Confession: good for the soul (mind, body, spirit)...

I'm sure that many have heard the expression: confession is good for the soul.

It is.

It is also true that psychology, and the profession of psychologist, is big business in today's world.  More and more people seem to be turning to the psychologist for help in ameliorating any problems of the mind they might have.  And, as we know, what affects the mind, can also affect the body, and vice-versa.

In fact, the word psychology derives from the two Greek words:

1. “Psyche” –  meaning Mind, Soul or Spirit, and:



2. “logos” –  meaning Study or discourse.



3. When put together they produce: “Study of the Mind.”

As an aside, I wonder just how many psychologists believe -- or don't believe -- that we have a soul; an immortal soul?   It's probably a good guess to say that some don't even believe in God for that matter.

Ironic, isn't it?  Since the first part of the word psychology -- psyche, means just that: soul, spirit.

When people turn to the psychologist, what are they really seeking?  What is it they wish to get off their respective chests?  Could it be that the patient is looking for forgiveness for something they did or said?  I would be willing to bet that, is, in fact, the case.

I have never been to a psychologist to "get something off my chest," but I have been to Confession to a (Catholic) priest so I can have my sins -- my failings -- forgiven.  That's how I get things "off my chest," my soul.

I'm sure if there are any non-Catholics reading this short article, they will dispute what I just wrote, possibly claiming that the Catholic Church just made up the Confession thing.  After all, how can we get forgiveness of our sins from someone who is a sinful man just like us???  Well, yes, in the sense that he is human.  But that priest, that man, is not the one forgiving the sinner, but is a stand-in for Christ; His representative, if you will, that was granted that enormous power when he was ordained into the priesthood.

I would urge any non-Catholic who claims to read and understand the Bible, taking into account the whole of the text, not just some selected verses here and there, should be able to see that Christ Himself, gave the power to forgive sins to His Apostles, not once, but several times as reported in Scripture.  I'm not going to do the leg work here; it's easy to look it up.  And if one believes what the Bible teaches, then you cannot possibly ignore this very important revelation from the Son of God.

Another argument from a non-Catholic might go something like this: you go to Confession over and over again, confessing the same sin over and over again!   How hypocritical!   

I agree, if that is the case.. 

When I go to Confession part of the "agreement" I make with God is to make what is called a firm purpose of amendment not to commit that sin again, in other words, to break that particular sinful habit.

But also keep in mind that when St. Peter asked Christ how many times must we forgive a sinner; seven times?   The response probably stunned the head of the Apostles when Christ said seventy times seven!  Meaning as many times as that person asks for forgiveness!

I wish all of good will to come home to the one, true Church of Christ, and if you want to get some things off your chest, then you now know what you have to do: go to Confession; it's good for the soul...

Please pray for our country.

Gene DeLalla

  

Are you a conservative?

So we know what liberalism, or a liberal is, or at least we should know; if not, we will all be snookered and succumb to their agenda.

But what is a conservative?

There are many "talking heads" that claim to be "conservative," but what is it that they're conserving?

As history shows, the French Revolution was instigated by mobs of radical "liberals" hell-bent on destroying any semblance of restraint, of religion (mainly, the Catholic religion), of the tenets of the Natural (moral) Law, and what was left of the royal monarchy, in favor of the original "me-too" movement run amuck.  I don't think I would be exaggerating in saying that's pretty close to what we have today in the land of the free and the home of the brave...

And yet, some of the original proponents of that very same revolution, themselves, fell to the guillotine because they just weren't radical enough.  In effect, they had become too "conservative."

One thing that the "conservatives" are not conserving is manhood, and the roles assigned to us even before we were born.

What?  Before we were born?   That's correct: "before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..." (God speaking through the prophet, Jeremiahs.)

Unfortunately, the traditional roles of man and woman have been corrupted to the point of being almost unrecognizable.  This confusion carries over into all facets of society, in effect, turning those roles upside-down.  And there is one special, easily influenced, group that is affected by that confusion: our children.

We know that children absorb what they are taught: what they see; what they hear, and what they read, whether in school or in the home, (if they are fortunate enough to be homeschooled).

It is also true that if a certain agenda or mindset can "get" to the kids, then they become the next generation of less manly, less womanly adults awash in "gender confusion" that seems to permeate American society these days.  Their roles can very well become blurred, causing even more uncertainty as to what they are, and how they are supposed to act as men and women.

