Obedience for the Catholic is pretty well everything. Just as Jesus Himself was obedient. Philippians 2:8 And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death—even the death of the cross. Padre Pio is a wonderful example of someone who was totally obedient even under horrific persecution. When I am confused and wonder what the right thing is to do I always ask myself one simple question: What would Our Lady do? Would Our Lady be disobedient to St Peter, the first Pope? No of course not . For as Jesus Himself said: Matthew 23:2 Woes to Scribes and Pharisees 1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.… One big thing would pretty well force me to be obedient. That is the fear of Hell. I really believe there is a place called hell and that people get sent there. Disobedience is big thing. I would not risk going to hell for anything or anyone.
Immolation is such a great Catholic word and concept often most associated with mystics & victim souls. It is also biblically sound based on the teachings of St Paul. Padre Pio offered himself as a "victim soul" & offering himself for the immolation of humanity, especially during the ravages of World War I. In August 1918, this took a physical form when he experienced a mystical event called transverberation. Shortly after, he received the visible stigmata. The term "immolation" in the context of StPadre Pio revolved around three primary events in his spiritual and physical life: 1. Offering for World Peace In 1915, Padre Pio wrote to his spiritual director that he had offered himself to God as a victim to appease divine justice and bear the punishments reserved for sinners, particularly those fighting in the First World War. 2. The Transverberation (Spiritual Immolation) In August 1918, he underwent a mystical experience where he felt his heart being pierced by a dart of fire from an ethereal being, leaving him spiritually and physically wounded. He described this interior burning as a profound sense of being consumed by God's love. 3. The Stigmata (Physical Immolation) On September 20, 1918, while praying before a crucifix, Padre Pio experienced a vision that left him with the visible wounds of Christ (the stigmata) on his hands, feet, and side. He bore these painful, bleeding wounds for 50 years until they mysteriously disappeared without a trace shortly before his death. Padre Pio is a wonderful example of a saint immolated for the salvation of souls.
What amazes me is that despite the colossal problems in the Church the amount of new converts coming into the Church is huge. God is God, He is able to work despite the imperfections within the visible Church.
I didn't realise St. Padre Pio had experienced transverberation. In 1560 St. Teresa of Avila experienced transverberation when her heart was pierced by God. So she was able to experience and participate in, to some extent, the piercing of Christ's Sacred Heart on the Cross. I think that may be the first reported experience of the mystical phenomenon of transverberation. It is worth pointing out too that she was later interviewed by the Spanish Inquisition where she disclosed the nature of her mystical experiences and was given a clean bill of spiritual health by them.
For two reasons. First, because the West has reached the peak of a technologically advanced and hedonistic way of life. When you are poor or driven by the pursuit of wealth, money, pleasure, and success, you may cast aside everything including God to achieve those goals. Yet once you reach that point, those things still do not truly satisfy you. People remain spiritually empty. We have more material prosperity than any generation in history. Even the poorest people in the West often enjoy a standard of living that is vastly superior to that of kings and nobles from centuries ago. Yet people are still empty. Rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and addiction have never been higher. Many turn to drugs, alcohol, or other addictions to escape everyday life and experience an artificially induced sense of happiness through changes in brain chemistry, only to pay for it with their health, relationships, or even their lives. The Catholic Church offers peace, hope, and a path toward healing for people in that situation. The second reason is that the war in Iran, the destruction in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the child abuse associated with the Epstein elite, and the COVID pandemic have convinced many people that moral evil exists and that there is something beyond a purely atheistic understanding of reality. They see that such evil is not merely a human construct, but something deeply spiritual and beyond human power alone to overcome. In the midst of these conflicts and crises, the Catholic Church has sought to maintain a moral compass by upholding an objective understanding of good and evil. It does not seek the approval of worldly leaders or submit its moral teachings to international organizations. Ultimately, it offers two answers that many people today are searching for: the reality of true goodness, which is found in Christ and in the Eucharist, and the hope of eternal life, where this life of suffering is not the end.
I thought so , but I can't find any official source confirming it. Everywhere I look, it simply says that he is considered to have attained the highest degree of union with Christ's Passion, as well as with His love. For this reason, he is also called the "second Christ," because he was united with Christ on every level. As I understand it, St. Teresa is regarded as the first and only officially recognized case, even though many people before her had similar mystical experiences that could arguably be classified in the same way. However, they were never described using that specific terminology, possibly because there are fewer surviving records from periods before the invention of the printing press. One of the earliest figures who is sometimes mentioned as a possible example is St. Gertrude the Great. She experienced mystical visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a profound union with Christ, though not in that particular form. God manifests Himself to people in different forms. He may give the same gift, but a person can experience it in different ways. Conversion is the acceptance of Christ. Saint Paul had to be knocked off his horse, while someone else might come to faith during Mass, through an ordinary conversation, and so on. As far as I know, Saint Teresa, according to her own understanding, had a vision of hell while she was a nun and saw her place there, even though she had already been in religious life for years. However, she still lived in a somewhat worldly way. Perhaps God used such a symbolic way to confirm her faith, her change of life, and how much she was growing spiritually.
St Phillip Neri too. When the Doctors did a post mortem on his body and took out his heart they found it was huge and had evidence of this. It had changed so much it had actually moved his ribs. It shows that they are not simply talking about emotions but an actual physical reality.
We all have our opinions. The SSPX people have their opinions. But they’re all ultimately just human opinion. There is only one institution in this world that has been founded by God Himself. This is the Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church, no matter how defiled some of its administrative staff might happen to be in this brief moment of its everlasting existence. We should just cling on.
Per this article, lay people who formally adhere to SSPX are also excommunicated. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/worl...-of-breakaway-traditionalist-sect/ar-AA273mhs
How will this schism affect the world?? As the Church is so is the world. I feel that things will speed up even more. Confusion and pride are rampant right now. As the Church is, Wow
I know this is from Vatican perspective and I've always tried to give the SSPX the benefit of the doubt because I believe many sincerely love Christ, the Church, and our Catholic tradition. But these recent episcopal consecrations have given me pause. It feels like a line has been crossed. As much as they may believe they're doing the right thing, unity with the successor of Peter isn't optional for Catholics. I'm still praying and trying to understand, but I'm leaning toward the belief that real renewal has to happen within the Church, not apart from her. Peace https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatic...eated-38-years-later-editorial-tornielli.html
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/b...dez-declares-six-sspx-bishops-excommunicated/ Note the date - July 2nd, anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Garabandal. This must be the fulfillment of the prophecy - “something like a schism” will take place.
It’s a battle of wills. Gods will or human will. When Jesus asked the Father to “let this cup pass” he was submitting to God’s will. He did not want to suffer the agony and humiliations but turned his will over to God. The same with the SSPX. It is a battle of wills. It kind of reminds me of what happened to Martin Luther when he posted his thesis on the doors of the church. He felt he had good reasons against the heirarchy of the times and quit with a following. Look how that turned out! The SSPX is doing the same thing. They have grievances but are demanding their way. What will the consequences be for all the people going with them? Again, a battle of wills. It is so hard to live in the world. But we are called to a higher plane, to reach to ABBA, our Father, and let his will be done. In obedience. Love is not demanded, love is bestowed.
The Old Catholics and the Jansennists thought that they were the protectors of the true Faith. I’ve heard that those who now remain are closer to liberal Protestantism than anything else. If the SSPX continues down this road, this will also be their destiny.
