The Church's ultimate trial. [Catholic Caucus]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church ^ | The Church

[the invisib1e hand]

The Church's ultimate trial

675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.⁵⁷³ The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth⁵⁷⁴ will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.⁵⁷⁵

676 The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism,⁵⁷⁶ especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.⁵⁷⁷

677 The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection.⁵⁷⁸ The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.⁵⁷⁹ God's triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.⁵⁸⁰

[the invisib1e hand]

Fr. Rutler included para. 675 in his letter in this week's bulletin, and so I thought it would be fitting to post the section here.

While the entire teaching is thought provoking, I was particularly struck by this part:

676 The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism,⁵⁷⁶ especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.⁵⁷⁷

[the invisib1e hand]

This is intended to be a Catholic Caucus thread. I don't know who I have to send a memo to in order to make that happen, of if posting it here is enough.

But really, most of you know that it's easier to ignore this thread than to get me going.

[livius]

Hmmm. I wonder what Fr Rutler was referring to?

[the invisib1e hand]

Here it is in his own words.

He's had a lot to say about "change" in the past few weeks.

[Jeff Chandler]

Today our pastor warned us of a sign of the Apocalypse: the Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl.

[thefrankbaum]

Per Post 2, Original Poster requests edit for Caucus Status.

[markomalley]

A very timely reminder of timeless Church doctrine.

[the invisib1e hand]

thx.

[GonzoII]

"The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God's victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven.

Home is heaven, not here!

Thanks for the post.

[arderkrag]

I didn't Know the Catholic Church openly endorsed sports.

[Oratam]

The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism,especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.

"Don't immanentize the eschaton!"

[the invisib1e hand]

"Don't immanentize the eschaton!"

Right-0. And even though what we're seeing is clearly secular messianism, and the antichrist's deception is thereby clearly taking shape, this may merely be another step along the way.

Or it could be the biggie.

"Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus."