Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 Ave Maria, hema, neither father and the son. Holy Spirit. Amen. On last Sunday of the liturgical year, the first Sunday of advent, the church asked us to consider the end of the world, so we'll do that. As usual, the courts will be edited and cut and pasted before we get into it. Let's note that in today's Gospel and elsewhere, our Lord has commanded us to read the signs of the Times. Watch you. Therefore, because you know not at what hour, your Lord will come. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watch us. Plus it is he that watches. Now, obviously this is an exciting topic, but we're not supposed to have a chicken little, the sky's falling sort of conniption fit. When we, when we think about it, the great Belgian Jesuit Saint John Bertrand's gives us a perfect example of how we ought to act when we think about this very topic.
Speaker 0 00:55 One day during the time assigned for recreation, Saint John Bertrand and his fellow Jesuit scholastics were shooting pool and one of them asked him, Hey John, if you found out the world was going to end right now, what would you do? He kept lying up his shot and he said, I'd keep Ron playing billiards. Now, what's the point? St John Bertrand's was supposed to be taking recreation and he was, and he's supposed to be in a state of grace, and he was, in other words, he was doing just what he's supposed to be doing at that moment, and our Lord expects us to be doing our duty when he comes again. So if we're in a state of grace and we're doing our duty, we're all right. The most important thing is not when in his truly live, but how we die. The most important thing is to die in the state of grace.
Speaker 0 01:46 If we die in this chair to grace, we're going to be all right. Okay, then we're safe. That's the most important thing. The one thing that matters. All right, so much for an introduction. Let's turn to the topic at hand. Today we're going to consider what we've been told about the state of the world, about the moral climate of the world before the second coming. There's a fascinating past. It's in the catechism, the Catholic Church, which speaks of that moral climate, the moral climate of the end times quote before Christ's second coming, the church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers, the persecution that accompanies or pilgrimage on earth. One Vale, the mystery of iniquity in the form of a religious deception offering men and apparent solution to their problems. That the price of apostasy from the truth to supreme religious deceptions, that of anti-christ, a pseudo messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah.
Speaker 0 02:50 Come in the flesh, close quote the catechism of the Catholic Church. The church must pass through final trial that will shake the of many believers in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. So the catechism is speaking explicitly of an apostasy from the truth. So prior to penetrating in to the particular pronounces we find in sacred scripture. Let's pause for a moment and consider exactly what it is. When we refer to the word truth, it seems like a funny thing to have to talk about, but those are the days we live in. True. There are two common usages for the word truth. Truth commonly refers either to truth and understanding that is to say truth and our judgment, which is also known as logical truth or truth in speech, which is also known as moral true.
Speaker 0 03:50 So logical truth is truth in judgment and moral truth is truth in speech. Logical truth means in agreement of mind with the thing. This is my hand. That's an altar rail that's a statue of the blessed Virgin Mary. So truth, when you're talking about logical truth, we're talking about judgment which agrees with reality. The correspondence between my mind and the thing. Air is a judgment that doesn't agree with reality. For example, I think that saint in my mind is not corresponded thing so much for logical truth. What about moral? True moral truth means the agreement of my speech with my mind. In other words, when we say what we think that's true, when we say what? What we, when we say is not what we think, that's false and everybody knows that's a lie. So logical truth means the agreement of the mind with the thing.
Speaker 0 04:47 Moral Truth means the agreement of the speech with the mind. All right, so we're considering what we've been told about the state of the world, about the moral climate of the world before the second coming. We've seen that the catechism says the church must pass the final trial that will shake the faith of many believers in the form of a religious deception offering men in appearance solution to their problems at a price of apostasy from the truth. Let's turn to the scriptures as we tackle this question today, we're going to see that we've been given a fairly detailed description about the general moral state of the individuals living in the end times, and that scripture is very clear, very specific as regarding truth and the reaction of men who live in the last days to truth. We'll start by focusing on the state of individuals in the last days and then we'll pull back to get a more panoramic view of the state of society itself at that terrible time.
