By Pope St. Clement I
Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognise how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.
If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added this evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, “Father,” and I will listen to you as a holy people.
In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. That is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works and quarrelling and jealousy which only lead to death.
Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: The wise man must not glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just. Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and forbearance. Be merciful, he said, so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.
Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: Whom shall I look upon with favour except the humble, peaceful man who trembles at my words?
Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten towards the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe and hold fast to his splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all his blessings.
From a letter of Pope St Clement I (35-99 AD) to the Corinthians
The Second Reading from the Office of Readings on Ash Wednesday (see Universalis)
Apostolic Fathers, pray for us. Thank you, Mr. Pentin.
The itinerary for Benedict xvi is praying and suffering..this is the itinerary for the entery Church.
Humble of BXVI is also our itinerary.
A humble church is the real Church
Thank Mr.Edward.
I would like to share this thought
The Declaratio of 2013..is coming back to be meditated ..as impeded Sede but deeper read in the light of the Scriptures which now is very clear to be understood.
Benedict warns us that there is little time for the Evil that transforms the world and will shake faith, since the Evil One has secretly installed himself within the commands of the Church’s army and since they are no longer fit, Benedict xvi cannot offer us our daily food as the loyal administrator of the Gospel.
The forces installed in the high commands can mean Ecclesiastical Freemasonry.
Benedict says that he cannot count on the strength to govern the Barque of Peter in this situation and announce the Gospel and what he now has to do is take refuge in God…now he has to pray and suffer…intercede and suffer persecution.
The “lament” of so many believers expresses leads us to reread the DECLARATIO … word by word confronted with Sacred Scripture.
Benedict XVI, as the Virgin has incarnated the word of God that her thought and expression already have to be interpreted by looking for them in the texts of the gospel in the first place and in the Old Testament in second place.
This is how you have to study the texts of the Catechism of the Church that he himself wrote as Prefect of the Doctrine for the Faith.
Even LAMENT is a word with great scriptural meaning.
I do not understand how we wanted to understand it superficially through a canonical interpretation.
It is not for less the regret because
a final test, a great shaking, prophesied by Jesus that would provoke a final Apostasy
BXVI in his Declaratio mentions such a shock to believers’ faith:
“In today’s world, subject to rapid transformations and shaken by issues of great importance to the life of faith,”
And the Catechism connects with this jolt:
675 Before the advent of Christ, the Church will have to go through a final test that will shake the faith of many believers (cf. Lk 18, 8; Mt 24, 12)
(I tell you that she will soon do them justice. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
12 and because wickedness has multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.)
The Apostasy of the truth is that some or many having known Jesus and having enjoyed the truth, inexplicably reject the truth.
But if we deny Jesus after knowing him, he has told us that he, too, he will deny us later.
The word “Shake” seems to be taken from an episode related to the Barque of San Pedro shaken by the waves of the sea because the winds were contrary to it.
In the Bible the sea has the negative connotation of the world, of sin, structures of sin and chaos.
Mt 14, 22-36:
22 Immediately Jesus urged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other shore, while he sent the crowd away.
23 And after dismissing the people he went up the mountain alone to pray.
At night he was there alone.
24 Meanwhile the boat was already far from land, tossed by the waves, because the wind was contrary.
25 On the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them walking on the sea. 26 When his disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified and cried out in fear, saying that he was a ghost. 27 Jesus immediately said to them, “Courage, it’s me, don’t be afraid!”
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
Benedict XVI mentions that his
His forces are not suitable, they would be his collaborators, those who prevent BXVI from Governing the Boat and announcing the Gospel are not suitable…?
The commanders of his army will not be able to take the keys of the Kingdom of God in the hands of Saint Peter, which are to bind and loose on earth and so in Heaven and to open and close because in the Impeded Headquarters the legal consequence is not to innovate anything or prevent him from praying and suffering for the Church
Forces are related to the Commands under an Army Chief. (Apocalypse cites an Army Chief)
For example, I found this text from an army of a country X: “the Force is reduced to three first level Commands: the High Availability Land Headquarters, the Land Force and the Country Command”
biblical text:
“He magnified himself to the host of heaven; and part of the host and of the stars he cast to the ground, and trampled them down.”
Book of Daniel 8, 10 Old Testament
It would be the ecclesiastical Freemasonry in almost all the controls of the Church that prevents Benedict XVI from governing.
L