Vatican II: Blessing or Curse?

The greatest concern of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more efficaciously.

Blessed Pope John XXIII

October 11, 2012 was the 50th Anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council.  The Vatican II Council basically defined the 20th Century Catholic Church.  Everything that happened in the Church prior to Vatican II is referred to as "pre conciliar", and everything after Vatican II is called "post conciliar".

Alas, the Vatican II Council would also seem to be the most divisive event in the Church, not just in the 20th Century but possibly in her entire 2000 year history.  Casual Catholics probably don't give the Council a second thought, but more serious Catholics have very strong opinions, both good and bad, when it comes to the Second Vatican Council.  The problem is, too many of us don't base our opinions or beliefs regarding Vatican II on what we are told or taught by the Magesterium, but on what we have heard or been told by others.  It's like forming an opinion about a person based on gossip and never actually meeting the person face to face.

I most definitely consider myself a "traditional" Catholic.  I love the Latin Mass and am fortunate enough to be able to go to a Latin Mass several times a week.  Many of my friends are "traditional" Catholics and I have a great affection for them.  But I have to admit that sometimes my fellow "Trads" go a little over the top.  Mention "Vatican II" to a Traditional Catholic and often you will get a "Slowly I Turn" response.  You will see an otherwise mild mannered, soft spoken person become somewhat unhinged, not holding anything back in voicing his or her disdain for Vatican II. Many "traditional" Catholics point to Vatican II as basically the root of all evil in the church, calling it, in effect, the door through which Satan entered into the Church. This is seen very clearly in a recent article written by John Vennari entitled, "Celebrating a Catastrophe, the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II".  This article appeared in Catholic Family News, an ultra conservative newspaper.  The title tells us everything we need to know about Mr. Vennari's views on Vatican II:

To commemorate the anniversary, Pope Benedict inaugurated the “Year of Faith,” which we can observe is yet another one-size-fit-all slogan that everyone in the Church from conservative to the most liberal will adopt according to his own lights.  [Has Mr. Vennari read Pope Benedict's letter in regard to the Year of Faith?  Has he read any of the talks the Holy Father has given on the Year of Faith and its meaning and purpose?]

What would be more appropriate on the Council’s 50th Anniversary would be a “Year of Mourning” for the countless souls whose faith was destroyed by Vatican II, or a “Year of Reparation” for the abuse of Catholic authority in promoting modernism and liberal Catholicism by means of this troublesome Council.

The fact remains that the Second Vatican Council is nothing to celebrate. It ushered in perhaps the greatest crisis of Faith in the Church’s history. An objective, thoroughly Catholic measuring rod was laid out by a clear thinking American theologian even before the Council convened. This realistic standard established by Msgr. Fenton demonstrates the Council as a colossal disaster.

One of the many books written
by Catholics condemning
Vatican II

Whoa!! These are some mighty strong accusations to make against the Magesterium.  Vatican II was a "colossal disaster"? It "ushered in perhaps the greatest crisis of Faith in the Church's history"?  The article becomes even more scathing:

It is the proponents of liberal Catholicism who celebrate Vatican II as victory for their cause.

The progressivist Cardinal Suenens exclaimed with joy, “Vatican II is the French Revolution of the Church.”

The liberal French Senator Marcel Prelot celebrated that Vatican II accomplished the triumph of “liberal Catholicism” as “official” Church policy.

The modernist Father Henrici celebrated that Vatican II also saw the triumph of the modernist “New Theology” that had been condemned by the pre-Vatican II popes. [What is the "New Theology" and how is this connected to Vatican II?  Mr. Vennari doesn't give us an explanation.] Young Father Joseph Ratzinger and Archbishop Karol Woyjtyla were firm adherents of this new theology at the time of the Council and throughout their entire lives.  [This statement comes dangerously close to condemning our current Holy Father and his immediate predecessor.]

On this 50th Anniversary, it time for the charade [???] to end. Traditional Catholics should be long past simply defending their position against the architects of destruction. The situation calls for an all out offensive against the catastrophic Second Vatican Council, and for hard questions to those who, in a delirium that comes straight from the sickbed, celebrate Vatican II as a glorious grace for Catholicism.  [Is Mr. Vennari suggesting that Catholics rise up against the Church??  And is he suggesting that Pope Benedict XVI, who most definitely is celebrating Vatican II, is in a "delirium that comes straight from the sickbed"?]

We need to ask those enthused about the Council: why do you love an event that has been cataclysmic for the Church? Why do you love bubonic plague? Why do you love tonsillitis? Why do you love gangrene? Why do you love decay and death? [Again, are these questions directed to our Holy Father?]

Pope John XXIII signing the bill
invoking the Second Vatican Council

Mr. Vennari is condemning a Council that has been lauded by at least four popes:  Blessed Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Blessed Pope John Paul II and our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.  (I could not find any statements by Pope John Paul I either positive or negative about Vatican II.)  Is Mr. Vennari trying to tell us that he is able to judge the hearts of those men who were chosen by the Holy Spirit as the Vicar of Christ on earth?  Is Mr. Vennari trying to tell us that these popes are/were "proponents of liberal Catholicism"?  Is it really Mr. Vennari's place, or the right of anyone else, to judge the men chosen and led by the Holy Spirit to sit in the Chair of Peter?

I'm not playing Pollyanna here.  Vatican II had some very contentious moments, and there was most certainly a struggle between the liberal and conservative elements of the Church at the Council.  In fact, I would think it could not have been any other way considering the times.  The Council took place at a very momentous time in both Church history and world history, and the forces of good and evil were then and still are engaged in a tremendous struggle.  The world in 1962 had been through two horrific world wars and experienced suffering and destruction on a scale never before seen in history.  This was less than 20 years after the end of World War II in which it is estimated that 60 to 70 million people died, and many of the survivors were still shell shocked.  Pope John XXIII and all of the bishops at Vatican II had lived through those times, and many had seen the horrors of World War II up close and personal.  Many were old enough to remember World War I as well.  Humanity was desperately in need of Christ's saving message, and Pope John XXIII wanted to share the saving Gospel message of God's mercy and love with the world in the best way he could find.  That was his hope for the Council.

