Why I joined the Society of Jesus
At the age of 23, I was a successful commercial artist about to travel abroad where a job awaited me. I was happy at the prospect of leaving India and at the same time escaping from the terrible anguish caused by seeing the misery of the poor on the streets of Bombay.
Political saviors like Gandhi and Nehru had failed to bring true freedom and justice to the poor majority of India. Assassinations and divisions threatened "independent" India, and still do today. All social work was just drops of water in the desert. But there was still a solution: the words of Jesus kept coming to my mind as I prayed, “. . . for all things are possible with God ” (Mark 10:27). "Do not run away!" Another day I heard the words: "Follow my Son - Jesus." This word finally led me to leave the world and join the Society of Jesus, a missionary order that promised, by its very name, its "Spiritual Exercises" and its Constitution, to serve Jesus at any cost and lead all men to know him, his peace and his justice.
Bringing the Gospel to India
When I joined the group my intention was to know Jesus intimately, study and obey his Word, to be completely free from outside hindrances, even a girl I loved, so that I could follow him unconditionally. Like Paul, he wanted to preach the gospel and lead India to Christ. The misery of India hurt me, and I was hopeful that with other fully committed Christians I could help lead the people of India to Christ, so that they would be saved spiritually and socially, and truly live as children of God. Only then would India experience the full providence and justice of the Father for his people.
When I studied media and thought about the University of San Javier I had the same purpose: to bring the gospel to India. Today I am grateful that this vision for India not only persists but is even more alive and closer to its fulfillment. This is my faith; I see Jesus Christ achieving his already won victory through his "little flock" of ordinary people, "born again" and empowered by his Holy Spirit. This is his visible body on earth, the Christian church. The Word of God says that it is God himself, through Jesus Christ, who sovereignly “… will bring justice to the nations… through truth he will bring justice. He will not grow weary or faint, until he establishes righteousness on earth; and the coastlands will wait for his law ” (Isaiah 42: 1-4).
"Because it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, both those on earth and those in heaven" (Colossians 1:19 and 20). So when it happens, ALL the praise and glory of our people's deliverance will go to God through Jesus Christ. Men are nothing other than unworthy and useless servants, because for man it is impossible to save the poor, but “… with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). If we only believe in the One whom he has sent: Jesus!
The mission factor
During the time of my studies, a long 14 years, my superiors and fellow Jesuits also seemed to have the same mission, and dedicated their lives to the same goal, to know and serve Jesus, and to proclaim him to the whole world so that men may become his disciples. I was one of those rare, privileged, Jesuits who could travel and live abroad to study and had the freedom to act responsibly. As a man I was satisfied. However, something very important was missing. I could not satisfy my soul's hunger to experience Jesus, the Risen Lord, as the plain and illiterate men had experienced in the early apostolic church, described in the Scriptures.
In the early 1960s and 1970s, when I was studying abroad, I lived in the Philippines and many other countries in Europe, and later in the United States. He watched the exodus and emptying of Roman Catholic churches in Europe, and in the 70s when he was studying in Spain. Only 6% attended mass on Sunday. Later, in Los Angeles, United States, I saw the double life of Sunday Catholics, including myself and other priests and nuns. I questioned my Christianity, imported from the west, and wondered if Jesus Christ and the Bible were not pure fables for which I was giving my life in vain.
The church opens to accept Hinduism
He had not experienced any other church except the Roman Catholic. He was brainwashed to believe that it was the only true church, outside of which there was no salvation. The Second Vatican Council had shifted the emphasis somewhat, but not entirely. The Protestants, although they were called "brothers" and their churches "ecclesiastical communities" were still treated as heretics and their churches were imperfect, "incomplete". I remained staunchly anti-Protestant, and avoided any contact with their teachings and heretical television shows. On the other hand, the Jesuits in India urged me to be more open with non-Christians, Hindus, Muslims - even call them "sons of God", and to study their religions in order to have "dialogue",
Professional but lost
In 1971, while studying in California, I was engulfed in an atmosphere of hippies, gurus, drugs, divorces, sexual hedonism, and perversions of all kinds. All my counseling, and my prayers, were not helping "sinners" at all. I felt powerless. By that time thousands of priests and nuns were leaving the church in western countries. Others, like me, were becoming professionals in the media, in psychological counseling, or in social programs, to justify our priestly vocation and try to save the world by any method, except “… the gospel… power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16).
