Take Your Positions

 By Anna Von Reitz

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of very confused people out stumbling around jabbering all sorts of inane nonsense, claiming this office and that office for themselves, for example, claiming to be "Executors" and "Executrixes" of their own estates.

With regard to probate and estates, what is an Executor/Executrix?  

Answer: a Person, as in the Office of Personhood, whose job and duty it is to administer and dispose of an estate.  

You could be a Private Executor, appointed by the deceased, but then, in the instance of your own estate, you would have to knowingly be the deceased and act as the deceased to appoint yourself the Executor of your own estate and carry out the duties.  

That's a good trick, if you're actually and factually dead.  

And if you aren't actually and factually dead, what does acting as the Executor/Executrix of your own "decedent estate" mean?  

It means that you gave up your estate and "waived" your natural claim to it, in which case, you can't appoint the Executor over something that isn't yours, unless you happen to be a Judge in a Probate Court having jurisdiction over the "abandoned" estate.  Which you are not. 

End game. 

So, stop claiming that you are the Executor or Executrix responsible for administering the phony infant decedent estate that the rats created "for" you. 

You aren't dead and you don't have to be intestate, and since the purported waiver of your estate happened when you were a few days or weeks old, you don't have to be disinherited, either.   There is no valid "conscionable" contract binding you to any waiver of your estate.  

Your Mother's signature lacks that power once you reach the age of 21, and so long as you "wake up" and consciously reclaim your birthright at any age by declaring your political status and recording it and proving your identity --- you can play the part of your own hero.  

You can step forward in your true character as an American and declare your political status and record it --- which throws the chains of the Constitutions over the rats and binds their little paws --- and then, you can further call them to account as the "Presumed Donor" of the "Presumed Public Trust" who has "miraculously" returned from "over the sea" -- a reference to that human trafficking trip into the foreign international jurisdiction of the sea that your erstwhile employees sent you on when you were just a baby in your cradle. 

And then, as the Presumed Donor, having properly identified yourself as the victim of an institutionalized personation fraud scheme, you can stand back and whack them clear across the room. 

You do not want to be the Beneficiary of the Trust they formed "for" you, because that leaves them in control--- and even worse, gives them tacit permission to act as your Trustee.  

That validates their whole fraud scheme and leaves you dependent on whatever

crumbs the vermin throw you, or they may give you no crumbs at all.  

So don't take the bait and claim to be the Beneficiary of your own infant decedent estate or any other trust.  

Stand forward as the "Presumed Donor" of the entire shooting match and watch them crawl, scatter, run down the rat-lines, flee the building and otherwise back water like cockroaches disappearing down a drain. 

So who and what are you?  An American State National (or State Citizen) born in Minnesota, for example, who is the victim of an institutionalized personation scheme, seeking redress owed to you by your employees, who have harmed you in Gross Breach of Trust. 

You are the Presumed Donor of multiple public and private trusts held in your name and variations of your name, both foreign and domestic, and located both onshore and offshore, and you are here to liquidate all of them and reclaim the assets.  

There is no infant decedent estate and no derivative thereof to administer, no valid waiver to base any legal presumption on, and nowhere for the rats to hide. 

Stand on Terra Firma in the gallery outside their special magical railing defining their courtroom into the realms of the living and the dead, and broadside them as they sit there in dry dock.

Think of all those terribly smug British dramas and hand them their asses on a nicely polished silver platter.  And then go do the same thing to the bank. 

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Take Heed

 By Anna Von Reitz

Let's make this very, very clear for everyone in the Patriot Movement. 

Our State Assemblies are the Government of each State of the Union.  And as Governments, they are not social clubs. The use of the word "membership" in reference to a State Assembly does not imply "club membership".  

We are part of a State Assembly the moment we are born.  

Our nationality is set by the land and soil on which we are born.  Period.  We start our lives in "original jurisdiction" ---- as State Nationals of a State of the Union.  We are born as Virginians, Wisconsinites, New Yorkers, Texans, etc., and there is nothing we can do about it. 

