#439 Pope Francis Scandalizes The Flock while VP K. Harris Is On Tour To Promote Abortion: Yet Bishop Sheen Focuses on "Way To Happiness-Contentment"??

And yet , and yet , we're going to be highlighting Bishop Sheen's way to happiness , with a focus on contentment . What Contentment , while all this chaos is going on ? Sure is , this is a timeless battle . We're going to kind of crack this open . Christ calls us into a deeper , deeper , deeper relationship with him .

Things are accelerating , so buckle up and join me for the rest of today's episode . Evil is closing in and we sense it , don't we ? It's accelerating across the world and man do . We need a saver , and fortunately we have one . The eternal battle has been won , w-o-n-1 .

Our lady has already crushed Satan's head and Jesus Christ , the Son of God and the Son of our Blessed Mother , has redeemed humanity . Redemption is collective , it's offered to everyone , but salvation is individual . This is human dignity , human freedom is children of God .

We have to say yes , and then , all the while , that battle has been won , and that battle is that that win , right To put us in the winning column has been offered to us through redemption and salvation . But we live in a temporal space where this battle for souls is at a feverish pace right now Good versus evil .

And we have two sides of that those who said yes , they're fiat to Christ's offer of redemption and salvation , and those that turned it down . This is the conscious choice by many to just turn it down . It's amazing , but it's been going on for a long time .

Mysterium and Equitatus , the mystery of evil and the mystery , really , of those human beings who choose evil .

Yet think about this the power of the seduction , of the tempter of the devil , of Satan himself , who was able to tempt Adam and Eve and think about this Even when they are already in the Garden of Eden and everything they needed was given to them , and yet they were tempted . So you can see that the offer of the seduction is very powerful .

Today , millions upon millions of human beings are standing , in a sense , before that tree of the knowledge of good and evil , and they're at that tree . We all come up to that tree and we have to decide will we choose God or will we reject God ?

When we reject God , we have no idea of the power of evil that's being unleashed in the world and into our own hearts and , through us , into the world , often , right , so well . Today we have an acceleration of this evil a Hydra . You know the Hydra is many-headed serpent , right , this Hydra of evil .

You know , a quick scan through the headlines will tell you so much . But let me just name a couple of things . Right , you know a quick scan of the Colorado Supreme Court just ruled that Trump is ineligible for the presidency . I think they're gonna , they're taking them off the ballot is the idea behind that .

It's a paradox , right , that someone as morally and cognitively deficient as Joe Biden will remain on the ballot . It's amazing .

Speaking of a paradox , we have Pope Francis continuing down his own spiral , downward spiral , and trying to take the whole church with him , with the publication of fiduciah supplicants this week , where the Pope scandalizes faithful Catholics by opening the door for priests to provide blessings for homosexual couples . You know , we're not children , right , we're not naive .

We know , and he knows what's coming next . You know this will undoubtedly lead to same-sex marriage being treated as by some , as a sacrament , giving them a false and dangerous hope .

The heretic Father James Martin Jesuit could not wait to make history by blessing two married men that were holding hands , and this is the same Father Martin who's BFF with Pope Francis .

At the same time that this is going on , the Biden campus is making abortion , the murder of innocent children , the pillar of reelection , and Vice President Kamala Harris is now on tour toting this sick reality . It's amazing , right ?

So we have this , really , if you think about it , the three-headed source of this hydra and the many , many smaller serpent heads beneath it . Number one , and this is not in order of any special power , this is just where it's all coming from the global elite , the world economic form and the largest industrial nations . Somehow they have them under their power .

I don't know . It's amazing amount of evil . So they're promoting abortion again , lbgtq , iass , plus gender affirming care , etc . Etc . And the smaller hydra below it . You know , with climate hoax , the Vax hoax , I mean all this stuff . And you know , look it .

I'm not going to dig into all of those issues , but what they've done is they're taking all of these things to create fear and separation and take control and power .

Number two we have Pope Francis taking down the two pillars of human civilization marriage and the family , and then the child , the children that should come out of those families blessing same-sex marriages . It's really something right .

And then , number three , the mass culture , who have rejected God and all its sexual norms and these sexual norms aren't some new invention . You know , western civilization didn't come up with a family being the pillar .

The children that come there I mean the children come behind and educated properly and brought into a family of love , the generation that comes in and becomes adults , while the rest of us are leaving this world through old age and stuff . And you know you twisted and distorted those minds and everybody went for it , huh ?

So the cornerstone of civilization is marriage and the family , and to break that down , we're going to twist and distort it . We're going to add same-sex marriage . In other words , we're going to make marriage meaningless , the child meaningless , and not only kill them in abortion but render them sterile if they happen to make it to the womb right .

