#in the context of the benedictine rule

[countingnothings]

not to vagueblog or anything, but sometimes. sometimes! people on the internet should consider whether reading “Christian coded + austerity” as always and only Protestant is historically reasonable. like, yes, i am all for the engagement with the colours and flavours and vibrant sensuality of Catholicism and Orthodoxy and so on! but Catholicism is a vast bulk of a thing. it is large. it contains multitudes. many, many of those multitudes have explicitly followed rules about austerity. you can’t just read Catholicism as folk Catholicism or as lavish high church Catholicism - you ALSO have to think about monastic Catholicism and ascetic Catholicism outside the monastery. frankly, Protestant austerity pales in comparison. it’s just so irritating to me, personally, that people are wrong about this on the internet!

[medieval-elephants]

Angry elephants? In your dreams... According to a book of dream interpretation made about 1000 years ago in Canterbury or Winchester, if you dream about an antagonistic elephant (or ylp in Old English), that might indicate something about an accusation. Handling ivory (ylpes ban in Old English) in a dream signifies a big obstacle. Dreaming about buying or selling ivory means great sadness. Eunuchs and iron are also bad news, but if you dream of handling wheat your trade will increase. (You can find an edition and transation of the full text-- known as the Somniale Danielis after the Biblical prophet Daniel-- in Roy Liuzza, Anglo-Saxon Prognostics: An Edition and Translation of Texts from London, British Library, MS Cotton Tiberius A.iii (D.S. Brewer, 2011), p. 95.) This particular manuscript is a fascinating"handbook" probably made for an archbishop of Canterbury with everything an archbishop might need-- from the rules his cathedral staff lived by to spare sermons to notes on pregnancy-- and apparently dream interpretation was also a going concern for a busy archbishop. (For more on this manuscript, see Tracey-Anne Cooper, Monk-Bishops and the English Benedictine Reform Movement: Reading London, BL, Cotton Tiberius A. iii in Its Manuscript Context (2015).)

As you can see, the text above was written in Latin and someone at Winchester or Canterbury translated it into English in the smaller, more spaced out lines in between the Latin lines. The Latin version circulated relatively widely in Europe and was itself based on earlier Greek dreambooks. Some Greek dreambooksgives more options for the meaning of dream elephants. According to one Byzantine dreambook, dreaming about seeing elephants or being chased by them means you will be overpowered by your enemies; however, dreaming about sitting or riding on an elephant signifies great honors. Oberhelmann has suggested that the chasing elephants may have been inspired by war elephants. (See Steven M. Oberhelman, Dreambooks in Byzantium (2016) for a translation of the full text of this dreambook.) Meanwhile, the tamed, ridable elephant also echoes classical motifs about the noble, wise, even virtuous elephant. It just goes to show that while humans have been dreaming about elephants for thousands of years, we never quite dream the same way.

[ouidamforeman]

My DnD characters im using in actual games so far are wild in difference of backstory depth, like

Cheesewheel: she lives in a cottage in the woods and likes to steal because she loves food and money and i love her :)

Comfrey: here is a several page document where I explain the Benedictine Rule and how im making up Fantasy Medieval Monasticism, except i also have to invent a new gender system and philosophy based around it and explain a new made up regional religion and its cultural context and consequences, also here’s a map of several interconnected organizations and 20 relevant npcs and their jobs because i couldn’t let go of not figuring out where this character’s food comes from and why he knows math. I used 5 different historical sourcebooks if bibliography is needed later

[givemearmstopraywith]

Can you talk about the differences between monks and nuns? Bc I would like to know!

this is a rough and dirty explanation but in the medieval context of that post nuns were frequently enclosed and until the development of mendicant orders like the poor claires had almost no contact with the outside world beyond the priest (usually singular) who administered the sacrament and took their confession. nuns could not offer the sacrament or take confession. monks could be cloistered and take vows of silence etc but there were many monastic orders even before the era of mendicants focused on working and outside service (the adoption of benedictine rule made this more consistent, as benedict's rule emphasized contemplative work). progressing towards the early modern period this changed slightly, nuns like catherine of siena were not enclosed and served in hospitals etc but monks and nuns had very different privileges in their respective orders. also monks don't "marry" jesus the way that nuns do lol

[infinitelycomplexpuzzles]

On Gluttony: What is it?

Alright since I notice tumblr is once again misconstruing my favorite sin, I figure it's time to deconstruct the very concept of gluttony. Buckle up people, it's going to get long.

Before we really get into it though, I'm going to be focusing on the western context of gluttony; as much as I would love to, say, deconstruct the influence of gluttony and excess being the opposite of nirvana in buddhist thought, we'd be here all day and I do not have time to write you a novel.

Now, first thing we need to do is actually define gluttony. What is it? It is, simply put, anything to waste or excess. Okay, what does 'waste or excess' mean? Well, that changes depending on who you ask. If you asked St. Benedict, who founded the Benedictine Rule, even asking food to be prepared a certain way is to commit the sin of gluttony. Under his ideology, two meals a day are all you get, and also they're meant to be simple, because anything that requires any kind of excess effort is, in fact, a sin. In the Islamic context, alcohol is forbidden because of a verse in the Koran; more specifically, anything that harms the body or mind is forbidden, as indulging in worldly pleasures is a sin. As always, when talking about theology, it's always more complicated than that, so don't think that's the whole story.

Let's circle back to 'waste and excess.' What's the best way to define this? How can we separate it from other sins? Personally, I believe the best way is by defining it by it's opposite sin: greed. And the best way to do that is through a saying: 'you cannot have your cake and eat it too.'

The reason for this is because of how the miser and the glutton define the worth of things. A miser will look at the cake and say 'lots of people want this, thus it is worth a lot, and thus I want it.' They wish to possess it. The glutton says 'eating that cake will give me pleasure. Thus, I will eat it.' The cake could be made of solid gold, but the physical worth of the cake is not as important as the pleasure one gets from consuming it.

If Greed is defined by the word 'Mine' then Gluttony is defined by the word 'More.'

So, how many things can we really indulge in to excess or waste? Food, media, information, cruelty, love, violence, indolence, pride, and more. In truth, almost all of the sins can be indulged in as a glutton; thus in my formulation, gluttony is the original sin. Gluttony, after all, is the desire for more.

Perhaps a better way to think of it is how many things can be binged. You binge watch media. You binge drugs. You binge food. You binge pleasures of every kind you can imagine, and vices too.

More to the point, this makes gluttony the most insidious sin; in the modern age, gluttony isn't so much as a vice as an aspiration. We want more of everything. Every culture on earth seeks to indulge in things, to possess more and more food, more culture, more entertainment. Indeed, the very mark of a modern society is the ability to consume things, to have a consumer economy.

In the book 'Lord of the Flies' you find that human nature is explored; specifically, how if we are left to our own devices, humans will eat each other. They'll indulge in their worst impulses, and indulgence is the sin of gluttony. The symbol of the book is the pig's head on a stick; gluttony is the 'boar's sin.' More to the point, 'Lord of the Flies' is the title of Beelzebub, demon prince of gluttony in Christian mythology.

The reason why gluttony is such a hard sin to avoid is that it feels good. It's also one that doesn't have to effect others. And it's very hard to avoid because it extends in two directions.

A gourmet is someone who indulges in fine food and drink; fine dining, fine clothes, expensive living. The instagram influencer life. A gourmand is someone who indulges in too much of everything; too much food, too much drink, too frivolous, too much of everything.

For gluttony is both fine dining and fast foot. It's top shelf alcohol and bathtub gin. It's cheap direct to dvd movies and Hollywood epics. It's seductive and comfortable, the grandparent who tells you you're too thin, and the fad diet that tells you that you're too fat. It's the gym that tells you to work out more because you're worth it, and the vices that tell you to work out less because you're worth it.

Gluttony builds you up. But it can tear you down, for you can indulge in self depreciation. Gluttony is both self empowering and self destructive. It's emo music and bubblegum pop.

Simply put, there are no limits. There is only more. There is only the next thing to consume, the next bit of content, the next bit of self indulgence to experience. It's an endless road you can't find the end too, always leaving you wanting more.

That's gluttony.

[denniscanter]

Monastic Benedictine Charism.

The Benedictine Order is a monastic community within the Roman Catholic Church that follows the Rule of St. Benedict, a set of guidelines for monastic life written in the 6th century by St. Benedict of Nursia. The Rule is widely regarded as the foundation of Western monasticism and is followed by many different monastic communities within the Catholic Church, as well as by some non-Catholic Christian communities.

One of the key elements of the Benedictine charism, or spiritual identity, is a commitment to the monastic way of life. Benedictines follow a common rule of life that includes practices such as communal prayer, manual labor, and study. This way of life is intended to foster a sense of community and to provide a context for spiritual growth and contemplation.

Another important aspect of the Benedictine charism is a commitment to hospitality. Benedictines are known for welcoming guests and providing a place of rest and refreshment for travelers and pilgrims. This commitment to hospitality is rooted in the belief that every person is created in the image of God and deserving of respect and care.

In addition to their commitment to monastic life and hospitality, Benedictines are also known for their emphasis on education and the pursuit of knowledge. Many Benedictine monasteries have long histories of scholarship and have played important roles in the preservation and transmission of knowledge.

Finally, the Benedictine Order is characterized by a commitment to the service of others. Benedictines often engage in charitable works and seek to serve the needs of the poor and marginalized. This commitment to service is seen as an expression of their love for God and their desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Overall, the Benedictine Order is a community of men and women who seek to live a monastic life of prayer, work, study, and service in accordance with the Rule of St. Benedict. Through their way of life, they seek to draw closer to God and to serve the needs of others.

