2015-02-21    Out of friendship to a loyal reader I am posting this article which is very compassionate and well-meaning, but I have reservations about some of the ideas in the article.
e.g. If one partner selfishly leaves a marriage and starts another family with more children, and the other original partner - left with children to mind - eventually marries someone else for support for him/her self and children, it's not really fair or accurate to say that person was "bitten by evil" in contracting a second marriage. My view, shared by many people, seemingly shared by Pope Francis, is that that person should be allowed to receive Communion. That person's second marriage should be validated in the same way that St Paul validated some special second marriages. That person did not break the original marriage contract. That person was "walked out on" and is a victim of evil rather than a perpetrator of evil.  Readers' comments welcome here

Only God can square the circle

by Kevin Walters

This article deals with Divine Mercy for those who cannot receive absolution through confession as they are ensnared by the Evil One. If the Church accepts what I am saying it will permit them to receive the Bread of Life and live.

“The search for a theologically responsible and pastorally appropriate accompaniment for Catholics whose marriages have broken down and who have married again in a registry office is a pressing challenge for the church worldwide, as divorce and remarriage are often the beginning of a process of alienation from the church,” said Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German bishops’ conference, when he presented the new guidelines on Dec. 22.2014.

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The act of making a civil marriage (commitment) to another partner outside of the church cannot be reconciled by the Church and to try to do so is to flaunt Gods law (Will) before His face, as the Christian marriage bond is unbreakable. We the laity and clergy can show compassion and must do so, but only God can show Mercy on someone who by their own free will has knowingly separated themselves from God’s Holy Will.

Very few divorcees see annulment as a solution as most do not think that their first marriage simply never existed. The possibility of an annulment is therefore only practicable for a small minority, as it does not solve the problem.

The permutations for the reason for divorce are endless as they cover the full spectrum of man’s fallen nature, to try and manage the situation by offering some annulments and others not is fraught with difficulties, as individual self-justification is often badly flawed, but more importantly it calls into question the Inviolate Word of God and in so doing undermines the authority of Gods Holy Church on earth.  Only God truly knows the full reality of each individual and it is only Him and Him alone who can show Mercy on those ensnared (bitten) by the evil one.

Sadly many Catholics in the West have married before truly committing to Jesus Christ nevertheless the marriage bond cannot be broken.

Many priests are at a loss as they cannot see – or show those in their care – a way out of such situations which can be accepted in good conscience and also conform to present church teaching.

Tension reaches a climax when divorcees who have taken another (Civil) partner are invited to celebrate the Eucharist “purely spiritually” and quite rightly they can ask, if I can receive the Eucharist (Sustenance) on the Spiritual plain why not on the earthly plain.

I recently ask this simple question concerning the divorced receiving communion. If a man in humility (St. Bernard – ‘Humility is a virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is abases himself’) approaches Jesus Christ in prayer or his physical presence as manifest in communion does he turn him away? There can be only one answer to this question.

The Eucharist is not a reward for the perfect, but nourishment for the soul and should not be denied to any baptized Christian who looks for Mercy from a God of mercy. The church has a responsibility to free those who through human frailty have been ensnared (Bitten) by the devil (Serpent) and are now entangled in a process of alienation from the church, the ban on them ever receiving the sacraments, is seen by them as exclusion and a sign that their situation is irreconcilable and for many this leads them into further entanglement with Evil, as they live without hope.

Sadly I have observed many who have become embittered and this embitterment can turn into hatred for God and His holy Church, to the detriment of their own soul, this hatred can spill over into any offspring they may have been blessed with, as they too conclude the Church is for the perfect, it is all too easy for the enemies of the church to show the hypocrisy of many within the church and in so doing create a circle of distain and mockery of anything Christian. Whereas the reality that should be seen by mankind is, that we are all sinners and all are dependent on God’s mercy and that His mercy is open to all without exception, to them who would  willingly receive it, and that no baptized man/woman should be denied access to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist who approaches Him in humility.

 “Anyone who comes to me I will not turn away”

   I have read

“At this moment in time the church has two sails that are blowing in opposite directions causing great discord within the Church. On the Right: an extreme conservative wind wanting to blow our boat back to the becalming out-of-date swamp of pre-1962.  On the Left: an extreme liberal wind wanting to blow our boat into rapids where faith and morals are thrown overboard”.

But we can go forward in UNITY OF PURPOSE by hoisting a third sail of Humility, the true (only) sail that the Holy Spirit blows upon, bringing arrogance to its knees and folly does not have to be appeased.

John Paul 11 and many others feared that “allowing remarried divorcees to receive communion would confuse the faithful regarding the church’s teaching”. The essence of the problem is that it is not possible for the church to forgive this sin because it is continual (to live in a state of mortal sin).

