Issue 2024-14
18208 Preston Road, Ste D9-552
Dallas TX 75252
Wake up and strengthen the things that remain.
I knew the day would come when the things we suspected would show themselves openly, and it’s here. It was a lot easier to be bold when the beast was still far away; now we need to stiffen our spines, do what we can, and resist the fear that can control us if unchecked.
One of the greatest rollouts of mass hypnosis since 2020 is going on as we speak. Our best refuge is the truth. Truth has a power of its own; when we cling to it, we tap into a power greater than ourselves.
Opinions expressed in this newsletter, unless otherwise attributed, are my own.
Sheryl Collmer, editor
July 31, 2024
sherylc@coracusa.com
From the cockpit of the Subaru
CORAC founder Charlie Johnston travels from coast to coast in his trusty Outback to speak in person to those now weathering the Storm.
A SIGN OF HOPE
Preparing For
Our Pilgrimage
I have had a brutal three weeks. The day after I left Minnesota, I started developing viral symptoms that... more >
CHARLIE’S BRIEF
Meantime… reality.
Some thoughts about correcting some misconceptions, being on our guard to sift reality from the sands of falsehoods… more >
NEWS
Bird Flu
There are many indications that avian flu will be the “next thing,” along with a push for… more >
Save History
Actual history is being erased this very minute. Trump wasn’t really shot, Kamala never had… more >
Mental Firewalls
We are in the middle of an information war. You’ve seen the evidence: “safe and effective vaccine,”… more >
The Basics
The Red Cross advises a 3-day supply for emergencies. FEMA advises supplies for “several days.”… more >
10 Hidden Headlines
What the media won’t tell you… more >
Bishop Patrick Byrne
Patrick Byrne was ordained in 1915, and promptly joined the Maryknoll Mission Society. He was sent to… more >
APPENDIX
The Stay-In Bin
because most of us will not bug out in a crisis; we’ll stay in our homes…. more >
What “The Chosen” Will Not Choose
From the ending of Season 4 of The Chosen, amplified by series star Jonathan Roumie at the Eucharistic Conference in Indianapolis, it is clear now that the popular crowd-sourced streaming series about the public ministry of Christ will NOT weigh in on the centrality of the Eucharist and the Real Presence of Christ therein.
In the Bread of Life Discourse, recorded in the 6th Chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus tells people they must eat His flesh and drink His blood if they are to have true life within them. Many of His followers were scandalized by this and said they would leave if Jesus meant this literally. Despite this, Christ reiterated what He said. And so, many did leave. This was so important that Jesus emphasized He was willing to see people leave if they could not accept it. After many left, Jesus turned to His Apostles and asked, “Will you also go away?” Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
The Chosen does have Peter say this memorable phrase, but it is in response to Jesus asking if the disciples will go into Jerusalem with Him just before the Passion – which is NOT how it happened. Our own Sheryl Collmer feared that the series was going to deny Eucharist centrality – and she was right.
While I agree with Collmer, I do not go so far as to say all their beautiful work is in vain. The series began as a genuinely ecumenical project between Protestants and Catholics. In that sense, I think it has been a smashing success. There have been scenes and interpretations that have given me pause – but in all candor, not as many as most purely Catholic fictional depictions of the life of Christ have.
Many of the narratives have shown profound, deep insight. The depiction of Judas as a zealous believer that Jesus was the Messiah, but a believer who wanted to move things along and knew better than Christ what should be done fits my interpretation of the betrayer exactly. The tragic figure of Schmuel, a member of the Sanhedrin who, after looking deeply into Christ’s teaching became very sympathetic to Him, even believing Jesus might well be the Messiah, was profound. In the end, Schmuel turned against Christ because He did not behave the way Schmuel’s preconceived notions insisted He must. How many people who truly believe themselves pious revolt when reality turns out to be different than what they expected? This was the sin of Job’s pious friends – and is the primarymeaning of Christ’s teaching about straining out gnats and swallowing camels. How many of the pious will unconsciously swallow great camels of vanity, greed, and exploitation but will revolt if some liturgical or traditional practice is not followed to the letter?