Pope John XXIII Addressing the
Opening of the Second Vatican Council

Pope John XXIII made the following statement at the beginning of the council on October 11, 1962, strongly affirming that the aim of the Council was not to lessen the authority of the Magesterium, as so many Traditional Catholics now claim, but to actually emphasize the infallibility of the Magesterium and at the same time to make the Church even more accessible to the world:

In calling this vast assembly of bishops, the latest and humble successor to the Prince of the Apostles who is addressing you intended to assert once again the Magisterium (teaching authority), which is unfailing and perdures until the end of time, in order that this Magisterium, taking into account the errors, the requirements, and the opportunities of our time, might be presented in exceptional form to all men throughout the world.

Warsaw, Poland in World War II

The Holy Father also gave a strong message of God's mercy to a war weary world.  It was a message which fit in with the proclamation of Divine Mercy given directly by our Lord to St. Faustina less than 30 years before the Council:

[T]he Catholic Church, raising the torch of religious truth by means of this Ecumenical Council, desires to show herself to be the loving mother of all, benign, patient, full of mercy and goodness toward the brethren who are separated from her. To mankind, oppressed by so many difficulties, the Church says, as Peter said to the poor who begged alms from him: "I have neither gold nor silver, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk" (Acts 3:6). In other words, the Church does not offer to the men of today riches that pass, nor does she promise them merely earthly happiness. But she distributes to them the goods of divine grace which, raising men to the dignity of sons of God, are the most efficacious safeguards and aids toward a more human life. She opens the fountain of her life-giving doctrine which allows men, enlightened by the light of Christ, to understand well what they really are, what their lofty dignity and their purpose are, and, finally, through her children, she spreads everywhere the fullness of Christian charity, than which nothing is more effective in eradicating the seeds of discord, nothing more efficacious in promoting concord, just peace, and the brotherly unity of all.

St. Peter healing the beggar

Blessed John XXIII went on to succinctly state the problem faced by the Church and by all mankind since the founding of the Church 2000 years ago,  Far from endorsing other religions, as many Traditionalists claim, the Holy Father showed that to reject the Catholic Church is to reject Jesus Christ:

The great problem confronting the world after almost two thousand years remains unchanged. Christ is ever resplendent as the center of history and of life. Men are either with Him and His Church, and then they enjoy light, goodness, order, and peace. Or else they are without Him, or against Him, and deliberately opposed to His Church, and then they give rise to confusion, to bitterness in human relations, and to the constant danger of fratricidal wars. 

Many Traditionalists accuse Blessed John XXIII of trying to break new ground spiritually or replace traditional church doctrine with liberal ideas.  These Traditionalists don't seem to know of the following statement from His Holiness:

The greatest concern of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more efficaciously.

So if Blessed John XXIII's intention was to strengthen the message and teachings of the Catholic Church, then how did it turn out that Vatican II had the exact opposite effect in which we see millions of Catholics falling away from the Church, a huge drop in vocations, apostate priests and religious, etc etc.  These tragic circumstances which have developed in the last 50 years would seem to confirm the very troubling assertions made by those like John Vennari who reject Vatican II.

However, much to the chagrin of many Traditional Catholics, we have the added problem that all of the Holy Fathers since Blessed John XXIII have given their approval to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.  This produces a real conundrum for Catholics.  If we are to believe those who reject the teachings of Vatican II, then we must also believe that our Popes are not infallible when it comes to faith and morals.  If the Popes are not infallible, then it is possible for a Pope to rebel against the guidance of the Holy Spirit when it comes to the teachings of the Church, thus making Jesus Christ a liar.  Our Lord told us that the gates of hell would never prevail against the Church, but if our Popes are giving us false teaching, then hell has prevailed in the Church.   To quote the Apostle Paul, we are of all men most miserable.  They may not realize it, but people like John Vennari are telling us that our Catholic faith has been destroyed and we have no hope.

But is this really possible?

There have been many books written about Vatican II, but there is one book that approaches the Council in a truly unique way. What Went Wrong With Vatican II was written by the late Ralph M. McInerny, who is best known for his Father Dowling mysteries.  In his book on Vatican II published in the 1990's, Mr. McInery freely admits and laments the great crisis that has engulfed the Catholic Church since Vatican II.  He lays out the statistics of dropping attendance and the loss of vocations.  He discusses the great rebellion among Catholics that we have all witnessed since the 1960's.

He also methodically and clearly shows that the root cause of the crisis in the church is not and, in fact, cannot be the teachings of Vatican II.  Whether we like it or not, Vatican II is part of the Magesterium of the church, and it is not possible for the Magesterium to give us false doctrine.  Following is Mr. McInery's answer to John Vennari and all others who reject the teachings of Vatican II:

Since the close of the council, tens of thousands of pages have been written discussing the meaning and proper implementation of hundreds of points made in sixteen documents.  In some of these many books are heard the voices of critics who claim that the Second Vatican Council contradicts earlier councils and other solemn teachings of the Church and therefore is itself invalid.

To these critics I say that whatever problems may be posed by the documents of Vatican II, contradiction of earlier councils cannot be one of them.  It is the Pope who calls an ecumenical council into session; he monitors the work of the assembled bishops; and he promulgates the documents expressing the judgment of the bishops.  When he does that, those documents become the measure of our Faith.

That which makes Vatican II valid is what made Vatican I, the Council of Trent and every other council valid.  To accept one council is to accept them all; to reject once council is to reject them all; we cannot have pick-and-choose conciliarism.

