Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
"Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many of you powerful, not many of you were of noble birth. God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God."-1 Corinthians
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
I highly recommend the book "Fundamentals of Catholicism" by Kenneth Baker, S.J., especially for Catholics who haven't been taught fundamental teachings while growing up (about God, His qualities, how they correspond with reality, etc.). Below is a link for the book with several pages of the book displayed/a preview. Enjoy
http://books.google.com/books?id=yBW8l1opH-oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=fundamentals+of+Catholicism+kenneth+baker&hl=en&ei=NDdDTbGzD8GRgQfZtPSNAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Part 1: For those struggling to recognize that the Catholic Church fulfills Sacred Scripture entirey, and both teaches & assists us in following Him free from error
For those interested in following Christ, please consider the following two observations from Sacred Scripture with respect to your own lives:
(1) "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven (note: ONLY Christ has come down from Heaven, thus, the Eucharist is Him). Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread, will live forever.' "- John 6;
coupled with the following verse:
(2) "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14
I humbly suggest that if we are involved in a church that prevents us from keeping Christ's commandments, based on His words alone, we are not showing Him that we love Him, and that we hope to spend eternity with Him.
(1) "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven (note: ONLY Christ has come down from Heaven, thus, the Eucharist is Him). Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread, will live forever.' "- John 6;
coupled with the following verse:
(2) "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14
I humbly suggest that if we are involved in a church that prevents us from keeping Christ's commandments, based on His words alone, we are not showing Him that we love Him, and that we hope to spend eternity with Him.
The issue of Peter being the rock upon which Christ built His Church (Matthew 16)
The successors of St. Peter are given authority by Christ in Hs Name to govern the Church on earth. Peter comes from the Greek word "Petros" meaning "Rock"; and Matthew 16:17-19 uses the term "Rock." Petros is the masculine version of the word "Petra," meaning "rock." It would, however, be incorrect to give a man a feminine name, thus the name Petros was given to him. In Hebrew/Aramaic it is the same, but with Kepha. Kepha means "rock." Christ would have originally called Simon "Kepha," since they spoke Aramaic as their first language. In the Gospel of St. John (specifically, ch. 21), Christ asked St. Peter 3 times "Do you love me," and Peter answered "yes" all 3 times, to which Christ responded: "Feed my sheep."
The scribe -- the sort of prime minister of old Israel -- was the one given the keys of the house of David in the Old Testament (Isaiah 22:22). The parallel to this in the New Testament is Christ giving the keys of heaven to St. Peter, the rock upon which Christ built His Church. (Matthew 16)
The scribe -- the sort of prime minister of old Israel -- was the one given the keys of the house of David in the Old Testament (Isaiah 22:22). The parallel to this in the New Testament is Christ giving the keys of heaven to St. Peter, the rock upon which Christ built His Church. (Matthew 16)
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Judgement Day; the necessity of loving others while we are still given the opportunity
"He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,... naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
- Matthew 25
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew25.htm
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
- Matthew 25
http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew25.htm
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Politics
As to politics, Christ made it clear that we are to give the government what it is due, but we are to give God what He is due (and what God is due is for the good of all). Considering we are selfish by nature, if we have to make a choice to choose either what we think is best or what other people think is best, verses what God has revealed is best, then we would all do well to stick with what God revealed is best, if for some reason that hasn't already proved to be crystal clear.
Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate, a coward, who knew Christ was innocent and yet allowed Christ to be crucified. Pontius Pilate represents those who don't have the courage to stand up for what is right and to be fair in determining what happens to the innocent. This sounds all too familiar with "pro-choice" (pro-abortion). To vote "pro-choice" is to either be a coward, or selfish; there is a lack of concern, love and care for the victim (the unborn child), and of course, a total lack of trust in Divine Providence. We then think it will benefit someone if we, instead, "play God," and support the murder of the most innocent being in creation without cause; just like Pilate did to Christ. We all know we have free will, and I do respect the free will of others as a gift from God, but it would help many if we vote wisely, instead of selfishly and/or cowardly:
"In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."-Matthew 25
It is impossible for us to recognize that Pontius Pilate was to Christ (innocent party), what we are/could be to the unborn (the modern day, most innocent party) without God revealing it to us, through the Church. Pilate, too, "personally" did not want to allow Christ to be killed, and yet, he allowed others to take control instead of standing up for what was right.
Someone summed it up best when she said:
"Pontius Pilate in the Gospels, who personally found no guilt in Jesus, but for fear of the crowd, washed his hands of the whole affair and handed Jesus over to be crucified, suggesting 'I'm personally opposed to crucifixion, but I don't want to impose my belief on others.' This is the same as the view of 'I am personally opposed to abortion/killing the most innocent being in creation, but I don't want to impose my belief on others.' " And thus like those of us who too don't personally agree with killing the unborn, when we allow others to take control and carry it out rather than be firm in standing by what our conscience tells us is right, we are no different than Pilate.
This is the kind of truth we can't come to using our own limited knowledge/intellect.
Thankfully, God has revealed time after time again that He is a God of infinite love and a God of infinite mercy: He reveals that our mistakes do not define us, so long as we repent, that is, so long as we turn back to Him and start anew. We need not look back on our mistakes, worrying whether God has forgiven us; He has made it clear that He will. We have no excuse not to love one another, especially the most vulnerable.
This is also why there is no room for condemnation in Catholicism; Catholics recognize that we are not to assume God's role in the judgment seat which belongs to Him alone. We are, instead, to grow in love and assist others in their personal growth.
Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate, a coward, who knew Christ was innocent and yet allowed Christ to be crucified. Pontius Pilate represents those who don't have the courage to stand up for what is right and to be fair in determining what happens to the innocent. This sounds all too familiar with "pro-choice" (pro-abortion). To vote "pro-choice" is to either be a coward, or selfish; there is a lack of concern, love and care for the victim (the unborn child), and of course, a total lack of trust in Divine Providence. We then think it will benefit someone if we, instead, "play God," and support the murder of the most innocent being in creation without cause; just like Pilate did to Christ. We all know we have free will, and I do respect the free will of others as a gift from God, but it would help many if we vote wisely, instead of selfishly and/or cowardly:
"In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."-Matthew 25
It is impossible for us to recognize that Pontius Pilate was to Christ (innocent party), what we are/could be to the unborn (the modern day, most innocent party) without God revealing it to us, through the Church. Pilate, too, "personally" did not want to allow Christ to be killed, and yet, he allowed others to take control instead of standing up for what was right.
Someone summed it up best when she said:
"Pontius Pilate in the Gospels, who personally found no guilt in Jesus, but for fear of the crowd, washed his hands of the whole affair and handed Jesus over to be crucified, suggesting 'I'm personally opposed to crucifixion, but I don't want to impose my belief on others.' This is the same as the view of 'I am personally opposed to abortion/killing the most innocent being in creation, but I don't want to impose my belief on others.' " And thus like those of us who too don't personally agree with killing the unborn, when we allow others to take control and carry it out rather than be firm in standing by what our conscience tells us is right, we are no different than Pilate.
This is the kind of truth we can't come to using our own limited knowledge/intellect.
Thankfully, God has revealed time after time again that He is a God of infinite love and a God of infinite mercy: He reveals that our mistakes do not define us, so long as we repent, that is, so long as we turn back to Him and start anew. We need not look back on our mistakes, worrying whether God has forgiven us; He has made it clear that He will. We have no excuse not to love one another, especially the most vulnerable.
This is also why there is no room for condemnation in Catholicism; Catholics recognize that we are not to assume God's role in the judgment seat which belongs to Him alone. We are, instead, to grow in love and assist others in their personal growth.
Catholicism
An attempt to clear up many misunderstandings:
First, Catholics do not believe that Catholicism is a man made, organized religion. Specifically, a closer look at the teachings of the Church suggest and reveal that flawed/selfish beings who are also limited by time and do not have a bird's eye view of the world, do not have (1) the ability/foreknowledge to know absolute right from wrong, in order to know what to avoid and what to embrace to maintain peace and joy in our lives and in the lives of others, nor (2) nor do we love one another on a level that calls for us to constantly sacrifice our free will in order to make sure that we don't disrupt the peace for someone else; disrupting peace for one pers...on, as we know, has a domino effect, and disrupts the peace for others. The effects of one action travel so far beyond us that it would require a bird's eye view of the world and the ability to see inside each human being's heart in order for us to determine what is "good" and "evil" on a global level. We recognize our inability to establish peace for even ourselves, and yet, we seek it constantly. Thus, we are entirely unable to, ourselves, establish peace among 6 billion+ different people, time after time again; If this were possible, of course, we would all be filled with joy on an hourly basis.
