“What we've got here is failure to communicate…”

"What do you actually believe? We know what you don't believe." I mostly preach the doctrine of "I don't know. It doesn't trouble me that much that there are big questions that I can't answer. I've never been able to answer them; I never will. I just kind of let it go. "Where did we all come from?" "What's the meaning of it all?" "What happens when you die?"  Bill Maher., www.imdb.com.

The difficulties of being a human being, struggling with issues that effect life, as in how to think, what to think and speaking coherently, trying to make sure “Yes means yes and no means no.” Often, struggle to understand, whom we are, what decisions to make, when and what are the ramifications of the decisions, short and long term.

“What I do know is that it gets my Irish up, to beg the point of our interview, when people make up stories and sell an invisible product. It's such a scam. I just think people should man-up, suck it up, and just say, "I don't know," instead of closing their eyes very tightly and insisting on believing something that part of them must know is not true. So when people say, "Yeah, but could it be Jesus Christ?" Yes, it could be.  And it could be the lint in my navel. It could be a lot of things. I tend to doubt very strongly [the story of] Jesus Christ or any other story that just smacks of the kind of thing that primitive men would come up with.”  Bill Maher., www.imdb.com.

I mostly preach the doctrine of "I don't know. It doesn't trouble me that much that there are big questions that I can't answer. I've never been able to answer them; I never will. I just kind of let it go. "Where did we all come from?" "What's the meaning of it all?" "What happens when you die?"  Bill Maher., www.imdb.com.

It would seem that Bill Maher is not sure of what he believes or thinks or how to communicate clearly, what he thinks.  He says one thing and then states in the same breath…

"Yeah, but could it be Jesus Christ?" Yes, it could be.  And it could be the lint in my navel. It could be a lot of things. I tend to doubt very strongly [the story of] Jesus Christ or any other story that just smacks of the kind of thing that primitive men would come up with.”  Bill Maher., www.imdb.com.

There seems at best to be a mental disconnect and failure to communicate.  While I understand he is a comedian and earns a living as such, his thought process is at best a mental disconnection.  If a person says, I do not know, I do not care and live their life accordingly that is sound logic.  However if a person states, I do not know, I do not care then asserts what it is not and then attempts to rationalize with mental gymnastics in order to assert “God does not exist…” It is at best a contradiction of thoughts and words, which in turn begs the question, what does he think, how does he think and how can anyone understand what he means or says?  Bill Maher is, as we all are a created contingent human being, unable to possess full and complete knowledge of all that existed, exists now, and will exist.  It is at best absurd on any level to state, “I don’t know” and then in the same breath state, “What I do know is…”  As a devout Roman Catholic, I do not care what Bill Maher thinks but rather what he ought to think.  It would seem that in order to be understood and communicate effectively a person should attempt to understand what and how we think in order to communicate effectively.  If a person says one thing then in the same breath or in action does something opposite, how can anyone understand the person, let alone what or how he or she thinks and in the end believe anything he or she says and put any credence into any words or actions?  It cannot be both; he either does know or does not know.  It is at best absurd yet he actually believes what he asserts based upon what he thinks, he trying to be funny in order to make money?

I tend to doubt very strongly [the story of] Jesus Christ or any other story that just smacks of the kind of thing that primitive men would come up with.”  Bill Maher., www.imdb.com.

It would make sense to assert no one in the history of civilization would term St. Thomas Aquinas as “primitive.” As Thomas Aquinas is quoted and accepted not only in the world of The Catholic Church but throughout the world and cultures.  His “Five Proofs” for the existence of God is deep enough for anyone to ponder the existence of all that exists, did exist and, or will exist.  Would it not stand to reason that technology and the advancement of all that we have in the year 2012 was brought about since the beginning of recorded history, from one generation to the next?  Would it not stand to reason, emperor Caesar Augustus or Julius, if asked during their lives they would dare not deem their Roman Empire as “primitive?”    

Does it not stand to reason Bill Maher and those that agree with his philosophy, have to discard history dating from The Fertile Crescent to whatever period in history, they deem to be NOT primitive?  In turn discard the great philosophers such as Aquinas, Aristotle, Socrates and Plato that fall within what they deem “primitive?”  They would then have to decide what is believable or not believable throughout history, deem it primitive or not primitive in order to fit their own beliefs, in order to justify what they like and dislike?  Then have to assert based on their subjective reason and logic those beliefs in order further advance such beliefs as to come up with a favorable outcome in order to fit and support their own ideology?  In turn, deem those that do not agree with them as crazy, dumb and unintelligent, attempting to define themselves as intelligent and learned...?

