AFTER BUILDING on respected years as member of the APO Hiking Society and, lately, being a crusader for truth, Jim Paredes must be finding the world collapsing because of one short self-video of him in carnal act. I can only pity and pray for him; there is no doubt he is now being flayed with shame and remorse.
On top of this, he continues to be crucified daily in social media by people who, in the time of the Magdalene, should be confronted with the dare: he who has not sinned cast the first stone. But these times are far from Jesus. Satisfaction is satiated only with the crucifixion and death of any Magdalene.
The case of Paredes is but confirmation of revelations in modern-day mystical events: that the Achilles heel of most people is the sin against purity. This was declared by the Blessed Virgin in her apparitions in Medjugorje. There, she said that many, nay, most are condemned because of sins of impurity.
Jesus Himself said no less during His apparitions to St. Faustina Kowalska in Poland. Jesus told her that He bore the extreme torture of flagellation (wherein his flesh was torn and, in some parts, his bones were exposed by the scourging) to make up for mankind’s sins of impurity.
Yet, sins of impurity are what our times have customized as being normal: being almost naked for Miss Universe title is honorable, pornography is illegal but is commonly tolerated, posing bare for glossy magazines is wow, living in arrangements outside of marriage is norm, Vice Ganda has good hold of some moral yardstick on national television.
What does Jesus have to say about sinners of the flesh? Let me go back to the writings of mystic Maria Valtorta who saw Jesus zeroing in on “fornication” before a crowd;
Jesus said as follows:
“And yet, o soul oppressed by all the lust of the world, do not weep. Listen: you are a filthy rag. But you can become a flower once again. You are a dunghill. But you can become a flower-bed. You are an impure animal. But you can become an angel. Once you were an angel. And you used to dance on the flowery meadows, a rose amongst the roses, as fresh as they were, sweet-smelling with virginity. And you happily sang your childish songs, and then you would run to your mother, to your father and say to them: “You are my love”. And the invisible guardian who is at the side of each creature would smile at your blue-white soul… And then? Why? Why did you tear off your wings, those of a little innocent being? Why did you tread on the hearts of your father and mother to run after other unreliable hearts? Why did you compel your pure voice to utter false sensual words? Why did you break the stem of the rose and desecrate yourself?” “Repent, daughter of God. Repentance invigorates, purifies and elevates. Can man not forgive you? Not even your father could forgive you? But God can. Because the bounty of God is not to be compared to human goodness and His mercy is infinitely greater than human misery. Honor yourself by making your soul honorable through an honest life. Justify yourself with God committing no more sins against your soul. Obtain from God a new name. That is what matters. You are vicious. Become honest. Become the sacrifice and the martyr of your repentance. You knew how to make a martyr of your heart to give pleasure to your flesh. Now make a martyr of your flesh to give eternal peace to your heart.” “Go. You may all go away. Each with his burden and his thoughts, and meditate. God awaits everybody and rejects none of those who repent. May God grant you His light that you may know you.”
