Pope John Paul II: Coming historic event to end evil.

[tex]

Not saying yes or no on this. Just putting it out there.

http://www.desertvoice.org/written/Alti013005.htm

January 30, 2005 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading I (Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13) Reading II (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

Gospel (St. Matthew 5:1-12a)

In the first reading today, Our Lord, speaking through the prophet Zephaniah, tells us that we are to seek humility, that we are to seek justice, that we are to seek what is right. He talks about the fact that this is going to be necessary because there will have to be some who are going to survive the period of trial, and that there is going to be a remnant of the Lord that is going to remain.

Now if we look at the situation in our world today, there are not very many people who are seeking humility, or righteousness, for all that matters. Humility is just the opposite of what our society tells us we ought to be seeking. Society tells us that it is all about “me” and that arrogance is the way to go, that it is all about looking out for “number one”. Tragically, “number one” is not God; “number one” in society is the self. So we have all kinds of selfish people running around with little or no care about anyone else, and the good that they will do for someone else is ultimately done for selfish reasons, for what they are going to be able to receive in return. What happens, then, in a society where you have lots and lots of selfish people is that evil is going to grow exponentially. Anyone who has been around for a few decades will be able to acknowledge that this is precisely what we see happening. And as we have spoken many times, this is something which is necessary. God is allowing evil to run its course, and the day of reckoning is soon to come.

I have warned you of that many times. A couple of weeks ago, our Holy Father Pope John Paul II said in an address that there is going to be an historic event that is going to put an end to evil in the world, and, on the other side of that, people will have a freedom from evil that they have never known before. Look again at what the prophet Zephaniah says. Those who are going to be part of the remnant, he says, they will not lie, there will not even be deceitful words coming out of their mouths. They are going to be righteous people. It tells us then how it is that we have to live now, but the problem is that before we can live it we have to be able to reject the lies that we have bought.

So we look at the second reading today, and Saint Paul reminds us rather point-blank of who we are. Not many of you, he says, were wise, not many were of noble birth, not many were powerful. God chooses the foolish to shame the wise and He chooses the weak to shame the strong. If we really look into our own hearts, while we like to protest about all of the grandeur that we are (because that is what we have been told) the reality is that we have to admit the truth. Most of us were chosen specifically because we were weak, because we were foolish, because we were not well born. God chooses precisely those people because they are the ones who would be willing and able to do His Will. But the devil in his shrewdness has found a way to worm his way right into our living rooms to be able to tell us that what God says is not true. “You’re the best. You’re the brightest. You’re the greatest. The world revolves around you! Step on other people, lie, cheat, steal, it doesn’t matter what you have to do – get ahead! All that matters is power, money, prestige, material things.” We all know that is the lie the devil has been telling.

If we really want to see where we are well born, we need to look at our baptism, our rebirth. Look at Jesus. He is God. He is the King of the Jews. Where did He choose to be born and in what circumstances? And how did He choose to live His life? He was born in a barn. He lived a life of poverty. He lived a life of rejection, and He lived it all the way to the end to the point where He was abandoned by almost everybody and there He hung upon the Cross. And He told us that, if we were going to be His followers, the same was going to happen. The way the Lord expects us to live our lives is laid out very nicely for us in the Gospel: to live the Beatitudes. If we live the Beatitudes, which means if we live a truly Catholic life, then the last of the Beatitudes is also going to be ours. Blessed are you when they persecute you and insult you and utter every kind of evil falsely against you because of Me, He says. That is when we are truly blessed. Not when we fit in, not when we are like everybody else, not when we are doing the same kinds of unfortunate things as the rest of the people around us are doing. When we are living the life of Christ, that is when we are blessed.

