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Sunday 30 August 2015

Are you a Pharisee caught up in externals? According to Father Thomas J. Rosica, CSB ; you just might be!

I confess that I am a Pharisee and I am caught up in externals.

You see, I believe that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary brought forward in time. It is the blood atonement, the propitiatory sacrifice by the Son through the Holy Spirit to the Father for the remission of my sins and those of the whole world. 

Since it is the most perfect worship to God in Trinity and in Unity it must be the most beautiful and worthy that we can make it. To quote from the masthead on this blog by St. Pius X, "the beauty and sumptuousness of the Temple, the splendour and accurate performance of the ceremonies." I am hung-up on these externals spoken of so eloquently by the holy Pope and Saint who was clearly hung up on those same, "externals."

In today's Epistle for the XIV Sunday after Pentecost, St. Paul tells us and the Galatians:
"Brethren: Walk in the Spirit: and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and the spirit against the flesh: For these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest: which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, Mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences."
According to Father Thomas J. Rosica, of that wonderfully faithful and growing Congregation of St. Basil, and the incredibly orthodox Salt + Light Television, if one tries to live according to St. Paul's teaching, one is a Pharisee.
"Who are the modern-day Pharisees and their followers? The blind modern-day Pharisees and their blind followers are very religious, moral, zealous people. They strive to keep God’s law, and they are zealous in their religious duties. They diligently attend Church every Sunday. They are hardworking, outwardly upright citizens. They keep themselves from and preach against moral evil. In addition to being moral and religious and zealous, modern-day Pharisees and their followers do not believe that salvation is conditioned on the work of Christ alone; instead, they believe that salvation is ultimately up to human efforts and what the sinner adds to Christ’s work!"
If you take your Catholic faith seriously as the true religion revealed by the God, if you try to live a moral life as St. Paul advises above, if you are zealous for the faith and Christ as we are told in the psalms, "zeal" for His house, you too are a Pharisee. 

If you strive to keep God's law, The Ten Commandments and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and do your religious duty, you are even more of a Pharisee. 

It you attend Mass every Sunday, which is a precept of the Church; if you are hardworking and if you avoid the "near occasion of sin" and preach the truth of Christ and call sin, sin, then you are also a Pharisee.

You are obviously only an "outwardly upright citizen" because the truth is, you're a cheating, lying, fornicating, envious, slothful, lusting, slanderous, evil, cursing, greedy, blasphemous and covetous old hypocrite!

Not only that, but rather than cooperating with grace and the salvation offered by Our Lord Jesus Christ, you're really a closet Pelagian. 

Now, whether or not you're a "self-absorbed promethean, neo-pelagian" you'll have to ask the Bishop of Rome.

But as for Father Thomas Rosica, I have one question, "Who are you to judge?"

Oh, and if I've been incorrect with any of the above, sue me!


18 comments:

Restore-DC-Catholicism said...

If he's of the "faith alone", that is sola fidelae crowd, Rosica might be a not-so-closeted Lutheran. It was Martin Luther who tinkered with that verse in Romans as he mutated the Bible to suit his odd theories.

Barona said...

Am I a pharisee to wonder why Salt and Light considered it an "honor and privilege to welcome Katie Couric..." She being not only pro-abortion, but a donor to Planned Parenthood?

Anonymous said...

Well...maybe I am a pharisee, but Fr Rosica should recognize that he is a Lutheran.

Jonah said...

I suppose the immodesty of the women at mass is also external. At the sign of peace, I have to lower my gaze in shame and embarrassment -- this in a formerly Basilian parish.

Unknown said...

Catholics have lost awareness of any ascetical demands of our religion, there is a total presumptuousness about salvation and a loss of the sense of sin. This is not the time to be calling simply observant Catholics "pharisees."

Kevin M said...

At the risk of sounding like a heretic myself, I really feel like saying "will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"...

Anonymous said...

@ Restore-DC-Catholicism

Perhaps Fr. Rosica has been chatting with Michael Coren and, following Coren's lead, is building a tidy nest egg by fleecing his Catholic subscribers to Schmaltz & Lite TV until he's ready to come out as a protestant.

Michael Dowd said...

Speaking of pharisees, I wonder if Fr. Rosica would say that financially supporting the Church is a form of bribery? While "new wave" priests like the good Father deplore sticklers for God's doctrine it unlikely they lost interest in God enemy, mammon.

