Skip to main content

SSPX: There is no victory without battle

+
JMJ

There is no human solution to this crisis ... however I suspect that humans will be instrumental in the resolution of it.

P^3

Courtesy of FSSPX.news


In Festo Assumptionis Beatæ Mariæ Virginis: There is no Victory without Battle

August 15, 2019
Source: fsspx.news



Conquering Heaven.
The Church is only Triumphant because it is Militant. There is no victory where there is no battle, there is no prize where there is no contest, and there is no wage where there is no labor. This truth is so compelling that Job says that the life of man upon earth is a warfare (Job 7:1). And although Heaven is the place of victory after the battle, Heaven itself is in a posture of war. The first battle of all time was waged in heaven between St. Michael and Lucifer, and since then, the angels have helped men fight the evil spirits. In the Old Testament the angels are often referred to as “hosts”, just like we chant in the Sanctus of the Mass.

Our Lord Himself calls His Church the Kingdom of Heaven, but He is referring to the Church Militant on earth. In union with Christ, the citizens of Heaven attend to the Church militant on earth. The communication between heaven and earth is intensively described in the Apocalypse. The angels assist the hierarchy of the Church moving through 7 ages of warfare; in bloody periods of persecution, in dark periods of blatant heresy, in confusing times of doctrinal and moral corruption. Yet the “gates of Hell shall not prevail” and Our Lord constantly urges His soldiers “to have their loins girt” at all times. St. Peter urges Catholics “to be sober and watch for the devil, like a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet 5:8).

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven is the greatest sign of the victory of Christ in His Church. She was assumed before all others because She shared more completely than any other in Christ’s victory. She is Christ’s victory over Original Sin in Her Immaculate Conception, and His victory over actual sin by Her standing at the foot of the Cross against the greatest fury of hell against Christ. Never a victim of Satan but always conquering Him, She conquers Him still now in the Church Militant on earth. She conquers Him by Her unceasing concern and prayer for Her embattled children. Only with Her can we win the crown with Christ.

Let us be as serious in this warfare as soldiers of this earth are in their battles. Let us lift up our hearts to this great mystery of Christ’s victory in Mary, and let us conquer sin, every single one, both in ourselves and in the world, in real devotion to Mary. Ave Maria!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SSPX and the Resistance - A Comparison Of Ecclesiology

Shining the light of Church Teaching on the doctrinal positions of the SSPX and the Resistance. Principles are guides used to aid in decision making.  It stands to reason that bad principles will lead to bad decisions. The recent interactions between Rome and the SSPX has challenged a number of closely held cultural assumptions of people in both sides of the disagreement. This has resulted in cultural skirmishes in both Rome and the SSPX. Since it is the smaller of the two, the skirmishes have been more evident within the SSPX.  The cultural fault-line that Bishop Fellay crossed appears to be linked to two points of Catholic Doctrine: Ecclesiology and Obedience.  The cultural difference of view points is strong enough that it has resulted in the expulsion of a number of members.  It should also be noted that some other priests expelled since the beginning of the latest interactions (starting in 2000) held the same view points and have joined with the l...

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

Church Militant TV and the SSPX - Again

+ JMJ The old narrative used to be that the SSPX was 'schismatic' and 'excommunicated'. Now the excommunication has been lifted for a number of years and the only ones who think it still has effect are the 'resistors'. That leaves the other opponents of the SSPX with the label 'schismatic'. Make it clear, the conservative Catholics have issues with the SSPX probably because they violate some of their assumptions about the Faith and this crisis of the Church. Church Militant TV is one of these the exists along the Catholic thought spectrum. They like the Traditional Mass but must ensure that they don't get tarred with the same 'schismatic' brush that the liberals use against the SSPX.  So what do they do, they use the same brush against the SSPX. The funny thing is that even when the Church does speak, they don't want to listen and persist in calling the SSPX 'schismatic'. Here's a transcript of the latest s...

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...

The Position of the SSPX on Canonizations by the Saint Factory

+ JMJ I have sometimes been criticized for including 'St' as a title for Pope John Paul II et al. I've given my reasons here  in a discussion with Alex Long. The question is one of prudence in discussions with ntCatholics and in some cases with tCatholics. In discussions with:  ntCatholics, I will use the title in order to continue the discussion and help them arrive at a realistic understanding of the crisis of the Church. tCatholics, I will use the title in order to broaden their perspective on the doctrine of dogmatic facts. This broader perspective is, in my opinion, essential maintaining a realistic understanding of the crisis of the Church. So from a doctrinal position, I have written the article Dogmatic Fact of Fancy  and includes a reference on canonizations. Now, I know the position of the SSPX is that the canonizations are doubtful (see references below) and I also know of at least one non-SSPX theologian who agrees with the level of doubt du...