The Self-Destruction of the Catholic Hierarchy

The charity of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the 1200’s and the devotion of Mother Theresa to the Outcasts of Calcutta are the “Faces” of the Gift of Grace flowing through the Body of Christ.

But our Transformation is a journey, with several forks in the road. Our Free Will can choose to turn our face from God and take the path of least resistance (selfishness), on the Road to Perdition.

The selling of Indulgences in the Middle Ages was the Catholic Hierarchy’s loss of Moral Virginity. Her Progeny was the Protestant Reformation. The Decades of Directing the Spread of Pedophilia Worldwide are the Catholic Hierarchy’s (Bishops & Cardinals) Loss of Moral Legitimacy – to be the “Keepers of the Keys to Heaven”.

“Better for a man to have a millstone tied around his neck and cast into the sea, than to harm one of these (child)”, Christ said. And for clarity & emphasis, Christ repeated, “Better that a man not be born, than to harm a child.” For decades, the Catholic Hierarchy deliberately destroyed the innocence of tens of thousands of trusting children, worldwide – that’s the Face of Satan.

At the beginning of the Pedophile Priest Problem, the Bishops & Cardinals had the opportunity to teach the world about the Power of God’s Grace. God’s Grace was more than sufficient to identify the Pedophile Priest’s 1^st abuse of an innocent child. The Bishop could’ve removed that priest from the Parish, and reported the incident to civil authorities. The pedophile priest would then have received punishment or treatment, protecting innocent children from future abuse.

God’s Grace would have been evident to all for providing the clarity of mind & tenderness of heart of the Hierarchy to identify a problem and provide an effective remedy for all parties concerned.

Instead, consumed by Pride to cling to the Power & Privilege of their Pointy Hats & Crooked Sticks, the Bishops & Cardinals were obtuse to their Destruction of the FAITH IN CHRIST, in the Sanctuary of Souls, of millions of children, their parents, and disgusted Catholics – worldwide.

For example, Archbishop Weakland stole $240,000 from Church Funds to pay “Hush Money” to conceal his Crime & Sin of Transfers. There was no concern for his victims. (It was all about him.) There was No “Nathan to David” – “Moment of Truth”. There was only Self-Serving, Self-Righteous, Self-Acquittal in the Protective Catholic Hierarchy Bubble, insulated from outside scrutiny.

Weakland’s successor, Archbishop Listecki, never bothered to legally collect the stolen church funds, which may have forced Weakland into Bankruptcy. (A poor bank teller goes to Jail for Stealing $900 from her cash drawer). Instead, Listecki continued to invite Weakland to a place of honor in important Community Church Functions. NO Penance. NO Remorse. Just the Embarrassment of being Caught.

The Catholic Hierarchy is the modern-day Judas. Christ made No Distinction between His Brutal Executioners and Saul persecuting Believers in Christ. Likewise, there is No Distinction between Judas betraying Christ, and the Catholic Hierarchy betraying the innocent Altar Boy’s Trust in Priests. That blatant betrayal in Trust cost the children’s’ Faith in God, and all things Holy.

Bishop Barron wrote a laughable defense that “The Devil made them do it”. (That was Flip Wilson’s joke in the 70’s.) Satan barely had to nudge the Hierarchy to commit their heinous WORKS to keep their Power & Privilege. Blaming Satan, rather than blame the Hierarchy’s Arrogance to ignore God’s Grace to resist temptation (for 20 years) is the “Good Old Boys’ Club” Defending the Indefensible. The Hierarchy’s disgusting actions speak so loudly, that I can’t hear what Bishop Barron is saying. 

The “Anguish of the Abused” pains God’s Heart. The loss of millions of souls betrays Christ’s standard “To Love one another, as I (Christ) love you”. The Bishops & Cardinals were more concerned about people kissing their rings, than about washing the people’s feet. The Hierarchy forfeited their Positions of Power because their WORKS ignored the Gift of Grace to love others.

The Pastor of Lumen Christi Catholic Church held an “Open Forum” for parents of Children who suffered from the Previous Pastor’s Pedophile Abuse. The Universal Parental Painful Lament of that Previous Pastor’s Heinous Sin & Crime Filled the Room. Their Grief, Palpable. The Presiding Pastor of the Forum agreed with the Group’s Consensus For Necessary “Structural Changes” to the Catholic Hierarchy. (Based on the Fact that the Parish’s 100 Ministries are run by Parishioners. The “Office Staff” has all Parish Women working for Less Than Market Wages, and the 3 Deacons came from the ranks of Parishioners):

The “Keys to the Kingdom” need to be transferred to the Parish Pastor & Priests and Parishioners, as Members of the Mystical Body of Christ, (with Christ, thru the Pope, as its Head) ministering to one another – by administering & receiving the Sacraments. ALL of the Hierarchy’s Functions can be performed by Priests, Deacons & Laity. It’s just a matter of Organizational Management Change.

