur" – means "who can say something and is silent consents." If I can rebuke or disagree with evil around me and I do nothing, I approve it.

Why am I surprised that so much evil is around me? Did I do something, did I disagree ... or just did I keep silent to ne be judgmental?

Why am I surprised that so much evil is in me? After all, I do not want anyone to help me in the fight against it ...

10 Sins That Must Be Confessed Before Receiving the Holy Eucharist

 Fr. Hollowell: Should You Stop Receiving Holy Communion?

 

You can’t receive the Eucharist if you’ve:

1) Missed a weekend or Holy Day Mass without a valid reason
2) Having sex outside of marriage, with yourself (masturbation) or someone else
3) desecrated the Eucharist
4) haven’t been to confession in a year
5) Use artificial birth control – condoms, pills, patches, IUD’s, etc
6) sponsor or help in any way with an abortion or any destruction of an embryo
7) Murder
8) Hate/Anger
9) Lust after someone
10) Pride, Greed, Sloth, Envy

etc. etc. The list is not exhaustive, and any sin that we have meditated on before hand, understood its gravity and still chosen to do it can be a deadly sin.

Blogger Note:   Numbers 8 through 10 would depend mostly upon the gravity of the sin.

Don’t step out of bounds…and by all means…if you do…get back in bounds through confession! Don’t desecrate the Eucharist and receive it as some sort of prize you’ve earned simply by showing up for Mass!

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