Mental Gymnastics:

n. Inventive, complex arguments used to justify unjustifiable decisions, or situations.

http://www.wordnik.com/words/mental%20gymnastics

It would seem the sport of mental gymnastics does not have to make any philosophical sense or logic, as long as they have the money and positions of authority to force tolerance of absurd beliefs with disconnected philosophy, upon everyone, while mocking Christ and bashing His Church, claiming to know beyond doubt, they do not know, but they do know what it is not.  The sport has no limits and can be used in an attempt to support any absurd philosophy in order to further any lifestyle.  As the world deems good, and even encouraged, to say one thing and do another, talk without thinking and without sound philosophical logic and reason, in the name of wealth, money and power, it would seem the majority of the world does not only, not want to hear, see or know the truth but, people like Bill Maher attempt with mental gymnastics to completely remove the truth from existence. 

Does it not stand to reason, as the only method to communicate effectively is to say what we mean and mean what we say, our words should always match our thoughts and vice versa?  Should we not always attempt to make sense, with sound philosophical reason and logic based upon the objective truth.  If not, in the end, “What we've got here is failure to communicate…” regardless if we are comedians, lawyers, doctors, accountants, schoolteachers, janitors and, mothers and fathers. How can anyone believe what we say, stand for or do, if our lives are a complete contradiction.

NOTE:  This blog was written before Bill Maher embarrassed himself further by making vile and crude remarks about Governor Sarah Palin, and donating money to Barak O’Bama.

Staggers the imagination...

It has been throughout history of the human race, a desire to control, be in control and dictate to our environment, based upon our feelings, wants and desires in order to bring us happiness and a feeling of warm and fuzzy, often termed “Love.”  As human beings, we are created and contingent, unable to create ourselves, nor control our daily existence, by simply willing it, let alone create all that was, is and will be, from nothing.  This fact would further support the philosophical proofs for the existence of God, given to us by St. Thomas Aquinas.  However, it seems our culture and world still continues to attempt to control, manipulate and change the natural laws.  The terms, “tolerance” and “bullying” seem to be thrown around, by the ethical/moral relativists, in order to force society to accept same sex unions.  By using such key words, they attempt to force upon us, unnatural acts within the natural law, given to us by Our Creator.  As God is the creator of all that existed, exists now, and will exist it is absurd for someone to assert, “We need to bring the bible, kicking and screaming into the modern world.” As if God could not have known, since the beginning of time, what was going to take place, in 33 AD, 70 AD, in 1863 AD and in 2012 AD?  Would that not indicate God does not have full and complete knowledge of everything?

As put forth in The Catechism of The Catholic Church;

The revelation of the ineffable name “I Am who Am” contains then the truth that Go alone IS.  The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and following it the Church’s Tradition, understood the divine name in the sense: God is the fullness of Being and of every perfection, without origin and without end.  All creatures receive all that they are and have from him; but he alone is his very being, and he is of himself everything that he is. (CCC 213)

God’s truth is his wisdom, which commands the whole created order and governs the world.  God, who alone made heaven and earth, can alone impact true knowledge of every created thing in relation to himself. (CCC 216)

God is also truthful when he reveals himself –the teaching that comes from God is “true instruction.”  When he sends his Son into the world it will be “to bear witness to the truth:” “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true.” (CCC 217)

As it was said by the lead character which Robin Williams played, in the movie “Good Morning Vietnam,” “It staggers the imagination.”  If such is put forth by God as our creator, how is it possible that we, merely created creatures, existing in time and contingent upon God to exist, can and have full and complete knowledge of everything deem,” We need to bring the bible, kicking and screaming into the modern world?” Does this mean that the laws of God only apply to certain periods of time?  Does this mean God does not exist outside of time and He has to learn from us?  Does this mean that human beings since the dawn of time never had to struggle with same sex attractions and the desires of the flesh in a disordered way?  We all have the freewill to choose to follow God, The Gospel and The Church or not.  However, for created creatures to assert and manipulate God’s natural law, to fit our own desires and wants, because we know ourselves better than whom created us?

