Here you have one of his books in English
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/141645
Thank you, Cristian.
Here is one of the chapters from the book that members might
find immediately interesting. This translation leaves Fr. Castellani
making quotes of Scripture that are not exactly what the Douay-
Rheims has, even though I expect that is the only version he
used. Perhaps he had a Spanish translation of it, though.
However, I have been told there was never any official such
published, but there were several quasi-imitations in Spanish.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyway, I have taken the liberty of providing the actual DRV
quotes after each of Fr.'s, and I have included the chapter and
verse references, which he habitually omits. It is my experience
that seeing how this work is dated 1950, it was still
commonplace at that time for many Catholic authors to make
minor adaptations to the literal words of Scripture, so as to
make it more easily work, in context, to most effectively
support their message; and this actually had been very effective
overall, for example, in preaching, when the listeners are drawn
in to the sermon and pay attention better when the words have
a contiguous flow to them, however, when the actual and literal
quotes are used, the listener tends to be put off by the lack of
continuity of style, and this effects the occurrence of them
losing attention, being distracted, or perhaps not being able to
easily understand the message intended by the preacher. See
for yourself, here below, where Fr.'s Scripture quotes actually
sound better in their places than do the literal quotes which I
have subsequently provided.
This chapter immediately got my attention because the phrase
"The signs of the times" was one of the little gems of Scripture
that the Modernists at Vat.II used to promote their program of
affiliation with the unclean spirit of Vat.II. So this is a topic that
anyone, who would be well-equipped to face the challenges of
this same unclean spirit of Vat.II, would be well-advised to study
thoroughly. Additionally, I have repaired a few minor typos which
are too mundane to note with the brackets, misspelling of words
and reversal of modifiers so typical of Spanish>English translations.
The signs of the times.
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All prophetic books are necessarily obscure and are only completely clear once the prophecies are fulfilled. For instance, the Book of Revelation includes a prophecy of every persecution the Church would suffer, typically in the first (Nero’s) and the last one (by Antichrist), followed by God’s timely punishments and Christ’s victories.
Two thousand years after the First Coming, being as we are closer to the prophecies’ fulfillment and in that sense better placed because of our position in time, it is only natural that we should understand them improvingly. “Shut up the words—says the Angel to Daniel—even to the time of the end”. But an Angel says to St John: “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand”.
So it is not rash to think that Holhauser or Lacunza have deduced certain things from Revelation that the first Fathers did not understand as clearly, all the more so when they interpret the book in perfect harmony with all the Saintly Fathers; not inventing, but unrolling and getting to the bottom of matters, which is the proper method of developing Christian Doctrine.
Anyway, the first Christians clearly understood eschatology in their own terms and times—the proof being that the believing Jєωs flew from Jerusalem to Pella as soon as they felt Armageddon was upon them when they saw that Titus’ Second Army was laying siege to the city. After that the book was shut for them. The interpretations and commentaries multiplied in such manner that to read them all and try to compose them is a real pain in the neck—as anyone can find out reading Alcázar, or Cornelius á Lapide for instance, as I have been doing these days.
Infidels have always thought these prophecies to be delirious nonsense. Lukewarm Christians avoid them. And yet, the Book of Revelation makes a special promise to those who keep them: “Blessed is he that keeps those things which are written therein”.
[The actual quote is: “Blessed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy; and keepeth those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand” (Apoc. i. 3).]
But when a prophecy is fulfilled, then those who have kept it in their hearts—and only them—easily see that this is their realization and cannot be anything else. So happened to Gamaliel and every Jєω who came to believe in the First Coming. “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” [The actual, and extended quote is: “1 And there came to him the Pharisees and Sadduccees tempting: and they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven. 2 But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, you say: It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning: To-day there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. And he left them, and went away” (Mat. xvi. 1-4).]
Bossuet’s remark to the effect that “a prophecy may be fulfilled without its contemporaries knowing it” is all right as long as one understands it properly. If it’s taken to mean “without all contemporaries acknowledging it” it would be nothing but balderdash so long as it would, in fact, be tantamount to saying that “the Church wouldn’t know it”. If such a thing were true the prophecies would be quite futile, nothing but mummery, or at the very least, unworthy of God’s wisdom and compassion. “Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branch is tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at doors”. [The actual quote is: “32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. 33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors. 34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass” (Matt. xxiv. 32-35).]