[dwellordream]

“Religion touched the lives of all western Europeans in the Middle Ages, from rural peasant to magnate, and within medieval Christianity, the theme of brotherhood functioned as a binding agent, uniting faithful men in loving, devoted Christian fellowship. Christian men in general and monks specifically called each other brothers whether or not there was a blood relation present. In this they were following biblical precedent, though a necessarily idealized one.

They had only to look at the numerous examples of treacherous brothers in the Bible, from Cain and Abel to the eleven brothers of Joseph, to see that biblical brothers did not always provide a model worthy of emulation. These backstabbers surely were not what Jesus and the New Testament authors had in mind when they referred, with clearly positive connotations, to the Christian faithful as “brothers.” Medieval Christians likewise understood the concept of brotherhood in a positive way, as something of value to be practiced and shared.

The particulars of this ideal brotherhood, as it was understood in a religious context, are evident in St. Benedict’s Rule, so influential throughout medieval European monastic culture. The Benedictine Rule, in use in Europe as early as the sixth century, contains ninety-seven occurrences of the word “brother” [frater] and its grammatical forms. The Prologue of the Rule invites readers and listeners to consider themselves as brothers; they are called “dearest brothers” and “brothers” three times. This mode of address continues throughout the Rule, emphasizing the fraternal bond the monks should feel as members of a congregatio that only admitted those truly committed to the monastic life. When a monk was to be punished, he was removed from the fellowship of the brethren: he could not dine with the brothers, participate in prayers, or associate with the other monks. Isolation from his brothers was intended to bring about repentance.

Monastic brotherhood was defined by service, mutual assistance, respect, obedience, and love, all characterized by selflessness. The Rule, which was read aloud in daily chapter meetings throughout the year, instructed monks to “Let the brothers [fratres] serve one another in turn, so that none is excused from the duty of the kitchen.” Yet those brothers too ill or weak to take their shift in the kitchens were to be assisted by the others. Just as in blood kinship relationships, monastic brotherhood operated according to a hierarchy based on age that afforded greater respect and authority to elders: “But let the elders call the younger men by the name of fratrum [brother]. However, let the younger men call their elders nonnos, insofar as it is understood with paternal reverence.”

This deferential mode of interaction was to be carried beyond the term of address; younger monks were to ask for the benediction from older ones, and they were to give up their seats for their elders. Obedience to the Rule and to the abbot was required of all monks, but Rule 71, entitled “That the brothers be obedient to one another,” made clear that monastic brotherhood called for mutual obedience, which was framed as a way to God.The selflessness of monastic brotherhood, often implicit, was made explicit near the end of the Rule, when brothers were commanded, “Let no one follow what he judges advantageous to himself, but rather to another.”

…Monastic rules, however, were not preached directly to lay believers, and they were not the only means of instructing monastic audiences. Both monks and laypeople learned church doctrine and expectations for individual behavior from sermons and the edifying stories (called exempla) they contained. As Christoph Maier points out, sermons “had a bearing on people’s mentalities; they shaped their perception of the world at large and influenced their social conduct.” Their effectiveness was directly related to their ability to resonate with audiences, so that, in exempla, one might find “the fears, hopes, dreams and obsessions of an entire culture.”

Numerous exempla feature brothers in various situations. Although the exempla themselves and the sermons of which they were a part were not just— or even—about blood-relation brothers, in order to communicate their message effectively about mercy or greed or whatever else, preachers drew upon relationships and ideas that had currency with their audiences. The exempla featuring brothers and brotherhood thus illuminate both religious conceptions of ideal brotherhood, conveyed to audiences through the “mass medium” of preaching, and the “submerged mind of the layman” (or monk) in the audience, ready to listen to what he or she was hearing.

The qualities of brotherhood that appear in the exempla fall under the broad theme of cooperation between brothers, clearly illustrated by a story in the thirteenth-century Liber exemplorum ad usum praedicantium [Book of Exempla for Preaching], in which two monks, who also are brothers related by blood, are set up by the devil to quarrel. The younger brother attempts to light a lamp but when the devil knocks it over, the elder brother—oblivious to the devil’s workings—becomes angry. The younger brother humbly accepts his elder’s reprimand, asks for patience, and relights the lamp. The exemplum then moralizes, “Through his patience the demon is conquered,” and “Humility undoes all strength of the enemy.” Both the “demon” and the “enemy” could signify the devil as well as the spirit of potential conflict between the two brothers, thus reinforcing the importance of fraternal cooperation.

Odo of Cheriton’s thirteenth-century collection of exempla, the Parables, includes a story that instructed on the virtue of brotherly cooperation by describing its opposite. Two brothers are afflicted by discord, and a stranger encouraged by their ongoing strife takes the opportunity to assault one of them. But, when the other brother arrives on the scene and discovers the invasion, he beats back the intruder “because nature does not fail.” Although Odo’s exemplum would have been intended to illustrate how fellow Christians—brothers in Christ—were to behave, his use of actual brothers as a vehicle to make his point is notable. Odo’s conception of brotherly behavior is apparent from both the negative and positive behaviors in the exemplum: brothers ought not fight among themselves, and any threats to one of the brothers should elicit aid from the other(s), thereby demonstrating the principle of fraternal loyalty. Indeed, their blood relation meant they could do nothing less.

…Brothers in concord also protected each other, as another exemplum from the Alphabet of Tales shows. A “holy religious man” asks his abbot if it he should divulge the sins of his brother. The abbot replies, “Whenever we hide the sin of our brother, almighty God hides our sin, and whenever we utter the sins of our brother, then almighty God utters our sin.” The text then notes that “This tale is good to tell those who love to slander their fellow Christian.” The “brother” of this passage refers to a monastic brother or a fellow Christian more generally, rather than a blood relation, but that distinction does not change the emphasis of the exemplum: protective discretion, not slander, was an attribute of ideal fraternity.

The overriding quality of ideal brotherhood, as it was understood and portrayed in religious settings, was cooperation, which itself was characterized by several attributes: fairness and respect, obedience, mutual aid, selflessness, humility, service, love. Whether in monastic rules or sermon exempla, read aloud in chapter meetings or preached in markets and aristocratic homes, this was the picture of brotherhood conveyed by churchmen to each other and to laypeople.”

- Cameron Wade Bradley, “Of Monks and Sermons: Brotherhood in Religious Context and Interpretation.” in Between Brothers: Brotherhood and Masculinity in the Later Middle Ages

[revolutionoftenderness]

“That wasn’t enough to give humanity a new start, and then Jesus arrived and entered the house of Zacchaeus, without calling him a sinning thief, and that could have seemed too weak. Instead, no one ever challenged Zacchaeus the way Jesus did. All those others who condemned his way of life didn’t move him an inch from his position. It was that absolutely gratuitous gesture of Jesus that succeeded where others failed.”

— Julián Carrón

[Jesus Encounters Zacchaeus and Dines at His House

from the Gospel Book of Heinrich II

German (Reichenau), ca.1007-1012]

• context for the quote: https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2017/06/21/dont-think-francis-cure-dont-grasp-disease-cl-head-says/?fbclid=IwAR3YDIf6ZqDiGMH8uKLfAFSh6v7FMMJysQL5QAdUUmTPBkNRBdTng68a1ss

• The gospel from the cathedral of Bamberg is one of the most important masterpieces of book painting from the Benedictine abbey on the island of Reichenau in Lake Constance in southern Germany. In the 10th and 11th centuries, this abbey was the site of what was probably Europe’s largest and most influential school of book illumination. Book production reached its artistic peak between around 970 and 1010–1020, a period known as the Ottonian Renaissance (after Otto I, Otto II, and Otto III, German kings and Holy Roman Emperors of the Saxon dynasty who ruled during this time). These richly illustrated codices were in most cases commissioned by high-ranking persons. This manuscript was made for Emperor Henry II (ruled, 1002–1024), the successor of Otto III, who presented it to the Bamberg Cathedral. More: https://www.wdl.org/en/item/4101/

[akallabeth-joie]

Brickclub Les Mis 2.6.2

Hugo details the history, associations, and especially the rules and observances of the Benedictine-Bernadine convent of the Perpetual Adoration on the Rue Petit Picpus.

So, Cosette and Jean Valjean basically managed to land in the most intense and insular convent possible. [Second only to the Carmelites, says Vicky.] On the one hand, this is probably very good for their 'hiding from the police' prospects. On the other... Well, it'll be an experience. Coming from a Catholic background, I can sort of see why this hard rule is appealing to some, but it also sounds exhausting. Can't sleep a full night, no privacy, no uninterrupted thoughts, practically no visitors... The casual way Vicky mentions that 'three went insane' almost seems low after all that.

I do like how Hugs casually worked in his callbacks (visitors' experience, the nun 'at the post') and foreshadowing (all that funeral context) into the overall narrative of the convent. But he left out the other great occupation of this convent: the school. I do sort of wonder how the rules of the nuns affect classes. Do the teachers get assigned night shifts for the prayer rotations? Do other nuns substitute when Mother Nativity has the 4am-4pm atonement block and can't teach the morning math classes? Do the nuns of the GrabBag!Bonus!Convent ever help with the teaching and communal prayer roster or are they all strictly freelance?

No second person pronouns.

[catholicartistsnyc]

Meet Ontario-Based Artist Laurie-Lynn McGlynn

LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN is a painter (oils and acrylics) living in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. (http://g1313.org/portfolio/laurie-lynn-mcglynn/)

CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION (CAC): Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?

LAURIE-LYNN MCGLYNN (LM): I was born in the city of Toronto - have lived all over Canada and parts of the United States when growing up, and later traveled abroad to Scotland, England and France. Both parents are from the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and Newfoundland), so I was fortunate to have spent many summers by the sea.

