No, Mister Trump is NOT.....A Short Expose of the Offices of the "President"

 By Anna Von Reitz

I want to clear something up. I have seen repeated statements in the Alt Press saying that President Trump is the President of our Restored Republic. No, he is not.

The only Republic that can be "restored" is the Federal Republic --- the American Subcontractor that is meant to function under the original Federal Constitution of 1787. There is no other "Republic" --- but there are fifty (50) sovereign (unincorporated) republican States of the Union.

Look at the words carefully. "Republic" is masculine. "Republican" is feminine. We are talking about two different things, two different governments, apples and kumquats.

And yes, the Federal Republic does need to be restored. It hasn't had a President or an election for the office of President of the united States of America in 162 years. For much of that time, even the population eligible to vote for that office has been scattered and left in the dark, prevented by ignorance from taking action to correct this situation.

Now, finally, by dint of their own investigation, the people of this country are waking up. Even the bureaucrats are admitting what I am telling you, though they are putting their own spin on things.

They are admitting that yes, there was a Federal Republic, once-upon-a-time. And yes, it needs to be restored.

But they aren't telling you the whole truth about this--- only enough to assure themselves a continuing avenue to power and domination.

The Federal Republic is important and it should be restored --- but what about the actual President of The United States? The President of this country?

Again --- see the difference in the words? The President of the Federal Republic is known as the President of the united States of America, while the President of this whole country is The President of The United States.

Please note that "The President of The United States" is dictated by English Grammar and is the actual American Office.

When George Washington took his Oath of Office, he did so as the President of the Municipal Government and used the Roman nomenclature instead ---- thus becoming "the President of the United States" instead of The President of The United States.

He did this because he was in debt to the Pope and needed to control that office at the time, not because he was confused---- but everyone else has been confused ever since.

That is, amid all this talk about Trump being the President of the restored Federal Republic, there are OTHER more important Presidential Offices that need to be filled.

The actual offices of the American President --- both The President of The United States (National) and The President of The United States of America (International) --- have been vacant since 1856 when all this diabolical deception began.

Franklin Pierce was the last American President.

It's time for that to change.

The Presidency of the Union of States --- that is, The President of The United States --- and the Federation of States presidency known as The President of The United States of America --- are the primary offices that need to be filled, so that the guy who eventually becomes President of the Federal Republic has someone to tell him what to do.

Otherwise, we have the same old garbage pit, with the employees telling the employers how high to jump.

The Union operating as the States of America owns the Federal Republic. The Federation operating as The United States of America oversees the Federal Republic. That's the way it's supposed to be.

In this way, the people of this country elect their own President (who holds two offices, one National and one International) to hold the Federal Subcontractors accountable.

Understandably, the Federal Subcontractors don't like to come to heel, but that is The Problem that creates the run amok Federal Government scenario where the Employees call the shots and Employers are seen as subservient to those on their payroll.

The goal isn't to elect a President to run the Federal Republic.

The goal is to elect a President to run the Union and the Federation of States, who then will exercise his office as The President of The United States of America to oversee the President of the (restored) Federal Republic.

And while we are at it, let's find some new names and labels for things, including presidential offices, so that it is no longer such a confusing morass of similar names.

Please note that when verbalized, it is impossible to tell the difference between "the President of the united States of America" (the Federal Republic Presidency) and "The President of The United States of America" (the actual Federation of States Presidency) and "the President of the United States of America " (the British Territorial Subcontractor's Presidency).

Who in their right minds needs to contend with a situation like this, where we can't even tell for sure what (or who) we are talking about except by context and subtle variations in the way these different offices are written--- their "style".

Why not recognize that there are three separate offices involved?

Call the Federation President by his proper office ---- The President of The United States of America, and call the Federal Republic's President by his or her proper office --- President of the Federal Republic?

One is the Delegator and the other is the Delegatee.

Let's not continue to harbor such confusion in our midst. It only serves to allow continued chaos and manipulation by foreign powers.

Mr. Trump was elected to the British Territorial Subcontractor's presidential office --- "the President of the United States of America" ---- he has never served nor been elected to the office of President of the united States of America (Federal Republic President) nor, more importantly, has he served or been elected to The Office of The President of The United States of America (Federation President).

He is eligible to serve in any of these three (3) offices, but he has only been elected to one of them, and so far, he has been constrained to serve as a British Territorial "President".

