Pope Benedict XVI to Resign - Prayer for the Election of a New Pope

I find myself crying, with few words on this occasion... Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he plans on resigning the papal office on February 28. His full statement is below:

"Dear Brothers, I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

"Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer." (from Irish Catholic Newspaper 02/11/2013)

God our Father,

You are the Eternal Shepherd.  You protect and guide your Church from age to age.

Pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit upon your people 

and fill those entrusted with the election of a new  Pope 

with the wisdom and understanding to know your will.

In your mercy, grant your Church a shepherd who will walk in your ways and be an 

example of goodness 

so that your people may come to know and live more fully the gospel of your Son, 

our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God 

forever and ever.

Prayer for the Faithful Departed

By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Eternal memory. Eternal memory. Grant to your servant(s), O Lord, blessed repose and eternal memory.

Rosary in Honor of St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Fathers

This can be said with a regular rosary. Instead of the Hail Mary, say the Hail Holy Joseph:

Hail, Holy Joseph, spouse of the ever virgin Mary, foster father of God the Son, whom our Father in Heaven chose to be head of the Holy Family, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Joyful Mysteries:

1. The Annunciation of Joseph
2. The birth of Jesus
3. The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
4. The Presentation of the baby Jesus in the Temple
5. The finding of the boy Jesus in the Temple

Sorrowful Mysteries:

1. Joseph's spouse Mary is found to be with child
2. The journey to Bethlehem
3. Joseph flees to Egypt with Mary and Jesus
4. Jesus is lost in Jerusalem
5. The death of Joseph

Glorious Mysteries:

1.  The Glorification of St. Joseph
2. St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church
3. St. Joseph, protector of Families
4. St. Joseph, Patron of the Sick and Suffering
5. St. Joseph, Patron of a Holy Death

Why Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity

Most people, even many Masons, incorrectly believe that Masonry is merely a fraternal order, like the Lions Club, Elks Club, etc. Masonry expressly denies it is a religion. Nothing could be further from the truth. Freemasonry is a non-Christian occult religion that teaches a different way to salvation and considers Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, and all spiritual leaders to be only messengers of "The Grand Architect of the Universe". The Grand Architect is not just another term for Jehovah. Freemasonry teaches that there are two basic Gods: Adonay, the god of the Christians, a god of evil and Lucifer, a separate god of good. Freemasonry considers the religious scriptures of all religions to be equally valid.


Papacy and Freemasonry, a Speech by Monseigneur Jouin, December 8, 1930



Papacy and Freemasonry, those are the two powers active throughout the world and each is seeking to dominate it. The solution of the struggle taking place between them is, at the present moment of the utmost importance; for we are face to face not only with the crossroads of history but also with a radical transformation of humanity itself. Either Roman Catholicism will lift us up again to the level of Christian civilization or else Judeo-Masonry will drag us down the path of barbarism and decadent paganism. The whole world oscillates between the two: Christianism and Paganism. On December 8th, 1892, Pope Leo XIII wrote to the Italian Episcopal Hierarchy: "It is necessary to fight Freemasonry with those weapons of divine faith which in past ages vanquished paganism."


Moreover the Papacy and Judeo-Masonry are both so fully conscious of the diametrically opposed parts that they are playing that they assume that from it must issue the political, economic, intellectual and religious future of individuals as well as of nations. It is a fact and the better proof of it is their irreducible antagonism toward each other.


What is, indeed, Judeo-Masonry today if not the concentration and mobilization of all evil forces? This Sect with its threefold claim of being Counter-Church (against the Church), Counter-State (against the State) and Counter-Morality (against traditional morality) takes pride in being above all and for all times the enemy of the Catholic Church; one of its rallying calls is that of Tigrotto, one of the Alta Vendita chiefs who, in 1822, proclaimed: "Catholicism must be destroyed throughout the whole world." With Tigrotto also the anti-Catholic plan is expressed thus: "Let us conspire only against Rome." Is this not expressed in an identical manner in the German "Los Von Rom" or in the English: "No Popery?"


Monseigneur Gay, having been assigned by the Council of the Vatican the duty of writing "A Memorandum on Secret Societies," gave the following striking definition of Freemasonry: "It is evident that in a general way, this doctrine of Freemasonry is not only a heresy, nor even the totality of all heresies, which find in it a haven; it is a fact that Masonry goes beyond the limits of what constitutes what is generally ascribed to the word 'heresy,' for it allows full play to the commission of outrageous perversion. Freemasonry is indeed the abyss of all errors, the well of perdition."


