Readings from Fr. John Furniss

[Shin]

He must have a hardened heart who dares thus to despise the majesty of God.

May God help our hardened hearts to melt!

the child answered, "I shan't go, I won't go." Everybody who heard this answer was shocked.

This reminds me again of Ven. Anne de Guigne and other saintly and sainted children. How 'Obedience is the sanctity of children.'

[Therese]

I've seen some older works use the term 'worship' more broadly than you see it today commonly, and read about the difference between latria and dulia, and hyper dulia in the past, I shall have to read about them again and try to understand them better.

In practise I adore Jesus where I see Him directly.. I should like to read a work about the different ways Our Lord is present and the different ways we worship or love Him.

Thanks for the feedback, Shin.  I, too, have seen the use of the word "worship" more broadly used in the older works.  Regarding my question about adoring our Lord in others here's a quote from St. Margaret Mary that helps me understand things a little better.
"I adore Thee and I love Thee, O divine Heart of Jesus, living in the heart of Mary; I beseech Thee to love and reign in all hearts and to perfect them in Thy pure love."  Also, just recently I heard that the the Missionaries of Charity sing a song about adoring Jesus in the poor.  It makes me feel like it is okay to adore Jesus in others.  Peace and God bless!

[martin]

Could it be that the way we adore Jesus in others is simply by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us?
The story of St. Christopher always stays with me ever since I learnt it as a Child. When St Christopher continued to cary the child across the river despite the great weight he felt on his shoulders, he discovered later that in carrying out that good action for that little child he had in reality served Christ.

[martin]

He is dead, and condemned to hell. In hell this evil intention remains in his heart just as on earth, and he would not give it up even to get out of the flames of hel

How important it is that we don't put off to another day our obligation to repent of our sins, and how much we must pray for the grace of a happy and holy death while we still have time here on earth to do it.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

[Therese]

Yes, I think that could be one way we adore Jesus in others.  Thanks for the feedback, martin.

Could it be that the way we adore Jesus in others is simply by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us?
The story of St. Christopher always stays with me ever since I learnt it as a Child. When St Christopher continued to cary the child across the river despite the great weight he felt on his shoulders, he discovered later that in carrying out that good action for that little child he had in reality served Christ.

[Therese]

He is dead, and condemned to hell. In hell this evil intention remains in his heart just as on earth, and he would not give it up even to get out of the flames of hel

How important it is that we don't put off to another day our obligation to repent of our sins, and how much we must pray for the grace of a happy and holy death while we still have time here on earth to do it.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Every day I pray for final perseverance and perfect contrition, though I think I may already have perfect contrition.

[odhiambo]

That Chapter III, The Hardness of Mortal Sin has just scared me to death.
I keep thinking is there any sin I have forgotten? Sometimes I really wish the confessors were all given the gift of discerning our sins so rhat they can nudge us to remember every sin ever commited. Would that not make for good and fruitful confessions.
I am so affected, I am going to start a thread for Prayer for Final Perseverence right now.
Lord have mercy on us!

[Shin]

I've read that it's a duty to pray daily for final perseverance or a 'happy death'!

[Shin]

CHAPTER IV.

THE SENTENCE AGAINST MORTAL SIN.