The Gift of Grace is the gyroscope of our soul that returns us to the “Road less Traveled” (Love of God & others), by Repentance. Repentance asks God, “To create in me a new clean heart”. God does. No sin, no matter how vile or frequent, can exceed the Forgiveness, of the welcoming embrace, of the outstretched arms, of the Redemptive Cross.

All of the Catholic Hierarchy Participating in the Perpetuation of Pedophilia worldwide (including those who knew what was happening, but remained silent & did nothing are “Accessories after the Fact”) will have their sins forgiven through Genuine Repentance. But they Must NEVER Have Their Power or Prestige Positions RESTORED, because their WORKS were cast to the bottom of the sea.

The Gift of Grace forgives our sins and continues to transform us to love God & others, in the Mystical Body of Christ – (Horizontally, as Originally Constructed – Only Vertically through Christ). The Gift of Grace provides Justification and Transformation through the Participation in the Mystical Body of Christ (where members of different talents are All valued the same by God.

The Catholic Hierarchy was rotten to its Core. From top to bottom, inside-out. The Hierarchy eschewed Christ’s disdain for those seeking personal places of Honor. Christ told the Apostles, “The First shall be Last, and the Last, First”, in response to the Apostles jockeying for the “Best Seats of Honor” around the table with Christ.

That’s why Christ organized the Mystical Body of Christ, Horizontally: ALL MEMBERS with different Talents, performing different functions, are all viewed the Same by God. The Only Vertical Member was Christ, as the Head of the Body. The power of Gods Gift of Grace flowed through each member, one to another, sufficient for each to perform their function. Because Grace is a Gift from God, there is No Personal Honor performing more complex, important duties. All functions, great or small, Honor God.

Like the Flash Mob Below, of various musicians playing a variety of instruments, accompanied by a chorus of professional singers & audience participants, ALL producing ONE Harmonious, Honoring Praise of God. No musician greater than another.

The above YouTube music video is a functional definition of the Mystical Body of Christ.

I Met God. And God said, “My Mercy is Sufficient.”

My friend shared with me the following profound insight into the Book, “Don Quixote”:

After hundreds of pages of Don Quixote courageously performing acts of unselfish chivalry for what is “Right”, the author dismisses all the previous sacrifice of doing “Good”, and replaces that Principle in the last few pages of the book with: “Don Quixote”, “I met God. And God said, “My Mercy is Sufficient.

This dismissal of doing “Good Deeds”, is congruent to Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr’s interpretation of the “Letters of St. Paul”: “Ladder Theology is Wrong”. A person doesn’t earn his way to Heaven by Keeping Commandments, Doing Good Deeds, or Knowing Scripture. Belief in Christ’s Merciful Redemption is sufficient

“Ladder Theology” is based on the Pavlovian Principle of: Stimulus. Response. Reward. Our Culture demands a reward for doing a good deed. And nothing for no results. We must earn what we get. That Principle is counter-intuitive to God’s Mercy, Love, and Forgiveness. God’s Forgiveness is “Like the fragrance that the violet sheds on the boot that crushed it” (Mark Twain). That’s why Christ said from the Cross, “Father forgive them (Jewish false accusers, & Roman brutal executioners) for they know not what they do”.

WE DON’T NEED “To be willing to march into Hell for a Heavenly cause – To reach the Unreachable Star.”

The “New Impossible Dream” is to accept that God accepts us “AS IS”

God knows that we are Guilty Sinners, but acquits us anyway. Forgives us, anyway. Accepts us “As Is”. God’s 3 attempts in the Old Testament “Covenants with Man” all failed because man couldn’t keep his part of the Bargain. So, God found a different way to re-graft His “Broken Branches” into the “Living Vine.”

God sent his only Son to become man (Jesus) and suffer & die for the forgiveness of all sins (past, present, and future) so that all who believe in Him, shall not perish, but have life everlasting. Christ came to restore the broken relationship with God. That restoration requires Faith & Repentance. Faith in Christ as the Son of God who died to forgive our sins. Repentance “To create in me a new clean heart.” – Psalm 51. Repentance removes the fog of sin which obfuscates the presence of God in the Sanctuary of our Soul.

Faith in Christ restores our relationship as “Children of God” & ”Heirs to Heaven”. Repentance maintains & cultivates that restored relationship. There is No Limit to the number of times we can repent our sins. No sin, no matter how vile or frequent exceeds the forgiveness of the welcoming embrace, of the outstretched arms, of the Redemptive Cross. Our difficulty is to accept that God accepts us “As Is”. Or That: “God’s mercy is sufficient.”