Speaker 0 05:47 Second Timothy Three one and following quote, but know this, that in the last days, dangerous times will come. Men will be lovers, self, covetous hottie proud blasts, femurs, disobedient to parents, ungrateful criminal, heartless, faithless, slanders in continent, merciless, unkind, treacherous, stubborn, puffed up with pride, loving pleasure more than God having an appearance indeed of piety. But to Sonja, its power. These men also resist the truth for their crept in mind. Reprobate as regards the faith. Close quote, the inspired, inerrant word of God. That's quite a list. If we had the time, we could easily spend an hour just unpack unpacking implications in that, in this one scripture, but we'll just touch on a few of the points very quickly. In the last days, men will be puffed up with pride and lovers of self. There'll be faithless to the point of being reprobate, meaning they have so abused grace that is a just punishment.
Speaker 0 07:00 They'll no longer seriously or intelligently care about their eternal salvation. There'll be incontinent, meaning there'll be gluttons and burn with lust, and so not surprisingly, they'll love pleasure more than God. They will have an appearance of party without the virtue coordinates elap. It explains, this means they will profess to be Christians, although they will be both very wicked in their works and perverse in their ideas, and because metal integrity's clouded by various lesson vices, their minds will be corrupted and they'll be resistant to truth, resistance to truth. In the first chapter of his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul discusses his sin and its consequences in some detail, resisting the truth. Excerpts from Romans one for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth for what can be known about God is plain to them, so they're without excuse.
Speaker 0 08:09 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their census minds were darkened, claiming DB wise, they became fools. Okay, so that's plain enough. Wickedness in their wickedness. They've rejected the known truth by saying against the known truth, their minds have become darkened. Whenever we sin, our minds are darkened and our wills are weakened. That's scary enough. Now, listen to this claiming to be wise, they became fools. Therefore, God gave him up in the les of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonor their bodies among themselves. Okay, so they've sinned it by darkening their minds against the light of reason, and as a consequence, God gives them up to impurity. Now that raises the question, what does the scripture, me when it states had God gives them up to impurity.
Speaker 0 09:00 Saint John Chris System says that in punishment of their will for blindness, they're willful rejection of the known truth. God permitted them to fall into the fall list, most shameful and unnatural sins of uncleanness. In other words, as a just punishment for their pride as a just punishment for the willful blindness, snare, God withdraws grace and this permits them to fall on those shameful sins. We'll hear about those right now. Back to the scripture is edited for this reason. God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural men. Likewise gave up naturally relations with women were consumed with passion, committing shameless acts and receiving their own persons the due penalty for their. Now we've talked about this before. A people who reject and own truth are doomed to blindness in the worst kinds of perversity. And as we turn back to the scriptures, we'll see that an outbreak of San Francisco behavior isn't the only result of denying the known truth.
Speaker 0 10:05 Listen carefully to this list of sinful vicious behaviors that sprout up in the wake of denying the known truth. Saint Paul, and since they did not feast, see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base minded improper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife to see malignity. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die. They not only do them, but approve those who practice them. Close call the inspired inerrant word of God. So there is a terrifying list of the rotten fruits of resisting the known truth.
Speaker 0 11:05 We'll continue by turning to first Timothy four one and two now the spirit expressly says that in the last times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of air and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies hypocritically and having their conscience seared close quilt inspired in her word of God. Now that's really interesting. Every time Dan, the last Gospel, which is of course the beginning of the gospel of Saint John. Everyday in the last Gospel we hear our Lord called the word. In fact, we all genuflect at that phrase and the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. Okay? Now, Saint John wrote his gospel in Greek, the Greek word that Saint John used here. Logos. Logos is Greek for word. In other words, we could say the logos was made flesh and dwelt amongst us. So our Lord is the word. Our Lord is the logos.