GOD said to Adam, "In whatsoever day thou shalt eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt die the death." Gen. ii. To every creature the same words are said. In whatever day thou shalt break the commandments of God, thou shalt die. Therefore, if on Sunday, you stop from Mass by your own fault, or if you do some immodest thing, there is the sentence: "Thou shalt die the death." Dan. v. : Baltassar was king of Babylon. Babylon was a great city, 60 miles round; the streets were 15 miles long; the king's palace 7 miles round. Baltasaar made a feast for a thousand of his nobles. They sang songs, and drank wine till they were drunk. Drunkenness brings with it many other sins. When the king was drunk he said, Bring in the vessels which have been used in the service of God, and we will drink out of them. It was a sacrilege to show this disrespect to vessels used in God's service. Then at the king's command the holy vessels were brought in, and the king and his nobles drank out of them. They sang hymns to their false gods made of metal and stone. In the midst of their songs suddenly there was a dead silence -- what was the matter? the king had looked up, and he had seen the fingers, as it were, of a hand at the wall over against the great candlestick. Those fingers were writing letters on the wall, but they were letters such as no eye had ever seen before. Then the face of the king was changed with fear. He turned pale, and his knees struck one against the other. He cried out for the wise men to come, that they might tell him the meaning of those words which had been written. The wise men came, but when they had seen the letters, they said they could neither read the letters nor tell the meaning of them. And now it came to the ears of the queen, how fingers, as it were, of a hand, had been writing on the wall letters which nobody could read. The queen came in haste, and stood before the king, and spoke to him thus: "O king," she said, "do not be troubled. There is in your kingdom one whose name is Daniel, a prophet of the true God. In the days of your father, knowledge and wisdom were found in him. Let him be sent for." The prophet Daniel was sent for. "O Daniel," said the king to him, "I have heard that you have the spirit of wisdom and knowledge, that you can tell the meaning of hidden things. Now, then, if you are able to read that writing, and tell the meaning of it, you shall be clothed in purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and you shall be the third prince in my kingdom." Then Daniel answered the king and said: "O king, keep your rewards for others, but the writing I will read, and tell you the meaning of it. O king, the most high God gave to Nabuchodnosor, your father, a kingdom, and greatness, and honor, and glory. All people, and tribes, and languages trembled before him. His heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened with pride. Then he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken way. He was driven out from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the heart of beasts, and his dwelling was with wild asses, and he did eat grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and sets over it whomsoever it shall please him. Thou also, his son, O King Baltassar, hast not humbled thy heart. When thou knewest all these things, thou hast lifted up thyself against the God of Heaven. The holy vessels have been brought in before thee, and thou and thy nobles have dunk out of them. Thou hast praised the gods made of gold, and silver, and of stone, and wood, which neither see, nor hear, nor feel. But the God who has in his hands thy breath and all thy ways thou hast not glorified. Therefore, God has sent that hand to write what is written. This, then, is the writing: Mane, Thekel, Phares. And this is the meaning of the words: Mane -- God hath numbered thy kingdom. Thekel -- thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting. Phares -- Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." Then, by the king's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, and a chain of gold was put about his neck, and it was proclaimed that he had power as the third man in the kingdom. The same night King Baltassar was killed, and the Medes and Persians took possession of his kingdom.

Little child, when you commit a mortal sin, you also lift yourselves up against the God of Heaven, for you refuse to obey him; you sacrilegiously profane your soul, which is the holy and precious vessel of God, and his dwelling place, and you give glory to the devil, who is the enemy of God. In that moment, when you thus commit a mortal sin, there is a hand writing dark letters, the letters of death, on your soul; and this is the writing: Thou shalt die the death. The handwriting is written on your understanding, for you know you are dead before God; it is written on your memory, and the remembrance of the death sentence will haunt your memory; it is written on your will, because of your own free will you have chosen death rather than life. Nobody on earth can see those words of death which are written on your soul, neither your father, your mother, or brothers, or sisters. But God sees them, and the angels see them. But what is the meaning of those fearful words, Thou shalt die the death? The meaning of them you shall know, for God has said, "As I have spoken, so will I do to the wicked." Numbers xiv.

[odhiambo]

I've read that it's a duty to pray daily for final perseverance or a 'happy death'!

All I can say Shin is that I am thankful for this Forum.
I do not think that praying for a happy death was ever in the fore front of my mind. Now it is.
Thank you. 

[Therese]

Regarding the issue of Worship/Adoration:

I was just reading in a book about Mary that said that:

Some schools of theology use the term "worship" to introduce both adoration and veneration.  They would distinguish between "worship of adoration" and "worship of veneration."  The word "worship" (in the same way the theological term "cult" is traditionally used) in these classical definitions was not at all synonymous with adoration, but could be used to introduce either adoration or veneration.  Hence Catholic writers will sometimes use the term "worship" not to indicate adoration, but only the worship of veneration given to Mary and the saints.  Confusion over the use of the term worship has led to the misunderstanding by some that Catholics offer adoration to Mary in a type of "Mariolatry," or Marian idolatry.  Adoration to Mary has never been and never will be part of authentic Catholic doctrine and devotional life.

- Mark Miravalle, S.T.D (taken from Introduction to Mary).

[Shin]

Hmm I wonder at the details of the different schools.

[Shin]

I wonder how many people didn't remember or know the source for the phrase 'the writing on the wall'?

[Therese]

It appears to me that different people mean different things when they use the term adore.  A very orthodox priest, Fr. Emile Neubert, M.I., S.T.D. in his book Devotion to Mary (I believe it was) mentioned that we worship God but adore Mary.  I knew, however, that he didn't mean we adore Mary the same way we adore God the Almighty.  A priest in his homily said we could worship Mary and the Saints, but not in the same way we worship God, i.e. by offering sacrifices. The subject gets a little complicated when I hear conflicting ideas about adoration and worship.

[Therese]

Hmm I wonder at the details of the different schools.

Dear Shin,

I couldn't find your other post on this thread (only in my Inbox), but I agree with it.  I think what I had quoted was an apologetc against Protestantism, as well.  Peace!

[Shin]

Ah that was because of quick editing! I thought I might make a different comment!

I forgot how some people receive whole posts in their emails!