Anonymous said...

John, That must have been Holy Rosary Parish.

How much was spent on that rectory renovation? I hear it could be in Architectural Digest.

Is that what caused the Basilians to be bounced?

Hmmm...

Aged parent said...

Goodness, where would we all be without Fr Rosica explaining the Faith to us yokels and rubes?

What an insufferable idiot.

Anonymous said...

Wow Father Rosica, you are just a breed of your own aren't you...
Going to Sunday Mass, following the Commandments, working hard (rather than wasting time on idle things) avoiding sin and all things immoral and standing up for the Truth, makes one a Pharisee, well I am guilty as charged.. I must be the worst Pharisee there is, and I am teaching my children to be Pharisees as well.

Unknown said...

Please post a picture or video of the Holy Rosary debacle at the Facebook page called Survivors of Liturgical Abuse in Parishes. Thanks.

Lynda said...

Dear Vox Cantoris, I wish to pay tribute to you for standing up for the Faith and morals in the public square, under your true identity. You are a great example and encouragement. Our Lord will recognise those who have recognised Him before the hostile world, who have put their love of Him, of truth before their own wellbeing or safety. Blessed are those who suffer in the cause of right for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank you! Your sister in Christ.

Anonymous said...

So, let me get this straight:
I am not very religious, I am amoral and far from zealous. I don't keep the commandments nor go to Church. I am lazy and obviously dishonest. I tolerate moral evil. But that's ok, because I am sure I am not a Pharisee and I have Heaven guaranteed!.. because Jesus died on the Cross and I "believe".

I am so stunned Fr. Rosica said those things. Were they nor trying to hide this stuff? Well, I think of Germany now. I guess it's so bad now that they don't feel the need to pretend anymore!

TLM said...

Right Anonymous, Satan doesn't even need to hide anymore. He is so bold as to be 'in your face' with his lies and evil. It's very obvious that these prelates do not practice Catholicism. And I hate to say, but the truth is they have been emboldened by the Pope himself. The 'wolves' in sheep's clothing don't need the clothing anymore. They are 'out and proud.' Well, I guess look at it this way, we don't have to wonder anymore who they are.

Anonymous said...

People....you don't understand. The new commandment, freshly baked and right out of the spirit's (don't know which) mouth is this: to be HAPPEEEEEEEE

Don't you get it? If you wake up every morning feeling alive and grateful because He died on the cross so that you could experience life to the fullest without caring about sin (because He has taken all sins upon himself) then YOU can experience the amazement of loving a woman or two or three or all of them at once (they are all different and very enriching experiences). Same if you want to feel what it's like with a man. Or say you want to travel around the world and need some money, well, I'm sure you can rob your neighbor and your happiness will absolve you from any damage (in fact, that poor old pharisee should be very happy to support you in living your life to the fullest).

Hurray for the merciful times we live in!

James said...

Seeing that face reminds me that the crazy synod is going to start up soon. I hope a miracle happens to save the day.

Anonymous said...

I am absolutely stupefied at Father Rosica's definition of a Pharisee. As a priest this is what he condemns....practicing Catholics??!!

When Our Lord spoke to the rich young man, He looked upon him with love when he told Our Lord he had kept all the Commandments from his youth -- and thus Our Lord asked him to do even more; Our Lord also told us to be perfect as Our Father in Heaven is perfect; He further said that unless we likewise repent and do penance we will also perish...and the list goes on.

This is clearly the FrancisEffect -- virtue is condemned for its own sake and sin is coddled and given pride of place. "Woe to him who makes white black and black white; who makes evil good and good evil...."

What Father Rosica forgets is that the Pharisees were condemned by Our Lord NOT for observing the Laws of God, but for being HYPOCRITES and harboring hatred, contempt and self-love in their hearts, while also FAILING to live truly just lives.

Our Lord said of the Pharisees "All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not."

How is that for a complete error check on Father Rosica's twisted commentary?

It has gotten to the point where I believe everyone is FrancisChurch no longer actually reads the Scriptures. In the Scriptures Christ condemns sin on page after page after page -- with exigency and intransigence. He showed mercy only when souls repented of their wrongdoing.

WHO is this strange Christ that FrancisChurch has manufactured out of thin air -- a Christ in complete contradiction to the Christ revealed to us in the Word Made Flesh.