Speaker 0 12:00 Logos is the Greek word for word. Okay, so what pod ray, why would we care that logos is the Greek word for word, and we could call it a load of the logos. Let's go back to the scripture real quick then. We'll see why in the last time. Symbol, depart from the faith word for that pasta. See, gimme heats the spirit of Aaron doctrines of devils. That's pretty self explanatory. Last time, some of this, apart from the faith given heats the spirit of air doctrines, the devil speaking lies. Hypocritically speaking lies if it critical. The Greek word here used for lies is pseudo locals. Pseudo logos. Pseudo means false men of a pasta size and file demons following speaky false words. Hypocritically under another words under the pretense they're true. And then if we look at today's Gospel in the Greek we read at the end of the world, there'll be pseudo Christ's.
Speaker 0 12:49 I'm not gonna read the, the Greek part of it. And there's pseudo, uh, profit profits and the commentary refers you to a Saint Peter Second Peter Chapter two, where it talks about the pseudo teachers, false Christ, false prophets, false teachers, false words, false Christs, false prophets. False takers. Okay, so scripture makes this absolutely remarkable contrast. On the one hand, we have the true teacher, the true profit, the true word, the true Christ, the true logos, who has made flesh and dwelt amongst us, who speaks only true words, and it's commissioned men and sent them out guided by the Holy Spirit to teach only the true gospel. So that's on the one hand. And on the other hand, we have the warning from scription last days about false Christs and false prophets and false teachers performing false signs and false wonders and preaching a false faith with false words, hypocritical false words, doctrines of devils spoken by men that have a pasta sized who are guided by evil spirits. It's an amazing contrast between truth
Speaker 1 13:56 and falsity.
Speaker 0 13:59 Speaking to the great signs and wonders performed by the false Christ and false profits, which will seduce many corniness. Elapid explains it. The people will not be seduced quote by the strength of the seducers, but by the negligence of those being seduced close. Cool. In other words in those days, if someone is to do this by a false prophet or false teacher, it will be due to his own negligence. It'll be his own fault. Those are seduced by these lies are seduced because they want to be seduced. Okay, so we've been considering the meeting or this scripture. The spirit expressly says that in the last time, some will depart from the faith giving heeds to spirit of air and doctrines of devil speaking lies hypocritically and having their conscience seared. Let's quickly consider that last clause. Having conscience seared, coordinate, sloppy. They explained it. This phrase, having a seared conscience should be understanded understood as meaning having a moral corruption that is so complete that the person is hardened in its evil ways and she has a complete loss of the sense of sin. In other words, he's become a repro break. That's the worst possible state in this life.
Speaker 0 15:18 We'll continue by turning to second Timothy four three and falling for. There will come a time when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears will heap up to themselves teachers according to their own less, and they will turn away from hearing the truth and turn our side rather to fables. The commentary points out that the heroes will run after novelties and teaching, which favors their passions. Corniness elap, Lapidus comments. Many men devoted essential pleasures will seek teachers similar to themselves, who will lead them away from Hassan faith and the discipline of a Christian life to heretical errors. Now, licentious life and crop morals. These men full of vain and carnal desires have itching ears. In other words, they'd love to hear novel things, curious things soft and a feminine things, essential things these men shall seek for themselves. Teachers who will not sting them with words or scraped away their vices or other teachers who will deceive them into believing what they wish regarding their sins by preaching pleasantries worthy of applause.
Speaker 1 16:21 Okay.
Speaker 0 16:22 In other words, they don't. They won't want to hear the truth because it'll hurt. They don't want to hear the truth because it means it has to change their sinful and disordered ways of life and they're sinful and disordered ways of thinking. They'd rather have teachers affirm them in their sins. They would have rather have preachers lie to them. They'd rather have preachers tell them myths and pleasantries. They'd rather have teachers tell them what they want to hear than correct their false beliefs and vices and perhaps hurt their feelings.
Speaker 1 16:54 Okay.
