"He helped others, but couldn't save himself"

(Also appeared at : Journey in a Broken World 26 / 08 | August / 2009)


Editorial by Marc Aupiais

"He helped others, but couldn't save himself"

Are these not famous words. Words about Jesus, about our beloved words. True words in a sense. I always try to view the gospel via different eyes- and these words, at least in english- are true of Jesus.

He helped many, but he could not save himself. Even his mention of hosts of angels who could save him shows his nature true- he says that it must not be.

God is infinite in all- defined and contained by his nature. It was impossible for Jesus to avoid the cross- impossible because he was and is God.

When he rose again, I would say that again- He made it impossible for Him to save himself. His name was Jesus- Yahweh Saves, and I would say that He was risen from death by the other persons of the Holy Trinity, possibly His own power also- possibly all three acting- but Jesus never once did a miracle on his own power- He said it was faith, or prayer- or the Holy Spirit. I have prayed to God to pray for me, and been scolded by non-Catholics for it, but God does pray to God, and did when on earth.

The priest can hear my sins, and have God heal them- but he cannot hear his own sins. Nor can the saints do miracles apart from Reality- from God, Yahweh.

Jesus could help others, but He was never sent to save Himself from the crucifixion.

This message gives us simple truth. God demands we save ourselves first- by the parable of the splinter and log, but he also makes us to rely on others- and the world, so others rely on us.

We can only save others if we in turn are saved by God- safe I say rather- for salvation can be lost is the cutting in half and splinterring of a moment. Yet, who can save themselves alone?

The Gospel teaches perseverance in salvation as the ultimate virtue... Yet, we save ourselves by being Godly to others.

God the Son does not scratch his own Back- God the Holy Spirit enabled his miracles.

The message which that terrible comment teaches us is simple- God never works alone. Our salvation and that of others are linked. If we pray for others, we are adding good to the world- we are aiding our own salvation. It is why the wisdom of the Old Testament says to throw bread in the river so it will return on one.

Our every breath has changed the world. Our every action is but prayer. Our faith is in our actions- for salvation is In Faith, Within Faith. Our faith is in word, thought- our salvation in perseverance... Within Faith.

We cannot save ourselves, but if we do not play our part in our salvation- we will not be saved! For Jesus was murdered and thrust into Prison, where He preached- yet in this obedience saved all who may be called all. And then- He was raised- himself saved though he was never lost.

We are never alone- we have the saints- living and eternally living. And we have the sacred Mother, and the church, with her doctor's healing sacraments where Christ acts on our Salvation by chosing his way- to enter into his ways!

The God of Love does not save in isolation. My whispered lie, can cause death in you- my hidden truth can save you..!

"He saved others but (by his very Nature) He can't (Now) save Himself (yet, in allowing His loss, His Trust, He enabled our salvation!)"

God bless.

Marc

Ireland Archibishop- Watch who you impact -Press release was on markets and the need for social aspects to be viewed by Business, government

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Hermitage Report)

Article By Marc Aupiais

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has asked for a business, government and market mentality which not only pursues profit, but focuses on the social impact of decisions. He states that the gambles taken by representatives of large firms, take as a surety- the average person who is affected by bad or good decisions.

If one person digs a whole in the boat, to quote our Jewish Brothers- it affects everyone in the boat.

This is specially applicable in South Africa, where business, and government- often does not focus on the impact they have on the longterm economy or their citizens. A notable impact is efforts at promoting contraception by "Love Life", statistics from America, broadcast by EWTN, and mirrored by observations of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, show that often contraceptive education, and promotion of contraceptive methods of fighting disease- have been shown to backfire- with disease levels increasing. Case in point South Africa- we have the largest rate of some diseases- despite apparent efforts by government. On facebook recently was an irritating advert- leading to a questionnaire- "World Contraception Day". I wonder if the results of that will be used, and if it will be mentioned that it was advertised in such a way that the religious from groups such as ours would not click on it except accidentally. I also wonder what effect this will have on facebook users- in a country where pre-marital sex is so common- and along with it the consequences.

The Pill, for instance reduces chances of pregnancy (Not that NFP isn't just about as, if not more effective)- it also drastically increases chances of every kind of Sexual Disease. It seems our biggest issue is a societal disease- we answer everything with devices and abortions- rather than attempting to actually trust people to do the better thing.

