However, the Church in the First Vatican Council dogmatically declared that God is not hidden from us:
Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith Dei Filius, Canon 2. On revelation:
1. If anyone says that the one, true God, our Creator and Lord, cannot be known with certainty from the things that have been made, by the natural light of human reason: let him be anathema.
Of course, St. Paul says the same thing in Romans 1:18ff:
“The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools…”
Rather than accepting the premise that God is hidden, Catholics should challenge those making this assertion to prove that He is. They can’t do that. (And if you really want a fun argument, go all St. Paul on your interlocuter and tell him that the reason he doesn’t believe in God is his own personal wickedness. Force him to defend his own personal holiness despite his unbelief, and then just giggle.)
Once again, I (Maureen) see a Great Flame that I have come to know as
the Heart of God the Father. He says: “Children, be aware that
everything you do to gain your own salvation or the salvation of others
is countered by Satan in some way – many times it is discouragement.
Your journey towards My Kingdom is never easy, nor does it go unnoticed
by the powers of evil. Satan’s greatest weapon is to be unrecognized.
I’m telling you these things so you will be aware of his attacks.”
“He most often comes clothed in goodness. Therefore, you must think
through where every plan of action leads you. Pay attention to the
people you are dealing with. Always pursue the Truth. Do not be naive
as to who Satan will use. Title in the Church or the world does not
represent a barrier to evil. The souls with the most influence over
others are Satan’s prime targets. Pray for them. Pray always to
recognize any inroad evil is making in your life. Avoid circumstances
you are uncertain about as to their goal or consequences in the long
run.”
“Never feel Satan is unaware of you and will not contend with you. He is after every soul. Every sin is his victory.”
Read Hebrews 3:12-13+
Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil,
unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But
exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none
of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
+ Scripture verses asked to be read by God the Father. (Please note:
all Scripture given by Heaven refers to the Bible used by the
visionary. Ignatius Press – Holy Bible – Revised Standard Version –
Second Catholic Edition.)
“I’ve been writing a very long time. Probably I started before most of you were born. And I believe this: Everything is about story. If any of you want to be writers, please try and believe me about story. If you have the story right for you, you have a chance. If you mess up the story, no matter how dazzling your style, you’ll be in trouble.”
…In the book — which I highly recommend for any current or aspiring screenwriter — Goldman takes a deep dive into his own work, including his Oscar-winning screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He also took home an Academy Award for All the President’s Men; and adapted his own novels Marathon Man and Magic.
But for many moviegoers, even if they don’t know to whom they’re grateful, the Goldman work that is held closest to their hearts is The Princess Bride. He adapted his 1973 novel, a send-up of fantasy stories, into a beloved 1987 movie, directed by Rob Reiner.
…
I had two little daughters, I think they were 7 and 4 at the time, and I said, “I’ll write you a story. What do you want it to be about?” One of them said “a princess” and the other one said “a bride.” I said, “That’ll be the title.”
William Goldman died today, and so I’m going to talk about the Princess Bride for a second.
I don’t remember the first time I watched the Princess Bride. It was always one of my favorite moves, for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory of it is being nine years old, and voting for that movie whenever my friends or sister wanted to watch a movie. By middle school I had seen it so many times I could quote it verbatim (and often did, I was an annoying child).
I remember a car trip with some family friends where any of the four children in the car (ranging in age from 7-10) would say “No more rhymes now, I mean it!” and the rest of us would shriek in unison “ANYBODY WANT A PEANUT?” before dissolving into laughter.
The first time I read the book, I was in high school, and I fell in love instantly. It gave me knowledge of inside jokes I didn’t even know I was missing. It let me see the backstory of these characters I had considered friends for so long. I was heartbroken that it had taken me so long to get to this obviously essential thing.
And when my mom, who was terminally ill with ALS, had deteriorated to the point where she couldn’t even leave her bed without an incredible amount of help, I read the Princess Bride to her. My sister and I sat in her room and would read to her, at least a chapter a day, because no matter how horrible things in the real world were, that was our story, and it was always a safe haven for us.The first time I watched the Princess Bride after my mother died Count Rugan’s death resonated with me in a new way.
In college, I would put the movie on in the background when I had to write a particularly stressful essay, and I would read my favorite passages when I was sad.
My copy of The Princess Bride is torn at the spine. Almost every page is dogeared, and there’s a blue stain on the corner of the pages from….a marker? Dying easter eggs? I’m not sure. It’s a book I’ve brought everywhere with me for the past decade. It’s a story that has defined my life.
William Goldman didn’t just change my life, he shaped it, and I hope he knew what a deep impact he had.
It’s not a dumb question at all because I absolutely love telling this story! ❤
So I met @an-autumn-rose on a video chat room called Rabbit that was run by @captainvatican for the DigiCatholic group. We didn’t talk too much at first, but slowly got to know each other and eventually (by that I mean within a week) we started Skyping every night. I can’t really remember when the decision itself was made, but we decided since I took the whole week after Christmas that year, I would spend the second half meeting her and @fiercequeen23 in person and figuring out whether or not we wanted to try a long distance relationship. We obviously decided to go for it and the rest is history. 🙂
I also had the pleasure of meeting @its-pixie-perfect on the drive back. 😛
Wide Spread Interests 