In order to become aware of what is good and what is not, God must first reveal it to us, like a father would out of love for his children. Thus only a loving God/Creator would have the ability and the will to create ,and then reveal to us, a law that is perfect in maintaining peace and love among all, timeless in that it applies to every generation time after time again, and one which offers both external and internal peace & joy for all, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; this is the law of the Catholic Church.
Thus it follows that the teachings of the Church could have only been inspired by a loving Creator; One who loves each of us intimately as His children. This is why the law calls for much; we recognize our inability to live up to its expectations, either due to our own weaknesses, or because we do not love one another enough to sacrifice the things we want to do, even when they prove to be harmful to us in the long run.
The Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church were designed as an avenue for us to receive grace from God as much as we choose (emphasis here on the free will we have been given). They are a physical means in our physical world to receive supernatural aid (grace) in order to be freed from whatever harmful feelings/addictions, etc, are keeping us in bondage (lust, jealousy, anger, pride, and the like), and thus, are consequentially hurting others; those created in the image and likeness of God, those who God loves.
Christ established a Church, and indicated that it is He who is building & guiding His Church in Truth - not the pope or bishops in their human nature (that is, without divine revelation), but instead, it is God Himself who inspires the documents and teachings of the Church. God, as He did in both the Old Testament and New Testaments, continues to use imperfect human beings in order to reveal Himself, guiding us all in Truth for our own sake; truth about who we are, why we are here, why life is the way it is, where we should be headed for our own sake, and how to get there -- and also how to maintain lives in peace, both internally and externally, a peace that continues on into eternity.
This is why Christ said to His apostles:
"Whoever listens to you, listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." - Luke 10
If popes and bishops in their human nature had been guiding the Church for the last 2,000 years without God, there would be inconsistencies in Catholic teaching, as we are all different and have different personal opinions; you don't see this in the Catholic Church's teachings. It begs the question "where is all of this brilliant, consistent truth coming from?"
Jesus promised that the Church (teachings on faith, morals, the Sacraments, etc.) will be guided in Truth until the end of time, and that evil will not prevail against the Church (that is, no flawed human being will be able to twist the Truth around and teach false doctrines - whatever teachings and documents His Church approves of, were promised to be divinely inspired, and thus, can be trusted; it does not take much effort to trust flawless documents that are beyond human comprehension. The Church has also been consistent in its teachings for the last 2,000 years and offers logical answers to questions in every human being's mind and heart, free of inconsistencies and further questions; there is no trace of flawed human error in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Church also provides a flawless interpretation of the bible. No human being is able to recognize the parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament the way the Catholic Church has taught it, which is why only Catholicism recognizes them and teaches them.
Further, flawed human beings such as ourselves do not have the knowledge or motive to create the laws of the Catholic Church. For example, most of us, at some point in our lives, have laughed off the Catholic Church's ban on pre-marital sex. We just don't understand what all the fuss is about - why the ban, we wonder. But a closer look reveals that if this practice is taken seriously, there would be a rapid decline in the following: jealousy, anger, broken hearts, grudges, divorce, unwanted pregnancies, STD scares, STDs, anxiety, lies, love triangles, suicides, and murder, etc., etc. We know, despite our reluctance to admit it, that these are the feelings and conduct that result from pre-marital sex -- and they don't all have to occur, obviously - but God doesn't want us to experience one bit of jealousy toward one another; and thus, the Catholic Church encourages that marriage be based on sincere love (agape), and not sexual attraction. This is why we read in the Old Testament that the same word used to describe the love Adam felt for Eve is the word used to describe the love Ruth had for Naomi (Ruth's mother in law). This is agape, and it is what God intended for couples to feel toward one another; a love that is pure, sincere and that lasts, as opposed to a lustful attraction which feels like "agape."
God the Father said, in the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) "Let us make man in OUR image and likeness." (Genesis 1:26).
We are made in God's image. God is: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The love between the Father + Son = the Holy Spirit. Thus this is what the family is meant to represent; the love between a father and a mother = the child.
Because the Blessed Trinity cannot ever be broken, the family bond was never meant to be broken. When we offend that of which is sacred in its nature, the results never turn out the way we hope they would.
This begs the question "Who, but a loving God (that is, One who loves those who we do not care about, and One who knows each of His children intimately, and One who is not limited by time, and thus, can foresee future mistakes and discourage the conduct in which our mistakes result from), would discourage pre-marital sex?
A human inspired institution would not create such limits on conduct that every member is naturally inclined to desire without knowledge of themselves, their Creator, and the world they are in.
Christ promised not to leave us orphans (we aren't alone in our weaknesses; He has provided an avenue where He will remain with us), and thus, the Sacraments serve as a means for us to choose (with our free will) if we are interested in creating peace for ourselves and those around us; we are not expected to grow in love for one another and have the strength to avoid conduct we may temporarily enjoy, but that prove to hurt either ourselves or those around us, without God's help; all God asks is that we use our free will and choose to use the means He makes available to receive His grace, in order to grow in peace, joy, and love... and thus, create peace among His other children.
Jesus' 12 apostles represented the leaders of the Catholic Church today (bishops, the pope). Judas, one of the 12, betrayed Jesus, which led to the most brutal and unjust death the world has ever known. The betrayal of Jesus by one of his apostles foreshadowed a small number (emphasis here) of religious leaders in the future who would betray him again; we know that we are all sinners, and some of us are worse than others. Because we were given free will to accept or reject God's grace, there will be some who reject God's grace entirely, and who commit grave acts of injustice toward others; members of the Catholic Church are not excluded from this reality. Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church is a means to draw people away from it. But Christ promised that the Church will be guided in truth until the end of time, and that its teachings on faith and morals and the Sacraments, will never be influenced by the enemy of God/us, so as to lead anyone away from God, the source of joy, goodness, and eternal life.
I hope that we will all continue to be fair, and not assume that because a small number of those who should be the most faithful to Jesus, chose instead to reject and betray Jesus as well as God's grace, and that we should thus judge the majority of priests who have given up their lives (the funny thing about life is that these men are the happiest people I have ever known, but for sake of argument, they chose God over a life that isn't entirely devoted to Him and the rest of us) and strictly/faithfully adhere to the teachings of Christ with love. These men should not only be respected, appreciated, and admired, but also loved for the sacrifices they make for all of us. I would rather not know what our world would be like without their faithfulness in prayer and charity toward all of us; thank God for them.
The Eucharist ("bread from Heaven"), is the spiritual equivalent to Manna, the "bread from Heaven" in the Old Testament, which served to sustain the flesh; the Eucharist serves to sustain the soul (that is, to keep it full of joy and to give us strength to live up to God's expectations so that we grow in joy and spread joy among others). The Eucharistic miracles coupled with the creation of Saints, who were able to remain joyful even while being tortured, support this fact. The Old Testament involves life on earth (Israel) and the New Testament involves life in eternity (Heaven; the spiritual aspect of our existence).
Because we are made up of body and spirit, this body and spirit theme that runs throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament makes sense. To name a few more:
(1) The wood from the tree in the Garden of Eden has a connection to the wood of the cross in the New Testament in that the cross redeemed the mistake surrounding the wood in the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament;
(2) The "10 commandments" and their connection to Israel (which involve life on earth) are like the "8 beatitudes" in the New Testament which have a connection to Heaven (which involves the spirit aspect of our lives);
(3) Christ, a 33 year old perfectly lived life/free of sin became the Passover lamb; since Christ was a sacrifice for the sins of the world (until the end of time), it makes sense that a 33 year old divine individual, without sin, was necessary to be sacrificed given the amount of sins he covered in order to balance the scales of justice- one pure lamb isn't sufficient for the sins of mankind. In the New Testament, we also read that the Romans pierced Christ's side while he was on the cross, to make sure he was dead, and that water followed the last drop of blood in him. This meant that he was literally, a perfect sacrifice; there was no blood left in his body. He shed every ounce of it, which is evidenced by the fact that water followed the last drop;
(4) Eve's (a non-virgin) "no" to God's will in the Old Testament became the Blessed Mother's/Mary's (a virgin) "yes" in the New Testament;
(5) The manner in which Adam (a non-virgin) used his free will in the Old Testament led to original sin... the same original sin that Christ's (a virgin) free will in the New Testament was used to redeem, etc.
