Pompey the Great: ‘Roman Alexander’? Part Two: Republic Spilling into Empire

by

 

Damien F. Mackey

 

 

What a complete mess is conventional ancient history!

Kingdoms, dynasties and rulers duplicated, or triplicated.

History and culture having a “strange afterglow” centuries later.

Impossible “Dark Ages” procrusteanising time periods by extension.

BC characters and events mysteriously projected into AD ‘time’.

And, in this case, the Roman Republic flopping over into its Empire.

  

 

 

Dolly Parton put it well: “It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it” (9 to 5).

 

That strange re-duplication, about 60 years later, of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome was considered in my article:

 

I Am Barabbas

 

https://www.academia.edu/3704873/I_Am_Barabbas

 

But it seems that the history books also ‘know’ of a ‘third’ bloody capture of Jerusalem in Roman history – one which is thought, however, to have preceded the other supposedly two assaults by Rome in the Neronic and Hadrianic imperial eras. It is considered to have occurred in Republican times, in 63 BC, when Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey ‘the Great’), one time ally of Julius Caesar, captured Jerusalem and killed 12,000 Jews.

This is quite a massive event, yet is often mentioned only in passing. See my:

 

Pompey the Great: ‘Roman Alexander’?

 

https://www.academia.edu/14908033/Pompey_the_Great_Roman_Alexander_

 

Strange that it is nowhere referred to in the Bible.

Hence, I suspect that there also needs to be a folding of some Roman Republican history with early Roman Imperial history. There was, for example:

 

1. a Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus) also at the time of Caligula (see A. Barrett, Caligula – the Corruption of Power, p. 237) about a century after (presumably) the Republican Pompey. And there was then also a
2. Marcus Crassus; the same name as the ‘earlier’ Pompey’s fellow consul (see Mackay, p. 135). Moroever, Caligula may have been murdered by a
3. Cassius Longinus (Barrett, p. 162); the same name as the chief conspirator against Julius Caesar.
    
   All very strange indeed and greatly needing to be explained – but the explanation of which is beyond the scope of this particular article!
4. 
   
    
   

"I AM THE WAY"

Pope Francis \ Homilies

Pope Francis: Many ‘mummified’ or ‘vagabond’ Christians.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis lamented on Tuesday that there are many following Christianity in a confused way, forgetting that Jesus is the only true path. He said these include the motionless or 'mummified' Christians, the vagabond and stubborn Christians and the Christians who stop half way along their journey. The Pope was speaking during his homily at morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.
Taking his inspiration from the gospel reading where Jesus tells the Apostles that “I am the way,” Pope Francis reflected on the need for Christians to consistently follow Jesus and not get waylaid or blocked on their journey of faith.  He said there are many different types of Christians who are following Jesus in a confused manner like the mummified Christian, the vagabond Christian, the stubborn Christian and the half way Christian.
Turning to an examination of these different types of Christians, the Pope pointed first to the Christian who doesn’t move or journey forward and who gives the idea, he said, of being like an (embalmed) mummy.
“Christians who stay still, who don't go forward, are non-Christian Christians. We don’t know exactly what they are. They are slightly ‘paganized’ Christians: who are there, who stay still and don’t go forward in their Christian lives, who don’t make the Beatitudes bloom in their lives, who don’t do Works of mercy… they are motionless. Excuse me for saying it, but they are like an (embalmed) mummy, a spiritual mummy there. There are Christians who are ‘spiritual mummies,’ motionless, there.  They don’t do evil but they don’t do good deeds.”
Moving on to a description of the stubborn Christian, the Pope said these types of Christians realize that they are taking the wrong direction but worst still they insist it’s the right path and don’t heed the voice of our Lord, telling them to turn back and take the correct path. The next category, he explained, are the vagabond Christians who travel here and there but doesn’t know where they are going.
“They are wanderers in the Christian life, vagabonds. During their life they turn here and there and thus lose the beauty of drawing close to Jesus in the Jesus’ life. They lose their way because they are constantly turning and often this turning is wrong and takes them to a dead end. Turning so many times, (the road) becomes a labyrinth and then they don’t know how to get out. They have lost that call from Jesus. They don't have a compass to get out and they keep on turning and searching. There are other Christians who whilst journeying are seduced by the beauty of an object and they stop half way, fascinated by what they see, by some idea, a proposal or a landscape. And they stop! Christian life is not a fascination: it’s the truth!  It’s Jesus Christ!”
After looking at these different types of Christians, Pope Francis said we’d do well to examine our own lives and question whether we too have stopped or lost our way. Are we standing in front of the things that we like such as worldliness and vanity or are we journeying forward and “putting into practice the beatitudes and Works of mercy” in our daily life? He concluded by saying that Jesus’ way “is full of consolations, glory and also the Cross. But always with peace in our souls.”
“Today let us ponder this question just for five minutes... How am I doing on this Christian journey?  Am I standing still, making mistakes, turning here and there, stopping in front of the things that I like, or (am I following) Jesus who said “I who am the Way.’?  And let us implore the Holy Spirit to teach us to journey along the right road, forever!  And when we get tired, a little refreshment and then we carry on our journey. Let us ask for this grace.”


Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:  


....


Taken from: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/03/pope_francis_many_%E2%80%98mummified%E2%80%99_or_%E2%80%98vagabond%E2%80%99_christians_/1227163

Hobart Archbishop Promotes Divine Mercy

 

 

The Archbishop of Hobart (Tasmania), Julian Porteous - who was recently notified by Tasmania’s Anti-discrimination Commissioner that a complaint had been laid against him in relation to the distribution, to the families of students in the Catholic schools, of the pro-traditional marriage booklet Don’t Mess With Marriage - has been tireless in his promotion of the devotion of the Divine Mercy. According to a Tasmanian Catholic (letter 30 Mar, 2016): “The Archbishop … has really been ‘plugging’ Divine Mercy, he couldn’t do any more”.

For Lent, Archbishop Porteous issued a magnificent small formatted 28-page booklet, entitled:

 

The Time of Mercy:

A Spiritual Reflection For The Year of Mercy

 

which we would recommend every reader to try to get hold of.

The address given at the back of the pamphlet is: www.hobart.catholic.org.au

If one were to look for a ‘theory of everything’ (as referred to in the ‘Modern Physics’ article above), then one need go no further than this booklet. Its Contents are: 

 

Preface

Introduction

This is the time of mercy

Why is this the time of mercy?

Receiving Mercy

Have Mercy on us and on the whole world

Merciful like the Father

Pope’s Prayer for Year of Mercy

Parables and Psalms on Mercy

Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

A guide to Confession

 

This booklet leaves nothing unsaid!

 

* * * * *

 

A correspondent has also strongly recommended a “wonderful new book” by Fr. Michael Gaitley, “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told”.

 

 

“It is incredible because Father ties all of history together – Bible – Polish History – Fatima – before that, Sacred Heart devotion – Divine Mercy – True Devotion”.

 

The world needs the mercy of God

 

April 25, 2014

 

Talking Point by Archbishop Julian Porteous

 

IN the year 2000, as a new millennium was being ushered in, Pope John Paul II instituted the Feast of Divine Mercy, a feast to be celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter.

Clearly in the mind of the pope was the particular relevance of this feast and the devotion to the Divine Mercy for our times.

In fact Pope John Paul had commented, “Right from the beginning of my ministry in St Peter’s See in Rome I consider this message my special task. Providence has assigned it to me in the present situation of man, the Church and the world.”

 

The apparitions to St Faustina emphasised the mercy of God and urged people to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion today.

The Diary of Saint Faustina tells of the message concerning this day:

 

“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.” (Diary 699)

 

At a time when the practice of confession has fallen off among so many Catholics this call of Christ to discover grace of the sacrament is important.

Of course, the call to approach the Sacrament of Mercy on this feast day, should be an encouragement to use the sacrament regularly, at least monthly.

Devotion to the Divine Mercy may also be a providential act of God to help the Catholic people to return to this sacrament. The Lord wanted to link going to Confession with acts of mercy.

Just as the Lord taught his disciples that once receiving mercy we should show mercy ourselves, and as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer – forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us – so the mercy we taste in the confessional should move our hearts to express a generous mercy to others.

 

One expression of this desire to show mercy is to pray in intercession for the needs of the whole world. In the chaplet we pray,

“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a powerful prayer.

Again we can refer to the words received by St Faustina,

 

“Whoever will recite it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I want the whole world to know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My Mercy …” (Diary 687)

 

The world needs mercy.

Firstly the world needs the mercy of God.

Through the revelations to St Faustina the Lord Jesus is calling upon us to intercede for the world, crying out for mercy.

 

Secondly we need mercy.

We are sinners.

We cannot remain in our sins. We need to approach the Sacrament of Mercy, the confessional, and to do so regularly.

 

Thirdly, we need to be instruments of mercy to others. The injunction of the Lord in the Our Father must be our constant inspiration: we will forgive others, as we seek forgiveness ourselves.

 

Archbishop Julian Porteous is the Archbishop of Hobart.