CAC: How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist? 

LM: Although I do not claim to be a Catholic Artist per see, I do not hide it either. However, my practice of art making is not confined to being a reflection of my faith. In my opinion, the two go hand in hand, and cannot be separated. This gift I have, to express myself and to communicate my thoughts about the world around me in a visual way, is completely from God. No argument there. But how I choose to use this tool of communication has been left up to me. I can hone this ability in any way I choose. 

Some artists will deny the origin of their gift and continue to make work that pleases the world. Others may choose to build their practice upon the premise of their faith and will advertise it in such a way. Personally, I feel that as long as the work I create is true to who I am and conveys what I want to say, then I have been sincere to my craft and to my Lord for giving me this gift in the first place. 

I am in awe of artists who can successfully depict a Christian experience. I say successfully because there are artists who can create religious art with technical proficiency that is reminiscent of early Christian art. However, does this reflect the true nature of the artist and their innermost desire to communicate the sacred? Or is it an imitation of religious art from the past? 

What excites me the most as a Catholic artist are those moments when I am creating something with my own hands and an inconceivable joy fills my heart, nudging me to continue. To me that is a true expression of faith. 

CAC: Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?

LM: Our parish priest, although now retired, has always been a supporter of visual art, especially that which inspires people to open their hearts and be brave...perhaps to share their own talents and gifts with others. There are many people in our communities who have not had the privilege of attending an art school, or any post-secondary institution for that matter. Whenever I am asked to discuss my work or share it for a fundraising activity, I am honored to do so.

CAC: Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?

LM: Now, this can be a tricky question but I am glad you asked! As a Canadian emerging visual artist, I can honestly say that many of my peers have decided to keep their faith separate from their practice. The reason is mostly due to the nature of the public gallery and how the curator or director feel it will be perceived. It really depends on what the context is, and how the artist chose to frame their faith within that context. For example, when Chris Ofili exhibited The Holy Virgin Mary (1996), there was a huge uproar within the gallery scene, with the public and with the Mayor of NYC threatening to cut funding to the gallery. Many considered this work to be blasphemous and saw it as a purposeful stab at the Catholic church. Yet, the artist himself claimed that the work was not meant to be taken that way ... perhaps not to be taken so seriously. Either way, it certainly brought a lot of attention to the artist and his practice, which is fine if you can handle that type of publicity.  I feel this is why many emerging artists stay clear of that kind of attention, especially in the early stages of their careers.

CAC: How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?

LM: There was a time when the Church was a patron of the arts, just as the rich and powerful were and still are. In 1999 when Saint Pope John Paul II wrote his Letter to Artists, he brought a lot of attention to the arts and encouraged the faithful to embrace their gifts and talents with the world, for the sake of beauty but also for the glory of God. I feel there is a gap somewhere in how we perceive artists, their status in the Church and what impact the arts can still have on the faithful. Perhaps this needs to begin in the parish, where the simple act of commissioning an artist to create a piece for the Church. The parishioners will all see the work, some will like it, others may not. But the artist will have contributed to parish life, to worship etc. There are plenty of other ways in which the Church could embrace the arts as a vital link in the community, but I fear it will take over the interview!

So far, I have come across a great deal of support from the Orthodox Church in our area. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the same support for the arts in our local parishes.

CAC: How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?

LM: Another brilliant question! It depends on how important this is to the artist and how they perceive their practice. As stated earlier, I do not include my faith as part of the description of my practice. The process of creating is what is sacred to me, and forms a bond between my soul and my God. However, if I were creating work that was meant to be taken in a religious or faith based context (iconography for example), I would most likely work within that paradigm and hope that my parish could help promote my work to other parishes. I would not expect public galleries to be open to accepting my work unless it was within the theme of an exhibition. But that is just my experience, and it could be quite different for others depending on where their art is exhibited and how it is promoted.

CAC: Where do you go to get inspired?

LM: Having formed my own collective, may be an answer here! I was weary of not being able to share my faith with my cohort in art school, so I decided to put a small group together. Our goal is bring together talented artists from a variety of disciplines, and perform together. We are called MOTUS and we are dance, music, choral vocals, libretto, and digital technology...and we all have faith. We come together in a welcoming environment which allows each of us to relax in the knowledge that we are all there because of God. Now where do we go from here?

MOTUS is a great example of how my visual and written tools of communication are also expressions of my love for God, for Christ and for God’s people. The prose I write is sacred and honours our Lord in every way imaginable ... from the tiniest breath of spring to the turmoil we humans face each day. The only way I could do this, or find an audience for it, was just to get a few people together with similar ideals and it went from there. If it is Gods will, nothing will stop it.

CAC: What is your daily spiritual practice? And if you have a spiritual director, how did you find that person? If you go on retreats, where do you like to go?

LM: My retreat experience has been group-based, but I am currently preparing for a monastic contemplative retreat in another province. The abbey is located outside of Montreal, Quebec, and follows the Benedictine rule of monastic life. My spiritual director is a retired parish priest and long time friend of the family. I look forward to engaging in a solo retreat, and speaking with one of the cloistered sisters about a call to be an Oblate. This is something I have been discerning for many years, and I feel now is the time to be proactive.

CAC: What is your daily artistic practice? And what are your recommendations to other artists for practicing their craft daily?

LM: Researching an idea or concept. Writing out my thoughts and feelings. Sketches may or may not come as part of this process. Then the rest will either manifest in the studio or it will phase into something else. Either way, it’s never a lost cause, as everything means something to an artist.

CAC: Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?

Right now! Sitting here writing these thoughts out for you is a reminder of my vocation and how important my contributions are to the world around me. It’s the smallest things that help build the foundation for the big things. There was a time years ago when I was so uncertain about my future as an artist. I worried that unless I studied medicine, became a doctor or nurse, or worked with the marginalized, the poor, children, elderly etc...then how could I possibly be giving back something to God...to His people? But a very good friend reminded me that one does not need to lead a life of service to serve. My gift from God is in many ways a mirror that reflects back the beauty He creates for us. And that is good enough for me.

CAC: How do you afford housing and support yourself as an artist?

LM: My husband is very supportive of my work and we work together to be able to afford what we need in life, and my practice. I receive grants, bursaries, and artist fees from exhibitions. I also work freelance on the side as a content writer.

CAC: What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city? LM: Any way to network is a great way to get started! Joining a local gallery and volunteering a few hours...social media...websites. Attending exhibitions, talking to other artists, entering calls for entry, submitting proposals.

CAC: What are your top pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?

LM: Know your audience, which means you first must know what type of work you are creating. I dabbled in printmaking while in art school and I will often combine a few lino-block prints in an exhibition. But my medium is paint and I do not enter printmaking calls for entry. 

Know what you are good at, and work on that. If you feel called to create work that is meant to enlighten your viewers within a religious context, then make sure you source out your market. Otherwise, you could become disappointed fast. I find that in the very early stages of building an art practice, it is best to take some time to work on your portfolio...make the stuff you love, now that the assignments are over! 

Take time to utilize your new skills and apply them to what feels truly you. If you are honest with yourself, and let the work be a true reflection of what you are called to create, not what the art world insists is the next hottest item, then you cannot go wrong! Praying always helps by the way!

A huge thank you to Catholic Artist Connection for opening up this ongoing discussion for artists. I pray that every artist reading this interview will at least take one small thing from it and apply it to their own practice. God Bless.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 19 June – St Romuald (c 951-1027) – Monk, Abbot, Ascetic, Founder of the Camaldolese order and a major figure in the eleventh-century “Renaissance of eremitical asceticism”.    St Romuald was born in c 951 at Ravenna, Italy and died on 19 June 1027 at Val-di-Castro, Italy of natural causes.   Patronages – the Camaldolese order and Suwalki, Poland.   St Romuald’s body is incorrupt.

According to the vita (life) by St Peter Damian O.S.B. (1007-1072), himself a Benedictine and Doctor of the Church , written about fifteen years after Romuald’s death, Romuald was born in Ravenna, in northeastern Italy, to the aristocratic Onesti family.    As a youth, according to early accounts, Romuald indulged in the pleasures and sins of the world common to a tenth-century nobleman.   At the age of twenty he served as second to his father, who killed a relative in a duel over property.   Romuald was devastated and went to the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe to do 40 days of penance.   After some indecision, Romuald became a monk there.   San Apollinare had recently been reformed by St Maieul of Cluny Abbey (906-994) but still was not strict enough in its observance to satisfy Romuald.   His injudicious correction of the less zealous aroused such enmity against him that he applied for and was readily granted, permission to retire to Venice, where he placed himself under the direction of a hermit named Marinus and lived a life of extraordinary severity.

About 978, Pietro Orseolo I, Doge of Venice, who had obtained his office by acquiescence in the murder of his predecessor, began to suffer remorse for his crime.   On the advice of Guarinus, Abbot of San Miguel-de-Cuxa, in Catalonia and of Marinus and Romuald, he abandoned his office and relations and fled to Cuxa, where he took the habit of St Benedict, while Romuald and Marinus erected a hermitage close to the monastery. Romuald lived there for about ten years, taking advantage of the library of Cuxa to refine his ideas regarding monasticism.

After that he spent the next 30 years going about Italy, founding and reforming monasteries and hermitages.   His reputation being known to advisers of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III, Romuald was persuaded by him to take the vacant office of abbot at Sant’Apollinare to help bring about a more dedicated way of life there.   The monks, however, resisted his reforms and after a year, Romuald resigned, hurling his abbot’s staff at Otto’s feet in total frustration.   He then again withdrew to the hermetical life.