God sent us The Holy Spirit, to serve as the Gyroscope for our soul to continue to enjoy our Companionship with God.

As a result of accepting God’s Merciful Forgiveness, we will love God and each other. As a result, we will keep the Commandments, do good deeds, and know Scripture. Our new relationship with God is best expressed as a member of the “Mystical Body of Christ”.

The “Mystical Body of Christ” is described as “Christ as its Head, and all members of different talents, all valued the same by God. God’s Gift of Grace flows from one member to another. That’s the functional definition of Love: “Sharing what we have with each other, expecting nothing in return”

That’s the Cosmic Beauty of the “Mystical Body of Christ”: Experiencing the awesome awareness of the presence of God within us, and sharing it with others – As expressed in the “Flash Mob’s” – “Ode to Joy”, Below

Or, if you prefer the half hour long classical version: This marvelous new relationship with God & each other is majestically & joyously expressed in the Divinely Inspired Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, with Barenboim conducting the West East Divan Orchestra (of 100 Arab & Israeli musicians & the 200 member London Youth Choral Group).

The above YouTube music video expresses the Divine Inspiration of Beethoven’s Creation of his Symphony No. 9

The Truth About the Origin of “The Star Spangled Banner”

This blog post is written because “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But No one is entitled to Ignore the Facts, or Change the Facts” – Senator Moynihan (D)

There are many misconceptions today about the Actual Origin of the “Star Spangled Banner”, and the role of the American Flag in the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was about to be lost. If lost, the American Colonies would revert to British Rule. The United States of America would cease to exist. (The British Army had already burned down the White House.)

There were many ”Prisoners of War” taken by both sides during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key was a Lawyer in Baltimore, selected by Congress, to negotiate a “Prisoner Swap” with the British. He met with the British Commander, on a British Warship, anchored off the shore of Fort Henry. Francis Scott Key was surprised & pleased that the British Commander agreed to a “One-for-One Prisoner Swap” commencing the next morning.

The British Commander said that the “Swap” was irrelevant. He told Francis to look toward the horizon. Francs saw over 100 black dots on the horizon. The British Commander said that those “Dots” were the rest of the Entire British War Fleet. They would arrive in a few hours to reduce Fort Henry to rubble. Francis said that Fort Henry was also a community for women & children. It would be inhumane to kill them in a random bombardment.

The Commander said it was up to the Americans to determine who & how many would die. The British bombardment would stop immediately, when the Americans lowered the Flag on top of Fort Henry’s rampart. That sign of surrender would end the War of 1812. It would return the colonies back to British Rule. The United States of America would be wiped off the face of the earth.

Francis went down into the belly of the boat to tell the American Prisoners of War (held in the filthiest, inhumane conditions) the conditions of their release. The prisoners all shouted “Never Surrender”. They asked Francis to tell them what was happening to the fort, during the battle. After 3 hours of bombardment, The Flag was still flying on top of the flagpole. The Commander ordered ALL the ship’s guns to be aimed towards the Flagpole. During the next 3 hours of relentless bombardment, the Flag was still seen flying on top of the pole, in the rocket’s red glare.

This YouTube music video best expresses the Solemnity of our National Anthem

The British Commander was frustrated and perplexed, “Don’t those Americans understand that they have No Chance. They are dying for Nothing. Their cause is Hopeless.” Yet, in the dawn’s early light, that Flag was still there. (Francis Scott Key then wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”.)

The British Commander didn’t understand Washington’s Proclamation, “An American would rather die standing, then live kneeling, before an enemy taking away his Freedom.” In the morning, Francis took a boat ashore to see why the Flagpole was leaning at an odd angle. Francis found the bodies of dead Americans stacked up against the pole. They were killed holding up the flagpole, during the bombardment, allowing the Flag to fly on top.

Truly, America was “The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave” . Those dead Americans were the functional expression of Washington’s Proclamation.

The “Victory at Fort Henry” eventually allowed Andrew Jackson to Win the “Battle of New Orleans”, which ended the War of 1812, and preserved the United States of America.

It’s a pity that Social & Mainstream Media are ignorant of the actual ”Origins of the “Star Spangled Banner” and the significance of the American Flag.

If they knew, They Wouldn’t Kneel or Raise a Closed Fist, during the singing of our “National Anthem”. Or spit on, or burn the Flag, abusing the very Freedom that the Flag provides – Earned by the Sacrifice of American lives defeating Tyranny in the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, and WWII. (That’s why the Marines proudly raised the “Flag” on top of Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima)

N. B. The word “Sacrifice” does Not Mean Loss. The word “Sacrifice” comes from 2 Latin words – “Sacri Faciam” – “To Make Holy”. The sacrifice of American Lives for our Flag & Freedom is Holy.

