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Monday, November 3, 2014

ALL SOULS' DAY: Priestly Celibacy Witnesses to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth

 Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea
Feast of All Soul's Day, Nov. 2, 2014
Saints Peter & Paul Parish, Tucson, AZ

"They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace." (Wisdom 3: 2-3) 

Black Vestments are allowed
on All Souls' Day and
Requiem Masses
Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of All Souls' Day! Yesterday our Catholic Church celebrated the feast of All Saints, those extraordinary human beings who were blessed to be among those who accomplished God’s will in a special way. But today we remember everyone — all the dead -– those who have repented and those who have not, those who were rich and those who were poor, those who were loved by many and those who were loved by few.

We celebrate today’s feast in the fundamental belief that there is a spiritual communion among all in the state of grace, whether they have begun purification in Purgatory, live on earth or are in heaven. 

Today’s feast is a reminder that we are part of a larger community, both living and dead.  We pray for mercy on all souls, including ourselves that we will allow God’s mercy entrance into our lives. We want to allow our Lord to free us from everything that ties us down to this world so that we can fly to the next.

All Souls' Day falls in the month of November when the weather begins to change and the nights become longer. So we are reminded that one day our life here on earth will end and we will face what comes ahead.

Many do not want to think about death. We do not need to fear death, but we should prepare for it. If we strive to keep ourselves pure, we can rejoice in death. 
“The souls of the just are in the hand of God.” That's what we hear in today's reading (Wisdom 3:1-9) And therefore, we remain connected to those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We should pray for them in the hopes that one day we might live in communion with them.


"The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them." 

What is the soul? Saint Thomas Aquinas described the soul as “the animating energy of the body.” We could also say that our soul is the blueprint of our existence. Evidence of our eternal soul is that we are self-aware, and this self-awareness lives on after death, perfected in our resurrected bodies. Our soul links us to our future home in eternity. Our soul transcends this world even now.

My brothers and sisters, today’s celebration reminds us that each one of us will live forever! This is why Our Lord in today’s Gospel passage speaks so readily of eternal life, reminding us that He came so that everyone who sees Him and believes in Him may have eternal life.

We also are reminded that our choices now will determine the state of our soul for all eternity! This is why our Lord came into the world, lived and died on the cross -- for the salvation of our souls! 


This is true mercy! But we must respond.  He calls us to live, but not for the world because the world has become a place of immorality and corruption. He calls us to raise our minds and hearts to His eternal wisdom.

Today’s first reading reminds us that if we want eternal life then we must first prove ourselves worthy. We are reminded that the souls of the just are chastised a little, but that
“they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself."

My brothers and sisters, the Christian life is not easy! Our Lord’s saving mission to restore our soul to communion with God the Father requires work on our part. It requires that we reject the values of the world! It requires that we pray and make sacrifices for our souls and for the salvation of all souls! 


The foolish  do not understand because most want it easy. The world hates sacrifice. Yet, eternal salvation is not born from comfort. It comes by entering into the narrow gate of self-denial! If we do not grasp this now, then we will face it in Purgatory.

Priests take a vow of celibacy at our ordination. This vow is a stranger to our secular culture, and even Catholics don't understand it. We do not see beyond the limitations of our fallen nature. 


Yet, this is precisely why priests take the vow of celibacy! We want to witness in a special way to the reality of the kingdom of heaven in this life on earth. We are to conform ourselves to Christ as a sign of the future resurrection, when our earthly body will be changed into a heavenly body. But you too -- each in your own vocation -- are called to show forth the reality of heaven by the way you live your lives!

"In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble." 

My brothers and sisters, if we are truly living out our Christian life, we appear foolish to the world! But you know what, praise God because this world is passing away, and God is preparing a place for all who seek Him in His kingdom of justice, truth, and love. 


"Those who trust in Him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect."