And again , there's many other evils in this hydra seeking to destroy what Destroy humanity , and people all around the globe are demanding their own destruction , demanding the right to render marriage again meaningless , the child in the womb and even afterwards meaningless , demanding the end of Western civilization . And it looks like they're going to get it .

They're going to get their wish . So why am I tying this to Bishop Sheen's way to happiness ? Because what we can do , what we must do , is enter more deeply into a personal life of holiness . We're past the point where this has a human solution . Only God can defeat this evil .

We know that he will use us to help in some way , and so you must train for holiness so that you can stand in the truth of love and love others in the truth . We are not entering into dark times , we're already in dark times , and so we need the light of the sun , s-o-n . The light of the sun . I want to read you something from St Paul in Ephesians .

This is chapter two , kind of . The set the stage from death to life with Christ , and so this kind of puts us in this , you know , backing up again to those that are except redemption and are on their way on the journey to salvation , and those that rejected and that's really what this is all about at the end and he writes this in chapter two .

And you he made alive when you were dead , through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked , following the course of this world , following the prince of the power of the ear , the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience Among these .

We all once lived in the passions of our flesh , following the desires of body and mind , and so we were , by nature , children of wrath Like the rest of mankind . Isn't that wild ? Think about this . A body and a soul without grace , without God , a body and a soul that default position our children of wrath ? Sin and death . That's it . Sin and death .

Those that reject God are on this highway to nowhere . But same pauses . But God , who is rich , in mercy , out of the great love with which he loves us . He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses , made us alive together with Christ . By grace , you have been saved and raised up with Him .

And so let me just finish this thought Body and a soul now infused with grace by the Holy Spirit . This gives us the potential for human flourishing , potential for human freedom . And then we act . How do we act ? Now we receive . You can't give what you don't have , but now I receive by the Holy Spirit , I receive this grace .

It infused within me , I become a temple of the Holy Spirit , and now I go out into the world and become a person of love . But love has a meaning . I have to speak the truth in love and I have to love others in the truth . Only this will set you free . This is the power of God within you .

You will be empowered and a force will send a chill up your spine . I was just reading some of my favorite saints St Teresa of Abba , saint John of the Cross who were contemporaries and wrote a lot on prayer , and they both speak about detachment . We have to detach from this world . We're in the world , but not of the world . Look , we have to do things .

We have to go out , like I even just said here in Preach the Gospel in the world . We have to work , we have to do things in the world , but we can't be attached to those things . Money can be used for good things . We have to make money to support ourselves and our families and stuff , but at the end of the day we can't be attached to that .

We can't worship . Jesus said we can't worship both a man and God at the same time . One has to be the master over the other . So I'm going to get into Bishop Sheen . I talked about this book yesterday , so I'm not going to dive into it today .

But in 1953 , 70 years ago , he writes Way to Happiness an inspiring guide to peace , hope and contentment in the midst of all this craziness and Bishop Sheen saw all this comedy , warned us about all this but yet he says we look for contentment .

And this is about detachment now , to be content with what you have , not to be envious of other people , not to let your ego or your selfishness be the primary plant and not to covet other people's goods and what they have and not to be jealous of them . Contentment , no matter where we're at in life . You know life is going on very short .

There's gonna be a lot of , a lot of darkness in our , in our future , here , and so we have to learn to be content with what we have and to detach so that we can always be going . Use this as an Opportunity to grow closer to Christ and this universal call to holiness . This is the only thing that's gonna change the world today .

Only God is going to be able to do this . Humans don't have the power to do this . Just so much evil . We have to do our thing now . We all have to do our part , but that's gonna come from a deep place of holiness . So Bishop sheen writes this contentment is not an innate virtue .

It is acquired through great resolution and diligence in conquering unruly desires . Hence it is an art which few study . Because there are millions of Discontented souls in the world today , it might be helpful for them to analyze the four main causes of discontent and to suggest means to contentment .

The principal cause of this content is egoism , or selfishness , which sets up the self as a primary plant . Around everything else must revolve . Humility , right humility is so important . The second cause of discontent is envy , which makes us regard the possessions and talents of others as if they were stolen from us .

Oh my gosh , yeah , I see the talents of stuff we have , this little hinge , you know . When you have this little hinge or twinge , I should say , of jealousy or envy , you know , just offer that up , use that temptation as an invitation to prayer .

The third causes covetousness , you know , or an inordinate desire to have more in order to compensate for the emptiness of our hearts . The emptiness of our hearts , we cover , we're trying to fill . We're trying to fill with , trying to grasp and take right .

