Mt 17:14-21

Mt 17:9-13

Mt 17:4-8
(VLX stands for “Video Lectio Divina.” It is the only Patristic Bible Study and Ignatian Prayer Series online.)

“For all the books which the Church receives as sacred and canonical, are written wholly and entirely, with all their parts, at the dictation of the Holy Ghost; and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration, that inspiration not only is essentially incompatible with error, but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true. This is the ancient and unchanging faith of the Church, solemnly defined in the Councils of Florence and of Trent, and finally confirmed and more expressly formulated by the Council of the Vatican. These are the words of the last: ‘The Books of the Old and New Testament, whole and entire, with all their parts, as enumerated in the decree of the same Council (Trent) and in the ancient Latin Vulgate, are to be received as sacred and canonical. And the Church holds them as sacred and canonical, not because, having been composed by human industry, they were afterwards approved by her authority; nor only because they contain revelation without error; but because, having been written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author.’”—Providentissimus Deus #20, Pope Leo XIII, AD 1873

Mt 16:24-28

Mt 16:21-23

Mt 16:13-20

Mt 16:5-12

Mt 16:1-4

Video Lectio Divina (VLX) on St. Matthew 15:32-39.

Video Lectio Divina (VLX) #98 is a Patristic Bible Study on Mt 15:29-31.

Mt 15:21-28

Mt 15:10-20
-"It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a man."—Mt 15:11
-"And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body."—Jam 3:2
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-"O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen."—St. Ephrem the Syrian
-"Abbot Hyperichius said: 'It is better to eat meat and drink wine, than by detraction to devour the flesh of your brother.'"—Wisdom of the Desert Fathers
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“A: Carnivores, who eat meat. These are in the lowest degree of fasting, even if they sometimes restrain themselves from food. They are never able to advance in prayer....B: Lacto-vegetarians, who never eat meat, but only milk, cheese, eggs and all kinds of boiled...vegetables. These are in the second degree of fasting, which is kept by Monks in coenobitic Monasteries and, very rarely, by laymen....C: Vegetarians, who eat only vegetables and boiled or raw legumes. This arrangement forms the third degree of fasting, and the most zealous monks of the common life keep it....D: Fruit-Eaters, who eat bread and uncooked fruits ONCE A DAY, without otherwise ever tasting food. He who attains this degree of fasting is able to master his body and thoughts without difficulty and CAN ADVANCE RAPIDLY ON THE PATH OF PRAYER....E: Cereal-Eaters, comprise the fifth degree of fasting. To this degree belong monks – especially hesycasts and desert-dwellers – who eat ONCE A DAY only black bread, cereals, and soaked grains of wheat, corn, millet, lentils, beans, peas, etc....F: Dry Food, is the sixth degree of monastic fasting, which is usually attainted only by the most zealous desert dwellers. Those who live in this harsh asceticism eat only dried bread soaked in water, with salt or a little vinegar, ONCE A DAY and by measure. This is how the hesycasts of the Nile valley lived....“G: Divine Food or manna, is the last and highest degree of monastic fasting, which is attained by very few ascetics after prolonged asceticism, being strengthened by the grace of the Holy Spirit. These are satisfied with the Most Pure Mysteries alone, that is, with the Body and Blood of Christ, which they receive only once or twice a week, without tasting anything else but water only. After difficult temptations and asceticism, and by the Grace of God, I have come to be satisfied with the Most Pure Mysteries alone, and no longer feel hunger, or have need of bread or vegetables."

A Lectio Divina on the Gospel of Christmas Midnight Mass

Mt 15:1-9
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-Support my work here: https://padreperegrino.org/donate/
-Mental prayer vs. Centering prayer: https://padreperegrino.org/2021/12/mentalprayer/
-True Obedience vs. False Obedience: https://padreperegrino.org/2021/08/obed/

Mt 14:34-36
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Life-Update and Advent-Pitch: https://padreperegrino.org/2021/11/adventmessage/

Mt 14:27-33
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-Life-Update and Advent-Pitch: https://padreperegrino.org/2021/11/adventmessage/
-“For every man, his desire is a storm. If you love God, you walk on the water. If you love the world, it will swallow you up."—St. Augustine

Mt 14:22-26
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My advent-appeal is found at https://padreperegrino.org/2021/11/adventmessage/
"For every man, his desire is a storm. If you love God, you walk upon the water; If you love the world, it will swallow you up."—St. Augustine

Mt 14:13-21

Mt 14:1-12

Mt 13:53-58
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- Act of Faith: O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in Three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became Man, and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived.
- Act of Hope: O my God relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, by the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
- Act of Charity: O my God, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Theology and Current Events (TCE) #31 is on the spirit of the antichrist and the false-prophet. "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."—1 John 4:2-3a.

Mt 13:44-52
Dubai aerial at https://youtu.be/EdF7tbenvRs

Mt 13:36-43

Mt 13:33-34
- Lapide Free Online: http://www.catholicapologetics.....info/scripture/newt
- Lapide Gospels Hardback: https://loretopubs.org/corneli....us-a-lapides-comment
- Thanks to the Benedictine Monks for music bumpers at https://clearcreekmonks.org
- You can support my work here: https://padreperegrino.org/donate/

-Mt 13:24-32
-Thanks to Benedictine Monks for music bumpers at https://clearcreekmonks.org
-Thanks to Vatican drone work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Af-Vxu_CBg&t=152s
-Thanks to William Gil for video bumpers.

