Peter Kasui Kibe, July 4

Peter Kasui Kibe, Priest and Martyr

Oita, Kyushu, 1587-Tokyo, July 4, 1639

He is called “The man who walked the globe,” because of his remarkable journey along the arduous Silk Road in the 16th century in his quest of ordination to the priesthood.

His statue stands in Oita, Kyushu, where he was born in 1587. His features are strong, with eyes fixed toward his one goal of becoming a priest to serve his God and church, and a determination etched on his face and in his stance. They convey the strength and conviction of a true man of God, who was willing to undergo all hardship and disappointment and years of waiting, only to end in final torture and martyrdom.

St. Thomas the Apostle, July 3

St. Thomas the Apostle

July 3

Little is recorded of St. Thomas the Apostle, nevertheless thanks to the fourth Gospel his personality is clearer to us than that of some others of the Twelve. His name occurs in all the lists of the Synoptists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6, cf. Acts 1:13), but in St. John he plays a distinctive part. First, when Jesus announced His intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus, “Thomas” who is called Didymus [the twin], said to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Again it was St. Thomas who during the discourse before the Last Supper raised an objection: “Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). But more especially St. Thomas is remembered for his incredulity when the other Apostles announced Christ’s Resurrection to him: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will notbelieve” ( John 20:25); but eight days later he made his act of faith, drawing down the rebuke of Jesus: “Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed” (John 20:29).

Summer Sunday Mass: Obligation or Option?

By Father Michael Van Sloun – Special for The Catholic Spirit

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Sunday is the Lord’s Day. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday morning, so Sunday is reserved as the “Lord’s Day,” the day to remember the Resurrection and to offer our praise and worship. Sunday is the Christian “Sabbath,” a shift from the Jewish Sabbath that runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. God gave us the Third Commandment as a solemn obligation, not a suggestion or an option: “Keep holy the Sabbath day (Ex 20:8-11; Dt 5:12-15) (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Numbers 2174 – 2178).

US Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny

The Vatican is investigating American Nuns; for dissident behavior such as teaching and promoting Reiki, a healing modality of which the Church does not approve, and other various things, such as advocating for married priests and ordination of women. In short, the Vatican is trying to see if the nuns are actually Catholic.

Many religious orders have dispersed their ranks and are living in society, rather than in convents as was traditional;  are wearing street clothes rather than habits; are advocating ideas that are opposed to Church teaching, and their orders are declining, this investigation is a good thing. In contrast, orders that are more traditional and wear habits are growing. Hmmm.

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

The New York Times

The Vatican is quietly conducting two sweeping investigations of American nuns, a development that has startled and dismayed nuns who fear they are the targets of a doctrinal inquisition.

Nuns were the often-unsung workers who helped build the Roman Catholic Church in this country, planting schools and hospitals and keeping parishes humming. But for the last three decades, their numbers have been declining — to 60,000 today from 180,000 in 1965.

While some nuns say they are grateful that the Vatican is finally paying attention to their dwindling communities, many fear that the real motivation is to reel in American nuns who have reinterpreted their calling for the modern world.

St. Swithun, July 2

St. Swithun

800, Wessex, England-July 2, 862

Raised in an abbey. Priest. Chaplain to Egbert, King of the West Saxons. Tutor to prince Ethelwolf. Bishop of Winchester. Miracles associated with his relics. His shrine was destroyed during the Reformation. Almost 60 ancient British churches were named for him.

His patronage of the weather arose when monks tried to translate his body from an outdoor grave to a golden shrine in the Cathedral in 871. Swithun apparently did not approve as it started raining for 40 days. The weather on the festival of his translation indicates, according to an old rhyme, the weather for the next forty days:

Saint Swithun’s day, if thou dost rain,

For forty days it will remain;

Saint Swithun’s day, if thou be fair,

For forty days ’twill rain nae mair.

His relics were transferred to Canterbury, England in 1006 by Saint Alphege of Winchester.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia

The Year for Priests, Indulgences, Coming Up!

The Plenary Indulgence is granted to all the faithful who are truly repentant who, in church or in chapel, devoutly attend the divine Sacrifice of Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, for the priests of the Church, and any other good work which they have done on that day, so that he may sanctify them and form them in accordance with His Heart, as long as they have made expiation for their sins through sacramental confession and prayed in accordance with the Supreme Pontiff’s intentions:

on the days in which the Year for Priests begins and ends, on the day of the 150th anniversary of the pious passing of St John Mary Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month or on any other day established by the local Ordinaries for the benefit of the faithful.

It will be most appropriate, in cathedral and parish churches, for the same priests who are in charge of pastoral care to publicly direct these exercises of devotion, to celebrate Holy Mass and to hear the confession of the faithful. The Plenary Indulgence will likewise be granted to the elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are confined to their homes who, with a mind detached from any sin and with the intention of fulfilling as soon as possible the three usual conditions, at home or wherever their impediment detains them, provided that on the above-mentioned days they recite prayers for the sanctification of priests and confidently offer the illnesses and hardships of their lives to God through Mary Queen of Apostles.

Lastly, the Partial Indulgence is granted to all the faithful every time they devoutly recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias, or another expressly approved prayer, in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain that priests be preserved in purity and holiness of life. This Decree is valid for the entire duration of the Year for Priests. Anything to the contrary notwithstanding. Given in Rome, at the Offices of the Apostolic Penitentiary on 25 April, the Feast of St Mark the Evangelist, in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 2009.

Blessed Junipero Serra, July 1

Blessed Junípero Serra

Petra, Island of Majorca, November 24, 1713-Monterey, California, August 28, 1784.

On 14 September, 1730, he entered the Franciscan Order. For his proficiency in studies he was appointed lector of philosophy before his ordination to the priesthood. Later he received the degree of Doctor of Theology from the Lullian University at Palma, where he also occupied the Duns Scotus chair of philosophy until he joined the missionary college of San Fernando, Mexico (1749).

While traveling on foot from Vera Cruz to the capital, he injured his leg in such a way that he suffered from it throughout his life, though he continued to make his journeys on foot whenever possible. At his own request he was assigned to theSierra Gorda Indian Missions some thirty leagues north of Querétaro. He served there for nine years, part of the time as superior, learned the language of the Pame Indians, and translated the catechism into their language. Recalled to Mexico, he became famous as a most fervent and effective preacher of missions. His zeal frequently led him to employ extraordinary means in order to move the people to penance. He would pound his breast with a stone while in the pulpit, scourge himself, or apply a lighted torch to his bare chest.

In 1767 he was appointed superior of a band of fifteen Franciscans for the Indian Missions of Lower California. Early in 1769 he accompanied Portolá’s land expedition to Upper California. On the way (14 May) he established the Mission San Fernando de Velicatá, Lower California. He arrived at San Diego on 1 July, and on 16 July founded the first of the twenty-one California missions which accomplished the conversions of all the natives on the coast as far as Sonoma in the north. Those established by Father Serra or during his administration were San Carlos (3 June, 1770); San Antonio (14 July, 1771); San Gabriel (8 September, 1771); San Luis Obispo (1 September, 1772); San Francisco de Asis (8 October, 1776); San Juan Capistrano (1 Nov. 1776); Santa Clara (12 January, 1777); San Buenaventura (31 March, 1782). He was also present at the founding of the presidio of Santa Barbara (21 April, 1782), and was prevented from locating the mission there at the time only through the animosity of Governor Philipe de Neve.

