Video – Fr. Casey Spiritual Battles #1 – CONF 213
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Ave Maria!
For our Conference on Spiritual Battle of Our Time, Fr. Casey gives the first talk titled "We are in Battle" He starts with Mat 10:34, to point out that Christ's mission is to spread division not necessarily peace. Then he cites a Column in the Washington Times "Christophobia, the Last Fashionable Hatred" by Jeffery Kuhner as a starting point for describing the kind of cultural war we are in.
Audio (MP3)
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Jesus says in Matthew 10:34 that he does not bring peace but a sword. But at the end of the gospel of John He says, ‘Peace be with you” at least a couple of times.
Since Jesus is the Truth, and unable to contradict Himself, there must be separate meanings behind the word ‘peace’.
Could someone clarify for the readers?
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
When you speak of the great spiritual battles, those that we are fighting particularity in the Unite4d States of America and the lack of Christian value to our lives, you skip a most obvious issue given chruch scandals in the us. I am talking about the profound evil of child abuse and particularity childhood sexual abuse. Although the recent scandal has focused on Catholic clergy as perpetrators and I think that the statistics show that Catholic clergy are less likely to perpetrator than other similar groups like the BSA and teachers and indeed ones own family the media spotlight has focused on Catholic clergy — they are held to a higher standard. Nevertheless, childhood sexual abuse is a profound evil in the country. Although not the same as abortion, many abuse survivors can feel as if though not dead they are buried alive. You mention substance abuse, promiscuity and STDs many times not always, but more often than acknowledged these are symptomatic of CSA. There is a reason Our Lord said of these scandals, better a millstone be hanged around their necks and they be cast into the sea than they tech one of these little ones to sin. Fully 1 in 6 men and 1 in 4 women are survivors of CSA. The church has done many things because of the scandal which have put her in the forefront of enlightened ways of preventing and identifying victims of CSA. and yet, and I am not speaking of clergy here this profound evil and and its consequences on the lives of innocent survivors still goes own. CSA too is one of the evils that you list that is bringing this nation to decay. I speak as a Catholic and a survivor, as one who existed solely for the sexual pleasure of the adults in my life between the ages of 4 and 9. At 9 years old it was a priest who put a stop to the abuse I suffered at the hands of my mother, father, grandfather and grandmother. Monseigneur O’Brien who has since passed away was my pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in the 1960s.
Also, not specifically mentioned is the government sanctioning of disordered behavior — homosexuality. I am not talking about people who should not be treated with the love and kindness of our lord, but the government sanctioning of their disordered behavior. The psychological community remains divided on the issue of homosexuality, the church is not divided (perhaps you did mention this?). If the behavior is sanctioned by the government does that not remove a motivation for those afflicted to seek help and healing.
Pax Christi
Fred Celio
Mr O’Brien,
I understand, to a small degree, your pain. I understand that lack of ‘capacity to love’ from those who should have loved.
Do not let your past bind you from having a great love capacity for others; especially for God.
My prayer for you, and all children who have been abused in some way, is freedom; freedom from the pain, the memory, the fear that abuse, of any fashion, could happen to you, or others, ever again.
May you be blessed with all the gifts, and fruits, of the Holy Spirit!
You will be in my prayers.
God bless you always.
Forgive me… I meant to say Mr. Celio.
(Preparing for a long road trip tomorrow. I wasn’t paying attention.)
Christ’s peace to you.