(6) Brit Milah = Sacrament of Baptism
(7) In the Old Testament, when someone inadvertently touched the ark, they died on the spot; in the New Testament, when crowds of people pushed, shoved, pulled and touched Jesus, rather than drop dead on the spot, they were healed.
(8) Christ being lifted up on the cross (stating, in the bible, "If I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself" (God)) is symbolized in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament by Moses holding up the bronzed serpent.
A sacrifice was necessary due to our imperfect nature; we offend God throughout the day, but what's interesting is that offending God means offending ourselves and other people, whether our conduct results in an increase of broken hearts, hurt feelings, anger, jealousy, etc-- God wishes for us not to feel these feelings, ever, and this is why we're warned against conduct we all enjoy engaging in, but that of which ultimately proves to leave someone sad, hurt, angry, jealous, etc.
Christ said that our inclination to "sin" makes us ill/sick, because sins prevent us from spreading only love among one another; that is, love that doesn't create issues among one another. Very often we confuse genuine love with a selfish need for something.
With this in mind, it begs the following questions:
(1) Is God not great enough to give us physical means in our physical world for us (to choose) to take advantage of, to give us the strength to grow in selflessness and stay away from the things that prove to hurt us and other people?; and
(2) Is God not loving enough to give us those means, when he knows that our inclination to sin hurts us and others? No, of course not. Unfortunately, and I say this with all due love and respect, if we consider the amount of practicing Catholics we know (those who attend both regular Confession and Mass), it explains why more genuine love isn't spreading among one another; if we don't use the means God has so clearly given it's difficult for us to help contribute to the spread of selfless/sincere love among others.
We know that we can't grow to be purely lovingly selfless people on our own ("agape" is the term used for this level of love, which is the love God has for us); generally, it isn't our nature. In order to grow in "good works" built on a selfless love for one another, we need grace from God- if this weren't true, we wouldn't have as many problems among one another; problems among us begin with an individual's heart-- if we're feeling negative emotions, those feelings control our conduct in some way-- unless we've mastered the art of controlling ourselves perfectly, which isn't possible. Do we know anyone who smiles and proceeds to lend a helping hand within seconds after they've been provoked? I can't say that I do. This type of behavior doesn't seem natural for anybody.
Christ promised that he would not leave us orphans, which are what the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist ("bread from Heaven") are to be used for. When used together, they are designed to give us the grace to be kinder toward one another, and to give us the strength not to miss the things we all enjoy doing but that prove not to be beneficial for ourselves and for others; the more we take advantage of them, the more joyful we become; they were also designed as a physical means in our physical world that offer people a means to remain consistently joyful; they were designed out of love. If we find ourselves dreading Mass, we haven't been taught that the Mass serves as a "joy fix" for us. We do not do God a favor by attending Mass. Instead, He has done us a favor beyond measure, by providing a means to access joy, each and everyday if we choose to, and to conform to the image of Christ, which is the purpose of our lives here. Missing Mass is said to be sinful because it's a deliberate "no" to the joy God is so willing to give. While we may use our free will as we wish, it would be for the good of both ourselves and others if we use our free will in ways that will ensure we remain charitable and joyful in life.
When we feel happy and fulfilled, unfortunately, it is often short lived; bumps in the road, in some aspect of life will always follow. As CS Lewis wisely noted "If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
Because God is perfectly good and just, when we do things that aren't perfectly good, we aren't choosing God. Because of this, coupled with the fact that God is justice itself (unjust things aren't "good," and thus, aren't coming from an all good and loving being), we don't deserve eternal joy in Heaven with God when this life is over. But God, being our savior and in order to remain who He is (a perfectly "just"/fair being), sent Christ as a sacrifice in order to balance out the scales of justice, so that our mistakes don't end up separating us from God, the source of goodness, for eternity.
It is clear that God's laws weren't designed to "burden our free will" (if that were true, we wouldn't have been given free will), or to add obligations to our already long list of them. God is not limited by time (the sciences reveal that time had a beginning), and as a result, it's safe to trust that He knows best what we should embrace and avoid in order to live in peace among one another. Because God is superior to us in nature, we can trust that there is no manipulation in our relationship with Him, but instead, only infinite love that He is always willing to give-- the problem is, we don't want His love as much as He wants to give it. We see God's love over and over again in the bible (and those who have heard that the Old Testament presents an angry God must read the context before proceeding in false belief; every emotion in connection to God was a result of His everlasting, Fatherly love for the Jewish people), but consider why God gave the Jewish people the 10 commandments. He gave them commandments out of love, to teach them how to live in peace among one another.
For those who believe God has abandoned us, we should consider that we have free will, and that He doesn't force Himself on us- we can choose to get to know Him or not-- to know Him is to adore Him, and those who seek him sincerely will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
We live in a world we knew nothing about without first knowing God's revelation. For those who have not sincerely searched for truth in this life, I ask: Is it logical, intelligent, and/or rational to conclude without studying all the facts available to us? Imagine if science, or law, or medicine, or law enforcement, etc., operated in such a way?
When the facts available reveal a loving Creator, the only unintelligent, irrational and illogical thing to do is reject Him.
First, Catholics do not believe that Catholicism is a man made, organized religion. Specifically, a closer look at the teachings of the Church suggest and reveal that flawed/selfish beings who are also limited by time and do not have a bird's eye view of the world, do not have (1) the ability/foreknowledge to know absolute right from wrong, in order to know what to avoid and what to embrace to maintain peace and joy in our lives and in the lives of others, nor (2) nor do we love one another on a level that calls for us to constantly sacrifice our free will in order to make sure that we don't disrupt the peace for someone else; disrupting peace for one pers...on, as we know, has a domino effect, and disrupts the peace for others. The effects of one action travel so far beyond us that it would require a bird's eye view of the world and the ability to see inside each human being's heart in order for us to determine what is "good" and "evil" on a global level. We recognize our inability to establish peace for even ourselves, and yet, we seek it constantly. Thus, we are entirely unable to, ourselves, establish peace among 6 billion+ different people, time after time again; If this were possible, of course, we would all be filled with joy on an hourly basis.
In order to become aware of what is good and what is not, God must first reveal it to us, like a father would out of love for his children. Thus only a loving God/Creator would have the ability and the will to create ,and then reveal to us, a law that is perfect in maintaining peace and love among all, timeless in that it applies to every generation time after time again, and one which offers both external and internal peace & joy for all, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; this is the law of the Catholic Church.
Thus it follows that the teachings of the Church could have only been inspired by a loving Creator; One who loves each of us intimately as His children. This is why the law calls for much; we recognize our inability to live up to its expectations, either due to our own weaknesses, or because we do not love one another enough to sacrifice the things we want to do, even when they prove to be harmful to us in the long run.
The Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church were designed as an avenue for us to receive grace from God as much as we choose (emphasis here on the free will we have been given). They are a physical means in our physical world to receive supernatural aid (grace) in order to be freed from whatever harmful feelings/addictions, etc, are keeping us in bondage (lust, jealousy, anger, pride, and the like), and thus, are consequentially hurting others; those created in the image and likeness of God, those who God loves.
Christ established a Church, and indicated that it is He who is building & guiding His Church in Truth - not the pope or bishops in their human nature (that is, without divine revelation), but instead, it is God Himself who inspires the documents and teachings of the Church. God, as He did in both the Old Testament and New Testaments, continues to use imperfect human beings in order to reveal Himself, guiding us all in Truth for our own sake; truth about who we are, why we are here, why life is the way it is, where we should be headed for our own sake, and how to get there -- and also how to maintain lives in peace, both internally and externally, a peace that continues on into eternity.
This is why Christ said to His apostles:
"Whoever listens to you, listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." - Luke 10
If popes and bishops in their human nature had been guiding the Church for the last 2,000 years without God, there would be inconsistencies in Catholic teaching, as we are all different and have different personal opinions; you don't see this in the Catholic Church's teachings. It begs the question "where is all of this brilliant, consistent truth coming from?"