I do not, therefore, defend the Second Vatican Council against those who think it is suspect and in contradiction to earlier councils or to solemnly defined teachings of the Church.

Mr. McInery has made some very serious statements here, and those who stand in opposition to Vatican II should take them to heart.  Many and probably most of the Traditionalists who oppose Vatican II do so out of what they perceive to be loyalty to the teachings of the Church.  But these Catholics should be the first ones to realize that the Church is not a democracy.  Our own personal opinions and beliefs carry no weight whatsoever.  We must always follow the teaching of the Pope.  He is the Vicar of Christ on earth, and if we stop believing that, we have stopped being Catholic.

Mr. McInerny goes on to address those Catholic liberals who misuse the Council to justify going against sound Church teaching:

On the contrary, I take as a necessary premise the fact that we are bound by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Yes, I grant that many passages in the sixteen documents of Vatican II require careful study and interpretation, but study that begins with an animus against the council is bound to go astray. For my part, I embrace the council wholeheartedly and with gratitude. My aim is to clear away the impediments to its proper fulfillment.

And that itself is urgent work. For among those who accept the authority of the council, some have tried to use its documents to justify practices that the council Fathers never foresaw or intended. A comprehensive evaluation of such abuses of the council documents is essential for understanding much of the history of the Church since Vatican II. It would produce a very interesting judgment on the kaleidoscope of changes in the Church these last thirty years, changes that many have welcomed and that many abhor.

As I pointed out, Mr. McInery fully admits that there is a major crisis in faith in the church and is as appalled as anyone else at the many Catholics who have fallen completely off the rails.  But if he doesn't attribute Vatican II to this crisis, then what does he feel is the basis of the crisis?

Nonetheless, although I accept the council and reject the abuses of it, I have not in these pages attempted such a kaleidoscopic survey. Volumes could be devoted to it, but I believe they would obscure rather than illuminate the most fundamental answer to the question, "What went wrong with Vatican II?"

To give the very deepest answer to that key question, I have written a lean and focused book. I purposely avoid hundreds of important but lesser issues that might be raised by a thoughtful and receptive reading of the documents of Vatican II.

Why? So that I can concentrate on the one issue that gives life to so many of the other controversies swirling around the council and the Church today: the crisis of authority, which is the single most important focus stirring up the choppy seas through which the Barque of Peter has been navigating since the close of Vatican II.

For thirty years [now 50 years], the Catholic faithful have been confused and troubled by a single question: Where does authority in the Church really reside? Only a sure answer to this question will expose the roots of the problem of what went wrong with Vatican II. Only a sure answer to this question will enable us to see what must be done to bring the council back to its intended goals.

Is Vatican II the reason for the rebellion and the crisis of authority in the Church?   As Mr. McInery writes in his book:

War seems to have broken out within the Church Herself: appealing to Vatican II, prominent theologians deny the authority of the Pope and urge the faithful to ignore it. Yet how can the council be right and the Pope be wrong?

When did this war actually break out?  Many Catholics tend to forget about the events surrounding the release of Pope Paul VI's encyclical, Humanae Vitae.   This document  IMHO, is the most important document of the 20th Century.  Humanae Vitae contains the answer to at least 90% of the problems in our world.  If the teachings in this document had been followed, we would not have the probably billion plus abortions (both chemical and surgical) that the world has witnessed in the past 50 years.  We would not have the scourge of AIDS and the hundreds of other sexually transmitted diseases.  Our families would be intact instead of disintegrating before our eyes.  We would not have pornographic programs on our TVs and computers and even our cell phones.  Women would be treated with love and respect and not as objects intended solely for sexual gratification.  We would not have had the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.  We would not have the rise of militant homosexuality and the threat to marriage.  Barack Obama would not be President  because people would never accept his evil and heretical ideologies.  There would not be a war against the Catholic Church in the United States.  The list goes on and on.

Pope Paul VI warned us of all these dangers in his encyclical.   For anyone who questions whether our Popes are guided by the Holy Spirit, a reading of Humanae Vitae will immediately rid them of those doubts.   It is the most prophetic document of our time.

But when the Pope released Humanae Vitae in 1968 and confirmed the Church teaching that use of artificial birth control was a mortal sin, all hell literally broke loose.  It was at this time that the great rebellion began in the church.  Although there was a buildup of at least 100 years or more to this rebellion, it did not actually come to full bloom until the release of Humane Vitae.  The crisis in the church did NOT originate with Vatican II, nor did it even find its roots there.  The roots go back much, much further.  And although there were admittedly many at Vatican II who tried very hard to push the Church off the rails at that time, it did not occur there.  It occurred three years after the end of Vatican II with the release of Humanae Vitae.

Many Traditionalists complain, and rightfully so in my opinion, about the disintegration of the Mass and its terrible effect on the faith of Catholics.  Our current Holy Father wrote a book about the crisis in the Liturgy in 2000 called The Spirit of the Liturgy.  Most Traditionalists attribute the liturgical crisis in the Church to Vatican II, saying the seeds for the liturgical abuse we have seen through the years were sown at the Council.

This is just my opinion, but I see a direct connection between the rejection of Humane Vitae, which was rejection of the Vicar of Christ and by extension, rejection of Christ Himself, and the introduction of the New Mass the following year in 1969.  It seems to me that our Lord said that if we reject the authority of His Vicar, His response was to take away one of the most precious gifts He had given us:  the Holy Mass.  Many wonder why Pope Paul VI wanted to give us a New Mass.  I believe he was directly inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so, but this was as a punishment for our rebellion.  Is it just coincidence that veneration and devotion to Our Lady also seems to have faded in the Church?  Again, I believe this is a direct response to our rebellion and rejection of God's command to the church.