Chastity and homosexuality

Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex.  It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures.  Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained.  Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the natural law.  They close the sexual act to the right of life.  They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.  Under no circumstances can they be approved. (CCC 2357)

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible.  This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial.  They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.  Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.  These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. (CCC 1995)

As Catholics we are to judge the action not the person, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.”  To tolerate evil and unjust actions are wrong regardless of the person.  That does not mean the person is somehow evil and worthy of our disdain.  However, the assertion that we as Catholics are forced to accept enacted laws that oppose the natural law of God, in the name of “Tolerance” and “Anti-bullying” is at best wrong, disordered, philosophically and theologically.  It does not matter how badly we want to live a certain lifestyle, we have no authority to manipulate God’s law.  We cannot have both and, if a person accepts God as Creator and that Jesus Christ His only begotten Son lived, died and was raised from the dead, we cannot manipulate His laws because it somehow does not fit our “Modern” culture and “We need to bring the bible, kicking and screaming into the modern world.”

The assertion that the creator of everything, has to somehow change and be brought up to speed in the year 2012, in order to fit a world and culture that exists only in time and was brought into existence by Him, is at best absurd.      

References

(1995). The Catechism of the Catholic Church – CCC. New York: DoubleDay.

Jesus spoke these words; "My child, I have need of victims, and strong victims, who by their sufferings, tribulations, and difficulties, make amends for sinners and for their ingratitude." - Saint Gemma Galgani, letters

As it stands to reason we as created and contingent beings, brought into existence not in any random or chaotic way or reason, we exist to love God and follow to serve others in order for all souls to find Christ and in the end obtain eternal salvation.  While it is not easy to understand or imitate Christ of the world, as the world stands in direct contradiction to Christ, His teachings and His Church there are examples of souls that have lived their lives in following Christ in a very austere and direct way, to the point that those people close to them, did not understand them.  While the world quickly attempts to dismisses, with mental gymnastics, the existence of God, Jesus and His Church, one has to look no further than to history and the examples and writings of such souls.  We are brought into existence body, mind/soul composite not by any willing or desire of our own but only by the love of God.  As we are created in the image and likeness of God, our Creator, we are called to follow and imitate His Son.   As this philosophical assertion is not without question and debate, by people that wish to live outside any moral compass or benchmark, it is impossible to dismiss the existence of God, Christ, and His Church and such teachings, with any sound logic and reason.

As the world rejects God and the teachings of The Church, a fundamental issue the world cannot reason with, and struggles with, pain and suffering.  Because the United States was not founded on Catholic teachings but on fundamentalists, protestant beliefs, the idea of “Redemptive Suffering” is foreign and absurd not only to atheists but anyone without a solid Catholic foundational formation. 

As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church on suffering;

The Holy Spirit gives to some, a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord.  But even the most intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses.  Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that “in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His Body that is the Church.” (CCC 1508)

Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament this person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ’s Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by the configuration to the Savior’s redemptive Passion.  Suffering a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation of the saving work of Jesus. (CCC 1521)

As this teaching reaches beyond any human nature in a normal life, the idea of “Cancer” to anyone that does not accept the existence of God and Christ, causes abject fear and terror, let alone having to endure pain and suffering because of such.  Furthermore, Christ’s Passion and crucifixion is beyond understanding to the world, as it is the core fundamental event, not only to Catholic’s but in history.  Without the crucifixion there would be no reason for, or understanding of suffering or pain, as well as the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.  People would celebrate nothing more than the Spring Solstice.  Using sound reason to assert without the crucifixion, suffering and pain in our lives would make no sense.  Hence, how is it possible for anyone using sound logic and reason, to attempt to dismiss the existence of God and Christ and then in turn explain the existence of pain and suffering?  How can anyone understand pain and suffering if not under the shadow of the cross of Christ? 

As contingent beings and created in the image and likeness of God, we are created in order to find God and do His will, and in the end obtain eternal salvation or eternal damnation.  All human beings have the freewill to choose to follow or to not follow Christ.  It is with and in chosen souls God reveals the deepest mysteries in order for us to see and experience Him.  They are stars shining brightly allowing us to, on some level see and understand such depths.