As we come together to celebrate Mass on this special celebration of All Souls, let us remember life is short. And let us pray for those who have gone before us. God bless you.
Fr. John Paul Shea on All Souls' Day.
Have you seen a Mass celebrated in a black
vestment? Larry and I haven't, but that's
because it had fallen out of favor among priests.
The younger priests are bringing this ancient
practice of the Church back.
And that's a good sign. 


Did you enjoy this homily. There are more! You might enjoy: FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD: The Most Perfect Path to Holiness

Saturday, November 1, 2014

THE REFINER’S FIRE: Synod 14

by Susan Fox

This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" (Zechariah 13:9)

 The process of refining gold brings lesser metals or impurities to the surface so they can be broken off later, while the denser pure gold sinks to the bottom of the mold.

The stuff rising to the top is called slag. It is rather ugly. Pure gold is lovely.

It seems our childlike and cagey new Pope Francis has plunged the Roman Catholic Church into this process. Many were shocked to see the slag surface from the Church at the recent Synod on the Family, affectionately called Synod 14 for the year in which it occurred.  But the world rejoiced.

An interim report of the Synod released on Monday, Oct. 13, 2014 seemed to single handedly overturn Christ’s own admonition that a man should cling to his wife, and the two become one.

It questioned why divorced and remarried Catholics could not receive Holy Communion and said that people who self identify by their homosexuality should be celebrated for the gifts that arise from their unchaste behaviors.

Bethlehem Chapel, Brandeis University
This slag has been hiding inside the Church for a good 40 years during the reign of three canonized popes. It has been suggested from the pulpit, mentioned in confession, and discussed behind closed doors. A priest in Boston  hung a rainbow “gay pride” flag over the Catholic chapel at Brandeis University outside Boston during the month of October. More slag.

But when the slag was actually visible in a Vatican document, people were shocked. “Like man, where did that come from?”

I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 20:38)

It almost seemed like we orthodox Catholics were all on the same acid trip during these past decades unaware the corrosive forces surrounding us were rising to the top. We did suffer when others, especially others in authority, held these false beliefs and called themselves Catholic. Now the interim report seemed to shake our foundations.

“We may see that attacks against the Pope and the Church do not only come from outside; rather, the sufferings of the Church come from inside the Church.” Pope Benedict noted in an interview in 2010. “This was always common knowledge, but today we see it in truly terrifying form: the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from external enemies, but is born of sin within the Church.”

Is the Church still Catholic?

I went to one small-faith sharing group during this crisis, and everyone there had called a devout family member or a favorite nun to find out if everything was okay. They were all shaken to their core. Some are still muttering.

“The Princesses (cardinals) of the church have all been diagnosed with DDD (Diabolical Disorientation Disorder). It’s very catchy,” said Theresa on Friday (Oct. 31) upset over the Synod and the rainbow flag over her Boston chapel.

Do not despair Theresa! The authentic Catholic Magisterium – the same teaching authority that has carefully guarded the deposit of faith held by the apostles for 2,000 years -- rose up and rejected these paragraphs in the original document.

Cardinals, bishops and priests worldwide spoke out in every way possible via You Tube, News Conferences and their votes. They explained that everyone has gifts to offer the Church, but these gifts do not arise from sinful behaviors, and divorced remarried Catholics cannot receive communion because if they did it would negate the sanctity of marriage. Hallelujah! How wonderful God gave his cardinals the opportunity to teach the faith publicly. So the gold of the Catholic Church shone.

The document was changed by Friday Oct. 17, and the offending paragraphs removed. It was as if the words had never been written. I could not find them anywhere online except at the National Catholic Reporter, a newspaper favoring the offensive positions.

The world didn’t listen. Secular news articles covering this event said the pope’s own cardinals defeated him. The New Yorker magazine called it a “bombshell document,” lamenting the fact that Pope Francis’ immediate predecessors locked the Church into positions on divorce, remarriage, contraception, homosexuality and the celibate male priesthood, which are at “radical variance with the beliefs and practices of the majority of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.” I must have missed the memo. I still believe in the Church’s traditional position on divorce, contraception, homosexuality and the celibate male priesthood. I think Pope Francis does too.

