Kempis on: The Royal Road of the Holy Cross (Behold the Synod on Synodality - Modern day Pharisees?)

 

Matthew 12:24

“You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Matthew 23:33

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?”

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The 2nd. annual conference for the Coalition of Canceled Priests was held the last weekend in June, 2023. The riveting keynote was delivered by Father James Altman: a holy and wise man. Unfortunately he is sidelined. If you aren’t familiar with Father Altman, or some of the other clergy of the coalition, you should understand that they are sidelined by taking up their crosses and speaking out FOR the Word of God. (If not familiar with Father Altman in particular, he gave a speech, in November 2020, that You can’t be both a Catholic and Democrat.)

Recently, Father Gerald Murray of EWTN and the co-author of “Calming the Storm”, visited our parish and spent a good deal of time speaking about the Synod of Synodality. If you’ve read the book and/or watched Father Murray on EWTN or YouTube, he delivers very bold and frank comments regarding how misguided the synod is. I highly recommend Father’s and the other co-author, Diane Montagna’s, visit with Matt Fraad of Pints with Aquinas, from a year ago.

I broach this because our pastor, surprisingly when asked, doesn’t feel it is a parish priest’s responsibility to talk about what the Vatican is doing. He may be right, and I may be wrong (wouldn’t be the first time) when I disagree. If I was a pastor, not surprisingly from my posts, one would assume I would not hesitate in speaking about the sin. If I did, would I be sidelined? 

On one hand he may wish to bring his parish up-to-speed. On the other hand, he may be afraid he would end up like Father Altman and the Coalition for Canceled Priests. Fortunately I am laity and can pretty much say what I want… as long as I am in line with Christ’s teachings and my words aren’t obloquious.

On June 26, 2023, I published a post “Kempis on: Few Love the Cross of Jesus”. I now follow up the action of taking up one’s cross, in that post, to what the reality of the royal road is. 

Kempis:

To many the saying, "Deny thyself, take up thy cross and follow Me," seems hard, but it will be much harder to hear that final word: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."

Those who hear the word of the cross and follow it willingly now, need not fear that they will hear of eternal damnation on the day of judgment. This sign of the cross will be in the heavens when the Lord comes to judge.

Why, then, do you fear to take up the cross when through it you can win a kingdom?

• In the cross is salvation,

• in the cross is life,

• in the cross is protection from enemies,

• in the cross is infusion of heavenly sweetness,

• in the cross is strength of mind,

• in the cross is joy of spirit,

• in the cross is highest virtue,

• in the cross is perfect holiness.

• There is no salvation of soul nor hope of everlasting life but in the cross.

Take up your cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and you shall enter eternal life. If you die with Him, you shall also live with Him, and if you share His suffering, you shall also share His glory. (my emphasis)

The Pope recently released his list of those he invited from the US. Among them was two, in my opinion, completely misguided Cardinals, a misguided Archbishop and the unwarranted Jesuit priest, James Martin. In many minds, he has made his agenda undeniable. This agenda and the coming conclusions, whether intentional or not, will lead people to Hell… or at least long stays in purgatory. 

Why are they corrupt? I have honestly tried to scrutinize their reasons and determined it could be anything from pride, malicious, infiltrated by Freemasons or just disdain for Christ and His Church. (Smarter than God?) If they ever did, they no longer understand how to bear the Holy Cross of our Lord.

More Kempis:

You will find that some suffering must always be borne, willingly or unwillingly, and thus you will always find the cross. Either you will experience bodily pain or you will undergo tribulation of spirit in your soul. You will often grow weary of yourself.

Submit yourself wholly to Him that you may become more humble through suffering. No one understands the passion of Christ so thoroughly or heartily as the man whose lot it is to suffer the like himself. Everywhere you must have patience if you would have peace within and merit an eternal crown. Do you expect to escape what no mortal man can ever avoid? Which of the saints was without a cross or trial on this earth? The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and do you seek rest and enjoyment for yourself?

You are mistaken if you seek anything but to suffer, for this mortal life is full of miseries and marked with crosses on all sides. He knows that great reward is coming to him for bearing His cross. When he carries it willingly, every pang of tribulation is changed into hope of solace from God. Besides, the more the flesh is distressed by affliction, so much the more is the spirit strengthened by inward grace.

To carry the cross, to love the cross, to chastise the body and bring it to subjection, to flee honors, to endure contempt gladly, to despise self and wish to be despised, to suffer any adversity and loss, to desire no prosperous days on earth--this is not man's way. But if you trust in the Lord, strength will be given you from heaven and the world and the flesh will be made subject to your word. You will not even fear your enemy, the devil, if you are armed with faith and signed with the cross of Christ. (my emphasis)

I’ve spoken about the Vatican, now about us. The Vatican may very well undermine the Deposit of Faith and the teachings of Holy Mother Church that have stood for 1,990 years. You and I must stand fast on the side of Christ. In fact, we are commanded as such. 

Set yourself, then, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to bear bravely the cross of your Lord, Who out of love was crucified for you. Drink the chalice of the Lord with affection if you wish to be His friend and to have part with Him. Be ready to bear sufferings and consider them the greatest consolation, When you shall have come to the point where suffering is sweet and acceptable for the sake of Christ, then consider yourself fortunate, for you have found paradise on earth.

If you put your mind to the things you ought to consider, that is, to suffering and death, you would soon be in a better state and would find peace. Realize that you must lead a dying life; the more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live unto God. No man is fit to enjoy heaven unless he has resigned himself to suffer hardship for Christ. You ought to wish rather to suffer for Christ than to enjoy many consolations, for thus you would be more like Christ and more like all the saints. (my emphasis)

As Father Altman proclaimed in his speech, everything on earth has an expiration date… ketchup, bread, meat, humans. The 10 Commandments were written in stone by the fin her of God. The 10 Commandments have no expiration date. They also don’t have footnotes, as in, “except when”. 

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." That through much suffering we must enter into the kingdom of God. (my emphasis)

Pray that the Spirt of God prevails in this upcoming synod. 

God Bless you