What's everybody reading currently?

[MarieT]

I'm about to commence a book called "Persecuted from Within"

How the saints endured crises in the church...some excommunicated ...intreresting section on how to handle

thinking of Cardinal Burke and many other cardinals as well as Bishop Strickland

[MarieT]

well there you go.......introduction : When Shepherds turn on the flock

[Denise]

I am reading The Afterlife by Fr. Dolindo Routolo and have started reading Slaying Dragons, something I had to put down a while back. Don't know when I will pick it up again.

"Persecuted from Within" sounds interesting. Maybe as you read you can throw us a fish or two.

[MarieT]

will do....

re "slaying dragons"....i recall purchasing that years ago but didnt get time to read it to completion unfortunately

perhaps the Lord is nudging...recall our discussion on st lucy.....

thanks for being the instrument of the "nudge"

blessed week

[Denise]

recall our discussion on st lucy.....

Yup! Nudge nudge

[MarieT]

[MarieT]

Persecuted from Within.

The Introduction opens with a reminder that all the apostles (except John who miraculously escaped) had suffered martyrdom, and that "no servant is greater than his master."

It reminds of the saints having to endure persecution.

It is an exhortation for Christians to realise that trials are part of the package - a necessary part of Christian life.

The writing goes on to state that the "most disturbing (persecutions) are not those imposed by those outside the church....The worst come from within."

Its a reminder that even Jesus, our Divine Lord and Saviour, suffered the most intense humiliation, deprivation of freedom, torture, ridicule, his good name slandered and accused, and death on a cross - the punishment reserved for criminals. It was a story of betrayal and desertion from within - by the 12 - the closest circle to Jesus.

But the Christian story is greater than that. I look forward to seeing this unravelling in the book.

It had to be done, so that the Lord could prepare us for our journey in life. And we have to constantly ask ourselves "how would Jesus respond?".....

What are Christians to do when those who lead the Church are unwise, imprudent, or even downright wicked? ...when her miters are stained by sin, error, and division? How does Christ protect His sheep when shepherds appointed over them are sometimes the very ones leading their flocks astray?

how can we become the saints God has called us to be when bishops, cardinals, and even the pope seem to question the Magisterium or persecute faithful, orthodox Catholics precisely for their faithfulness and orthodoxy?

our suffering sometimes comes at the hands of our own spiritual fathers hurts most of all, but it should not shake our faith.

remember that it was in this hour that God chose us to live and work out our salvation (Jer. 1:5).

As faithful Catholics, we are neither schismatics nor Donatists — those who believe that the clergy must be without fault in order to be legitimate. We recognize that our clergy will never be perfect, and that their imperfections are never an excuse to break from the Church.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

excellent advice that we have kept reiterating in past posts.

The Catholic Church is the one true church founded by Jesus Christ and has lineage back to the apostle Peter. *(Ecumenically speaking - yes the Church does recognise that there are some qualities in other Christian churches that are of note, though not in the fullness of the Catholic Church.)

The book makes reference to the other Christian Churches who have broken away and attempted to make a new church:

God kills Korah and all his followers for attempting to start a new Israel.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

Very well put by the author:

If our faith is shaken by bad Christians, then our faith is not in Christ but in men.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

Our mission is to pray for all involved. We never know when God may turn the narrative and make one of the instigators a 'saint.'

From beginning of time:
cain brutally kills his brother Abel out of jealousy.
God calls out that the 'blood of your brother is calling from the earth it flows into"

cain is banished and cries in protest that all will kill him now for his act of murder.

while we might say....well umm did you not kill your innocent brother?

How does God respond? He puts a mark on Cain and says if anyone so does, the others will be cursed and recieve manyfold the punishment. So cain receives this protective assertion.

When God tells Moses to go tell Pharaoh "let my people go?".....he adds that He (God) for his part will harden Pharaoh's heart so he wont...."

so one may question, well why send Moses if you're going to harden Pharaoh's heart against the request from God?

the bigger picture evolves......Pharaoh was hardened from the beginning.....he rejects all.....so God grants what was evident anyway.....
and the bigger picture was the destruction of Pharaoh while the Israelites walked safely through the waters.....it is something they all celebrate today,,,,their salvation from the land of slavery and exile.

We do not know if and or when the Lord may suddenly convert Francis ' heart to change.

Schism is clearly forbidden. But there is also a second and more insidious temptation in our times: to make no protest at all, silently submitting to the abuses of the hierarchy.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

the author is clear in identifying an evil of ignoring questionable actions...yes God will handle it in His way in His time but that way is to send everyday people like us to speak out.

In the Old Testament times it was the prophets. Today, Rome has declared through past popes that the people are the light of the nations. We can be used anytime to proclaim something if God so wishes.

Never underestimate that phone call you make one day because an idea pops into your head that you havent spoken to "so-and-so" in a long time, and when you ring, you find that your call made an enormous impact on what they were going through.

the author continues:

By preying upon false notions of meekness and obedience, the enemy undermines the strength of the Church.

The regula fidei is Tradition and Scripture, which itself was born out of Tradition. Doctrine can develop, the way an acorn grows into an oak tree. But Tradition and Scripture never change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). We are to follow the bishops and popes, but never to sin and never to follow falsehood.