It is a lifelong, immutable, permanent identity marker and we are owed this political status as State Nationals  throughout our lives as long as we claim it.  It can't be taken from us by any amount of legal chicanery so long as we know who we are and declare it and record it.  

To change our basic political identity once claimed and declared, requires a lengthy list of actions undertaken on our part to become anything else, including any form of U.S. Citizen or citizen of the United States.

However, as I explained to a reader this morning, our political status is something that we have to actively claim, declare, and record before it properly attaches to us. 

If we leave the question of whether we are Americans or Brits or Portugese up in the air, anyone is free to presume whatever they want about our political status and nationality.  It's a fine thing to be eligible to claim our birthright as Americans, but if we don't actually do it and don't publish our claim, our failure to do the laundry list to change our political status proves nothing. 

Non-action only becomes evidence in our favor by averment.  That is, we have to take the positive action of declaring and recording our political status as Americans before our inaction in failing to claim U.S. Citizenship becomes indicative of anything.  

If we were born as U.S. Citizens or citizens of the United States, no such action to adopt those political statuses would be necessary, and our inaction with respect to the foreign Naturalization Statutes would be taken for granted. 

As I taught my son early on, hot metal looks like cold metal, and a baby Brit washed up on American soil looks identical to an American baby.  So "Whose little girl are you?" becomes a question requiring an urgent and definite answer. 

We all start out in this same political status as American State Nationals and absent a bunch of crap from our erring employees making False Claims otherwise, this is our political status from birth to age 21 when we can choose to stay in the State National status or accept the rights and responsibilities of State Citizenship.  

State Citizenship is a grave responsibility and requires us to do the work of self-governance, including serving on juries and in the Assembly militia.  It requires you to participate in elections, attend meetings, and make decisions.  

There is only one automatic way to lose State Citizenship once you've accepted it, and that is by accepting a job with the Federal Government or some other foreign government or becoming the Dependent of such a foreign government.  

In actual life, we may "unchoose" the State Citizen role and fall back into State National status as a result of other circumstances, too.  You are a mother with ten kids below the age of fifteen?  You are 75 and don't want to be bothered with Public Duty anymore?  You have cancer and are fighting for your life?  Your Mother has Alzheimers and requires constant care?  

We may go back and forth from State National to State Citizen to State National repeatedly in the course of our lives, but the only thing that will reliably and definitely remove us from the State Citizen status once we have accepted it,  is employment or dependency on a foreign government. 

And in no case whatsoever does any State Coordinator or any Assembly Officer have any authority at all to deny the nationality of anyone nor any power to strip any American above the age of 21 of State Citizenship --absent the one disqualifier of working for a foreign government or being a dependent of a foreign government.

So maybe I need to make it clear what "dependency" on a Foreign Government entails.  It means that you are receiving sufficient unearned support payments known as welfare benefits from the Federal Government or other layer of foreign government to live on.   

Note--- the payments have to be: (1) unearned, and (2) sufficient to pay for at least a minimum lifestyle with food, rent, utilities, clothes and other basics of life included.  

This means that EARNED retirement pensions and services of all kinds, Social Security, Military Pensions, Civil Service pensions---- anything that you earned or that your spouse earned or for example, Social Security Dependent benefits paid to children of deceased parents who vested in that system, or anything spun off of such earned pensions and insurances like Unemployment Insurance that you paid into, do not make anyone a Federal Dependent.  

To be a Federal Dependent and disqualified from State Citizenship as a result, requires that what you are receiving from the gubmint is free gratis, unearned, simple, flat-out welfare. 

Acceptance of a gift, like the one-or however-many-time CARES Act disbursement don't make anyone a Federal Dependent, either --- it's not sufficient to stand as a full living grant and as a gift "conferred" without asking for it and without reference to any need on your part, does not qualify as any kind of welfare, either.  

I have heard that some State Coordinators are getting too big for their britches, and have been requiring "background checks" as a requirement for people to join their State Assembly.  