Look sharp, People.

Version One: The President of The United States of America (the actual Federation of States President).

Version Two: the President of the United States of America (the British Territorial President).

Version Three: the President of the united States of America (the American Federal Republic President).

Only the first Office, The President of The United States of America directly represents the People of this country and directly serves the People who are the Employers.

The other two identical-sounding offices are "Presidents" of Subcontractors working under delegated powers. They are supposed to be taking their orders from the People's President.

I suppose, though I cannot prove, that when all this insanity of similar names started, it was justified in terms of the delegated powers and that the similar names were used to create a "united front" between the actual Federation and those organizations that were exercising delegated powers "in its name".

What has happened in fact, though, is that the Federal Subcontractors have used the similar names to usurp upon our Federation of States and our Presidential Office, so that our Subcontractors have been seizing power and cracking the whip over their Employers and nobody has been the wiser.

Who can tell the difference between "the President of the united States of America" and ``The President of The United States of America"?

You can. Now, teach everyone else, and let's make it our goal to elect the right man to the right office and put an end to this confusion and tyranny at the hands of our own employees.

We are Americans. We can get this. And we can set our own house in order.

We need to put an end to usurpation by our employees and by the foreign governments that direct their activities under the guise of exercising our delegated powers.

The fastest way to that result is to elect an actual American President who then acts for the Union and the Federation to oversee the operations of the restored Federal Republic.

Remember --- the Big Kahuna Offices are: The President of The United States (National Office) and The President of The United States of America (International Office) both exercised by one man, duly elected by the American people acting as electors --- not voters.

If we are going to have new national elections let's do this right and have the Employers in their proper oversight position over the Employees.

----------------------------

See this article and over 3700 others on Anna's website here: www.annavonreitz.com

To support this work look for the Donate button on this website. 

How do we use your donations?  Find out here.

Honest Abe Debunked and Joe Biden, Too

 By Anna Von Reitz

Lincoln "suspended" the right of Habeas Corpus for the U.S. Citizens and also pretended to have authority to suspend The Constitution of the United States of America and replace it with the Lieber Code.

Both these offenses have (mis) guided the operations of the U.S. Military and the British Territorial United States Government ever since, as they have mistaken Lincoln as the President of our Federation of States --- an office that he never in fact held.

He was "a" President, but not "the" President. He was foreclosed from holding the actual Federation office of The President of The United States of America and he was also prohibited from holding the office of The President of The United States (the presidency of our Federal Republic) by the Titles of Nobility Amendment (1819) prohibiting attorneys from holding any office in our government.

Thus, Lincoln himself was a cuckoo bird --- a British fakir, pretending to have authorities he didn't have and pretending to occupy an office that he didn't in fact occupy at all. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1834, and he remained a member of the Bar until his death, so he literally could not be the actual President of this country.

Look closely at the way the actual offices should appear: The President of The United States of America and The President of The United States.

Now look at what was foisted off on the people: the President of the United States of America and the President of the United States.

Everything Lincoln did, including "suspending" the Constitution in favor of the Lieber Code, is by definition unauthorized, the result of deliberate deceit, and must be held null and void by any thinking jurist. This would include his invention of "Executive Orders" and his granting of "Emergency Powers" to himself and his removal of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

Some military generals have attempted to argue that Lincoln was "Commander in Chief" in time of war, and could pretty much do whatever he wanted or needed to do to "preserve the Union"--- to which I reply that the presumption that he ever functioned as "Commander in Chief" is predicated on him being lawfully elected as The President of The United States of America, an office he never held.

And the "Union" Lincoln was bent on preserving wasn't the Union of our States, either. The "Union" Mr. Lincoln was talking about was a commercial cartel serving the interests of a foreign central bank bent on controlling our commodities markets, instead.

The entire idea that a British Territorial corporation "President" had the authority to command the entirety of the American Armed Forces, including our land forces, would have to be supported by some sort of treaty or contract allowing that----- and there is none. A most diligent search for any such treaty or agreement has failed to turn up anything supporting such a claim, and the adoption of the Naval Agency and Distributions Act by the British Parliament the following year, 1864, is strong circumstantial evidence that the Parliament knew exactly what the situation was.

Lincoln's subsequent assassination by men closely associated with the Swiss Guard and the Municipal United States Government indicates that the Pope and the Roman Curia were fully advised concerning Lincoln's deceit, too.