Difficulties with Pedro Fages, the military commander, compelled Father Serra in 1773 to lay the case before Viceroy Bucareli. At the capital ofMexico, by order of the viceroy, he drew up his “Representación” in thirty-two articles. Everything save two minor points was decided in his favour; he then returned to California, late in 1774. In 1778 he received the faculty to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.

After he had exercised his privilege for a year, Governor Neve directed him to suspend administering the sacrament until he could present the papal Brief. For nearly two years Father Serra refrained, and then Viceroy Majorga gave instructions to the effect that Father Serra was within his rights. During the remaining three years of his life he once more visited the missions from San Diego to San Francisco, six hundred miles, in order to confirm all who had been baptized.

He suffered intensely from his crippled leg and from his chest, yet he would use no remedies. He confirmed 5309 persons, who, with but few exceptions, were Indians converted during the fourteen years from 1770. Besides extraordinary fortitude, his most conspicuous virtues were insatiable zeal, love of mortification, self-denial, and absolute confidence in God. His executive abilities has been especially noted by non-Catholic writers. The esteem in which his memory is held by all classes in California may be gathered from the fact that Mrs. Stanford, not a Catholic, had a granite monument erected to him at Monterey. A bronze statute of heroic size represents him as the apostolic preacher in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

In 1884 the Legislature of California passed a concurrent resolution making 29 August of that year, the centennial of Father Serra’s burial, a legal holiday. Of his writings many letters and other documentation are extant. The principal ones are his “Diario” of the journey from Loreto to San Diego, which was published in “Out West” (March to June, 1902), and the “Representación” before mentioned.

Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia

Martin Luther On the Immaculate Conception of Mary

Q. What is the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception?
A. It is the Dogma of the Catholic Church that Mary was conceived without sin and remained sinless throughout her whole life.

The Catholic Church has always believed that Mary, just like Adam and Eve, was conceived without a fallen nature and unlike our first parents, she resisted temptation to sin by the grace of God, throughout her whole life.

Interestingly, Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Reformation believed in Mary’s Immaculate Conception.

Luther’s words follow:

It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary’s soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God’s gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin.

(Sermon: “On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God,” December [?] 1527; from Hartmann Grisar, S.J., from the German Werke, Erlangen, 1826-1868, edited by J.G. Plochmann and J.A. Irmischer,

She is full of grace, proclaimed to be entirely without sin- something exceedingly great. For God’s grace fills her with everything good and makes her devoid of all evil.

-Personal {”Little”} Prayer Book, 1522

[She is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ . . . She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough. Still honor and praise must be given to her in such a way as to injure neither Christ nor the Scriptures. (Sermon, Christmas, 1531)

No woman is like you. You are more than Eve or Sarah, blessed above all nobility, wisdom, and sanctity. (Sermon, Feast of the Visitation, 1537)

One should honor Mary as she herself wished and as she expressed it in the Magnificat. She praised God for his deeds. How then can we praise her? The true honor of Mary is the honor of God, the praise of God’s grace . . . Mary is nothing for the sake of herself, but for the sake of Christ . . . Mary does not wish that we come to her, but through her to God. (Explanation of the Magnificat, 1521)

Speaking of Priests

The Priests

For all music lovers out there.

Presenting Bishop Lee Piché!

Bishop Lee Piché

It’s official. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has an auxiliary Bishop as of this afternoon. I was baptized in his childhood parish.

Who was Buried in the Apostle Paul’s Tomb?

Tomb believed to be the Apostle Paul’s

The Vatican announced, at the close of the Pauline year, that analysis on bones buried in what is believed to be the tomb of the Apostle Paul, indicates the bones are from the proper time period.

You’ve got to love Catholicism; the Vatican finds all kinds of things located where tradition has put them.

Oldest portrait of St. Paul

In addition, the Vatican announced the finding of a 4th century portrait of St. Paul, which is the oldest known image of the saint.

Grace from God in this Pauline year.

The National Shrine of the Apostle Paul

At the end of this Pauline year, now that the Cathedral of St. Paul has been designated as the first National Shrine of the Apostle Paul, keep it in mind for roadtrips. Even if it means dashing a few miles down 94. Following you will find the press release, as well as additional information.

Saint Paul, MN, June 16, 2009 – The Vatican has designated the Cathedral of Saint Paul to be the first national shrine in honor of the Apostle Paul. This special distinction was granted by the Office of the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, following a request by The Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

This will be the first national shrine in the State of Minnesota and the only national shrine in North America dedicated to honor Saint Paul.

According to canon (church) law, “The term shrine signifies a church or other sacred place to which the faithful make pilgrimages for a particular pious reason with the approval of the local ordinary (bishop).”

Reasons To Be Catholic

Why am I Catholic?

Rev’s Siebenaler Celebrate 50th Anniversary of their Ordinations

Father Leonard Siebenaler and his brother, Father Martin Siebenaler

Between them, the Revs. Martin and Leonard Siebenaler have spent a century in priesthood. Ordained as part of St. Paul Seminary’s Class of 1959, they celebrated their 50th anniversary of ordination today.

Source: StarTribune

Father Thomas M. King, RIP

Father Thomas Mulvihill King

May 9, 1929, Pittsburgh-June 23, 2009, Washington, D.C.

By Rebekah Davis

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 28, 2009

Thomas M. King, 80, a Jesuit priest and Georgetown University theology professor who blessed the film crew and sets for the 1973 movie “The Exorcist,” died June 23 at his home in Washington after an apparent heart attack.

New Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

We will soon have a new Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis!

Since June of 2008, Father Piché has been the Moderator of the Curia and Vicar General for the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The ordination is being planned for June 29, the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, at the Saint Paul Cathedral.

“I am honored and humbled by the Holy Father’s confidence in me,” Piché said of his appointment. “This is a great Archdiocese, with many blessed and talented individuals, parishes, and institutions, and with some significant challenges, too. I am grateful to God for calling me to serve in this way. Since receiving this news, I have been praying that God will strengthen me to be faithful in the ministry of bishop.”

“It will be a privilege for me to offer another kind of assistance to Archbishop Nienstedt, whom I have come to admire and respect greatly during my time as Vicar General. He works hard and communicates well, often, and clearly. You always know where you stand with him. He will be a good mentor for me,” Piché stated.

And just so you know? His role isn’t limited to that of “confirmation machine” according to Fr. Erickson from the Office of Worship. Which is good because if that were the case, he wouldn’t have much to do in the off-season, would he?

Source: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

Why Homosexuals Shouldn’t Adopt

Update: Due to the nasty nature of some comments, I have disabled comments on this post.