The Israelites in the Wilderness

But God in his Great Mercy and love for the Church, despite our rebellion and rejection, did not and would not allow the Mass to be totally destroyed, and it is slowly but surely coming back.  It is not unlike the Israelites' journey from Egypt into the Promised Land.   Just as the Israelites rejected Moses and the authority of God and as punishment God forced them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until that rebellious generation had died, so God has allowed the Church to wander in the spiritual wilderness after our rejection of Him when we were given Humane Vitae.  But that rebellious generation is slowly dying out and a new, faithful generation is taking their place.  We need to ask ourselves where we individually stand.

A clear and unprejudiced view of the recent history of the Church reveals that Vatican II is not our problem. It is rejection of Humanae Vitae.  That is where rebellion came into full bloom.  For a full and illuminating look at this subject, I cannot recommend enough that you read Ralph McInery's book, What Went Wrong with Vatican II.  

If Traditionalists are to be truly honest with themselves, then they must face the brutal truth and admit that they are guilty of the same sin of which they accuse their liberal counterparts:  rebellion against the authority of the church.  A very holy priest once told me that Satan is rarely in a problem.  His deception is almost always in the solution.  He will take whatever problem you might have and steer you to a solution that will lead you away from God.  I'm afraid that has happened to many Catholics who are very upset with the apostasies they have seen in the Church, but instead of trusting in the Vicar of Christ who cannot lead them astray, they have listened to others who sound good, but are leading in the wrong direction.  And to be totally honest, this can also be a great sin of pride because it gives us a chance to look down on others and puff up our own ego at how righteous we are.  Remember, Martin Luther had some legitimate grievances, but that didn't stop him from becoming a heretic.

Ralph McInery quotes one of the shepherd children of Fatima:

Jacinta, one of the three children to whom Mary appeared at Fatima, once said, "I can't say how, but I saw the Holy Father in a very large house, kneeling before a table with his face in his hands. He was crying. Many people were in front of the house; some were throwing stones, while others were cursing him and using foul language."

Has anyone better described the beleaguered state of the Papacy and the Magesterium of the Church since Vatican II?

Faith Is Possible Only Through Communion With The Church

The widespread tendency today to relegate the faith to the private sphere contradicts its very nature. We need the Church to confirm our faith and to experience God’s gifts: His Word, the Sacraments, the support of grace and the witness of love. In this way, our “I” taken up into the “we” of the Church – will be able to perceive itself as the recipient of and participant in an event that far surpasses it: the experience of communion with God, who establishes communion among men.
Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI has named the current year of October 2012 through November 2013 "The Year of Faith," in which he is encouraging all Catholics to learn the beliefs and dogma of the Church and deepen their faith. The Holy Father has been giving a very profound series of talks in explaining how we receive faith and how it affects our lives.

In a talk given on October 31 in St. Peter's Square, Our Holy Father explains how essential the Church is to our faith, and that we cannot have faith unless we are part of the Mystical Body of Christ.   As he tells us, we cannot be "lone wolf" Christians or in any way separated from Christ's Mystical Body, The Church. Christ told us that he is the vine and we are the branches, and we have no life apart from him.  That translates to His Mystical Body, the Church.  We can have no faith apart from Christ's Church:

I cannot build my personal faith on a private conversation with Jesus, for faith is given to me by God through the community of believers, which is the Church. . . .Our faith is truly personal only if it is also communal.

Our union with God and the Church begins with our baptism, the sacrament which erases the original sin inherited from our first parents. We receive faith at baptism when we receive the Holy Spirit:

[T]his new birth, which begins at baptism, continues throughout the whole course of life.

The Holy Father tells us that just as we are brought into communion with the Church at baptism, we must continue in the Church or we will lose our faith:

I would like to emphasize that it is within the ecclesial community that personal faith grows and matures.

The Holy Father emphasizes that faith can be found only in the Catholic Church, the one and only Mystical Body of Christ.  All truth comes through the Catholic Church, and all faith comes through the Catholic Church:

The Church is the mother of all believers. ‘No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother’ [St. Cyprian]” (n. 181). Therefore, faith is born in the Church, leads to her and lives in her.

Pope Benedict makes it clear the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, has always been the place where faith was "transmitted" and through which we enter into Christ's death and resurrection:

From her earliest days, then, the Church was the place of faith, the place where the faith was transmitted, the place where, through baptism, we are immersed in the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, which frees us from the prison of sin, gives us the freedom of children and introduces us into communion with the Trinitarian God.

Below is the translation of the Holy Father's talk from zenit.org:

ON THE ECCLESIAL NATURE OF FAITH

 No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother.

VATICAN, OCT. 31, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today in St. Peter’s Square. Today the Holy Father continued with the second reflection in his new series of catecheses on faith.

* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,

We continue on our journey of meditation on the Catholic Faith. Last week I explained that faith is a gift, for it is God who takes the initiative and comes to meet us [faith is not something we can get by ourselves or "work up"by ourselves, it is a gift from God]. Thus faith is the response whereby we welcome him as the stable foundation of our lives. It is a gift that transforms our existence, for it allows us to see through the eyes of Jesus, who works in us and opens us to love for God and for others.

Today I would like to take another step forward in our reflection, beginning once again with a number of questions: Is faith only personal and individual? Does it only concern my own person? Do I live my faith alone? Certainly, the act of faith is an eminently personal act that takes place in the most intimate depths of our being and signals a change in direction, a personal conversion. It is my life that is marked by a turning point and receives a new orientation.

In the liturgy of Baptism, at the time of the promises, the celebrant asks for a manifestation of faith, and he puts forward three questions: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Do you believe in Jesus Christ his only Son? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Historically, these questions were addressed personally to the one who was to receive baptism, before immersing him three times in water. And today, too, the response is in the singular: “I believe”. But my belief is not the result of my own personal reflection, nor the product of my own thoughts. Rather, it is the fruit of a relationship, of a dialogue that involves listening, receiving and a response. It is a conversation with Jesus that causes me to go out of my self-enclosed “I” in order that I may be opened to the love of God the Father. It is like a rebirth in which I discover that I am united not only to Jesus but also to all those who have walked, and who continue to walk, along the same path. And this new birth, which begins at baptism, continues throughout the whole course of life.

