• January 25th - Conversion of St. Paul

    From rich@1:396/4 to All on Sun Jan 24 08:49:48 2021
    From: rich <richarra@gmail.com>

    January 25th - Conversion of St. Paul

    =E2=80=9CContinue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and which hav=
    e
    been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned (2 Tim.
    3:14).

    =E2=80=9CI charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
    living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: Preach the word,
    be instant in season, out of season, reprove, entreat, rebuke with all
    patience and doctrine.

    =E2=80=9CFor there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine=
    ,
    but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves
    teachers, having itching ears:
    =E2=80=9CAnd will turn away indeed their hearing from the truth but will be turned to fables.

    =E2=80=9CBut be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober.
    =E2=80=9CFor I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand.

    =E2=80=9CI have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept=
    the faith.
    =E2=80=9CFor the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which th=
    e
    Lord, the just judge, will render to me on that day: and not to me,
    but to them also who love his coming=E2=80=9D (2 Tim. 4:1-8).


    Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corr=C3=AAa de Oliveira: (died 1995)

    Since the description of the conversion of St. Paul on his way to
    Damascus has been commented on several times among us, it seems
    appropriate to analyze the recommendations he left to St. Timothy,
    transcribed in these excerpts of the selection. It is not about his
    conversion properly speaking, but rather the last testament he left
    when he felt death was drawing near. In a certain way it is the best
    fruit of his conversion.

    These words in the Epistle to Timothy have the gravity of the words of
    a testament, of the last words of a master to his beloved disciple
    when he envisages that he will be leaving this life soon. What are the
    counsels he gives to his disciple?

    St. Paul was warning Timothy about the coming heresies that would
    erupt inside the Church. Indeed, already in the times of the
    Catacombs, heresies were circulating inside the Church. But he was
    also foreseeing the future of the Church until the time of the
    Antichrist. Therefore, the counsels he gave were not just for Timothy.
    All the times similar to that beginning and similar to the end time
    were included in his description.

    He alluded to a time to come when many people will no longer maintain
    the true doctrine, but will surround themselves with masters who will
    say the comfortable things they want to hear. This happens to be our
    time more than any other before. Today innumerable people do not want
    to hear true, orthodox Catholic doctrine, but rather listen to masters
    who give them what they want. For example, a person might say: =E2=80=9CI w= ant
    a relaxed Catholic Morals so I can live an easier life. Therefore, I
    will not listen to the Catholics who teach Morals as it is, but will
    listen to those theologians who teach Morals as I would like it to
    be.=E2=80=9D

    St. Paul said: They =E2=80=9Cwill turn away indeed their hearing from the truth, but will be turned to fables.=E2=80=9D
    What is the first counsel St. Paul gave to face this situation? He
    ordered: =E2=80=9CContinue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned.=E2=80= =9D
    That is, you must persevere in the Faith, in that Faith you learned
    from tradition because you know who taught it. It was St. Paul, a
    upright man who reliably transmitted to Timothy the true Faith.
    Therefore, his first recommendation for remaining faithful was to
    follow what had been taught by trustworthy sources. It is an attitude
    of docility toward the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church.

    Then St. Paul gave his second counsel: =E2=80=9CI charge thee, before God a=
    nd
    Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming,
    and his kingdom: Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season,
    reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D After fidelity to Faith and Tradition, St. Paul, placing himself before
    Christ, ordered his disciple to preach the word of God.

    After addressing how Timothy himself should remain faithful, St. Paul
    looked toward others. He must spread the good word. How should he do
    it? He said: =E2=80=9CBe instant in season, out of season.=E2=80=9D Which m= eans: =E2=80=9CYou
    must insistently preach the word whether people like or dislike it.=E2=80=
    =9D
    It is a way to say: =E2=80=9CBe a man, be a fighter. You must enter the
    combat. You must spread the word every way you can as a soldier of
    Jesus Christ.=E2=80=9D

    This is what St. Paul recommended; this is what we must do. We must be
    not afraid of spreading the truth. We must never retreat; we must not
    be upset if people pay no attention or even if they react badly. We
    must teach the same thing again and again with supernatural virility.
    This is our duty and our way to give glory to God.