The New Yorker opined that Pope Francis would be hard-pressed to break the Catholic Church out of that “recent mold” set by his predecessors. I think he is trying to do the opposite.

Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. (Daniel 12:10)

Orthodox Catholics – many of my friends – were in shock, and wondered if indeed Pope Francis had manipulated events so these false positions would be in the report.

Such is nonsense, but the pope’s subsequent remarks made this clear. On Oct. 19, he described the temptations of the Synod:
Ø “The temptation to a destructive tendency to goodness, that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the wounds without first curing them and treating them... It is the temptation of the so-called “progressives and liberals.”
Ø The temptation to neglect the “depositum fidei” [the deposit of faith], not thinking of themselves as guardians but as owners or masters [of it]”
Ø The temptation to come down off the Cross, to please the people, and not stay there, in order to fulfill the will of the Father; to bow down to a worldly spirit instead of purifying it and bending it to the Spirit of God.”

By that he described the temptations of those who changed the words of the interim document so it did not actually reflect what was being said in the Synod, nor what the Church has taught for the past 2,000 years.

“Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:35)

"No disciple is greater than his master"
Pope Francis himself told us not to be dismayed by these temptations “because no disciple is greater than his master; so if Jesus Himself was tempted – and even called Beelzebub (cf. Mt 12:24) – His disciples should not expect better treatment.”

On Oct. 25, the pope clearly spoke against the union called “same-sex marriage.” To the best of my knowledge he is the first pope to do so.  “The family is being hit, the family is being struck and the family is being bastardized,” the pope said, adding the common view in society is that “you can call everything family, right?”

“What is being proposed is not marriage, it’s an association. But it’s not marriage! It’s necessary to say these things very clearly and we have to say it!” He added that “new forms” of unions are “totally destructive and limiting the greatness of the love of marriage.”

Regarding marriage, Pope Francis explained that our society has “devalued” the sacrament by turning it into a social rite, removing its foundation, which is union with God. “So many families are divided, so many marriages broken, (there is) such relativism in the concept of the Sacrament of Marriage,” he cried.

Such sentiments should reassure every Catholic that Pope Francis did not manipulate the synod to devalue marriage or glorify “same-sex” associations.

However orthodox Catholics continued to be uneasy because the pope had also discussed on Oct. 19 at the conclusion of the Synod temptations that might be considered “conservative:”

Ø “a temptation to hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit); within the law, within the certitude of what we know and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve. From the time of Christ, it is the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called – today – “traditionalists” and also of the intellectuals.”

By this he did not mean that we should ignore the precepts of our faith handed down to us from the apostles. He already stated that the deposit of faith is to be guarded, preserved, not mastered, not changed nor controlled. 

Pope Francis is right!

There is a tendency in the Church today to hole up inside our walls and never go out. Too often our pastors believe their parish is limited to only the people they see in the pew. Lay people busy themselves cleaning the church and cooking soup suppers, but they won’t visit a neighbor who might be interested in becoming Catholic. As far as I am concerned, this temptation can be laid at the door of both those who call themselves liberal and those who think of themselves as conservative.

I have seen situations where a priest faced with a dying man requesting Baptism refused to visit him because he was too sick for RCIA, the year long process of becoming Catholic. Lay ministers would not send a priest to a homebound Catholic needing the sacraments because she had to phone the Rectory directly herself. Never mind that she was a painfully shy Native American woman who didn’t want to bother anybody. She died without the sacraments on a Tuesday; her family calling vainly for a priest on a day when most priests in her diocese did not work.  She was a victim of “hostile inflexibility.”

I have multiple friends who witness at abortion clinics. They leave their house and go into the community, interact, listen and witness. They wait for the “God of surprises.”

One of them told me last week, a baby was saved on her watch. “We - rather God! - saved a baby a couple of weeks ago at the Abortion Clinic.  The parents-to-be came out absolutely beaming, announcing they'd changed their minds.  We gave them literature and jumped around laughing, crying, hugging and praying!!  There is still good in the world!”