And if the so-called "conservatives" dare talk about truly conserving what is moral, just, traditional, family oriented values, chivalry, and especially man being the head -- the patriarch -- of the family unit, see what happens.  I can take a guess that such declarations would then be attacked by the feminists, as well as those weak-kneed males who think that women are equal to men (they are not).

Today's "conservatives," for all practical purposes, are simply less-liberal than their more radical counterparts, but still undermine the moral fiber of the individual and the nation as well.

It is said that history repeats itself.  I agree.  And what we see happening today is a repeat of the rebellion that was ushered in during the French Revolution.  And what was the main object of that rebellion?  I believe it was a revolt against God Almighty, with "man" assuming the role of "creator" -- creator of mayhem and social disorder, that is.  I also believe that it is no exaggeration to say that is exactly what we see happening today, not only in our country, but throughout the world as well.

Even in the human element of the Catholic Church we see scandal and compromise of what the Church has always and everywhere taught and believed for 2,000 years, being eviscerated to the point of near schism among the flock of Christ.  And when conservative prelates speak out and criticize what is apparently happening in Rome and elsewhere, they are immediately attacked for not being loyal to the pope.

It is my contention that the main reason for the state of the world being as it is, is due to the weakness of that very same human element of the Church going on for nearly a century; a Church that was once looked upon as a moral -- and even a spiritual beacon -- to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

If you consider yourself to be a true conservative, I ask you to pray, not only for our country, but for the Catholic Church as well...

Gene DeLalla

A Man for all Seasons...

Has anyone seen the movie: A Man For All Seasons?  If not, you should.  It's a real classic!

The actors and actresses are first class; the names aren't important, but the story is.  It chronicles the life and trials of Thomas More.  Does that name sound familiar?  If not, it should.  Thomas More was an English lawyer, and, eventually appointed Chancellor of England, second highest office in all of England, by King Henry VIII.

Briefly, Thomas More was a practicing Catholic and loyal to the Roman Pontiff (the Pope).  When Henry VIII wanted More's support for his proposed annulment to his current wife in order to marry another, More refused that support -- by his silence on the matter.

There is a scene in the movie where the archbishop and all his entourage enter a hall, and wait to hear the "offer" presented by the King's messenger.  It was truly an offer that couldn't be refused!  Basically, the King offered these Catholic hierarchs 100,000 Pounds to support and recognize Henry as the supreme head of the Church in England, and swear allegiance to him, instead of the Pope as head of all the churches in Christendom, including England.

(I figure that 100,000 Pounds in the early 1500's, would amount to tens-of-millions of Pounds in today's money.)

The hierarchs agreed, and accepted the bribe.  At that moment, they apostatized from the Catholic faith, and became Protestants.   How easy it was to sell their souls for filthy lucre's sake!  This also indicates to me that these former "Catholics" were mere political animals, rather than ardent evangelizers for the faith.  But who am I to judge?

However, I'll let history speak for itself...

And that's what this short article is all about.

For those Protestants (and Catholics?) who don't know, England was once known as "Our Lady's Dowry."  But no more.  (Our Lady, referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Mother of Christ.))

Ever since that massive apostacy, England has gone off the deep end.  This is not my opinion, but rather facts that can easily be verified by simply reading the current, or past events, and news that emanates from that island nation.

It is said, that when someone rejects God, He will absolutely send the operation of error to invade their intellect.  This "invasion" can lead to politicians passing bizarre laws and regulations supporting some of the most perverse social and sexual mandates upon young and old alike.

Recently documented, were the struggles of babies and toddlers practically imprisoned in hospitals seeking treatment for unusual or difficult ailments or diseases.  The hospitals in question, refused to let the parents take their children out of their facility and bring them to others that claimed they could help.  In other words, the state superseded the rights of the parents, and kept those children until they died!

But this is only one example; there are so many others, including, but not limited to, condemning any criticism of the homosexual agenda, or the Muslim "religion."

Freedom of speech is just about dead in England.

Here is another example of the perverse... England has the equivalent of our Girl Scouts; recently, several scout masters were relived of their duties because they objected to their charges being forced to share bedrooms, showers and bathrooms with those who claim to be "girls," but in reality are males.  These despicable "transgenders" have the support of weak-kneed politicians, and politically correct special interest groups that are destroying any sense of social norms, flushing the Natural Law down the rabbit hole of history.