We need to look very seriously at these things within our own lives because they have eternal consequences. If we took a poll right now and said, “How many people here want to go to heaven?” as opposed to “How many want to go the other direction?” I assume that the vote would be rather lopsided for the former. But then if we took the next vote and said, “How many people want to live in this world a truly Catholic life?” as opposed to “How many people want to live a worldly life?” unfortunately, the vote would go the other way. Why would you want to go to heaven and live a Catholic life for eternity if you do not want to live it now? If you want money and power and prestige and all of the selfishness, the devil is more than happy to provide it. In hell, everyone is selfish. That is all there is in hell: selfishness, hatred, lies, cheating, walking on one another. It sounds kind of like America, doesn’t it? And not just America, it is a universal problem. We are called to live holy lives, to be humble, to be righteous. That means we are going to get walked on. It means people are going to violate us. We can look at that and say, “If I don’t want to get violated then it’s better to be like them!” Well, if it is better to be like them then we are going to be with them, not only in this world but in the next.

We are called to be Catholic. To live our faith in Jesus Christ is a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year proposition. You do not take a vacation from being Catholic. You cannot take a vacation from being you. Anywhere you go, anytime that you are anywhere, you are still you, and you cannot ever get away from that. But you are a member of Jesus Christ. You are baptized into Jesus Christ and you are called to live the life of Jesus Christ, so no matter where you are and no matter what time it is you are a Catholic. It is not a one-hour a week thing. It is not even something that we can say, “Okay, I’ll have a little time for prayer everyday.” It is every minute of every hour of every day that we have to live this life.

The time is short and it is critical. And while it is always imperative for us to maintain the state of grace, to keep ourselves always in the state of grace and to be seeking to live a holy life, it is more imperative now than ever. When the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth is telling us that an historical event is coming that is going to put an end to evil, we need to pay attention to that. The Holy Father is not prone to gross exaggerations. It is not like our Holy Father to see if he can stir up the masses into some sort of hysterical frenzy. He is telling us this because he is warning us. We need to make a choice. It is not so much a question of whether we are going to be part of the remnant that is going to remain; it is a question of whether or not we are going to go to heaven. That is all that matters. And the only way we are going to get there is if we are living the life that we have professed, if we are living according to our rebirth, because, in Christ, He is our wisdom, He is our righteousness, He is our sanctification, as Saint Paul tells us. It is about Him; it is not about us. If we are going to live it out, we need to keep our focus on Him and get the focus off of the self. This goes completely contrary to the ways of the world, but so does heaven. The ways of Christ are contrary to the ways of the world.

We need to make a choice, and we need to make it now, because it is not something that one day we are going to be able to wake up and suddenly say, “Okay, I’ve decided that I’m really going to do it now,” and think that we are going to be able to carry it out. If we are going to live the life, we have to start trying to put it into practice. We are not going to have many examples, and we are not going to have many people helping us. If we look at the call which is ours – to be humble, to be righteous – look around and see how many examples there are. Even within the Church, you are not going to find it. I am not talking just about the people of God; I am talking about the bishops and the priests and right down the line. The arrogance, the selfishness, the money-hungry, power-hungry people that are all over the place, they are right in the Church too. But we cannot look at that. We need to look at Jesus, and we need to keep our focus solely on Him. We need to live His life and not worry about what everybody else is doing because on the Day of the Lord there will be no hiding. All the money, all the power, all the materialism, it is all going to melt away before the justice of God. Each one of us, in essence, will spiritually stand naked before Him; so all the stuff of the world will be useless. The only thing that is going to matter is that of the soul.

We need to live the faith that we profess. Look at the Cross and keep your heart focused right there. Live the life of Jesus Christ, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Pray for humility, pray for righteousness, and seek to live it out, knowing that if you do you are going to be persecuted, you are going to be ridiculed, you are going to be rejected. But so was He. So why would we be surprised if it happens to us? But in the midst of all of that, we will learn what really matters. We will live the life that we are called to live, and we will save our souls so that we will be able to spend eternity with Him. If we want eternity with Him, we need to spend our time in this world with Him. To spend our time with Him is to live His life, and to live His life is to live the faith. So that is the point where we are at right now. The choice we have to make is a radical one. It is going to be radical in this life, but it is going to be radical for eternity. If you want to go to heaven and live a Catholic life for all eternity, then spend your time in this world living your Catholic life every minute of every day for the rest of your life.

* This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.

[jhayunga]

I once watched a show on Nostradomus that said he wrote down the names of every pope from now until the end of the world. John Paull II was second to last on that list. That could be an end to evil.

