Tag: way of discernment

Discerning True vs False Prophets: so you think you know?

Discerning True Vs False Prophets.

Discernment is very important. Only a fool would take it lightly or evade responsibility for it. Every prophet should be discerned, by individuals praying fervently to God for His Wisdom. Prophecy should not be despised, as St Paul said:

“Quench not the Spirit.Despise not prophecies. Instead prove all things; hold fast to that which is  good.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)

Over time, I learnt many ways to discern whether someone is a true prophet. And most of all God taught me that it is sheer pride to believe that you ‘know’ what He would say, because of your knowledge, or intelligence or learnedness or  that you ‘don’t need to know’ or ‘hear’ what He has to say. Repent of this because to reject His true prophets greatly offends Him and arouses His anger. There are plenty of examples of prophecy in the Bible and what happens when people reject His Words and warnings given through prophecy. Read what He says! Do not be ignorant or full of pride.

These are the ways that I have learnt to listen to and discern prophecy and they are all as important as each other.

1. Whether their messages do not contradict any Truths of the Catholic Faith and authentic Church Teaching.

Their words likewise should not contradict the Holy Bible, of course. The words should honour Jesus as we’d expect for Our King and teach or reiterate the truths of our Faith.

These prophets should submit in obedience to a spiritual director. This is so that they themselves can be scrutinised and guided to know what is “of God”, when they are being tested or deceived and to help them discern God’s Will. A good spiritual director has the good of the soul and the whole Church at heart.

2. You will know them by their good fruits (ie. true conversions), growth in faith, hope and love/charity. The Bible tell us that this is a sign of a true prophet.

3. Whether their prophecies come true or are confirmed over the course of time.

Again the Bible tells us this is a sign of a true prophet. This especially applies to specific and unexpected events (not so much to general, expected events such as an earthquake in an earthquake zone.) This does not mean that prophecies involving chastisement cannot be mitigated, reduced, delayed or averted through prayer. They can!  God warns us for a reason. But certainly when specific prophecies can and do unexpectedly come true, they can be considered to be a possible  sign of authenticity.

4. Whether the prophecies shake you out of complacency.

The Bible warns us of false prophets proclaiming only “peace, peace.”

In fact the Word of God cuts like a knife- even to dividing soul from spirit. If it’s not challenging you, it’s not the Word of God!

5. Other genuine signs and miracles.

God gives signs. He has always done so. Pay attention to miracles-especially those which cannot be replicated or incited through emotionalism. Even more so when they are verified or experienced by more than one person.

6. Whether they impart with authority the Holy Word of God.

The sheep know their Shepherd’s voice and follow Him. God is not wishy-washy. He has all authority and power in heaven and on earth. He commands. He imparts His exact Words directly to prophets and they say ” The Lord says thus..” You must read your Bible and learn from Him! Do not think that because you have never seen or known of it in your experience, that it cannot be true.

7. Whether anti-fruits are present indicating a charleton. Eg. If they appear to seek personal gain (such as money, status, power or attention) or only gain for God, is important. Look at what they seek to gain. Examine their motives.

8. Whether the prophet has been greatly changed and affected themselves by their experience. Eg. Are they led to be transformed in holiness? Do they lead good and holy lives? This is best observed over time if possible.

9. Also Jesus says that His sheep know His voice

If you are close to Our Lord and have read many of His Words contained in writings to saints, prophets, seers and visionaries etc as well as the Most Holy Bible, your heart will leap at the sound of your Master’s voice! Inside you may feel a “little flame” burning in your heart whenever you hear the Words that are of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples on their way to Emmaus felt.

Luke 24:[32] “And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst He spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures?”

In all things, pray to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment, with a sincere heart.

9. A true prophet is never accepted in their hometown.

Jesus said so. They are rejected, slandered and persecuted. The more intensely this occurs, the more the devil is trying to stop them. All true prophets are lied about. The more holy the message,the more intense the attack against it. Be careful not to believe stories. Discover the truth for yourself. If in doubt, ask Jesus!

10. Lastly through (sustained) prayer for discernment (detached from any particular outcome).

It is an offence to God and the pinnacle of pride to not ask God His opinion!! No one is above God. He alone knows the answer to what you seek. Ask and you will receive. He will not give a rock when you ask for bread. He will answer you! Be patient though and offer sustained prayer and fasting. Discernment is a precious, precious gift from The Lord. When you receive it, be grateful! Thank Him in the same Spirit and with as much fervency as when you first asked!

 

*Quotes are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible online: http://www.drbo.org

Language of the Synod 1 – Error and Truth – Bishop Schneider

The information below is taken from the interview with Bishop Athanasius Schneider (dated Nov. 2nd 2015) and published in Rorate Caeli. (dated Nov. 2nd 2015)
The full article can be read here:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/11/rorate-exclusive-bishop-athanasius.html

“All is OK. The Synod did not change doctrine”.
Yet such a perception… ignores the back door and the pending time bombs…”

Error: The new concept of mercy (without repentance).