I cannot build my personal faith on a private conversation with Jesus, for faith is given to me by God through the community of believers, which is the Church. It numbers me among the multitude of believers, in a communion which is not merely sociological but, rather, which is rooted in the eternal love of God, who in himself is the communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - who is Trinitarian Love. Our faith is truly personal only if it is also communal. It can only be my faith only if it lives and moves in the “we” of the Church, only if it is our faith, the common faith of the one Church.

On Sunday, when we recite the “Creed” [the “I believe”] during the Holy Mass, we express ourselves in the first person, but we confess the one faith of the Church as a community. The “I believe” that we profess individually is joined to an immense choir spanning time and space, in which each person contributes, as it were, to a harmonious polyphony of faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this with great clarity: “’Believing’ is an ecclesial act. The Church’s faith precedes, engenders, supports and nourishes our faith. The Church is the mother of all believers. ‘No one can have God as Father who does not have the Church as Mother’ [St. Cyprian]” (n. 181). Therefore, faith is born in the Church, leads to her and lives in her. This is very important to remember.

At the beginning of the Christian adventure, when the Holy Spirit descends with power on the disciples on the day of Pentecost, as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 2:1-13), the nascent Church receives strength to carry out the mission entrusted to her by the risen Lord: to spread the Gospel, the good news of the Kingdom of God, to every corner of the world, and to guide every man to an encounter with the risen Christ and to the faith that saves. The Apostles overcome every fear in proclaiming what they have heard, seen and personally experienced with Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they begin to speak in new languages, openly announcing the mystery they had witnessed.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we are then told about the great speech Peter addressed on the day of Pentecost. He begins with a passage from the prophet Joel (3:1-5), refers it to Jesus and proclaims the core of Christian faith: He who had been bountifully good to all, and was attested to by God with miracles and mighty works, was crucified and killed, but God raised him from the dead, establishing him as Lord and Christ. Through him, we have entered into the definitive salvation announced by the prophets, and whosoever shall call upon his name shall be saved (cf. Acts 2:17-24). Many of those who heard Peter’s words felt personally challenged; they repented of their sins and were baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2: 37-41).

Thus begins the Church’s journey. She is the community that carries this proclamation through space and time, the community of the People of God founded on the new covenant in Christ’s blood, whose members do not belong to a particular social or ethnic group but who are men and women from every nation and culture. The Church is a “catholic” people that speaks new languages and is universally open to welcoming everyone, that transcends every border and breaks every barrier. St. Paul says: “Here there is not Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians3:11).

From her earliest days, then, the Church was the place of faith, the place where the faith was transmitted, the place where, through baptism, we are immersed in the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, which frees us from the prison of sin, gives us the freedom of children and introduces us into communion with the Trinitarian God. At the same time, we are immersed in a communion with other brothers and sisters in faith, with the entire Body of Christ, and in this way we are brought forth from our isolation. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council reminds us: “God does not make men holy and save them merely as individuals, without bond or link between one another. Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people, a people which acknowledges Him in truth and serves Him in holiness” (Dogmatic Constitution,Lumen Gentium, 9).

Again recalling the liturgy of Baptism, we may note that at the conclusion of the promises whereby we renounce evil and respond “I believe” to the central truths of the faith, the celebrant declares: “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church and we glory in professing it in Christ Jesus Our Lord”. Faith is a theological virtue given by God but transmitted by the Church throughout the span of history. Again St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, states that he has handed on to them the Gospel, which he himself had also received (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3).

There is an unbroken chain in the Church’s life, in the announcement of God’s Word, in the celebration of the Sacraments, which comes to us and which we call Tradition. It provides us with the guarantee that what we believe in is Christ’s original message, as preached by the Apostles. The core of this primordial announcement is the event of the Lord’s Death and Resurrection, from which the entire patrimony of faith flows. The Council says: “The apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved by an unending succession of preachers until the end of time (Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, 8). Thus, if Sacred Scripture contains God’s Word, the Tradition of the Church conserves and faithfully transmits it, so that men of every age may have access to its immense wealth and be enriched by its treasures of grace. In this way the Church, “in her teaching, life and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes” (ibid.).

Lastly, I would like to emphasize that it is within the ecclesial community that personal faith grows and matures. It is interesting to observe that in the New Testament the word “saints” refers to Christians as a whole - and certainly not all of them had the necessary qualities to be declared saints by the Church. What, then, was intended by the use of this term? The fact that those who had faith in the Risen Christ and lived it out were called to become models for others, by putting them in contact with the Person and the Message of Jesus, who reveals the Face of the living God. This is also true for us: a Christian who allows himself to be gradually guided and shaped by the Church’s faith - despite his weaknesses, limitations and difficulties - becomes, as it were, a window open to the light of the living God that receives this light and transmits it to the world. In the encyclical Redemptoris missio, Blessed John Paul II affirmed that “missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!” (no. 2).

The widespread tendency today to relegate the faith to the private sphere contradicts its very nature. We need the Church to confirm our faith and to experience God’s gifts: His Word, the Sacraments, the support of grace and the witness of love. In this way, our “I” taken up into the “we” of the Church – will be able to perceive itself as the recipient of and participant in an event that far surpasses it: the experience of communion with God, who establishes communion among men. In a world in which individualism seems to regulate human relationships, causing them to become ever more fragile, faith calls us to be the Church, i.e. bearers of God’s love and communion to all mankind. (cf. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1). Thank you for your attention.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

* * *

The Holy Father is saying many things in this short talk, and it is well worth reading more than once.  Each time I go through it, I get something new.   But the main message seems to be that faith is a result of communion with the Church.  Faith is not a private matter:  "The widespread tendency today to relegate the faith to the private sphere contradicts its very nature."  Jesus did not die so that we could be islands unto ourselves.  He has given us the gift of faith so that we can spread it to others.  The parable of the talents tells us that the one who hoards what he has been given will lose it.  We must not hide away from the world and cower in fear, especially as times become more and more evil.  Christ is the Savior of the world.  He is the one who takes away the sins of the world and unites us to the Trinity.  However he works through his church - which is you and me.  Christ has made us the light of the world, the salt of the earth.  But we must stand together.