[Prosperity]

I will have to disagree

[tex]

For the Pope to put it on the line with such a prediction seems bold. Would he make such a bold statement only to be proven wrong? There must be something that has given him the confidence to say this publicly.

[chomerics]

Sorry, but I find it hard to believe anyone who calls America hell, or "the devil".

If you want money and power and prestige and all of the selfishness, the devil is more than happy to provide it. In hell, everyone is selfish. That is all there is in hell: selfishness, hatred, lies, cheating, walking on one another. It sounds kind of like America, doesn't it?

I say this to you John Paul II, pot meet kettle.

[Stu]

Originally posted by tex

For the Pope to put it on the line with such a prediction seems bold. Would he make such a bold statement only to be proven wrong? There must be something that has given him the confidence to say this publicly.

What the Pope said (you have to follow the link within your link to actually see his statement) is nothing new but its not quite as dramatic as you would believe. Since the Ascension of the Lord, Christians have been waiting for the return of Christ to finally conquer Satan which would be historic. And while we prepare for that to happen at any momement (the New Testament is filled with language speaking of its pending arrival), there was nothing in the Pope's comments to say it was going to happen relatively soon (like in the next week or year or whatever). In fact, noone knows aside from the Lord himself. We just know it will happen. And example of this thinking comes from another priest who said the following in a sermon I heard the other day. "The problem with people who wait till the midnight hour to know God, is that they usually die at 11:30 pm." So in other words prepare now because it is coming sooner than you think. Just trying to put it into context.

Originally posted by chomerics

Sorry, but I find it hard to believe anyone who calls America hell, or "the devil".

I say this to you John Paul II, pot meet kettle.

The quote you cited was from the priest who wrote the article and not the Pope. But in your zeal to shoot your mouth off against something I think you are truly ignorant about you didn't notice that. You want to debate the Catholic Church, we can do that (warts and all) but from previous statements you have made concerning Her you are unarmed.

Sad thing is Cho, at times I see an ability for you to objectively think and critique things. More often though its something different.

And in the end, while I love my country, I sadly am seeing the same things that the priest who wrote the article sees in America. And while imperfect like any man, I hardly see that in Pope John Paul II.

Good Day.

[chomerics]

I though John Paul wrote the article, hence my response. Either way, my post stands. I know that we do not agree on theological terms, so I don't expect anything other then contempt for a post like mine, but I also think you can understand my point of view as well.

[MrSilverMaC]

I am a Irish/Mexican, and as such, I tend to side with Catholics in a protestant world.

But on this particular subject, I will have to side with Cho.

I do not wish to debate Theology with you, but for anyone from the Vatican to call America out for our greed is so outlandish as to be completely laughable.

Maybe the apocalypse is coming. Who really knows when? No one here on earth thats for sure.

But for someone to take the time to write that statement about America, regardless of who said it, after all the times we have come to the worlds aid, after all the times the Vatican requested that we step in, is not only hypocritcal, but a slap in the face of my country.

I have no doubt that when it is all said and done, there will be precious few popes in heaven.:2cents:

[Stu]

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

I am a Irish/Mexican, and as such, I tend to side with Catholics in a protestant world.

But on this particular subject, I will have to side with Cho.

I do not wish to debate Theology with you, but for anyone from the Vatican to call America out for our greed is so outlandish as to be completely laughable.

Maybe the apocalypse is coming. Who really knows when? No one here on earth thats for sure.

But for someone to take the time to write that statement about America, regardless of who said it, after all the times we have come to the worlds aid, after all the times the Vatican requested that we step in, is not only hypocritcal, but a slap in the face of my country.

I have no doubt that when it is all said and done, there will be precious few popes in heaven.:2cents:

It is neither a Catholic nor protestant world. It is God's world filled with imperfect men and women whom are all called to be saints. Unfortunately, few of us answer that call (myself included.)