Can these events happen here?

Another rhetorical question, as it is already happening here, make no mistake. The evidence is legion.

This is what happens when we refuse to serve our God, our Creator, our Master, and we want to become our own god.  This is a universal fact, not just in "merry old England," but all over the world, among most peoples.  There is a remedy: it is simple, yet complex -- to some -- we must return to our roots, our traditions, the Natural Law, and most of all, to God, without Whom we can do nothing.

I almost forgot... Thomas More is SAINT Thomas More!  He might have lost his head, but he saved his soul.

Pray for our country.

Gene DeLalla

Two of the "big ones": contraception and abortion.

Should I step into it now, and discuss two of the "big ones": contraception and abortion -- and their relationship to each other?

Am I correct in writing that these two are, indeed, related?  Does one lead to the other?

I will argue that one -- contraception (when it fails!) -- can, and does lead to the other in some circumstances -- abortion.

First, let's take a look at the "beginnings," let us go back to the foundress of the birth control movement in the United States: Margaret Sanger.  Here we have a female with many ironies associated with her, including her twisting of the Natural Law and Catholic Church teaching to suit her ideology.

How many know, or realize, that Margaret Sanger was a Catholic, and came from a large, Irish Catholic family of eleven siblings?   Her father, once a practicing Catholic, became an atheist.  The influence of her parents and the home-life she experienced, played heavily on her ultimate direction of her future life-path and philosophy.  This is only natural.

Here is something that many may not know: Sanger was OPPOSED to abortion!  Strange but true.  On the other hand, she was a dyed-in-the-wool racist and eugenicist.  Some will deny that, but let her own words speak for themselves:  "We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population..."-- Letter to Dr. Clarence J. Gamble, December 10, 1939, p. 2
https://libex.smith.edu/omeka/…

And this: "The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."-- Woman and the New Race, Chapter 5, "The Wickedness of Creating Large Families." (1920) http://www.bartleby.com/1013/

This is only a small sample of her disdain for large families, one of those ironies I mentioned earlier...

I find it hard to believe, that a such a well-educated woman could not, or would not, realize that her zeal for instituting and promoting contraception would eventually lead to abortion, something she was so ardently against.

This poor creature -- once a Catholic -- used the teaching of the Catholic Church and the encyclicals of the popes on marriage and the family, to "prove" the backwardness of those teachings.  However, she rightly pointed out that many Catholic women of her time were already using or quickly jumped at the opportunity to use contraception to limit the number of children she (and her husband) wanted to bring into the world.

Believe it or not, she also used the Bible and selectively quoted passages of Scripture in order to back up her claims that the limiting of family size was nowhere condemned.  The problem with this thinking is the same thing we see today.  There are those "Christians" that say that if something is not specifically mentioned or condemned in the Bible, then it is "okay" to do or practice.  It's as if there is no "reading between the lines," so to speak, or refusing to extrapolate the spirit of the written word, and instead only look to the letter of the law, written or passed down through oral tradition.  Of course, here is where the proper interpretation of Scripture comes in, and unfortunately, when one privately interprets Scripture he or she can go astray.  Is that why there are literally thousands of different Protestant denominations, yet only one Catholic Church??  After all, it was holy mother Church that compiled and canonized the Bible, not the other way around.

The current ethos of "legalized" abortion is firmly entrenched in American society, and, I contend, is used as a method of birth control, again, something that Sanger vehemently opposed, yet she had no problem with the killing of BORN infants, as a way of keeping families small!!

The result of "legal" killing of the pre-born?   Sixty-five-plus million fewer Americans since the Roe v Wade decision of 1973, this does not include the world-wide numbers of babies killed each year.

It is important to point out, that contraception, as well as aborting the pre-born is nothing new, and goes back to ancient times.  All this boils down to not wanting to serve the Master of all of us, but wanting to serve ourselves; to be our own god, and decide what we can do with our bodies without having to pay for the consequences of our actions, or obeying any authentic guidelines, whether those of the Natural Law, or Church teachings (which include the Natural Law!).  Sadly, the gift of our sexuality is then reduced to lust, rather than the love that should be shared between husband and wife, one of the tragedies of the current mentality...