I love the presentation of Mary, whose spiritual beauty shines with brilliance, even as she looks somewhat like a young Mother Teresa. (I have a theory…just a theory, mind you, that at the resurrection, our physical beauty will match our actual, spiritual beauty. I think it pleases God to make some of the most beautiful souls plain – or even unattractive – here on earth that He may prove whether we mean what we say about our piety. But all will be fully revealed at the resurrection. We will be stunned at how beautiful some people we once thought were mundane are – and how hideous some people we thought were gorgeous are. All will be revealed – but this is just one of my pet theories…that people, judging all things in transient, temporal terms, do not well understand what beauty or ‘the good’ actually are.)
I am dubious at the portrayal of Pontius Pilate, displayed as an absolutely callow, if cunning, youth. Roman rules required a procurator to be at least 30 years old. Pilate had been procurator for some years by the time of the Passion. At the low end, he would have to have been around 37 or 38, not the mid-to-late 20’s the show portrays him as. But I withhold judgment on that until how I see how they portray him in Season 5. The youthfulness of his portrayal may serve as a very useful device to show how His encounter with Christ matured and changed him.
For Catholics, the True Presence in the Eucharist is also underscored by the Last Supper – when Jesus broke the bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you,” and then, after supper, took the cup and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” He did NOT say that either represented His body and blood, but that they ARE His body and blood. This was how Christ revealed what He had earlier insisted was literal actually is literal, but in a way no one could have expected.
Protestants overwhelmingly insist (with a few exceptions) that the language on the Eucharist is metaphorical and it only represents Christ, despite His insistence in the Bread of Life Discourse that He was speaking literally. The divide between Catholics and Protestants over the centrality of the Eucharist – and, largely, over the reality of most of the Sacraments, is an unbridgeable gap. Any who profess to be Catholic and believe the Eucharist is just a representation are effectively Protestant. A Protestant who believes in the Real Presence is, effectively just an exotic variety of Catholic. To choose one or the other would make this series into either a truly Catholic or truly Protestant series.
It is important to note that, thus far, the series has also not denied the centrality of the Eucharist. either. It is not weighing in in either direction. One could reasonably think that this caution to remain ecumenical is a form of lukewarmness. Yet, as carefully and deeply as those involved in this project have gone to authentically portray both the facts of Christ’s public ministry as well as the full, authentic implications of those facts, I would wager that a lot of people are quietly struggling in their minds to deal with the contradiction with actual Scripture on this subject. We Catholics have a hierarchy in which many are dissenting from the plain words of Scripture, as well.
When some Protestants start proclaiming the Real Presence as Scripture illustrates and, when lay Catholics start insisting on fidelity to Scripture and the Magisterium by all in the hierarchy, that will be the beginning of real unity in Christ – and the beginning of the end of the divisions that have crippled Christians for so long. As disappointed as I am that The Chosen did not overtly endorse the Catholic position here, I suspect it may be both the transitional bridge between Catholics and Protestants – and remembered, years hence, as a catalyst to genuine Christian unity after 500 years of serious division.
If communication goes out for any length of time, meet outside your local Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tell friends at Church now, in case you can’t then. CORAC teams will be out looking for people to gather in and work with.
Charlie’s Latest Blogs
Preparing For Our Pilgrimage
I have had a brutal three weeks. The day after I left Minnesota, I...
Just Don’t Look
(I am delighted to share this piece today, dealing with fighting a...
The Sound of Distant Thunder
On May 13, 1981, the anniversary of the first apparition at Fatima,...
Brief Update Videos
Meantime… reality.
Charlie's Brief #53 - Some thoughts about correcting some...
Pharaoh’s Magicians
Charlie's Brief #52 - Some thoughts about the attempted Trump...
Now is the Time
A Special Message from Charlie: Friends, we need your help as we go...
NEWS
Bird Flu
There are many indications that avian flu will be the “next thing,” along with a push for further vaccination. Dr. Peter Hotez, who was one of the worst of the covid villains, has advised the Biden/Harris administration that the US should mobilize the Dept of Homeland Security and NATO against people who refuse the vaxxes. Be aware that this new vaxx was just approved “for emergency use” (same as in 2021) and millions of doses are already manufactured and ready… even before there is any need. The virus has purportedly already been weaponized for the jump to humans, and we can expect someone to be the first domino in time to call off the election.
This effort will fail if enough people refuse to fall for the propaganda. However, I don’t doubt that a genuine health threat will be introduced in the next few months. They know people won’t fall for covid again, so they’ve got to ramp it up. As far as we know, ivermectin is still a good defense against a multitude of viruses.