I’m not able to find the initial story I had read about this person; it indicated that he lives with his male partner and was only able to molest the child when the partner was away on business. Thus the heading.

~~~

A Duke University official has been charged in federal court with offering his 5-year-old adopted son up for sex. Frank Lombard, associate director at the university’s Global Health Institute, was arrested Wednesday in Raleigh, the FBI said.

In an undated photo provided by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Frank Lombard is shown. The Duke…

In an undated photo provided by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Frank Lombard is shown. The Duke University official has been arrested and charged with offering his adopted 5-year-old son for sex. Authorities said that Lombard tried to persuade a person,who he did not know was a police officer,to travel to North Carolina to have sex with Lombard’s child.

(Durham County Sheriff’s Office/AP Photo)

An unidentified informant who already faces child porn charges in a different child sex case pointed investigators to Lombard, according to court documents. The informant told investigators he had met Lombard on the Internet four years ago. The informant described in graphic detail how he allegedly observed Lombard molesting an African-American child on four occasions over an Internet video chat service called ICUii.

The informant said, according to court papers, that Lombard, who is white, said that he lived in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina and that the child was one of two adopted African-Americans in his custody.

Lombard has been charged with attempting to induce someone to cross state lines to engage in sex with a child, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Lombard allegedly used the adult Internet service to conduct his video chats. According to an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, the Internet service indicated that Lombard’s profile “stated he was interested in “perv fam fun,” a reference to “incestuous child molestation.” The service also told investigators that a customer service complaint had been sent to the company in January 2007. A customer who had chatted with Lombard complained to the company that Lombard said he was “into incest” and had adopted two African-American children, court records said.

//

A Washington, D.C., police detective who was investigating the case set up undercover chats with someone matching Lombard’s description during which the detective says he was invited to fly to Raleigh to have sex with the person’s 5- year-old adopted child. In his affidavit, Det. Timothy Palchak wrote that he engaged in a chat with someone using the screen name “FL” who provided nude pictures of himself. The pictures matched Lombard’s North Carolina driver’s license photo, according to the affidavit.

During the chats, according to the affidavit, “FL” told undercover investigators that he had himself molested his child, whom he adopted as an infant, and that he had allowed others to molest his child. “FL” stated that “the abuse of the child was easier when the child was too young to talk or know what was happening, but that he had drugged the child with Benadryl during the molestation,” Palchak wrote in his affidavit.

Two children were taken from Lombard’s home and put into protective custody by the North Carolina Department of Social Services, an FBI statement said.

Michael Schoenfeld, a Duke University spokesman, told ABC News that Lombard has been placed on unpaid leave and that the university is cooperating fully with the investigation. Lombard has been employed by Duke since 1999, Schoenfeld said.

//

Appearing today in federal court in Durham, Lombard agreed to be transferred to Washington for a later court hearing. His lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Source: ABC News

Father Timothy Vakoc, He Gave His Life in Service for the Lord

Father Timothy Vakoc

Jan. 8, 1960-June 20, 2009, New Hope, MN

Father Vakoc was seriously injured on June 10, 2004, the 12th anniversary of his ordination, when a roadside bomb exploded near his Humvee. He underwent much rehabilitation a the VA Hospitals and was improving at the time of his death. He was buried today.

He truly gave his life in service of the Lord. Pray for the repose of his soul.

Source: Catholic Spirit

Deep In History Conference 2009, Columbus, OH – Mark Your Calendars!

Deep In History Conference 2009, Columbus, OH – Mark Your Calendars!

Since the Deep in History Conferences began we have journeyed together from the time of the Early Fathers to the beginning of the Catholic Church here in North America. October 23rd

2009 marks a new beginning in our journey to the past as the Deep in History Conference turns to the theme of the History of Catholic Doctrine.

Once again the focus of these weekends is to assist both Catholics and non-Catholics in their understanding what it means to be Deep in History, Deep in Scripture and Deep in Christ. In 2009, we will begin on the “rock” looking to understand the question of Authority: The Pillar and Bulwark.

Guns and Church

At an Assembly of God church, in Kentucky, the Pastor is urging his parishioners to bring their guns to church.

While I believe that the Second Amendment is important, I’m not so sure that I want to mix it up with my Freedom of Religion.  Worshipping God while armed and dangerous seems a bit odd to me; I have a Crucifix on me, as well as a medal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Isn’t that enough? Okay, I admit it, there’s usually a Rosary around, too. And since I don’t know it completely, I carry the directions.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t object if a Priest was willing to bless guns at the beginning of hunting season.

Immaculate Conception

Q. Does the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception refer to Jesus or Mary?

A. This doctrine refers to Mary. She was concieved in the normal way by her parents. It was immaculate because Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin passed on to the human race from Adam and Eve. Just as God created Adam and Eve without the stain of original sin He caused Mary to be conceived without sin just like them. But unlike our first parents, Mary, with the grace of God, resisted the temptation to sin and remained sinless throughout her life.

Q. Then why does Mary refer to “God my savior”(Lk. 1:47)? If she never sinned she wouldn’t need a savior. Mary doesn’t seem to know she is sinless.

A. Mary called God her savior for the simple reason that she did need a savior to save her from the stain of original sin. God saved Mary at her conception, before she ever sinned. Just like a person can be saved from quicksand after falling in or saved from the quicksand before stepping into it.

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Mary, Immaculate, Conception

In the Year for Priests

Have you thanked a priest lately?

I try to thank the priest after Mass; how he interprets it is up to him. I could be thanking him for celebrating that particular Mass, for his homily, for his engaging personality, for the sacraments…the list is endless.

President Obama to meet with Pope Benedict XVI

President Obama will meet with Pope Benedict XVI next month to “discuss a range of issues, including their shared belief in the dignity of all people,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.

Obama will meet with the pope while he is in Italy for the annual G8 summit, which takes place in L’Aquila July 8-10.

Among the likely topics of discussion between Obama and the pope will be the president’s support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research, which puts him at odds with the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings.

Source: Fox News

Let’s hope that the White House Protocol Office informs the President and First Lady of how to dress and behave with the pope.

And Michelle? Cover yourself. Nothing wrong with bare arms and showing your knees, just not in front of Pope Benedict.

Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Today isn’t an important date in the life, death or Cause for Canonization of Fulton J. Sheen; he’s topical only because I found a copy of one of his books at a thrift store so am reading Life is Worth Living, a book published in the 50’s from transcripts of his show one season. I haven’t even finished it yet, but am impressed with the relevance of his topics in today’s political climate. He talks about various things, such as Communism and the Constitution and while he’s talking about the USSR, so much of it resonates with current events in the US.

He invokes Article 2 of the Constitution, in which we find the establishment clause, namely, our First Amendment rights; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Many of these rights are currently under fire.