The statement that you and Cho have a problem with is from the sermon of a priest from Minnesota (so no one from the Vatican said anything). Taken in context it is exactly the thing one would expect to hear while regularly attending Mass. With that context, and since you say you "tend to side with Catholics" I would think you would understand that message because as Catholics we are constantly called upon to "take up the Cross daily", deny what is of this world and try and become closer to God. So regardless of all of the good our country has done, and it is a lot, the trend among individuals is not good. People are increasingly more rude, willing to lie, cynical, violent, gluttonous, controlled by lust, infatuated by appearance , self absorbed and yes increasingly focused on the material world. And as the priest pointed out, his similar description "sounded like America". I think it does too. So when the good Father from Minnesota preaches a hard-hitting sermon meant to move his congregation to a higher ideal then I say good on him. So once again, since you "tend to side with Catholics" I would think you would agree.

Speculating on who "is" and who "is not" in Heaven, while interesting is a dangerous game. I suspect your sentiments could be applied to "Americans" as well. Funny thing though in playing that game we tend to lose our focus on what we should be worrying about and that is whether or not we are going to go to Heaven.

[Fatty P For The Pulitzer]

Originally posted by jhayunga

I once watched a show on Nostradomus that said he wrote down the names of every pope from now until the end of the world. John Paull II was second to last on that list. That could be an end to evil.

Are you trying to say the role of the Pope is evil, or that this 'end to evil' event could happen during the next papal period?

And I saw a show on Nostradamus too, back in the early '90s. Might've been the same one. He also said that the antichrist would start to make a name for himself in the mid-90s (he gave an exact year, like '95 or '96) and that the world would end in 2003 or 2004. I guess he missed on that one.

[Destino]

I think "money and power and prestige" and the idea that all is fair in the pursuit of these goals is very much an idea seen in the United States of America. In fact those that take issue with it have become a perfect example of what this article is discussing, being honest about what's going on around us. We rationalize the "rat race" as good and rank ourselves based on our ability to acquire wealth.

You can't serve two masters. In the US we tend to think we can. I'm not bashing, because as this article says, and Chomerics left out, "and not just America, it is a universal problem." We here in the US are used as an example because we are the seen as the world leader.

How many people out there can honestly say they think the US, and our culture here, values humility and the need to help others OVER the ability to gain wealth and stand out in the crowd?

Evil is not limited to lunatics with bombs under their jackets. Not limited to rapists, murderers, and other criminals. Greed is evil. Pride is a sin. And Jesus has called all of us to live a life opposing that which modern society holds up as good in many cases.

Don't confuse this post with a claim that I am more moral then any of you. I'm not and I'm certainly not meaning to claim that I am.

[jbooma]

Hmm, lets see the US is so evil, is that what all of you think. Just because everyone has the ability to make it in life, however when Christ was alive only the rich lived the good life and no one else :doh:

Why does everyone think making money makes you greedy?? I know a lot of people how make a lot of money and then help many less needy more then other less then needy.

Some of us live in a society where you have to make money just to live a normal life, NY, Nova, SF, Boston, etc...

I don't God is going to be mad at many as some of you think :doh:

I think we are more open to others now then we have been in the last 15 years, and it is growing.

I will say I don't agree with people living life word for word from the bible, 1. we don't know how accurate the translations are, 2. it is a completely different world now then it was then

I think the religious freaks in ths world are worse then terrorists, attacking AARP, trying to outlaw circumcisions, forcing our kids to do certain things, scares me more then someone with a bomb.

I am catholic, but have no clue what the Pope is talking about. Instead of worrying about some big event, we need to put more focus on the priests abusing these young kids.

[MrSilverMaC]

Originally posted by Stu

It is neither a Catholic nor protestant world. It is God's world filled with imperfect men and women whom are all called to be saints. Unfortunately, few of us answer that call (myself included.)

The statement that you and Cho have a problem with is from the sermon of a priest from Minnesota (so no one from the Vatican said anything). Taken in context it is exactly the thing one would expect to hear while regularly attending Mass. With that context, and since you say you "tend to side with Catholics" I would think you would understand that message because as Catholics we are constantly called upon to "take up the Cross daily", deny what is of this world and try and become closer to God. So regardless of all of the good our country has done, and it is a lot, the trend among individuals is not good. People are increasingly more rude, willing to lie, cynical, violent, gluttonous, controlled by lust, infatuated by appearance , self absorbed and yes increasingly focused on the material world. And as the priest pointed out, his similar description "sounded like America". I think it does too. So when the good Father from Minnesota preaches a hard-hitting sermon meant to move his congregation to a higher ideal then I say good on him. So once again, since you "tend to side with Catholics" I would think you would agree.