In a world in which individualism seems to regulate human relationships, causing them to become ever more fragile, faith calls us to be the Church, i.e. bearers of God’s love and communion to all mankind.

Vote: We Can't Sit It Out

Today is Election Day in the United States of America.  As Americans and as Catholics, we have a responsibility and a duty to vote.  I had seriously thought about sitting this one out because I absolutely cannot vote for Barack Obama and I am highly skeptical of Mitt Romney.  But this one is just too important. And it is about more than the presidential race.  We also must consider our local races.  There are many good candidates running for office, men and women who support Godly traditional values and morals.  They need our support and our vote.

We are in the middle of a great spiritual war.  The sides are clearly delineated.  As Blessed John Paul II told us, it is the Culture of Death versus the Culture of Life.  I don't believe the results of the election will necessarily change the course of our nation, but it can certainly mitigate the damages and perhaps give us more time so that we can hopefully change the road that we are on.  If Barack Obama and the Democrats are given four more years, the United States of America as we know it will cease to exist. That is not hyperbole.  It is that serious.  Americans voted for the Culture of Death in 2008, and we have seen the disastrous results:  a ruined economy, a more deeply divided country than we have ever seen, greater dependency on the government, and for Catholics, a direct attack on our Church, our beliefs and our way of life.  I'm not trying to sound like a Republican attack ad on the Democrats, but those are the facts.

So pray about your choice, and then get out there and vote.  Do the right thing.

I have copied below an Election Prayer which National Catholic Register reposted from Catholicvote.org:

CatholicVote.org has released "An Election-Year Prayer" by Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura at the Vatican: 

O Lord Jesus Christ, you alone are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In your Church, you show us the way, you teach us the truth, and you give us your life. 

Grant, we humbly beg you, that, always and in all things, we may be faithful to you in your holy Church and to your vicar on earth, the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI. 

Grant also, we beg you, that, in these times of decision, all who profess to be Catholic and who are entrusted with the sacred duty to participate in public life may, by the strength of your grace, unwaveringly follow your way and faithfully adhere to your truth, living in you with all their mind and heart, for your greater glory, the salvation of souls and the good of our nation. 

Amen. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, pray for us. 

St. Thomas More, patron of religious freedom, pray for us.

Meditation On the Fourth Joyful Mystery: The Redemption of the Redeemer

Yesterday, November 3, was the First Saturday of the Month. The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was first mentioned by Our Lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917. After showing the three children a vision of hell she said, "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, 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... I shall come to ask for... the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays..." The First Saturday devotion is as follows:

It consists in going to Confession, receiving Communion, reciting five decades of the Rosary and meditating for a quarter of an hour on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. The Confession may be made during the eight days preceding or following the first Saturday of each month, provided that Holy Communion be received in the state of grace. Should one forget to form the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it may be formed at the next Confession, occasion to go to confession being taken at the first opportunity.

I'm late on this one, but I have developed a tradition of sharing my monthly meditation here, and I don't want to make an exception this month.

This month I have chosen the Fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary - The Presentation of our Lord at the Temple.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, the spouse of Mary, were devout Jews who lived strictly according to the laws handed down to the Israelites by God.  One of those laws is found in Exodus 13:2:

Sanctify unto me every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, as well of men as of beasts: for they are all mine.

From chabad.org.pl, a Jewish website:

The Torah specifically instructs that a woman's first-born male male is required to serve in the central place of worship. However, the Torah then presents a change in plans: the Levites are chosen to replace the first-born male Israelites as the workers in the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Israelite parents were required to take their firstborn male child to the temple and then redeem him, which means to buy the the child back:

To legitimately excuse the Israelite first-born male from direct service to God, the child's father is required to buy his son from the Kohen for the redemption price of five shekels, with five silver dollars serving as an appropriate substitution in modern times.

Luke 2:23-24 tells us the redemption price at the time of Jesus:

As it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: And to offer a sacrifice, according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons:

Circumcision of Christ by Albrecht Dürer

Many people confuse the presentation of our Lord at the temple with the time of Christ's circumcision.  The circumcision took place 8 days after Christ's birth which, assuming that Christ was born on December 25, would correspond to January 1.  That is why January 1 has always been a holy day in the Church's calendar.  Unfortunately, the new calendar of the church has changed this day to "The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary," which obscures the original meaning of January 1.  The circumcision is the first shedding of Christ's Precious Blood, picturing the time when he would shed His Blood on the Cross to redeem the world.

The presentation of our Lord at the temple, when the Redeemer was redeemed, is called Candlemas and is celebrated on February 2, which is 40 days after the birth of Christ.  Father Michael Cummins explains why this feast day is called Candlemas and its significance in our lives:

Just as Joseph and Mary carried the infant Jesus (the light of the world) into the temple so we now, through our baptisms, carry the light of Christ within us.

This is why we process with candles on Candlemas, to picture carrying the True Light, Jesus Christ, to the world.

Procession at Candlemas

So Mary and Joseph, in accordance with the command of God to the Israelites, brought the 40-day old Jesus, the Light of the world, to the temple.  Luke 2:21-22 and verse 25:

And after eight days were accomplished, that the child should be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, which was called by the angel, before he was conceived in the womb.