How can the circle be squared, we look to the Master for guidance

And Jesus looking upon them he said

  “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible”

We now look for an example where God has interceded to do the impossible (where mankind was impotent)

So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. God did not remove the serpents (Evil) the threat (Punishment) for their offences remained but instead He asked for their Trust/Love, they could still be bitten and die but while ever they were prepared to look upon the serpent (Symbol of their sin) they gave glory to our heavenly Father before their compatriots, in showing their Trust in God’s Mercy, they lived.

Throughout history God has made His Will know to mankind through his Saints, Spiritual leaders and Prophets.

And at crucial times though out history His Will has be revealed in a way that that cannot be misunderstood by His people.

In the twentieth century a revelation was given by God to Sister  Faustina Kowalska (Now Saint) and His holy Church on earth, which promised a new splendour for the Church, which has still to materialize. This revelation offers  the Church the means to permit those who have been ensnared (badly bitten) by the Serpent  the opportunity to permit them to take the bread of life, and live, while giving great glory to our Father in Heaven.

As she knelt motionless, immersed in cross currents of joy and fear, Our Lord spoke:

“Paint a picture according to the vision you see and with the inscription: “Jesus, I Trust in Thee.”

I desire that this picture be venerated first in your chapel and then throughout the whole world.

She acted immediately in singular (pure) intent; no one else can paint this picture, as no one else can see what she saw. The picture she painted, sketched, (no matter how badly) must be venerated and no other, to do so knowing it is not the painting commanded by God *(His Word is inviolate)* is to commit blasphemy

At first she tried to sketch it herself, she was no artist and failed. After many trials/ attempts, (During which time the original vision often repeated itself, continually prompting her to do His Will, I believe the reason for this was that God’s Word (Will) cannot contradict itself, it is inviolate), her superiors showed that that they did not trust in His mercy and were only concerned with a worldly image of goodness, they sold their spiritually for an image of worldly beauty in finding someone else to paint the picture, and in so doing committed blasphemy.

The whole emphasis of this revelation is about Trust in Gods infinite Mercy

Sister Faustina was very poorly educated and it is fair to assume that if her superiors had accepted her painting, as they should have done (they would have known that Gods Word is inviolate) she would have also. Earthly hands violated Gods Word to fit their own earthly vision of goodness, they could not accept the reality that they were been asked by God to show human weakness. Any revelations after the first revelation now must be considered suspect, as from that time earthly hands were distorting the Word (Will) of God.

The Church has acknowledged that the Word (Will) of God had been given to her, its actions confirm this, we have a picture in God’s House, with the words “Jesus I trust In thee” But the picture is not the one commanded by God, it is a worldly image of goodness, it pertains to the senses, made in man’s own image, it has nothing to do with Trust.

Did God know what he was doing? And if so what was He saying through sister Faustina to His Holy Church on earth

The original picture by Sister Faustina in its brokenness relates to spiritual beauty (goodness) it pertains to humility.  “The pure (humble) in heart shall see God”.

We the laity have not seen the original attempt by sister Faustina , we can assume that it is a childlike reflection of the vision she saw, distorted and incomplete, revealing (reflecting) all her human failings, we must remember that she set about this painting with singular pure intent, her actions were acted out in Trust, with confidence, the reality of her attempt is a lesson to all of us, as we venerate (Look upon) this broken distorted image, a reflection before God of our inner self. (Failings/Sinfulness)

And now let these words be imprinted on the heart of the onlooker who has been bitten by the Serpent just before he receives the bread of life

“Jesus I Trust in Thee”

And like the Israelites of old in showing their Trust in God’s Mercy, they too shall live.

The Church (If it accepts what I am saying) has now the means to reconcile those who are ensnared by evil and are now looking for God’s Mercy, in demonstrating this through an act of humility, by looking upon publicly, an image of their own brokenness, they proclaim their need, for the hope of forgiveness, by saying these words from the heart, which have been given by God Himself, to His Holy Church on earth

  “Jesus I Trust in Thee”

This is a public confession and like the thief on the cross who acknowledged his own brokenness (Serious sinfulness) was forgiven (At that moment in time) unconditionally so now before the presence of God within the Eucharist they too will not be turned away.

“Anyone who comes to me I will not turn away”

The Church must use every avenue available to it to proclaim the good news that Christ came to redeem ALL men from the sin of Adam.

kevin in

Christ.

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*(His Word is inviolate)* When Gods Word is accepted by an individual in a revelation it is only binding on them, but once it was accepted by Gods holy church on earth and given to the laity, it became inviolate (Binding) to all, for all time (eternity)

“Paint a picture according to the vision you see and with the inscription: “Jesus, I Trust in Thee”.

#   Revelations given by the Saints are not binding on us, only (worthy of belief) we do not have to accept them.