Everyone knew except the Employers of these miscreants and criminals--- the American people.

Lincoln had become inconvenient because he opposed the ruination of the people and property of the South, and wanted to engage in a formal peace process with Jefferson Davis to officially end the mercenary conflict that we mistakenly call "The American Civil War". Not only were Lincoln and Davis technically unable to engage in such a formal peace process, peace was not in the best interests of the British Crown which had supported Lincoln from the start. Their horse had finally won, and they wanted every last penny of war reparations they could wring out of the South and the Municipal Government. Lincoln's assassination guaranteed that hostilities would continue.

When the Brits booted up their replacement organization in 1868 to replace "the" United States of America Corporation that Lincoln bankrupted in 1863, the new Scottish Commercial Corporation calling itself 'The United States of America, Incorporated" deliberately trespassed against the Good Name and Trademarks of the American Federation of States and by simply neglecting to add the word "Incorporated" they successfully impersonated us and gained access to our credit in the same way that any credit card hacker does. The banks, especially the Central Banks, that wanted control of our commodities markets, winked and turned a blind eye. Theft and misuse of American gold and credit assets meant big profits and increased coercive powers for them.

The adoption of the infamous "Fourteenth Amendment" or, as it is more properly described, their Fourteenth By-law Amendment---- as this was never any amendment to any actual Federal Constitution and was never ratified by our States of the Union --- proves that these men continued to wage illegal mercenary "war" long after Appomattox, and the continued misapplication of this so-called "Fourteenth Amendment" proves that they continue to do so to this day.

Ask yourselves --- what possible authority is vested in a By-Law Amendment adopted by a long defunct Scottish Commercial Corporation that went bankrupt in 1907? We should live our lives and apply our laws according to that? Whoever thinks so, should have their heads examined and receive this little history lesson.

The American people and the entire world must wake up and accept the fact that Lincoln's knock-off "presidency" was a fraud scheme and that absolutely everything deriving from this ill-begotten piece of history is tainted by fraud and illegality.

This crime spree has resulted in the British Government manipulating and commandeering the manpower and resources of this country and using us like a sock puppet as muscle for their imperialist war-mongering and colonial oppressions through two World Wars and literally hundreds of lesser "conflicts".

One can only imagine the snide self-congratulations that the denizens of Whitehall and the Inner City of London have given themselves ever afterward.

Karen Hudes was exactly right. Addressing this problem will "blow us back to the Stone Age" --- or at least back to 1860, but if we want to find firm ground to build upon, that's what we have to do.

By 1937, the Pope's Municipal Government threw in the white towel and a large amount of gold to get in on the game the British had going here. We might call this game "Illegally, Immorally, and Unlawfully Sack the Americans, Make Them Pay For It, and Then, Blame Them For It".

The result was their infamous "Declaration of Interdependence of the Governments in The United States". This document, which was never widely released to the American Public for obvious reasons, formalized the collusion of the British Territorial and Municipal United States Federal Subcontractors.

Ever since, they have worked together to coerce, defraud, defame, and deceive the American public for fun and profit.

Shortly after they formalized this new partnership, they fomented the Second World War and made it look like it was the fault of their political opponents in Germany. Conveniently, they had created the whole political party system in Germany and used it to create the Nazi Party, too. The entire "war" was scripted by the same people. And the rest of us have been kept in the dark and fed horse dung.

Every country on Earth has been impacted adversely by this British Bunko, and every government has been undermined by this deceit. The Lieber Code has morphed into the Hague Conventions instead of being recognized for what it is, and jettisoned as flotsam. The same architects of this Great Fraud, the Lords of the Admiralty, abetted by the Lord Mayor of the Inner City of London, continue their operations today, unrecognized for their role, and left largely unopposed.

These thirteen men are not "Lords" in the way that we commonly think of British Lords. They don't sit in the halls of justice or attend Parliament. They are, instead, scattered all over the world, operating the world's largest crime syndicate, and running the world into the ground with no effective restraint.

Every hired jurist in America needs a copy of this information and a Notice of Liability along with it. They also need a copy of the International Notice of Distraint.

----------------------------

See this article and over 3700 others on Anna's website here: www.annavonreitz.com

To support this work look for the Donate button on this website. 

How do we use your donations?  Find out here.