And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord: 

The first announcement to the world that the Savior had come occurred at the time of Christ's birth when the angel announced it to the shepherds in the field and to the wise men who journeyed from the East to see this great King.  The old man, Simeon, was used by God to once more announce that the Saviour had been born and was among us, and our Lord was here for everyone, not just the Jews:  "A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."

From Luke 2:25-32:

Simeon holding the child Jess

And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him.

And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  And he came by the Spirit into the temple.

And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said:

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Neither Joseph nor Mary fully comprehended this great message of Simeon (verse 33):

And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him.

Joseph and Mary had to accept on faith what they were told, as so often we must do.  Often we will not understand unless and until we obey.

And then Simeon went on to give a disturbing message to Mary, the mother of Jesus:

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

St. Alphonsus Ligouri told us that this was beginning of  Mary's sorrows which she carried with her for the next 33 years right to the time of her Son's crucifixion:

Abraham suffered great affliction during the three days he passed with his beloved Isaac, after he knew that he was to lose him.

Oh God! not for three days, but for thirty three years, Mary had to endure a like sorrow.  Like, do I say?  A sorrow as much greater as the Son of Mary was more lovely than the son of Abraham.

The blessed Virgin herself revealed to Saint Bridget, that while she lived on earth there was not an hour when this grief did not pierce her soul. “As often,” she continued, “as I looked on my Son, as often as I wrapped Him in His swaddling clothes, as often as I saw His hands and His feet, so often was my soul overwhelmed as it were with a fresh sorrow, because I considered how He would be crucified.”

As often as she put on Him His clothes, she reflected that they would one day be torn from Him, that He might be crucified, and when she beheld His sacred hands and feet, and thought of the nails that were to pierce them, as Mary said to Saint Bridget: “My eyes filled with tears, and my heart was tortured with grief.” (Saint Alphonsus Ligouri, from The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

This mystery of the presentation of Jesus is included in the Joyous Mysteries of the Rosary because it pictures the redemption of the Redeemer, who is bought from God the Father and given to His mother in order to redeem the world from Satan, the enemy of God who held mankind captive from the time of our first parents.  Certainly there can be no more joyous message than this, that the Saviour has come to redeem the world from death and destruction.  But it comes at a very great price for both Christ and His mother, who must carry this heavy burden every moment of every day for the rest of Christ's physical life.

As St. Alphonsus Ligouri told us, the patriarch Abraham carried the burden of having to sacrifice his son, Isaac, for three days, and then was relieved of the burden at the last moment when an angel of the Lord stopped Abraham from carrying out this command of the Lord.  Abraham then received his very much alive and unharmed son into his arms, and a lamb was substituted in place of Isaac.  This lamb, of course, pictured our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Our Blessed Mother carried this heavy burden for 33 years compared to 3 days for Abraham, and then, unlike Abraham, she had to watch her beloved Son be mercilessly crucified with no relief whatsoever.  At the end, our Blessed Mother received into her arms the bloody, disfigured, mutilated and lifeless Body of her Son and our Savior.  

When we contemplate this mystery of the Rosary, we should certainly think of the joyous message that Simeon gave us:  "my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."  But we must also remember that it was also at this point that our Lady's sorrows began when. as she and Joseph were redeeming Jesus from God the Father, she was at the same time willingly and unselfishly giving her perfect and beautiful Son to world so that He could redeem us.  Truly, if Abraham is the father of the faithful, how much more is Mary the mother of the faithful?  Has any human being ever walked in faith more than she did, or suffered more than she did, literally walking every step of Calvary with our Lord, beginning before he was able to walk, when he was just a small babe in arms. 

All Souls Day: The Stark Difference Between Protestants and Catholics

Mass for the Souls in Purgatory

I know this is a day late and a dollar short, but I have something on my mind that I really want to share, so I hope you'll bear with me.

Yesterday, November 2, was All Souls Day, the day that Catholics around the world specifically remembered those who have died and are undergoing purification in Purgatory.  This day is also a stellar example of just how out of step the Catholic Church is with the world, or maybe it is better said that this day shows how out of step the world is with the Catholic Church.

There are few religions that pray for the dead as the Catholic Church does.  The Jewish religion has prayers for the dead, but only the Catholic Church prays for those who are undergoing purification as they are being made ready to enter into the Presence of the Great God.  The closest any other religion comes to believing in Purgatory are the Hindus who believe in reincarnation:  the belief that we keep coming back to this earth in different forms, human and animal and who knows what else until we "get it right.".  The end of reincarnation is to become "one with the universe" and basically dissolve into nothingness.  That is Satan's answer to the true reward of the saved, which is eternal happiness with and in the presence of the Trinity, and involves no dissolution of who we are.  But to enter into this eternal reward, we must be perfect and completely without sin.  Ephesians 5:27 tells us:  "That he [Jesus] might present it [the Church] to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish."

But how do we, as sinful human beings, ever get to the point that we are without blemish, completely free of all sin - with not even the tiniest bit of selfishness or vanity?  We must be purged of it, just as silver is purged of dross or rust.  As Proverbs 25:4 tells us:

Take away the rust from silver, and there shall come forth a most pure vessel.

Silversmith refining silver

This involves suffering, pure and simple, either now or after we die in Purgatory.  There is no other way.  No one gets into heaven without going through Calvary.  Christ told us in Luke 9:23-24:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.

Herein is seen just how wide the gap is between Protestantism and Catholicism.  Protestants  believe that if we just say, "I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior", then poof! we are saved and ready to enter into heaven.   It doesn't matter that we are filled with sin.  Protestants believe that Christ's sacrifice "covers" our sin, sort of like snow covering a pile of garbage.  The problem is that although the snow may look pretty, the garbage is still there.  Do we really believe that our Lord would allow a sinner into heaven just as long as he is "covered" by our Lord's Sacrifice?  Protestants don't take Christ seriously when he said, "Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven in perfect."  (Matthew 5:48).  Protestants believe, in effect, that covering stinking putrid garbage with snow somehow makes the garbage into magnificent and precious jewels.  Even a child will see just how ridiculous that thinking is.