    Then he ordered: =E2=80=9CReprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D There is a certain school of apostolate that pretends th=
    at
    one should never reprove others, but should always be gentle and
    amiable. The prophet Nathan was not of this school, since he reproved
    David. St. John the Baptist did not belong to it either, for he
    reproved Herod. This is the way the true Catholic acts.

    =E2=80=9CEntreat, rebuke, with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D To repro=
    ve is not
    enough, it is necessary to entreat. When the sinner is hardened in his
    fault, he should be reproved; but when he is repentant we must act
    with goodness and implore him to leave his error and practice virtue.
    We must be humble and, like a beggar, beseech him. It is the moment
    for fraternal affection and charity.

    We must also be patient in our counsels. When the offender is ashamed
    of his sin, we should never give him the impression that he is a
    bother to us, that we are tired of him. We should show him all the
    patience possible. But also, we should give him good doctrinal
    guidance. We should offer good counsels based on serious arguments in
    order to enlighten his intelligence and move his will.

    In these few paragraphs St. Paul gave a full doctrinal lesson on how
    to be faithful and how to do apostolate.

    His advice is comforting for us, because it is the way that we as
    Catholics are living today. From the far distance of past centuries,
    the voice of St. Paul speaking to St. Timothy comes to us as if he
    were saying: =E2=80=9CMy sons, you are on the right path. Count on my praye=
    rs
    and protection from Heaven.=E2=80=9D


    Saint Quote:
    When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no
    longer to think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are
    troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with
    respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore,
    when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration.
    --Saint John Chrysostom

    Bible Quote:
    "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not
    pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it
    does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears
    all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things"
    (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).


    <><><><>
    HOW TO MOLD A SOUL

    Just take a large or small soul,
    And mix them well with prayer.
    Turn them out with flowered hearts,
    Away from Satan's lair.
    Set their paths toward glory.
    With sugar or with spice.
    Show them that above it all,
    The bread is always nice.
    St. Teresa


    =E2=80=9CContinue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and which hav=
    e
    been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned (2 Tim.
    3:14).

    =E2=80=9CI charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
    living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: Preach the word,
    be instant in season, out of season, reprove, entreat, rebuke with all
    patience and doctrine.

    =E2=80=9CFor there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine=
    ,
    but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves
    teachers, having itching ears:
    =E2=80=9CAnd will turn away indeed their hearing from the truth but will be turned to fables.

    =E2=80=9CBut be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober.
    =E2=80=9CFor I am even now ready to be sacrificed: and the time of my dissolution is at hand.

    =E2=80=9CI have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept=
    the faith.
    =E2=80=9CFor the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which th=
    e
    Lord, the just judge, will render to me on that day: and not to me,
    but to them also who love his coming=E2=80=9D (2 Tim. 4:1-8).


    Comments of the late Prof. Plinio Corr=C3=AAa de Oliveira: (died 1995)

    Since the description of the conversion of St. Paul on his way to
    Damascus has been commented on several times among us, it seems
    appropriate to analyze the recommendations he left to St. Timothy,
    transcribed in these excerpts of the selection. It is not about his
    conversion properly speaking, but rather the last testament he left
    when he felt death was drawing near. In a certain way it is the best
    fruit of his conversion.

    These words in the Epistle to Timothy have the gravity of the words of
    a testament, of the last words of a master to his beloved disciple
    when he envisages that he will be leaving this life soon. What are the
    counsels he gives to his disciple?

    St. Paul was warning Timothy about the coming heresies that would
    erupt inside the Church. Indeed, already in the times of the
    Catacombs, heresies were circulating inside the Church. But he was
    also foreseeing the future of the Church until the time of the
    Antichrist. Therefore, the counsels he gave were not just for Timothy.
    All the times similar to that beginning and similar to the end time
    were included in his description.