  

As Christ stated,   

“Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.” (Mt 11:28-30). The Holy Bible (1966) The Holy Bible - RSV - Catholic Edition.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. Or what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?”  (Mt 16:24-26) The Holy Bible (1966) – RSV – Catholic Edition. (1966)

Only the depths of a soul being enlightened by God can grasp and taste the pain and suffering that one endures which allows one to understand how and why one can endure such.  As the soul journeys with its’ Creator, only by and with His grace, the soul can endure and see that such suffering and pain brings about clarity.  This clarity is not that of the learned soul but the unlearned soul that seeks ONLY Jesus in order to imitate and follow Him.  This clarity is only by the grace of God and by His will that a soul can see with such simplistic clarity.  One such person is Caterina of Siena, a mystic and doctor of the church known for her dialogue with God the Father.  As she was quoted in a biography by Alyce Curtayne, 

“Let us endure, let us endure, dearest brother; for the more pain we suffer down here with Christ crucified, the more glory shall we receive; and no pain will be so much rewarded, as mental pain and labour of the heart; for these are the greatest pains of all and therefore worthy of the greatest fruit.”  Curtayne (1987, p. 48)

As Caterina was one of the youngest of 25 children, she was illiterate and uneducated and with no formal education; she was by the grace of God, raised to heights of simplistic clarity to see and endure such pain and suffering.  She was, for the last several years of her life, unable to eat neither solid food nor drink water, in addition to sleeping only a few hours, every few nights. She was a contradiction to the world and even her own family. The world did not understand her and viewed her as poor and a crazy, lost, little girl.  “The soul cannot live without loving, for we must love either God or the world. And, the soul always unites itself with what it loves and is transformed by it.” Curtayne (1987)  

The following citation from The Diary of Sister Marie “Faustyna” Kowalska, asserts a similar disposition as Caterina.  Her desire to imitate and follow Christ and not the world and all of its’ vain glory and sin-folly, she like Caterina was uneducated, yet without any formal education and training was raised to the heights of simplistic clarity to see God to that of the world.  Would it not stand to reason by the examples of such souls, point us to the existence of God and Christ and give us the knowledge and reason in order to understand pain and suffering.  Does it not make sound philosophical reason and logic that without the Cross of Christ pain and suffering would be meaningless and non-sense?   How is it that the world can attempt to dismiss the existence of God and Christ and people that are in positions of authority and administration be seen as intelligent and to be imitated? 

(22) Act of total abandonment to the will of God, which is for me, love and mercy itself.

Act of Oblation

Jesus-Host, whom I have this very moment received into my heart, through this union with You I offer myself to the heavenly Father as a sacrificial host, abandoning myself totally and completely to the most merciful and holy will of my God.  From today onward, Your will, Lord, is my food.  Take my whole being; dispose of me as You please.  Whatever Your fatherly hand gives me, I will accept with submission, peace and joy.  I fear nothing, no matter in what direction You lead me; helped by Your grace I will carry out everything You demand of me.  I no longer fear any of Your inspirations nor (23) do I probe anxiously to see where they will lead me.  Lead me, O God, along whatever roads You please; I have placed all my trust in Your will which is, for me, love and mercy itself.

Bid me to stay in this convent, I will stay; bid me to undertake the work, I will undertake it; leave me in uncertainty about the work until I die, be blessed; give my death when, humanly speaking, my life seems particularly necessary, be blessed.  Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed.  Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed.  Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed.  Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed.  Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed.  Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of (24) torments, be blessed.

From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand, He Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere.  M.F. Kowalska (1987, para. 1264)

It would stand to reason that pain and suffering is not easy to endure and we must by the grace of God be able to move past all fear and anxiety to a depth of peace and simplistic clarity that can only be given by God.  This disposition of the soul to its’ Creator can only be obtained by the grace of God and not by any willing it on our behalf, can we obtain such heights.  While pain and suffering and understanding the cross of Christ is not easy nor a desire of most souls, it cannot nor does dismiss neither history nor what has been written and, or given to us by God through such souls.  As created and contingent human beings, we are created in the image and likeness of God, in order to love and do His will on this earth.  It is by, with and through His grace that a soul is given such simplistic clarity, which enables us to see on some level more clearly, God.  It is only from, through and with Him that we exist and regardless of the mental gymnastics people attempt, can or will not change this.   

References

(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1995)(Curtayne A 1987 Catherine of Siena)Curtayne, A. (1987). Catherine of Siena. New York: Paulist Press(Catechism of the Catholic Church 1995)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church – (CCC). New York: DoubleDay.

(Holy Bible 1966 Holy Bible - RSV - Catholic Edition)The Holy Bible (1966). The Holy Bible - RSV - Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.