So let's put that to permanent rest, too. 

Background checks may be a reasonable condition of employment in sensitive jobs, such as Assembly Sheriffs, or State Assembly Treasurers, but conditions of employment have absolutely nothing to do with political status or being part of the State Assembly. 

There is no requirement for background checks to join a State Assembly and I am appalled that anyone thought, taught, or said that there was. 

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Lofty Ludmilla

 By Anna Von Reitz

Imagine a fabulously wealthy American Heiress --- Diana Marie Tobler. 

Now imagine that someone, an Agent for the Lithuanian Government, sees a news article about Diana Marie Tobler in the local newspaper, and notifies the Lithuanian Government.  

They promptly name one of their own citizens "Diana Marie Tobler" and provide this person with an ID issued by "The United States of  America, Incorporated"--- a Lithuanian corporation formed in Delaware.   

This corporate ID looks just like an American State Department ID, except for a few subtle changes nobody would normally notice.  

So this Lithuanian has the exact same name and "appears to be" the American Heiress Diana Marie Tobler.  Her actual name should have been something like Ludmilla Aszbremov, but who cares?  

Now, Ludmilla has no common sense, but she can spend money like water.  So she does that.  She buys the Ritz Carleton and the Port of Helsinki; she buys diamonds and pearls, and jet airplanes and aircraft carriers, a small island in the South China Sea, and all sorts of other things to the tune of trillions of dollars, and she charges it all against the credit of Diana Marie Tobler. 

One day, as the actual American Heiress is sipping her Camomile Tea, two thugs from the Lithuanian Government show up on her doorstep and tell her that she owes them trillions of dollars, and if she doesn't pay up, they will seize her bank accounts, her home and land, her investment portfolio, her businesses, and all her corporate assets.... and furthermore, they are suing her in international court and placing liens on all her property. 

But wait.  The existence of the Lithuanian imposter is entirely the doing of the Lithuanian Government.  Lofty Ludmilla is their responsibility.  And the victim, the American lady, the actual Diana Marie Tobler, doesn't owe the Lithuanian Government a dime.  Far from it.  

They owe her for "borrowing" her good name and credit. 

Plus interest. 

So the American Heiress says, "That's bunk.  I didn't buy an island in the South China Sea and I don't know where Helsinki is without a map and what the..... "  And then she narrows her eyes suspiciously and roars, "And who do you THINK you are?"    

Now, substitute "the" US Government for the Lithuanian Government in this little story, and you will have the whole picture nailed down tight.  

The only thing confusing about this, is that most Americans don't know that the US Government is a foreign Subcontractor--- just as foreign as the Lithuanian Government---  and don't suspect it of wrong-doing. 

When the US Government sends its thugs we don't recognize them as foreign. We don't see that they are acting under color of law.  We don't know that they have no authority related to us.  

We are confused.  Stymied.  We don't know what they are talking about.  Who is this other Diana Marie Tobler?   We don't know what is going on. 

How could we?  That's the whole point of a good con.  

So, what the "Lithuanian Government" in this story is aiming at is to exhaust our purloined credit, and then seize our actual assets as payment for their own theft. 

And the "US Government" is aiming at precisely the same thing in real life.  

Now, to say that this situation is urgent would be an understatement.  

Millions upon millions of Americans, just like Diana Marie Tobler, are about to get the bill for all this chicanery.  

Gigantic IRS bills and property tax bills and pension tax bills and "state" franchise taxes are set to show up in mailboxes nationwide, and what will you do? 

Let me suggest that you report the crime to the Lithuanian Government and the United Nations and the Pope and the Queen (who are the master-minds responsible for this crap) and all the actual Americans, and prepare your pitchforks.  

The Guilty Parties are preparing to offer you "debt forgiveness" related to all these debts that aren't yours.  

In "equitable exchange" --- according to the Perpetrators anyway -- they will agree to leave you alone and give you a pitiful little "settlement" which will be enough to buy oatmeal gruel and pay a small light bill the rest of your life. 