When Catholics are closed inside the small world of a parish, a community and even the Roman Curia, “then you do not grasp the truth,”

the pope said further on Oct. 25. “Everything is working well, everything is well organized,” the pontiff observed, “but they could do with less functionalism and more apostolic zeal, more interior freedom, more prayer, (and) this interior freedom is the courage to go out.”

True witness takes us out of ourselves and into the streets, the pope continued. A Church, movement or community, which doesn’t go out of itself “becomes sick.”
Catholics walk!

 “A movement, a Church or a community that doesn't go out, is mistaken,” he said. “Don't be afraid! Go out in mission; go out on the road. We are walkers.”

It is ironic in light of what happened at the Synod that Pope Francis has spoken many times about the figure of Judas in his talks since becoming pope.
On Palm Sunday, he took the people through an exam of conscience, using various people involved in Christ’s death:  “Am I like Judas, who pretends to love and kissed the Master to hand him over, to betray him? Am I a traitor?”

Mostly recently, he explained that he felt sorry for Judas. Though he may not have been the worst sinner among the apostles, he was the one who walled himself up against mercy.

“Judas, poor man, is the one who closed himself to love and that is why he became a traitor. And they all ran away during the difficult time of the Passion and left Jesus alone. They are all sinners. But He chose (them).”

After he betrayed Jesus with a kiss, Judas – realizing he had spilled innocent blood – hung himself. Peter denied Jesus three times, but he wept and sought Christ’s forgiveness. He became the first pope.

Pope Francis talks about this “night (of Peter’s denial) and the sweetness of Christ’s forgiveness,” which Judas seemingly did not seek.  “How beautiful it is to be holy, but also how beautiful to be forgiven.”

It’s good that Pope Francis has prayed and meditated on Judas’ betrayal. It’s almost as if he was preparing for what would take place in the Synod.

The world betrayed Christ.  Pretending to sincerely love Pope Francis, the world deliberately twisted his message of love into a false acceptance of sin. St. Augustine called these kinds of “false friends” the unfriendly friendlies.

Some cardinals apparently betrayed Christ when they arranged to put those untruthful paragraphs into the first document without the approval of the whole body of cardinals.

But Pope Francis remained tranquil, and firm in his trust in the Holy Spirit, Who was guiding the Synod, forcing the slag from the Church.

How could the impurities in the Church have remained while we had such holy popes: John XXIII, John Paul II and Paul VI? Obviously, many did not read what they wrote about the human family. Now, the Synod on the Family will force all to do so. The Holy Spirit is squeezing the slag to the top where we can all see it, recognize it and reject it.

“Many commentators ... have imagined that they see a disputatious Church where one part is against the other, doubting even the Holy Spirit, the true promoter and guarantor of the unity and harmony of the Church – the Holy Spirit who throughout history has always guided the barque, through her Ministers, even when the sea was rough and choppy, and the ministers unfaithful and sinners,” Pope Francis said in his concluding remarks for the Synod.

“And, as I have dared to tell you, [as] I told you from the beginning of the Synod, it was necessary to live through all this with tranquility, and with interior peace, so that the Synod would take place cum Petro and sub Petro (with Peter and under Peter), and the presence of the Pope is the guarantee of it all.”

It certainly is, especially when we can relax and know that the Pope does believe in the sanctity of marriage and the value of chastity.


Entering the refiner’s fire is a harrowing process, but we must put our trust in the Holy Spirit, who will remove all the impurities from our hearts and our Church and turn them into pure gold.

Enjoy this piece on the Synod? See also: Synod on the Family: Treachery in the Vatican?