Stunning: Dr. Paul Thomas Blows Up the Conventional Vaccine Narrative—Incredible Statistics

 https://rumble.com/v106rmt-stunning-dr.-paul-thomas-blows-up-the-conventional-vaccine-narrativeincredi.html

Are you at peace? Do you fly the peace flag?

 

By Anna Von Reitz,

These supporters of the Trucker Convoy are flying the American Peacetime flag, and by doing so, they are identifying themselves as peaceable Americans --- people who are NOT at war, NOT soldiers, NOT here to blow anyone up, shoot anybody, etc., etc., etc. --- and that is important.

If every American War Flag in this convoy was converted to a Peacetime Flag, there would be nothing at all that any of the Rats could do to attack or complain or harass anyone involved. They would all have to stand down and watch the parade.

Flying the right flag can save your life or the lives of people you care about. Flying the right flag can protect your property and your Natural and Unalienable rights and Constitutional Guarantees.

Remember that America --- the actual America and the actual American Government --- has been at peace since 1814, and all the "peaceable" Americans are owed the full support, protection, and respect of their government employees without exception.

 

So stand up for who you are and what you are doing and use the proper flag to make your silent declaration of your standing and peaceful intentions. All over this country, more Americans are waking up and catching on. They are flying the Peacetime Flag. Isn't it about time you did, too?

 

Check out http://www.uscivilflags.org/articles-history.html for the honorable and venerable history of our Peacetime Flag --- and stop a moment to think: do you want war or do you want peace? It's up to you to declare.

------------

We have just received a large order of these from the manufacturer.

To get your own US civilian flag go here: 

http://www.annavonreitz.com/order.html

Crop failures now at CRISIS LEVELS worldwide as the United Nations declares war on FERTILIZER

 https://naturalnews.com/2022-08-16-crop-failures-now-at-crisis-levels-worldwide-un-war-on-fertilizer.html

The following statement is a fact, not hyperbole: Globalists are currently carrying out a planetary-scale genocide agenda against humanity and all life on Earth as we know it. They are waging this war through multiple vectors that attack not only humans, but also plant life across the planet:

• Terraforming: Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to devastate crop yields and plant ecosystems
• Geoengineering: Spraying the skies with pollutants to dim the sun and reduce photosynthesis
• Famine: Attacking the fertilizer supply to cause global food scarcity, famine and death
• Energy: Attacking energy infrastructure to plunge first world nations into collapse and chaos
• Kill shots: Pushing vaccines as medicine when they are actually depopulation bioweapons
• Collapse: Carrying out controlled demolition of the world economy to impoverish the planet

These efforts by the globalists are achieving significant traction. Global food crops are in a crisis, with 50% – 80% crop losses reported in some areas. Nations like Sri Lanka are in a state of total collapse, spurred by UN-directed bans on fertilizer, leading to devastating crop losses and economic chaos.

Western Europe is being plunged into an energy crisis and a food crisis at the same time, and most western nations are printing fake fiat currency at a pace that will inevitably lead to the total destruction of those currencies and the plunging of their populations into persistent poverty.

Nearly half the United States is in a severe drought, and crop failures are worsening across both the Midwest and California’s Central Valley. Drought conditions are also devastating the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany, and as Michael Snyder writes from The Economic Collapse Blog, these crop failures are apocalyptic in scale:

Read the rest here: 

https://naturalnews.com/2022-08-16-crop-failures-now-at-crisis-levels-worldwide-un-war-on-fertilizer.html

Radical Drought Caused by Military Weather Weapons – Dane Wigington

 https://usawatchdog.com/radical-drought-caused-by-military-weather-weapons-dane-wigington/

The Clown Prince of Pennsylvania Avenue

 By Peter Navarro August 15, 2022

Take credit for what worked. Shift the blame for what didn’t. Run to Daddy-in-law whenever the big, bad chief of staff got in his way. That was Jared Kushner’s modus operandi during the long four years I had to serve alongside the man most responsible for the loss of the Trump White House. 

https://amgreatness.com/2022/08/15/the-clown-prince-of-pennsylvania-avenue/

Is this personal guardian fraud happening around the world?

 Full Film "I care a lot" FREE in HD

Retirement can be dangerous, especially if you are alone.

https://www.tokyvideo.com/video/full-film-i-care-a-lot-free-in-hd

This is really scary for anyone over 70. Watch your back and be aware of the scammers out there.