(Mt  Holy Bible)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog posting for a sidebar blog post, “Stop the Madness.”

             It seems The Church that has lasted 2000 plus years, with the ebb and flow of events, between wars, Martin Luther, three men, all claiming to be pope at the same time, as well as the sex abuse scandal has, as Christ spoke, “The gates of hell will not prevail against it…”  The words of Christ to Peter, quoted in and through scripture, dictated by history with all that has taken place, The Church continues, as she has been, is guided by The Holy Spirit.


I know first hand and understand what it is like to be a human being, we are all fallen, not without sin, struggle and often times fail miserably, to follow and imitate Christ.  I cannot understand those in the church, lay people, priests and in religious orders that attempt to defy the doctrines and teachings of The Church.  Such, would indicate a mental disconnect in the thought processes of now retired Arch-Bishop of Los Angeles Roger Mahoney, Arch-Bishop of Miami John Favalora and now auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala?  Was it somehow, when or before they were ordained as priests they believed they were going to change within the clergy, The Church and its’ teachings on sexual conduct, marriage and children?  Were they hiding out, waiting for the church to change such doctrines and then bring about a renewal in the church, to bring Her into the 21st century, sort-a-speak? I know first hand, no one is beyond temptation, sin and concupiscence.  The question that is begging to be asked and needed, were these men not aware and understood what the term “celibacy” means and how it applies to the priesthood in the Roman Rite, Catholic Church?  Would it not stand to reason, that a man that fathered two teen age daughters, serving as an auxiliary bishop falls outside the parameters and teachings of The Church...?  Is it possible that a person can be living such a life and it not occur, not only to him but others around him? 

Father Alberto Cutie, known in the secular world as “Father Oprah,” in Miami, made the mental connection even though he argued to some degree with The Church, after he realized he was in love with a woman, left The Church.  He understood being a Roman Rite Catholic priest, and having a wife and children are mutually exclusive.  It is hard to disagree with his philosophy and mental connection, “If….then…”   While I understand discerning God’s will for our vocational is not easy, fun nor simple and discerning the priesthood and, or religious life can be even more intense and difficult at times.  This further indicates that such discernment should be done with careful guidance and support of those that are learned and understand what it means to serve as such.  While we all are human, no one is perfect, we all must discern and strive to do the will of God, regardless, how difficult and painful it is and may become, even to the point of death.  Our actions and thoughts must always be wholly and fully turned to God in order to follow His will.  We must strive to align our thoughts with our actions, in order to follow Him, "Do good and avoid evil" and let our "Yes mean yes and, no mean no."

The Church has been around since Christ gave the keys to Peter, it has survived many encounters with evil brought about with and through our fallen human nature.  It seems to me, The Church stands as a steadfast sign which contradicts the ideas of people that attempt, with warped philosophies and theologies to infiltrate The Church in order to spear-head an effort to bring about a change from within in order to support their personal ideologies.  There seems to me to be a mental disconnect that if a person does not like what The Church teaches for whatever reason, they attempt to forward a crusade to force the church to change in order to fit their own personal feelings and beliefs rather than Christ’s and His Church... 

"Stop the madness" and simply stop pushing hidden, or in this case, not so hidden agenda’s in The Church.  If you do not agree or like what Christ and His Church teaches, there are a plethora of other beliefs and churches out there to choose from that may fit whatever your personal philosophy and theology is.  The last time I checked there was nothing in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that states we as Catholics must force the teachings of The Church on anyone.  If I am not mistaken, the late Pope, John Paul II in a homily, officially asked for forgiveness and mercy for the crusades of the middle ages. 

 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20000312_pardon_en.html

“This fruit tastes bitter at first, when we bite it with holy desire in the mouth, but when the soul has become willing to suffer unto death for the love of Christ crucified, then it tastes quite sweet.” - Caterina de Siena. Undset, S. (1954, p. 250)

It would seem to me, while it is impossible to logically deny the existence of the person, Caterina Benincasa, as she lived, prayed, worked, and served in Siena, would it not stand to reason that by her life lived, as experienced by those that knew her directly, that she devoted her life and gave of herself to God?  Does it not stand to reason, based upon recorded history, that her words and actions resounded piety, and that her life and as well as the lives of those the Church deems as saints, point to, or indicate, the existence of a Divine being?  How can it be explained that she was able to sleep only a few hours every few days, not able to eat food for more than a few years of her adult life, nor was she able to read or write?  Yet, with all of this she experienced things that her closest friends and family, could not grasp on any level nor gain any satisfaction of understanding. 