Jesus promised that the Church (teachings on faith, morals, the Sacraments, etc.) will be guided in Truth until the end of time, and that evil will not prevail against the Church (that is, no flawed human being will be able to twist the Truth around and teach false doctrines - whatever teachings and documents His Church approves of, were promised to be divinely inspired, and thus, can be trusted; it does not take much effort to trust flawless documents that are beyond human comprehension. The Church has also been consistent in its teachings for the last 2,000 years and offers logical answers to questions in every human being's mind and heart, free of inconsistencies and further questions; there is no trace of flawed human error in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Church also provides a flawless interpretation of the bible. No human being is able to recognize the parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament the way the Catholic Church has taught it, which is why only Catholicism recognizes them and teaches them.
Further, flawed human beings such as ourselves do not have the knowledge or motive to create the laws of the Catholic Church. For example, most of us, at some point in our lives, have laughed off the Catholic Church's ban on pre-marital sex. We just don't understand what all the fuss is about - why the ban, we wonder. But a closer look reveals that if this practice is taken seriously, there would be a rapid decline in the following: jealousy, anger, broken hearts, grudges, divorce, unwanted pregnancies, STD scares, STDs, anxiety, lies, love triangles, suicides, and murder, etc., etc. We know, despite our reluctance to admit it, that these are the feelings and conduct that result from pre-marital sex -- and they don't all have to occur, obviously - but God doesn't want us to experience one bit of jealousy toward one another; and thus, the Catholic Church encourages that marriage be based on sincere love (agape), and not sexual attraction. This is why we read in the Old Testament that the same word used to describe the love Adam felt for Eve is the word used to describe the love Ruth had for Naomi (Ruth's mother in law). This is agape, and it is what God intended for couples to feel toward one another; a love that is pure, sincere and that lasts, as opposed to a lustful attraction which feels like "agape."
God the Father said, in the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) "Let us make man in OUR image and likeness." (Genesis 1:26).
We are made in God's image. God is: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The love between the Father + Son = the Holy Spirit. Thus this is what the family is meant to represent; the love between a father and a mother = the child.
Because the Blessed Trinity cannot ever be broken, the family bond was never meant to be broken. When we offend that of which is sacred in its nature, the results never turn out the way we hope they would.
This begs the question "Who, but a loving God (that is, One who loves those who we do not care about, and One who knows each of His children intimately, and One who is not limited by time, and thus, can foresee future mistakes and discourage the conduct in which our mistakes result from), would discourage pre-marital sex?
A human inspired institution would not create such limits on conduct that every member is naturally inclined to desire without knowledge of themselves, their Creator, and the world they are in.
Christ promised not to leave us orphans (we aren't alone in our weaknesses; He has provided an avenue where He will remain with us), and thus, the Sacraments serve as a means for us to choose (with our free will) if we are interested in creating peace for ourselves and those around us; we are not expected to grow in love for one another and have the strength to avoid conduct we may temporarily enjoy, but that prove to hurt either ourselves or those around us, without God's help; all God asks is that we use our free will and choose to use the means He makes available to receive His grace, in order to grow in peace, joy, and love... and thus, create peace among His other children.
Jesus' 12 apostles represented the leaders of the Catholic Church today (bishops, the pope). Judas, one of the 12, betrayed Jesus, which led to the most brutal and unjust death the world has ever known. The betrayal of Jesus by one of his apostles foreshadowed a small number (emphasis here) of religious leaders in the future who would betray him again; we know that we are all sinners, and some of us are worse than others. Because we were given free will to accept or reject God's grace, there will be some who reject God's grace entirely, and who commit grave acts of injustice toward others; members of the Catholic Church are not excluded from this reality. Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church is a means to draw people away from it. But Christ promised that the Church will be guided in truth until the end of time, and that its teachings on faith and morals and the Sacraments, will never be influenced by the enemy of God/us, so as to lead anyone away from God, the source of joy, goodness, and eternal life.
I hope that we will all continue to be fair, and not assume that because a small number of those who should be the most faithful to Jesus, chose instead to reject and betray Jesus as well as God's grace, and that we should thus judge the majority of priests who have given up their lives (the funny thing about life is that these men are the happiest people I have ever known, but for sake of argument, they chose God over a life that isn't entirely devoted to Him and the rest of us) and strictly/faithfully adhere to the teachings of Christ with love. These men should not only be respected, appreciated, and admired, but also loved for the sacrifices they make for all of us. I would rather not know what our world would be like without their faithfulness in prayer and charity toward all of us; thank God for them.
The Eucharist ("bread from Heaven"), is the spiritual equivalent to Manna, the "bread from Heaven" in the Old Testament, which served to sustain the flesh; the Eucharist serves to sustain the soul (that is, to keep it full of joy and to give us strength to live up to God's expectations so that we grow in joy and spread joy among others). The Eucharistic miracles coupled with the creation of Saints, who were able to remain joyful even while being tortured, support this fact. The Old Testament involves life on earth (Israel) and the New Testament involves life in eternity (Heaven; the spiritual aspect of our existence).
Because we are made up of body and spirit, this body and spirit theme that runs throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament makes sense. To name a few more:
(1) The wood from the tree in the Garden of Eden has a connection to the wood of the cross in the New Testament in that the cross redeemed the mistake surrounding the wood in the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament;
(2) The "10 commandments" and their connection to Israel (which involve life on earth) are like the "8 beatitudes" in the New Testament which have a connection to Heaven (which involves the spirit aspect of our lives);
(3) Christ, a 33 year old perfectly lived life/free of sin became the Passover lamb; since Christ was a sacrifice for the sins of the world (until the end of time), it makes sense that a 33 year old divine individual, without sin, was necessary to be sacrificed given the amount of sins he covered in order to balance the scales of justice- one pure lamb isn't sufficient for the sins of mankind. In the New Testament, we also read that the Romans pierced Christ's side while he was on the cross, to make sure he was dead, and that water followed the last drop of blood in him. This meant that he was literally, a perfect sacrifice; there was no blood left in his body. He shed every ounce of it, which is evidenced by the fact that water followed the last drop;
(4) Eve's (a non-virgin) "no" to God's will in the Old Testament became the Blessed Mother's/Mary's (a virgin) "yes" in the New Testament;
(5) The manner in which Adam (a non-virgin) used his free will in the Old Testament led to original sin... the same original sin that Christ's (a virgin) free will in the New Testament was used to redeem, etc.
(6) Brit Milah = Sacrament of Baptism
(7) In the Old Testament, when someone inadvertently touched the ark, they died on the spot; in the New Testament, when crowds of people pushed, shoved, pulled and touched Jesus, rather than drop dead on the spot, they were healed.
(8) Christ being lifted up on the cross (stating, in the bible, "If I am lifted up, I will draw all men to myself" (God)) is symbolized in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament by Moses holding up the bronzed serpent.
A sacrifice was necessary due to our imperfect nature; we offend God throughout the day, but what's interesting is that offending God means offending ourselves and other people, whether our conduct results in an increase of broken hearts, hurt feelings, anger, jealousy, etc-- God wishes for us not to feel these feelings, ever, and this is why we're warned against conduct we all enjoy engaging in, but that of which ultimately proves to leave someone sad, hurt, angry, jealous, etc.
Christ said that our inclination to "sin" makes us ill/sick, because sins prevent us from spreading only love among one another; that is, love that doesn't create issues among one another. Very often we confuse genuine love with a selfish need for something.
With this in mind, it begs the following questions:
(1) Is God not great enough to give us physical means in our physical world for us (to choose) to take advantage of, to give us the strength to grow in selflessness and stay away from the things that prove to hurt us and other people?; and
(2) Is God not loving enough to give us those means, when he knows that our inclination to sin hurts us and others? No, of course not. Unfortunately, and I say this with all due love and respect, if we consider the amount of practicing Catholics we know (those who attend both regular Confession and Mass), it explains why more genuine love isn't spreading among one another; if we don't use the means God has so clearly given it's difficult for us to help contribute to the spread of selfless/sincere love among others.
We know that we can't grow to be purely lovingly selfless people on our own ("agape" is the term used for this level of love, which is the love God has for us); generally, it isn't our nature. In order to grow in "good works" built on a selfless love for one another, we need grace from God- if this weren't true, we wouldn't have as many problems among one another; problems among us begin with an individual's heart-- if we're feeling negative emotions, those feelings control our conduct in some way-- unless we've mastered the art of controlling ourselves perfectly, which isn't possible. Do we know anyone who smiles and proceeds to lend a helping hand within seconds after they've been provoked? I can't say that I do. This type of behavior doesn't seem natural for anybody.