More about avian flu from trusted doc Dr. McCullough >
Have a viral defense kit.
The CORAC Health & Wellness team has developed this chart for homeopaths >
Virus Resources
The release of a contagion before the election becomes more likely with every failed attempt to eliminate Trump.
Jase will help you lay in a supply of prescribed medications for a longer future period than you may be typically allowed. Which meds can you not afford to be without? At the least, prepare for the rest of this year.
Save History
Actual history is being erased this very minute. Trump wasn’t really shot, Kamala never had responsibility for the border, there is no inflation, illegal aliens are good for the country, blasphemy is just a neighborly display of friendship, obesity is healthy, etc. It’s essential for us to WRITE THINGS DOWN, take screenshots, record actual events as they occur. This manipulation of minds is very powerful, and if you do nothing, it will work on you. You’ll wonder why how you misconstured Harris for anything but a magnificent specimen of intelligence and diplomacy. Look, propaganda caused people to take 5 billion doses of an untested gene therapy injection. Don’t imagine that you’re immune. It takes a steady effort to swim against the current.
- Write down daily what you see and hear. It’s doesn’t have to be Pulitzer-quality. You can use bullet points, or dictate it to yourself in an email.
- Screen shot important events as they happen, not days later in the format that has been approved for you.
By this chronicling, you will cling to truth, and preserve it. We can only make good decisions when we have truth.
Use Cash
The CBDC that the Biden machine had scheduled to roll out last July has quietly disappeared. I don’t precisely know why; maybe all the people who switched to cash had something to do with it! But the CBDC is still in their toolbox. How do we know? President Trump made a point to say that he would dismantle the CBDC system immediately upon election.
Aside from the dangers of the CBDC (hackable, trackable, subject to appropriation by government agencies), cash helps merchants. Every credit card transaction takes a percentage out of the sale, and hands it to a big bank. I’d rather the person actually working to produce a good or service get that money.
Say you’re a small business with $1000 sales per day. If everyone paid with credit cards, you’d only get around $970 to reinvest in your business, which would only yield $940 if credit cards were used for supplies, and so on, until the original dollar spent belongs entirely to the bank. This plays out on a massive scale every day. Credit cards cost businesses, but they have to offer them to keep customers. Using cash benefits everyone (except the big banks, and don’t forget that they are some of the biggest pushers of the Grooming Empire.)
Mental Firewalls
We are in the middle of an information war. You’ve seen the evidence: “safe and effective vaccine,” “sharp as a tack Biden,” “wildly popular Harris,” “may not have been a bullet Trump.” If you haven’t read 1984, you probably should, just to be aware of the tactics: “war is peace, 2+2=5, ignorance is strength.”
During the Civil War, the attacking army would “soften up” the enemy’s front line with artillery fire before the infantry marched in. Currently, the media is “softening us up.” It weakens our defenses so that the main event will be easier and more effective. For example, as the all-pervasive campaign to get Kamala Harris accepted as a viable candidate takes over the news, we begin to forget our earlier knowledge of her. That, at least, is the intent.
We should take purposeful steps to protect our mental integrity. According to a writer who seems to be familiar with mental manipulation tactics, the dangers are: constant surveillance, harassment, isolation and fear. We’ve been able to see these tactics in action since 2020. Here are some steps to counter those tactics and preserve wholeness:
Independent News Sources
Members have called in a few more independent resources to add to the list from the last newsletter.
Conservative Treehouse, the Last Refuge >
Written by “Sundance,” the daily posts seem to have the back story on every major political event. Our member says he provides great analysis and connects the dots in a way few are able to do. (Thank you, Dianne!)
Badlands Media on Rumble, Substack and X.
Physical Healing Prayer Session
Healing sessions on Zoom are being held the last Wednesday of each month. The most recent was July 31. If you seek healing, please mark your calendar for August 28, and register on the website. Learn more >
The Basics
The Red Cross advises a 3-day supply for emergencies. FEMA advises supplies for “several days.” Given the conditions of living in a country without an apparent Commander-in-Chief, with an ongoing invasion, and proxy wars in several places, I think 30 days is more reasonable. And many prepping websites say that every household should have, at least, a 3-month plan for water, food, and defense. Choose your timeline, but do attend to the basics.