Our Lord Himself was betrayed by the very religious leaders whom He had appointed. His three-year ministry frequently involved contentions against priests, scholars of the law, and rabbis, the most devout of the day. His Passion was precipitated by the betrayal of an apostle. Counter to the twin temptations of proud protest and false meekness, we have only one path to take. We must strive to become saints.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

the book goes on to highlight that it will focus on the church's greatest saints who were persecuted from within. These exemplars are role models for the words our Lord gave us: “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

the chapter ends with a statement that we are not "judging" but need to "illuminate" (which i find most helpful because many a time when i'm asked to comment on the head of our church, i have to try and draw the line from judging per se, versus what is actually happening. It is a fine line indeed, but we must pray for our Cardinals and Bishops that have had their lives shocked, rocked, humiliated

We know already that Christ will be victorious. He has given us His promise. The question is: Will we be with Him when His final victory comes? Only we can decide the answer.

Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

so ends the introduction

[Denise]

[MarieT]

apologies for delay - Christmas, New Year and other celebrations, liturgical and otherwise have left little time for reading this.

after the introductory chapter summary in previous post - we continue with:
chapter 1: Our Lord Jesus Christ - the King of betrayed Saints

In Him, the saints who have been “persecuted from within” find their highest example: the suffering servant, the crucified Messiah, the Son of the Father rejected by His own who He came to save.

The chapter describes the ultimate betrayal by Judas as well as all the other disciples that deserted him (John remained at the crucifixion at the foot of the cross).
His example of trusting in God's divine plan and to endure his mission is a great reminder to us about our own mission.
yes people around us might seem to be impeding the mission, but we must believe that a greater good will come out of it according to God's divine plan. Perhaps we are the instruments of that mission....perhaps the way we respond to hostility might outcome how that person may be changed for the better or it could go the other way.....

Our Redeemer's patient and loving role model must be our light always

What makes Christ’s example all the more compelling to those persecuted from within is that His entire purpose was to come and suffer at the hands of those He came to save.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb,so he opened not his mouth.

perhaps we too must suffer at the hands of those God means to save through us.....its inevitable....but we must trust in the Divine guidance and plan
St Teresa stated "Christ has no body now but yours...."

we are the christ-like instruments sent forth to bring God's kingdom to all

3 fundamental features are focussed on in the book:
-the eucharistic element of Christ’s betrayal
-His willing endurance of the greatest miscarriage of justice in history; and
- the seemingly foolish (“to those who are perishing”) but salvific nature of His decision to endure it.

The betrayer is identified by the Eucharist by his unworthy reception of the Holy meal - St John's recount states "satan entered him"
and this treachery resulted in his own destruction

The author continues that every betrayal (in some way) involves the Eucharist:
and those who are false in the church always attempt to destroy the Eucharist at their own peril

Miscarriage of Justice
Those within - leaders - and allies -went to great depths to kill Jesus even at the expense of violating their traditional Torah rules

No evidence against him - they plotted and created falsifying evidence
How many of us today have been victim to the same treatment?
What was our response?

Jesus could have saved himself but chose to remain silent on some accounts......to others he made it clear that it was God's plan....

The foolishness of G_d to be persecuted from within
Christ chose the persecution.....

the Scriptures are replete with warnings from both Jesus and the apostles that wolves in sheep’s clothing would constantly bedevil the Church. The Church consists of both wheat and chaff, of sheep and goats, of lambs and wolves, of clean and unclean.

the author states:

But what is to be done? We are to follow God’s will and endure the sufferings in a manner that glorifies Him. As Our Lord Himself rhetorically asked as He approached the cusp of His Passion, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name” (John 12:27–28).

Thus, every would-be saint being persecuted from within has always borne a similar disposition as Christ Himself — an unflinching devotion to truth, combined with an abandonment of self-will, even in the face of injustice. Like Our Lord, they bear their sufferings, refusing to inflict injustice in exchange for injustice.

They commend themselves to Divine Providence, always confident that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

This mystery, the Apostle says, appears as foolishness to the outside world — but this apparent “foolishness of God” is in fact the highest and greatest wisdom:

No doubt those who have experienced persecution within the Church and choose to remain likewise appear foolish in the eyes of many. What earthly explanation can there be for such a choice? The answer is simple: none. As Christ’s decision to come and die on behalf of His beloved can be explained by no earthly rationale, likewise the aspiring saint who refuses to abandon His Church when faced by similar persecution from within must maintain a supernatural perspective.

we are reminded of many leaving the church because they dont agree with a pope, for example.
The exhortation is to trust in God and his one, holy, catholic and apostolic church

We see the example in the persecutions of Cardinal Burke, Sarah, Bp Strickland for example.....and many others.....their advice is to stay faithful to the church and not leave because one man assumes a high position and instils his ideologies....

Chapter 1 concludes with the highlighting of the protestants who left the church to create their own....

Ironically, the book of Wisdom is rejected by Protestants, who had themselves rejected the Church.

all quotes : source: Charles, Joshua ; Torres, Alec (2023-10-12T23:58:59.000). Persecuted from Within . Sophia Institute Press. Kindle Edition.

[Denise]

Thanks Marie!

[MarieT]

very welcome
i just managed to obtain a new book - popes from peter to Benedict XVI
interestingly the author has omitted francis the current pope
will delve into that after this current one