Mt 13:18-23
***
-“St. Mark Ji Tianxiang: Hope for Addicts” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bctgh91tgk
-B-roll thanks to “NYC in ultra 8k” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3fUgOKFMNU

Mt 13:10-17

Mt 13:1-9
Music bumpers thanks to Benedictine Sisters at https://benedictinesofmary.org

Mt 12:46-50
Music bumpers thanks to Benedictine Sisters at https://benedictinesofmary.org

Mt 12:38-45

Mt 12:31-37
Music bumpers thanks to https://clearcreekmonks.org

Mt 12:22-30
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What happened in 1963 that greatly reduced the "ex-opere operantis"(subjective) power of the exorcists of the Catholic Church in 1963? I do not know, but one PhD in theology I know suggests it was this, as found in Wikipedia: “‘Windswept House’ describes a satanic ritual – the enthronement of Lucifer – taking place at Saint-Paul's Chapel inside Vatican City, on June 29, 1963. The book gives a depiction of high-ranking churchmen, cardinals, archbishops and prelatees of the Roman curia, taking oaths signed with their own blood, plotting to destroy the Church from within. It tells the story of an international organized attempt by these Vatican insiders and secular internationalists to force a pope of the Catholic Church to abdicate, so that a successor may be chosen that will fundamentally change orthodox faith and establish a New World Order.”

Correction: On this VLX I said, "demons cause all disease." I do NOT believe that. I meant demons cause *some* disease, but not most. But the Fall (aka Original Sin) is certainly responsible for all disease.

Mt 12:15-21

Mt 12:9-14

Mt 12:1-2

* ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA’S RULES FOR THINKING WITH THE CHURCH: 367-13 If we wish to proceed securely in all things, we must hold fast to the following principle: What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines. For I must be convinced that in Christ Our Lord, the bridegroom, and in His spouse the Church, only one Spirit holds sway, which governs and rules for the salvation of souls. For it is by the same Spirit and Lord who gave the Ten Commandments that our holy Mother Church is ruled and governed.
* ST. IGNATIUS’ DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS:
* 314. I. In the case of those who go from one mortal sin to another, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures. He fills their imagination with sensual delights and gratifications, the more readily to keep them in their vices and increase the number of their sins. With such persons the good spirit uses a method which is the reverse of the above. Making use of the light of reason, he will rouse the sting of conscience and fill them with remorse.
* 315. 2. In the case of those who go on earnestly striving to cleanse their souls from sin and who seek to rise in the service of God our Lord to greater perfection, the method pursued is the opposite of that mentioned in the first rule. Then it is characteristic of the evil spirit to harass with anxiety, to afflict with sadness, to raise obstacles backed by fallacious reasonings that disturb the soul. Thus he seeks to prevent the soul from advancing.
* It is characteristic of the good spirit, however, to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and peace. This He does by making all easy, by removing all obstacles so that the soul goes forward in doing good.
* 329. I. It is characteristic of God and His Angels, when they act upon the soul, to give true happiness and spiritual joy, and to banish all the sadness and disturbances which are caused by the enemy. It is characteristic of the evil one to fight against such happiness and consolation by proposing fallacious reasonings, subtilties, and continual deceptions.
* 330. 2. God alone can give consolation to the soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.
* 331. 3. If a cause precedes, both the good angel and the evil spirit can give consolation to a soul, but for a quite different purpose. The good angel consoles for the progress of the soul, that it may advance and rise to what is more perfect. The evil spirit consoles for purposes that are the contrary, and that afterwards he might draw the soul to his own perverse intentions and wickedness.
* 332. 4. It is a mark of the evil spirit to assume the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. For example, he will suggest holy and pious thoughts that are wholly in conformity with the sanctity of the soul. Afterwards, he will endeavor little by little to end by drawing the soul into his hidden snares and evil designs.
* My sermon “Making decisions without Fear" on Sensus Fidelium is at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xjt8oXRTjgA

Mt 12:1-8.
Question: "Can Jesus change the Old Testament rules since He is God?"
Answer: "Some rules."

Mt 12:1-2

Mt 12:1-8
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Mt 11:20-24
p/c Jeffrey Bruno
Support my work here: https://padreperegrino.org/donate/

“One will be sent in the flesh,” thundered the most beautiful Trinity to the angels and all the courts of heaven eons ago. In perfect harmony they rejoiced. But later they wondered if anyone but a lowly archangel like Raphael (still more glorious than a burning star) could dare condescend again to take flesh as Raphael did for Tobit. Their best guess for the new assignment was Gabriel. God said “Gabriel will go…but in spirit as preparation. One much higher than he will become flesh.” “But how?” the angels wondered, “A cherubim's eyes would melt the trees and mountains. No human warrior's body could even instantaneously hold the power of a seraphim. Who will go in the flesh?” And they intuited through each other like laser beams, seared and alit by the thought of leaving the splendor of heaven for the dirt and sorrow of earth with man. And then the answer came from God: “I will become man.” After ages of silence, awe, wonder, war and adoration, a high angel said “The Lord's voice flashes flames of fire. What warrior shall you absorb for your powerful and wise task?” And God replied “I shall assume the body and nature of a poor baby, and I will eventually be nailed to a tree to die quietly, without friends. This will be for mercy, for all.” All fell down in confused adoration that the essence of God would be humility.