Margaret Sanger, whether she knew it or not, or cared or not, opened up the Pandora's Box of the culture of death so prevalent today, not only in this country, but also in our ever shrinking world.  And this culture of death is also reflected in the many wars and rumors of wars that, we, as a nation, are involved in for all the wrong reasons.

In conclusion, I ask -- as I always do -- pray for our country, and pray to end the scourge of abortion.

Gene DeLalla

Why the gutless Republicrats?

As a true conservative -- not a neo-con -- I am totally disgusted with the Republicrat elites in the House and Senate of the U.S. of A.

Very few have the testosterone to stand up to the Demonrats.

Why?

Well, if you want to know the REAL answer, here it is: there is NO difference between the Demonrats and the Republicrats, that's why.

The elites of both parties have sold their souls to the devil for position and power, and will do everything in their power to stop a popular president elected in an electoral landslide from fulfilling an agenda that swept him into the White House in the first place.

If you think I'm exaggerating, think again. Those very same elites: read, globalists, are hell-bent on building a wall -- but not a border wall! -- to ensnare and entangle President Trump, and keep him from keeping his promises made during the campaign of 2016.

Sure, he has done wonders so far, but unless and until he takes extraordinary measures to ensure he can truly continue to represent the American people, he will be doomed to failure.  There is little if any help from those higher-ups in his own party.

In fact, I'll so far as to say Mr. Trump is completely surrounded by his enemies -- they are our enemies as well! -- and wear the Republicrat hat.

Just take a quick look at the newest spending bill (another "continuing resolution") to keep the government open until late December; it fully funds Murder, Inc. (AKA: "planned parenthood").  Not only that, but it allows for continued "research" on the tissue of aborted babies!  Remember, the selling of aborted baby parts is a federal crime, and yet, there is more funding?

The new C.R. also keeps and expands more illegal aliens and their "families" to come into our country for cheap labor, that's being pushed by outgoing Speaker of the House, Ryan, and others, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Koch brothers.

Bad company all...

The "deep state" is truly at the bottom of this mess.  They want to see Mr. Trump fail and fall flat on his face.

All these punks are a great argument for term limits for all congressmen and senators, as well as federal judges.  I say again, TERM LIMITS FOR ALL!

Is there hope?  Yes, of course.  How do I know -- or hope -- because God will not be mocked.  Those who hate their brothers, will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Am I being judgmental?  Absolutely.  I judge those haters with malice of forethought for their fellow man/woman/child.  Our Creator will only put up with so much, then He will take vengeance.  It will be interesting to see the reaction when He comes -- if it's in our lifetimes.  I bet some will be scared to death -- literally!  And rightly so.  Some will repent, others will scream their hate for the One who sacrificed so much to save us, yet they (we?) kick Him in the face over and over again.

Why, you might ask, am I using "religion" when I discuss politics?  Because one of the reasons for the mess we're in, is the so-called "separation of church and state," that's why.  When God is kicked out of the public sphere, it opens the door to evil, and that evil is firmly entrenched in far too many of our representatives who make "laws" allowing the continued killing of the pre-born legal, as well as so many other abominations it would take a book to fill...

In conclusion, I would ask -- as I always do -- to pray for our country; our president, and especially for the end to abortion; please!

Gene DeLalla

The sickening kangaroo court of Judge Kavanaugh.

For those who watch the "6 o'clock news," or read what passes for a "newspaper" these days, I'm sure the view of Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, must go something like this: how can the president of the U.S. nominate a despicable, low-life abuser of innocent, young women?  And further, we can't have such an abominable character sitting on the court for ten, twenty, thirty years or more, handing down rulings that will affect the-almost "sacred" "right" of a woman to destroy the developing child in her womb.  (But it is unclear that Judge Kavanaugh, if he is finally confirmed to the court, would consistently rule in favor of life, over the death sentence usually handed down against the pre-born.)

This is not the first time such a spectacle of accusations and perjured testimony against an eminent, and an immensely qualified federal judge had to endure before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

For those old enough to remember, go back in the early 90's, and you'll find Clarence Thomas, and before him, Judge Bork, also victims of the kangaroo court of public opinion. 

If just a cursory search is made, one can see the trials and near-persecution that those two men went through, again, enduring perjured testimony as well as character smearing beyond anything I have ever seen until now, reaching new lows with Mr. Kavanaugh as the latest victim. 