Christ promised that he would not leave us orphans, which are what the Sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist ("bread from Heaven") are to be used for. When used together, they are designed to give us the grace to be kinder toward one another, and to give us the strength not to miss the things we all enjoy doing but that prove not to be beneficial for ourselves and for others; the more we take advantage of them, the more joyful we become; they were also designed as a physical means in our physical world that offer people a means to remain consistently joyful; they were designed out of love. If we find ourselves dreading Mass, we haven't been taught that the Mass serves as a "joy fix" for us. We do not do God a favor by attending Mass. Instead, He has done us a favor beyond measure, by providing a means to access joy, each and everyday if we choose to, and to conform to the image of Christ, which is the purpose of our lives here. Missing Mass is said to be sinful because it's a deliberate "no" to the joy God is so willing to give. While we may use our free will as we wish, it would be for the good of both ourselves and others if we use our free will in ways that will ensure we remain charitable and joyful in life.
When we feel happy and fulfilled, unfortunately, it is often short lived; bumps in the road, in some aspect of life will always follow. As CS Lewis wisely noted "If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
Because God is perfectly good and just, when we do things that aren't perfectly good, we aren't choosing God. Because of this, coupled with the fact that God is justice itself (unjust things aren't "good," and thus, aren't coming from an all good and loving being), we don't deserve eternal joy in Heaven with God when this life is over. But God, being our savior and in order to remain who He is (a perfectly "just"/fair being), sent Christ as a sacrifice in order to balance out the scales of justice, so that our mistakes don't end up separating us from God, the source of goodness, for eternity.
It is clear that God's laws weren't designed to "burden our free will" (if that were true, we wouldn't have been given free will), or to add obligations to our already long list of them. God is not limited by time (the sciences reveal that time had a beginning), and as a result, it's safe to trust that He knows best what we should embrace and avoid in order to live in peace among one another. Because God is superior to us in nature, we can trust that there is no manipulation in our relationship with Him, but instead, only infinite love that He is always willing to give-- the problem is, we don't want His love as much as He wants to give it. We see God's love over and over again in the bible (and those who have heard that the Old Testament presents an angry God must read the context before proceeding in false belief; every emotion in connection to God was a result of His everlasting, Fatherly love for the Jewish people), but consider why God gave the Jewish people the 10 commandments. He gave them commandments out of love, to teach them how to live in peace among one another.
For those who believe God has abandoned us, we should consider that we have free will, and that He doesn't force Himself on us- we can choose to get to know Him or not-- to know Him is to adore Him, and those who seek him sincerely will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
We live in a world we knew nothing about without first knowing God's revelation. For those who have not sincerely searched for truth in this life, I ask: Is it logical, intelligent, and/or rational to conclude without studying all the facts available to us? Imagine if science, or law, or medicine, or law enforcement, etc., operated in such a way?
When the facts available reveal a loving Creator, the only unintelligent, irrational and illogical thing to do is reject Him.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
"Faith Alone" is a false teaching, and only serves to lead some of us further away from God (who is joy itself)
Many have believed that the good thief on the cross was saved "by faith alone" (a false teaching). Considering that submitting a deceptive time sheet is stealing (and lying, of course), I ask, when was the last time a person was called to hang on a cross and die of asphyxiation for such a thing?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Trinity in the Book of Genesis (first book of the Old Testament) and how it relates to our lives here
Question:
If God is love, how do we know that's true?
Answer:
God has given so much proof that He is out there, from miracles, to the truth of the old and new testament, to how they literally support the other, even though they were written at least hundreds of years apart (which requires someone who ...is not limited by time to inspire the entire bible), through its perfect truths that have no flaws, and the fact that everything that seems to hurt or upset or anger us in life, is somehow warned against in scripture, especially through Christ; the bible has all the answers to create a world of perfect peace among 6 billion+ DIFFERENT people, time after time, after time again... that is not being inspired by men, but rather, again, one who knows each of us so intimately on a level where He seems to know exactly how to keep order, peace and happiness both externally (among one another) and internally (within ourselves) for each person, time after time again. Considering we cannot create peace in our own daily lives even when we try to, it makes sense that other human beings cannot either, which means, the Church and its teachings, the bible and the Church's interpretation of the bible, can only come from a loving Creator; God, who Christ taught us about. At the end of the day, those struggle with faith can do one simple thing: sincerely ask God to help them acquire faith in Him, so that they can be sure He is truly there. I know of no one who has done this and been left unanswered/disappointed.
I'd also like to point out that in Genesis, we read "let US create man in OUR image"... the fact that the Trinity consists of the love between God the Father + God the Son = the Holy Spirit, and how human beings are created through the love... between Father + Mother which = their children/their child... and, of course, recognizing that the Church's teachings on this revelation came thousands of years after Genesis was written... is enough to reveal to us that Christ was, is and always will be trustworthy, and so is His Church, who is being run not by men, but men who are vessels of God's Divine Providence.
God is love because God is a union of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" = the love between Father & Son is the Holy Spirit, which means, God is love itself, through the three unique persons in the Blessed Trinity, which is who God is. I should ...mention that I'm not speaking on my own wisdom, obviously (I couldn't make this up if I tried :-)), but between the Pope's book titled "God is love" and many other sources like the Catechism, this is all explained, and it is all rational, and it simply just couldn't be inspired by anyone except for a being unlimited by time: our loving God.
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God revealed that "the law" (that is, conduct that creates love, instead of heartache, and hate, jealousy etc.) is written on the "human heart" - in other words, we are created in such a way where deep down inside, although we are easily fooled, we know right from wrong, though it helps to have a model to see it lived out and it helps to have someone explain it further to us (The same way the law of the US has legal commentary to explain a simple law for us, and how there is case law, which are real life people with real life situation that the law is applied to for us to further understand how the law is to be lived out in order to spread peace.
Christ is the equivalent to a "legal commentator" ... on God the Father's law. Christ explains it for us, and we quickly see that peace is what would result if we choose to cooperate with God and follow that law.... and (2) he is also "real life case law" in that Christ followed God's law, which is truly "love all people, no matter what they've done, and no matter who they are) perfectly. Without these things, it is difficult to discern good and bad without being misled or confused.
Considering Catholic beliefs are rooted in the fact that this life is a spiritual battle between good v. evil, it makes sense that because everything the Church teaches tends to eliminate everything that we enjoy doing, but that proves to cause some sort of pain or negative emotions down the line, it makes sense that following its teachings and using the Sacraments (Which are sources of grace that we can choose to use with our free will, in order to receive the strength not to engage in conduct we enjoy doing (from pre-marital sex, to gossiping, to being spiteful, to seeking revenge, etc.), will leave to an all loving God who is not the cause of such negative emotions in us - the opposite of a loving God, would be that influence (Which, again, Christ, and thus, His Church, and Christianity as a whole, recognize as "the enemy" (Satan; the one who hates God, and thus, hates God's creation and God's children; every human being in creation)
If God is love, how do we know that's true?
Answer:
God has given so much proof that He is out there, from miracles, to the truth of the old and new testament, to how they literally support the other, even though they were written at least hundreds of years apart (which requires someone who ...is not limited by time to inspire the entire bible), through its perfect truths that have no flaws, and the fact that everything that seems to hurt or upset or anger us in life, is somehow warned against in scripture, especially through Christ; the bible has all the answers to create a world of perfect peace among 6 billion+ DIFFERENT people, time after time, after time again... that is not being inspired by men, but rather, again, one who knows each of us so intimately on a level where He seems to know exactly how to keep order, peace and happiness both externally (among one another) and internally (within ourselves) for each person, time after time again. Considering we cannot create peace in our own daily lives even when we try to, it makes sense that other human beings cannot either, which means, the Church and its teachings, the bible and the Church's interpretation of the bible, can only come from a loving Creator; God, who Christ taught us about. At the end of the day, those struggle with faith can do one simple thing: sincerely ask God to help them acquire faith in Him, so that they can be sure He is truly there. I know of no one who has done this and been left unanswered/disappointed.
I'd also like to point out that in Genesis, we read "let US create man in OUR image"... the fact that the Trinity consists of the love between God the Father + God the Son = the Holy Spirit, and how human beings are created through the love... between Father + Mother which = their children/their child... and, of course, recognizing that the Church's teachings on this revelation came thousands of years after Genesis was written... is enough to reveal to us that Christ was, is and always will be trustworthy, and so is His Church, who is being run not by men, but men who are vessels of God's Divine Providence.