Let me suggest that what they need is a Pink Slip and a prompt reply -- something to the effect: 

"Get thee behind me, Satan.  Go into the Abyss prepared for you.  Leave this Earth and call down no debt and no infamy on anyone but yourself."  

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For Desperately Confused Catholics

 By Anna Von Reitz

I am passing along the enlightening messages forwarded to me this morning (see below) that give portends of the massive backlash brewing in the Roman Catholic Church against the so-called “NewChurch” of the Roman Pagan Libertines. 

Although I am not Catholic and no longer belong to any incorporated Church at all, I certainly feel for my fellow Followers of Yeshuah who are struggling with the Great Apostasy in churches across America. 

When I heard “Pope” Francis condoning sodomy and defending Man/Boy “Love” as a sacrament of the Church last week, I almost threw up. Literally. I was at lunch when I heard it and it was all I could do not to heave. 

What “Church” is this, I wondered?  The “Church” of raping little boys?  

And I was not alone.  All those who are “heavy laden”— read and see that the actual Catholic clergy is not standing still for this takeover of their Church. 

Expect Bergolio to be gone soon and for an actual new and enlivened church to be standing in the place of the rotten edifice.  

Also this week I had to deal with a TEMPLE RECORD of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Arizona. This came to light in the course of one of my Readers doing research and wondering what they were looking at. 

This TEMPLE RECORD concerned the Posthumous “baptism” of a Catholic ancestor who lived at the time of the Reformation and the subsequent issuance of both baptismal and birth certificates “for” this ancestor and also concerning the “endowment” of a trust in their NAME in 1934. 

It is apparent that the Roman Catholic Church was not the only one playing wide, high, fast and loose with the False Gods of commerce, faking clearinghouse certificates,  and laundering money. 

It wasn’t enough for LDS to buy, sell, and trade the souls of their current members — they had to literally dig up their current member’s  dead ancestors and claim them and sell them, too. 

And then tell the gullible members a big song and dance as an excuse to motivate the victims to do all the research work for the perpetrators, too.  

Members of LDS were told they could “save” their ancestors by doing this. The cynics saying this didn’t bother to reveal that they meant “save” as in “savings account” for themselves  and not in the sense of salvation.

We have the evidence— not only in the form of the “front office” records like these, but also the “back office” records where souls have been traded on stock exchanges. 

If I feel nauseous when faced with this, imagine how our Father feels?  All these innocent people being lied to, suckered into undisclosed “contracts” and bought and sold by these criminals —-in the name of Jesus? 

Hear me when I say— withdraw your support from all incorporated churches, because they aren’t churches any longer.  They have been unlawfully converted. 

These institutions are rotten and cankered, like pieces of fruit that appear whole and wholesome, but are poisonous and full of worms and decay when you bite into them.

Sacraments of Man/Boy “love”? 

Baptizing dead people to make money off them?

No wonder he says he will “spit them out”—!  

I feel sick to the stomach just being aware of the filthy things these various “churches” have done and participated in—- but don’t blame our Father for this.  

These evils have been done by evil men acting “in the name of” a just God, in the same way that the filthy politicians in Washington, DC, have “acted” in the name of our States and our Federation.

Look to our Father for the redress and the wisdom to discern all these things and for the strength to take action against them. 

______________

Fr. Meeks, Fr Altman, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Vigano, Bishop Tobin have done a great job exposing the apostate pagans. You can't be a CHRISTian and a demoncrat! 

Fr. Altman: The blood of babies is 'on the hands' of democrats and Catholic Bishops.

Fr. Altman is a priest from La Crosse, Wisconsin who received national attention for saying that you cannot be a Catholic and vote Democrat. Now, he re-iterates that message by reminding not only Catholics but Christians of all kinds that killing innocent human babies must be considered the top voting priority this election season.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Th2x_suqU

Catholic Archbishop Viganò: biden/harris win would create new ally for apocalyptic ‘dictatorship of the New World Order’.