In 1012 he arrived at the Diocese of Arezzo.   Here, according to the legend, a certain Maldolus, who had seen a vision of monks in white garments ascending into Heaven, gave him some land, afterwards known as the Campus Maldoli, or Camaldoli.   St Romuald built on this land five cells for hermits, which, with the monastery at Fontebuono, built two years later, became the famous motherhouse of the Camaldolese Order.   Romuald’s daunting charisma awed Rainier of Tuscany, who was neither able to face Romuald nor to send him away.   Romuald founded several other monasteries, including the monastery of Val di Castro, where he died in 1027.

The church in Eremo di Camaldoli, the famous motherhouse of the Camaldolese

St Romuald’s feast day was added to the Liturgical Calendar in 1594, today, the day of his death and entry into life.

St Romuald’s Rule: Romuald was able to integrate these different traditions in establishing his own monastic order.   The admonition in his rule Empty yourself completely and sit waitingplaces him in relation to the long Christian history of intellectual stillness and interior passivity in meditation also reflected in the nearly contemporary Byzantine ascetic practice known as Hesychasm.

Sit in your cell as in paradise.   Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish.   The path you must follow is in the Psalms — never leave it.

If you have just come to the monastery and in spite of your good will, you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind.   And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more.

Archbishop Cosmo Francesco Ruppi noted that, “Interiorisation of the spiritual dimension, the primacy of solitude and contemplation, slow penetration of the Word of God and calm meditation on the Psalms are the pillars of Camaldolese spirituality, which St Romuald gives as the essential core of his Rule.”

Romuald’s reforms provided a structural context to accommodate both the eremitic and cenobitic aspects of monastic life.

[medievalphil]

On Aquinas’ philisophy vs theology (X)

For Aquinas, philosophers take presuppositions in public domain, which everyone can know upon reflection. Their main aim is that they must end disagreements (as to the nature of x, y, z).š Epistemologically, the rely on principles known per se (self-evident. i. e. the part cannot be bigger than the whole)– not per alia (proposition is known by relying in other propositions; i. e. humans are mortal, Socrates is a human, Socrates is moral).

Theologians, on the other hand, formulate discourses leading back to principles held on basis of faith and truths conveyed by revelation. They are expected to reflect on these truths, spell out interrelations, and defend them. Coincidentally, Al Ghazali had already defined theology as a defense mechanism that would offer believes confirmation on the articles of faith they held on to.

Therefore, the theological revolves aroundš “substantive cogency” dependent on acceptance of truth claims. It requires that you have faith, facilitating you accessing the substantive cogency of the articles of faith. In turn, the philosophical relies only on truths anyone can gain upon sufficient reflection about world, leading to new truths on basis of such truths.

He says:

“It should be noted that different ways of knowing (ratio cognoscibilis) give us different sciences. The astronomer and the natural philosopher both conclude that the earth is round, but the astronomer does this through a mathematical middle that is abstracted from matter, whereas the natural philosopher considers a middle lodged in matter. Thus there is nothing to prevent another science from treating in the light of divine revelation what the philosophical disciplines treat as knowable in the light of human reason.”

In both cases, the reader is accepting truths based on faith on the reflective capabilities of another individual. Whether one faith is better than the other, we are all faithful and no one can pretend we are absolute reflective agents as we hold on to moral, ethical, scientific principles that we accept without knowing or even understanding them. So Aquinas wishes to unsettle people’s epistemological certainties and the idea that philosophy is somehow more rational than theology. He says those who believe in philosophy are simply faithful of efforts and knowledge of other human beings; Christians are also faithful, of higher forces, namely, God.The philosophical begins with knowledge of the world; the theological begins with what God has revealed about Himself and His action, creation and redeeming, in other words, it begins with Scripture.

He asks: Is a philosopher of Christian faith less philosophical than atheistic philosopher? Who’s more rational? Isn’t it the case that in both cases there is a pre-logical predisposition to believe a certain proposition? Religious people have a confessional predisposition (centered around Christian understandings), but Aquinas would say that atheists also have a secular disposition (already biased in their “knowing” that Christian understandings of the soul, God, etc. are false). All humans have presuppositions we inherit from our education, social, political milieus, traumatic and lived experiences, and so on, which inform the way we see the world and act. There is no such thing as ‘presuppositionlessness,’ it would entail an impossible epistemological cleansing.

[trinitarianmission]

The Benedict Option: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Introduction

I don’t make a habit of reading NYT best sellers, but its not that often books on globalization, faith, politics, and church history make the list. So when The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher was published, I took note. The book as a whole is worth reading and there were times I agreed whole heartedly and there were more times I wanted to throw the book in disgust. It is that type of book; one that elicits a response. Thus, I have broken my review into three categories in honor of Clint Eastwood: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Before I dive into that, though, a few important bits of information about the background of the author: he is a self-proclaimed conservative journalist and a first-generation Eastern Orthodox convert. Both those realities give great insight into his guiding narratives which influenced his prescription for Western society and the USA. With that, I give you my review of The Benedict Option:

The Good

There was a lot that was good in The Benedict Option, but none more so than his call for strong discipleship. For the last 30 years or so, many in mainstream Evangelicalism have bought into the concept that worship and churches need to distill the faith message down to its most bear necessities to help remove any barriers people may have to accepting the message of Jesus. Though laudable in theory, the result has left our churches with very little to bind us together save an existential experience with a God we choose to call Jesus. It has made churches a product to be consumed and the moment that product no longer satisfies, we move move onto the next product, or in the case of the next generation, we leave it all together. The Benedict Option directly confronts this notion and reminds the church that if she is going to continue being the church into the 21st century, then her symbols and theology must be strong. By strong symbols and theology, Dreher notes that we must not be afraid of being a sacramental church or holding to theologies that may seem contradictory to the modern thinking. This includes a deeper understanding of prayer and personal scripture reading.

He also posits that the church must have strong community. Christians need to learn to move away from the isolated nuclear family structure and into a true community of faith. Like the Benedictine Monks, Dreher posits that the church must learn to create sustainable community within itself. This includes education, skilled services, and business. Church must move away from being something you give 2-3 hours a week (if you are the best of the best Christian), to be that which you build your life around. He spoke of moving from NYC to Louisiana to be around a community that helped foster faith in their family as a prime example of that looks like.

Faith being the anchor to which you build your life around is the answer in 21st century America. Having transformed lives as the chief means of evangelism rather than a slick sermon series or fantastic programming is the direction the church need to move towards and that will include strong symbols and theology. This community will be disciplined and will include a rule of life. It will be self-sustaining because the Gospel is self-sustaining. The Benedict Option calls the church to a serious life of faith and that is the answer for declining church attendance and stumbling morality in North America. The church must begin to make disciples who own their faith both on Sunday and Monday. It is with that, though, that I shift from high praise of The Benedict Option to a cutting critique.

The Bad

The bad in The Benedict Option is his at times subtle and at other times not so subtle idea that for the Christian faith in North America to survive the 21st century it must separate itself from the larger society and become an island unto itself. He uses St. Benedict’s model of faith as an example and aside from a misunderstanding of Benedictine spirituality, I would argue that separation and exclusion are the antithesis of Gospel message and would serve as the death blow to Western Christianity. Battering down the hatches and “surviving” the onslaught of secularism will create a Christianity that lasts, but it will also create a Christianity that has lost its very purpose for existence. Christianity exists to co-labor with the Son in the redemption of the Father’s world, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are not called to adapt to secularism, but set the stage and model for the world what the Kingdom of God is to look like. We are not called to separate ourselves from society, but rather act as yeast in the dough and transform it. I am not against Christian schooling, but I am much more for parenting that sends faith-filled students into their high schools and universities to shine the light of Jesus both in word and deed.

Ministering in the United Kingdom not less than 100 years before Benedict was St. Patrick and his Celtic way of Christianity. Rather than secluding themselves, the Celts would set their monastery up right in the middle of the town and everyone was welcome to belong in their community before they became a Christian. They were not afraid to confront that which was evil, but were also not afraid to adapt that which dovetailed with the Christian faith. They didn’t fear popular culture; they understood it and through the power of the Holy Spirit transformed it. The result was a United Kingdom strong in faith for over 1500 years. To use H. Richard Niebuhr phrase, the New Testament (and Wesleyan Christianity, for my Wesleyan readers) posits a “Christ transforming culture” not a “Christ against culture” that Dreher proposes. As Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “the church must be a battleship at the gates of hell, not a love ship on the way to heaven.”

The Ugly

My final thought on The Benedict Option is my harshest thought and one that I hope my reader doesn't miss: the ugliest aspect of the book was Dreher’s insistence on saving Western culture. He wrote completely ambivalent to the fact that Christianity is flourishing in contexts much harsher than the USA and he wrote as if Western culture was something that must be saved at all cost. The Western way of life has brought much good to the world, but it has also brought equal (if not more than equal) amounts of pain. The church is not beholden to any way of culture over and above others and the death of the Western way should be of little consequence to her. She understands that the church is made up of those from the North, South, East, and West and each brings invaluable insight to the way she does theology and practice. The church is global and if the Western church is going to thrive into the 21st century, it will not be through guarding Western culture, but rather through embracing the practices of the Majority world church. Dreher completely misses this point and it is by far the greatest weakness of the book.

Conclusion

I would also like to note in conclusion that there is cause for great optimism regarding faith in the West. When culture has fully left its Christendom past, the church can once again rise to its prophetic role in both word and deed. There has never been a greater opportunity for the church to be the church than 2017 North America; will we continue to rail against a culture that as moved away from loose Christian affiliation or will we focus on making disciples who make disciples? In times of great darkness, the light can shine that much brighter. The church has its greatest opportunity right now. Will we live into it?

