Deeper Truth

Deepertruth: St Boniface and The Christmas Tree Tradition

St Boniface and The Christmas Tree Tradition
One of my Hero’s of the Faith is Bishop Boniface who was born in modern day England in 672 A.D. and from an early age developed a great love for Jesus Christ.
He would become a missionary to the Germanic peoples who were still enslaved by Paganism. St. Boniface is remembered as “The Apostle of the Germans” and today is the Patron Saint of Germany.
He was the first Archbishop of Mainz. The action of St. Boniface in reaching the Pagans (centered in Germany) at his time reminds me very much of Elijah challenging the Prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:1-46).
In a town called Geismar stood a large Oak tree that held much superstition surrounding it.
 
The local people in the area called this tree the “Donar Oak” the tree of Thor. When the Romans occupied the land, they called the tree “The Jupiter Tree“. Thor and Jupiter were Pagan gods of “Thunder“.
St. Boniface began to challenge the people about the superstition of the “Donar Oak” and threatened to cut it down. He challenged the gods to strike him dead for cutting down the tree.
A great wind erupted causing the people to think this was a miraculous sign. The wind blew the tree down leaving St. Boniface standing there totally unharmed.
St. Boniface would use the triangle shaped fir tree to teach the doctrine of the Trinity much like St. Patrick used the shamrock.
St. Boniface popularity and fame didn’t protect him from those who thought they could rob him of gold and precious stones.
He died at the hands of those who could not recognize the treasure found in the Word of God. But the people remembered this great man of God and by the 12 century, the tradition of the fir tree was refereed to by the people as “God’s Tree”.

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And saint charles de foucauld

Stand In The Gap With Us And saint charles de foucauld 12/1/2023
The Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) took a photo of the Eucharistic Jesus while it was exposed on the altar. When the film was developed the attached picture of the Child Jesus appeared.
The picture upabove portrays the innocent Child Jesus looking up to His loving Holy Father and praying on our behalf. The surrounding shows the Child Jesus in a poor carpenter’s work shop.
Sometime later, Jesus told the monk "I promise to send my Blessings and my Peace to each Home where this image is found."
Born into an aristocratic family in Strasbourg, France, Charles was orphaned at the age of 6, raised by his devout grandfather, rejected the Catholic faith as a teenager, and joined the French army.
He lost his faith as an adolescent.  Inheriting a great deal of money from his grandfather, Charles went to Algeria with his regiment, but not without his mistress, Mimi.
When he declined to give her up, he was dismissed from the army. Still in Algeria when he left Mimi, Charles reenlisted in the army.
Refused permission to make a scientific exploration of nearby Morocco, he resigned from the service.
 

Deepertruth: Advent is upon is and Christmas is Near

Advent is upon is and Christmas is Near
The Apostles instructs us to be ever vigilant, alert, and awake. St. Peter writes, “Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace” (2 Peter 3:14).
This has been the mindset of the Church forever. The actual practice of Advent as part of a church calender was a development.
Pope Telephorus (125) began developing such a calender but it appears that the Catholic Church instituted the Season of Advent in 567 through the Council of Tours.
This Council also proclaimed the Twelve Days of Christmas (25 December) to Epiphany (manifestation) (6 January) a sacred, festive season.
Following the Apostolic Tradition, the Church universal proclaims our vigilance of the Second Coming of Christ.
The Scriptural readings will reflect this during Advent. This is a rich season intending to bring in a heightened Christmas celebration. To keep Christ the center of Christmas.
 