I was now seventeen years old as a Jesuit, in my late thirties, equipped with various college degrees and a "green card" for permanent residence in the United States. He considered the possibility of leaving, like others, the helpless and listless priesthood. But, just in case there was a heaven and a judgment, I would remain a Sunday Catholic to pay for my heavenly insurance. Outwardly, to Catholics, I appeared to be an efficient and popular priest who studied film and television at the University of California in Los Angeles and lived the "juppie" life at the church of San Martin de Tours, in Brentwood, near Beverly Hills. and Hollywood. I mingled with favorite stars and their ballroom parties and never felt discriminated against by this “white” parish. On the contrary, I felt loved and, materially speaking, I was very happy. With a good but deluded conscience, he also believed in horoscopes, taught yoga exercises in American university residences, not knowing that the Bible strictly forbids the occult activities in which he had dabbled. Needed help!
Unbeknownst to me, some Christians, whom I had accused and against whom I had preached as “fundamentalist” Protestants, were praying that I would be delivered from the deception. They prayed and I received the grace to reach a point of confusion and despair in relation to my faith and my vocation, and cry out to the Lord, “Oh God, show me if you are true, if Jesus is your Son, and if the Bible is your true Word! "
Critical point
In 1972, precisely on Pentecost Sunday, the Lord dramatically saved me. I had prepared to preach a sermon on the Holy Spirit to repeat at five consecutive Masses in Brentwood. But he had no faith in what he preached.
My back broke early that morning for the first time in my life, and I didn't preach. An ambulance rushed me to the San Juan Hospital. A well known orthopedic surgeon diagnosed me with severe congenital scoleosis in the spine and the need for major surgery. He was lying on his back, contracted, sore, and confused. The Lord had some Christians come to my room and pray for me. Against my will they laid their hands on me and while I patiently suffered their stupidity, I tried to forgive those "heretics" as they began to pray. I sighed and said to myself: “Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they're doing. . . ”. But, in his own way, the Lord had heard my cry, and was answering through His servants, precisely whom I rejected. From that day on the Lord opened my heart to know Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord, assuring me of salvation here and now in a way that I have never experienced before. Now I understood the great difference between experiencing Jesus as my personal Savior after being "born again", and knowing him as a Roman Catholic who had left everything to work for Jesus as a religious but still not sure of his salvation and destiny for me after death. Words cannot describe this wonderful experience of Jesus as my Savior.
The lord opens my eyes
During that month in the hospital the scales slowly fell from my eyes. The Risen Lord sovereignly removed from my heart doubts and confusion about the reality of his resurrection and eternal life. The Bible, which I had once endeavored to study as professional knowledge, now became a true revelation of spiritual life to me. He could easily understand the Word, enjoy it, and remember it.
The Roman Catholic Church has always considered the Bible as its Book. The Roman Catholic Church claims that the church, which it identifies as itself, existed before the New Testament scriptures, and that it helped define the canon of the Bible. Consequently, it affirms that to judge the permanent apostolic doctrine the final standard is not the Scripture alone (Sola Scripture) but rather Scripture and tradition (of the Roman Catholic Church). Catholics are bound to finally believe what the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church officially declares to be true. Christians, however, believe that Scripture should be the ultimate standard for judging doctrines. This appears in the Bible: Jesus and the apostolic authors of the New Testament always referred to the Old Testament Scriptures to verify their teachings and actions. Jesus said:
"These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you: that all that is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets and in the psalms must be fulfilled " (Luke 24:44)
Paul wrote:
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he had previously promised by his prophets in the holy Scriptures, about his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. . . " (Romans 1: 1-3)
When Paul preached: “And these [the Berean believers] searching the Scriptures every day to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
It is the Holy Spirit who is the author and the one who ultimately edited and completed the Bible. His Scriptures warn all teachers: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you diminish from it. . . " (Deuteronomy 4: 2). Any teaching, or "infallible dogma," that adds, subtracts, or denies Scripture, must be rejected, including purgatory, the immaculate conception, the worship of the transubstantiated elements, the infallibility of the pope, etc. Jesus speaks firmly against those “traditions” and their teachers: “. . . invalidating the Word of God with your tradition that you have transmitted. And many things like these you do ” (Mark 7:13).