The luciferian ascension is the democrat party. There are no CHRISTian democrats.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vigano-biden-win-would-create-new-ally-for-apocalyptic-dictatorship-of-the-new-world-order

Texas bishop endorses video claiming faithful Catholics can't support democratic candidates.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/texas-bishop-endorses-video-claiming-faithful-catholics-can-t-support-democratic

Joe Biden isn't a Catholic

Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin stirred up social media with a Tweet claiming that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden isn't a Catholic

https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/08/12/bishop-tobin-stirs-up-twitter-with-biden-tweet/113796798/

"STARING INTO THE ABYSS" by CHRISTian Catholic Priest Edward Meeks, October 11, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi1pHExl6Ug

Much more at:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/

Viva Cristo Rey! SHARE IF YOU CARE!!!

Rich

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The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords

 Last Sunday in October. Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ King.

This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI at the close of the Holy Year, 1925. The purpose of the Holy Father was to bring home to all mankind the fact that Christ is King not merely over individuals, but over families and societies, over states and nations, over rulers and tribunals as well.  The duty of Christians is to hasten the return of the world to His authority by their prayers, their influence and their actions.
They are reminded that they must courageously fight under His royal banner, with the weapons of the spirit, for the rights of God and of His Church.
The last Sunday of October was chosen for the feast, the Sunday preceding All Saints, because during this month the liturgical year draws to its close and thus the mysteries of Jesus Christ are fittingly completed and crowned by the liturgical festival of Christ, the King.  On the same day also will annually take place the consecration of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Christ is proclaimed King of all mankind both in the Old and New Testament.  David, Isaias, Daniel, and Zacharias in plainest terms predicted the kingship or the kingdom of the future Messias. At the coming of Christ the Angel Gabriel announced that "of His Kingdom there shall be no end." The Savior Himself declared His kingship before Pilate.  But His kingdom, though in this world, was not to be of this world.
As man He is Lord over all kings and over all human possessions.  Yet He is "King of kings and Lord of lords," and on the last day He will present Himself together with His kingdom to His Father, when all His enemies shall have been put under His feet.
Devotion to Christ as King is not new, but the Church has given to it a great liturgical solemnity in the present feast.

Introit. Apoc. 5, 12; 1,6
The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor. To Him be glory and empire for ever and ever.  Ps. 71,1. Give to the King Thy Judgment, O God: and to the King's Son Thy justice.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Prayer:
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast wished to restore all things through Thy beloved Son, the King of the universe, graciously grant that all the families of the Gentiles separated by the wound of sin, may be subjected to His most loving dominion, Who with Thee liveth, and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Epistle. Col. 1, 12-20
Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians.
Brethren, we give thanks to God the Father, Who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.  In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature; for in Him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and in Him.  And He is before all, and by Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the Church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He may hold the primacy: because in Him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell; and through Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven, in Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Gradual. Ps. 71, 8,11
He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.  And all kings of the earth shall adore Him: all nations shall serve Him.

Alleluia:
Alleluia, alleluia. Dan.7.14. His power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and His kingdom that shall not be destroyed. Alleluia. Apoc. 19,16. He hath on His garment, and on His thigh written: King of kings, and Lord of lords, Alleluia.

Tract. Ps. 88, 27, 28, 30
He shall cry out to Me: Thou art My Father: My God, and the support of My salvation. And I will make Him My firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.  And I will make His seed to endure for evermore: and His throne as the days of heaven.

Gospel. John 18, 33-37
Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. John.
At that time: Pilate said to Jesus: Art thou the King of the Jews?  Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of Me? Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own nation, and the chief priests, have delivered thee up to me: what hast thou done?  Jesus answered: My Kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now My kingdom is not from hence.  Pilate therefore said to him:  Art thou a king then?  Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a King.  For this was I born, and for this came I into the word; that I should give testimony to the truth, Everyone that is of the truth, heareth My voice.