God is love because God is a union of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" = the love between Father & Son is the Holy Spirit, which means, God is love itself, through the three unique persons in the Blessed Trinity, which is who God is. I should ...mention that I'm not speaking on my own wisdom, obviously (I couldn't make this up if I tried :-)), but between the Pope's book titled "God is love" and many other sources like the Catechism, this is all explained, and it is all rational, and it simply just couldn't be inspired by anyone except for a being unlimited by time: our loving God.
______________________________________________
God revealed that "the law" (that is, conduct that creates love, instead of heartache, and hate, jealousy etc.) is written on the "human heart" - in other words, we are created in such a way where deep down inside, although we are easily fooled, we know right from wrong, though it helps to have a model to see it lived out and it helps to have someone explain it further to us (The same way the law of the US has legal commentary to explain a simple law for us, and how there is case law, which are real life people with real life situation that the law is applied to for us to further understand how the law is to be lived out in order to spread peace.
Christ is the equivalent to a "legal commentator" ... on God the Father's law. Christ explains it for us, and we quickly see that peace is what would result if we choose to cooperate with God and follow that law.... and (2) he is also "real life case law" in that Christ followed God's law, which is truly "love all people, no matter what they've done, and no matter who they are) perfectly. Without these things, it is difficult to discern good and bad without being misled or confused.
Considering Catholic beliefs are rooted in the fact that this life is a spiritual battle between good v. evil, it makes sense that because everything the Church teaches tends to eliminate everything that we enjoy doing, but that proves to cause some sort of pain or negative emotions down the line, it makes sense that following its teachings and using the Sacraments (Which are sources of grace that we can choose to use with our free will, in order to receive the strength not to engage in conduct we enjoy doing (from pre-marital sex, to gossiping, to being spiteful, to seeking revenge, etc.), will leave to an all loving God who is not the cause of such negative emotions in us - the opposite of a loving God, would be that influence (Which, again, Christ, and thus, His Church, and Christianity as a whole, recognize as "the enemy" (Satan; the one who hates God, and thus, hates God's creation and God's children; every human being in creation)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
We are "Created in God's Image"/The Holy Trinity
“God said, ‘Let US make man in OUR own image" - Genesis 1
God, here, is revealing himself, as we learn later through Christ in the New Testament:
(1) The love between God the Father + God the Son = The Holy Spirit
(2) The love between a father + a mother = their child/children
God = 1 GOD, but three distinct persons make up GOD; all three of them are UNIQUE, though they are cosubstantial. This is what is meant when we say "God is love."
God, here, is revealing himself, as we learn later through Christ in the New Testament:
(1) The love between God the Father + God the Son = The Holy Spirit
(2) The love between a father + a mother = their child/children
God = 1 GOD, but three distinct persons make up GOD; all three of them are UNIQUE, though they are cosubstantial. This is what is meant when we say "God is love."
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Reality of Suffering in Life, Taught to Us Through Genesis
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In the Beginning (Taken from Catholic Online)
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The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, provides an extraordinary account of “the beginnings” of the created order and most particularly the origin of man and woman. The name itself means the “Book of the Beginnings.” However, this book provides much more. It presents us with deep insights into the very reason we human beings are the way we are and reveals how we can change.
This first Book of the sacred text was a reference point for the Lord Jesus Christ in His authoritative teaching on the absolute prohibition on divorce (See, e.g. Matthew 19). It has, throughout Jewish and Christian tradition, become the reference point for explaining the deeper meaning of God’s relationship with his creation and the crown of his creation, humankind.
The story of the fall of the human race, recorded in the third chapter, is a profoundly insightful account of the wrong choice made by our first parents after they were invited into a relationship with the Creator and the results of that choice – in the lives of all of those who would be borne from them.
After having been fashioned out of love by Love and for love, having been given the capacity to choose to love in return, they chose against love. In so doing, they suffered the consequences of their errant exercise of freedom. In the wake of that rupture of relationship all of creation was deeply affected. They committed this “original sin” precisely when they used their freedom (the very essence of what reflects the “Image of God” within each of us) to reject God’s invitation to participate in a relationship of love.
What makes us human beings different than all the other creatures (which God fashioned out of His love for us) is our capacity to make choices. God was not (and still is not) interested in the rote response of robots. He wants the loving response of sons and daughters. He invites us into communion with Him. He wants the free gift of men and women who choose to love Him.
Ah, the extraordinary power of our capacity to choose. It opens up either heaven or hell. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself.” (par. 1861)
The results of this wrong choice had generational repercussions.
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The Mark of Cain (Taken from Catholic Online)
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One of the other accounts in the “Book of the Beginnings”, the “Book of Genesis” in the Old Testament of the Sacred Scriptures, also packed with deep insight, is the story of Cain and his brother Abel:
“The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD. Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks and Cain a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight."
Not so!" the LORD said to him. "If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold." So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.
Cain then left the LORD'S presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:1-16
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This story provides a framework within which we can more fully understand our relationship with God and our obligations to one another. The question “Am I my brothers’ keeper” still echoes in our day.
How we respond to this question will have implications for our personal and family life, our social and international relationships, and indeed the very future of the world in which we live. The story of the offspring of Adam and Eve is a story about the obligations of human solidarity.
We are our brothers’ keeper. The sin of Cain was a sin against solidarity.
So much about the story is rich with deeper meaning For example; it is interesting to note where Cain settled after this horrible act of fratricide. Following his attempt to “cover up” and his pronouncement of his “independence” from God (the root of every false understanding of freedom) he was banished to the “Land of Nod.”
“Nod” literally means “to wander.” Since that dreadful act of fratricide, it seems that the entire human race, born bearing this mark of Cain, has wandered aimlessly- searching for both the God whose fellowship they rejected and for the brother they killed.
God’s response to Cain’s choice to murder his brother revealed both the consequences of every wrong choice and His extraordinary mercy in spite of our errant exercise of our capacity to choose.
Cain lost his very identity and wandered through life with no purpose. Yet even in all of this, God “marked” Cain for protection. He never stopped loving him.
The fruit of that first sin, committed at that tree in the garden called Eden, was now playing itself out in the offspring of Adam and Eve.
Two brothers who were born of the same parents made two very different choices. This dichotomy plays itself out throughout human history.
There is also the deeper meaning behind the two offerings the brothers brought to the altar. What was it about those offerings that either pleased or displeased God? Did God prefer meat to grain? Of course not-he had created both and needed neither. He looked at the order of love that the sacrifices revealed.
Cain “in the course of time” brought some of his grain. The sacrifice was only an afterthought to him. This response revealed a relationship with God that was not integral to his life but rather was itself an afterthought. On the other hand, Abel brought the “first of his flock”, revealing in his actions the centrality of his relationship with God, a life surrendered in love.
Two men, each with the same parents, each exercised their own freedom to choose — one to life and love (in spite of suffering physical death at the hand of his brother) and the other to an aimless existence as a member of the living dead.
Ah, the bitter fruit of that tree in the garden … and the sweet fruit of the second tree that would be planted thousands of years later to undo its bitter effects.
______________________________________
The Sign of the Cross and Our Mission (Taken from Catholic Online)
______________________________________
Now, in an age that has all too often chosen the way of Cain, we who follow Jesus Christ are called to both proclaim and demonstrate the obligation of human solidarity and more-we are called to live “redemptively” to bear the fruit of the second tree. We have been marked with a new sign, the sign of the Cross.
In our “post- September 11” world, we who are Christians in America have been presented with a “missionary moment”. Something extraordinary has happened. That event that rightly shocked our world, revealing again the horror of fratricide, has also become a moment for grace. Millions of people, in response to that fateful day, have paused to reconsider the question of Cain “Am I my brothers’ keeper?”
In his infinite mercy, the God of both Cain and Abel still extends the invitation to love. He also shows us the way. We were given real examples of lives poured out in sacrifice for others.
All of this has opened so many hearts and minds to discover the deeper truths of human existence. It may in fact be a new beginning, one whose story has yet to be written.
Those of us who bear the sign of the cross in this moment are members of a race who still bear the mark of Cain. They are being “protected” by a loving God who is inviting them to the new way of love. They need to see this path with their own eyes. We are called to show them the way. We are called to reveal the life of heaven on earth.
Christians are the ones who now have the greater obligation, to walk the way of human solidarity and more – to lead all those with whom we interact every day from the “land of nod, East of Eden” to the beauty of the new creation revealed in the One who stretched His arms out on that second tree and brought heaven to earth and earth to heaven.
That is the sign of the Cross. We reveal its deeper meaning when we respond to the invitation so aptly and simply stated by the Apostle John: “Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”
This is the Christian Mission.
In the Beginning (Taken from Catholic Online)
________________
The Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible, provides an extraordinary account of “the beginnings” of the created order and most particularly the origin of man and woman. The name itself means the “Book of the Beginnings.” However, this book provides much more. It presents us with deep insights into the very reason we human beings are the way we are and reveals how we can change.
This first Book of the sacred text was a reference point for the Lord Jesus Christ in His authoritative teaching on the absolute prohibition on divorce (See, e.g. Matthew 19). It has, throughout Jewish and Christian tradition, become the reference point for explaining the deeper meaning of God’s relationship with his creation and the crown of his creation, humankind.
The story of the fall of the human race, recorded in the third chapter, is a profoundly insightful account of the wrong choice made by our first parents after they were invited into a relationship with the Creator and the results of that choice – in the lives of all of those who would be borne from them.
After having been fashioned out of love by Love and for love, having been given the capacity to choose to love in return, they chose against love. In so doing, they suffered the consequences of their errant exercise of freedom. In the wake of that rupture of relationship all of creation was deeply affected. They committed this “original sin” precisely when they used their freedom (the very essence of what reflects the “Image of God” within each of us) to reject God’s invitation to participate in a relationship of love.
What makes us human beings different than all the other creatures (which God fashioned out of His love for us) is our capacity to make choices. God was not (and still is not) interested in the rote response of robots. He wants the loving response of sons and daughters. He invites us into communion with Him. He wants the free gift of men and women who choose to love Him.
Ah, the extraordinary power of our capacity to choose. It opens up either heaven or hell. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself.” (par. 1861)
The results of this wrong choice had generational repercussions.
_________________
The Mark of Cain (Taken from Catholic Online)
_________________
One of the other accounts in the “Book of the Beginnings”, the “Book of Genesis” in the Old Testament of the Sacred Scriptures, also packed with deep insight, is the story of Cain and his brother Abel:
“The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD. Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks and Cain a tiller of the soil.
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
So the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight."
Not so!" the LORD said to him. "If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold." So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.
Cain then left the LORD'S presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:1-16
________________________________________
This story provides a framework within which we can more fully understand our relationship with God and our obligations to one another. The question “Am I my brothers’ keeper” still echoes in our day.
How we respond to this question will have implications for our personal and family life, our social and international relationships, and indeed the very future of the world in which we live. The story of the offspring of Adam and Eve is a story about the obligations of human solidarity.
We are our brothers’ keeper. The sin of Cain was a sin against solidarity.
So much about the story is rich with deeper meaning For example; it is interesting to note where Cain settled after this horrible act of fratricide. Following his attempt to “cover up” and his pronouncement of his “independence” from God (the root of every false understanding of freedom) he was banished to the “Land of Nod.”
“Nod” literally means “to wander.” Since that dreadful act of fratricide, it seems that the entire human race, born bearing this mark of Cain, has wandered aimlessly- searching for both the God whose fellowship they rejected and for the brother they killed.
God’s response to Cain’s choice to murder his brother revealed both the consequences of every wrong choice and His extraordinary mercy in spite of our errant exercise of our capacity to choose.
Cain lost his very identity and wandered through life with no purpose. Yet even in all of this, God “marked” Cain for protection. He never stopped loving him.
The fruit of that first sin, committed at that tree in the garden called Eden, was now playing itself out in the offspring of Adam and Eve.
Two brothers who were born of the same parents made two very different choices. This dichotomy plays itself out throughout human history.
There is also the deeper meaning behind the two offerings the brothers brought to the altar. What was it about those offerings that either pleased or displeased God? Did God prefer meat to grain? Of course not-he had created both and needed neither. He looked at the order of love that the sacrifices revealed.
Cain “in the course of time” brought some of his grain. The sacrifice was only an afterthought to him. This response revealed a relationship with God that was not integral to his life but rather was itself an afterthought. On the other hand, Abel brought the “first of his flock”, revealing in his actions the centrality of his relationship with God, a life surrendered in love.
Two men, each with the same parents, each exercised their own freedom to choose — one to life and love (in spite of suffering physical death at the hand of his brother) and the other to an aimless existence as a member of the living dead.
Ah, the bitter fruit of that tree in the garden … and the sweet fruit of the second tree that would be planted thousands of years later to undo its bitter effects.
______________________________________
The Sign of the Cross and Our Mission (Taken from Catholic Online)
______________________________________
Now, in an age that has all too often chosen the way of Cain, we who follow Jesus Christ are called to both proclaim and demonstrate the obligation of human solidarity and more-we are called to live “redemptively” to bear the fruit of the second tree. We have been marked with a new sign, the sign of the Cross.
In our “post- September 11” world, we who are Christians in America have been presented with a “missionary moment”. Something extraordinary has happened. That event that rightly shocked our world, revealing again the horror of fratricide, has also become a moment for grace. Millions of people, in response to that fateful day, have paused to reconsider the question of Cain “Am I my brothers’ keeper?”
In his infinite mercy, the God of both Cain and Abel still extends the invitation to love. He also shows us the way. We were given real examples of lives poured out in sacrifice for others.
All of this has opened so many hearts and minds to discover the deeper truths of human existence. It may in fact be a new beginning, one whose story has yet to be written.
Those of us who bear the sign of the cross in this moment are members of a race who still bear the mark of Cain. They are being “protected” by a loving God who is inviting them to the new way of love. They need to see this path with their own eyes. We are called to show them the way. We are called to reveal the life of heaven on earth.
Christians are the ones who now have the greater obligation, to walk the way of human solidarity and more – to lead all those with whom we interact every day from the “land of nod, East of Eden” to the beauty of the new creation revealed in the One who stretched His arms out on that second tree and brought heaven to earth and earth to heaven.
That is the sign of the Cross. We reveal its deeper meaning when we respond to the invitation so aptly and simply stated by the Apostle John: “Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”
This is the Christian Mission.
The Tree of the Cross and the Christian Vocation (Taken from Catholic Online)
The entire drama of human history has been played out between two trees.
First, there is the bad fruit still falling from the one in that garden where the dreadful choice was made to reject the invitation to love.
Then there is the second, planted from heaven itself on Calvary’s Hill, where the living God, in the person of His beloved Son, both paid the price of the sin of the human race and offers us the path to authentic peace through the choice to love as He loves.
The choice that we are Christians are now called to make, at the foot of the Cross, is to be “our brothers keeper” and so much more. Those of us, who would stand under that tree, eat its fruit and respond to the great invitation of Jesus Christ, Love Incarnate, are now called to live “redemptively”- loving even our “enemies.
The disciple John in his first letter to the nascent Christian community provides great insight into solidarity, the mark of Cain and the Christian vocation:
_________________________________________________
“For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, (then,) brothers, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word ...
The choice of Cain was to reject his very purpose in life - to love his brother and to go beyond that – to recognize that all men and women are “his brother”. In doing so he rejected the human obligation of solidarity.
The mark that he bore he passed on to the entire human race. It was a mark of aimless isolation but also protected him from further harm, so that he could find the path to redemption. This was the only way to undoing the consequences of that dreadful choice of fratricide.
The choices that we make not only affect the world around us –they actually make us. We become what we choose. The way to overcoming the wrong choice of selfishness is selflessness, choosing to love the “other” as another self.
The answer to the fundamental “question” that Cain mockingly posed to the living God is a resounding “Yes”—we are our brothers’ keeper. The God who is love hoped for so much more from His creation. Throughout the unfolding history of His relationship with the human race He would continue to love and to invite, through the giving of the Law, the prophets and the giving of a Covenant.
In the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4 and 5) God himself would come among us as a man “like us in all things but sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Because He was Divine, He alone could redeem us; pay the price for all the wrong choices made by all men and women.
Because He was human, through His sacred humanity, He would show us a new way, the way of sacrificial love. The depth of that love would be revealed at the second tree where he would stretch out His arms and give Himself fully to those whom He had created and who had turned against the invitation to a communion of love.
