We celebrate the feast of that great seraphic saint, St. Francis of Assisi, whose unswerving loyalty to Jesus Christ crucified necessarily included unswerving loyalty to a legitimate Vicar of Jesus, that is, a legitimate Pope. October 4 is his feast day. How many adventurous youths do you think would be willing to follow St. Francis today? Would St. Francis recognize his Order as Catholic if he were to return to earth today? His attitude towards heretics and obedience to the true Church leave no doubt in the mind of an honest man what would be his reaction to the sight greeting him.
Among the `unification' efforts after `Vatican II' was the plan to join all the different Franciscans - Conventuals, Capuchins and Observants back into one Order. And why not? Can you think of a better foundation for unity than mutual infidelity to the Rule of the Friars Minor? Certainly, not even the most lax Religious would pretend to `fidelity' to the Franciscan Rule as the basis for Franciscan `ecumenism.'
Connected with this thought is the life of St. Peter of Alcantara, reformer and spiritual guide to St. Theresa of Avila. The Spanish branch of the Friars Minor was strongly influenced by the austere example and fervent spirit of St. Peter of Alcantara from whom that particular branch of the Order first received its name `Alcantarans.'
The Franciscan Friars who publish The Seraph have chosen St. Peter of Alcantara for their patron, while incorporating the best elements of the other reform branches.
Of course, in speaking of St. Peter of Alcantara we cannot overlook St. Theresa of Avila whose feastday we celebrate on the 15th of this month. St. Theresa was the great reformatrice of the Carmelite Order which followed after the Council of Trent. She reformed a portion of the nuns monasteries and with the help of St. John of the Cross reformed some of the Carmelites. Thus, before the great apostasy orchestrated by the Second Vatican Council, there were the regular Carmelites and the Discalced Carmelites.
St. Luke the Evangelist also graces the October calendar as we celebrate his feastday on the 18th of this month. The Apostles, Sts. Simon and Jude are also remembered.
St. Raphael the Archangel receives honors from us this month as we are reminded of the heavenly host on the 24th of October. A time when our thoughts should rise more quickly to the reality of the spiritual world, so that we should seek the things above more than we seek the things of this world.
The Motherhood of Mary is celebrated this month also. The feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King celebrated on the 27th of this month requires more in-depth consideration in view of the fact that the political chaos world-wide needs a genuine Leader.
Of all the feast days this month of October, perhaps none is as important to consider as that of Christ the King.
We hear of all kinds of terrifying and tragic political upheavals, riots and murders. Alliances are formed and just as easily dissolved. Even the best of people have become so much like the worst that it is difficult to know who the `good guys' are and who the `bad guys' are! Of course, every `bad guy' sees himself as the `good guy.' Consequently, the only `good guys' are the ones who have the ability to deceive the masses and to confuse them.
There would be little deception and no confusion if Christians became the true light of the world; the salt of the earth. But the light has grown dim and the salt has lost its savor. Except for a few specks of light and a few grains of salt, the world marches onward at the direction of horoscopes and fortune tellers, tarot card readers and the `enlightened' superstitions of clever shamanists.
The Light of the World is no other than Jesus Christ, Son of David, heir to the throne of David in His human nature, King of Kings in His divine nature. Since His humanity cannot be separated from His divinity, it follows that Jesus Christ has social claims upon mankind as well as godly claims. This is the reason why the city of Jerusalem belongs to that cultural and religious community commonly called "Catholics." Jerusalem is the capital city of the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ. Vicars of Jesus Christ claimed it in the past; impostors handed it over to antichrists in the present.
Jesus Christ has claims on more than our spiritual loyalty as if His followers could live a life of `separation of body and soul' - much like the false slogan of the Naturalists who invented the demonic impossibility contained in their slogan: Separation of Church and State. Truth cannot be divided. Nor can falsehood and error sit on the same throne together.
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