THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Quinquagesima Sunday

19 February 2023

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Dear Friends in Christ,

(The following is from the archives. It was written by Bishop Louis Vezelis, OFM.)

In just a few days, we will be reminded that we are dust and that into dust we shall return. The custom of placing blessed ashes on the foreheads of the faithful ought to awaken the spiritually sleeping to the reality of life and death and their respective implications.

There are those blind Catholics who fail to learn anything from the death of those around them. Instead, they would like to have the reality of death hidden from their guilty eyes.

For this reason, many former Catholics look upon death as a time for the departed to be praised. What a tragic error!

By the time the casket containing the earthly remains of the deceased is wheeled into the church, the soul that once animated the corpse has already been judged. Judged — not by superficial friends or family — but by the Just Judge from whom no secret is hidden.

We who have been baptized in the True Church need to be reminded of the fundamental truths of The Faith. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, came to earth and dwelt amongst us to show us by His word and example the path to regeneration into eternal life with God.

Today's Gospel gives us a very vivid picture of what awaited Him. Not only Him but everyone who would follow Jesus in doing the will of our heavenly Father.

There is no crown for those who have not competed in the struggle that makes this world a "valley of tears."

The Gospel is filled with profound prophecies and proofs of Our Lord's humanity and divinity. In His humanity, Jesus is the son of David; in His divinity, Jesus is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Yet, if God Himself was so poorly received by humanity, what are we to think of those who have followed the Apostles and represent Our Lord before all of humankind?

Jesus foretells what will soon happen in the Holy City, Jerusalem, but the Apostles cannot grasp this reality because they have yet to receive sufficient supernatural grace to understand the spiritual meaning of all that Our Lord said.

He warned them of what would happen: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished, which were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and shall be mocked, scourged, and spit upon; and after they have scourged Him, they will put Him to death; and on the third day He shall rise again."

Where are all those "Jews" who boast fidelity to the Old Testament? They conveniently ignore the words of the Old Testament that clearly foretell what will happen to the Messiah. Yet, their demonic obstinacy serves only to entrench them more deeply in their errors to the point that they can no longer distinguish between their darkness and the light of true believers.

So-called "Protestantism" is nothing more than Judaic paganism lightly covered with a film of Christian rhetoric.

Jesus is the legal heir to the kingdom of David. As such, His genuine and valid Vicar, the Pope, becomes that kingdom's legitimate successor, which must be administered according to the will of Christ and His heavenly Father.

Once-Christian kingdoms were deliberately corrupted and then destroyed. In their place arose the knights and servants of Lucifer. Since war is Satan's harvest, it is understandable that men like those who belong to the secret Lodges of Freemasonry and the pirates of the Skull and Bones Sect need war to assuage the thirst of Satan for souls while enriching themselves and their bribed lackeys on the blood of unfortunate peoples.

We urge all people of goodwill to voice their opposition to the terrible sufferings of millions unleashed by the warmongers whose concern for even their own soldiers is nothing more than Pharisaic hypocrisy.

The just will suffer along with the unjust. Although the suffering may prove to be the same, the end of each will be dramatically different. There can be no peace in the world unless the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, reigns in the minds and hearts of world leaders.