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.