Water is courtesy of our Our Creator, but you do have to have a plan for safe drinking water. You can buy 5-gallon bottles of water from Wal-Mart or Home Depot, or get water purifying systems for long term.
Food is presently available at the grocery store, but you need to put some thought into what kinds of food will last in storage and satisfy basic nutrition and tastes.
If you are late to food storage and are willing to pay for an instant answer, My Patriot Supply is top-rated. You can order kits designed for 30 days, 90 days, seeds, generators, water purifiers, medical kits. You pay a premium for the convenience, but if you just need to stock a basic supply closet, this might be your easiet solution.
Defense becomes more essential as our society breaks down and police get overwhelmed. It’s worthwhile to think through various scenarios and have a pre-planned response.
Martyrs Corner: Bishop Patrick Byrne
Patrick Byrne was ordained in 1915, and promptly joined the Maryknoll Mission Society. He was sent to Korea, to the province of Pyongyang, the present capitol of North Korea. Before World War II, he was transferred to Japan, where he was held under house arrest.
Returning to Korea, he was ordained a bishop at a particularly thorny time in Korea’s history. Korea was splitting into North Korea backed by USSR and China, and South Korea backed by the US. Catholics in the north fled to the South, but Bishop Byrne stayed with his flock.
He was put on trial, and ordered to denounce the US, the UN and the Vatican. After refusing, he was sent on a forced march with other missionaries, priests and religious. Though helping others was an executable offense, Byrne risked sharing his food and giving away his blanket, his only protection against the wet, frozen Korean winter. After four months of marching, Byrne contracted pneumonia and died on November 25, 1950. Before he died, he told his companions on the death march, “After the privilege of my priesthood, I regard this privilege of having suffered for Christ with all of you as the greatest of my life.”
Patrick Byrne was an attractive spokesman for the missionary life. On a trip to the United States, where he would catch the attention of a fervent teenager named Aloysius Schwartz, he “came into town like a cassocked John Wayne on horseback.” (from Kevin Wells’ biography of Schwartz. Priest and Beggar.)
Schwartz, who overcame a great many obstacles to become a missionary himself, eventually served in the aftermath of the Korean War, which had made countless orphans. In Korea, he built the first Boystown, where an order of religious sisters acted as mothers to brutalized war orphans. Eventually there were Boystowns and Girlstowns in various countries around the world, including one in Chalco, Mexico, visited by Bishop Strickland earlier this year.
What unimaginable good is done in one charitable life. The effects cascade down through the years.
More about Venerable Al Schwarz, who was so galvanized by Byrne >
More about Bishop Strickland’s visit to Girlstown in Mexico >
CORAC WEBSITE
Our greatest asset is our website. If you haven’t yet explored it, start on the home page and go perusing from there.
PRAYER
August Prayer Intentions
-
That we pray and live anew the exhortation of Saint John Paul II the Great in his first papal homily: “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. . . . Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows ‘what is in man.’ He alone knows it.”
-
That all CORAC members heed Charlie’s call in a recent ASOH post: “I call on those who frequent this site to be leaders among their circles,” and that we lead with prudence through careful discernment of The Next Right Step.
-
For all CORAC members as we study, disseminate, and implement the principles and ideas presented in Revival: A Handbook and Manual for Building Functional Communities (due in August).
-
That many people be healed in body, mind, and spirit through the online Physical Healing Prayer Session via Zoom, on the last Wednesday of each month; and through many other healing prayer ministries in which CORAC members are engaged.
-
For the peaceful repose of the souls of all whom the Lord will call home this day; and for the consolation and strength of their families and friends.
-
That CORAC members may strongly desire and find the means to participate in financial support for our vital ministries.
-
For all intentions carried in the hearts of CORAC members and those posted on the CORAC Prayer Hotline, with gratitude for prayers answered in our daily lives.
St. Gabriel, enlighten us.
St. Michael, defend us.
St. Raphael, protect us.
Ave Maria, Stella Maris!
Prayer Hotline
Email prayer requests to the CORAC Prayer Hotline at prayerteams@coracusa.com, and we will post your request (using first names only) on the CORAC Prayer Hotline Signal group.
APPENDIX
The Stay-In Bin
because most of us will not bug out in a crisis;
we’ll stay in our homes.
©2024 Corps of Renewal and Charity is a 501(C)(4) Charity. All rights reserved.