Even with the bad and the ugly, The Benedict Option is worth reading. It is not a manual on saving Western Christianity, though. It has some profound thoughts on Strong symbols and theology, and for that I commend it to both church leader and worshipper alike. It will challenge you, but I do believe ultimately fall short of an anecdote for the demise of faith in North America. For that, I recommend looking into Celtic Christianity and the Majority world church; that is our path forward and o what a path it is.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.15

636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between Byzantine Empire and Rashidun Caliphate begins. 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which will last for nearly a year. 718 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Raising of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople. 747 – Carloman, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, renounces his position as majordomo and retires to a monastery near Rome. His brother Pepin the Short becomes the sole ruler (de facto) of the Frankish Kingdom. 778 – The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed. 805 – Noble Erchana of Dahauua grants the Bavarian town of Dachau to the Diocese of Freising 927 – The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto. 982 – Holy Roman Emperor Otto II is defeated by the Saracens in the Battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria 1018 – Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles blinds and captures Ibatzes of Bulgaria by a ruse, thereby ending Bulgarian resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria. 1038 – King Stephen I, the first king of Hungary, dies; his nephew, Peter Orseolo, succeeds him. 1057 – King Macbeth is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada. 1070 – The Pavian-born Benedictine Lanfranc is appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in England. 1185 – The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia. 1237 – The Battle of the Puig takes place in the context of the Spanish Reconquista pitting the forces of the Taifa of Valencia against the Kingdom of Aragon. The battle resulted in an Aragonese victory. 1248 – The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, is laid. (Construction is eventually completed in 1880.) 1261 – Michael VIII Palaiologos is crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople. 1281 – Mongol invasion of Japan: The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Kōan. 1309 – The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island and rename themselves the Knights of Rhodes. 1430 – Francesco Sforza, lord of Milan, conquers Lucca. 1461 – The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmed II. This is regarded by some historians as the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered. 1483 – Pope Sixtus IV consecrates the Sistine Chapel. 1511 – Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Malacca Sultanate. 1517 – Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary. 1519 – Panama City, Panama is founded. 1534 – Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates take initial vows, leading to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September 1540. 1537 – Asunción, Paraguay is founded. 1540 – Arequipa, Peru is founded. 1549 – Jesuit priest Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: 22 July 1549). 1599 – Nine Years' War: Battle of Curlew Pass: Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, sent to relieve Collooney Castle. 1695 – French forces end the bombardment of Brussels. 1760 – Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz: Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst Gideon von Laudon. 1824 – The Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving French general of the American Revolutionary War, arrives in New York and begins a tour of 24 states. 1843 – The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States. 1843 – Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. 1863 – The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863). 1869 – The Meiji government in Japan establishes six new ministries, including one for Shinto. 1893 – Ibadan area becomes a British Protectorate after a treaty signed by Fijabi, the Baale of Ibadan with the British acting Governor of Lagos, George C. Denton. 1907 – Ordination in Constantinople of Fr. Raphael Morgan, the first African-American Orthodox priest, "Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies. 1914 – A servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright murders seven people and sets fire to the living quarters of Wright's Wisconsin home, Taliesin. 1914 – The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship SS Ancon. 1914 – World War I: The First Russian Army, led by Paul von Rennenkampf, enters East Prussia. 1914 – World War I: Beginning of the Battle of Cer, the first Allied victory of World War I. 1915 – A story in New York World newspaper reveals that the Imperial German government had purchased excess phenol from Thomas Edison that could be used to make explosives for the war effort and diverted it to Bayer for aspirin production. 1920 – Polish–Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw, so-called Miracle at the Vistula. 1935 – Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska. 1939 – Thirteen Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. There are no survivors. 1939 – The Wizard of Oz premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California. 1940 – An Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks the Greek cruiser Elli at Tinos harbor during peacetime, marking the most serious Italian provocation prior to the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in October. 1941 – Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 07:12, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for espionage. 1942 – World War II: Operation Pedestal: The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses. 1943 – World War II: Battle of Trahili: Superior German forces surround Cretan partisans, who manage to escape against all odds. 1944 – World War II: Operation Dragoon: Allied forces land in southern France. 1945 – Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Emperor Showa following effective surrender of Japan in the World War II, Korea gains Independence from the Empire of Japan. 1947 – India gains Independence from British rule after near 190 years of Crown rule and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. 1947 – Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor-General of Pakistan in Karachi. 1948 – The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north. 1952 – A flash flood drenches the town of Lynmouth, England, killing 34 people. 1954 – Alfredo Stroessner begins his dictatorship in Paraguay. 1960 – Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) becomes independent from France. 1961 – Border guard Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall. 1962 – James Joseph Dresnok defects to North Korea after running across the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Dresnok still resides in the capital, Pyongyang. 1963 – Execution of Henry John Burnett, the last man to be hanged in Scotland. 1963 – President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of the Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital. 1965 – The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, an event later regarded as the birth of stadium rock. 1969 – The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in upstate New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era. 1970 – Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game. 1971 – President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors. 1971 – Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom. 1973 – Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends. 1974 – Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, is killed during an apparent assassination attempt upon President, Park Chung-hee. 1975 – Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is killed along with most members of his family during a military coup. 1975 – Takeo Miki makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II. 1977 – The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project. 1984 – The Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey starts a campaign of armed attacks upon the Turkish military with an attack on police and gendarmerie bases in Şemdinli and Eruh 1995 – In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel (she drops out less than a week later). 1998 – Northern Ireland: Omagh bombing takes place; 29 people (including a woman pregnant with twins) killed and some 220 others injured. 1999 – Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria: Some 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco. 2005 – Israel's unilateral disengagement plan to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the northern West Bank begins. 2005 – The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia was signed, ending almost three decades of fighting. 2007 – An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090. 2013 – At least 27 people are killed and 226 injured in an explosion in southern Beirut near a complex used by Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. A previously unknown Syrian Sunni group claims responsibility in an online video. 2013 – The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivorous species found in the Americas in 35 years. 2015 – North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time, 8½ hours ahead of UTC.

[godssea7-blog]

“In only one way can this resurrected Holy Roman Empire be brought to fruition—by the ‘good offices’ of the Vatican, uniting church and state once again, with the Vatican astride and ruling.”—Herbert W. Armstrong

Looking at Europe today, it is difficult to imagine the appearance of another Charlemagne, Napoleon or Hitler. The idea of Europe participating in another destructive global conflict, let alone initiating one, seems impossible and outrageous.

For most people, Europe’s storied history—its dungeons and castles, its ancient weapons and renowned battlefields, its celebrated medieval past filled with royal and political intrigue—is valuable only as a lure for tourists. Europe’s days of conquest and empire are done. The future, so many believe, belongs to America, China, Russia and Islam.

One can understand this perception. After all, the world hasn’t been frightened by a European military since the Second World War. Europe continues to ward off economic and financial ruin, as well as social unrest and revolt. Europe is multicultural and sophisticated, and a world leader in defending human rights and environmental activism. The European Union itself is an inefficient, cumbersome collection of states beset with conflicting interests, bogged down by bureaucracy, and seemingly incapable of ever becoming a formidable global leader, let alone a lethal imperial superpower.

But 1,500 years of European history should warn us against underestimating the Holy Roman Empire—and the Vatican.

We must not merely look at Europe in its current state. It must be studied in its historical context. And we ought to consider Europe’s potential. The EU is home to 506 million people, almost 7 percent of the global population. Its economy is twice the size of China’s and much larger than America’s. One fifth of all the world’s economic activity happens in the EU. European nations have 1.5 million personnel in their armed forces. Europe is led by one of the world’s strongest, healthiest and most popular countries: Germany.

Europe has great potential to become a dominant financial, political and military power.

And as we have seen, Europe also has a long history with imperialism and global domination. Imagine if these elements of power were marshaled into a cohesive, dynamic geopolitical entity—a force that was once again directed at resurrecting the Roman Empire?

What if such a terrifying beast is close to being formed already?

EU—a Catholic Creation

The keynote prophecy of Herbert W. Armstrong’s 55-year ministry was about the seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. As early as the mid-1930s, during the Second World War, and even immediately after the war—when the battlefields of Europe were still smoldering and Germany was a wasteland—Mr. Armstrong warned that Germany would once again emerge as the leader of a united European superpower that would plunge mankind into World War iii.

Informed by Bible prophecy and history, Mr. Armstrong explained that while Germany would lead this final resurrection, it would be underpinned by the same religious entity that inspired all the other resurrections. “The politicians cannot [unite Europe] by themselves,” he wrote in a co-worker letter on January 23, 1980. “Only with the collaboration of the popecan they do it.”

In the January 1979 Plain Truth, Mr. Armstrong wrote: “I have been proclaiming and writing, ever since 1935, that the final one of the seven eras of the Holy Roman Empire is coming in our generation—a ‘United States of Europe,’ combining 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe—with a union of church and state! The nations of Europe have been striving to become reunited. They desire a common currency, a single combined military force, a single united government. They have made a start in the Common Market [which later became the EU]. They are now working toward a common currency. Yet, on a purely political basis, they have been totally unable to unite. In only one way can this resurrected Holy Roman Empire be brought to fruition—by the ‘good offices’ of the Vatican, uniting church and state once again, with the Vatican astride and ruling (Revelation 17:1-5).”

Did you know that most of the EU’s “founding fathers” were staunch Catholics?

To men such as Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi, Otto von Habsburg and Konrad Adenauer, the European project was a religious ambition as much as it was a political aspiration. In recognition of their pursuit of a Catholic European empire, the Catholic Church is in the process today of canonizing both Schuman and De Gasperi. Again, these men were politicians, not priests.