Speculating on who "is" and who "is not" in Heaven, while interesting is a dangerous game. I suspect your sentiments could be applied to "Americans" as well. Funny thing though in playing that game we tend to lose our focus on what we should be worrying about and that is whether or not we are going to go to Heaven.

Perhaps you have trouble understanding my point of view, due to the fact you seem to want to make this a debate of "higher authority". I am not looking at this in the context of this being gods word, due to the fact that a man wrote it. I can only look at what I know to be fact.

If you look at things from an earthly point of view, I'm not quite sure how it is that you cannot call this a protestant word. I tend to side with Catholics in things human. Meaning I sympathize with RC's in northern Ireland, and when I see a presidential nominee have to defend his religion. Those things I tend to side with Catholics on.

And I care not that the preacher is in Minnesota, he is still a representative of the Vatican, regardless of if you will conceed this point or not. I take issue with any agent of the Vatican calling out the U.S for greed, yet they curiously leave themselves out of the renounciation. Why not include switzerland? Why not the UK?

Is there greed in the U.S? Hell yes there is. In a sense, greed is why you bought the computer you're reading this on. Is the U.S the only place greed exists? Hell no. So why are we the ones who are constantly called out for it, when we DO give so much to the world. Not give back, cause for that to be the case they would have to give us something first, but give for the betterment of those places we aid and get nothing first or in return. So why is france not being called out by this priest, or the international comunity as a whole? Why not Italy, you're not going to tell me the italians are less greedy than us?

This preist has called out my country, you say for the betterment of his flock. Bettering your flock is all well and good, but if you wish to use an example, why not man in general, and not this country in particular.

And I think it a dead on accurate belief that most popes will not be going to heaven. Because if they make it, the standard is very low and I don't think according to that, many people would be turned away.

[Destino]

You think maybe he used the US as an example because he's in the US, speaking to a US crowd, and wants to make sure that his audience gets that he is talking about them? Kind of hard to hammer home your point about change if you tell your audience in the US that France is embracing sin.

It's amazing how defensive people have gotten in this country. Anyone says anything negative, even when the intention is our own benefit, and people flip out.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Originally posted by Destino

You think maybe he used the US as an example because he's in the US, speaking to a US crowd, and wants to make sure that his audience gets that he is talking about them? Kind of hard to hammer home your point about change if you tell your audience in the US that France is embracing sin.

It's amazing how defensive people have gotten in this country. Anyone says anything negative, even when the intention is our own benefit, and people flip out.

That's exactly what I was going to post. The priest was probably just trying to point out that each and every one of us is guilty of putting ourselves first at some point.

[jbooma]

Originally posted by Destino

It's amazing how defensive people have gotten in this country. Anyone says anything negative, even when the intention is our own benefit, and people flip out.

Saying something negative is find, but calling us evil is a little more then being negative don't you think.

[Destino]

Originally posted by jbooma

Saying something negative is find, but calling us evil is a little more then being negative don't you think.

If you don't like to hear about the evil our society embraces you should avoid church in this country. Perhaps a nice church in Mexico, where they no doubt discuss the evil of Mexican society, would be more to your liking?

Our society measures the worth of a person by his/her ability to acquire wealth and by how many other know of him/her. This does not mean all americans agree with this value system. But last I checked People wasn't putting you on the cover for your compassion for the poor. You don't get invited to all the parties for your sacrifices made on behalf of orphaned children. We don't celebrate "good" nearly as often as we celebrate "wealth" and "celebrity." The church clearly is of the mind that this situation is wrong and represents a way in which evil has foud it's way into our lives.

This is not to say our society is better or worse then any other. It doesn't speak to that at all. It's a discussion, about us, had by us, for our own benefit. If you can't talk about what's wrong in your own house then it's in a lot worse shape then you think it is.