Montana Attorney General Reports Explosion in Fentanyl Busts – Points to Mexican Drug Cartels

 https://northwestlibertynews.com/2022/08/16/montana-attorney-general-reports-explosion-in-fentanyl-busts-points-to-mexican-drug-cartels/

Simon

 By Anna Von Reitz

Among the Chipmunks, I would have been Simon— a little bit detached, intellectual, and gawky.  As a child, I looked at the world around me with amazement, skepticism, and no small amount of morbid curiosity.  I still do. 

As I got older I realized that Simon, a name like Peter, which means “rock” — is worth noting and thinking about.  Who are the “rocks” in this world?  Despite  my quiet life I noticed that the heroes of this world look more like Al Bundy than Superman.   

They are mostly quiet little men past forty, sometimes with a beer belly, and they hold the world together, pay the bills and raise the children. 

Most of the time they do it without (much) complaint.  Most of the time they stay faithful to their wives despite their daydreams.  They worry and fuss about bills and houses and cars.  They often feel neglected and sometimes disrespected, even by those who owe them the most in terms of money and time and care. 

I thought about all these men towing the line and quietly making the difference, the ones drinking cold coffee and getting up before dawn to make sure their wives have perfume, their daughters go to the Prom, and their sons grow up with some idea of what is expected of them. 

Bless them, I thought, bless them all forever, the good Fathers and Brothers, Uncles and Cousins, Husbands and Lovers of the world. Where would we all be without them? 

The brave and uncomplaining men? 

This doesn’t take anything away from the women, but just for a moment stand back and appreciate the men.  

Bless their balding heads and calluses.  

Love them as they are.  As is.  Our Super Heroes don’t leap off the page, with rippling muscles, and hair like a lion’s mane.

No, they shuffle along in suits that seem two sizes too big, or they wear their cowboy shirts tucked in, or they have a ratty t-shirt and a hoodie, or a set of coveralls with holes in the pockets. 

We’ve all seen them.  Our heroes.  Take a moment today and sing the unsung heroes of day to day.  The guys who buy dog food, and wash the car, put their dirty socks in the laundry hamper, and tell you the weather report— pay attention to them and what they contribute to the world. 

I never met a Superman, but I’ve met plenty of men who are super just the same. 

----------------------------

See this article and over 3700 others on Anna's website here: www.annavonreitz.com

To support this work look for the Donate button on this website. 

How do we use your donations?  Find out here.   

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's

The Church's Year

(August 15.)

Why is this feast so called?

Because on this day the Blessed Virgin was taken up into heaven.

Why are plants and fruits blessed on this day?

The Church does this to manifest her joy at the glorious victory which Mary achieved over death, the world and the devil, and at her splendid triumph when she, adorned with virtues as with so many flowers, entered heaven; and that God may so sanctify and bless the plants and fruits, that their use may serve to our welfare.

At the Introit of the Mass, the Church invites us to universal joy by singing: Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a festal day in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for whose Assumption the angels rejoice, and give praise to the Son of God. My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King. (Ps. XLIV.) Glory &c.

COLLECT Pardon, Lord, we beseech Thee, the transgressions of Thy servants: that we, who by our own deeds are unable to please Thee, may be saved by the intercession of the Mother of Thy Son our Lord. Through the same &c.

EPISTLE (Ecclus. XXIV. 11 — 20.) In all things I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord. Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me; and he that made me rested in my tabernacle, and said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honorable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints. I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress-tree on Mount Sion. I was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades, and as a rose-plant in Jericho. As a fair olive-tree in the plains, and as a plane-tree by the water in the streets was I exalted. I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatic balm: I yielded a sweet odor like the best myrrh.

EXPLANATION The Holy Ghost uses these words in praise of eternal wisdom, but the Church applies them to Mary also, to describe the glory and splendor of her assumption. Mary found her rest only in God, the Creator of all things, who created her, and preserved her from, original sin, and lived in her womb as in a tabernacle. On this day God seems to say to her: "Possess the abode destined for thee from all eternity, and the inheritance designed for thee as the first of the elect." Thus Mary is exalted as Queen of the saints and angels in the heavenly Sion; and now in this holy city, she enjoys an undisturbed peace with God, shares His happiness with Him, and is second only to Him in power and glory; there she shines in the most radiant garments, like the ever-blooming rose of Jericho, from there she lets flow upon the wretched children of Adam the oil of her mercy as from a fair olive-tree, shades them with her protection like a plane-tree, and refreshes them with the sweet fragrance of her virtue and grace.