Wednesday, October 29, 2014

THE MIND OF ISLAM: On Family Life, the Messiah and How to Treat Non-Muslims

by Lawrence Fox

In the Quran, God can argue like a wild desert chieftain. For example, the Quran asserts that Jesus, Son of Mary, is not the Messiah -- not the Son of God. From Surah (chapter) (5:14-21), "Unbelievers are those who declare, ‘Allah is the Messiah, the Son of Mary.’
Say: 'Who could prevent Allah from destroying the Messiah, the son of Mary along with his mother and all the people of the earth?' His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them. He creates what He will and has power over all things."
The argument is brutal and circular at best; certainly not divinely inspiring. Children make such arguments, "My father can kick your father's butt and so he is better!" At first, it seems like a non-sequitur – a statement which does not logically follow the previous statement - but after further reflection the argument “Who could prevent Allah from destroying all peoples…” does logically follow the divine deception, submission, and jihadist spirituality which streams throughout the Quran.
Too bad almost all public comments on Islam don’t reflect that understanding. 
Islamic scholars identify the speed in which the “sword” carried the Prophet’s message across the Middle East and Northern Africa as evidence of the Quran’s Divine Inspiration. Submission through violence summarizes the meaning of Islam (Arabic word for submission). Yet authors, radio newscasters and politicians politely step around that reality and call it a “religion of peace.” They fear to offend. Few have read the Quran. Few have heard of its convoluted illogic.
In the Quran, (meaning recital in the Muslim mind, a literal dictation from Allah to Mohammed), there is a story which depicts Allah speaking to his created angels, commanding them to kneel down and prostrate before the man (Adam) created from clay. Satan (the unbeliever) refuses to bow down out of pride.
Allah, says to Satan, “Why do you not bow down to him whom my own hands have made? Are you too proud or do you think he is beneath you?” (Surah 38: 65-76) Satan replies that he is nobler; that angels are made from fire and man is made from clay. The recital is meant to provide insight into the sins of pride and deception and yet it is Allah who places before the angels that which is contrary to Divine Revelation, that is Allah is asking Satan to commit idolatry. “I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me." (Isaiah 45:23) (Admonition against idolatry in the Old Testament)
Allah places upon Satan a curse until the “Day of Reckoning.” Satan replies, “Reprieve me, Lord until the Day of the Resurrection.” This dialogue between Allah and Satan, which devolves into anachronistic polemics,  identifies Allah as a “Voluntaristic” deceiver. Allah is making decisions solely based on his will, and not on his intellect. This is contrary to God’s own nature, which is both Good and Reasonable.
Satan’s request that Allah’s judgment be postponed until the Resurrection is putting the cart before the horse in time. Mohammed set the story of this dialogue in history before the Fall of man, and the Biblical understanding of the Resurrection does not clearly exist until the time of Christ. How would Satan know of the Resurrection before the Fall of man? The understanding of human resurrection (body and soul) in the Old Testament Salvation History is extremely hidden. There are glimpses in the Book of Job, Ezekiel, and Maccabees II. It is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb which reveals to His disciples the meaning of the words “Resurrection of the Dead.”
God’s merciful promise of salvation and resurrection are in response to Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden. God warned Adam and Eve that by placing their hand to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the result would be their death. This discourse in the Quran (Surah 38: 65-76) in which Satan speaks of the “Resurrection” prior to the fall of Adam and Eve demonstrates Satan as possessing knowledge of events prior to their causes. Such a knowledge makes Satan omniscient along with Allah. In other words, Satan speaks of an event (resurrection of humans) which is contingent upon a deception which Satan himself will cause and a prior knowledge of God’s will and response to that deception.
Adam and Eve’s placement of their hands to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is in response to Satan’s deception, “You shall be like God knowing good and evil.” Satan clearly tells Allah that “I will seduce all men except your faithful servants.” If that statement be true, then Adam, whom Allah commanded Satan to worship, was NOT one of Allah’s faithful servants from the beginning since Satan tempted “Adam and Eve” or else Allah had no idea that Satan was lying. In other words, ALLAH demand the angels to worship him (Adam), which is not one of Allah’s elect. This recital is most un-inspiring since it demonstrates no coherence of thought. 