Offertory. Ps. 2,8
Ask of Me, and I will give The Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession.

Secret:
O Lord, we offer Thee this host for the reconciliation of humanity; grant, we beseech Thee, that Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Whom we immolate in this sacrifice, will bestow on all Gentiles the gifts of unity and peace, Who with Thee liveth, and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Communion. Ps. 28, 10, 11
The Lord shall sit King forever. The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Postcommunion
Fed with this immortal nourishment, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we who glory to fight under the standard of Christ the King, may forever reign with Him on the heavenly throne. Who with Thee liveth, and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost

 Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's

The Church's Year

At the Introit of the Mass is said a prayer of Mardochai, which may be used in all necessities:

INTROIT All things are in thy will, O Lord: and there is none that can resist thy will: for thou hast made all things, heaven and earth, and all things that are under the cope of heaven: thou art Lord of all. (Esth. xiii. 9, 10.) Blessed are the undefiled in the way: who walk in the law of the Lord. (Ps. cxviii.) Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

COLLECT Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy family by Thy continued goodness: that, through Thy protection, it may be free from all adversities, and devoted in good works to the glory of Thy name. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end, Amen.

EPISTLE (Ephes. vi. 10-17.) Brethren, Be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power. Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil: for our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in high places. Therefore take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of, the most wicked one: and take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

EXPLANATION The apostle teaches the Ephesians how hard and dangerous a struggle every Christian has to make, not against human enemies of flesh and blood, but against spiritual, invisible enemies, who were at one time powerful princes in heaven, but through sin became princes of the darkness of this world, who govern the adherents of the world, and exercise their evil influence in the air as well as on the earth, as far as God permits them, for our chastisement or trial.

He shows us also the manner in which we can gain the victory in the evil day, that is, the time of temptation, and particularly at the hour of death, when he admonishes us to have confidence in God and gives us the weapons for the contest. We should, therefore, gird ourselves with the girdle of truth, which shows us that honor, concupiscence and riches are vain and useless; we should put on the breast-plate of justice which is made of good works: the shoes, by regulating our lives according to the precepts of the gospel, which alone can give us true peace; the shield of faith, which teaches us how richly God rewards virtue and how terribly He punishes those who succumb to temptation and sin; the helmet of salvation, namely, confidence in God and the hope of heaven; the sword of the word of God, by making use, when violently tempted, of consoling and strengthening expressions of Holy Scripture, by which we can put the devil to flight, according to the example of Christ (Matt. iv.) and the saints. - Let us diligently use these weapons, and we shall be victorious in this spiritual combat, and be crowned with eternal glory in heaven.

GOSPEL (Hall. XVill. 23-35.) At that time, Jesus spoke to his disciples this parable: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants. And when he had begun to take the account one was brought to him that owed him ten thousand talents. And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his lord commanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. But that servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, let him go, and forgave him the debt. But when that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow-servants that owed him a hundred pence: and laying hold of him, he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest. And his fellow-servant falling down besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison till he paid the debt. Now his fellow-servants, seeing what was done, were very much grieved: and they came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him, and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on thee? And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt. So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.

Who are understood by the king, and the servants?

The King is God, and the servants are all mankind.

What is meant by the ten thousand talents?

The ten thousand talents, according to our money more than ten million dollars, signify mortal sin, the guilt of which is so great that no creature can pay it; even all the works of the saints cannot make atonement, because by every mortal sin the infinitely great, good, and holy God is offended, which offence it is as impossible for any creature to cancel as it is for a poor servant to pay a debt of ten million dollars. Nevertheless God is so merciful that He remits the whole immeasurable debt of sin, on account of the infinite merits of Christ, if the sinner contritely begs forgiveness and amends his life.

Why did the master order, not only the debtor, but also his wife and children to be sold?

Probably because they assisted in contracting the debt, or gave occasion for its increase. This is a warning to those who in any way make themselves partakers of others' sins, either by counsel, command, consent, provocation, praise or flattery, concealment, partaking, silence and by defending ill-done things.

