(11/11/23 update: also visit catholicexorcism.org and pray along, you will receive so much wisdom. resources - see videos and "pray with me" section)
Book of Sirach:
Knox translation: In manhood’s vigour, do not follow the whim of thy heart, boasting of thy strength, and asking who will call thee to account for thy doings; God will find a way to punish thee.
Douay Rheims translation: Follow not in thy strength the desires of thy heart: And say not: How mighty am I? and who shall bring me under for my deeds? for God will surely take revenge.
Matthew 15:18: "But the things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man. For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies."
What comes forth from the heart defiles a person with sin, and then they are going to face God's judgement (eternal destruction) when they die. Therefore, the definition of foolishness is to "follow your heart" and to "believe in yourself."
Here is a description of contemporary society, offered in 2 Timothy:
"Be sure of this, that in the world’s last age there are perilous [perilous for the safety of your immortal soul] times coming. People will be in love with self, in love with money, boastful, proud, abusive; without reverence for their parents, without gratitude, without scruple, without love, without peace; slanderers, incontinent [without any sort of self-control], strangers to pity and to kindness; treacherous, reckless, full of vain conceit, thinking rather of their pleasures than of God. They will preserve all the outward form of religion, although they have long been strangers to its meaning. Now these people, avoid. They count among their number the men that will make their way into house after house, captivating weak women whose consciences are burdened by sin; women swayed by shifting passions, ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth."
Never attaining knowledge of the truth, meaning of course, those who repeat phrases such as "believe in yourself" and "follow your heart," and think they are wise, even though this advice is impossible to actually follow and have a good outcome, as anyone knows who has followed this advice.
Rather, follow God's advice and believe in God, because He has come to warn you about sin so that you do not destroy your life on earth and/or have a bad eternity. He has come to save you from sin, that you avoid it, and learn about God and do His Will, so your life on earth is put together and so that you spend eternity in Heaven with Him.
Matthew 7:21: "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Knox translation: "Make your way in by the narrow gate. It is a broad gate and a wide road that leads on to perdition [Hell], and those who go in that way are many indeed; but how small is the gate, how narrow the road that leads on to life, and how few there are that find it! Be on your guard against false prophets, men who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but are ravenous wolves within. You will know them by the fruit they yield. Can grapes be plucked from briers, or figs from thistles?
So, indeed, any sound tree will bear good fruit, while any tree that is withered will bear fruit that is worthless; that worthless fruit should come from a sound tree, or good fruit from a withered tree, is impossible. Any tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire."
If you want wisdom, pray to God to ask for wisdom, and then read the Book of Sirach, the Book of Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom, and the entire New Testament.
(When reading these books, remember that if something in one of those books refers to an evil man or an evil woman, the same is true of the opposite gender. So for example, if is mentioned a wrathful man will lead to your murder, remember also the same of a wrathful woman; or a woman laden with sexual immorality will lead a man to Hell, remember also that a man laden with sexual immorality will lead a woman to Hell, etc., as Jesus explains very clearly when He speaks of adultery and marriage that what if for one gender is also for the other. That also means the same is true of the praises of virtue, when the Bible speaks of the virtuous woman, a woman who is physically strong, financially wise, thoughtful about the future, patient with others, most chaste, and God-fearing, these same beautiful virtues also apply to virtuous men, and vivify men's souls as well, making their souls beautiful in God's sight and in the eyes of people.)
Do the following to bypass the inane and self-destructive "advice" of friends, family, teachers/leaders and popular culture:
Here is a reading list of books recommended by either me or my dad (boldradish):
- Pray, in your own words, to God, asking Him to give you true wisdom out of His Infinite Mercy and because of the promise He made to help all those who sincerely call upon His Holy Name. Tell Him that you understand that He left these holy readings for you to gain knowledge from, but that no amount of studying will create wisdom in a person, unless God Himself intervenes with a miracle and grants wisdom. Wisdom comes from God, not from reading and studying alone.