From Pope Benedict XIV


From the outset, before the 18th century, under the efforts of Masonry which sank us into the horrors of the French Revolution, the Sect had been unmasked by the Popes and exposed before the eyes of the Catholics with its odious triple shame of Counter-Morality, Counter-State, and above all, Counter-Church. Let a Freemason, F. Limousin, in his first number of the Masonic Review called "L'ACACIA," of October, 1902, using the pen-name of Hiram, gives the following characteristic definition: "Freemasonry is an association . . . an institution . . . so it is said . . . but it is not that at all. Let us lift up all the veils, risking even to evoke numberless protestations. Freemasonry is a church: It is the Counter-Church, Counter-Catholicism: It is the other church -- the church of heresy, of Freethought; The Catholic Church is considered as the arch-type church, the first church, church of dogmatism and of orthodoxy."


Freemasonry is not compatible with Christianity!


The Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church prohibits Masons from becoming members of their church. The Nazarene Church has banned from its membership any person who is a member of a secret organization. Ever since 1728 Catholics have been prohibited from joining the Masons. That stance was reaffirmed by the Vatican in 1985 with a pronouncement that any Catholic who joins the Masons is "in a state of grave sin and cannot partake in Holy Communion." (In Catholicism, this means that if the person dies without repenting he will go to Hell.)


The British Methodist Church condemned Masonry at its General Assembly in 1985. The Assembly acted on a report of its Faith and Order Committee. That report, entitled Freemasonry & Methodism, outlined the occultic nature of Masonry in detail. The report concluded with these words: "There is a great danger the Christian who becomes a Freemason will find himself compromising his Christian beliefs or his allegiance to Christ, perhaps without realizing what he is doing."



PARTIAL LIST OF CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS THAT CONDEMN MASONRY

Methodist Church of England


Wesleyan Methodist Church


Russian Orthodox Church


Assemblies of God


Church of the Nazarene


Orthodox Presbyterian Church


Reformed Presbyterian Church


Evangelical Mennonite Church


Church of Scotland


Grace Brethren


Roman Catholic Church


Christian Reformed Church in America


Synod Anglican Church of England


Free Church of Scotland


General Association of Regular Baptist Churches


Independent Fundamentalist Churches of America


The Evangelical Lutheran Synod


Baptist Union of Scotland


Lutheran Church Missouri Synod


Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod


Presbyterian Church in America

And he put on cursing, like a garment...

Profanity

I would like to preface this blog post by saying that I am in no way shape or form attempting to make excuses for my own shortfalls, behaviors, faults, or choices in life, as these experiences (good, bad, or otherwise) have helped to make me who I am today. As I have mentioned before I, and my wife, are converts to the Catholic faith. As a child I was raised Christian (mostly) but for the majority of my adult life before my conversion, my religion was my Motorcycle Club. Now, don't worry, I'm not going to go into a three hour road-trip down memory lane and recant old war-stories about adult establishments and fist fights, but I will say that is is a culture built on vulgarity, profanity, violence, power and the use of illicit substances. It's members worship the lifestyle, and swear loyalty and allegiance upon pain of death! ( Insert hyperbole here) And I was among it's most devout. 

So, coming into the Catholic Church (no I was not drug in kicking and screaming) from that particular walk of life, coupled with the fact that my wife and I were about to have our first child, presented a very unique and challenging set of circumstances and trials of which to overcome. Most of them I tackled with the ferocity of a linebacker, a Soldier of God, clad in the armor of Christ fighting for his own soul! Drugs, gone! Reckless Abandon, gone! Seedy back-alley "gentlemen" clubs, gone! Bigotry, gone! Booze, mostly gone!... Well, you get my point. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that "It is in the bosom of the family that parents are “by word and example... the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children. It is here that the father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a privileged way “by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity.” Thus the home is the first school of Christian life and “a school for human enrichment." The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called “the domestic church,” a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.

Suddenly I had come to the realization that all of these things that I had been indoctrinated into believing were the very foundation of my human freedom, were actually the antithesis of true freedom in Christ. -- Chief among these was, and for me still is, the use of profanity, especially the relegation of almost anything objectionable to me to damnation, and demanding as much in the Name of God the Father Almighty. I had let go of most of my old vices, addictions, and downright nasty habits, as easily as slipping out of an old dirty shirt  --  "And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment" ( Psalm 108) Now I have a duty not only to myself, but to my God, my wife, and my children, and the use of profanity in my everyday vernacular has certainly proven itself to be the most difficult to kick. 

While listening to Right Here, Right Now – With Patrick Madrid, speak on the topic, he mentioned that he had a friend that stopped using profanity "cold turkey" upon his conversion to Christianity. I commend this man wholeheartedly, and admittedly feel a degree of envy, as my own efforts to curb the vulgarities that sometimes ( more often than I usually realize) spew from the deepest recesses of my Cro-magnon, testosterone-laden brain, have continually fallen short.