“Trinity” is not in the Bible.

Q. I cannot find the word Trinity in the Bible.
A. That is because the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. The Doctrine of the Trinity was formulated in order to explain and synthesize diverse scriptures. To be brief, for instance in the very first book of the Bible:

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, …

After the revelations of Jesus in the NT we see this verse as signifying the Blessed Trinity. But it was a very subtle hint.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

Jesus claims preexistence and claims for himself THE NAME OF GOD given to Moses in

Ex.3: 13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM“; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Jesus claims to be the Son of God. A son is of the same exact nature as the father therefore Jesus is divine, the second person of the Blessed Trinity and in Matthew.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Again we have here an allusion to Trinity-One God in Three persons—because “name” is singular followed by three names.

How Can God Die?

Q. If you believe that Jesus is God then how can God die?

A. The Trinity, the Godhead did not die. But Jesus was God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus assumed a human nature from the flesh of Mary and became incarnate. Now Jesus was not only divine He was also human. He was God/Man. He had two natures and two wills. The God/Man, Jesus was killed on the cross but the divine nature of Jesus resurrected the human nature of Jesus after three days in the tomb.

Our souls cannot die either, only our bodies die.

Q. Jesus looks like a human being, why did he die for sins?

A. The consequence of sin is death. The sin of Adam and Eve was a sin against an infinite God and therefore it was an infinite sin. This sin could only be atoned for by a man because it was a man that sinned. But it also needed to be atoned for by an infinite being because the sin was infinite.

For instance, it is wrong to slap my brother but it is exponentially more wrong to slap my father. The action is the same in both cases but the sin’s gravity increases greatly when it is against my father versus against my brother.

No mere man, even though sinless could ever atone for an infinite sin because man is finite. So, to restore mankind to the possibility of friendship with God, God the Son assumed a human nature and atoned with his human body and His infinite divinity for the infinite sin of Adam and Eve.

Q. What I believe is: Jesus is just a messenger like Ibrahim, Moses,etc from God, for us and those before us to show us the right path.

A. Then Jesus lied when He said, “Before Abraham was born, I Am”? (John 8:58) Taking the Divine Name.

And, Jesus must have thought he was God because He also allowed Thomas to worship Him. (John 20:28) So, He must have been crazy.

If Jesus was not God then He was either a liar or a lunatic as C.S. Lewis has said.

“But let’s not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Mere Christianity Book II Ch. 3

Q. God is the creator of the whole universe everything that we see and we don’t see is created by Him.

A. I agree.

Q. He doesn’t look like His creations. He doesn’t resemble anything you see. there is nothing like Him. He is unique. The only one The eternal.

A. I agree as long as we are talking about God before the Incarnation second person of the Trinity.

But I must ask you, could God assume a human nature so that He would be fully God the Son and at the same time fully human as well? Two natures, divine and human joined hypostatically? Could God the omnipotent do that if He wanted to?

Do you believe in the Trinity? If not, some of the problem with understanding the Christian Faith lies there.

Special Event at Lourdes on June 23 3:35pm Eastern time, 2:35 pm Central, 12:35 Pacific

On the Vigil of St. John the Baptist, in addition to the typical Lourdes Rosary Procession, Rabbi Alon Goshen-Goldstein will be on hand to sing a simple non-ideological prayer for peace, as he did with the Holy Father in the Holy Land.

For more information, see Blogging Lourdes.

To view the webcast, click here.

Is Having Multiple Wives OK?

Q. Is it adultery for a man to have more that one wife?

A. I would have to say if someone has multiple wives as we find with the patriarchs in the Old Testament, it would not be adultery as long as they were married. This was permitted by God in the Old Covenant as a concession to ancient pagan practices. Long after Adam and Eve, God needed to wean His chosen people away from paganism.

Since God gave Adam only one wife we are convinced God desires that ideally marriage be between one man and one woman.

Also, in the New Covenant we find that anyone who desired to be a leader in the Church of Christ, bishops, priests, elders, deacons could only be the husband of one wife.

I Timothy 3:2 Now the bishop must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

1 Timothy 3:12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.

This would exclude men who had divorced and remarried as well as men with more than one wife from legitimate leadership roles in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Mr. and Mrs. Cutie-Pie

Mr and Mrs. Cutie-Pie

They did it! The former Fr. Cutie-Pie and his beach babe tied the knot in front of a judge, continuing in their poor judgment.

If there was any question in Mr. Cutie Pie’s mind of whether he wanted to continue as a priest, he should’ve gone through proper channels and say, spoken with his Bishop about his disinterest in a celibate life, interest in leaving the true Church to join our separated brethren, and/or his interest in a particular woman. But he didn’t, instead, choosing to bring scandal upon himself and upon the church in the way he left. It shows that he thinks he is the ultimate authority and that his promise to obey the Bishop’s authority was empty.

If his promises to God and his Bishop meant nothing, what chance does he have as an Episcopal “priest”? Or as a husband? He has already proven that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about protocol and going through the proper channels but is only in favor of doing that which benefits him, especially if he gets lots of attention.

Will he be true to his new church? Will he make it through whatever hoops he has to jump in order to become an Episcopal “priest”? Will he be faithful to his wife?

The Episcopalians knew he was self-focused and narcissistic when they took him. If he becomes a behavior problem for them, it will be no huge surprise.  Fidelity to his wife is important, but again, since it’s common knowledge that Latin Catholic priests are celibate, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise if he isn’t faithful. After all, he has already been unfaithful to the Church.

It’ll be interesting to see why he’s in the news next.

Trinity Questions

BFHU: God never married a human person.

Q. If God never married, how did he get a son?

A. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit existed from all eternity as Spirit. God the Son, co-equal and co-eternal and of the exact same divine nature as the Father and Holy Spirit, joined Himself, in time,≈2007 years ago, to a fully human nature. The God/Man Jesus was born of Mary fully God and fully man joined in the hypostatic union. He had two natures, human and divine, and two wills in ONE Person, Jesus Christ is God the Son.

We speak poetically of the Holy Spirit being the spouse of Mary but in a spiritual miraculous way only. Not in a physical, earthly way. Because Jesus was fully man, He took flesh from Mary and joined it to His divine, pre-existent divine nature.

We say in the creed that, that we believe in Christ the son of God…begotten not made… not to express birth order in time, because God is OUTSIDE of time. He resides in Eternity. The Trinity is co-existent, neither existed before the other.

When we talk about Jesus being a son and begotten it is an attempt to express that Jesus is OF THE SAME NATURE AS THE FATHER. When we make something or create something it is of a different nature than we are. Our creations are NOT human. But when we beget, we beget a being like us in nature–human.

Q. Is there another way to have a son other than marrying !!?

A. For humans we cannot have a child without sexual intercourse. In our immoral society this occurs without the benefit of marriage in too many instances. Mary the Mother of God was the only exception. She conceived by the power of God. So the answer to your question is “YES”. With God all things are possible–Mt 19:26

Q. What about Mary, isn’t she the mother of Jesus ?

A. Yes

Q. You believe that Mary is the mother of jesus and that Jesus is the son of God, and that God never married, however; he has a son. my question is how could this happen ?