It’s also an act of Love.

This YouTube music video of Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” describes an America worth Fighting & Dying for.

Once the Origin of the Star-Spangled Banner is known, an American will dutifully place a hand over their heart, and either sing the National Anthem, or bow their head in gratitude for those who died for it.

Those who died to provide the Freedom of Speech to others, certainly deserve no less.

 

 

“In Search of Excellence” …To Sell a Home

My friend was excited to tell me the main reason why he got a “Full Asking Price, No Contingency Offer”, the day Before he was going to “List it For Sale”.

The Above YouTube Music Video Teaches the Importance of Doing All the hard Things to Get Something Done, like Below:

Before he told the “Secret of his Success”, he first told me all of the things that he did in preparation to sell his home:

• My friend spent months “De-Cluttering” his home. Every item was examined to “Keep”, “Donate”, or “Throw-Out”. He rented a Storage Unit near his new home for items that he wanted to “Keep”, but move out of his garage or downstairs storage room.
• Rather than try to hide defects from a “Prospect” or Home Inspector, my friend hired a Home Inspector to do a thorough examination of his home, and provide a Report of everything that needs to be repaired or replaced.
• He then hired a “Handyman” to fix everything requiring repair according to the “Inspection Report”.
• He also hired Professionals to inspect, repair, and replace anything for the Furnace, A/C, and Hot Water Heater.
• When all the repairs were made, my friend hired an Appraiser to determine the home’s “Asking Price”, based upon recent sales of comparable homes in the area.
• He then hired a Professional Cleaning Service to thoroughly clean every room in his home, plus wash the windows & clean the carpets.
• My friend then hired a professional photographer to take pictures of every room, from different angles.
• My friend paid a Real Estate Agent to educate him about selling his home, himself. The Agent provided him with a valuable “To-Do” List – “For Sale by Owner”:

1. 1. In addition to everything that he previously did. he prepared a 1-page “Information Sheet” of room sizes, unique features & up-grades, etc. which would be used for posting on “Zillow”.
   2. The “Information Sheet” would also be used as a “Flyer” to be delivered to the newspaper boxes of other homes in area subdivisions and nearby apartment renters.
   3. The “Information Sheet”  also contained the phrase “Buyers Agents Welcome”. (Most homes Sold by Owners are through “Buyer’s Agents”, who normally charge 2.4%.)
   4. He would place an Ad in the Community Newspapers touting “New Listing”, “Original Owner”, and “Buyer Agents Welcome”.
   5. Placed a “For Sale by Owner” Sign prominently seen in his front yard.

My friend did ALL of those things listed above. But None of them, in whole, or in part, were the reason(s) WHY he SOLD his home for Full Asking Price, One Day Before he listed it “For Sale” on the market. The Reason is Below:

My friend is permanently disabled in both of his legs. He uses a wheelchair at home. He can stand, but only briefly. After all of the things above were done, my friend did an “Inspection” of his home. It was in pristine, “Turn-Key” condition. However, when he went into the garage, Horrors. While the garage floor glistened from the recently applied Epoxy floor application. And the storage shelving was better organized than a Library. There were cobwebs dangling at the junction of the ceiling & walls, all around the inside perimeter of the garage.

Then, my friend recalled the sage advice of an Airline Executive, quoted decades earlier in the book, “In Search of Excellence”, “If we don’t clean the coffee stains from the back of the seat drop-lids, customers will think that we don’t do engine maintenance.”

Little Things Mean a Lot in Romance, Selling a Home, or Whatever You Do

My friend realized that if he didn’t take a broom, and sweep away all of those cob webs, Prospects will think that he didn’t do regular maintenance of his home. Prospects would ignore all of the incredible, wonderful work done to make his home shine like a jewel. They will only remember the cob webs, when they leave. And Nothing Else.

So, my friend got a broom. He stood up for moments at a time to sweep a 4-foot section of cobwebs away. He then sat down, moved his wheelchair 4-feet to the right, stood up, and swept away another 4-foot section of cobwebs. My friend repeated that process around the entire perimeter inside his garage, for over an hour, until ALL the cobwebs were GONE. Then, the Prospects would NOTICE All the Other Things That He Did.

The 1^st Person to “Walk Through” made the “Full Price Offer, with No Contingencies, and allowed him 14 days After Closing, to move his personal property to his New Home”.

Cleaning the cobwebs (“coffee stains”) was the game-changer.