That's not to say that there hasn't been significant improvement over time, that being said time and  again I find myself falling onto that old trap, and have found it both necessary and beneficial to employ numerous strategies in my struggle against cursing, from crossing myself immediately after cursing, to instituting various self-imposed penalties, replacing curse words with less offensive --or even silly ones, to reciting the Divine Praises, and other prayers several times a day. These tools have all been helpful, in that I am able to turn an instance of weakness and sin instantly into a moment of grace and growth. 

Recently I came across a homily that was about cursing, more specifically Reverence for the Holy Name of God, which regrettably seems to be my poison of choice, it had this to say on the topic; "We have heard his holy name not used with reverence in Films or music, perhaps even in common conversation with friends.  We should do our best to eliminate those things in our life the simulate this lack of fear for God, even if they are persons." When I read that, my first thought were those of guffaw, I mean what excessive lengths, and what a heavy burden to be charged with, but looking back over the last few years, that is exactly what I have done, and with good reason.

As I stated earlier (and have touched on in past posts) I have a duty not just to myself, but to my family as well. God saw fit to entrust me with the precious souls of some of His children, and one fine day I will be required to give an account for those souls. With this always in the back of my mind, I feel it is my responsibility to fulfill the most important duty of fatherhood, that is their spiritual instruction, and personally I feel that one is unworthy of giving such instruction with filth hanging off of his lips. In the Gospel of Luke we read; "Which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?" My point is, being the vulgar, wretched, sinner that I am, I still wish to provide my family with good gifts rather than poison. 

I will close with this, a prayer in which I have found much solace and strength, especially in times of weakness,

Lord Jesus, you told us to learn of you because you are meek and humble of heart. Teach me your way of meekness that I may control my, mind, my heart, my tongue.
Give me the manly calm and self control needed to be an example and inspiration to my family.
Help me to be a considerate husband -- to be a true comfort to my wife... and never quarreling or peevish. May I be at all times sympathetic, and may my words never be bitter or bring her sorrow. May I always be understanding, unselfish, and thoughtful in sharing with her the family problems. Let me be ready to conciliate differences with understanding and never be domineering.
Teach me to be a patient father to my children, inspiring them always by my word and example. May my words always be words that direct and help them, and never words that wound. When I must correct them, let it not be in anger. And when I must be firm in my corrections, let me never be crude or harsh.
Let me never use rude or impatient words before my wife or children, nor display any uncontrolled or ill-considered action, which must certainly be a reproach to me afterwards when I contemplate the gentleness and calm of Your meek and humble heart. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart like unto Thine!

Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.



CCC chapter 3 article 7, 1656, 1657, 1666

Hero Worship

Hero Worship

Recently much attention (bordering on deification) has been lavished upon President Obama, especially by the main stream media, various pop-stars, Hollywood elitists, and other media personalities, such as Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx calling Barack Obama "our lord and savior." last weekend. In November 2010, Newsweek declared him "god of all things" on its cover, and again this week referring to him as "The Second Coming"  During the 2012 DNC, one could purchase a poster that called Obama "Prophesy fulfilled," and a calendar that compared Obama to Jesus Christ. In light of these instances, I wanted to touch on Americas insatiable lust for and rapidly growing addiction to hero-worship, and how it affects our faith, families, and personal lives.

This isn't an issue that is relegated exclusively to our world leaders, kings, presidents, and prime ministers. One only needs to pick up the sport-page of their local weekend edition newspaper to come to the conclusion that this year's Superbowl will outrival the Revolutionary War.  Likewise, the Average-Joe is enchanted, roused, and called to arms, every time a school teacher, or blue collar laborer asks for better working conditions or another dollar, while the heroes of the screen and stadium are pampered and revered, and showered with millions of dollars to blow through frivolously.

Ed Willock once wrote, "The Church canonizes a few saints every year; the daily press canonizes a few living heroes every day... Secular heroism revolves around the sensational, the bizarre, the anarchic... attitudes toward heroes and heroism  that seriously contradict notions that are basic to Christianity. For example Christianity teaches that a perfectibility has been made attainable to all men as a result of Christ's becoming our Brother and dying for us... and that all men are obliged to strive for this perfection."

Now it may take some serious effort and intense discernment on our part to make some distinctions here, Christianity requisitions a kind of heroism that is universal and enduring, and is achievable by absolutely everyone. Whilst secular heroism comes not from God, but from overenthusiastic human praise.

If we confuse Christian heroism with it's secular counterpart, we endow sainthood with certain romantic features, ultimately assigning it almost magical, unattainable properties, as an excuse for feeling no urge to have the effort and drive to amend our lives to its call. However the truth of the matter is that the heroics of sanctity are concerned with the pedestrian and the ordinary. Christ Himself suffered. He suffered indignation, ingratitude, and death, all of which are the common lot of the everyday man.