Grace - the free gift of God
Grace, the free gift of God that allows me to believe in Jesus and have eternal life, cannot be won with the "works" that man does for himself or for another. However, the Roman Catholic Church affirms the essential mediation of bishops, priests and "sacramental works" for the reception of the grace for salvation. This goes against the Scripture that says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one can boast ” (Ephesians 2: 8 and 9).
The Scriptures teach that Jesus is the only Savior. Only he could die and shed his divine blood on Calvary to forgive the sins of men and end eternal death. He, the Lord God, came to give us freedom and salvation : "So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free" (John 8:36). Paul did not allow even himself or an angel from heaven to pervert the gospel he was preaching (Galatians 1: 8):
". . . but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews certainly a stumbling block, and for the Gentiles folly; but for the so-called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, the wisdom of God ” (1 Corinthians 1:23 and 24).
“Because I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek ” (Romans 1:16).
The reason that Catholics cannot understand or proclaim this gospel is that they are not open to receive this conviction when they are rebuked by the Holy Spirit, as they have been brainwashed by the Roman Catholic system to become immersed in the salvation by human works, and remain ignorant of the truth of the gospel in the Bible. Jesus promised “And when he comes, he will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they do not believe in me ” (John 16: 8 and 9).
The gospel and the commission of Jesus are being denied today by clergy who do not have the power of the Holy Spirit (and are probably not born again). Instead they are originating “dead churches” through “good works” and rituals (sacraments), “amulets” (scapulars, medals) and “mantras” (chants, novenas, rosaries), which the pagans do. equal or better. As it is written, “We conceived, we travailed, we gave birth to wind…” (Isaiah 26:18).
I believe in the true Good News
When I had the "born again" experience in the hospital, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins, some of which I previously believed to be virtues. I had depended on my "works" and "the sacraments of the church" to achieve my salvation. But now she knew that she had only "given birth to wind." I repented and believed in the TRUE GOOD NEWS: that Jesus had done EVERYTHING for me, once and for all, for his one sacrifice on the cross. The only way to be saved was to repent and simply believe in Jesus Christ as my only Savior and Lord.
The Lord also convinced me that I had fought against many people. I had always boasted of being a friendly and forgiving priest who loved everyone, including Hindus, Muslims, enemies and sinners, giving my life to convert them to the Catholic Church for salvation. But now I heard a clear inner voice of the Holy Spirit convincing me of my unkind ways and of having wrongly judged many Christians as "heretics." Suddenly I saw it. He had no love for "Protestants." Out of prejudice and fear, he had avoided "heretics" and their television programs, and warned Catholics against Bibles and Protestant writings. I regretted. It was a great miracle of God's grace. Years of prejudice dissolved and I suddenly longed to meet my long-lost Christian brothers and sisters. It was as if a black screen was removed from my heart and my mind and my eyes could clearly see the truth. I experienced such great joy for salvation that the patients in the next ward of the hospital asked why I was so happy. Love for Jesus burned within me with a new zeal to return to India and a strength to spread the gospel to the whole world.
God heals
I was given the grace to believe in my healing. I was confident that my experienced surgeon could "with some risks" heal my back. But I wanted to have a testimony of the living Jesus who declares, “I am… the one who lives, and was dead; but behold, I live forever and ever, amen. And I have the keys of death and Hades ” (Revelation 1:18). I was miraculously healed of the scholeosis without surgery, to the amazement of the surgeon. My spine, which had taken on the shape of an "s", stood straight like a bar within a year. This strengthened my faith and my proclamation.
New life, new zeal
I launched myself into all the churches, beginning with a few Protestants, and found so much love among these Christian brothers when I confessed to the Risen Lord: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13: 8). He is faithful and true.
“I waited patiently for Jehovah,
And he leaned over to me, and heard my cry.
And he brought me out of the well of despair, out of the muddy mud;
He put my feet on a rock, and made my steps straight.
Then he put a new song in my mouth, praise to our God.
Many will see this, and fear, and trust in Jehovah. (Psalm 40: 1-3).