A. In Catholic Theology Mary is the mother of Jesus and Jesus IS God so Mary is the Mother of God. However, she did not pre-exist nor did she create God the eternal Son.

How did this happen? Well, God has the power to create all things in the whole universe out of nothing so it was easy for him to create a fertilized egg in Mary’s womb and then Jesus united Himself to this human being.

Q. Why there are many contradictions about Jesus. Many Christians say that Jesus was fully God and fully man at the same time.

A. That Jesus was fully God and Full man at the same time is accurate, authentic Christian theology.

Q. Did Jesus have a human soul?

A. Yes

Q. If so then he was a complete human being with the Spirit of God dwelling in him. But the spirit of God in a human does not make the human into God. Notice that Barnabas was also full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24).

A. Jesus was fully human and fully divine at the same time. But it is an error to believe that the Spirit of God dwelled in Him. No. HE WAS GOD. The spirit of God indwelling a human person does not make a human into God. You are exactly right about that.

When we talk about Jesus we are not talking about a human being who was conceived and born and then at some point was indwelt with the Spirit of God. Not at all. What we are talking about is the Triune Godhead, uncreated, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, etc.

Q. If we put three cakes together to make a bigger cake then we end up with a bigger cake. So when we put the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost together do we not get a bigger God than any of the individual three?

A. No. There are several analogies to try to express this but they all break down but can be helpful at grasping the Mystery of the Trinity a little bit more. Here is one:

Water- The nature of water is H2O-but it can be liquid, steam, and ice. Three yet one.

Q. Others believe that Jesus is the son of God, another group believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy spirit are one, though this calculation 1+1+1 =3 is logically and mathematically wrong.

A. No, 1+1+1= 3 is correct when we speak of the three persons of the Trinity. This God is three persons, but one God and yet each person is God. So, then when we speak of the Nature of God that all share, the mathematical equation is 1 x 1 x 1=1. This is a great mystery revealed to us by Jesus Christ. Like I said elsewhere, if we could fully understand the God of the Universe we would always suspect that we made Him up. As C.S. Lewis said,

“If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. We are dealing with fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.”

Q. Sorry for these questions, but I am trying to reach the truth, I have a lot of questions that I don’t know the answer, this is why I am here, writing this message at 04:52 in the morning!!!

I would like you to be patient and convincing in dealing with my answers!

A. I have attempted to explain as best I can a mystery. But you will not be able to believe the truth unless God gives you the gift of Faith. If you wish to find the truth please pray,

“Come Holy Spirit, and fill the heart of your child, and kindle in me the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit. Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, Grant, that by the same Spirit I may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. I ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

Celibacy Questions

<img src=”http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j25/eyepaintmyworld/breadfromheaven-JPEG-1.jpg” />
Q. Is there any indication in the Bible that says it’s better for Christ not to get married?
A. No. But it would not be fitting for God the Son to marry a human creature.
Q.Is marriage an obstacle that prevents us from worshiping or serving God as it should be?
A. No
Q. Why was Peter who is considered a high figure in Christianity married!!!?
A. Jesus called Peter and Peter had been married. But his wife seems to have died since we never hear of her.
Q. And no one can say that Peter’s marriage prevents him from being a good servant of God.
A. True
Q. If the real Christ(ian) is the one who serves and devotes all his life to worship God, and all Christians are supposed to do this, and since marriage in a way or another is an obstacle, so what would happen if all people wants to be real Christians (servants of God who devote their whole lives to God) I think that life will stop and we all will die, and hence will be no one to serve God?
A. The Catholic Church does not teach that the unmarried are the only ones who can fully serve God. Marriage is NOT an obstacle to serving God.
We have two possible vocations. Celibacy or marriage.If everyone chose celibacy in the same generation it would not end life at all. It would end reproduction and eventually all humans would be dead. This is not a problem but IF it happened it would be the end of this era and the final judgement would be at hand. But many will always be serving God in Eternity. So it is not the end of people serving God.
Q. Don’t you think that a real servant is the one who can meet his God’s recommendations and orders?
A. Yes.
Q.Does being a good servant always mean harming yourself and preventing yourself from life’s joy?
A. Not at all. It is wrong to harm outselves.
Q. Isn’t it good to marry and have children, so that you can teach them good things that God likes?
A. Yes.
Q. IF God’s servants don’t marry, who will marry then, bad people?
A. If all of God’s servants did not marry then only the ungodly would marry. But marriage is a beautiful vocation dignified by Jesus at the wedding at Cana.
I have tried to answer all of your questions but they all seem to be based on erroneous assumptions about what the Catholic Church teaches. If you have more questions check in the Catechism (http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm) to see if the Church even teaches what you might have been told or think about the Catholic Church.

Q.<font face=”arial,helvetica”><font color=”#000000″ face=”Times New Roman” size=”3″> My question is, was it fitting for God the creator of this whole universe to marry a human being? </font></font>

<font face=”arial,helvetica”><font color=”#0000ff” face=”Comic Sans MS” size=”3″>A. God never married a human being. What makes you think He did?</font></font>

For more on why Catholic Priests are usually celibate see—&gt;<a href=”http://bfhu.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/why-cant-catholic-priests-get-married/” target=”_blank”>HERE </a>

Just in Case?

<strong>The Baby in the Box</strong>

Christian Murdered for Drinking Tea from a Muslim Cup

persecution.org > All News > News Item

Christian Murdered for Drinking Tea from a Muslim Cup
June 12, 2009, 05:12:53 PM

Country:
Pakistan

Christian Murdered for Drinking Tea from a Muslim Cup

By Jawad Mazhar and Jeremy Sewall
06/12/09 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – Radical Muslims running a tea stall beat a Christian man to death for using a cup designated for Muslims on May 9. The young man, Ishtiaq Masih, had ordered tea at a roadside stall in Machharkay village, Punjab, Pakistan, after his bus stopped to allow passengers to relieve themselves.

When Ishtiaq went to pay for his tea, the owner noticed that he was wearing a necklace with a cross and grabbed him, calling for his employees to bring anything available to beat him for violating a sign posted on the stall warning non-Muslims to declare their religion before being served. Ishtiaq had not noticed the warning sign before ordering his tea, as he ordered with a group of his fellow passengers.

The owner and 14 of his employees beat Ishtiaq with stones, iron rods and clubs, and stabbed him multiple times with kitchen knives as Ishtiaq pleaded for mercy.

The other bus passengers and other passers-by finally intervened and took Ishtiaq to the Rural Health Center in the village. There Ishtiaq died as a result of spinal, head, and chest injuries. The doctor who took Ishtiaq’s case told ICC that Ishtiaq had excessive internal and external bleeding, a fractured skull, and brain injuries.

Makah Tea Stall is located on the Sukheki-Lahore highway and is owned by Mubarak Ali, a 42-year-old radical Muslim. ICC’s correspondent visited the tea stall and observed that a large red warning sign with a death’s head symbol was posted which read, “All non-Muslims should introduce their faith prior to ordering tea. This tea stall serves Muslims only.” The warning also threatened anyone who violated the rule with “dire consequences.”

A neighboring shopkeeper told ICC on condition of anonymity that Ali is a fundamentalist Muslim and all his employees are former students of radical Muslim madrassas (seminaries). Ali kept separate sets of cooking-ware for Muslims and non-Muslims at his stall.