Satan said to Allah, “I will seduce all men except your faithful servants.” This is a point of controversy in the Islamic culture since by tradition, the prophet Mohammed was seduced by Satan to write down verses which did not come from Allah, but Satan himself. This Islamic tradition was “resurrected” and popularized within Western Society by the author Salmon Rushdie in his book titled, “The Satanic Verses.”
Few understand the implications of the Satanic Verses within Islamic tradition that teaches that the Quran is the word for word dictation to Mohammed by God through the Archangel Gabriel. Islamists did and do. Ayatollah Khomeini, the figure which launched the Islamic Revolution in Iran, issued a fatwa to “kill” the author Salmon Rushdie. Cat Stevens the recording artist and convert to Islam garnished to himself quite a bit of angst when opined that the fatwa was just. I read the book – which was not well written and full of obscenity – and it manages to remind the Islamic world that their Prophet was seduced by Satan who is recorded as saying in the Quran, “I will seduce all men except your faithful servants.”
The deduction is obvious and problematic, if Allah allows Satan to deceive the “infidels” and Satan successfully deceives Mohammed, then the Prophet is not one of Allah’s faithful servants.
Christianity witnesses that through pride and envy, death entered into the world. Adam’s sin brought about death. Jesus’s obedience brings about forgiveness, restoration, and resurrection. Christianity rests on the foundation of the historical life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The Quran denies Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In the Quran (Surah 38: 65-76), Allah commands the angels to worship the man of clay since he is made by Allah’s hand. This is a dubious request since Allah could reasonably request the same degree of worship of every creature made by the hand of God, including: angels, stars, plants, animals, believers, and infidels for all things are made by God. For God to command the angels to worship man (because He said so) and then command the Prophet to murder unbelievers (because He said so) and to forbid divorce (because He said so) and then command divorce (because he said so) and to forbid polygamy (because He said so) and then to command polygamy (because He said so) demonstrates that the Will of Allah is not governed by Truth, Goodness, and Love but solely by the Will itself. Islam introduced into Western Society (by way of the Quran) a philosophical concept known as Voluntarism which has been most devastating.
Voluntarism begins with the question, “Is God bound by anything?” The Quran and the Voluntaristic philosopher/theologian answers that God is not bound by anything, “God does whatever he wills.” Catholicism teaches that GOD cannot act in a way, which contradicts His own Nature (His own being). God cannot will that which is in contradiction to His intellect, His Love, His Goodness. Such a contradiction would demonstrate change in God; an absurd position to say the least. ISLAM which means “submit” emphasized God’s WILL over his intellect. The Catholic counter argument would be as follows: “If a rational will was really independent from the good and applied to systems of political power, the level of devastation and human suffering would be tremendous and ongoing.” (Blessed Duns Scotus) An objective review of devastating effects upon humanity stemming from systems of power rooted in post-modernism, materialism, atheism, communism and Islamic jihadist theology demonstrates that pure voluntarism is satanic.
The cause of Satan’s rebellion and his taking a third of the angels with him is not explicitly detailed (word for word) in Christian Scripture, but can be inferred. The deception which Satan places before Adam and Eve, “You shall be like God knowing good and evil” reflects Satan’s own natural desire “to be worshipped.” Prophets, mystics, and saints throughout Salvation History intimate that “Satan willed to be greater than God.”
Isaiah the Prophet states: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! ... You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of ... I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.'" (Isaiah 14:12-14)
Jesus told his disciples that “I saw Satan fall like fire from the skies” in response to their preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sent seventy-two disciples, who returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20) Jesus identifies his disciples as those having their names written in the Book of Life. Islamic Scholars argue that Jesus’ disciples were deceived by the apostle Paul and did not understand the gnostic message proclaimed by Jesus, so they fabricated the gospels. The Christian message that through the gift of faith and baptism, a person becomes a child of God is rejected in the Quran.
In the same Chapter of the Quran (Surah 38: 65-76), Allah asks, “If Christians and Jews were God's children, then Why Does (Allah) punish them?" This argument is made by modern day atheists as well, who reject Salvation History bearing fruit in the Person of Jesus, “Who humbled himself and became obedient to death; even death on the cross.” (Philippians 2: 8). 