The Lord has answered my questions. Jesus Christ is truly risen and alive and working! Coming soon! "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13: 8). And he is with us just as he was with the saints of the apostolic church, and with Joshua and the saints of the Old Testament.
Someone had prayed with faith for me and I had received the grace to cry out to the Lord, and “the grace of our Lord was more abundant with the faith and love that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). In the same way I will continue to pray for all those who are deceived as I was when I did not know where to go. I pray that the Lord hears their cry and they may be filled with joy and empowered to be witnesses for Christ. I pray this especially for the Jesuits and Catholics of India, that our nation will soon be delivered from all evil by the blood of Jesus Christ. Someday this vision will come true! And Jesus, the Truth, will prevail.
The true church upholds the Bible
The Roman Catholic hierarchy had asked me to stop teaching because I had publicly admitted that some of its main dogmas and practices were contrary to the Word of God in the Bible, making it a separate religion from the one true church of Jesus Christ. The true church consists of believers who uphold the Word of God without blatant perversions.
Converted by the Word and the Spirit
To the best of my abilities I had always respected and obeyed the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church as the Lord, but now my conscience convinced me that if I remained under Roman Catholic authority and supremacy, I would be forced to admit teachings that were false. and to lies that came from the spirit of the antichrist. In John 8: 43-44, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and asked:
"Why don't you understand my language? Because you can not hear my word. You belong to your father the devil, and you want to do your father's wishes. He has been a murderer from the beginning, and has not abided in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of himself; because he is a liar and the father of lies ”.
These characteristics were evident in the Roman Catholic Church during the Inquisition and the massacre of the Reformers. The false doctrines have not been changed at all at Vatican II. This Council fully reaffirmed Trent. Catholics were encouraged and still encouraged to accept false religions as equally "salvific."
The Cardinal of Bombay and the church leaders urged me not to leave the Roman Catholic Church. I loved them. They had fully supported me in the work I was doing in India. I wrote to the cardinal and even to the pope and the Jesuit provincial, explaining in detail and respectfully that: "It is necessary to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
It broke my heart to have to leave the people of the Roman Catholic Church, with all my friends and family, and not be able to teach them the Good News of the Bible. May the Lord in his sovereignty bless you with his Truth and release the prisoners to follow Jesus unconditionally. I ask it in the name of Jesus.
In 1993 I married Julie Laschiazza Baden of Brentwood, Los Angeles, who had ministered with me for the salvation of souls through the Holy Spirit in Roman Catholic churches throughout India and the United States. God has blessed her with a powerful ministry. Together we founded the Cornerstone International ministry in India and the United States to train believers to pray and work by the power of the Holy Spirit and to use the mass media for India to know Jesus Christ.
Postscript on current doctrinal contamination
I am fully aware of the difficulties that exist also in the Protestant churches, some of which have fallen prey to the same trap of doctrinal contamination, secular humanism, pluralism and especially Christian materialism that preaches the "prosperity gospel" and the political messianism. In many rich and powerful Christian countries, the god mammon reigns supreme. Preachers and "healers" calling themselves "born again" and "filled with the Holy Spirit" are making the work of evangelization a business in the House of the Father. While pointing to the power and prostitution of the Vatican, they too are building their own Vatican and becoming powerful "infallible popes" on their own television stations or in their great Christian institutions, temples and entertainment centers. Their million dollar holdings prevent them from leaving their comfortable homes to visit poorer and more troubled mission stations even in their own country. Some of the so-called Charismatic and Pentecostal churches have been seduced into seeking signs and wonders by means of sophisticated occult powers of human potential and its attendant evil: the idolatrous deification of the self.
If you need prayers or any kind of help to follow Jesus unconditionally, or to take part in his ministry, you can write to Cornerstone International.
Victor J. Affonso
Born in India, Victor J. Affonso is currently very active spending half his time each year in the United States and in India. His heart is that of an evangelist. His presence is felt in preaching and witnessing in the United States and in cities and towns around Bombay and Gaon in India. He is the founder and director of Cornerstone International. You can write to:
Cornerstone International
Unique B-204, Cross Road 6
Borivali (W) Bombay 400103 INDIA
O well
Cornerstone International Inc.
15030 Ventura Blvd. Suite 463
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 UNITED STATES
[Source: https://bereanbeacon.org/es/seguir-a-jesus-incondicionalmente/]
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