Most people today have no understanding about how centrally involved the Vatican and the Catholic Church was in the creation of what we now know as the European Union. Notice this 1962 article from Topic, a prominent magazine in Britain at the time: “The Vatican, usually cautious over political changes not of its own inspiration, now considers the Common Market the work of divine providence. Not since the times of Spain’s Charles v has a Roman Catholic political force been so strongly welded. Not since the end of the Holy Roman Empire has the Holy See been offered a Catholic rallying point like the Common Market. If the ‘Pact of Rome,’ which created the Common Market, had been signed within the Vatican walls, it could not have favored the church more.”

In The Principality and Power of Europe, a book exposing the origins of the European Union, Adrian Hilton writes, “Europe’s leaders and the Roman Catholic Church are still working together towards the common goal of unity. Many of Europe’s political leaders … see a crucial role for the Roman Catholic Church in their efforts, providing a powerfully cohesive common religion to hold Europe together politically.”

How many people today realize that the Vatican is one of the chief architects of European unification?

Papal Intervention

“Since World War ii, each pope has thrown his weight behind moves toward the creation of a supranational European union,” Adrian Hilton continues. “Pope John xxiii insisted that Roman Catholics should be ‘in the front ranks’ of the unification effort. In 1963, Pope Paul videclared: ‘Everyone knows the tragic history of our century. If there is a means of preventing this from happening again, it is the construction of a peaceful, organic, united Europe.’ In 1965, he further observed: ‘A long, arduous path lies ahead. However, the Holy See hopes to see the day born when a new Europe will arise, rich with the fullness of its traditions.’

“Perhaps the most concerning of Paul vi’s pronouncements on European unification came in Rome, in 1975, when he declared: ‘Can it not be said that it is faith, the Christian faith, the Catholic faith that made Europe?’ He continued: ‘It is there that our mission as bishops in Europe takes on a gripping perspective. No other human force in Europe can render the service that is confided to us, promoters of the faith, to reawaken Europe’s Christian soul, where its unity is rooted.”

During the 1970s and 1980s, after it had helped establish what eventually became the European Union, the Vatican played a key role in drawing Eastern Europe, then under Soviet yoke, into the burgeoning European empire. Pope John Paul ii in particular was instrumental in prying much of Eastern Europe from Communist Russia.

Consider Poland. When Pope John Paul ii returned to his native Poland, communism wilted in his presence! Here is how the Associated Press reported it: “Martial law had crushed the church-backed Solidarity labor movement, and Poland’s Communist rulers expected a chastened Pope John Paul ii ready for compromise when he visited his homeland in 1983. Instead, his voice rising, the pontiff lectured a surprised [Communist] party chief, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, as the nation watched on television. History would be his judge, the pope warned, demanding that union rights be restored for the Soviet bloc’s first free trade union [Solidarity]” (Jan. 9, 1998).

In the face of the pope’s demand, the Communist Jaruzelski eventually capitulated. The Vatican-funded Catholic Solidarity movement triumphed, and Poland broke the Communist yoke and quickly sought a close attachment with the European Union. Just as Herbert Armstrong had prophesied, the Vatican had driven one of many major wedges under the Iron Curtain that was destined to help crack it and eventually bring about its collapse!

A news release by abc correspondent Bill Blakemore recognized the power of this papal diplomacy: “Not only had John Paul ii ignited a nonviolent revolution when he first returned as pope in 1979, but by 1989 he had guided it with patient force till it won—the Polish Solidarity movement spread until the Berlin Wall came down and the Communists went away.”

Just as it had so many times in the past, the Vatican was paving the way for Europe to emerge as a world power. The Vatican was once again uniting Europe!

Benedict XVI

During the 1990s and 2000s, as the EU expanded and invited in countries that had less history with Catholicism, it appeared Catholicism’s influence within the EU was waning. The Vatican recognized this perception and moved quickly to restore the church to the heart of European power—a task still underway today.

Joseph Ratzinger, the German cardinal elected in April 2005 to replace Pope John Paul ii, was instrumental to the revival of traditional Catholicism and the restoration of Europe’s Catholic roots.

Upon taking office, Cardinal Ratzinger took the name Pope Benedict xvi, a title inspired by the life and work of Benedict of Nursia, a fifth-century monk venerated as the patron saint of Europe and the founder of the Benedictine monasteries. Benedict of Nursia was instrumental in advancing the influence of Catholicism throughout Europe during the early Middle Ages. The selection of Benedict as his namesake showed that Ratzinger considered it his duty to facilitate the revival of that ancient church-state union, the Holy Roman Empire.

During his first speech as pope in 2005, Benedict praised his namesake and explained how he laid the groundwork for European unification. “[Benedict] represents a fundamental point of reference for the unity of Europe and a strong reminder of the unrenounceable Christian roots of its culture and civilization,” he stated.

During his first weekly papal audience in 2005, Pope Benedict used the occasion to express what the New York Times said “may become a central theme of his pontificate: the Christian roots of Europe” (April 29, 2005).

Under this pope, the Vatican experienced a renaissance of Catholic tradition and conservatism. Benedict’s Vatican, as many noted, had a special affection for medieval doctrine and practices, and emerged as perhaps the most notable defender of tradition. Together, Benedict and the Vatican waged war on moral relativism, compromise and secularism.

By the time he resigned in February 2013, Benedict had made great strides in eliminating liberalism within the church, reviving traditional and conservative Catholic dogma and practices, and restoring Europe’s “Christian roots.” Despite his success, however, there was still much work to be done.

Enter Pope Francis

For decades, Herbert Armstrong forecast that two specific threats would propel Europe to coalesce as a global superpower and, with the Vatican’s guidance, manifest as the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1984, Mr. Armstrong warned that a massive banking crisis “could suddenly result in triggering European nations to unite as a new world power larger than either the Soviet Union or the U.S.” (co-worker letter, July 22, 1984). We have witnessed just such a crisis. The banking crisis that began in America in 2008 and quickly rippled over to inflict terrible damage on Europe has initiated major political and financial changes in Europe. It is forcing—albeit in fits and spurts, with a lot of tension and debate—further integration and federalization of Europe’s economies and finances. Global financial upheaval is, and will continue, to forge Europe into a financial superpower.

Mr. Armstrong also warned that an empowered Russia would spur Europe to unite. In his January 23, 1980 co-worker letter, he warned that fear of Russia “will be the spark to bring the heads of nations in Europe together with the Vatican to form a ‘United Nations of Europe.’” This too is happening. The belligerent behavior of Russian President Vladimir Putin alarms Europe. Russia’s emergence as an aggressive superpower is forging, and will continue to forge, Europe into a powerful and efficient political and military superpower.

Although these two crises have given Europe motive to unite, we must remember where the spiritual leadership and inspiration to integrate originates. Just as it has so many times in the past, the Vatican is critical to helping Europe integrate in response to the dual threats of financial ruin and a belligerent Russia. Consider the works of Pope Francis.

The selection of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as successor to Pope Benedict xvi in March 2013 caught many by surprise. He is the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years, the first-ever pope from the Americas, and the antithesis of the ultratraditionalist that many assumed would replace Benedict xvi. Inconspicuous and humble in appearance, Bergoglio struck many as lacking in reputation, in theological pedigree, in charisma and personality. Many wondered: Could Bergoglio, an outsider, a non-European, a man seemingly more interested in the poor than in politics, increase the Vatican’s power in Europe, unite the Continent, then lead the prophesied Holy Roman Empire?

It wasn’t long before the answers came. Within eight months of becoming pope, Francis was arguably the most popular and loved man on Earth, the hope of millions, and Timemagazine’s Person of the Year. The enthusiasm he has brought to the church is so dramatic it has its own name: the Francis Effect.

Across the planet, public support of the Catholic Church is increasing. Church attendance is up. Conversions are up. The pope is widely adored and admired, even among non-Catholics. Francis has worked wonders among the church’s lukewarm, disillusioned laity. “[W]hat makes this pope so important is the speed with which he has captured the imaginations of millions who had given up on hoping for the church at all,” wrote Time (Dec. 11, 2013).

Joy of the Gospel

Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium) was the title of the pope’s November 2013 apostolic exhortation, a document that encapsulates Francis’s vision for mankind. Its message is powerful, transformative and, in the context of history and Bible prophecy, deeply concerning. John Thavis, author and Vatican expert, described the pope’s exhortation as a “remarkable and radical document, one that ranges widely and challenges complacency at every level.”

He described it as the “Magna Carta for church reform” (Reuters, Nov. 26, 2013).

Evangelii Gaudium was a direct response to the global financial crisis. The exhortation covers a range of subjects, but it is especially striking for its tough and uncompromising appraisal of the global financial system, particularly capitalism. Francis attacked unfettered capitalism as “a new tyranny.” He condemned income inequality, the “culture of prosperity,” and “a financial system which rules rather than serves.”

Cloaked as a defense of the poor, the missive was taken by many as a denunciation of capitalism. Pope Francis demanded, in the words of Reuters, an “overhaul of the financial system” (ibid).

While the pope’s message sounds radical in modern context, it is nothing more than a restatement of long-standing Catholic social doctrine. The new financial system the pope called for is, in essence, the same financial system the Catholic Church has used in all other resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire.

For the first few resurrections of that empire, this system was feudalism. Within this system, the pope, as “God’s representative on Earth,” is the supreme authority. He delegates some of that authority to kings, who in turn delegate to lords, who delegate to knights, and so on. In 1891, Pope Leo xiii brought this system into the modern era of firms, trade unions and businessmen. Feudalism was updated and became the Catholic principle of subsidiarity. In essence, Pope Leo’s analysis was this: Marxism fails because it concentrates too much power with the national leaders; it gives them the capacity to do great evil and there is nothing to stop them. Capitalism avoids this; the problem with it, however, is that it is intrinsically selfish and fails to look after the poor. The Catholic solution is a strong, almost Marxist state with the wealth and power to take care of the poor. To prevent the national leaders from wielding their considerable power unjustly, the Catholic Church would also have major power. This way, the “good” of the church prevents the national leaders from abusing their power. These “benevolent” rulers then ensure everyone is treated fairly.