The fourth cause of discontent is jealousy , which is sometimes occasions Through sadness and other times by hatred of those who have what we wish for ourselves . You know it's always we wish we had the car that our neighbor has , or the bigger house down the street or whatever . This is an evil time . We have to draw in and be content .

We can be working toward those things , we can hope for those things , but but not is not as something we just need to fill us up , maybe because our family is growing and we need a bigger house . Okay , we get all that stuff right , but at the end of the day we don't have it yet .

So be content where you are while you're planning for the future , stand to prayer . He goes on to write . One of the greatest mistakes is to think that contentment comes from outside Ourselves rather than from a quality of the soul . Contentment is not gonna be what you grasp and take , right . He says this .

He talks about this little , this boy he gives an example of . There was once a boy who only wanted a marble . When he had a marble , he wanted a ball . When he had a ball , he wanted a top . And when he had a top , he only wanted a kite . And when he had the marble , the ball , the top , the kite , he was still not happy .

Trying to make a discontented person happy is like like trying to fill the sieve with water However much you pour into it , it runs out too rapidly for you to catch up . Nor is contentment to be founded in exchange of places . You know how people say I wish I lived here , I wish I lived there .

At the end of the day , wherever you are , open yourself up right , open yourself up to prayer . The condition of our contentment is to be contained , to recognize limits . Whatever is within limits is likely to be quiet . A walled garden is one of the quietest places in the world . The world is shut out . We can meditate .

We need to do this within ourselves , within our own hearts . We need to wall this off from all the distractions , all the attachments , so that we can invite God into our hearts . Right , bishop Sheen goes on to write this .

So if the soul of man is kept within limits , that is to say , not greedy , not overreaching , not selfish , not always wanting something more , it too is shut down into a calm , quiet , sunny contentment . Contented man this is man and woman , again , limited and bound by circumstances makes those very limits the cure of his restlessness .

It is not to the point whether a garden has one acre or three acres , or whether or not it has a wall . What matters is that we live within its bounds , whether they be large or small , in order that we can possess a quiet spirit and a happy heart .

Contentment therefore comes in part from faith , that is , from knowing the purpose of life and being assured that , whatever the trials are , they come from the hand of a loving Father , bttatched , I quote , bttatched enough that we can actually sit in prayer , sit in silence , you know , look for wisdom .

St John the Cross , speaking of wisdom , says you have to be a person of love , right , you have to have that body , soul infused with grace that gives us that potential for human flourishing . And they go out and become a person of love . The two great commandments , he says you have to be in silence .

You have to sit in silence with God , allow him , in contentment , right , to speak and to fill you up and to show you a path . At the end , he says the third thing is mortifications . You have to fast , and again , mortifications , fast . And what does that do ? It detaches me again , even from meals for today , or desserts , or alcohol or whatever that is .

You have to become detached . It doesn't mean you can't enjoy those things , but you need to mortify yourself , you need to fast , you need to be able to turn wholly toward God . Second , in order to have contentment , one must also have a good conscience .

If the inner self is unhappy because of moral failures and unatoned guilt , then nothing external can give rest to the Spirit . You have to have a good conscience . Go into confession , go into mass . Open up , like I talk about so often , open up all your temptations to prayer .

Let every temptation be an invitation to prayer , right , so that we don't even commit venousins over time . A third and final need is mortification . Oh , here he goes . He's touching on mortification of desires , the limitation of delights , what we overlove , we often overgrieve . Contentment enhances our enjoyment and diminishes our misery .

Whenever I'm content , god will fill you up . You know I'm going to go out for a walk in a little while . It's sunny out , it's got a little warmer today in the Chicago land area and it's so beautiful just to walk and feel that sun on your face . You know , it's just amazing .

It's nothing , just a guy with gym shoes and a jacket and a hat , walking and just feeling nature and feeling the wind Something really , really beautiful about that . Bishop Sheen writes all evils become lighter if we endure them patiently . But the greatest benefits can be poisoned by discontent .

The miseries of life are sufficiently deep and extensive without our adding to them unnecessarily . Contentment with our worldly condition is not inconsistent with the desire for betterment . Right , the poorest man , christianity says , is not to be merely content with being poor but be diligent in business . But you can still be content while you're working on that .

The contentment enjoined is for the time being . I'm working toward I'm a poor man and I'm working toward building a business . I was in those shoes . You know a couple of different times and you have to be content with what you have . While you're working you know for something else , but not be so detached .

You know from your spirit , from your soul , from God , that you just crave for this , bishop Sheen writes . And for this day , faith enjoins him to be satisfied . But deliverance from his poverty may be best for tomorrow , and therefore the poor man works for his increased prosperity . He may not succeed If his poverty continues for another day .