Solomon made a great offering to God, and the following happened to Solomon as an example to us:
That same night, the Lord appeared to him, bidding him choose what gift he would. [God would give him anything he asked for.] And Solomon said to God: Thou hast shewn great kindness to my father David: and hast made me king in his stead. And now, Lord God, make good thy promise to him. Since thou hast made me king over thy people, a great people countless as the dust, grant me wisdom and discernment in all my dealings with them. How else should a man sit in judgement over such a people as this, great as thy people is great? And the Lord answered, For this choice thou hast made, thou shalt be rewarded. Thou didst not ask for riches or possessions, for glory [honor, fame], or vengeance upon thy enemies, or a long life. Thy prayer was for wisdom and discernment, to make thee a better judge for the subjects I have given thee. Wisdom and discernment thou shalt have; and I will give thee riches and possession too, and such glory as never king shall have before or after thee.- Understand this: God is so immensely pleased with the request you make to Him for True Wisdom, to know and to do His Will. Often pray for this, as Solomon did, and as God wrote that we might imitate this request, and follow through with the actions of prayers, Eucharistic Adoration, participation of the Sacraments, and of the greatest importance, Holy Reading. Then God will give you wisdom and a close relationship with Him. He will lead you along the narrow path of Truth which the world seeks and can never find. He will love you as a dear son or daughter of His, and He will bring you up to Him. He will smile upon you and your soul will know happiness: the only true happiness a soul can have, which is the happiness of having God pleased with you.
- Always, every day, pray for the purpose of knowing the truth and receiving contrition and pardon for your sins.
- Read the Entire New Testament: http://
catholicbible.online/side_by_ side/NT/Mat/ch_1 - Read the Book of Wisdom, and recognize that this is about devotion to Jesus and Mary, especially in the Rosary, as Wisdom is personified as female to prepare our souls for Marian devotion, devotion which Christ gave us with His dying Breath on His Cross because it will lead us to Jesus in Heaven: http://catholicbible.
online/side_by_side/OT/Wis - Read the Book of Proverbs: http://
catholicbible.online/side_by_ side/OT/Prov - Read the Book of Sirach: http://catholicbible.
online/side_by_side/OT/Eccle - Watch the Near Death Experience of Marino Restrepo: http://www.
boldradish.com/2018/12/the- near-death-experience-of- marino.html - Read the Near Death Experience of Gloria Polo: http://www.boldradish.
com/2018/12/the-near-death- experience-of-gloria-polo.html - Read the Conversion of atheist Jewish Harvard professor (re-written on this blog)
- Read the Psalms: http://catholicbible.
online/side_by_side/OT/Ps - Read the Catechism. (A priest's instruction to me in confession was to read just a few - meaning 3 - lines of the Catechism a day, and after a year, I would have had the whole thing read. At first I dreaded this. When I actually read it, the Catechism was most extremely beautiful and pleasing to my soul to read, because it is about Jesus. So read a few lines of it a day, and in a year, you will have read the whole thing. Jesus is most profoundly beautiful and wonderful.) http://www.
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_ INDEX.HTM - Read further readings from Saints or other holy works (NO affiliate links below, I don't get any money from this. I suggest reading these because God will use these holy works to bring you wisdom and bring you closer to Him):
- Read Miracle Detective: https://www.amazon.
com/Miracle-Detective-Randall- Sullivan/dp/0802141951/ref=sr_ 1_1?keywords=miracle+ detective&qid=1553387156&s= books&sr=1-1 - Read How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God (booklet, short) by St Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church: https://www.amazon.
com/How-Converse-God- Alphonsus-Liguori-ebook/dp/ B00ZB2IBT4/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_ 1?keywords=how+to+converse+ with+god+liguori&qid= 1553386618&s=books&sr=1-1- fkmrnull - Read The Secret of the Rosary by St Louis de Montfort: https://www.amazon.
com/Secret-Rosary-Louis- Grignion-Montfort/dp/ 0899421083/ref=sr_1_6? keywords=the+secret+of+the+ rosary&qid=1553386261&s=books& sr=1-6 or Download Free PDF: https://www.rosarybay. com/files/ebook/Secret_of_the_ Rosary.pdf - Read Come to Me in the Blessed Sacrament: https://www.amazon.
