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Reflection on Mt 18:18
Post date: 2023-07-08Autor: BCP
This promise applies on several levels. It applies to religious leaders, who are allowed to specify – in line with the teaching of the Church – some of the requirements of the Gospel and bind our conscience by a church regulation; for instance, they can lay down that eating meat on Friday is a sin. They can also loose it and say that the Friday fast may be replaced, for example, by prayer or an act of penance. This is an area that concerns those who are responsible before God for the Church in a particular territory.
Reflection on Psa 82:5
Post date: 2023-06-27Autor: BCP
This verse of the Psalm is very relevant for today. It applies primarily to men of political power and men of the Church, but to some extent it applies to all of us. What to do to be able to know and understand and not walk about in darkness but in the light? We must be serious about Jesus in our lives, because He is the Light of the world. In Him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. If we are just influenced by so-called mainstream or smartphone wisdom, we know absolutely nothing about the essential things, namely the salvation of the soul, and we do not understand what we should do for its sake or how to overcome lies and deceit. In this blindness, then, all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
New Age pseudo religion à la synodal journey (video)
Post date: 2023-06-17Autor: BCP
The essence of New Age pseudo religion is not atheism, but the renaissance of paganism, which rejects the true God and the only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Contemporary neo-paganism is associated with esotericism, which mixes various pagan pseudo spiritualities with Christianity. The Second Vatican Council had already opened the door to this syncretism, especially with the Nostra Aetate declaration. Pseudo Pope Francis enthroned the Pachamama demon in the Vatican and dedicated himself to demons and Satan in Canada. In this spirit, he is promoting the synodal journey, which is to culminate this autumn. By promoting LGBTQ, he is in open rebellion against God and against the very nature of Christianity.
Reflection on Mt 7:26
Post date: 2023-06-13Autor: BCP
Keeping God’s commandments is hard for those who have the spirit of the world. These commandments become a burden to them, which they try to throw away sooner or later. Those, however, who have been sincerely converted and put Jesus first, committing to daily prayer for His sake, be they men or women, receive grace and keeping God’s commandments literally becomes a joy for them. Even amid the greatest suffering or humiliation, they are united to Jesus and filled with deep peace which the world cannot give.
We need to be purified so as to become effective instruments of God
Post date: 2023-06-07Autor: BCP
The power of God is manifested in our powerlessness. If we give rein to our ego, Christ – the almighty power of God – cannot work. We take everything into our own hands. We are guided by our perception, by our feelings. Admittedly, we can do something, but we are like a steam locomotive, puffing, sparks flying in all directions… Yet it keeps running, though the efficiency is only 5%. We run on the same principle. What shall God do with us? He takes us as we are. However, in order to use us, God must first purify us so that we may become His effective instruments. We must be dependent on God; therefore we freely choose to become slaves of God. This is true freedom.
Reflection on Mt 7:24
Post date: 2023-05-28Autor: BCP
Jesus continues: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (v.25) At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this parable of two builders. One built a house on the rock, the other on the sand. It is said that the one who built on the rock not only heard God’s word but also put it into practice. That is why in life’s trials, likened in the parable to wind, storm or sea waves, the house did not fall because it was built on the rock.
Without the personal contact of faith with Jesus in prayer we are like a fish out of water
Post date: 2023-05-25Autor: BCP
The Gospel is for our everyday life. We must put it into practice. To be able to do it we need the Holy Spirit, because it is not possible without Him. Without Him, it is a mere letter that kills, but the Spirit gives life. The Holy Spirit leads us to the living Jesus through the death of our old self and through our entering into Christ’s death (2Cor 4:10f). All this is not possible without the personal contact of faith with Him in prayer. Without it we are like a fish out of water.
Give thanks in helplessness and stand firm in a living faith
Post date: 2023-05-24Autor: BCP
We must learn to accept helplessness, immediately give thanks for everything, and take God’s word as the sword of the Spirit against bitterness or complaining – in other words, put our trust in it. God’s word – the Spirit behind it – will give us strength. We only need to stop and confront our situation in a living faith: “Lord, You see it! I trust in You!” And then try to stand firm in that faith and return to it again whenever all kinds of invisible, cunning pressures or seemingly innocent or good thoughts seek to divert us from our union to Christ.
Who gives the life-giving strength? (video)
Post date: 2023-05-23Autor: BCP
Who gives the life-giving strength? + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Self-humiliation and little sacrifices
Post date: 2023-05-22Autor: BCP
The first form of love is constant self-humiliation. But you need not fabricate anything. You only need to accept the truth! If you feel bitterness towards your neighbour, remember his good qualities and his good deeds, and on the other hand your bad qualities and evil done in the past, and humble yourself before him in spirit and see Jesus in him. And God will then give you the light and fill your heart with love for this person.
God’s word to be lived out rather than philosophized about
Post date: 2023-05-22Autor: BCP
We can do nothing more for thousands of thirsty, seeking, helpless souls than resolve again and again to surrender ourselves in meekness and humility to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may have His Spirit. We see the exact opposite in the history of philosophy. The founders of various philosophical trends, obsessed with a false thought, subtly grew in pride and their rise in pride opened the power of spirit, but not the Spirit of Christ. Unlike them, we need to allow the Spirit of God to work in power. Our hidden and invisible struggle is a struggle for the salvation of thousands of immortal souls! It is faith that overcomes the world. We have to remain faithful to Jesus and His word – the Gospel! His word is to be lived out, and not philosophized about! We need to put God’s word into practice! May we live our days with Christ, so that Jesus may really be in our midst and it may be true that if two of us agree concerning anything we ask, He will give us! Jesus wants us to have this unity, and in order to have it we must each die to self on the cross, enter into Christ’s death.
Heaven is at hand!
Post date: 2023-05-21Autor: BCP
Heaven is at hand, for I will die soon. Just a few more years and I shall stand before the gates of heaven. And should I even live a hundred more years, they will pass in no time. How powerfully the thought of heaven should motivate me! The thought of heaven filled many a saint with the fire of zeal, urging them to make the best of the short time and to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven.
Live by faith today, not tomorrow
Post date: 2023-05-20Autor: BCP
Let us stand firm in the faith, a living faith, even in little things. Therein lies holiness. Let us open our eyes to these little things, let us accept them with faith and stand firm in the faith without complaining about the circumstances, enemies etc. We have to live by faith today, not tomorrow, though everything is seemingly calm today!
Reflection on Mt 7:21
Post date: 2023-05-13Autor: BCP
After these words, Jesus continues in the Gospel: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness!’” Jesus speaks here about a false disciple, saying that such disciples will not be saved because although they use religious phrases and hide behind the name of Jesus they do the exact opposite. Moreover, even if they prophesied, cast out demons or did many wonders, it would not help them to be saved.
“He justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Rom 3:26
Post date: 2023-05-12Autor: BCP
The Word of God emphasizes: those who have faith in Jesus. This is the condition. Surely, Jesus died for all people and we are obliged to preach to them the Gospel, salvation. Without Him no one can be saved. But today we hear another gospel: to let pagans dwell in darkness and perish in darkness. Certainly, some of them will be saved, but perhaps only those who are not under the sway of pagan religious systems. Or those who have at least not opened up to them. Abraham was a pagan, too, but he had a conscience. Pagans also have a conscience and Christ died for them too. But how can they achieve salvation if no one can be saved without Christ? If they live a righteous life, God will give them a chance to believe in Christ at least in the hour of death. They will either receive Him or reject Him. We will likewise either receive Jesus at the hour of death for the last time or reject Him. That is why the Apostle says that we must be rooted in Him, grounded in Him, so that at the hour of death we may cast away all doubts, all intrusive thoughts, all vanity. It is a hard struggle. You will understand that once you resolve to devote one hour to interior prayer, to spend one hour with Christ.
The whole Trinity takes part in Christ’s resurrection and our salvation
Post date: 2023-05-03Autor: BCP
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” (Jn 14:19) Jesus speaks here about His death, saying that He will be buried in a tomb but then rise again and His dead body will be seen in the tomb no more. He will be raised from the dead with a glorified body. The world, however, will not see Him risen. In the Gospel of John we read: “The world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.” When does Jesus say these words? On Thursday evening at the Last Supper, probably between eight and ten o’clock. On the next day, Friday, He dies. And then, on Saturday night, Christ comes out of the tomb. He rises from the dead by His own divine power. The whole Trinity takes part in Christ’s resurrection. Indeed, God raised Him from the dead.
From true union flows the life of the risen Christ
Post date: 2023-05-01Autor: BCP
The old self is governed by precise principles that are very subtle. They are best recognized and unmasked in ourselves, but even more intensely when two or three truly strive to put the old self to death on the cross, so that we can say: “We died with Him, and we were buried with Him.” And then it is also true that “we were raised with Him”. It is not about physical death, physical burial or physical resurrection. It is a matter of faith and the life of faith, especially the basic steps that we are to take daily again and again: 1) deny yourself, 2) take up your daily cross. Sometimes this cross is the same for a certain period of time. Sometimes it takes a variety of forms during the day. It is mainly about giving up our views, opinions or habits, even in small matters, and it hurts!
Reflection on Mt 7:19
Post date: 2023-04-30Autor: BCP
Jesus does not speak here about a physical tree, but rather about man and his evil works. He says it at the end of the statement about false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Jesus continues: “You will know them by their fruits.” And then He adds: “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” And then: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” With a nature corrupted by original sin, we can’t really bear fruit that lasts for eternity. The root of original sin is the seed of the devil. This is the pride of self-deification and rebellion against God, either overbearing pride and arrogance or subtle spiritual pride of pharisees, which is even worse. All this grows from a poisoned root, and that is why Jesus says: Deny yourself, i.e. the source of evil within you.
BCP: A historic step to save the Church (video)
Post date: 2023-04-25Autor: BCP
What is the solution? Only repentance. Where to start? First, call a lie a lie, heresy heresy, immorality immorality, and a heretic a heretic. Bergoglio promotes chaos by word and deed. In chaos, it is impossible to distinguish good from evil. That is why no one knows what to do to save themselves. By contrast, God is the God of order; He created the cosmos – harmony. The devil and his minions wreak havoc.
Our great task – to contribute a drop of our faith
Post date: 2023-04-22Autor: BCP
The nation can be raised to life by God alone. But He wants each of us to contribute a drop of our faith! This is our great task, which we are to accept in faith. God puts His trust in every one of us. And He wants us to trust in Him.