Lent Sermon by Saint Augustine

 

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew

Matt 6:16-21
In that time Jesus said to his disciples: And when you fast, be not as the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. And so on.

Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.
Bk. ii on the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, ch. xii, tom. 4
It is evident that by these precepts we are bidden to seek for inner gladness, lest, by running after that reward which is without, we should become conformed to the fashion of this world, and should so lose the promise of that blessing which is all the truer and more stable that it is inward, that blessing wherein God hath chosen us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. In this chapter we will principally consider the fact that vain-glory findeth a ground for its exercise in struggling poverty as much as in worldly distinction and display; and this development is the most dangerous, because it entices under pretense of being the serving of God.

He that is characterised by unbridled indulgence in luxury or in dress, or any other display, is by these very things easily shown to be a follower of worldly vanities, and deceiveth no one by putting on an hypocritical mask of godliness. But those professors of Christianity, who turn all eyes on themselves by an eccentric show of grovelling and dirtiness, not suffered by necessity, but by their own choice, of them we must judge by their other works whether their conduct really proceedeth from the desire of mortification by giving up unnecessary comfort, or is only the mean of some ambition. The Lord biddeth us beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, but by their fruits, saith He, ye shall know them.

The test is when, by diverse trials, such persons lose those things which under the cover of seeming unworldliness they have either gained or sought to gain. Then must it needs appear whether they be wolves in sheep's clothing, or indeed sheep in their own. But that hypocrites do the contrary maketh it no duty of a Christian to shine before the eyes of men with a display of needless luxury; the sheep need not to lay aside their own clothing because wolves sometimes falsely assume it.

Catholic convert incommunicado two weeks after rearrest

 An Iranian Christian convert and former prisoner of conscience remains incommunicado two weeks after her rearrest on unknown charges.

Ghazal Marzban, who spent two months in Evin Prison last winter after being convicted of “propaganda against the regime by chanting slogans”, was rearrested by intelligence agents at her home in Tehran on 14 January.

Her Bible and other Christian literature were confiscated, and she was then taken away to an unknown location, with no explanation given for her rearrest.

Two hours later, Ghazal called home to tell her husband she was being held in a Ministry of Intelligence detention centre, but she has not been heard from since.

Ghazal’s rearrest comes in the context of an ongoing Internet blackout and brutal crackdown on protests, with credible reports that tens of thousands have been murdered by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.

At least a dozen Christians are among those known to have been killed so far, with new reports coming in every day and including members both of Iran’s recognised Armenian and Assyrian Christian communities and unrecognised converts.

More: https://x.com/percy_gryce/status/2016405217122648247?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

BREAKING: VA Governor Abigail Spanberger sends mentally ill man dressed as a woman into elementary school as a counselor

Abigail Spanberger is allowing a mentally ill man in a dress around ELEMENTARY students. 

Why is Virginia affirming a mental delusion at the great expense of children?

BREAKING: Virginia parents furious after new trans school counselor begins seeing kids at @LCPSOfficial Countryside elementary.

According to the school website, his duties include: 

-encouraging social awareness 

-services that are inclusive of gender

-maintaining kids’ relationships with adults 

-individual counseling 

-a student may be referred to the counselor by teachers 

https://x.com/loudounjw/status/2023150257480081809?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

Source: @LoudonJW

More: https://x.com/loudounjw/status/2023148685278982343?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

In preparation for the celebration of Ash Wednesday

“You feel weak; you fear being overwhelmed by temptation: keep yourselves far away from occasions of sin. This is what it means to watch. Avoid the company of those who might lead you astray; flee even the shadow of anything evil; you cannot be too cautious; it is safer to be a little stricter than a little too easy. Abstain from reading books that are dangerous for you. Turn away from bad thoughts as soon as they arise: attend to some business, speak with some friend, or recite the Our Father with reverence. When you are variously tempted by the threats of the world, by false modesty, by selfishness, by provocative attitudes of others, or by the sinful pleasures of the world; when you feel urged to be cowardly, or greedy, or sensual, or to refuse forgiveness, then close your eyes and think of the Precious Blood poured out by Christ. Do not dare to say that you cannot help but sin; a little attention to these points will succeed (with the grace of God) in keeping you on the right path.

“And again, pray as well as watch. You must know that you can do nothing by yourselves; your past experience has taught you this; therefore turn to God for the will and the power; call upon Him earnestly in the name of His Son; be zealous for His holy ordinances. Is this not within your power? Do you not at least have power over the members of your body, so that you can constantly make use of the means of grace? Do you not have the power to come to church; to observe the fasts and feasts of the Church; to come to the holy altar and receive the Bread of Life? Force yourselves, at least, to do this: stretch out your hand, take the holy Body and Blood, the source of grace; this is not difficult, and you say that you truly desire to obtain the blessings He offers. What would you want more than a free gift, given ‘without money and without price’? Therefore, make no more excuses; do not complain about your wicked heart, about knowing, deciding, and not doing. Your remedy is here.

“…When He, the Lord of hosts, comes to shake the earth with terror, how many of the remnant of Israel will He find? We live in an enlightened age. The false teaching of a merely secular education makes us polite and affable. We are all clever and self-assertive. We think ourselves wise; we flatter one another; we find excuses when we become aware that we have sinned, and so, gradually, we lose the consciousness of sinning. We think our time superior to all others. ‘Blind Pharisees!’ This was our Lord’s deadly accusation against the falsely enlightened teachers of His day. Since therefore we desire to enter into life, let us constantly turn back to Christ for the two foundations of true Christian faith: humility of mind and seriousness of purpose!”

Saint John Henry Newman, Sermons

Milano non va bene - In Milan all is not well

These are not the kind of posts I enjoy writing. But it would hurt me even more to pretend nothing happened.

Last night, 11:40 pm, Milano Centrale Station. While waiting for the M2 metro, a deranged North African guy steps right in front of me and aggressively demands money. I tell him I don’t have any, and out of nowhere he kicks me in the knee.

On the scale of violence it’s a small thing, but it reopened an ugly scar. A little over a year ago I was attacked from behind by two North Africans inside an M5 metro carriage and thrown to the ground: they ripped off the baptism chain I had worn my whole life.

Now in the evenings in Milan I walk around with personal defense tools. That is not normal.  

Just as it is not normal that yesterday, on the platform of the main station metro, there was no one there to keep watch.

Someone might say: “you have money, take a taxi”. No, I’m not having it. Not at all.  

For me, the civilization of a city is measured above all by the quality of its public services. And I always take buses and metro wherever I live. It cannot be considered a crime to do so.

I myself have been an immigrant. I’ve traveled the world, worked on 3 continents, but never have I felt so unsafe, in terms of personal physical security, as I do in Milan.  

A gem in Italy as a city from a work/career point of view. But having to constantly look around, never being able to lower your guard, and jumping every time someone suddenly appears outside your field of vision… really, it’s not a nice feeling at all.

- Vincenzo Di Nicola @vincenzo on Twitter/X

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"If ever you have a fit of sadness or trouble, remember that it is because you are still attached to life, or health, or some comfort, or person, or thing that you ought to forget and despise that you may desire Jesus Christ only."

-  St. Claude de la Colombiere

No one can oblige us to separate ourselves from the true Church

 “We declare that no one can oblige us to separate ourselves from the true Church, from that Church instituted by Christ Himself and which is destined to last until the consummation of the world just as He instituted it.”  

- Archbishop Thuc