Has Judge Kavanaugh had enough; will he give up?  

Judge Bork gave up.  But Clarence Thomas was eventually confirmed, and now sits on the Supreme Court. As an aside, Judge Thomas is a practicing Catholic.  And I wonder if being a Catholic was one of the reasons he suffered through the sickening inquisition by the liberals on the committee?  Of course, that's a rhetorical question.  

I would like to recount another -- illegal -- grilling of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  She was one of those on the "short-list" of President Trump to fill the vacancy left by Justice Scalia. 

When questioned before the Judiciary Committee, the ultra-liberal Sens. Feinstein and Sanders, raised the possibility that her Catholic faith would influence her decisions if confirmed to the court.  Those inquiries were, and are un-Constitutional, as there is to be no litmus test for public office.  And yet, Judge Barrett let those characters get away without challenging them that her rights were being violated under that same Constitution.  Sad. 

Judge Barrett and her husband have seven children, apparently upholding the Church's teaching on marriage, avoiding contraception, and allowing the marital act to be open to life.  Yet, she wrote this: “Judges cannot-nor should they try to-align our legal system with the Church's moral teaching whenever the two diverge.”

Excuse me?  If that's the case, then it's the legal system that is corrupt, and MUST align to the Church's moral teaching, not the other way around!

If she considers herself a practicing Catholic, then how in the world can she believe that the Church's moral teaching has to be discarded in favor of, what?  What is "legal," over what is moral?  And if the Natural Law dictates that the killing of the pre-born is immoral and illegal, then how could she ignore those facts?

Do you see the problem here?  Why are Catholics in the public sphere so afraid to stand up for what the Church teaches?  Why are they so weak -- or is it ambition -- that justifies casting aside their precious faith in order to achieve power or position in this life? 

Is this problematic, present-day attitude to be laid at the feet of the Church herself?  Is the compromising of the perennial teachings of the Deposit of Faith, Scripture and Tradition, as handed down from Christ and the Apostles themselves, due to the "spirit of the age" influencing the decisions and actions of an already weakened hierarchy?

I contend that the problem is that this attitude, this weakness, not only reverberates throughout the Church, but also throughout society as well.  You can't separate what is happening in the Church from what is happening in the world at large.  The Church was once looked upon as a moral beacon, by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, but is this still the case?

I ask anyone of good will to pray for our country, but also pray for the Catholic Church.  

Gene DeLalla

  

I thank you for all the prayers for my mother-in-law..

I truly thank all those caring folks that offered prayers and condolences for my mother-in-law, Edith Ryder, who recently passed on.  It is good to know that she touched the lives of so many people she didn't even know.  God bless you all..

Gene DeLalla

Does Hell exist?

The following is an excerpt taken from an article appearing on CNSnews.com.

In his article, "Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell," Dr. Bruce writes, "Hell lost some of its purchase on humankind in the 19th century, when new scientific theories such as Darwinism eroded the authority of the Bible and the tides of sentiment turned against God’s wrath in favor of His mercy.

"... In some distant, better future, the foreclosure of Hell will be an important step in the maturation of human communities that can mete out justice on their own, without supernatural aid."

No, I don't know Dr. Bruce, but I can tell you that he is an atheist, simply, by the above quote.  

I do know that the word atheist is a pretty strong word to use these days, but there comes a time when we must call a spade a spade, and, more importantly, stand up for what we believe.

One of the main reasons for the "culture of death" that permeates American (and world) society, is the negative "belief" in something that doesn't exist!  

How can this be?  It doesn't make any sense to deny a negative!  This is the irrationality of an atheist.  But why would anyone choose to be irrational, especially when it comes to God or Christ?  Because just the mention of God or Christ tweaks their conscience; an atheist simply can't run and hide; He's everywhere.

Forget, for the time being, the supernatural, because even on the natural level, the obvious cannot be denied; the evidence is all around us; it stares us in the face; we can see it, touch it, observe it in the night sky.  Nature abounds with a finger that points to the Creator, especially when we see a child being born.  A true miracle!  I know it was for me...

I just mentioned the culture of death; it is all too real, and comes in many forms.  And that child being born?  Look at the opposite: killing that child before she is born.  Why would anyone do such a thing?  This is a rhetorical question, because we know the answer: "... In some distant, better future, the foreclosure of Hell will be an important step in the maturation of human communities that can mete out justice on their own, without supernatural aid."