Now, we who follow this “new Adam” (whom both the Christian scriptures and tradition reveal is Jesus Christ, in and through whom the new creation is borne) and are reborn through baptism, are given the chance to both make the right choice and invite others to do the same. We are invited into an even greater obligation of solidarity, the continuation of the creative and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the Christian vocation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of solidarity:
____________________________________________________________
“The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood. An error, "today abundantly widespread, is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, dictated and imposed both by our common origin and by the equality in rational nature of all men, whatever nation they belong to. This law is sealed by the sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross to his heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity." …respect for the human person considers the other "another self." It presupposes respect for the fundamental rights that flow from the dignity intrinsic of the person….The equality of men concerns their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it….The differences among persons belong to God's plan, who wills that we should need one another. These differences should encourage charity.
First, there is the bad fruit still falling from the one in that garden where the dreadful choice was made to reject the invitation to love.
Then there is the second, planted from heaven itself on Calvary’s Hill, where the living God, in the person of His beloved Son, both paid the price of the sin of the human race and offers us the path to authentic peace through the choice to love as He loves.
The choice that we are Christians are now called to make, at the foot of the Cross, is to be “our brothers keeper” and so much more. Those of us, who would stand under that tree, eat its fruit and respond to the great invitation of Jesus Christ, Love Incarnate, are now called to live “redemptively”- loving even our “enemies.
The disciple John in his first letter to the nascent Christian community provides great insight into solidarity, the mark of Cain and the Christian vocation:
_________________________________________________
“For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous.
Do not be amazed, (then,) brothers, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word ...
The choice of Cain was to reject his very purpose in life - to love his brother and to go beyond that – to recognize that all men and women are “his brother”. In doing so he rejected the human obligation of solidarity.
The mark that he bore he passed on to the entire human race. It was a mark of aimless isolation but also protected him from further harm, so that he could find the path to redemption. This was the only way to undoing the consequences of that dreadful choice of fratricide.
The choices that we make not only affect the world around us –they actually make us. We become what we choose. The way to overcoming the wrong choice of selfishness is selflessness, choosing to love the “other” as another self.
The answer to the fundamental “question” that Cain mockingly posed to the living God is a resounding “Yes”—we are our brothers’ keeper. The God who is love hoped for so much more from His creation. Throughout the unfolding history of His relationship with the human race He would continue to love and to invite, through the giving of the Law, the prophets and the giving of a Covenant.
In the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4 and 5) God himself would come among us as a man “like us in all things but sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Because He was Divine, He alone could redeem us; pay the price for all the wrong choices made by all men and women.
Because He was human, through His sacred humanity, He would show us a new way, the way of sacrificial love. The depth of that love would be revealed at the second tree where he would stretch out His arms and give Himself fully to those whom He had created and who had turned against the invitation to a communion of love.
Now, we who follow this “new Adam” (whom both the Christian scriptures and tradition reveal is Jesus Christ, in and through whom the new creation is borne) and are reborn through baptism, are given the chance to both make the right choice and invite others to do the same. We are invited into an even greater obligation of solidarity, the continuation of the creative and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the Christian vocation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of solidarity:
____________________________________________________________
“The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood. An error, "today abundantly widespread, is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, dictated and imposed both by our common origin and by the equality in rational nature of all men, whatever nation they belong to. This law is sealed by the sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross to his heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity." …respect for the human person considers the other "another self." It presupposes respect for the fundamental rights that flow from the dignity intrinsic of the person….The equality of men concerns their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it….The differences among persons belong to God's plan, who wills that we should need one another. These differences should encourage charity.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
How Old Is Your Church?
How Old Is Your Church?
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
If you are Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
"In the Beginning... A Catholic Understanding of Creation and the Fall" - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger
I plan to type this book out (it's very short) in its entirety and post it here. It's fascinating, logical, and utterly brilliant; it can only come from a loving God.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
This position is not meant to hurt, offend or single out any one of us, as we are ALL flawed human beings who naturally fail to measure up to the moral standard of Judeo-Christian values: none of us should EVER use God's loving advice in order to point out, or call attention to the struggles of another human being.
Reflecting on the fruit that our conduct bears helps all of us understand the purpose of Judeo-Christian values, and in that, it helps us see that such values are nothing more than advice from a loving Father, a Father who is unlimited by time, and who knows our hearts and needs better than any of us ever will. Such values are very clearly advice from a loving Father (God) to us, His children, who He clearly does not want to ever see hurting, or even bickering amongst eachother. None of us, naturally, would or could create Judeo-Christian values in their entirety - we don't know ourselves which conduct causes us pain and which conduct does not, unless it is plainly obvious. We, like children, need advice from One who is unlimited by time, and who foresees the conduct we engage in and the "fruit" it produces. And then, He warns us either against it, or advises us to embrace it.
It is trust in God and knowledge of His wisdom (through personal reflection of our own conduct and the fruit it produces) that is, or at least SHOULD BE, the basis for conservative views. It is NOT to point out struggles each of us have, and our failings, but instead, it guides us all in joy and peace, so that peace spreads among one another, instead of other negative emotions (sadness, anger, jealousy, frustration, impatience, etc.).
None of us live up to conservative standards naturally, which is why to point out the struggles and failings of others when they are already aware of them is useless, hurtful, and thus, wrong.
But like children who do not naturally live up to the advice/rules of their loving parents, this does not make such advice/rules incorrect, or wrong; the same concept holds true for God's loving advice/rules for us.
Our personal struggles and how we feel inside do not make any of us an "abomination," so long as we focus on what is best for us and for those around us, and to strive in always conducting ourselves in ways that help heal ourselves and others. Loving one's neighbor calls each of us to refuse conduct that we may enjoy, but that proves to be hurtful to ourselves and/or to those around us... and of course, to those even beyond our sphere of influence.
Being imperfect, we are entirely unable to live up to even some Judeo-Christian values, without God's grace. Let us always work toward loving one another, and reflect on our conduct and the fruit it produces for us and for others (something as small as impatience, or something as large as rage/anger/hate), and lovingly encourage one another in an honest and sincere way... because the truth is, none of us are without sin, giving none of us the right to torment fellow sinners.
Reflecting on the fruit that our conduct bears helps all of us understand the purpose of Judeo-Christian values, and in that, it helps us see that such values are nothing more than advice from a loving Father, a Father who is unlimited by time, and who knows our hearts and needs better than any of us ever will. Such values are very clearly advice from a loving Father (God) to us, His children, who He clearly does not want to ever see hurting, or even bickering amongst eachother. None of us, naturally, would or could create Judeo-Christian values in their entirety - we don't know ourselves which conduct causes us pain and which conduct does not, unless it is plainly obvious. We, like children, need advice from One who is unlimited by time, and who foresees the conduct we engage in and the "fruit" it produces. And then, He warns us either against it, or advises us to embrace it.
It is trust in God and knowledge of His wisdom (through personal reflection of our own conduct and the fruit it produces) that is, or at least SHOULD BE, the basis for conservative views. It is NOT to point out struggles each of us have, and our failings, but instead, it guides us all in joy and peace, so that peace spreads among one another, instead of other negative emotions (sadness, anger, jealousy, frustration, impatience, etc.).
None of us live up to conservative standards naturally, which is why to point out the struggles and failings of others when they are already aware of them is useless, hurtful, and thus, wrong.
But like children who do not naturally live up to the advice/rules of their loving parents, this does not make such advice/rules incorrect, or wrong; the same concept holds true for God's loving advice/rules for us.
Our personal struggles and how we feel inside do not make any of us an "abomination," so long as we focus on what is best for us and for those around us, and to strive in always conducting ourselves in ways that help heal ourselves and others. Loving one's neighbor calls each of us to refuse conduct that we may enjoy, but that proves to be hurtful to ourselves and/or to those around us... and of course, to those even beyond our sphere of influence.
Being imperfect, we are entirely unable to live up to even some Judeo-Christian values, without God's grace. Let us always work toward loving one another, and reflect on our conduct and the fruit it produces for us and for others (something as small as impatience, or something as large as rage/anger/hate), and lovingly encourage one another in an honest and sincere way... because the truth is, none of us are without sin, giving none of us the right to torment fellow sinners.
Father Steven Scheier Describes his Near Death Experience on Mother Angelica Live
Thanks for this, Mike
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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