Speaker 0 16:55 They want teachers, they'll tell them things like, how do you know it's wrong? Unless you've tried it,
Speaker 0 17:03 your body, your choice. Don't worry. God made you that way. You can file your appetites as long as no one gets hurt. The sin of Sodom was just a lack of hospitality. Well, yes, there is a hell, but no one goes there. You don't really think a loving God would actually send anyone there, do you? Don't be so dogmatic. There are many paths to heaven. It's not as sin. No one takes Humana VTA. Seriously. You're just being responsible. It's sinful to be in union with the conceal your church. Okay. We've taken a quick look at a few scriptures which speak of the moral state of men and last days, what have we seen? We've seen that in those days the men will be puffed up with pride and self love. The love pleasure more than God. They'll profess to be Christian, but there'll be both very wicked in their works and perverse in their ideas.
Speaker 0 18:07 They'll be resistant to the truth. We've seen it as rejection of the known truth domes of people, the blindness and the worst kind of sins and perversity. We've considered detailed lists of those sins and we've seen it. Scripture explicitly teaches that all those such people know that those who do Dutch, these kind of wicked things deserve to die. Nonetheless. They not only do them but approve others who are practicing them. We've seen in the last time that we false Christ and false prophets and false teachers performing false signs and false wonders and preaching a false faith with false words, hypocritical false words, doctrines of devils spoken by men of apostasizes and are guided by evil spirits. And that those who are seduced by these lies are seduced because they want to be seduced. We've seen it. Men Won't want to hurt to hear the truth because it'll hurt.
Speaker 0 19:00 It means they'll have to change your sinful and disordered ways of life and the ways of thinking we've seen. They'd rather have teachers affirmed them in their sins and lied to them than correct or false beliefs in a fight and hurt their feelings. And we've seen it resistance. The truth results in a moral corruption. So complete that a man becomes, hardens evil ways and suffers the complete loss of a sense of sin, which is commonly known as being a rapper bay. So if we're going to summarize what we've seen thus far, the last times we characterize by social atmosphere that's absolutely based in lies and deception filled with people that are deliberately and obstinately resistant to the truth and therefore live with darkened minds into prayed morals. We're getting a clear picture with the catechism means when it states the church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers in the form of a religious deception offering men and apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from truth. Now we're going to take more panoramic view of the moral atmosphere in second Thessalonians two three we read quote, let no one deceive you in any way for the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the Madison is revealed the son of perdition.
Speaker 0 20:22 Here we see that scripture explicitly teaches the day of Lord Judgment Day. The end of the world can't come unless they're first being apostasy. A great falling away from the true fate, a great revolt against the true faith. And then in the wake of that apostasy, in the midst of it, the great apostasy, the man, his son, sin the Senate petition, the antichrist will be revealed. Blessed John Newman summarizing the teaching. The fathers on this point states the fierce and lawless principle, which historically as repressed by the governing powers will finally break completely loose in those terrible times. Spining Harrison, citizen sedition revolution and war. And he states that quote, the coming of Christ will be immediately proceed by very often unparalleled outbreak of evil call by Saint Paul and apostasy of falling away in the midst of which to certain terrible man of sin and child the petition, the special and singled enemy of Christ antichrist will appear that this will be when revolutions prevail and the present Framer Cup society breaks to pieces close.
Speaker 0 21:34 Cool. So there've been absolutely terrible, unprecedented outbreak of evil during which society we turn into pieces by apostasy, heresy, CISM sedition revolutions in war. Now before we go any farther, we'll pause briefly to make sure we all understand what each of those terms mean. Apostasy, apostasy means like baptized person completely rejects Christianity, holding attire, chucks it overboard and either embrace as a non Christian religion, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, satanism, or it has no religion whatsoever. That's a mortal sin against the faith and apostate loses the faith and God is under absolutely no obligation to give it back to him. Corniest <inaudible> there's no sir sign of reprobation than anyone should apostatize from the faith. Harrison Harrison means a baptized person per tenaciously denies or dots any revealed truth of the Catholic faith. In other words, he stubbornly devoted, denies the revealed truth even when he has been shown to be wrong.