Ishtiaq’s family said that they immediately reported the incident to the police and filed a case against Ali. Though the police registered their case, no action has been taken to apprehend Ali or his employees.

When ICC asked the Pindi Bhatian Saddar police station about the murder, the police chief said that investigations were underway and they are treating it as a faith-based murder by biased Muslims. When asked about Ali’s warning sign, police chief Muhammad Iftikhar Bajwa claimed that he could not take it down.

However, the constitution of Pakistan explicitly prohibits such discrimination, and the police could take strong action against the warning sign. But because the police are also Muslim, Ishtiaq’s father claims that they are being derelict in their duties to prosecute the murderers who are still freely operating the tea stall.

Would you call the Pakistani embassy in your country to protest this heinous crime?

Pakistan Embassies:

USA: (202) 243-6500, info@embassyofpakistanusa.org
Canada: (613) 238-7881, parepottawa@rogers.com
UK: 0870-005-6967, hoc@phclondon.org

Youth in California–>Orthodox Catholic!

Let me give you a glimpse of what is  going on in the Catholic Church under the media radar.

I take the youth from our Catholic Church to a summer conference for youth that teaches in union with all that the Catholic Faith teaches. During exposition of the Blessed Sacrament I saw 5000 teens drop to their knees in adoration, without being told to do so. Reading these lines still gives me goose bumps!

The next day, the diocesan Vocations Director and Bishop asked for all the young men to stand up who had ever even considered the priesthood. They stood up. I saw several stand around me. Then they asked for them to come down to the stage area. Down they went. THERE WAS NO EMOTIONAL APPEAL. The request was as simple as I have stated.

I saw boys from our group stand up and head down the aisle. As I watched the aisle near me, to my surprise, they kept coming and coming. I then looked around the rest of the stadium. Every aisle was filled with young men! …hundreds of them! I could not believe my eyes! As soon as everyone began to realize the enormity of the response, the whole stadium full of teens jumped to their feet and clapped and cheered as loudly and longer than any cheer for a touchdown! The area in front of the stage was packed with these young men. The bishop blessed and prayed for them.

It moved me to tears. The vocations crisis is over I thought to myself. Now, I know perfectly well that all of those young men will not end up entering the priesthood. But, hundreds are taking their faith seriously and considering it. And they were confirmed and wildly applauded by… THEIR PEERS!!!
This scene was repeated for the girls who were open to the religious life…exactly… aisles filled and streaming down to the stage, standing ovation, and prolonged cheering.
This occurred in just one conference in Southern California, of all places. These conferences are put on all summer all over the country. Can you imagine? If this is the response of faithful teens in Southern California, where the Catholic Faith has been systematically disfigured by many in authority, what is going on in more faithful dioceses all over the world???!!!

In fact, one of the girls at this event is now 21. She graduated from college at 18 and is going to Peru this summer to see if she has a vocation to the Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World and then she is going to China in the Fall for a year!

And, there are 5 boys in my parish seriously considering the priesthood. Yes, this is in So. California. The youth are embracing the ancient, orthodox truths and liturgy of the Catholic Church and rebelling against the old fashioned, silly, watered down, new age, liberal, rebellions against the Pope.

The Stoning of Soraya M movie trailer

Scientology

Scientology: Inside the Cult

Mary Worship

Q. I know the Catholic church does not worship Mary or the Saints, but what about the “Catholics” that do?

A. If they are untaught and ignorant of their sin we commend them to the mercy and justice of God; just like everyone else.

Q. There are many “Catholics” in South America who actually DO worship Mary and Saints and blend ancient pagan festivals with Catholic Christian festivals. Does the Catholic church try and teach these “Catholics” the truth about God and Christ’s death on the cross?

A. Absolutely. Sometimes the Church “baptizes” a pagan feast or practice giving it Christian significance instead of the old pagan symbols.This works better than making the new Christians go cold turkey in order to give up comforting and familiar traditions.

So the blending is often done by the Church. How well this is done…how wisely it is done…takes some time. With good catechesis one generation should eradicate the pagan ideas.

But we have an Enemy working against us and sinful human nature as well.But paganism is not to be accepted by any orthodox Catholic. But today we have many in open rebellion and dissent from Christ and His Church.

Faith & Evolution

Q. Do you believe in Noah’s flood?

A. Well, yes. Most if not all primitive civilizations have some sort of flood story. That is historical evidence for the biblical flood, that, despite the differences and distortions they could all be based on a real flood event.

Q. Then you must reject pretty much the entirety of scientific knowledge and instead believe in an old story written by primitive humans and for which there is no evidence.

A. No, I love science but it has its limitations. It cannot scientifically prove Evolution and neither can it falsify a Creator. This is outside the scope of science since creation/evolution is not testable/repeatable. Evolution is based on historical evidence and can never be proven using the scientific method. You seem to have a very low opinion of ancient man as if he was too stupid to report on a great flood. I happen to have a higher view of ancient man and his intelligence.

Q. So you are saying that because of the magnificence of the universe, there must be a god? I don’t buy that argument at all. While it is true that the universe, the Earth, and life are magnificent, they most definitely don’t show much intelligence

A. Based on your last comment I wonder how much science knowledge you have of living organisms versus just being convinced of the story of evolution. The intelligence I am talking about is the evidence that an intelligent being organized the universe & all that is in it. The workings of a “simple” cell is so complex that the probability that it just happened without an intelligent creator is nil. Let alone an eye or the structure of the avian lung and feathers. Did you know that billions of years ago the sun would have been touching the earth?

Q. And they were certainly not created for us. The universe is mind-bogglingly huge, beyond human comprehension, and a very deadly place; how could it have been created for us?

A. Well of course we believe that the deadliness is a result of the Fall of Man. But originally it was all good. Even all 80,000 species of beetles and insects.

Q. Genetics show the common link that joins all life forms on earth to the first primordial cells.

A. Actually, genetics and DNA show NO sign of Evolution from one species into another. I would like to recommend, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis. It is written by an atheist.

Q. You say that the arguments of evolution are no longer convincing, and then you admit to not being a scientist. I can tell you that evolution is well beyond controversy (other than in religious circles), so you should go study it before you deny it. It is in fact one of the most well supported, tested, documented theory in all of science.

A. It is unprovable by scientific methods because it is UNTESTABLE. It is only a Theory. And unlike other theories men who do not believe in God or do not want there to be a God he must obey are motivated to view historical evidence with a bias. Most of what people know as the theory of evolution is nothing but a story made up by scientists. and it completely contradicts a SCIENTIFIC LAW of the UNIVERSE–The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. I prefer to trust my eternal destiny to a scientifically PROVEN Law of the universe than a mere theory. If I am wrong, when I am dead I will just be gone. But if you are wrong then you will live forever but where? Heaven or Hell?

Q. We have the geological record,

A. Did you know that the hypothesized Geological Column is nowhere to be found in all the earth in the correct order?

Q. we have millions of fossils

A. But no real transitions and there should be billions and billions. Even Darwin said that if the transitional forms are not found then his theory would be dead.

Q. we have modern biology, we have genetics showing how all life forms are related

A. And as far a similarities between species–If the Creator came up with something that worked well why not use it over and over. The similarities do not argue for evolution only but also for a single Creator. As I said the DNA has no rhyme or reason related to evolution of species-see Evolution: A Theory in Crisis by Michael Denton

Q. We have actual observations of living species that evolved differently because of their physical isolation, and we have modern species that evolve under our eyes (rats and viruses are perfect examples of natural selection at work).

A. That is NOT Darwinian / macro evolution but micro evolution. And I agree it DOES occur. It has been observed. But changes within species is a far cry from one species changing into another species–like lizards into birds. Micro evolution absolutely DOES NOT PROVE Darwinian Evolution. That would be a leap of faith far greater than belief in the Christian God.

June 6: Blessed Józef Innocenty Guz, Martyr Of Poland

Blessed Józef Innocenty Guz, 1890 – 1940

June 6: Saint Alessandro di Fiesole

Saint Alessandro di Fiesole

Why Does the Catholic Church Think It Knows the Truth?

Q And just what gives the church, any church, such exclusivity on the truth? This is non-sense.
A. Well, I guess the fact that Jesus founded our Church and He is God the Son. But if you don’t believe that then of course you would not accept the authority of the Catholic Church.

Q. It’s a fallacious circular argument. You believe in the Church because you believe Jesus is god, and you believe Jesus is god because of the teachings of the church.

And all this is based on various pieces of fiction written by primitive men and cobbled together, adapted, transformed, and translated by other men.

You’re entire faith is based on a myth, but I guess that’s why it’s called a faith.

A. Actually no. If I had nothing but the circular sort of reasoning that you describe I would be an atheist as well. The beauty and order of the universe speaks of a Creator. If I find a tree branch on the ground I know it fell off of a tree. If I find a wooden carved horse on the ground under a tree I know it DID NOT fall off of the tree. I KNOW it has a creator. I have read extensively on the arguments for and against evolution de novo. I became an atheist in college in deference to the Theory of Evolution. The arguments for evolution are no longer convincing. I could cite a few things but I admit I am not a scientist. But before going any further let me ask you a question. Would you follow the Truth no matter where it led?

Q. “If I had nothing but the circular sort of reasoning that you describe I would be an athiest as well.” You are dead wrong there. Reason and logic that leads to atheism is not a circular argument,

A. I think you misunderstood me. I meant that I would not be a Christian if all I had was the shallow circular reasoning that you describe.

Q. Faith is based on blind belief, brainwashing, and suppressing science and free thinking while glorifying belief in what cannot be demonstrated.

A. I am sorry if that was your experience. It has not been mine.

Mary was NOT GOD!

Q. That is not biblically true because mary was not “God” in a way but Jesus was,

A. I totally agree.

Q. So, we should not even mention her in the same way as Jesus or God

A. We don’t. Why do you think we do, I wonder?

Q. She was only human,

A. Absolutely, she was a human. There is nothing in Catholic theology that says Mary was anything other than human.

Q. Her only duty was to not even conceive Christ but just be an incubator for him

A. That is interesting that you contend she did not conceive. Where in scripture does it say that? On this, I have to disagree with you. Jesus took his human nature from Mary. So his divine nature was joined to the seed of Mary and He took flesh from her. This is Catholic theology. Mary was NOT just an incubator

Q. So, Jesus was supposed to be born just like any child on earth for us to believe by faith.

A. Well, I would not say that. Angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus was born. The magi came from the East to worship Him. When he was taken to the temple two faithful people rejoiced to see Him and prophesied about Him. He was not exactly born just like any other child on earth…He was born of Mary, but the circumstances of His birth were extra ordinary.

Q. So mary is nothing but just a demonic spirit from hell spread by the catholic church trying to take away God’s glory and making it hers thank you.

A. When you say Mary is a demonic spirit from hell you lose all credibility. We may disagree about some of our Catholic beliefs about Mary but 99% of Protestants would find your comments just as ugly and blasphemous as Catholic do. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “Coldness towards Mary is a consequence of indifference to Christ.”

Q. Lastly give me a verse in the bible that simply says we should not only worship her but also pay her respects.

A. We do NOT worship Mary. You have been taught by people who do not know they have been lied to, that we worship Mary, but we don’t worship her. That would be heresy…to worship Mary. We HONOR Mary in imitation of Christ who obeyed the command to honor His mother.

Q. She does not represent God or Jesus,

A. No, Mary is the Mother of God. She is a creature just like us.
Q. Even Jesus calls her “woman” not Mother or some thing that will simply say to us that she had that significant role in his adult life.

A. Calling her “woman” was a great sign of respect in his culture. Surely you are not suggesting that Jesus broke the command to honor His mother. Remember they were living in a culture 2000 years ago in a land and culture far different than ours. Calling her woman did not mean anything disrespectful but could also mean “bride”. And it was also a reference to the promised redemption from:

Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

and Rev. 12. Mary is the woman who gave birth to the male child and

Rev 12:17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

So, addressing Mary as “woman” in the Gospel hearkens back to Genesis 3 He knows it will also hearken to Revelation 12 in the future. Woman was an honorable title. It was not derogatory or dismissive.

May 31: Saint Felix of Nicosia

Saint Felix of Nicosia , 1715 – 1787

Save the Matrushka!

Russia’s nesting dolls are in distress due to the economy.

These have fascinated me from childhood. My first encounter with one, was a doll similar in style to this one, probably 3 or 4 inches tall. It was a set of three. My dad bought it for me at an art museum’s annual festival.

At the time, they were difficult to find in the USA. She was alone for many years. I have about 30 of them now, some of which were gifts from my mother who encountered them at the Ukrainian Gift Shop, others of which I bought during a school year abroad, in Slovenia.

While I don’t need an unlimited collection thereof, I’m sad that the manufacturers are in distress.

May 30: Blessed Marta Maria Wiecka

Blessed Marta Maria Wiecka, 1874 – 1904

Why do you need to confess to a priest?

Q.Why do you need to confess to a priest?

A.For several reasons:

1. The one who goes to Confession seeks forgiveness in the way our Lord prescribed instead of laying down his own conditions.
2. By confessing to a priest the Catholic benefits by an act of Christian humility not obtained by private confession.
3. By Confessing to a Priest the Catholic receives many Sacramental Graces that are not received outside of Confession that help him overcome his sin.
4. The Catholic has an objective and solid assurance of forgiveness by the audible words of absolution from the priest.
5. The Catholic can secure sound advice about his or her spiritual life and the will of God concerning reparation or restitution to be made, while the other is left to uninstructed self-guidance.

Our confessor is the doctor of our soul. He assists us with overcoming the arrows of sin, from our enemy, that found their mark .

Q. This website tells me that I can lose my salvation; that I won’t go to heaven if I have committed sin (and not yet repented) at the moment when I die; So what I take from this is that The Gift of Salvation, the price paid for my sin…well, it sounds like the Gift was not complete..was not a perfect Gift? Right?

A. The gift was indeed perfect. But it requires a proper reception from us. Otherwise everyone would be saved regardless of how they lived. There would be absolutely no use for Churches. Of what use would they be? It would not matter, since everyone was going to Heaven anyway, simply because of Jesus’ perfect Git.There are people who believe this way–it is called Indifferentism. And, yes, you certainly can lose your salvation if you die with mortal sin unconfessed and unrepented of. See Ez. 18:24