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Andrew Apostle

Stand In The Gap With Us And  St. Andrew Apostle 11/30/2023
St. Andrew was the younger Brother of Simon Peter who was born in Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:44) and raised in the fishing community. His father, Bar-Jonah, spent his life on the Sea as a fisherman. This was the foundation St. Andrew was raised. His Jewish faith was extremely important to him as evidenced that he first became a follower of St. John the Baptist.
Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist ushering in Jesus public Ministry. St. Andrew was present hearing St. John the Baptist say, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
St. John the Baptist would state, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Clement, of Rome

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Clement, of Rome 11/29/2023
With the death of St. Cletus (88 A.D.), St. Clement would be selected to be the third successor of St. Peter.
Beginning with the Twelve Apostles to include St. Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:12-26), the first three successors of St. Peter were each anointed as Bishop by Peter.
St. Clement would be the last major leader who would have actually been personally inspired by the apostolic age.
We know that both St. Peter and Paul were in Rome and that many baptisms occurred at the Tiber River that surrounds Vatican City today. This would be where St. Peter would eventually be crucified. St. Clement was a Roman by birth, raised in the influence of Pagan Rome. At some point St. Clement heard the Apostles preaching and became a believer. St. Paul speaks of St. Clement as a coworker who labored with St. Paul.
Philippians 4:3 states, "And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life."
St. Clement became a traveler with St. Paul working for the salvation of souls. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, , writes that St. Clement "saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them, and had yet ringing in his ears the preaching of the Apostles and had their tradition before his eyes, and not he only for many were then surviving who had been taught by the Apostles ".
After the deaths of Peter and Paul, St. Clement served as an auxiliary bishop to Linus and Cletus, but with their martyrdom, St. Clement would serve the Chair of Peter. St. Clement intervenes with a problem that had developed in the Corinthian Church writing a couple of letters to them responding to their issues.

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint James of the Marche

Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint James of the Marche 11/28/2023
James was born in the Marche of Ancona, in central Italy along the Adriatic Sea. After earning doctorates in canon and civil law at the University of Perugia, he joined the Friars Minor and began a very austere life.
St. James of the Marches was a Franciscan priest in the 15th century. He was born into a poor family in Monteprandone, Italy in 1391 and was educated by his uncle who was a priest. He continued his education, eventually achieving the degree of Doctor in Canon and Civil Law from the University of Perugia.
St James of the Marches preached penance, combated heretics, and was on legations in Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and Bosnia. He was also appointed inquisitor against the Fratelli, a heretic sect that dissented from the Franciscans on the vow of poverty, among other things. He was offered the See of Milan in 1460, but he refused it.
Inspired by St. Jame's apostolic example, more than 200 young men of Germany were impelled to enter the Franciscan Order. The crowds who came to hear him were so great that the churches were not large enough to accommodate them, and it became imperative for him to preach in the public squares.
James wanted the word of God to take root in the hearts of his listeners. His preaching was directed to preparing the soil, so to speak, by removing any rocks and softening up lives hardened by sin. God’s intention is that his word take root in our lives, but for that we need both prayerful preachers and cooperative listeners.
 
 
 

Deepertruth : Our LADY OF GOOD SUCCESS With Dr. Gregory Thompson Part II

Our LADY OF GOOD SUCCESS With Dr. Gregory Thompson
Devotion to the Heart of Mary will Save the World “To be delivered from the slavery of these heresies, those whom the merciful love of my Son has destined for this restoration will need great willpower, perseverance, courage, and confidence in God. To try the faith and trust of these just ones, there will be times when all will seem lost and paralyzed. It will then be the happy beginning of the complete restoration…
“In those times the atmosphere will be saturated with the spirit of impurity which, like a filthy sea, will engulf the streets and public places with incredible license…Innocence will scarcely be found in children, or modesty in women.
“He who should speak seasonably will remain silent.
“There shall be scarcely any virgin souls in the world. The delicate flower of virginity will seek refuge in the cloisters…Without virginity. fire from heaven will be needed to purify these lands.
“Sects, having permeated all social classes, will find ways of introducing themselves into the very heart of homes to corrupt the innocence of children. The children’s hearts will be dainty morsels to regale the devil…
“Pray constantly, implore tirelessly, and weep bitter tears in the seclusion of your heart, beseeching the Eucharistic Heart of my most holy Son to take pity on His ministers and to end as soon as possible these unhappy times by sending to His Church the Prelate who shall restore the spirit of her priests.