GOSPEL (Luke x. 38—42.) AT THAT TIME, Jesus entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house: and she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord's feet heard his word. But Martha was busy about much serving: who stood and said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Speak to her, therefore, that she help me. And the Lord answering, said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. But, one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Why does the Church cause this gospel to be read today?

Because it can be well applied to Mary, who more worthily and tenderly even than Martha, received, nourished and served the Son of God, and more fervently and attentively than even Martha's sister, listened to His words, preserved them in her heart and sought to fulfil them. In both ways has she chosen the best of all parts, because in both she walked in perfection, and so gained the greatest of rewards which can never be taken from her.

What may we learn from these two sisters?

That like Martha, who is a type of active, stirring life, we should be energetic in performing the duties of our vocation, but not on that account forget to practice good works, to do all for the love of God, seeking in all things His pleasure, and, since we can no longer administer to Christ in a material way, we should serve the poor, of whom He says that whatever we do to the least of them, He will consider and reward as if done to Himself. We are also like Mary who represents the contemplative life, to be fervent in prayer, in listening and meditating upon the word of God, upon the divine Majesty, its perfections and our frailty, thus to sanctify ourselves and to become more worthy of eternal happiness. This contemplative life Christ calls the better part, but does not, therefore, set aside the active life. We can easily unite both, but must never lose sight of the better part.

Why does Jesus reproach Martha?

Because she was uneasy and distracted by her over-carefulness and anxiety, and forgot to hear the divine word. — Thus do many Christians who find no time to work for the salvation of their soul, and even during divine service and the sermon are thinking of their domestic affairs, and so leave the church without having gained anything for their soul.

What is the one thing necessary?

To seek the glory of God and the salvation of our soul. He who attends to this; attends to all his duties, he is busy and active, but not uneasy and disturbed, and calmly directs his mind to God in all his labors, offers his every step to Him, and draws His grace upon himself.

PETITION. Would that I had better attended to the one thing necessary! Unhappy hours which I have squandered for the world, its vanities and pleasures! Where are you now? What shall I have from you in eternity but sorrow and desolation? Could I but call back my wasted life? But since that cannot be, give me Thy grace, I beseech Thee, O most beneficent God, to pass the remaining years of my life wholly in Thy service, and work above all and only for the affairs of my soul.

THOUGHTS OF ST. BERNARD ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY

ON this day the glorified Virgin entered heaven and crowned by her presence the holy pleasures of its inhabitants. But what mind can conceive the glory with which the arrival of the Queen of the world was celebrated by the brilliant heavenly hosts, their advance to greet her, their chanting as they led her to the magnificent throne? Who can fancy the tender gaze, the loving countenance, the divine caresses with which she was received by her Son and placed over all created beings, honored as became such a mother, with the glory that became such a Son? What lips can describe the assumption of Mary? As upon earth she, before all others, received special grace, so in heaven she, before all others, receives special glory. If eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to know the delights that God has prepared for those that love Him, who shall say what is prepared for her who bore Him and loved Him more than all! O blessed art thou, Mary! Most blessed wert thou, when thou didst receive the Saviour; most blessed art thou, when the Saviour receives thee!

ST. BERNARD'S PRAYER TO MARY

We accompany thee, on this day, with our most ardent wishes to thy Son, O glorious Virgin, Queen of heaven! and follow thee from afar, O happy Virgin! Give thy mildness to the world, give of the grace thou hast found with God. Obtain by thy blessed intercession, grace for the guilty, recovery for the sick, strength for the faint-hearted, aid for those in peril! Dispense to us thy servants, who on this glorious festival-day invoke thy sweetest name, O gentlest Queen, the grace of Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord and God, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

 Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's

The Church's Year

At the Introit of the Mass pray with the Church for God's help to guard us against our enemies:

INTROIT When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice, from them that draw near to me, and he humbled them, who is before all ages, and remains forever. Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. (Ps. LIV.) Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication; be attentive to me, and hear me. Glory etc.

COLLECT O God, who dost manifest Thine almighty. power above all in showing pardon and pity: multiply upon us Thy mercy, that we running forward to the attainment of Thy promises, may be made partakers of Thy heavenly treasures. Through etc.