Speaker 0 22:46 Nowadays, heretics are often called dissenters cornice. The Lapidus heresy is Greek for choosing a heretic, therefore is one who chooses what he will believe and therefore does not believe those things which must be believed according to the teachings the doctors in the church. So this is all some mortal sin against the fe. A Herrick tick loses the faith and again, God is under absolutely no obligation to give it back. Twin CISM CISM occurs when either a group or even an individual while preserving the true faith, nevertheless, voluntarily, knowingly, and deliberately separates himself from the unity of the church, either by refusing to submit to the authority of the pope and or to remain in communion with those who are subject to it. CISM has been called the crystallization <inaudible> of orthodox descent. Coronary Salafi de CISM is a grave savage sin because of the wrong done to Christ Saint Cyprian and St Drum teach that's his medics are worse than the men who crucified Christ because it seemed like scarman.
Speaker 0 23:57 Namely the church is torn and separated, which not even the Jews and Gentiles who crucified Christ dare to do. Unlike apostasy and heresy, pure CISM is not as sin against the fate because it, his Maddick individual group has maintained the fate. What they've done is cut themselves off from the vine. Over time. CISM typically creates in this heresy because it becomes necessary to deny the primacy of the pope, but as such, citizen is a mortal sin against charity. Sedition. Sedition is the crime of string up revolt disturbance or vods against lawful civil authority with intent to cause its overthrow or destruction. Sedition has to do with organizing and encouraging opposition to government rather than directly participate in. It's over thrilled. It's a mortal sin against peace. Revolution. Revolution is the usually violent attempt by many people to end the rule of one government and start a new one.
Speaker 0 24:58 So that's the big picture and in terms the moral climate of society and end times at the time of the great apostasy, this great rebellion, there'll be a terrible, unprecedented outbreak of evil. Society will be racked by apostasy, heresy, CISM, sedition, revolution war and societal breakdown. We'll turn back to scripture. Second pest alone, Ian's two nine and follow and is coming. We're speaking to coming the antichrist and is coming as according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders with all wicked deception to those who are perishing for they have not received the love of truth that they might be saved. Therefore, God shall send them the operation of air that they might believe falsehood that all may be judged to have not believed the truth, but it preferred wickedness, but we bred and beloved of God our bond to give thanks to God always for you because God has chosen you as first fruits and his salvation through the sanctification, Spirit and belief of the truth.
Speaker 0 26:03 Close quote, inspired, inerrant word of God. Now, this is very, very interesting. In the midst of this chaos, in the midst of the societal breakdown and great apostasy, the antichrist will appear with satanic power and satanic signs and lying wonders. The Greek here has pseudo miracles and was all wicked deception. We've already seen that with the other false prophets and other false Christ, but it's really important his notice who is going to be deceived. The scriptures absolutely clear. As I read this passage again, play close attention to exactly who is going to be deceived by the antichrist. Cool.
Speaker 0 26:44 Those who are perishing have received not the love of truth that they might be saved. Therefore, God should send an operation of air that they might believe falsehood that all may be judged to have not believed the truth, but a preferred wickedness, close quote, so who exactly is going to be deceived? Men that don't want to hear the truth because it will hurt because it means they're going to have to swallow their pride and change your sinful disordered ways of life and their sinful disordered ways of thinking. Men who would rather have their leaders affirmed them in their sins and lied to them than correct their false beliefs and vices and perhaps have their feelings hurt. Men Who do not love the truth and refused to receive it. Men who would rather believe false words from false teachers than believed. The true words from the two word of God and the man who are seduced by these lies are seduced because they want to be seduced. Since they don't love the truth, God will permit them to have what they do want and what they do love, which is the lie.
Speaker 0 27:47 What does it mean to say that God was sending the operation air? That they may believe falsehood, that all may be judged who have not believed the truth but it perverted wickedness? The Haydock commentary explains that this means that God shall allow them to be deceived by lying wonders and false miracles as a punishment of they're not loving the truth. In other words, when it says it, God will send them the operation of air. It doesn't mean he will cause him to believe the lies. After all, God desires the salvation of all men. It would be heretical to deny that God does. It doesn't mean in other words that God will cause them to believe the lies, but rather than as a just punishment for the rejection, that known truth as a judge, punishment for their willful and stubborn blindness, naira, he's going to withdraw his grace and the result of him withdrawing this Christ will permit them to be deceived by the antichrist.
