o felix culpa

I got a new Substack tho

One of the characteristics of divine mercy is to take our human freedom into account. God advises, but never forces; He pursues us, but never takes us by surprise and does not subject us to any pressure. "For, says Augustine, the one who created you without your consent does not want to save you without you." But mercy calls upon human responsibility; it does not cease to solicit and incite man to make a decision, while at the same time giving him the possibility to do so.”

“I was visiting a town a few days ago and me and my group were in a dark church for many hours, when we came out my eyes hurt so badly because it was so bright, even though the view was amazing. This sorta reminded me of Purgatory.”

“He not only doesn’t reject anyone who desires to turn to him even at the end of their life, no matter what they’ve done (I’m talking about conversions like that of Rudolf Höss), he wants to make them like the saints. He cares for the souls of anyone who seeks His forgiveness so much as to want to refine it like gold. It is that precious to God, even souls we would be happy to see discarded.”

There aren’t many saints with the same name as me, so I loved reading about her, virgin and martyr.

“According to the Passio, Anatolia and Victoria, two young Roman women of noble family, both Christians consecrated to God, opposed arranged marriages to two patrician suitors. The two men then sequestered the young women on their estates in Sabina, where Victoria was eventually killed and buried in a cave.

Victoria, a Roman of noble family born around 230 AD, received baptism as a child. At the age of 20, she was asked in marriage by the nobleman Eugenius. Her maternal cousin, Anatolia, who was a few years older and had also been asked in marriage by a patrician, convinced her to become a "Virgin of Christ." Victoria sold her jewelry and precious garments, distributed the proceeds to the poor, and renounced marriage forever. Eugenius feared denouncing her as a Christian because, under the law, Victoria’s assets would have been confiscated. He actually had a twofold goal: to marry Victoria and to take possession of her wealth.

With imperial favor, the two suitors then sequestered the young women on their estates in Sabina: Victoria near the Sabine city of Trebula Mutuesca (modern-day Monteleone Sabino), and Anatolia, together with Audax, near the Sabine city of Thora. According to the account of the Passio, there was a terrible dragon in the territory of Trebula whose pestilential breath killed both men and animals. Domitian, lord of Trebula, went to the place where Victoria had been exiled and begged her to save the city from the dragon. After driving away the dragon, Victoria entered the dragon's den and, summoning the people, said: "Listen to me: build an oratory for me in this place and give me your young virgins as companions." In a short time, more than 60 girls became her disciples; the saint taught them hymns, psalms, and canticles. The exile, faced serenely by the Saint, lasted three years and continued through the end of 253 AD.

However, after three years, Eugenius denounced her to the pontiff of the Capitoline Hill named Julian, who sent a commissioner named Taliarchus to Trebula. The latter went to Victoria with a statuette and forced her to worship the Goddess Diana. Upon her refusal, he killed her by piercing her with his sword.” -Wikipedia.

“There is a Book from which the learned and the uneducated, the great and the small, the righteous and the sinners can read and learn. It is a book open to all, in which everyone can learn the most sublime theology of God’s attributes—His power, His mercy, His justice, and His love; a book in which, in letters of blood—but not earthly blood—the mystery of God’s eternal love for humanity is written and explained. This book is such a school of wisdom and divine knowledge that the greatest saints of the Church were formed in it, and without it it is impossible to understand or practice any virtue. All the doctrines of the Gospel are summarized and illustrated in this book. All the books of Holy Scripture… are nothing but pages of this book. This book has formed saints, confessors, martyrs, and virgins. What, then, is this book of all sciences and all wisdom that exists in heaven and on earth? It is the Crucified One! Christ Jesus nailed to the Cross!”

He whom the heavens can barely contain has chosen to dwell within you.