What is understood by the hundred pence?

By the hundred pence are understood the offences committed against us, and which, in comparison with our debt against God, are very insignificant.

What does Jesus intend to show by this parable?

That if God is so merciful and forgives us our immense debts, we should be merciful and willingly forgive our fellow-men the slight faults and offences, which they commit against us; he who does not this, will not receive pardon from God, in him will be verified the words of the apostle St. James: Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. (James ii. 13.)

Who are those who throttle their debtors?

These are, in general, the unmerciful, but particularly those who have no compassion for their debtors; those who immediately go to law and rest not until the debtor is left without house or home; those who oppress widows and orphans, if they owe them anything, thus committing one of the sins which cry to heaven for vengeance; (Ecclus. xxxv. 18. 19.) those who even in just lawsuits act harshly and severely with their opponent, without the slightest inclination to come to an agreement with him; finally, rulers and landlords who overburden their subjects with excessive tithes and taxes, and exact their share with the greatest rigor.

Who are those who accuse these hardened men before God?

They are the guardian angels and their own conscience; the merciless act itself cries to God for vengeance.

What is it to forgive from the heart?

It is to banish from the heart all hatred, ill-will and revengeful desires, to treasure a true and sincere love towards our offenders and enemies not only in our hearts, but also manifest it externally by deeds of charity. Therefore those have not forgiven from their hearts, who, indeed, say and believe, that they have no ill-will against their enemy, but everywhere avoid him, refuse to salute him, to thank him, to pray for him, to speak to him, and to help him in necessity, even when they might do so, but who rather rejoice at his need.

INSTRUCTION ON THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE

Have patience with me. (Matt. xviii. z6.)

Since God has such great patience with us, ought not this to move us to have patience likewise with the faults and weaknesses of our fellow-men, and to resign ourselves patiently in all the sufferings and tribulations sent us from God? What will your impatience avail you? Will you thereby change or ease your sufferings? Do you thereby correct the faults of your neighbor? No; on the contrary, it makes suffering more oppressive, misfortune greater, and the erring neighbor more obstinate, so that he will ultimately refuse even mild and patient corrections. Besides impatience leads to many sins, to cursing, raillery, quarrelling,. contention, and murder. The pious Job gives us a good example of true patience and resignation to the will of God. He was a wealthy, respected, God-fearing man in the land of Hus, the father of seven sons and three daughters, and lived peacefully and happy. God wished to try him and permitted the devil to vent his entire rage upon him. Job was deprived of his children and all his property, and, finally, he was himself afflicted with the most painful disease of leprosy. But in the midst of all these dreadful misfortunes he remained calm. Naked, covered only with a few patches, he sits on a dunghill, a picture of misery, and yet no sound of murmuring comes from his lips, he does not curse, does not blaspheme God, but says resignedly: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord. To all this misery was added the baseness of his own wife, who came and mocked him, and of three intimate friends, who instead of consoling him, judged him falsely and said, that his misery was a just punishment from heaven. Still Job did not murmur against God's wise dispensations; with unshaken patience he faithfully confided in God, and he was not forsaken. God rewarded him well for his fidelity and patience; for He restored him to health, and gave him greater wealth than he had previously. See what patience can do, what reward is in store for it! And thou a Christian, a follower of Christ, the patient, crucified Lamb, art immediately irritated, become angry and morose at every little cross which you meet! Be ashamed of your weakness, and learn from the pious Job, to practice the virtue of patience, for patience proves hope, and hope permits us not to be put to shame. Patience always gains the victory, and will be rewarded in heaven.

If you find yourself inclined to impatience, make every morning a firm resolution to battle bravely against this vice and often ask God for the virtue of patience in the following prayer:

O God who by the patience of Thy only-begotten Son hast humbled the pride of the old enemy, vouchsafe that devoutly considering what He has suffered for us we may cheerfully bear our adversities, through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, etc.