He accepts it and then proceeds until relief comes . Thus contentment is relative to our present state and it's not absolute in respect to the entire demands of our nature . A contented man is never poor . Do we have a very , very Little the discument that the discontented man is never rich , no matter how much money he or she has ?

Right , and that's the end of today's reading from Bishop Sheen . When I , when I think about the power of God , when he empowers you , right , you know and I think about that , and even in my own life , even when I was a kid , I saw this power at work . You know and , and hopefully you can , you can sense this within yourself .

God gives you the power , the courage to get through so many trials . It's amazing , you know that the Jewish rabbi , who everybody's complaining in this congregation , he says okay , okay , everybody's keeps complaining about all of their you know , all of the things that that they're carrying around , all their problems .

He says take all your problems , everything that's bothering you . Take a rock and every rock becomes one of those problems that's bothering you , one of those things .

Put it in a bag and bring that bag to the altar next week and and and we'll put it all around the altar and At the end of the next service the next week had all the bags of rocks , all the people's problems , individual people's problems , up on the altar and then he said at the end he said , okay , now everybody go up to the altar , look at everybody's

bag and take one and take it home . Take anyone you want . And and everybody went up there and they took what they took their own bag home .

Everybody looked , everybody has trials , everybody has different evils that come into their lives , different Obstacles , different crosses , the beer , and at the end of the day , god will be there for us and he gives us the power to get through our own Difficulties . And you look at the next person , you go . How do they do that ?

Right , god gives you what you need to get through . We have to have this contentment just for today . That doesn't mean again that we're not working on improvement . Of course we're working on improvement , but we're detached from even from the results .

Right to be a gift to another person , that's love , to be filled with divine life and love and to be out and be a person of divine life and love . You know we're created , we're all God's children . He will fill us , protect this , hold us , carry us , guide us , even when we don't realize it .

If , if , if we are seekers after the truth , what's good , what's beautiful , and especially the beauty of love , you know , for Jesus , the Son of God , asks us what ? What do you seek ? And when you go out to seek the truth , god will guide you to the truth of love .

He will guide you , love you and nurture you , protect you until you encounter the way , the truth and a life .

For we simply seek , if we just Simply seek , he will be there for us , for God also knocks , and when we hear that knock , even Indistinctly , he takes us by hand , Allowing us plenty of room to make mistakes , yet he protects us from the ultimate evil , from the broad road that leads to destruction .

I'm gonna end this with Matthew , chapter 7 , which has really become a favorite of mine through the years , and I start on verse 7 and Really , you know , read this for yourself later on Ask , seek and knock , and this is Jesus ask and it will be given to you . Seek and you will find .

Knock and it will be open To you , for everyone who asks Receives , and he who seeks finds , and him who knocks , it will be opened . And then he talks about the neural gate . Enter by the neural gate , for the gate is wide and the way is easy . That leads to destruction , and those who enter it are many . For the gate is narrow and the way is hard .

That leads to life , and those to find it are few . And and then he talks about false prophets . Think about this . Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing , but inwardly , our ravenous wolves . You will know them by their fruits .

This is what we see in , in government , in the church , now , even it's amazing Deceptions , right , concerning self deception , though , he says . Not everyone who says to me , lord , lord , now , this is for each of us shall enter the kingdom of heaven , but only he who does the will of my father , who is in heaven .

On that day , many will come to me , lord , lord , did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do mighty works in your name ? And then I will declare to them . Jesus said I never knew you . Depart from me , you evil doers . Can you imagine hearing that ? Can you imagine hearing that ? And that's for eternal life . Finally , verse 24 .

Everyone , then , who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock and the Rain fell and the floods came , and the winds blew and beat upon that house , but it did not fall because it had been founded on the rock , and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them Will be like a foolish

man who built his house upon the sand . And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat Against that house and it fell , and great was the fall of it . And when Jesus finished saying these things , the crowds were Astonished at his teaching , for he taught them as one who had authority and not as their scribes . Hey , god bless you .

Keep up to faith . Don't forget the three things that I always talk about before you look at their phone on the morning , drop to your knees and Just say this quick prayer with our Blessed Mother , be it done to me according to your word . Every temptation then , that comes in from that point on , just offer it up , use it as an invitation to prayer .

Ask Christ to come in and offer you not only his redemption , his grace , but to give you and fill you with the Holy Spirit how we're temples of the Holy Spirit . Finally , go out and be , then be that person of love , be kind to the next person you see , compassionate , full of mercy , knowing that God is in charge of this thing . This is a Temporal space .

Your job , my job , is the universal call to holiness and the two great commandments . Huh , be filled with divine life and love and the become persons of love . God bless you . Thanks for joining me today . I might try to get another one of these episodes from Bishop Sheen out on Friday . Talk to you soon , everyone .