We are reminded of St. Paul’s reflection: “The Cross of Jesus Christ is folly to the Greek and Scandal to the Jew.” As a result of the Muslim understanding that suffering is evidence of Allah’s displeasure, the Quran emboldens persecution of  Jews, Christians, and pagans – all non-Muslims. If the Allah revealed in the Quran is not the Lord God of Israel, then the pre-supposition would be most reasonable. Ironically, Muslims do not understand they suffer more than anyone else because of their indifference to Truth. Sin is sin.
The Quran has no redemptive theology which encompasses suffering. In the Quran, struggle (jihad) is good when inflicted upon the unbeliever, resulting in his pain. The reward for such action is great, “But for those who fear the majesty of their Lord…They shall recline on couches lined with thick brocade. They shall dwell with bashful virgins whom neither man nor jinee will have touched before…In each there will be virgins chaste and fair…Dark eyed- virgins sheltered in their tents…” (Surah 55:54-78)
 Heaven is obviously not the dwelling place of God, nor a state of beatific vision but a return to an Eden resembling Solomon’s sin of polygamy, “The righteous shall return to a blessed retreat. They shall enter the gardens of Eden whose gates shall open to receive them. Reclining there with them will be bashful virgins for companions, they shall feast on abundant fruit and drink.” (Surah 38: 47)  
The Catholic understanding of suffering based upon Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition is much different.  St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “God allows evil in order to draw forth some greater good.” St. Augustine wrote: “Almighty God…because his is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good to cause good to emerge from evil itself.” St. Paul writes: “that the troubles of this present world are considered as nothing when compared the glory that awaits those who love God.”
People with little or no faith despair when evil enters their lives. The Old Testament begins with the cause of evil and then goes on to explain that evil happens to the good and the bad. The Book of Job is Israel’s classic struggle with God over the question, “Why does God allow evil to fall upon good people?” Scripture demonstrates time and again that, “God brings good out of evil.”
 Think about the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. His brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. But he rose to a position of authority and was able to save his own treacherous family from starvation in the midst of famine. "As for you, you meant evil against me," Joseph told his brothers, "but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Gen 50:20)
 Paul writes, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Jesus said, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12) Peter writes, “But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1Peter 4:13) In essence, the Quran demonstrates very little inspiration as it relates to temptation and suffering. It also demonstrates very little inspiration in relation to eschatology (last things) and human sexuality.
The Beatitudes which Allah gave to Mohammed include: “women are your fields (tilith) and so go in amongst them” and “Blessed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, who avoid profane talk, and give alms to the destitute, who restrain their carnal desire (except with their wives and slave-girls, for these are lawful to them)…” (Surah 23:1)
The Quran is peppered with Mohammed’s need for women. Allah tells Mohammed, “It is unlawful for you to take more wives or change your present wives for other women, though their beauty pleases you, except where slave-girls are concerned.” (Surah 33:52).  I am greatly surprised to read Islamic Scholars argue these verses as evidence of Mohammed’s sense of purity and chastity. So Mohammed cannot take any more wives, he is not restricted from fornicating with female slaves. There is in the Islamic Hadith a reference to the angel Gabriel giving Mohammed a crystal clear drink which increased his staying power. If he had waited several centuries, he would have learned that Nitrous Oxide does the same thing.