That's why.

Again, just as on a human, natural level, without governance, man becomes as the wild animals in the jungle, and mirrors Darwin's survival of the fittest, or, take for example, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, written as a tenet of the French Revolution.  

One of the key provisions of the Dec. of the Rights of Man, is the "right" to do whatever you want, when you want, with no restrictions (of morality or religion) save for one: not interfering or denying the rights of others to do the same!  What Godless lunacy!

Of course, one of the tenets of the "progressives" of any revolution, is the first part of Dr. Bruce's quote: "...when new scientific theories such as Darwinism eroded the authority of the Bible and the tides of sentiment turned against God’s wrath in favor of His mercy."

Notice two things: first, he refers to Darwinism, and, two, the sloppy, warm and fuzzy "Christianity" that is floating around: "...against God's wrath in favor of His (at least he capitalized the "H" in His!  Maybe there is hope for this guy?) mercy."

I have to give him credit where credit is due: he hit the nail on the head; the emphasis is now on God's mercy, rather than His justice.  The fact of the matter is, you cannot have one without the other.  To believe in mercy without justice, is to presume on His mercy no matter what one does, but this presumption is a sin against the virtue of Hope; the other being despair.  There must be a balance; to ignore the justice part of the equation is to fall into the trap of not worrying about our actions, words, or inactions, thinking that at the end of our lives, we can presume that He will be merciful toward us! 

And that trap is what the demon wants us to fall into.  After all, he told us long ago that we can take a bite of that apple and "be like God": the ultimate PRESUMPTION.

Gene DeLalla

  

  

The passing of my mother-in-law...

At 11PM last night, (officially, 12:17am by the nurse) my mother-in-law, Edith Ryder, 88 years old, passed away with all her children around her.  A priest was called and gracefully came from a distance to pray over her.  She suffered much.  Her husband, Donald, died several years ago.  He was a POW in North Korea for nearly 28 months, and as I've read, he was a hero to his brother prisoners, getting whatever additional supplies and food to those suffering more than he.

In 1993, I lost my dad; he was 82.  In 2001, just before "9/11", my brother died at the young age of 59.  In 2007, on December 26 (the feast of St. Stephen), my mom passed away at the age of 92 (she was still sharp as a tack!).  All my former, immediate family members are now gone.  Plus, all my grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles; I guess this is an indication that I'm getting older...

It is also an indication -- maybe more like getting hit over the head with a brick! -- that we don't know when we will be called to be judged by Christ, our Just Judge, and be accountable to Him for our actions, words, or inactions, for that matter.

Can you all see just how important it is to get right with God?   And I'm not just talking about "accepting Christ as your personal Savior" either, but rather doing all that He commanded us to do, in Scripture and sacred Tradition.  We cannot pick and choose what to believe, or what commandments we wish to obey, while ignoring others that may SEEM too difficult to fulfill.  We don't have that luxury, not if we want to be part of that select group: the Elect.

I ask all those of good will to pray for my mother-in-law; for God's mercy on her immortal soul.

RIP, Edith Ryder.

Gene DeLalla

 

Hollywood and the ghost of John McCain invade the Middle East...

The title of the article should be: Hollywood and the ghost of John McCain CONTINUE to invade the Middle East.

Let's take a quick look at the "civil"-war-torn country of Syria...

First, it is not a civil war, hence the quotation marks.  It is, and has been, a war of the government forces of Assad, and the outsiders attempting regime change.  The "rebels" have been, and continue to be, supported, financed and encouraged by the ghost of John McCain and his legion of war-hawks tied in to the military industrial complex of the U.S. of A.

When it comes right down to it, a nation's sovereignty means little if anything to those with the agenda of perpetual war, never satisfied with the death, destruction and destroyed lives that their insatiable appetite for --- MONEY --- causes.  As I always say: follow the money trial...

If there is a big winner in any war, it is, by far, the military industrial complex that former President Eisenhower warned about so many years ago.

Second, President Trump has, I'm afraid, fallen for the trap set by the war mongers in his cabinet, including, but not limited to Nikki Halley -- his ambassador to the U.N., as well as John Bolton as security advisor.

I point to one example -- there are many -- of the so-called gassing of the Syrian civilians by their president, Assad, and his forces.