EPISTLE (I Cor. XII. 2-11 .) Brethren, You know that when you were heathens; you went to dumb idols according as, you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith. Anathema to Jesus. And no man can say: the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit. To one, indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom: and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another, faith in one Spirit: to another, the working of miracles: to another, prophecy: to another, the discerning, of spirits: to another, divers kinds of tongues: to another, of speeches. But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will.

EXPLANATION The apostle here reminds the Corinthians of the great grace they received from God in their conversion, and urges them to be grateful for it; for while heathens, they cursed Jesus, but being now brought to the knowledge of the Spirit of God, they possess Christ as their Lord and Redeemer who can be known and professed only by the enlightenment of the Holy , Ghost. The holy Spirit works in different ways, conferring His graces on whom He wills; to one He gives wisdom to understand the great truths of Christianity; to another the gift of healing the sick; to another the gift of miracles and of prophecy; to another the gift of discerning spirits, to know if one is governed by the Spirit of God, or of the world, Satan and the flesh; to another the gift of tongues. The extraordinary gifts, namely, those of working miracles, and of prophesying &c. became rarer as the faith spread, whereas the gifts which sanctify man will always remain the same.,

[See Instruction on the gifts of the Holy Ghosts Pentecost.]

GOSPEL (Luke XDII. 9-14.) At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into the Temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this Publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven, but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say to you: this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Why did Christ make use of' this parable of the Pharisee and the Publican?

To teach us never proudly to condemn or despise a man, even though he should appear impious, for we may be deceived like the Pharisee who despised the Publican, whom he considered a great sinner, while, in reality, the man was justified before God on account of his repentant spirit.

What should we do before entering a Church?

We should reflect that we are going into the house of God, should therefore think what we are about to say to Him, and what we wish to ask of Him. That we may make ourselves less unworthy to be heard, we should humble ourselves as did Abraham, (Gen. XVIII. 27.) remembering that we are dust and ashes, and on account of our sins unworthy o appear before the eyes of God, much less to address Him , for He listens to the prayers of the humble only, (Ps. CI, 18.) and gives them His grace, while He resists the proud. (James IV. 6.)

Was the Pharisee's prayer acceptable to God?

No, for it was no prayer, but boasting and ostentation; he praised himself, and enumerated his apparent good works. But in despising others and judging them rashly he sinned grievously instead of meriting God's grace.

Was the Publican's prayer acceptable to God?

Yes, for though short, it was humble and contrite. He stood afar off, as if to acknowledge himself unworthy of the presence of God and intercourse with men. He stood with downcast eyes, thus showing that he considered himself because of his sins unworthy to look towards heaven, even confessed himself a sinner, and struck his breast to punish, as St. Augustine says, the sins which he had committed in his heart: This is why we strike our breast at certain times during Mass, for by this we acknowledge ourselves miserable sinners, and that we are sorry for our sins.

ON PRIDE AND VAIN GLORY

We should learn from this gospel that God looks upon the humble and exalts them, but is far from the proud. (Ps. CXXXVII. 6.) The Pharisee went to the temple entirely wrapt up in himself, and the good works which he thought he had performed, but returned empty and hated by God; the Publican, on the contrary, appearing before God as a public but penitent sinner, returned justified. Truly,. an humble sinner is better in the sight of God than a proud just man!

He who glories in his own good works, or performs them to please men, or to win their praise, loses his merit in the eyes of the most High, for Christ says: Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. (Matt. VI. 1.)

In order that we may learn to despise vain glory, these doctrines should be well borne in mind. We should consider that it will happen to those who seek after vain glory, as to the man who, made many toilsome journeys on land and sea in order to accumulate wealth, and had no sooner acquired it than he was shipwrecked, and lost all. Thus the ambitious man avariciously seeking glory and honor will find, when dying, that the merit which he might have had for his good works, is now lost to him, because he did not labor for the honor of God. To prevent such an evil, strive at the commencement of every good work which you undertake, to turn your heart to God by a good intention.

But that you may plainly recognize this vice, which generally keeps itself concealed, and that you may avoid it, know that pride is an inordinate love of ostentation, and an immoderate desire to surpass others in honor and praise. The proud man goes beyond himself, so to speak, makes far more of himself than he really is, and, like the Pharisee, despises others; the humble man, on the contrary, has a low estimate of himself, looks upon himself as nothing and, like the Publican, despises no one but himself, and thus is pleasing in the sight of God.