Later in the Quran, Allah scolds two of Mohammed’s wives and tells them that he (Allah) can replace them with better wives. The two wives were jealous over Mohammed’s sexual encounters with his slave-girl Mariam the Copt after he promised them that he would stop the practice. Allah comes to Mohammed’s defense, “If you two (wives of Mohammed) turn to Allah in repentance for your hearts have sinned, you shall be pardoned; but if you conspire against him, know that Allah is his protector and Gabriel and the righteous among the faithful. It may be well  if he divorce you, his Lord will give him in your place better wives than yourselves, submissive to Allah and full of faith, devout, penitent, obedient, and given to fasting; both widows and virgins.” (Surah 66:4) The two women being mentioned are Hafsa and Aisha. Allah says to Mohammed, “Prophet why do you prohibit that which Allah has made lawful to you, in seeking to please your wives.” (Surah 66:1). In other words, “Mohammed why are you choosing not to have sex with your slave girl(s) simply to please the emotions of your envious wives?” The Muslim does not understand that the Quran at times reads like Playboy and not like Divine Revelation.
Mohammed married the wife of his adopted son Zainab bint Jahsh. This was a great scandal except Allah comes to the rescue and informs Mohammed that He (Allah) does not recognized adoption, “Mohammed is the father of no man among you.” (Surah 33:40) In Jewish oral tradition, you can disown your natural born son, but not your adopted son.
 Islam and adoption are now estranged. The Islamic argument forgiving Mohammed’s continual lust is "that Solomon had many wives and was loved by God." Solomon was loved by God because as John the beloved disciple writes, “God is love.” (1John 4:9) It is most unfortunate such a miniscule number of Muslims read the Old Testament or New Testament. In my opinion, if they did they would recognize the numerous contradictions between the lives of the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, the Apostles and their Prophet’s decline of moral character. Of course according to the Quran, the Old Testament (Book) and New Testament (Gospel) have been corrupted and superseded by the Quran. (Surah 10:37)
Pope Saint John Paul II aptly observed that the overall content of the Quran demonstrated a reduction of Divine Revelation not an increase or correction. The content of the Quran represents a retreat towards something pre-Abrahamic.
In the Quran, God is merciful, but God is not love and God is certainly not Father. As a result, Allah’s mercy is not rooted in love but solely in the Will. People in the West with a Judeo-Christian foundation read the words, “Mercy and Compassion” and think, “We do have something in common.”
We may have something in common with the Muslim who has discovered mercy and compassion based upon a spiritualized reading of the Quran but very little in common with disciples who share Mohammed’s literal presentation of “Allah’s Mercy and Compassion.” Well, maybe a double-predestination Calvinist might have something in common with them. According to Calvin's theology of double predestination, God created some persons for heaven and some persons for damnation and hell. The decision is totally in the Will of God and nothing to do with culpability, or justice, or goodness, reason, or love. “I swear by your glory,” said Satan, “That I will seduce all men except your faithful servants.” (Surah 38:76-88)
Regarding the Islamic argument justifying Mohammed’s lust by equating him with Solomon, the Old Testament says something contrary. God warned Solomon not to multiple wives, chariots and gold (6 6 6). Solomon did all three of these things and this led Solomon and the nation of Israel into idolatry. God said to Solomon, “I will rip your Kingdom from you and give it to your servant…only leaving you two tribes for the sake of David your father.” And God raised up an enemy to Solomon. (3 Kings 11:9-14) Within one generation of Solomon’s death, the Kingdom was ripped in two. The Quran seems oblivious to that fact.
Mohammed’s lust is never constrained in the Quran. His last wife, a Jewish woman who was widowed as a result of the Muslim slaughter of her Jewish tribe - ends up spicing Mohammed’s supper with poison. Mohammed never fully recovered from the incident and eventually died in the arms of his child bride Aisha, who was the ultimate cause of the Sunni and Shiite civil war which has lasted more than 1300 years. I guess by analogy, Allah eventually raised up a Jewish bride as a thorn in Mohammed’s side; she poisoned him leading to his eventual death as a Prophet of Allah and ever since the Religion of Peace has been in a perpetual state of civil war.
Imagine the epitaph: “Here lies Mohammed, a prophet poisoned by a woman from a tribe of people that he slaughtered in the desert.”
Truly not inspiring.

Did you enjoy this piece? Lawrence Fox has written another one: GLORY OF ISLAM: Putting the Beheadings, Crucifixions and Rape into the Context of the Quran