|
Introducing
Our Web Resource...
Welcome to The Cross and The Veil, a web resource created to aid Catholics in their efforts at discerning the various currents of thought and practice flowing from what has been termed the "New Age". From yoga to Reiki, from TM to Healing Touch, Catholics are embracing "new" ideas that can be misleading and harmful both spiritually and emotionally.
It is the purpose of this site to assist you in taking up the challenging task of admonishment, evangelization and restoration for those friends, relatives and co-workers that may have stumbled into one of the many manifestations of this counterfeit spirituality.
Our site is named in honor of the relic of the True Cross brought to America in 1634 by Jesuit missionary, Father Andrew White, and in honor of the Veil of Veronica which depicts the Holy Face of Jesus. The cross and the veil serve as symbols of the service and contemplative prayer of the Jesuit and Carmelite traditions which, led by Teresa of Avila and Ignatius of Loyola, served to reform and reinvigorate the Church at the time of the Protestant Schism. These traditions were also the rocks upon which was founded American Catholicism in the fledgling colony then known as Mary's Land (Maryland), in the English-speaking colonies of North America.
Just like Teresa and Ignatius, we are confronted with no less of a need today to address the challenges facing the Church in our post-Christian society. In The Cross and the Veil, you will find practical articles on these undertow-like currents that have influenced Catholic culture in the last four decades - explaining and critiquing them in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As importantly, you will also find articles about authentic spiritual devotions and where and how to find the overflowing Font of Truth and Love that is Jesus Christ.
This site is dedicated to The Holy Face of Jesus, a devotion which was promulgated by saints throughout the ages, especially by a Carmelite nun, Sister Marie of St. Peter, who was given the apostolate of spreading this devotion by Our Lord in approved apparitions dating from the 1840's in Tours, France. Our Lord conveyed to her that devotion to His Holy Face would serve as reparation for the sins against the first three commandments, which are sins of blasphemy. The false idols of both materialism and the "New Age" are cast down by loving contemplation of the Face of Our Savior wherein He promised to reveal to us the secrets of His Heart.
Sr. Marie of St. Peter relates in her autobiography entitled, The Golden Arrow, "He made known to me that two persons had rendered Him a particular service during His Passion - St. Veronica and St. Dismus. Veronica is a model for women who can console him through prayerful reparation. The Good Thief, however, who openly and boldly defended the Savior's cause on Calvary, is held up more especially as a model to priests who must now imitate him…".
I am the editor of the site and was once involved in the New Age as a "healer" and advanced Kriya yoga practitioner. This site is the fruit of ten years of personal renewal and five years of efforts at evangelization.
If someone you know thinks yoga and Reiki are good for his blood pressure and if you think "Healing Touch" can make your back ache better - read on! Dante, the author of The Divine Comedy, was onced asked if he had dreamt up his account of his journey to hell or whether he had actually been there. He replied, "These are the shoes I wore, and this the coat I carried." Well, my hands "channeled energy", my eyes saw "auras", my ears heard "spirit guides". The lessons learned from my foray into what I now know was the occult are written down here so that others might have some sign posts to keep them from falling in the same pit. The stakes of ignoring these sign posts are high - none other than our loved ones' souls and our culture's destiny. This statement may seem like hyperbole, and the evidence here anecdotal, but my and others' personal experiences will hopefully speak to the heart.
God once told Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The New Age is that tree and our times are the fruiton of their error. The tree contains the hidden knowledge and power of the occult that are making us gods who are following our own lust for self-realization as we create a world more akin to Dante's hell every day.
The world's great religions share much in common, including devout men and women, deep truths and even the miraculous. However, where miracles have abounded, so also the lust to fathom and possess power over them. Thusly, the occult has sprung up across the globe throughout history as an enticement to spiritual seekers. This web site is also dedicated to the idea of a true religious toleration which both upholds the inalienable right of all persons to believe as they see fit and at the same time allows for a lively discussion of differences.
What an exciting time to be a follower of Jesus and to be able to share the Gospel message when it is most needed! I hope you will join me in this apostolate of restoration by sharing these pages with others.
Lord, let the light of Your Face shine upon us and we shall be saved!
|
|