I await the day when we teach people how to more safely use cocaine- after all, "it's better than if they did it outside the law, and encountered more danger!"

Oddly, when we create such atmospheres about things- it seems we don't really cure the problem- more abortions for one thing occur now that it is legal- than before hand. Democratic Candidate Borak Obama in the US, voted to let survivors of Abortion die if they could make it- while in England- the many of the more legislative pro-abortionists want to allow abortion right until birth.

Oddly those who call themselves pro-choice- often neither respect the choice of the child- nor that of the doctors and nurses forced by "pro-choice" legislation- to go against their choice and conscience, and be excommunicated from the Catholic church, or seemingly to break South African, and other nation's Law!

Genocide, according to the United Nations is:

"Article 2

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."
(Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

Approved and proposed for signature and ratification or accession by
General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9 December 1948

entry into force 12 January 1951, in accordance with article XIII)
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/p_genoci.htm

I wonder if efforts to radically reduce the populations of third world countries can fall under this?

It seems- rather than genocide we call efforts such as this "prudence", or other such things- the truth is- we desire more resources for ourselves- it does not always fit our interests to have larger population- nor do we often seem as a culture- to care if certain conditions are afflicted on others.

Now, we need to consider- is the answer to world population Article 2 section (D), or can we actually allow aid to the undeveloped world, and education about morals to developed and undeveloped world alike- things that seem to work quite well if we look into history. Instead- we choose to inflict on populations a sort of section d option- is it right? I don't know- but in the past it was labled as Genocide- have we had so universal a group of changes to our view on the subject, and can we ignore documentation which is still under enactment?

Perhaps the UN's general laws are interpretable- otherwise we need to stop these campaigns to end such disease, and stop wars, and problems over resources- by section d of the Genocide definition. Can we continue to solve the world's problems, by reducing what the world means?

A thought on truth- and reality, and the sad path to seeking true answers

(Journey in a Broken World)

Article by Marc Aupiais

I really am an odd religious person in the modern era- why- because I, like much of the secular world refuse to believe what doesn't make sense to me- it is something that could be sin, or could be truth- but I am always loyal to truth before any concept of God. My excuse is that God says he is truth- so there is no fear in looking into facts- and seeing if belief in God is saner than belief in the secular world. Of course- I believe in mysteries- in things I know enough of to know I don't know all things- but in our universe the inexplicable sort of makes sense- and I cling to it... it is my sanity to believe as I do!

Many don't question it at all- they feel goodness about belief- and as some answer to this question- with the thought- simply follow the feeling- go with it- but this is not the method I use...

If I am to believe- well- I want to feel sensical in this... and more than that- I want genuine belief- not some decision to choose a belief system- I prefer honesty to such choice.

So, why do I believe- well- partly intuition, partly prayer- and partly the truth within and my experience- and to many this is the basis- and this basis is good.

Somehow- I must always question all things- its why certain groups do not like me much- I question- and work for justice. Many are part of the church- purely for humanitarian reasons- it is a body for this justice- but such people do not really believe, nor think of the doctrine of Mother church as anything but foolish- or useful in results in this world.

The truth is- my search for truth goes beyond all we see- I need to satisfy the part inside- and it only quiets when I believe- as a physical pain overcomes me when I separate from seeking truth- so that even as a Catholic- I still endlessly debate even myself- in an endless quest for Reality- for Truth.

I believe- as the early Christians did- that God is the frame of our world- the mediator in which we exist- Reality, Eternity, as Aquinas calls the tool by which we measure God. Now eternity has all the attributes of God- it is almighty, and all knowing, and permiates over all existence- in fact- I would say Eternity is the description of God- and the Highest Reality on which all exists also-

Now- we know the attributes of Reality and that they correlate. The Pantheist believes similar to the Catholic- except they believe all in existence is Reality- while the Catholic believes they exist in Reality.

Truly- this is what keeps me Catholic- this about Reality- and that all comes from something before it- so everything must come from Reality- and Reality must be greater than all- for all is within Him.

This means to me that even our intelligence must come from Reality- if so- Reality- which is sentient, has every attribute of God, of He who we name not without reverence- whose name is Reality itself- I AM Who I Am- Existence, Eternity- Reality.

If this is so- then my sanity is in belief...

How can I not awkwardly submit to truth, even tyranny in it- if it means remaining within right world-view- if it means being connected with Reality, if it means remaining within Sanity- and not denying what my soul says is truth.

Perhaps I am wrong- after all- I seek into this enough- not for pride or self reliance- nor does this make me right- I am not vane about my own perceptiveness- but it is a compulsion within- one I think all people should seek- believing as they do- but for arguments sake- always checking

We have to support the right media, and show the world the truth as is!

(Catholic Watchdog South Africa)
commentary by Marc Aupiais

So often- we see it- things we know as true- portrayed otherwise- and more- people mimic what they see and hear.

With so much bad- it is learnt of others- with so much good- we must refine it.

The weapon we are given is dynamic- but stable- to the untrained- it is deadly and like a whip or many martial weapons- it can hurt us more than it hurts others if not wielded adequately.

The Catholic is a master of truth- or rather- a conduit for Her power-

When we see any form of media- what is said has slight hinting- which alters us if we allow alteration- our social conscience is molded by what we see- and we sense this if we view different media with different persons- not only is truth objective- but the viewer is oft influenced by experience- and ideals of others.

To influence for good- we must fight for truth in every nook and cranny- and through every inch of time- we must secretly conquer the enemy-

Christians must become the creative minority they were born to become-

the Spartan Warriors- who are like calm masters of form- who control themselves first- and let their form be molded by intuitive truth- and the urge for reality- we must open ourselves to sorrow and joy- so that in both- hope is blown into existence in this storm of our existence.

What is instilled in the home- is so powerful- and we must fight this battle to our last breath- what is instilled by others also has impact- yet in even the nuances of speech- of medias- we must fight for the value of life- and of existence and of seeing reality as it is.

Those who fight the small battles for truth- often are able to fight titanic monstrosities- all the while swirling truth about as a hidden weapon- and springing like a tiger, or wild animal- with that energy below the visible boundary- so as to teach truth- and dispel falsity and false world-view.

Our world-view is the front on which our soul is won- this is what we mean when we say faith saves- the correct view of reality- is paramount to navigating this ocean we find ourselves barely visible against- as we sail the impossibility of the hurricane of life.

We must protect this- and mold it- so as to better channel the saints triumphant- and our God- Reality (a Translation of the Tetragrammaton)- who is truth himself, whose strands we rely on to lift us and move us in our floating dance of truth!

What is most sane- what is most Orthodox?

(Catholic Watchdog South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

When we speak of Orthodoxy- often we actually mean fidelity- or else remaining within an organization's party line.

We sometimes also believe the Orthodox way- to refer to the better, or true, or historic means of doing something!

But what is Orthodoxy? It is not the go-between between liberalism and conservatism, nor liberalism and traditionalism- neither is it traditionalism, conservatism or liberalism- each of which periodically changes meaning.

Orthodoxy- cannot be subjected to any one viewpoint- yet- it often refers to what a viewpoint believes as true.

In truth- orthodoxy is the pursuit of truth above all- and the determination to obey this truth utterly- the problem then is how one defines truth.

If truth is what an organization, or consensus says it is- then Orthodoxy is perhaps fidelity to that Organization- otherwise- Orthodoxy is fidelity to Reality- to the pursuit of manifesting to the world what is as it is.

Ultimately- the early Christians were killed for being what society saw as insane- they preached that someone recently alive had risen from a horrid death- had eaten on rising, and could be eaten body and soul in the Eucharist, and survived- and would spare or condemn us all for our single smallest thoughts- and lifestyle- more than that- that this person was God himself- and gives ceremonies to people- which could free them from bad lifestyles.

For this- they were whipped, slaughtered and martyred. Even they admitted they appeared insane- "foolish" (Saint Paul) to all apposing them!

Those who were martyred, believed it was the most sane course of action- they were loyal to their view of truth- to their take on sanity- and for this utter pursuit- show that they absolutely believed what they taught.

Those who use words like liberty- use a word referring to freedom- therefore- whenever the status quot changes- that which is more liberal changes- and also that which is more traditional or conservative.

Orthodoxy- the form given by God- is the pursuit of truth with all our soul, and body- and manifestation of this in obedience to sanity in truth in every moment of existence.

True Orthodoxy is the pursuit of truth above all else- not scientific truth- nor philosophical truth- but rather truth itself- which manifest so often in the intuitive!