If anyone has ever read or heard of gas being used in war, there is a certain attribute that is inherent in such attacks, not only to those that are affected, but also includes medical personnel attempting to render aid.

Take a look at the horrendous effects of gas used by the Germans against the allies in World War I.  To my understanding, the gases used were of the nerve and mustard varieties.  Exposure was deadly, or at least completely debilitating, or life-changing to those unfortunate enough to be caught without a gas mask.

In Syria, there was a supposed gas attack, followed quickly -- with little investigation to find out the truth of what actually happened -- by Pres. Trump launching dozens of Cruise missiles at an air field, where, supposedly, there was a stockpile of cannisters of poison gas.  And now, there is talk of another imminent -- false flag -- gas attack, again, by Assad against his own people.

It just doesn't make any sense.  Why?  Because the government forces, with the help of the Russians, and others, are defeating the rebels that have been attempting to drive Assad from office, and to further destabilize the country.  But these "rebels" have been, and continue to be, supported by the likes of the now-dead McCain and his cronies.  And Trump, again, has warned that another gas attack will be met with more Cruise missiles and who knows what else?  Will there be an investigation after such an attack, if it does happen, or will there be a rush to judgment without placing the blame where it really belongs?

And now, Hollywood...

I have seen some really bad acting in the areas of the supposed gas attacks and the aftermath, with victims and medical personnel obviously following a scripted scenario.  Not only that, but the so-called "white helmets" have been accused of being the actual perpetrators of the false flag attacks in several areas of Syria, as well as being friendly with the so-called "rebels."

If you think that Hollywood's involvement is far-fetched, think of the elites of that debauched group and what their mission is here in the U.S.: taking out Trump at all costs, and in any way possible -- peaceful or not.  Tie this together with the disaster of Syria, and the picture becomes much clearer.  Again, follow the money and ideological trail, it usually leads to complete socialism, and absolute government control of every aspect of our lives.

Please pray for Pres. Trump, and pray for our country.

Gene DeLalla

We want our Church back!!

About 2,000 years ago, an interesting incident took place somewhere in the Holy Land.  It seems that a Pharisee by the name of Saul of Tarsus, was heading overland to Damascus, Syria, to obtain more damaging information about the early Christians.  His chore: to bring those Christians to "justice."

As he, and his cronies, were approaching the famed city, an extremely bright light along with a loud sound as if a mini-whirlwind had encircled Saul, and knocked him off his donkey.  The men travelling with him were confused and scared, but they didn't see all that was affecting their companion, and they certainly didn't hear what Saul heard: (a voice from out of the clear blue sky) Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?

Saul was stunned beyond comprehension, then blinded.

He exclaimed something to the effect: who are you?  What do you mean I'm persecuting you?  I don't even know you?

All this while in sort of a drunken stupor, flailing around on the ground, reaching for thin air...

What was the source of the voice from above?  It was the "dead" Christ.

Saul wondered why he was accused of persecuting this Christ, when he never even met Him?

The point of this encounter was two-fold: one, this was the beginning of the transformation of Saul of Tarsus, to becoming St. Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles.  And, two, to indicate to Saul of Tarsus, that when he was persecuting the nascent Christian Church, he was, in reality, persecuting Christ Himself!

In other words, Saul had been persecuting Christ!  The Head of the Mystical Body, the Church.

Fast forward to today...

There is another persecution of the Church going on right now on a massive scale.  Not only from without, but also this time, from within by the very shepherds designated to lead the flock to their eternal destiny, but instead are scandalizing and corrupting their charges in the most heinous of ways: infidelity, in the form of sexual deviancy.  Not just personal sexual deviancy, but in many cases overt homosexual deviancy.

Information has come to light of a vast and widespread network of corruption and scandal among  some of the rotten apples in the clergy.  Of course, even the good guys wearing the Roman collar are now lumped in with the same rotting fruit that has fallen from the evil tree, confusing even more, the lay faithful.

Whom can they trust?  Whom can WE trust?

Let me now harken back to the now-converted Saul, renamed Paul, and with the "St." in front of his name...

It seemed there was a controversy bubbling just below the surface among the hierarchical structure of the new Christian Church, with Peter (St. Peter) concerning some of the old customs of the new Jewish converts, causing confusion -- and scandal -- between those very same Jewish converts and the Gentiles that had entered the Church.  Basically, should those old customs be carried over into the new Christian traditions?