ASPIRATION O God, who hearest the prayers of the humble, but dost resist the proud, I earnestly beseech Thee to give me an humble heart, that I may imitate, the humility of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and thereby merit to be exalted with Him in heaven.

INSTRUCTION ON GRACE

In the epistle of this day the Apostle St. Paul speaks of the different gifts of the Holy Ghost which He distributes as He pleases. These extraordinary graces which the apostle mentions, are not necessary for salvation. But the Church teaches, that the grace of the Holy Ghost is
necessary for salvation, because without it we could neither properly believe, nor faithfully observe the commandments of God. For the holy religion of Jesus teaches, and experience confirms, that since the fall of our first parents we are weak and miserable, and of ourselves, and by our own strength, we cannot know or perform the good necessary for our salvation. We need a higher aid, a higher, assistance, and this assistance is called grace.

What, then, is grace?

Grace is an inward, supernatural gift which God through finite goodness, and in consideration of Christ's merits, ants us to enable us to work out our salvation.

Grace is a gift, that is, a present, a favor, a benefit. t is an inward and supernatural gift; an inward gift, Because it is bestowed upon man's soul to distinguish it tom external gifts and benefits of God, such as: food, clothing, health; grace is a supernatural gift, because it is above nature. In creating our souls God gives us a certain degree of light which enables us to think, reflect, judge, to acquire more or less knowledge: this is called natural light. In the same way He gives our souls the power in some measure to overcome sensual, vicious inclinations; this power is called natural power (virtue). To this natural light and power must be added a higher light and a higher power, if 'man would be sanctified and saved. This higher light and higher power is grace. It is, therefore, called a supernatural gift, because it surpasses the natural power of man, and produces in his understanding and in his will wholesome effects, which he could not produce without it. For example, divine faith, divine love is a supernatural gift or grace of God, because man of his own power could never receive as certain God's revelations and His incomprehensible mysteries with so great a joy and so firm a conviction, and could never love God above all things and for His own sake, unless God assisted him by His grace.

God grants us grace also through pure benevolence without our assistance, without our having any right to it; He grants it without cost, and to whom He pleases; but He gives it in consideration of the infinite merits of Christ Jesus, in consideration of Christ's death on the cross, and of the infinite price of our redemption. Finally, grace is a gift of God, by which to work out our salvation, ,that is, it is only by the grace of God that we can perform meritorious works which aid us in reaching heaven. Without grace it is impossible for us to perform any good action, even to have a good thought by which to gain heaven.

From this it follows that with the grace of God we can accomplish all things necessary for our salvation, fulfil all the commandments of God, but without it we can do nothing meritorious. God gives His grace to all, and if the wicked perish, it is because they do not cooperate with its divine promptings.

How is grace divided?

Into two kinds, actual and sanctifying grace.

Actual grace is God's assistance which we always need to accomplish a good work, to avoid sin which we are in danger of committing, or that grace which urges us on to good, and assists us in accomplishing it; for it is God, says the Apostle Paul, (Phil. II. 13.) who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish. If a good work is to be performed by us, God must enlighten our mind that we may properly know the good and distinguish it from evil; He must rouse our will and urge it on to do the known good and to avoid the evil; He must also uphold our will and increase our strength that what we wish to do, we may really accomplish.

This actual grace is, therefore, necessary for the just, that they may always remain in sanctifying grace, and accomplish good works; it is necessary for the shiner that he may reach the state of sanctifying grace.

What is sanctifying grace?

It is the great benefit which God bestows upon us, when He sanctifies and justifies us; in other words: sanctifying grace is the love of God, given to us by the Holy Ghost, which love dwells in us and whose temple we become, or it is the advent and abiding of God in our hearts, as promised in the words of Jesus: If any one love me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. (John XVI. 23.)

He who possesses sanctifying grace, possesses the greatest treasure that a man can have on earth. For what can be more precious than to be beautiful in the sight of God, acceptable to Him, and united with Him! He who possesses this grace, carries within himself the supernatural image of God, he is a child of God, and has a right to the inheritance of heaven.

How is this sanctifying grace lost?

It is lost by every mortal sin, and can only be regained by a complete return to God, by true repentance and amendment. The loss of sanctifying grace is a far greater injury than the loss of all earthly possessions. How, terrible, then, is mortal sin which deprives us of this treasure!