The COG Catholic

WARNING: Be advised this post contains sexual content. Not meant to trigger anyone. === I heard a lot of misunderstandings of Catholic morality (Natural Law, actually) on Jason Whitlock's podcast recently. I want to help clear things up. HERE'S WHAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES ABOUT SEX: Sex is meant for men and women in marriage (which is why it's called the "marital act"). Intentionally achieving climax with the hand, the beginning or end of one's digestive tract, or by any other means is wrong. It should happen in the context of "regular sex"; which is to say, the kind of union that is open to reproduction. Other forms of sexual releases are inappropriate substitutes; they are sinful. Why? REMEMBER THAT THE NATURAL EFFECTS OF SEX are twofold: bonding and babies (or love and life). The obvious purpose of sex is reproduction, but not to the exclusion of the pleasurable bonding between man and wife. The problem comes when doing the act while intentionally cutting out one of those two ends. That's why rape is wrong. That's why adultery is wrong. That's why porn is wrong. That's why homosexual acts and bestiality are wrong. And -- it's why contraception is wrong. What about old or otherwise infertile people? It's not wrong for an infertile married couple to engage in sexual relations. Even the youngest, healthiest couples are fertile only for a few days a month, but that fact of nature doesn't make it wrong to act as man and wife throughout the month (it's how God made us). It is only wrong when they engage in sexual acts that by nature render conception impossible (or has that intent). Married couples should have lots of sex and be generous with life. If for some very serious reason they desire to avoid conception, the couple can always agree upon periodic abstinence. It doesn't need to be six months at a time, or in perpetuity. With the help of science, the couple can practice "Natural Family Planning," which, if followed carefully, can be quite precise in letting you know when conception is not on the table. That's most of the month actually, so it's not like you're missing out that much. Close the door and have at it. If it gets to be too difficult to wait during the fertile times, then you can talk and decide how "serious" this reason really is to avoid conception. Maybe you'll both change your mind. But what's unacceptable is to perform sterile acts of selfish gratification on each other in order to avoid pregnancy and to get one's rocks off. That's not love, even if in the heat of the moment you wish it to be. For any Protestants who say all this is not "biblical," they should provide us with "biblical" proof or positive examples of masturbation, oral/anal "sex," or barrier or withdrawal methods. I'll wait. Even married couples are capable of sexual sin. There's no "anything goes" clause in marriage. Before saying all this is too rigid, or unfair, or too hard -- remember that we indeed live in a hypersexualized society. When we think we "deserve" sexual release any time we want, any way we want, we need to rethink our priorities, our lives. It's not the Christian Church, but the world that says "gay marriage" is fine, chopping off our body parts is fine, bondage and whips and other weird, creepy sex stuff is fine. We should live in a holy manner even when it's difficult. Trust God. He knows it's not easy. We have to put on the whole armor of God so we can stand in the evil day. Love your spouse.

We are supposed to be lights in the world, Christian examples to others, to help, to be available, to inspire them to more perfectly follow Christ. Is it so strange, then, that we as Catholics look to the holy Christian saints of old who lived before us? They can help us. They are available to us. They inspire us. They are our examples. It's not idolatry. It's called the Communion of Saints. Death does not separate us.

As Christians, it's true we believe we are not obliged to keep the Law. But don't misunderstand. We don't mean it's okay to sin, or that serious, sufficiently understood, freely committed, and unrepented-of sin won't exclude us from salvation. We just mean we don't observe the "Mosaic" aspect of the Law as practiced by ancient Israel (such as ritual circumcision, clean and unclean laws, or Israel's annual festivals). Clearly that's different from moral laws that predate and surpass the Mosaic covenant, and that apply to all people regardless of nationality or what century we're in. So yes, it's okay to work the Saturday shift and eat shrimp, but it's not okay to murder or commit adultery. It's not hard to understand. If you don't see the distinction, dig deeper. Make sure you aren't just being obstinate. #COG #sabbath #uncleanmeats

Markdown formatting works well when composing at habla.news . Have you tried that site for blogging? It works for me.

"Then [Jesus] said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (John 19:27). If you want to be a disciple, you should do the same: Take Mary into your home, your heart. Jesus gave her to us as our Queen Mother.

Everyone, without exception, will go through four of the "Last Five Things": (1) Death (2) Judgment (3) Heaven (4) Hell (5) Loss of any and all crypto Live this life accordingly.

The Word did not stop being God and turn into a man instead. Rather, he remained God and acquired or assumed to himself a human nature, which is to say, a human body and soul. He didn't change into something else, but added to himself. That's an important distinction to make. If we insist that God stopped being God when he became a man, then we reject the truth that he is the great "I AM." Instead we make him out to be the "I USED TO BE." If that were the case, he wouldn't have been truly God from the start -- just like using a pencil eraser to erase permanent ink would mean it wasn't really permanent ink to begin with.