    He alluded to a time to come when many people will no longer maintain
    the true doctrine, but will surround themselves with masters who will
    say the comfortable things they want to hear. This happens to be our
    time more than any other before. Today innumerable people do not want
    to hear true, orthodox Catholic doctrine, but rather listen to masters
    who give them what they want. For example, a person might say: =E2=80=9CI w= ant
    a relaxed Catholic Morals so I can live an easier life. Therefore, I
    will not listen to the Catholics who teach Morals as it is, but will
    listen to those theologians who teach Morals as I would like it to
    be.=E2=80=9D

    St. Paul said: They =E2=80=9Cwill turn away indeed their hearing from the truth, but will be turned to fables.=E2=80=9D
    What is the first counsel St. Paul gave to face this situation? He
    ordered: =E2=80=9CContinue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned.=E2=80= =9D
    That is, you must persevere in the Faith, in that Faith you learned
    from tradition because you know who taught it. It was St. Paul, a
    upright man who reliably transmitted to Timothy the true Faith.
    Therefore, his first recommendation for remaining faithful was to
    follow what had been taught by trustworthy sources. It is an attitude
    of docility toward the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church.

    Then St. Paul gave his second counsel: =E2=80=9CI charge thee, before God a=
    nd
    Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming,
    and his kingdom: Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season,
    reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D After fidelity to Faith and Tradition, St. Paul, placing himself before
    Christ, ordered his disciple to preach the word of God.

    After addressing how Timothy himself should remain faithful, St. Paul
    looked toward others. He must spread the good word. How should he do
    it? He said: =E2=80=9CBe instant in season, out of season.=E2=80=9D Which m= eans: =E2=80=9CYou
    must insistently preach the word whether people like or dislike it.=E2=80=
    =9D
    It is a way to say: =E2=80=9CBe a man, be a fighter. You must enter the
    combat. You must spread the word every way you can as a soldier of
    Jesus Christ.=E2=80=9D

    This is what St. Paul recommended; this is what we must do. We must be
    not afraid of spreading the truth. We must never retreat; we must not
    be upset if people pay no attention or even if they react badly. We
    must teach the same thing again and again with supernatural virility.
    This is our duty and our way to give glory to God.

    Then he ordered: =E2=80=9CReprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D There is a certain school of apostolate that pretends th=
    at
    one should never reprove others, but should always be gentle and
    amiable. The prophet Nathan was not of this school, since he reproved
    David. St. John the Baptist did not belong to it either, for he
    reproved Herod. This is the way the true Catholic acts.

    =E2=80=9CEntreat, rebuke, with all patience and doctrine.=E2=80=9D To repro=
    ve is not
    enough, it is necessary to entreat. When the sinner is hardened in his
    fault, he should be reproved; but when he is repentant we must act
    with goodness and implore him to leave his error and practice virtue.
    We must be humble and, like a beggar, beseech him. It is the moment
    for fraternal affection and charity.

    We must also be patient in our counsels. When the offender is ashamed
    of his sin, we should never give him the impression that he is a
    bother to us, that we are tired of him. We should show him all the
    patience possible. But also, we should give him good doctrinal
    guidance. We should offer good counsels based on serious arguments in
    order to enlighten his intelligence and move his will.

    In these few paragraphs St. Paul gave a full doctrinal lesson on how
    to be faithful and how to do apostolate.

    His advice is comforting for us, because it is the way that we as
    Catholics are living today. From the far distance of past centuries,
    the voice of St. Paul speaking to St. Timothy comes to us as if he
    were saying: =E2=80=9CMy sons, you are on the right path. Count on my praye=
    rs
    and protection from Heaven.=E2=80=9D


    Saint Quote:
    When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no
    longer to think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are
    troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with
    respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore,
    when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration.
    --Saint John Chrysostom

    Bible Quote:
    "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not
    pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it
    does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears
    all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things"
    (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).


    <><><><>
    HOW TO MOLD A SOUL

    Just take a large or small soul,
    And mix them well with prayer.
    Turn them out with flowered hearts,
    Away from Satan's lair.
    Set their paths toward glory.
    With sugar or with spice.
    Show them that above it all,
    The bread is always nice.
    St. Teresa
    --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
    * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)