com/Come-Blessed-Sacrament- Eucharistic-Meditation/dp/ 0972351221/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_ 1?crid=3MBSESB50B1HT&keywords= come+to+me+in+the+blessed+ sacrament+book&qid=1553386148& s=books&sprefix=come+to+me+in+ the+bles%2Cstripbooks%2C167& sr=1-1-fkmrnull - Read Prayers and Heavenly Promises: https://www.amazon.
com/Prayers-Heavenly-Promises- Joan-Carroll/dp/089555397X/ ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords= prayers+and+heavenly+promises& qid=1553386359&s=books&sr=1-1- spons&psc=1 - Read Diary of St. Maria Faustina, Apostle of Mercy (possibly future Doctor of the Church) Divine Mercy in My Soul: https://www.amazon.com/
Diary-Divine-Mercy-My-Soul/dp/ 1596141107/ref=sr_1_1? keywords=diary+of+saint+maria+ faustina&qid=1553387308&s= books&sr=1-1 - Read Interview with an Exorcist (the introduction of this is extremely good and inspirational): https://www.
amazon.com/Interview-Exorcist- Insiders-Possession- Deliverance/dp/1932645969/ref= sr_1_1?keywords=interview+ with+an+exorcist&qid= 1553386805&s=gateway&sr=8-1 - Read Visits to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori: https://www.amazon.
com/Visits-Blessed-Sacrament- Supplemental-Reading-ebook/dp/ B00ET69DE0/ref=sr_1_1? keywords=Visits+to+the+ Blessed+Sacrament+and+the+ Blessed+Virgin+Mary&qid= 1553388321&s=digital-text&sr= 1-1-catcorr - Read this website about the Holy Face of Jesus: http://
holyfacedevotion.com/ - Read The Imitation of Mary: https://www.amazon.com/
Imitation-Mary-Alexander- Rouville/dp/0899423302? SubscriptionId= AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag= duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2& camp=2025&creative=165953& creativeASIN=0899423302 - Read It's Time to Meet Saint Philomena: (I've read many books on this Saint, I have even written a book recounting the miracles she worked in my life, and although this one is short, it is the best of all of them, so much so that a decade ago when I went to her Shrine in Italy, which I do not recommend now for the great danger that would pose to you given the heightened violent activity and occult activity of Italy today, but there are still many devotions to her that you can practice and see many miracles take place in your life. If you want to pray for wisdom, ask her, I have every confidence she will obtain it for you. That dear holy and powerful Saint Philomena, the Wonder-worker.) https://www.
amazon.com/Time-Meet-St- Philomena-ebook/dp/B00C8U3K6Q/ ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords= its+time+to+meet+saint+ philomena&qid=1553389944&s= gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull - Read St. Therese of Liseux, Doctor of the Church, Story of a Soul: https://www.amazon.com/
Story-Soul-Autobiography- Little-Classics/dp/0895551551/ ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords= story+of+a+soul&qid= 1553387125&s=books&sr=1-2- spons&psc=1 - Read Hell Plus How to Avoid Hell: https://www.amazon.ca/
Hell-How-Avoid-F-Schouppe/dp/ 0895553465 - Read An Easy Way to Become a Saint (and take notes on this book; i keep all my notes in Evernote.com, a free note taking service that, as far as I can tell, does not read one's notes like many online companies, making them useless for religious purposes -- as they all hate religion and penalize you for being religious. Evernote doesn't examine yourself without telling you unless you call attention to yourself. Therefore, you can also keep your prayers organized with Evernote): https://www.amazon.
com/Easy-Way-Become-Saint- ebook/dp/B00U0I699S? SubscriptionId= AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag= duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2& camp=2025&creative=165953& creativeASIN=B00U0I699S - Read The Number of Sins Beyond Which God Pardons No More (short read, homily) by St. Alphonsus Liguori: http://www.
boldradish.com/2018/11/the- number-of-sins-beyond-which- god.html - Read Abandonment to Divine Providence (Free PDF): https://www.