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani

Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Francesco Antonio Fasani 11/27/2023
Born in 1681 at Lucera, southeastern Italy, Saint Francis Anthony Fasani was the son of very poor peasants; but he was a bright lad, and received a good education from the Conventual Franciscans in his native town.
Born in Lucera, Francesco entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1695. After his ordination 10 years later, he taught philosophy to younger friars, served as guardian of his friary, and later became provincial minister. When his term of office ended, Francesco became master of novices and finally pastor in his hometown.
In his various ministries, he was loving, devout, and penitential. He was a sought-after confessor and preacher. One witness at the canonical hearings regarding Francesco’s holiness testified, “In his preaching he spoke in a familiar way, filled as he was with the love of God and neighbor; fired by the Spirit, he made use of the word and deed of holy Scripture, stirring his listeners and moving them to do penance.” Francesco showed himself a loyal friend of the poor, never hesitating to seek from benefactors what was needed.
At his death in Lucera, children ran through the streets crying out, “The saint is dead! The saint is dead!” Francesco was canonized in 1986.

Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Columban

 Stand In The Gap With Us And Saint Columban  11/26/2023
Columban (Columbanus) was the greatest of the Irish missionaries who worked on the European continent.
As a young man who was greatly tormented by temptations of the flesh, he sought the advice of a religious woman who had lived a hermit’s life for years.
He saw in her answer a call to leave the world.
He went first to a monk on an island in Lough Erne, then to the great monastic seat of learning at Bangor.
After many years of seclusion and prayer, he traveled to Gaul with 12 companion missionaries.
They won wide respect for the rigor of their discipline, their preaching, and their commitment to charity and religious life in a time characterized by clerical laxity and civil strife.
Once a certain peasant who, with his whole family, had listened to and learned through an interpreter the word of life preached by the holy man, believed and was baptized the husband, together with his wife, children, and domestics.
A very few days after his conversion, one of the sons of this householder was attacked with a dangerous illness and brought to the very borders of life and death.
When the Druids saw him in a dying state they began with great bitterness to upbraid his parents, and to extol their own gods as more powerful than the God of the Christians, and thus to despise God as though He were weaker than their gods.
When all this was told to the blessed man, he burned with zeal for God, and proceeded with some of his companions to the house of the friendly peasant, where he found the afflicted parents celebrating the obsequies of their child, who was newly dead.

Deepertruth:Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Catherine of Alexandria

Stand In The Gap With Us And St. Catherine of Alexandria 11/25/2023
The Roman Empire during the time of St. Catherine of Alexandria was ruled by power and an evil Roman Emperor, Diocletian (284 to 305). Diocletian expanded the influence of the Roman Empire creating a bureaucracy that became a swamp of corruption. In 303 A.D., the "Diocletian Persecution" (303-311) is remembered as the last of the 10 Roman Persecutions, it was the most cruelest, persecution of Christians in history.
This was the environment that St. Catherine of Alexandria had lived her life. She was born in Alexandria Egypt around 287 A.D. of noble birth. Her father was ruling Governor of Alexandria giving St. Catherine the best education and traditionally believed to be a princess.
When St. Catherine was 14 years old, when suitors first began asking for her hand in marriage, the one time princess vowed that he would be the most richly endowed young man, even more than herself. This young man would also have to be a noble with greater rank than her own, and he would have to be the most handsome prince in the land.
The locals became disheartened none of them came close to fulfilling Catherine's expectations. One day a hermit who lived in the surrounding desert came knocking on her door asking to see Catherine who at first was surprised to see such a sight. Perhaps her curiosity had the best of her as she met with the older man claiming that he had a message for her of the most noblest ofthem all. That the Queen of Heaven sent him to her with the message that her Divine Son was the Spouse she desired.