The Protestant belief is clearly shown in the lyrics to the famous Protestant hymn, "Just As I Am":

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,

Yea, all I need in Thee to find,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Protestant Cross with no
suffering Jesus

In the Protestant world, we can go to Jesus "Just as I Am", and Christ does all the rest, no work necessary on our part, and certainly no suffering.  No need for any kind of Purgatory, either here or in the afterlife.  In fact, many Protestants believe that if you are suffering, that actually means you have done something wrong and God is punishing you.  Protestants deny suffering in the plan of redemption, and that is also why they deny the Crucifix, and instead have a cross without the corpus.  They have no desire to think about or look at suffering, and they especially eschew the salvific suffering of our Lord.  Because of this, they have no clue how important suffering is in the life of a Christian.

Unlike the rest of the world, the Catholic Church does not see suffering as something evil or a punishment of any kind.  Here are just a couple of quotes from great saints on suffering:

Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Saviour; in suffering love becomes crystallised; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.
--St. Faustina

All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.
--Saint Francis de Sales 

"If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love."
--St. Gemma Galgani

If we only knew the precious treasure hidden in infirmities, we would receive them with the same joy with which we receive the greatest benefits, and we would bear them without ever complaining or showing signs of weariness.
--St. Vincent de Paul

The great G.K. Chesterton perfectly sums up the Catholic view of suffering

Jesus promised the disciples three things - that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.

As Catholics, we believe that it is our duty to pray for the suffering souls in Purgatory that they can quickly go through their purification and be released to their heavenly reward. That is the purpose of All Souls Day, and there is no idea that could be more alien to the Protestant way of thinking.

Unfortunately, the Protestant mindset has found its way into the Catholic Church. Yesterday  I went to Mass in which the priest wore white vestments and never even mentioned the word "Purgatory."  I know that this particular priest believes that everyone goes to heaven, that no one goes to hell, much less Purgatory.  Somehow he managed to preach about praying for those who have died, but I honestly don't know what we are to pray for since they are all in heaven.

Risen Christ has replaced the
suffering Christ on the Cross

This is very dangerous thinking.  If we start to believe that we are all going to heaven no matter what, we will  live very undisciplined lives, completely forgetting about sin and thus forgetting about the great Sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross to deliver us from sin and death  This  directly leads to misunderstanding the meaning and importance of suffering in our lives.  It is the reason why so many Catholic churches no longer have a suffering Jesus on the Cross, but a risen Jesus, free of all pain and suffering of this earth.  When we reject the suffering Christ and the suffering that comes into our lives, we no longer see it as a way of purification and a great gift from God to cleanse our souls and bring us into a close, intimate relationship with Him.  Suffering is now a punishment and something to be avoided at all costs.

It is this kind of thinking that has resulted in the tremendous drop off in the Sacrament of Confession.  Why should we bother with confessing our sins when we know we're already forgiven and going to heaven?   This has led to the attitude that it's not necessary to attend Mass or follow the teachings of the Church in general.  God loves me, and as long as I am  "good" person, living a "good" life and not hurting anyone, I don't have anything to worry about.

Mary, John and the women at the foot
of the Cross

It is no coincidence that Protestants reject the idea of suffering and also reject veneration of Mary, our Blessed Mother.  These two issues may not seem related, but they are actually intimately tied together.  To venerate Mary means to stand with her at the foot of the Cross, as the apostle John and Mary Magdalene and the few other women did who stayed with Mary and embraced the suffering Christ.  Sadly, far too many of us in the Catholic Church are no longer joining ourselves with our Blessed Mother at the foot of the Cross.  We are rejecting the suffering and running away from Calvary with all of the other apostles and disciples and saying as Peter did, "I do not know him."  When we reject the idea of suffering, we have become Protestant in our thinking.

We must remember that there are three parts of the Church:  the Church Militant here on earth; the Church Suffering in Purgatory; and the Church Triumphant, who are the saved in heaven.  Protestants, who preach "once saved always saved" believe only in the Church Triumphant.  And now many Catholics are also teaching and believing that there is only the Church Triumphant, and that it includes those of us here on earth.  But we are NOT the Church Triumphant yet.  We are the Church Militant involved in a spiritual war.  It is crucial that we return to the foot of the Cross with our Blessed Mother and realize that we have not finished the course, we have not yet received our reward as the Church Triumphant has.  We have to be cleansed and made perfect.  Revelation 22:14 says:

"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city."

Bloodshed means suffering, and we will only find the Blood of the Lamb at the place where He suffered and was sacrificed:  Calvary.  It is no coincidence that the only disciples who did not abandon our Lord on that first Good Friday are those who stayed with Mary.  And where was Mary to be found?  On the road to Calvary, the road of suffering, and at the foot of the Cross. We are still in that race, and we will not finish unless we stay with Mary at Calvary.  That means recognizing the suffering Jesus Christ and accepting and even embracing that suffering in our lives.  That is the only way that our Lord can fulfill the meaning of Ephesians 5:27:  "That he [Jesus] might present it [the Church] to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish."

I hope that you took time on November 2 to pray for the suffering souls in Purgatory and join your suffering with them.  We should in fact pray for the poor souls in Purgatory every day.  As they are released to Heaven, they will join the Church Triumphant and in turn pray for you.  Those in Purgatory embrace their suffering because they know it is leading them to their great reward in heaven, to be in the Presence of the Holy Trinity.  We also must stop running away from our suffering.  We need to walk the road of Calvary with our Blessed Mother and stand at the foot of the Cross.  The Stabat Mater, which we sing when doing the Stations of the Cross, reminds us of where we need to be:

"At the Cross her Station Keeping,

Stood the Mournful  Mother Weeping

Close to Jesus to the Last."