Christian heroics have little-to-nothing to do with RBI's, Oscars, Superbowl rings, or number of ballots cast. It usually deals with child-bearing, earning an honest living, suffering pain, and bearing ingratitude. Those people, the ones who know the value of family, the ones who see the greater good that can come from their hardships, and endure the common drudgery of common life -- Those who hold Christ as their Hero, those are the ones whom I wish to admire and emulate.


Paul Kemp Jr.
Devoted Husband, Loving Father, Hockey Fanatic, Passionate Catholic.

PRAYER AGAINST EVERY EVIL - Very Powerful

PRAYER AGAINST EVERY EVIL - Very Powerful

Heavenly Father, I love You, I praise You, and I worship You. I thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Who won victory over sin and death for my salvation. I thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit Who empowers me, guides me, and leads me into fullness of life. I thank you for Mary, my Heavenly Mother, who intercedes with the holy angels and saints for me.

Lord Jesus Christ, I place myself at the foot of Your cross and ask You to cover me with Your Precious Blood which pours forth from Your Most Sacred Heart and Your Most Holy Wounds. Cleanse me, my Jesus, in the living water that flows from Your Heart. I ask You to surround me, Lord Jesus, with Your Holy Light.


Heavenly Father, let the healing waters of my baptism now flow back through the maternal and paternal generations to purify my family line of satan and sin. I come before You, Father, and ask forgiveness for myself, my relatives, and my ancestors, for any calling upon powers that set themselves up in opposition to You or that do not offer true honor to Jesus Christ. In Jesus' Holy Name, I now reclaim any territory that was handed over to satan and place it under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit, reveal to me, Father, any people I need to forgive and any areas of unconfessed sin. Reveal aspects of my life that are not pleasing to You, Father, ways that have given or could give satan a foothold in my life. Father, I give to You any unforgiveness; I give to You my sins; and, I give to You all ways that satan has a hold of my life. Thank You, for Your forgiveness and Your love.

Lord Jesus, in Your Holy Name, I bind all evil spirits of the air, water, ground, underground, and netherworld. I further bind, in Jesus' Name, any and all emissaries of the satanic headquarters and claim the Precious Blood of Jesus on the air, atmosphere, water, ground and their fruits around us, the underground and the netherworld below.

Heavenly Father, allow Your Son Jesus to come now with the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy angels and the saints to protect me from all harm and to keep all evil spirits from taking revenge on me in any way.

(Repeat the following sentence three times: once in honor of the Father, once in honor of the Son, and once in honor of the Holy Spirit.)

In the Holy Name of Jesus, I seal myself, my relatives, this room (place, home, church, car, plane, etc...), and all sources of supply in the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
(To break and dissolve all satanic seals, repeat the following paragraph three times in honor of the Holy Trinity because satanic seals are places three times to blaspheme the Holy Trinity.)

In the Holy Name of Jesus, I break and dissolve any and all curses, hexes, spells, snares, traps, lies, obstacles, deceptions, diversions, spiritual influences, evil wishes, evil desires, hereditary seals, known and unknown, and every dysfunction and disease from any source including my mistakes and sins. In Jesus' Name, I sever the transmission of any and all satanic vows, pacts, spiritual bonds, soul ties, and satanic works. In Jesus' Name, I break and dissolve any and all links and effects of links with: astrologers; bohmos; channelers; charters; clairvoyants; crystal healers; crystals; fortune tellers; mediums; the New Age Movement; occult seers; palm, tea leaf, or tarot card readers; psychics; santeros; satanic cults; spirit guides; witches; witchdoctors; and, Voodoo. In Jesus' Name, I dissolve all effects of participation in seances and divination, ouija boards, horoscopes, occult games of all sorts, and any form of worship that does not offer true honor to Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit, please reveal to me through word of knowledge any evil spirits that have attached themselves to me in any way. (Pause and wait for words to come to you, such as: anger, arrogance, bitterness, brutality, confusion, cruelty, deception, envy, fear, hatred, insecurity, jealousy, pride, resentment, or terror. Pray the following for each of the spirits revealed.)

In the Name of Jesus, I rebuke you spirit of _________________. I command to go directly to Jesus, without manifestation and without harm to me or anyone, so that He can dispose of you according to His Holy Will.

I thank You, Heavenly Father for Your Love. I thank You, Holy Spirit for empowering me to be aggressive against satan and evil spirits. I thank You, Jesus, for setting me free. I thank You, Mary, for interceding for me with the holy angels and the saints.

Lord Jesus, fill me with charity, compassion, faith, gentleness, hope, humility, joy, kindness, light, love, mercy, modesty, patience, peace, purity, security, tranquility, trust, truth, understanding, and wisdom. Help me to walk in Your Light and Truth, illuminated by the Holy Spirit so that together we may praise, honor, and glorify Our Father in time and in eternity. For You, Lord Jesus, are, "...the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and You "...have come that we might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
"God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior" (Isaiah 12:2).

Amen. Alleluia. Amen.