And my post Can We Lose Our Salvation?

Q. You are telling me that I as a born again christian with a real relationship with my Lord and in a moment of weakness I commit a particular sin and the next instant was “hit by a truck” (so to speak) or a “bomb” BEFORE I could respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, confess my sin…my salvation would be nil..I’d spend eternity in Hell.

A. Only God Knows. The Church warns her children to avoid sin. I can only say what Scripture says about sin that is unto death. I John and St. Paul lists, in several different books some of the deadly sins or sin unto death.

Did you read Ezekiel 18? The Catholic Church does not say who is in Hell or make that sort of judgment, so neither will I.But any born again Christian with a real relationship with Christ would be an even greater traitor, than your average Joe, if after a life of blessing and grace he willfully committed a grave sin. It would be slap in the face of Our Lord. But in the last instant of life he might receive a further grace from God to repent with his dying breath. We don’t teach what tickles the ear but the truth and leave all to the mercy of Jesus.

Q. I want to ask you something. If you personally, as a Catholic, had parents who were born again practicing christians in a protestant church, how would you as a Catholic be praying for them ..and how would you handle their death?

A. Well, both of my parents were very committed “born again” Christians and my father died two years after I was received into the Catholic Church.

I pray(ed) for their conversion to the Catholic Church. Because it is the fullness of Truth and so beautiful and deeply satisfying. But they really didn’t want to hear about it. They were filled with misconceptions about the Catholic Church. They loved me and respected by decision but it grieved them. Nevertheless, they both came to the Easter Vigil at which I received my sacraments and was received into the Catholic Church. And they came again the next year when our four youngest children entered the Church. I feel confident of their salvation but I still pray for them. I trust them to the mercy of God and am at peace.

Q. Please explain to me why you “still” pray for them?

A. For my mom that she would persevere to the end and for conversion to the Catholic Church. For my dad’s comfort/release from Purgatory.

Q. So you are telling me that when I as a protestant die my child & her family, catholic, can have no peace about where their mom/m-inlaw /grandmother will spend eternity?

A. No, we can be reasonably sure and at peace; as i said I was regarding my dad. Purgatory is on the way to Heaven. If you make it to Purgatory you know you will be in Heaven once you have been purified.

Q. How does one get out of purgatory?

A. Release from Purgatory is determined by God. When the soul is sufficiently purified for the Vision of God they are admitted to Heaven. No one knows when this occurs, unless God gives a special revelation, which is unusual.

The Future Mrs. Cutie-Pie

You need to think about a few things. I’ve read that you may have been in cahoots with the photographer who publicized your affair, in order to force his hand so he’d have to choose between you and the church.

If true, why would you do that?

Can Humans be Sinless?

Bread From Heaven: Protestants forget that both Adam and Eve were created without sin. Most of the Angels did not sin and people in Heaven do not sin and that does not make any of them God. So sinlessness is a human trait that God originally bestowed upon human beings. It was also His desire that they remain sinless. Mary is human. Her sinlessness makes her special but not divine in any way. And she is the mother of our Savior she is not a savior.

Comment: The point not taken here is that ALL of the beings you reference, Adam/Eve, angels, people in heaven have the ability to choose sin or not.

Response: That is true, they have free will and so are able to choose to sin or not. But 2/3’s of the angels chose NOT TO SIN. So they are still sinless. The people in Heaven choose NOT TO SIN. So, they are now sinless. Adam & Eve were created without a fallen nature and were therefore NOT DESTINED to sin like the rest of us. Mary also was created without a sin nature and likewise able to choose not to sin by the grace of God. And she, unlike Adam and Eve resisted the temptation to sin her whole life.

Comment:Adam/Eve sinned, angels sinned against God’s will, people in heaven sinned while they were on this earth.
Response: OK, Scripture tells us that Adam, Eve, and some of the Angels sinned. But where in Scripture does it say that Mary sinned? What sin did she commit?

Comment: Mary sinned for she was human.

Response: Where in Scripture does it say that God created human beings to BE SINFUL? Part of their basic nature? Normally human beings die as well as sin. But we were not created originally to DIE. Death entered in after the Fall. Therefore, God did not create us with Death as a required attribute of our human nature. Some people in the OT did not die–Enoch & Elijah. Just because, by the power of God they escaped the experience of death does not somehow make them anything other than human.

Comment: Sinlessness is a trait of God not of humanity,

Response: God is sinless, that is true. But where does it say that ONLY God is sinless? What about the angels who remained loyal to God. They are sinless but they are not Gods.

Comment: You stated how God would have wanted a perfect vessel for his son to be born. If you continue with this logic, than how would God want Mary conceived? Into sinfull parents and then her vessel would not have been pure. And what about her grandparents? And their parents and you can see how this need for perfection grows exponentially which means somewhere in history there is an entire race of sinlesss beings.

Response: We do not teach that Mary’s parent’s were sinless. Mary was a creature. Jesus was God Incarnate. For the God incarnate to dwell in perfect purity in Mary’s womb is more fitting than any necessity for Mary conceived without sin, to dwell in perfect purity. If Mary’s parents had been sinless then she would have received her perfected human nature from them but she received it directly from her Heavenly Father.

Comment: Mary was endowed with grace by God, because she was good, not perfect.

Response: Where might this be found in Scripture? We of course believe Mary was endowed with grace that removed the inherited sin nature and chose to be obedient to God her whole life.

Deep In History Conference 2009 – Mark Your Calendars!

Deep In History Conference 2009 – Mark Your Calendars!

Since the Deep in History Conferences began we have journeyed together from the time of the Early Fathers to the beginning of the Catholic Church here in North America. October 23rd 2009 marks a new beginning in our journey to the past as the Deep in History Conference turns to the theme of the History of Catholic Doctrine.

Once again the focus of these weekends is to assist both Catholics and non-Catholics in their understanding what it means to be Deep in History, Deep in Scripture and Deep in Christ. In 2009, we will begin on the “rock” looking to understand the question of Authority: The Pillar and Bulwark.

Fed to the Lions !!

From the Spectator:

The Equality Bill currently going through Parliament is the latest and potentially most oppressive attempt to impose politically acceptable attitudes and drive out any that fall foul of these criteria. Since the attitudes being imposed constitute an ideological agenda to destroy Britain’s foundational ethical principles and replace them by a nihilistic values and lifestyle free-for-all, they represent a direct onslaught on the Judeo-Christian morality underpinning British society.

The most neuralgic of these issues is gay rights. This is because the tolerance of homosexuality that a liberal society should properly show has long been hijacked by an agenda which aims at destroying the very idea of normative sexuality altogether – and does so by smearing it as prejudice. The true liberal position, that it is right and just to tolerate behaviour that deviates from the norm as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, is deemed to be rank prejudice on the grounds that homosexuality is not ‘deviancy’ but normal. ‘Normality’ is thus rendered incoherent and absurd and accordingly destroyed altogether.  The agenda is therefore not liberal tolerance but illiberal coercion against mainstream moral values, on the basis that the very idea of having normative moral principles at all is an expression of bigotry. So anyone who speaks out against gay rights is immediately vilified as a ‘homophobe’ and treated as a social and professional pariah.