It is of course futile to expect to understand the experience of the saints, unless one has seen a glimpse of the invisible beauty and majesty, which they were allowed to contemplate while they were still divorced from it by the barriers of the visible world.  Catherine herself had to give up when she once tired to describe in words to Fr. Tommaso della Fonte what she had experienced while in ecstasy; she who had the whole of the lovely and rich Tuscan language at her disposal said, “It is impossible, it is like dipping pearls in the mud.” Undset, S. (1954, p. 93)

“No biographer has ever been more conscientious than Raimondo. (Blessed Fr Raymond of Capua, Catherine’s Spiritual Director) He always gives the source of all his information-experienced, what he had heard from others, and who these others were and whether they were still alive.  But after he had sifted the whole of his vast material and arranged it with immense care and love, he had to confess that it was beyond him to understand completely Catherine’s inner life.”  Undset, S. (1954, p. 93)

As such a soul was graced and given the insights she was, during states of ecstasy, which at times lasted for hours, Caterina’s Dialogue with God the Father can give us a small glimpse into her interior life.  God the Father spoke to her and allowed her to understand with clarity that which is beyond any literate or illiterate person, educated or not.

Then said the Supreme and Sweet Truth of God, “Oh, beloved and dearest daughter, you beg knowledge of the reasons and fruits of tears, and I have not scorned your desire.  Open well the eye of your intellect and I will show you, through the spiritual stages I have described for you, those imperfect years whose source is fear.

·   First of all, there are the tears of damnation, the tears of this world’s evil ones.

·   Second are the tears of fear, of those who weep for fear because they have risen up from the sin out of fear of punishment.

·   Third are those who have risen up from sin and are beginning to taste me.  These weep tenderly and begin to serve me. But because their love is imperfect, so is their weeping.

·   The fourth stage is that of souls who have attained perfection in loving their neighbors, and love me without any self-interest.  These weep and their weeping is perfect.

·   The fifth stage (which is joined to the fourth) is that of sweet tears shed with great tenderness.

I will tell you, too about tears of fire, shed without physical weeping, which often satisfy those who want to weep but cannot.  And I wish you to know that a soul can experience all of these different stages as she rises from fear and imperfect love to attain perfect love and the state of union. I want you to know that all tears come from the heart.  Nor is there any other bodily member that can satisfy the heart as the eyes can.  If the heart is sad, the eyes show it.  If the sadness is sensual, there will be hearty tears that give birth to death –hearty because they do come from, the heart, but deadly because the heart’s love is disordered, cut off from me.  And because it is disordered it is offense to me and earns sadness and tears that are deadly.” Benincasa, C. (1980, p. 161)

It is with tears that one can see the closeness of a soul to its’ Creator, as it was given to Caterina.  The state of union of a soul to its’ Creator can only be felt by the soul from within and be seen outwardly by tears.  The union of the soul to its’ Creator and only by, with, and in the stripping of itself, in order to empty itself of itself in order to be filled with the love of, from, for, and with its’ Creator.  As John the Baptist spoke, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  (Jn 3:30)  It is only by the grace of God that a soul can be stripped.  The depths of such a soul cannot be nor will not be understood or expressed in adequate words to give any degree of satisfaction to anyone that does not taste such.  It is in this depth the soul finds its’ Creator and can see clearly what it is and what it desires.  Would it not stand to reason, that it is impossible for anyone to assert, looking in from the outside, and state with any degree of reasonable certainty, that God does not and cannot exist?

By this light set in the mind’s eye Thomas Aquinas saw me and there gained the light of great learning.  Augustine, Jerome, and my other holy doctors, enlightened by my Truth, understood and knew my Truth in the midst of darkness.  I am referring to Holy Scripture, which seemed darksome because it was not understood.  This was no fault of Scripture, but of the listener who failed to understand.  So I send these lamps to enlighten, blind, and dense understandings.  They raised their mind’s eye to know the truth in the midst of darkness, and I the fire, the one who accepted their sacrifice, carried them off and gave them light, naturally but beyond all nature, and in the midst of darkness they received the light and so came to know the truth.  So what seemed darksome before now appears most perfectly lightsome to every sort of person –to the dense as to the discerning.  All receive according to their capacity and according to their readiness to know me, for I do not spurn their dispositions.  Benincasa, C.  (1980, p. 156-157)