Truth:
The most merciful act …would be to draw the attention to this danger by means of a clear…admonition about the necessarily full acceptance of the Sixth Commandment of God. They have to call the things by their right name exhorting: “divorce is divorce,” “adultery is adultery” and “who commits consciously and freely grave sins against the Commandments of God – and in this case against the Sixth Commandment – and dies unrepentantly will receive eternal condemnation being excluded forever from the kingdom of God.”

The new language used by Synod fathers to promote their concept of “mercy”.

Way of discernment
Accompaniment
Orientations of the bishop
Dialogue with the priest
Forum internum
A more fuller integration into the life of the church

Way of discernment:

“…there is talk of “repentance” (Final Report, n. 85), there remains nevertheless a great deal of ambiguity. In fact,… ,(according to Cardinal Kasper and other clergy) – such a repentance concerns the past sins against the spouse of the first valid marriage and the repentance of the divorced indeed may not refer to the acts of their marital cohabitation with the new civilly married partner.”

Error
Cardinal Kasper and others have repeatedly affirmed that “a judgement in the conscience in that case has to be considered as being correct even when the divorced and remarried continue to cohabitate in a marital manner, and that they should not be required to live in complete continence as brother and sister.”

Truth
In the Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio of Pope John Paul II, it is stated: “The way to the Eucharist can only be granted to those who take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples”.
This statement was selectively omitted from the Final Report.
Saint Augustine affirmed: “Who dismisses his adulterous wife and marries another woman, whereas his first wife still lives, remains perpetually in the state of adultery. Such a man does not any efficacious penance while he refuses to abandon the new wife. If he is a catechumen, he cannot be admitted to baptism, because his will remains rooted in the evil. If he is a (baptized) penitent, he cannot receive the (ecclesiastical) reconciliation as long as he does not break with his bad attitude” (De adulterinis coniugiis, 2, 16).

A more fuller integration into the life of the church

Error:
Numbers 84 -86 of the final Report does not directly say that the divorced and remarried can be admitted to Holy Communion. Statements such as “a more full participation in the life of the Church” and “discernment and integration” are the expressions which were used. These are ambiguous expressions and were a clever tactic. It would be well to remember – “You made void the word of God by introducing your own tradition” (Mark 7: 13).

Truth:
By the use of such tactics, the Final Report in fact put time bombs and a back door for the admittance of the divorced and remarried to Holy Communion. Doctrine has not been changed but such statements can lead to abuses and true meaning of doctrine.

Christ demanded from all His disciples to speak in an extremely clear manner: “Let what you say be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Math 5: 37). This is valid all the more when the Shepherds of the Church preach or when the Magisterium speaks in a document.

Error:
The Final Report in n. 84 pleads for an admittance of the divorced and remarried to liturgical, pastoral and educational offices.

Truth:
Such a proposal represents an indirect support to the culture of divorce and a practical denial of an objectively sinful lifestyle. The Apostle Saint James said: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1: 22). Their life continuously contradicts their words.

Pope John Paul II ... indicated only the following possibilities of participating in the life of the Church, which for their part aim a true conversion:
“They should be encouraged to listen to the word of God,
to attend the Sacrifice of the Mass,
to persevere in prayer,
to contribute to works of charity
and to community efforts in favor of justice,
to bring up their children in the Christian faith,
to cultivate the spirit and
practice of penance and thus
implore, day by day, God’s grace” (Familiaris Consortio, 84).

As long as they continue giving a public anti-witness to the indissolubility of marriage and contributing to a culture of divorce, the divorced and remarried cannot exercise those liturgical, catechetical and institutional ministries in the Church, which demand by their own nature a public life in accordance with the Commandments of God.

Public violators of the Sixth Commandment, such as divorced and remarried, cannot be admitted to the office of lectors, godparents or catechists.

Accompaniment and orientations of the bishop.

Error:
The Final Report seems to leave the solution of the question of the admittance of the divorced and remarried to Holy Communion to local Church authorities: “accompaniment of the priests” and “orientations of the bishop.”

Truth:
By allowing individual local bishops and priests to guide these people and make decisions about their “worthiness” means that the Church will no longer be one. Doctrine could be interpreted and applied differently all over the world. This cannot be – it “contradicts the very essence of being Catholic”.

The Final Report …avoids confessing the unchangeable principle of the entire Catholic tradition, that those who live in an invalid marital union can be admitted to Holy Communion only under the condition that their promise to live in complete continence and avoid public scandal. John Paul II and Benedict XVI confirmed strongly this Catholic principle.”

At the Council of Nicea in the 4th Century, when the heresy of Arianism was ramoant, similar tactics were used – “who invented continuously other expressions in order not to confess directly the consubstantiality of the Son of God with God the Father.” This resulted in continuous synodal meetings and a proliferation of new doctrinal formula – deliberately avoiding clarity in terminology.