[Fatty P For The Pulitzer]

It sounds to me that this priest is just using scare tactics. I've never met a priest who would say that the US is anything close to evil. Is there a lot of greed, selfishness, immorality, etc in our society? Of course. Is our society a society of greed, selfishness, immorality, etc.? No. There is plenty of good in our society. Just look at how we reacted to the tsunami disaster. This priest is just making an overly dramatic comparison to make his point that we need to remember to keep Jesus first.

[MrSilverMaC]

So are you guys saying the U.S is evil?

If he wanted to drive home a point that is close to them, why not call out the Vatican. How much money do they have? How greedy are the people who run it?

If you are trying to make a point about being religious and following the word, why not use an example of those who are supposed to be the most pious, and not a country that was founded on following our own beliefs?

What does calling the U.S evil have to do with anything that he needed to talk about? Apparently it's not too evil, cause he seems to have no problem calling us out while living here.

"The appocalypse is coming and the U.S is greedy!". Can you tell me what part of that has nothing to do with the subject at hand?

[MrSilverMaC]

This is the way I see it:

It's like a guy talking about the NHL being locked out, and then condemns Snyder for poor cap managment.

Totally different subject, and totally not related to the thing at hand.

[jbooma]

Originally posted by Destino

If you don't like to hear about the evil our society embraces you should avoid church in this country. Perhaps a nice church in Mexico, where they no doubt discuss the evil of Mexican society, would be more to your liking?

Our society measures the worth of a person by his/her ability to acquire wealth and by how many other know of him/her.

Who cares???

I don't care what others make, if they want to make it known, that is their right. I don't live my life to impress others.

For people to care so much, then they have bigger issues they need to worry about.

This reminds me of this past weekend, my wife and I were driving around neigborhoods to look at homes, we saw these single family homes on a lake in reston and said that is what we want. We then did some reasearch online to see that they were valued at 1.2 million, when they were bought at maybe $450K 4 years ago. I didn't think anything but these people were smart to get in early.

I don't care that they bought the homes, or have money etc.... they got into a market at the right time, and good for them.

Why do you care what society thinks about you so much?? Most of the people I know don't even think about, we are enjoying our lives so don't worry about everyone else.

[Destino]

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

So are you guys saying the U.S is evil?

No, no, a thousand times NO!

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

If he wanted to drive home a point that is close to them, why not call out the Vatican.

I'm sorry, was he speaking to a gathering of church leaders? I was under the impression that he was speaking to american Catholics about the ills of the society in which they live.

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

How much money do they have?

A lot. Plus more. And they always go for the biggie size.

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

How greedy are the people who run it?

I don't know? Very. Sound accurte to you?

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

If you are trying to make a point about being religious and following the word, why not use an example of those who are supposed to be the most pious, and not a country that was founded on following our own beliefs?[/b

Because he's speaking to Catholics about living Catholic and the society they live in is extremely relevent to that discussion.

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

What does calling the U.S evil have to do with anything that he needed to talk about?

You really don't understand how evils in American society are relevent to a discussion concerning the influences of evil in the lives of American Catholics?

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

Apparently it's not too evil, cause he seems to have no problem calling us out while living here.

Oh my.

Originally posted by MrSilverMaC

"The appocalypse is coming and the U.S is greedy!". Can you tell me what part of that has nothing to do with the subject at hand?

Actually you are just flat out wrong. If the message is "the apocalypse is coming" then it is EXTREMELY important to discuss possible wrongs in the society in which you live.

[Destino]

Originally posted by jbooma

Who cares???

The church does. What part of that don't you understand?

[jbooma]

Originally posted by Destino

The church does. What part of that don't you understand?

I never hear my chuch bring this up and I am in the catholic church, meaning local churches.

I was talking more about the part how you think everyone in our society cares more about what people make.

[Destino]

Originally posted by jbooma

I was talking more about the part how you think everyone in our society cares more about what people make.

Why do I care? I really don't, I'm too busy rationalizing my sinful life to worry about it.

Why does the church care? If you attend a Catholic church you should know the answer to that.