The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary - A Model for the Crisis of the Church

JMJ

One advantage of having a 50km+ commute to work is that I have time almost 2hrs to say my rosary and think.

This past week I started thinking about parallels between the Sorrowful Mysteries and this Crisis.

The parallels that I drew stem from the thought that the Mystical Body of Christ (i.e. the Catholic Church) emulates the path of Her Spouse - Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sorrowful Mystery - Parallels to the Crisis

Agony In the Garden

Our Lord foresaw the future of His Church, sweat blood and was betrayed by one of his own bishops.
The pre-conciliar Pope saw the crisis coming, suffered and were finally betrayed by their bishops.

Scourging at the Pillar

Our Lord underwent this suffering for the sins of impurity.
Post council indiscipline and sins of impurity became rampant. The extent of it is only recently percolating to the surface.

Crowning with Thorns

Our Lord underwent this humiliation to teach us humility.
The Church has been undergoing significant humiliations at the hands of its Popes (think Assisi). That self abasement wasn't enough for those who harbour a hatred for God and His Church. We are now starting to see the humiliation of the Church by Her enemies accelerating in too many ways to number.

Carrying of the Cross

Our Lord carried His cross (weighed down by our sins) to Calvary to show us the path to Heaven.
I believe that the parallel here will be some sort of persecution of the Church. It may have already started with various members of the Mystical Body of Christ undergoing physical persecution around the world. Perhaps in the Neo-Agnostic West a persecution will develop.

Crucifixion and Death

Our Lord completed the work of redemption by His crucifixion and death on the cross.
That the life-cycle of the Church is punctuated by one crisis after another is fairly obvious to see in a historical sense. So perhaps there will be a climax (ish) that parallels the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This will of course be followed by a 'resurrection' of the Church.

It isn't a perfect model, but there is a strong correlation between the life-cycle of crises such as this.

P^3

Comments

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

+ JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them. I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest. This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis? When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due. This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too th...

Communique about Avrille Dominicans - SSPX.org

+ JMJ Having completed the review of the 'Avrille' perspective, this communique from the French District Superior is perfectly timed. I believe that the 'resistance' has lost rationality and further argumentation simply results in their holding on to their false ideal all the more firmly. Pray much ... First, for them to acquiesce to the grace of humility in order to obtain a clear perspective on the principles involved. Second, that we may remain faithful to the Church, and Her Dogmas, Doctrines and Principles. Lest we become that which against we strove ... P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

A Reply to Martin Blackshaw’s FLAWED Remnant article titled: FLAWED: SSPX Advice on Abortion-tainted Vaccines

+ JMJ An article has appeared in the Remnant (link to article) and I am afraid that there are a number of flaws in it that need to be addressed. The author, Martin Blackshaw, believes that both the Church and the SSPX are misapplying the principle of Moral Theology called 'Cooperation In Evil'. Unfortunately, Mr. Blackshaw rests most of his arguments on citing authors that support his position, without considering the possibility that they are wrong. This highlights a key factor in this crisis: ignorance of the faith and its application . I don't am not singling out Mr. Blackshaw for this criticism, I have observed that it applies to laity and religious, superior and subject a like. No one seems immune in this enduring crisis, myself included. I further believe that this ignorance is why so many Catholics, both traditional and non, rely on their gut feeling or "Catholic conscience" for charting their way through this crisis of the faith. While...

Magisterium and Levels of Assent

+ JMJ Understanding the levels of assent to be given to the teachings of the Church is a critical success factor in walking the knife's edge during this crisis of the Church. The levels of assent are generally associated with the theological grades of certainty, which are not surprisingly mirrored by the censures for contravening the teachings of the various levels.

Tradicat

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