I finished the Harry Potter books...

I finally finished all seven of the Harry Potter books, and I do have a few things to say about them.

1. Intended audience: I don't know for sure what age range J.K. Rowling intended the books for (according to this Stack Exchange post, she didn't know herself).  From my own personal point of view, I wouldn't let anyone read them who is under 21.  My reason is simple: Harry & Pals are not very good role models.  If you give them to a kid who is Harry Potter's age, the actions will be thought of as coming from peers, which means that it is OK to do.  In some cases, Harry is heroic, and in other cases, his friends are the noble ones while Harry is basking in a pool of his own whining.  The older the child is, the greater chance he has to appreciate the difference between acceptable behavior and unacceptable behavior.

2. The amount of smooching: When I was 14, I was not allowed to kiss girls, and my sister was not allowed to kiss boys.  This wasn't because my parents were mean, it is because they actually cared.  They didn't want me to develop ties of affection to someone when in reality I was much too young to actually understand what those ties of affection mean.  At 14-17, all kissing would do is arouse the baser passions.  Maybe there are children out there whose parents raised them the right way to understand what kissing means, but I suspect that they are few and far between.

3. Good vs Evil: This concept is native to children.  The good guys win, and the bad guys lose; maybe the bad guy gets the upper hand every so often, but they never win in the long run.  While the Harry Potter books certainly stick to the tried and true method, there are a number of situations where good and evil are not very clear cut, and a young person who does not have a close connection with his or her parents to ask them to clarify what is good or evil in this or that instance might lose track of it.

4. Magic: Enough has been written in other places to caution parents whose children have overactive imaginations to avoid these books.  Magic is real, the devil is real, and young people who seek magic will find it in the wrong places.  Also, while shouting spells from the first or second year books might be cute, it is not cute in the least to hear anyone shouting out the torture or killing curses from later books.

This is just off the top of my head, but these sum up my main reasons for never giving these books to young kids.  The mind and conscience isn't developed enough to handle the stories, characters, plot or actions well enough.  Kids who have a good relationship with their parents and bring them questions might be allowed to read them, but that would be the call of the parents.

Anywho...

Divine Mercy Daily: See The Human Race

Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus, and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women, and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed His eyes, and a soft but most painful moan escaped from His Heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than My death. Then my lips too fell silent, and I began to experience the agony of death ...(Diary, 445).

Inspiring Quote for September 27th, 2015

   “The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.”

― Confucius 

Inspiring Quote for June 10th, 2015: Manners...

   “ Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use. ”

― Emily Post 

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 295: See The Human Race

Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus, and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women, and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed His eyes, and a soft but most painful moan escaped from His Heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than My death. Then my lips too fell silent, and I began to experience the agony of death ...(Diary, 445).

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 294: Even Greater Pain

When I came for adoration, an inner recollection took hold of me immediately, and I saw the Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of His clothes, and the scourging began immediately. I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures. The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected Himself to the scourging: these are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus' moral suffering during the scourging! (Diary, 445).

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 284: The Powers of Darkness Flee

When I entered the chapel for a moment, the Lord said to me, My daughter, help Me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the chaplet that I have taught you for him. When I began to say the chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul's misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as He is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus' Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how very important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God (Diary, 1565).

Sedevacantists really know how to push my buttons...

People who claim the Pope is not the Pope based on how they feel, or the writings of some people who have some sort of secret knowledge, really know how to set me off. To me, this whole thing stinks of Gnosticism, which states either that you can't know or that there is secret knowledge, and it is only through the secret knowledge that the truth can be found. This is not how God works. He sent His Only Son to reveal the truth, not to set up some sort of cult where you only get in by secret handshake.

What I'd like to know is, who is the true Pope if Pope Francis is not he? Pope Francis and his predecessors were all the elected in the right way, and you can trace his primacy all the way back to St. Peter. You can find this information pretty much anywhere; there is no hiding of it, there's no secrecy, there's no hidden agenda. The current antipopes have no lineage, have no authority, and therefore should not be followed.

The only thing I'm speaking of here is the legitimacy of Pope Francis. If you don't like him, that's fine. He is still the Pope, and as such, we need to love him. We need to obey him in all things that are not sin. Just because you don't like what he says or you don't like him as a person doesn't make him a heretic, or a fake Pope, or for that matter not the Pope. If you denounce the Vicar of Christ, doesn't that mean you denounce Christ? If you say the Pope Francis is not your Pope, doesn't that put you outside of the Church, the one true Church established by Christ, outside of which there can be no salvation?

If you don't like what Pope Francis says, then you should discuss it, question it, investigate it, find out what he means. You shouldn't simply denounce him. Pray for him that he be preserved from error, and make sure that you don't speak ill of him or the authority in the Church in such a way as to cause scandal. God has given us the Authority in the Church in the same way that He has given us parents. If your parents are not good parents, they are still your parents, and they are to be respected and obeyed as such, in all things that are not sinful.

Think about it.

Inspiring Quote for March 6th, 2015: Learning...

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”


― Will Rogers 

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 223: Only With Your Help

Today, I heard these words: You see how weak you are, so when shall I be able to count on you? (Diary, 722).

Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces. You know who you are (Diary, 738).

My daughter, you have not offered Me that which is really yours. ... Daughter, give Me your misery, because it is your exclusive property (Diary, 1318).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 185: Be Not Afraid

Today, I have heard these words: My daughter, delight of My Heart, it is with pleasure that I look into your soul. I bestow many graces only because of you. I also withhold My punishments only because of you. You restrain Me, and I cannot vindicate the claims of My justice. You bind My hands with your love (Diary, 1193).

Today I heard a voice in my soul: Oh, if sinners knew My mercy, they would not perish in such great numbers. Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach Me; speak to them of My great mercy (Diary, 1396).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 184: Our Duty

December 16, [ 1936]. I have offered this day for Russia. ... After Holy Communion, Jesus said to me, I cannot suffer that country any longer. Do not tie my hands, My daughter. I understood that if it had not been for the prayers of souls that are pleasing to God, that whole nation would have already been reduced to nothingness (Diary, 818).

When once I asked the Lord Jesus how He could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the Lord answered me, I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation. My daughter, secretary of My mercy, your duty is not only to write about and proclaim My mercy, but also to beg for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify My mercy (Diary, 1160).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Inspiring Quote for January 19th, 2015: Complacency

  “The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities.”

― Benjamin E. Mays

Divine Mercy Daily, Day 183: The Fruit of Begging

On the First Friday of the month, before Communion, I saw a large ciborium filled with sacred hosts. A hand placed the ciborium in front of me, and I took it in my hands. There were a thousand living hosts inside. Then I heard a voice, These are hosts which have been received by the souls for whom you have obtained the grace of true conversion during this Lent. That was a week before Good Friday (Diary , 640).

Then suddenly I saw the Lord, who clasped me to His Heart and said to me, My daughter, do not weep, for I cannot bear your tears. I will grant you everything you ask for, but stop crying. And I was filled with great joy, and my spirit, as usual, was drowned in Him as in its only treasure (Diary , 928).

*Diary passages with bolded words are Jesus speaking

Inspiring Quote for November 9th, 2014: Faith

   “Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”

― Pope John Paul II 

Inspiring Quote for September 29th, 2014: Love

   “It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”

― Mother Teresa

Inspiring Quote for September 25th, 2014: Persistence

   “Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.”

― Charles F. Kettering 

SYMBOLON: THE CATHOLIC FAITH EXPLAINED

Inspiring Quote for September 23rd, 2014: Aging

   “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”

― Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

Inspiring Quote for September 22nd, 2014: Lessons

   “Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?”

― Walt Whitman