(Fiction)

Part II ... The Crossroad

The Vatican II Council (1962-1965) simplified and emboldened Satan’s ultimate plan to further weaken the Roman Catholic Church and confuse its congregation by deceiving them, encouraging them into questioning their faith. The Council thought that they had merely updated the liturgy and church administration practices to bring it more in line, to make it more acceptable to the twentieth century world. But with the introduction of the "New Mass" in 1969 all hell broke loose; which pleased Maahes and his comrades to no end.

Martin Luther is quoted to have once, "Tolle Missam, Tolle Ecclesiam" (If you take away the Mass, you take away the Church). There are some that say Luther actual said “Take away the mass and destroy the papacy”. In either instance he was absolutely right. The Roman Catholic Church had capitulated. Why? How did this happen? Who were responsible? Who had staged the “coup d’état”? Did it really matter? The damage had been done and its heresy was accepted and promulgated by an “infallible” Pope.

Maahes was beyond himself with laughter for he knew that Pope Saint Pius V promulgated the 1570 Roman Missal (Tridentine Mass), making it mandatory throughout the Western Church, except in places and religious orders with “missals” from before 1370. He officially forbade changing the traditional Latin Mass in his “Quo Primum Tempore” on July 14, 1570.

“Now, therefore, in order that all everywhere may adopt and observe what has been delivered to them by the Holy Roman Church, Mother and Mistress of the other churches, it shall be unlawful henceforth and forever throughout the Christian world to sing or to read Masses according to any formula other than this Missal published by Us … Accordingly, no one whosoever is permitted to infringe or rashly contravene this notice of Our permission, statute, ordinance, command, direction, grant, indult, declaration, will, decree, and prohibition. Should any venture to do so, let him understand that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.”

Maahes’s comrades had successfully carried out their part of the plan. Two “infallible” Popes had just contradicted themselves. And thus by the changing of the Mass a heresy had been committed by a Pope; which meant the Pope ceased to be Pope.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Heresy,” 1914, Vol. 7, p. 261: “The pope himself, if notoriously guilty of heresy, would cease to be pope because he would cease to be a member of the Church.”

Brilliant! It would be easier now than ever before to antagonize and scatter the flock. But a place had to be prepared where those scattered sheep could run to. It would be a place from which they would then be led out one by one to be spiritually slaughtered. That’s where Angelo came into the plan. A corral was about to be erected to fence these poor souls in and Angelo would build it with Saint Benedict’s and Pope Leo XIII’s help.

Anyone at all swearing an oath to abide by the “Rules of Saint Benedict” can form their very own Benedictine community; which is exactly what Angelo did. There was no need for him to waste time going through the rigors of being trained for 4+ years within a “publically recognized” Order of Saint Benedict (OSB) and then applying for a “charter” to form his own community. He’d simply create a “company” and then fill out and file Form 1023 to the Internal Revenue Service for recognition as a domestic non-profit corporation tax status claiming religious organization status.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution (December 15, 1791) “prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press …”. Maahes knew there was no better law to hide his cunning plan behind. The seeds of Satan were then planted in fertile soil but it would still take time and special care before they would germinate and produce the anticipated crop for harvest.

Within a year after receiving his tax free status Angelo’s refuge, his corral intended for the scattered flock, the “Most Holy Order of Saint Jude” (MHOSJ) was up and running.

Gabriella would have been immensely proud to witness her son’s success, if she had only lived long enough. But, alas, that was just another wish on Gabriella’s long list of wishes that just wasn’t meant to be.

Angelo grieved over his mother’s death as Gabriella had not renounced the Vatican II Church and had a funeral overseen by her parish priest, a priest who equally had elected to stay within the Church even after the Vatican II heresies were committed and exposed.

The question that tormented him now was, did his mother therefore die “inside” or “outside” of the Church? It was an excruciatingly painful thought that his beloved mother would have died “outside” the church as dying outside the Church meant Gabriella was condemned to the fires, burnings and torment of Hell for time and all eternity.

But Maahes’s came to his aide. He helped Angelo to rationalize that “no one”, believing in God’s immense grace, should stoop so low as to entertain, for a second, such a lasciviously repugnant question. The selfless suffering Gabriella endured throughout her life paid, well in advance, the price associated with her eternal lodging in heaven.

“For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God”. - 1 Corinthians 2:11

It was such a comforting, enchanting lustful lie. Angelo swallowed Maahes’s bait “hook, line and sinker”. Maahes would have loved to be able to claim credit for another lost “soul” but Gabriella wasn’t going to be one of them. The bright spot in this set-back was that Angelo would most definitely never see his mother again, that is, if everything went to plan.

Time was pressing. There was no time to waste on getting sidetracked with the question of Gabriella’s salvation… Angelo must keep his focus on finishing the corral. Maahes understood all too well that no one knows the hour that Christ will come for the second time ending any and all hope of inflicting even more massive casualties / losses upon his master’s enemies. Lucifer … the Son of the Morning must be avenged.

Jesus said … "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." - Matthew 24:36

Maahes reiterated to Angelo the urgent need for him to stay focused and place his “Trust in the Lord”. He must stand as tall as his crutches would allow him to and profess the “truth” about the heresies committed by the Vatican II Church surrounding its break from tradition, its apostasy. Nearly two millennia of Catholic tradition had been flushed down the drain by a ludicrous desire to heal the wounds of Protestantism with the ointment of ecumenicalism.

Angelo heeded Maahes’s call to arms and found renewed strength in carrying out his task. He picked up and placed upon his aging shoulders the “armor of God” with pride. The battle had begun.

"… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” - Ephesians 6:12

It was during this “awakening” that Angelo decided that, having started a new life in Christ, he would change his name to “Joseph” (Hebrew for “may Jehovah add/give increase”). And as a result … Angelo existed no more.

Within 5 years after receiving his tax free status Joseph’s refuge, the “Most Holy Order of Saint Jude” (MHOSJ), had a complete religious infrastructure in place, with a functioning Monastery including 12 adepts (lay brothers) with Joseph elected as the Abbot Superior. There was even a physical Church on the property in which to perform the Holy Sacraments for his parishioners (Baptism, Eucharist or Communion, Reconciliation being Confession and Penance, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Extreme Unction). To add to his pleasure he had persuaded a validly ordained traditional Catholic priest to come and be the Shepherd of the flock he had herded into the corral. Pastoral Care was being restored in the Church, his Church, and the last remnant traditional Catholic Church in the world. It was a miracle, Joseph mused. But, for Maahes, it was simply the fulfillment of Phase 2 of his business plan. The ministry of the “Fisher of Men” had at long last begun.

Joseph’s fame spread quickly in the surrounding area as it became known that he had been blessed by God with special clairvoyant / mystical / healing powers. A series of successful séances, quasi-fortune telling and a couple of life saving prayers over the sick, all orchestrated by Maahes, aided greatly, as a catalyst, in raising money for the monastery’s coffers as well as increasing the attendance at the community’s Sunday traditional Catholic Tridentine Mass.

With the increase in donor contributions the MHOSJ purchased a high end printing press, placing it in the Monastery’s basement, where it was working overtime churning out the community’s monthly newsletter entitled “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness” that was then placed in envelopes and snail-mailed out across America to those who showed active interest in learning the “truth” about Vatican II and, of course, who were prone to donate to the cause. The MHOSJ ascertained from response / donations they received from their newsletter subscribers that they hungered for more and more “signs of the times”. They thirsted for continued “proof” that the Holy See and the Magisterium in Rome were actually an apostate Roman Catholic Church guilty of heresy. The newsletter was successfully satisfying their subscriber’s cravings. It became quickly evident that the income being generated by this “business of religion” (the newsletter) eclipsed the incoming revenue associated with the actual ministry the priest was overseeing. “God works in mysterious ways”, Joseph thought. But Maahes knew it was to be expected because it was all part of “the” plan.

Within 7 years after receiving his tax free status Joseph’s refuge, the “Most Holy Order of Saint Jude” (MHOSJ), had amassed close to one million dollars, 90 acres of donated prime rural real-estate, and was making preparations to expand the MHOSJ, his community, to other surrounding major cities. The cost associated with such a venture, as well as for maintaining their current facilities, would be exorbitant but Joseph firmly believed God would provide a way as he always had. Enlarging the ministry to care for the scattering flock was his mission or so he wanted to believe. Pastoral Care was NOT an option it was a necessity, a duty, a responsibility, a commandment given to the Apostles by of Jesus Christ himself.

John 21:15-17, Jesus directs Peter to feed his sheep.

(15) Then, when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

(16) He said to him again: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

(17) He said to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was very grieved that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” And so he said to him: “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my sheep."

Joseph was firmly and fully committed to the concept surrounding the critical importance of providing to the “flock” Pastoral Care. If Christ ordered it to be initiated and carried out back at the beginning of the Church it most certainly was intended to be a fundamental and active part of His ministry today.

“Feed my sheep / tend my sheep”, those words repeated themselves over and over in Joseph’s daily reflection on his role in the community. Without Pastoral Care the flock would be lost and Joseph was determined not to let that happen. It was his sworn duty and responsibility to Shepherd the flock as Christ had instructed before he ascended into heaven. “God’s will be done.”

But that was not Maahes “will”. He’d been expecting this “change” of heart, this betrayal to the covenant Joseph had agreed to years before. His time with Joseph had been, to say the least, amusing but the aging cripple had outlived his usefulness in the overall plan. It was time to implement Phase 3 of the strategy … “the Changing of the Guard”.

Maahes had looked into the future and had chosen a young lay brother in the community to secretly groom / nurture into accepting to play the role of a most needed “Judas”. The MHOSJ needed to be steered away from implementing Pastoral Care and with it any hope of stumbling on to an answer that might reunite the apostate Vatican II Church with the tradition Roman Catholic Church it had skillfully disposed of. The MHOSJ needed a “traitor”, someone without scruples, to take hold of the wheel, shift gears and speed into the fast lane on the road leading to oblivion. So he chose a wealthy man’s son.

Matthew 19:16-24

(16) And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

(17) And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

(18) He saith unto him, which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

(19) Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

(20) The young man saith unto him, all these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

(21) Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

(22) But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

(23) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

(24) And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Daemon was the perfect choice.

 

Part III ... The Struggle for Power