St. Paul attempted to iron-out the controversy, but how?

By resisting St. Peter to his face (as reported in Scripture).

Remember, St. Peter had been a weak and sinful man who denied Christ not once, but three times.  And yet, Christ selected and appointed him to be the head of His Church!  It should be easy to see, that the reason for the Church in the first place, is for sinful men and women; the just have no need of penance.

The point of my short article is to point out that today we lay faithful and those clergy who abhor the vast scandal affecting the flock, and remain in solidarity with Scripture and Tradition, must fight those rotten apples and pray for their conversion or defeat.  Even if that means going all the way up to the pope; to resist him to his face!

We faithful Catholics want our Church back!

Right now, we are in a period of severe testing, perhaps like no other in its 2,000 year history.  Will the Church survive this crises?

The answer is YES!  How do I know?  Because we have Christ's own words: the gates of hell  will not prevail against it.

I ask those of good will to pray for the Catholic Church, and to pray of our country.

Gene DeLalla 

Reflections in The Wall...

Poem from a Vietnam Combat Veteran:  Reflections in the Wall.

Reflections in The Wall:

I was drawn to the black granite monolith known as The Wall,

Yet too far to see the names, but close enough to see people weeping.

For a moment, I stopped dead in my tracks: should I continue?  Could I take what I was about to see?

As I approached The Wall, I became smaller, and it became bigger.

Soon, I could see flowers, medals, Rosary beads, letters, and more people weeping…

Now in view were the names that for a time I could not see.

Turning to confront the names, I looked into The Wall…

There were my brothers looking back at me.

As I looked at their reflections, I saw myself standing with them.

Placing my hand on The Wall, I began to shiver as if I had a fever,

But it was a warm, sunny day.

I began to pray for my brothers in The Wall;

Selfishly, I began to pray for myself.

I am getting older by the day, but I’m alive, but those in The Wall are not.

Someday, my name, too, will be on The Wall.

Will anyone come to see me in The Wall?

Gene DeLalla

Traitors.

Traitors; they come in all shapes and sizes, and in all institutions, and that includes the mess that has been revealed in the Catholic Church.

When it comes to those who betray their office, whether priest, politician, police officer, school teacher, etc., they scandalize, not only the people, but the institution as well, making people feel that the institution is corrupt, not just those involved.  Yet, if we follow this thinking, the logical conclusion would go something like this: people get divorced, so marriage is worthless, and is corrupt, and the institution of matrimony should be relegated to the trash bin of history.

Or, take for example, a police department of a small town, or a metropolis, it makes no difference, if a cop is on the take, the reputation of the good cops is smeared along with the miscreant.  But does that mean that all police departments should be done away with?

How about a politician who betrays his constituents by taking bribes, or is involved in other illegal activities, does that automatically condemn governance?

Then there is the public school teacher who takes advantage and abuses one of his or her students, should all public schools then be shut down because of one "bad apple"?

Or a priest that uses his Roman collar to take advantage of those under his spiritual charge, engaging in the most heinous activities against the vulnerable. (Keeping in mind that we are talking about homosexuals that are part of the "lavender mafia" within the Church, and must be rooted out and brought to justice.)  But does that mean that the priesthood is to be condemned and terminated?

On this subject, the difference between a corrupt priest (bishop, cardinal, etc.) and the Church itself must be made clear: the Church is spotless, holy, pure, yet is made up of sinners.  (I know, I'm one of those sinners.)  

But how can this be?  

The answer is "simple": the perfect Christ -- the divine Founder -- cannot be the Head of an imperfect body.  (Luther was wrong because he failed to make the distinction between sinners and the sinless Church.)

We are talking here about fallen, weakened human nature.  It is not, for the most part, the office or institution that is corrupt, but those sinful men and women who cause scandal and foster corruption within their respective offices.

One of the obvious results of the maleficence of office, is that those influenced by those who hold that office, will understandably lose faith or confidence in the office, and not just the person holding that position.   

And that is what scandal is all about.  We see this today in the Catholic Church; people leaving, or losing their faith, or going elsewhere.  But, as Christ questioned His Apostles: will you too walk away?  St. Peter answered: Lord, where else can we go, You have the words of eternal life... Remember, the gates of hell will never prevail against her...

Please pray for our country, and pray for peace.

Gene DeLalla