It is with this light that Caterina saw and spoke, although not being able to express adequately what it was she saw, felt, and tasted, given to her by the Creator.  It is only by the fruits of the lives of those that live, see, and taste such sweetness that we can reach further understanding of the existence of God.  While we are not obligated to accept private revelation as doctrine of and with the Church, giving full assent;  

  

The Church, regarding private revelations, “simply permits them to be published for the instruction and edification of the faithful.  The assent to be given to them is not therefore an act of Catholic Faith but of human faith, based on the fact that these revelations are probable and worthy of credence.” Pope Benedict XVI 

“When the Church approves private revelations, she declares only that there is nothing in them contrary of good moral, and that they may be read without danger or even with profit; no obligation is thereby imposed on the faithful to believe them.  Speaking of such revelations as (e.g), those of St. Hildegard (approved in part by Eugenius III), St. Bridget (by Boniface IX), and St. Catherine of Siena (by Greorgy XI).  Poulain, A. Fr. S.J 

‘It is not obligatory nor even possible to give them the assent of Catholic faith, but only of human faith, in conformity with the dictates of prudence which presents them to us as probable and worthy of pious belief.’ (De canon. III, Liii, xxii, II)” The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913). Pope Benedict XVI.

We can only hold Caterina as a saint and a Doctor of The Church.  The fruits of her life, point us to God, as she followed God, with simplicity and blind faith.  The depths of the light given to her by God can only be seen in the fruits of her life.  It is ONLY by looking back that we can see the handprints of God upon a soul.  Private revelation is just that, it does not require us to the assent of Catholic faith.  It does however present moral demands to us, that with our own freewill and sound philosophy does lay claim to our intellect whether we like it, want it to, or not.  We cannot with sound reason and logic attempt to dismiss and/or deny something because it presents something we do not like or makes us feel uncomfortable.

Caterina Benincasa

• 15 March 1347 23^rd child, born as a twin with Giovanna, whom died in infancy
• 1353 est., Siena.  When she was about six, while walking home she looked over the valley and the church of St. Domenica and saw Jesus in bishop’s robes, and with the treble crown of the Pope on His head.  Beside Him stood the apostles St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John the Evangelist.
• By 1370, she was unable to eat any solid food.
• 1375 Pisa, Italy. St. Christina’s Church:  Mid Lent (Laetare Sunday), Catherine received the invisible wounds of Christ after receiving Holy Communion.
• 13 September 1376 Pope Gregory left Avignon forever
• 29 January 1380, Rome in the old basilica of St. Peter’s, the mosaic of Giotto’s called “Navicella” –St. Peter’s ship, while in prayer she collapsed as if the entire weight of the ship fell upon her.
• 29 April 1380, Rome Caterina Benincasa died, with her “Caternati,” with her.
• 1383 Caterina’s body was moved inside Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and placed under the high altar.
• 1383 Her head was removed and taken to Siena and placed in St. Dominic’s Church
• 1399, Nuremberg, in the fall, Fr. Raimondo died
• 1461, Rome Pope Pius (Enea Silvio de Piccolomini of Siena) canonized Caterina

                                                  References

(Benincasa C G 1980 Catherine of Siena the Dialogue)Benincasa, C. (1980). Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue. New York: Paulist Press.

(Pope Benedict Xiv 2011 Private Revelation: Unravelling Medjugorje.) Pope Benedict XVI. (2011). Private Revelation: Unravelling Medjugorje  by Cary Winters. www.catholicapoligetics.info, , . Retrieved from www.catholicapologetics.info/privaterevelation/medja.htm.

(Poulain Fr SJ Augustin 2011 Private Revelation: Unravelling Medjugorje) Poulain, Augustin,. Fr. S.J., (2011). Private Revelation: Unravelling Medjugorje by Cary Winters. www.catholicapologetics.info, , . Retrieved from www.catholicapologetics.info/privaterevelation/medja.htm.

(Private Revelations 1913) (1913). Private Revelations. The Catholic Encyclopedia, , . Retrieved from www.catholicapologetics.info/privaterevelation/medja.htm.

(Undset S 1954 Catherine of Siena)Undset, S. (1954). Catherine of Siena. New York: Sheed and Ward.