catholicspiritualdirection. org/abandonment.pdf or Book: https://www.amazon.com/ Abandonment-Divine-Providence- Jean-Pierre-Caussade/dp/ 1495915352/ref=sr_1_1_sspa? keywords=Abandonment+To+ Divine+Providence&qid= 1553386937&s=books&sr=1-1- spons&psc=1 - Read The Wonders of the Holy Name: (this saved my life once, I'm glad I read it): https://www.amazon.com/
Wonders-Holy-Name-Rev- OSullivan-ebook/dp/B00T59F3UO? SubscriptionId= AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag= duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2& camp=2025&creative=165953& creativeASIN=B00T59F3UO - The Philokalia, Vol 4 (I recommend starting at Vol 4 as that volume has information on noetics and how to have a religious experience with God, and you can get the $1 Kindle version even if you don't own a Kindle by reading it with amazon's free Kindle reader which they will give you for your computer, although you can read all the volumes if you want): https://www.amazon.com/
Philokalia-Complete-Compiled- Nikodimos-Markarios/dp/ 057119382X?SubscriptionId= AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag= duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2& camp=2025&creative=165953& creativeASIN=057119382X - Read All About the Angels and anything else by Fr Paul O'Sullivan: https://www.
amazon.com/All-about-Angels- Paul-OSullivan-ebook/dp/ B00R38E8PA/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_ 1?keywords=all+about+the+ angels+for+o%27sullivan&qid= 1553387670&s=digital-text&sr= 1-1-fkmrnull - Read 201 Inspirational Stories About the Eucharist: https://www.amazon.
com/Inspirational-Stories- Eucharist-Patricia-Proctor- ebook/dp/B00B6ACO34/ref=sr_1_ 1?keywords=201+stories+of+the+ eucharist&qid=1553387716&s= digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr - Read 101 Inspirational Stories of Reconciliation: I came that they might have life and have it to the full: https://www.amazon.com/
101-Inspirational-Stories- Power-Reconciliation-ebook/dp/ B00B55ISF8/ref=pd_sim_351_3/ 131-0200088-8522217?_encoding= UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00B55ISF8&pd_rd_ r=b42177e5-4dcc-11e9-83a4- f7db3cd6a126&pd_rd_w=sL5RB&pd_ rd_wg=AyBxV&pf_rd_p=90485860- 83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30& pf_rd_r=VBMGXDNJVBY7Q5PD3AHF& psc=1&refRID= VBMGXDNJVBY7Q5PD3AHF - Read Nihilism: The Root of Revolution in the Modern Age by Fr Seraphim Rose to learn about why our society is the way it is (including with such horrendous, awful false "advice" -- even why people drive like they're out to die, and why people do kill themselves with drugs and alcohol, and destroy their souls with ever means imaginable, it just explains why society is the way it is): https://www.amazon.com/
Nihilism-Root-Revolution- Modern-Age/dp/0938635158/ref= sr_1_2?keywords=nihilism+ seraphim+rose&qid=1553387891& s=digital-text&sr=1-2-catcorr - Read St. Padre Pio's Words of Hope: https://www.amazon.com/
Padre-Pios-Words-Eileen- Bertanzetti-ebook/dp/ B006TZCIYQ/ref=sr_1_1? keywords=padre+pio%27s+words+ of+hope&qid=1553388187&s= digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr - Read An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr Amorth (ignore the introduction not written by him): https://www.amazon.com/
Exorcist-Tells-His-Story- ebook/dp/B0167ND1LS/ref=sr_1_ 1?keywords=an+exorcist+tells+ his+story&qid=1553388001&s= digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr and An Exorcist: More Stories (ignore the introduction not written by him): https://www.amazon.com/ Excorcist-More-Stories- Gabriele-Amorth-ebook/dp/ B01AYEYFSO/ref=sxbs_sxwds- stvp?pd_rd_i=B01AYEYFSO&pd_rd_ r=347594ed-f78f-4ead-9623- e00181ece15f&pd_rd_w=sgG2i&pd_ rd_wg=nZVJm&pf_rd_p=5c5ea0d7- 2437-4d8a-88a7-ea6f32aeac11& pf_rd_r=XGNZ42R4Q7CQSFRTNQRR& qid=1553388067&refinements=p_ 27%3AGabrielle+Amorth&s= digital-text&text=Gabrielle+ Amorth - Read anything about or by St Maximillian Kolbe, Concentration Camp Martyr during World War 2, who willingly traded his life to save the lives of others and who brought peace to many who were suffering in the camp with him.