This is simply a modernization of the same Catholic economic system that has ruled Europe six times before. The Catholic Church is championing the plight of the poor to regain its central economic role.

As Europe struggles with high levels of unemployment, Pope Francis’s message about transforming the global financial system to defend the poor is very popular. Francis is an outspoken champion of Europe’s poor and unemployed. The economic crisis in Europe will intensify until the pope is finally encouraged to impose his solution. This is understandable. Millions of people are disconcerted and disillusioned with the current system of politics and finance. But while the current system is inept, deeply flawed, and entirely unsustainable, is the Vatican’s solution right for mankind?

The Catholic religion has presided over many governments, societies and economies in the past. Not one has been successful.

Be Praised

Pope Francis’s second encyclical, Laudato Si (Be Praised), published in June 2014, is a continuation of the imperialistic message of Evangelii Guadium. In Laudato Si, Francis explores the issues of world poverty and environmental destruction, two very real problems. But it is his solution to these issues that is most telling—and alarming.

In Laudato Si, Francis quotes a dramatic statement from his predecessor, Pope Benedict xvi. “To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority ….”

The pope articulates his message well, and his aspirations seem to be noble and selfless. Poverty and environmental degradation are serious problems, and we desperately need a solution. But is the solution the establishment of a “world political authority”?

Can you think of a single instance of a supreme authority ruling with equity, tolerance and justice, for the benefit of every subject?

Given the flawed nature of Western systems, Francis explained, “it is essential to devise stronger and more efficiently organized international institutions, with functionaries who are appointed fairly by agreement among national governments, and empowered to impose sanctions.” When has such an endeavor produced positive results?

It is important to recognize that the creation of a supreme, all-powerful authority is not simply the pope’s opinion or aspiration—it is a declaration of intent. Francis is actively working for the establishment of a new system of world government.

One of the core themes of both Laudato Si and Evangelii Guadium is that Western-style government and finance are deeply flawed, and therefore need to be destroyed and replaced. The pope is right. Our systems of government and finance are flawed and in desperate need of replacing. But Catholic solutions have been tried before, multiple times, and failed each time—usually after terrible pain and suffering.

The Vatican’s encyclicals are patently anti-Western, and have a special venom for the United States. The attack on “unfettered capitalism,” for example, was clearly directed at the United States. On several occasions he has condemned “the great powers”—the Allies of World War ii—for not bombing German concentration camps or the railway lines leading to them during World War ii. He also condemned the “great powers” for “looking the other way” during the Armenian genocide 40 years earlier.

Such finger-pointing is astonishing. Francis is the leader of the church that endorsed the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, that turned a blind eye to Hitler’s destruction of 6 million Jews, and that perpetuated Nazism by helping Nazis escape Europe following the war. And he is disappointed with America and Britain for not doing enough to rescue the Jews during World War ii?

It is no coincidence that these same “great powers” are the nations responsible for building the current world order. It was the Allies—Britain, America, the Soviet Union and France—that received the first permanent seats on the UN Security Council. The UN itself and many other global bodies are of their design. Yet the pope’s words are filled with hate and anger against these powers.

The pope we have today might appear to endorse the United Nations, the closest thing to a “world political authority,” but his definition of the UN as a “true world political authority” clearly does not include the Allies, at least not in a meaningful role. It is hard to imagine him endorsing Russia and China as the new leaders of his “world political authority.” So, who does Francis envision being in charge of this new world authority?

The answer is evident, both within the encyclicals and in history: It is the Roman Catholic Church.

As we have seen through this book, Pope Francis’s message is entirely consistent with history. Pope Gregory, during the Investiture Controversy, pushed “a theory of papal world-government.” Pope Urban proclaimed, “In one sense the whole world is exile for a Christian, and in another the whole world is his country.” And if the pope is the head of all true Christians, as the church claims, then doesn’t that put the Catholic Church at the head of the world?

The clue is in the name—the “catholic” or “universal” church.

The Vatican as a Political Force

Since he became pope, Francis has wielded decisive influence in two key global political issues: Cuba and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In December 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama surprised the world when he announced that after 53 years of hostility America would restore diplomatic ties with Cuba. The terms of the deal completely favored Cuba. Cuba did not have to abandon communism or reform its dictatorial governance. In practical terms, the U.S. got nothing out of the deal.

Pope Francis played an instrumental role in President Obama’s decision. In early summer 2014, the pope appealed to both leaders by letter, urging them to exchange prisoners and improve relations. The Vatican later hosted a secret meeting between the two sides in Rome. In fact, the Vatican’s involvement in this situation goes back to 2012, when Pope Benedict xvibegan pressuring the U.S. to normalize relations with Cuba.

“Francis is a master of blending the spiritual with the political,” wrote National Public Radio’s Rome-based senior Europe correspondent, Sylvia Poggioli. “[He] has embraced the bully pulpit of the papacy, emerging as a daring, independent broker on the global stage” (Dec. 25, 2014).

Doesn’t this bring to mind the scene described in Revelation 17 of a great religion “sit[ting] on many waters,” controlling and influencing the “inhabitants of the earth,” and interfering with and reigning “over the kings of the earth”?

Pope Francis was at it again in spring 2015. On May 13, the Vatican announced that it had formally recognized the “state of Palestine” in a newly finalized treaty with the Palestinians. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visited the Vatican in mid-May. During the visit, the pope effectively gave his approval of all the acts of terror committed by the Palestinian leader and his followers, even telling the Palestinian terrorist leader, “You are an angel of peace.”

Critics of Israel and backers of Palestinian statehood were elated by the Vatican’s announcement. The movement to recognize a Palestinian state has gained momentum in recent years, particularly within the United Nations, and this endorsement from the Vatican was huge. Gaining the support of humanity’s most respected and admired leader could be just the boost needed to get the project of Palestinian statehood over the finish line.

These examples show that the pope clearly has his own foreign-policy agenda. He talks with leaders around the world and even makes major interventions in some of the top issues facing the world today: the economic crisis, the Middle East, America’s foreign relations and more.

Again, these are apt examples of the scene described in Revelation 17 and 18. Revelation 18 even says that “the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” This religion even gets involved with the global financial system.

Isn’t this incredible? The Apostle John prophesied almost 2,000 years ago of a great religion involving itself in world politics and even influencing the global economy.

Pope Francis, like so many pontiffs before him, is fulfilling this prophecy. He is attempting to set up the church to rule over or influence the kings of the Earth—to make rulings through new “enforceable international agreements.”

The Vatican’s Weapon?

One of the great lessons evident within each of the past manifestations of the Holy Roman Empire is that the Vatican always works through a specific individual and people. During the first resurrection, the Vatican’s man was Justinian. During the second, it was Charlemagne. During the sixth resurrection, it was Adolf Hitler at the helm of Nazi Germany.

If the Holy Roman Empire is going to rise again, we should expect the Vatican to once again work with one nation specifically, and even one individual. The identity of this nation is obvious.

Germany today is Europe’s undisputed and unchecked leader, politically, financially and militarily. The financial crisis that began in 2008 has empowered Berlin, which, compared to the rest of Europe and the world, is in robust financial and economic health. Germany has had to rescue multiple European states from bankruptcy, a process that has augmented Berlin politically and created a distinct master-servant relationship between Germany and much of the rest of Europe.

Germany’s ascension is so obvious that many mainstream and respected journalists and politicians today talk openly about Germany’s Fourth Reich. In its March 21, 2015, issue, Germany’s Der Spiegel—a respected magazine with a circulation of more than 1 million—explicitly compared modern Germany to the Holy Roman Empire. It spoke of how the term reich simply refers to “a dominion, with a central power exerting control over many different peoples. According to this definition, would it be wrong to speak of a German Reich in the economic realm? … An empire is in play, at least in the economic realm. The eurozone is clearly ruled by Germany, though Berlin is not unchallenged. It does, however have a significant say in the fates of millions of people from other countries.”

Der Spiegel is far from the only voice espousing this view. Consider just a few observations from the past few years.

Simon Heffer, Daily Mail, August 17, 2011: “Where Hitler failed by military means to conquer Europe, modern Germans are succeeding through trade and financial discipline. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.” March 29, 2013: “History shows it is, always, only a matter of time before Germany ends up dominating Europe. After years of refusing to assert itself, Germany’s time has come again. The Fourth Reich is here without a shot being fired: and the rest of Europe, and the world, had better get used to it.”

Stephen Green, Telegraph, June 23, 2015: “Germany finds itself at the geographic and economic center—and therefore increasingly the political center too—of the new Europe. No longer do all roads lead to Paris, but to Berlin.”

Nigel Farage, former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, in the European Parliament, September 2010: “We are now living in a German-dominated Europe—something that the European project was actually supposed to stop—something that those that went before us actually paid a heavy price in blood to prevent.”

Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph, July 21, 2011: “Germany has come very close to realizing Bismarck’s dream of an economic empire stretching from Central Europe to the Eastern Mediterranean.” March 5, 2015: “This marks a vital turning point in the postwar world. Germany has long been the dominant economic power in the European Union. With Ms. Merkel in charge, it is now turning that economic power into diplomatic power.”

Martin Wolf, Financial Times, May 8, 2012: “This is not a monetary union. It is far more like an empire.”

Nicholas Kulish, New York Times, September 10, 2010: “In ways large and small Germany is flexing its muscles and reasserting a long-repressed national pride. Dozens of recent interviews across the country, with workers and businessmen, politicians and homemakers, artists and intellectuals, found a country more at ease with itself and its symbols, like its flag and its national anthem—a people still aware of their country’s history, but less willing to let it dictate their actions.”

It is beyond dispute: The EU now is a German-dominated, German-led world power.

The resurrection of the seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is undoubtedly going to be presided over by the Vatican and Germany.

This too was prophesied.

God’s Rod of Correction

The book of Isaiah contains many prophecies for the end time. One of those prophecies is in Isaiah 10:5, where God says, “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.” It is easy to prove that the Germans today are the modern descendants of biblical Assyria. (Request our free reprint The Remarkable Identity of the German People.) But here in Isaiah 10, God specifically identifies the Assyrians as being the “rod of mine anger.”

God continues: “I will send him [Germany] against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets” (verse 6). The German-led Holy Roman Empire is a tool in God’s hands. God uses this rod to correct a “hypocritical” nation—referring to modern Israel, specifically America and Britain.

Notice verse 7: “Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so ….” There is a specific individual leading the Holy Roman Empire, an end-time Charlemagne or Hitler. This man, at least when he first comes to power, does not intend on inflicting terrible carnage. But he experiences a change of heart, and as the verse says, “… it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.”

This man will lead the Holy Roman Empire into World War iii.

God also discusses this German-led, Catholic Holy Roman Empire in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 23, the prophet describes a scenario where Britain and America are “dot[ing] on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours.” Britain, the U.S. and the Jewish state draw close to Assyria.

In this prophecy, the term Assyria (Germany) is used interchangeably with Babylonians and Chaldeans (see verses 14-18)—referring to the people from the region of Babylon and Chaldea. Genesis 10 and 11 show that the Assyrians were a prominent and leading race in ancient Babylon, and worked closely with the Chaldeans. Together, these two races were the dominant power in ancient Babylon.

Prophetically speaking, the terms Babylonians and Chaldeans refer to the Holy Roman Empire, the roots of which, as we have seen, extend all the way back to ancient Babylon. Today as in the past, Assyria, or Germany, leads the collection of peoples that comprise the resurrected Holy Roman Empire.

Ezekiel 23:24-25 reveal the consequences of Israel’s naive and foolish fling with this empire: “And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments. And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.”

This prophecy describes a horrific and sudden German double cross of Britain, the U.S. and the Jewish state.

The Prophet Habakkuk also had much to say about the end-time Catholic-inspired, German-led Holy Roman Empire. In Habakkuk 1:6, God says, “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation ….” Chaldeans refers to this same Holy Roman Empire, which is led by Germany.

Notice how God describes Germany and its empire here: “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat” (verses 6-8).

It is a terrifying scene, in which this “bitter and hasty nation” storms through the land destroying and devouring everything in its path!

It is like World War ii all over again, but on a far greater scale!

The Jerusalem Bible renders verse 7, “A people feared and dreaded, from their might proceeds their right, their greatness.” If you know anything about secular and biblical history, you know about whom God is talking. The German people are warriors whose strength gives them the “right” to do anything they want, anytime they want.

Verse 11 says: “Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.” This is talking about the specific individual leading the Holy Roman Empire. This man is discussed further in Daniel 8. But notice: The mind of the man who leads this political beast will change. He will come under the possession of a powerful and evil spirit being. This being is Satan the devil, mentioned throughout Scripture (Revelation 12:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).

The power of Satan will be behind a revived and terrifying Nazi Germany!

Can you begin to see what is happening on the world scene today? One of the most stunning geopolitical developments this world has witnessed since World War ii is the unification and revival of Germany. The postwar transformation of this nation—from rubble to Europe’s greatest power and the absolute leader of the growing European superstate—is remarkable. But it has not happened by accident!

As we have seen, a great amount of thought and planning has been invested in restoring Germany as a global power and cementing Berlin as the head of the superstate we call the European Union. Just as it has so many times throughout history, the Vatican has been central to the rise of Germany and the unification of Europe!

Whether you believe this or not, this is reality. The seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is now forming with lightning speed. Very soon now, the horrible history explained in this book will be a living reality.

The 21st century is about to have its own Hitler, its own deadly European empire, and its own terrible history.

To survive, to remain sane, to maintain any semblance of hope and optimism, we must immerse our minds in God’s ultimate plan. God’s prophecies are not confined to the horrible, terrifying events that unfold in the end time. Truly, the grim prophecies are merely stepping-stones to the most exciting and incredible, and hopeful, prophecies you will ever read.

Before we conclude, it’s imperative that we immerse our minds in the incredible vision of what comes after the seventh and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.

[imparatiavine]

Context

Religion in the Middle Ages

It’s no secret that Christianity dominates the world in the 21st century. Not surprisingly, Christianity as a cultural, political, and religious phenomenon played a major role in Medieval Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire. This fall, to many Christians, did not come as a surprise since it was prophesied about many times in the Old and New Testaments in books such as Daniel and Revelations. Now, to anyone who is familiar with these books, there is a lot that goes on which might make you think ‘wow am I still reading the Bible or is this some World of Warcraft stuff?’ From colossal statues to dragons and many-headed beasts, the Bible has stories that, if you’re as into it as I am, will keep you at the edge of your seat. This book was a major part in the daily life of any Christian, and I dare say non-Christian, living in Medieval Europe. His entire existence was pretty much based on what this single book said and as we discussed in class, it is all interconnected. Much of the Old Testament makes sense because of the New Testament and vice versa.

Although there weren’t as many denominations as today, there was still diversity within the Roman Catholic and Orthodox sects of the religion and these matters could be traced back to the previous religions of the country. Yes. You read that right. There are many themes in Christianity tracing back to Pagan religions in Egypt, Germany, and everywhere else. And to many modern faithful individuals such as myself, I don’t think about this often, mostly because it makes me uncomfortable. But that’s the truth, during the past and now. Part of the discussion was also around how much of these pagan themes infiltrated the practices of Christians and how some themes weren’t completely Christianized and remained alive in the liturgy and praises and “magical” texts. All of this to say that, as the title of the course suggests, there is a lot of mythology in Christianity and after attending class for ten weeks, I can say with ease that Christianity would probably lose a big part of its identity if we stripped it of mythology. And I think Medieval Christians would agree...I could be wrong.

Medieval Monasteries and the Bible

As I said earlier, Christianity spread like a wildfire in Medieval Europe and that was largely due to Monasteries and Monastic circles. Monasticism was based on many different rules in case you didn’t know but at its core, it depended on asceticism. The term asceticism comes from the Greek word "askesis" meaning "exercise" or "training." It implies that the individual is training for something. In all its forms and in terms of monastic life, it is not only training the body but the mind as well. The objective is to gain control of oneself in order to pray without distraction. The term monk comes from the word "monachos" meaning "single alone." The oddity is that most monks did not live alone. In general, the monks that get most of the attention tend to be the anchorites. They are living alone for long periods of time. Numerically,  most monks lived in monasteries and in groups. The term hermit is usually reserved to those living in solitary and are desert dwellers. Finally, the term anchorite comes from the Greek verb "anachoreo" meaning to "withdraw or go up." Anchorite is also someone living in solitary.

Now that I got some definitions out of the way, I want to focus on a specific type of monk, the type which evangelized and taught the sons of rich merchants and aristocracy. See monks were actually more useful to their communities than in modern day and I don’t mean in that in a negative way or anything. On the contrary, if you visit countries like Egypt and go to the poor countrysides, you’ll see that the monks of the nearby monastery are the ones that help wherever is needed and go out of their way to support struggling individuals, whether Christian or Muslim or any other religion. But back then, monks and friars and men in training were tasked to educate the youth and produce and illuminate manuscripts and books of many types, not just the Bible. And that’s how Christianity spread! Each time a monk visited a village, alongside selling the works of his hands not for himself but more for his community and his basic needs, he’d evangelize and spread the Gospel. And more often than not, he would go into houses of rich men and teach the children how to read and write...and I would like to think that he snuck the Bible in between sessions or probably used scriptures to test the children. But that’s just a theory. Again, I could be wrong. For the purposes of this assignment/story, however, this is the case. It’s like the beginning of a joke.

Two monks walk into an aristocrat’s home...

Anyway, Monasticism, as an institution, spearheaded missionary activity in several locations. Much of Nubia and Ethiopia, for example, is evangelized by Egyptian monks, and Asia & China by the Syrian monks. The bulk of Anatolia and Russia are also evangelized through the monastic movement. Where monasticism goes, they are evangelizing, and where they are evangelizing, they need to have the Bible in the vernacular, along with basic liturgical and patristic texts. In all of those locations mentioned, the Old and New Testaments need to have been translated in order for the monks to interact and preach to the population. They are not only spreading education but harnessing it through the copying and decoration of manuscripts. From the 6th century on, monks have a monopoly on the higher offices which leads to ecclesiastical leadership mainly by the bishops but also by the priests. This is also one of the reasons why I picked this part of the story of Christ to write about. Not much is known about the forty days Christ spent in the desert and I’d like to think it went a little something like this. And since this is meant to be graded, I based it on a discussion we had for one meeting: the connections between the Old and New Testaments.

The Rule of St. Benedict

So the order which followed the teachings of St. Benedict was the most common during this era and it encouraged its members to live as simply as possible, in every aspect of their life. For the purposes of this story, the two monks speaking to the little kid are Benedictine monks which went out to sell their daily labor so they could buy food and water for their community of monks. For a closer look into the Benedictine Order, please visit this website.