Returning to the New Mass after a lengthy stretch of going exclusively to the Traditional Latin Mass can be jolting. Why is the priest standing with his back toward God? What are these lay people doing in the sanctuary? Who's this boss lady reading Scripture to the congregation? Why are there girl altar boys? Is that John Denver singing? Where are all the babies? Why is this guy holding my hand, and -- wait -- did he just give my hand a squeezy pooh?? What's with everyone flashing gang signs at me? Why is that boomer in a moo-moo distributing Holy Communion? Doesn't anyone pray after Mass? #TLM

Do people in heaven pray for us? Yes. Those who went before us and are in heaven don't forget about us. Heaven is not a place where the #saints suddenly become self-centered, self-absorbed. The Beatific Vision is not just staring at God, but participating in the life of God. What else should we expect of God's friends? Jesus intercedes for us night and day. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we have nothing left but a groan for prayer. The angels of heaven are portrayed as bringing our prayers to God in golden bowls of incense. And we all have our guardian angels working on our behalf. God is love, and his business is restoring our fellowship with him. Think Parable of the Prodigal Son. Conversely, the devil and the evil spirits are out to tempt us and lead us to hell. With all that spiritual attention placed on us, do we have the audacity to suppose people in heaven forget about us? The saints of the OT are portrayed as a "cloud of witnesses," as cheering spectators watching the race of our life. This is called the Communion of Saints. We can, and should, ask our spiritual big brothers and big sisters for help, which they are eager to do. They are more like God than we are. They are already perfected. And as Scripture says, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. So do you want the help of those who have gone before us? Do you need their help? Need extra help? ASK THEM! They have our backs.

I can tell you from my years of experience in going to #Confession: I've never viewed it as a "work" I could do to cause God to owe me forgiveness. To me, it is a humbling encounter in which you "tell on yourself" and receive the gift of undeserved forgiveness. No sin is too big for God to forgive, and that is so good to know. But saying, "I don't have to tell my sins to a man! I can go straight to God!" -- I might guess that person does not have a habit of examining his conscience regularly or even confessing every specific serious sin every time to God (I could be wrong about that; it's a generalization). We Catholics go to Confession for the sake of confessing with humility, for absolution (guaranteed unless one is not sorry for one's sins), and for special strength to resist future temptations to sin. We don't earn forgiveness, but in light of the Judgment after this life is over, we sure will take it. Praise be to God. John 20:23

There is zero chance Jesus was able to sin during his early ministry. Why? Persons -- not natures acting alone -- commit sin. Although Jesus had acquired a human nature (i.e., body and soul), he was still a divine Person -- NOT a human person. He was and is a divine Person with two natures: human and divine. Merely having a body does not mean we will sin. The opposite is true as well (consider that bodiless demonic spirits are sinful). To insist Jesus COULD have sinned is to say he was not a divine Person -- which would mean we have no Savior. Human persons during this life can sin, but a divine Person can never sin under any circumstance. Jesus' earthly life was a great test (during which he suffered in his humanity), but it was no gamble. It was a pure, sacrificial act of love. ✝️

Our secular society obscures truth and harms us all when it tries to redefine words like family, woman, marriage, and abortion. There are Christians who also spread confusion when they claim "Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship." What does that mean? Should we presume to be "irreligious"? Does religion preclude relationship? I don't think "religion" means what they think it means. Everyone misspeaks, but we should be careful with our words so we don't mislead others -- or ourselves.

Catholics: Don't let your guard down and allow non-denominational Evangelical Christians (or even other Catholics!) to persuade you into thinking we are all on the same path because we all follow Christ and believe in His Word -- as if we are merely different brands of the same product. We are not the same. If we were the same, they would not wholeheartedly reject the source and summit of the Faith -- the Eucharist -- even believing Eucharistic adoration is idolatry. If we were the same, they would not reject the basics of the Faith, like the answer to sin: sacramental baptism and confession. If we were the same, they would not reject Saint Paul's explicit command to hold fast to oral Tradition. Recognize that their foundational beliefs come straight from the Protestant heresy. Yes, Protestantism is a serious and dangerous heresy. Indulging in false ecumenism is to perpetuate a lie, and it serves neither the truth nor your non-Catholic friends. And it's a scandalous example to fellow Catholics, with the potential to weaken their faith. Catholics must speak the truth in love.

Just got my new Roman Psalter in the mail. Published by nostr:nprofile1qqsx53l5x2ft36a9swmyemxxfyhj0qzucg37pp3f86xum7eyxpt8dxqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43q38evjw. Looks good. Thanks!

MY REAL-LIFE CONNECTION TO POPE LEO Sure, I'm Catholic, so the bishop of Rome is always significant to me. But I have a closer connection to Pope Leo in particular (I promise I'm not making this up): I have met and shaken hands with a man who spoke to someone on the phone whose dentist's sister is the neighbor of the pope's brother. True story.