Speaker 1 28:39 It's very sobering
Speaker 0 28:43 when it says that the reason this will happen is quote, that all may be judged to have not believed the truth, but it perverted wickedness. Close quote, the great cure word used here for judge needs to be judged, condemned and punished, and why? For refusing to believe the truth, those who don't want to follow Christ, those don't want to believe the believing is the teaching of his church. Those who want to live the way they want to live will believe the lie and they'll fall the antichrist. It's that simple. We're also told who's not going to be to see first 12 but we brethren, beloved of God, our bond to get thanks to God always for you because God has chosen you as first fruits on his salvation. To the sanctification spirit
Speaker 1 29:27 and believe for the truth.
Speaker 0 29:30 The operation of air and the marvelous and seduction of the antichrist will not deceive those who love and believe in the truth. In May of 1897 probably the 13th state in his in cyclical and the holy spirit quote, whosoever fail if by weakness or ignorance may perhaps have some excuse before almighty God, but he who resist the truth through malice in turns away from it. Since most grievously
Speaker 1 30:01 against the holy ghost close quote,
Speaker 0 30:05 he will resist the truth through mouse and turns away from it sends most grievously against the Holy Ghost. We're all familiar with that terrifying statement of our Lord. We can find it in the gospel of Mark Chapter Three Verse 29 he that shall blast fame against the holy ghost. He shall never have forgiveness but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin. Those are the words that truth himself, resisting the truth is one of the sins against the Holy Ghost, and I quote from a standard Catholic reference work and particular deliberate resistance to the non truth, maybe regarded as specially directed against the work of the Holy Ghost and the soul generally this so hard as assault to the inspirations of graves, that repentance is unlikely
Speaker 1 30:51 close. Cool.
Speaker 0 30:54 Back to Leo the 13th
Speaker 1 30:57 okay.
Speaker 0 30:57 Whosoever fail by weakness or ignorance may perhaps have some excuse before all mighty God, but he resist the truth through malice and turns away from it. Since most grievously against the holy ghost in our days, the sin has become so frequent, he's writing in 1897 in our days, the sin has become so frequent that those dark times seem to have come, which were fought for told by Saint Paul in which men blinded by the just judgment of God should take falsehood for truth and should believe in the prince of this world who was a liar and the father thereof as a teacher of truth. As it says in second fest alone needs two 10 and first Timothy Four One god shall send them the operation of air to believe lying in the last time sense of depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of air, the doctrines of devils. Close quote the vicar of Christ. Well, you're in very good company. If you've been thinking that we may very well be living in these terrible times, our Lord said the truth will set you free.
Speaker 1 32:13 I don't want to hear it.
Speaker 0 32:17 Our Lord said the truth will set you free.
Speaker 1 32:19 Yeah,
Speaker 0 32:20 my mind is made up not going to change my ways. Aye Lord said, the truth will set you free rather keep my options open.
Speaker 1 32:33 Okay.
Speaker 0 32:34 My Lord said the truth will set you free.
Speaker 1 32:37 Okay. You don't want to be
Speaker 0 32:42 oh Lord said, the truth will set you free. It's not that black and white. Our Lord said the truth will set you free. People might think I'm some kind of fundamentalist. Our Lord said, the truth will set you free.
Speaker 1 33:01 Can't be that bad. Everybody's doing it today,
Speaker 0 33:11 today, and don't put this off before you leave throughout the day. Take the time to seriously search your mind and your heart. Ask Yourself, am I open to the truth? Am I a truth seeker or am I resistant
Speaker 1 33:38 to the truth?
Speaker 0 33:43 It's one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself. Ask yourself if the anti antichrist appeared this week, who's camp would I be in? If the antichrist appears during my lifetime, whose camp will I be? He resists the truth through malice and turns away from it. Sins most grievously against the holy ghost. The church must pass through a final trial in the form of a religious deception offering men in apparent solution to their problems
Speaker 1 34:30 at the price of apostasy from the truth.