There are many more things to read, but this is a good starting place.
I've had many people read these posts and think I am wise. ... I am not wise.
God is Wise. I often humble myself and tell Him in prayer, with great joy, that I am so stupid and so foolish, and I am so relieved that He is so smart, Intelligence and Wisdom Itself, and that He is so Merciful to help a little, worthless nothing like me. His tremendous Love and His tremendous Mercy give me great joy; without Him, I would have nothing.
If I, who am nothing, can have God for a friend, if you ask Him for wisdom, He can help you, direct your steps, give you true wisdom, share Himself with you, and make you into His friend, as well.
Always pray all 15 mysteries of the Rosary every day ( don't be intimidated if you can't, just pray whatever you can, some is better than none and you may have other devotions), and always pray for the purpose of knowing the truth and receiving contrition and pardon for your sins.
Your friends, family, and society - and I - do not have the answers to life. They (and I) do not have the Truth, they do not have Wisdom.
God does. Only God can save you.
It is so important a thing to always pray for the purpose of knowing the truth, as no one prays for it, and so no one has it, but rather they have such empty, destructive, vapid words as "follow your heart," that outwardly appear pleasing, but are, in reality, a death sentence.
I made the following diagram to illustrate the difference between those who are crucified out of their hatred (sin, disobedience, ignoring) of God and those who are crucified with God, and the fruits of both of them. (It's hand written so I hope it is legible, click to make it bigger.)
The most important charity you can do for other people is hidden, and silent, and they'll never know, and that is to pray for the salvation of souls. To pray for souls, souls you don't even know, daily.
Because our world is a whirlwind of worthless and destructive advice and garbage that destroys souls, and ... I know from evaluating myself, there is no reason that I should have the joy of knowing God while others are lost. They are not better than me. I know without God, I am a sinner, and worthless, and foolish. I know it is only God Who has put anything in my soul and freed me from any curse and sin. And so I know that I must pray for souls, and because of Jesus' kindness, He will save souls from Hell. Even if they have to go to Purgatory, even bad purgatory, it at least will only last a little while.
Many souls are lost because not enough people pray and realize the value of prayer. Salvation of souls depends on our prayer. When God gives you wisdom, you will understand this.
Encouraging words, my guardian angel helped me write, and you can read these whenever you need to be encouraged to pursuit prayer and holy reading and the work of your salvation, which helps save many souls:
you can pretend to yourself
that your prayers don't matter,
that what you do doesn't matter.
But you know that
your prayers are effecting
and have effected
many many lives,
people you don't know
people in Purgatory
people God seems to have
gone out of His Way to hide
from your eyes
because He loves faith
so He wanted you to have faith
because He loves you
and wants to make you pleasing to Him with your faith in Him.
you can pretend anything you want
but you know
prayer is the most important thing
a human being can do.
it changes -- not just lives,
it changes eternities.
it is the difference between
Heaven and Hell.
that is how much power
God gives to His Children
in prayer.
that's why those saints kept Jesus
company in the Eucharist 2-3 hours a day:
that time is how they saved the world.
if you want to pretend that's not true
it's because you don't want to look at—
you choose to be blind to—
all the power, all the force
God gave to you
— yes, you, specifically —
to help Him
save souls
through your
prayer & adoration.
all you have to do
is humble yourself
and ask Him to save souls.
and then He does.
St Faustina
In the evening, I saw the Lord Jesus upon the cross. From His hands, feet, and side the Most Sacred Blood was flowing. After some time, Jesus said to me, All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well, My daughter, what you are doing for their salvation. I answered, “Jesus, when I look at Your suffering, I see that I am doing next to nothing for the salvation of souls.” And the Lord said to me, Know, My daughter, that your silent day-to-day martyrdom in complete submission to My will ushers many souls into heaven. And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My wounds, and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things (Diary, 1184).