Morning Offering

 This is the Morning Offering our family uses (there are several versions)

Click on the prayer above to see it larger, Right-Click on it to download a copy to your computer, if you like.

14th Century Church in Vienna - Now SSPX

According to an article found in The Tablet this church, which was completed in 1350 AD, has been turned over to the Society of Saint Pius X - dedicated to the preservation of Catholic tradition, especially for the Mass of all time (Pope Pius V, Quo Primum).

Interior:

From SSPX - published September 15, 2021:

It has been official since June 29, 2021: One of the most important churches in Vienna has become the property of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X. Last Sunday, the Pius Brotherhood publicly celebrated Holy Mass in the Minoritenkirche in the heart of Vienna. The procession that followed exceeded all expectations.

For six years the Viennese congregation of the Pius Brotherhood had prayed to acquire a church in a prestigious location. Now the prayers were not only answered, but over-fulfilled. With the decision of the Italian Congregation to let their venerable church pass into the property of the Pius Brotherhood, the community came into the possession of one of the most important churches in Vienna - near Vienna's Ballhausplatz and thus only a few meters from the political center of Austria.

Last Sunday, the Feast of the Name of the Virgin, the Fathers of the Pius Brotherhood celebrated the first public Holy Mass in the Minorite Church with their believers. Father Waldemar Schulz, who was prior in Vienna for more than 20 years, celebrated. In his sermon he mentioned the longstanding efforts of the Priory of St. Klemens Maria Hofbauer and the District of Austria to have their own church. Now the time has come. And after the mass there was a breathtaking procession.

Around 1,000 believers - more than ever before - followed the procession over Vienna's Ballhausplatz, Kohlmarkt and Graben, past the world-famous St. Stephen's Cathedral and back over the Wollzeile to the Minoritenkirche. In beautiful weather and in front of a large audience, the faithful gave a great testimony to their faith, prayed the rosary and sang songs in honor of the Blessed Mother accompanied by the band “Die Kaiserjäger”. That seems to have made a deep impression on those standing by. At the sight of the procession, many fell silent, some even joined the procession. In the end, over 1,000 people renewed Austria's consecration to the Mother of God in the Minorite Church.

By the way, the mass and procession took place on a very special date: On September 12, 1683, the united Christian armies had victoriously ended the second siege of Vienna by the Turks with the Battle of Kahlenberg. The banner of the Madonna's protective cloak was carried in front of the army at that time. Pope Innocent XI. (1676–1689) therefore made the feast of the Virgin Mary binding for the whole Church.

The festivities ended with a great celebration under the arcades of the church and in the Minoritenplatz, where food and drink were served to the faithful. There was a pleasant time until late afternoon before returning home strengthened mentally and physically.

Source: https://www.fsspx.at/de/news-events/news/priesterbruderschaft-st-pius-x-feiert-die-erste-hl-messe-der-minoritenkirche-68652

(Translated  from German using Google Translate)

 

Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

This passage reminds me of a song I learned in catechism classes as  Lutheran back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The song is based in St. Paul’s closing in his letter to the Philippians and is sung in a round - here is a short Youtube video of the song, pretty much as I remember it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODMCFC06C24

  

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:4-8)

So, what does this mean to me, here and now? I expressed to my professor a little frustration after seeing the remaining milestones in this terminal degree. Initially, I thought I would be done by December 2021, but the schedule changed and put my posted “final class” to end in January 2022. Then, I received a call from the counseling office and she shared with me the milestones remaining – and there is no way I will be fully completed with this degree by January – but I am still hopeful for Spring 2022. These passages remind me to continue to rejoice in the Lord, not just when I think things are going well – but ALWAYS. I am not to be anxious about what is laid before me, but trust in the Lord that His peace surpasses all understanding and will keep my mind in Christ Jesus.

In Christ,

Scott<<<

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

 The Seven Sorrows with scriptural reference...

From CatholicLink

All English Please!

For the Qui Locutus Blog, all posts and comments must be in English. Non-English postings will be deleted immediately as we have no way of verifying what is said in them. 

Posts which include an automatic re-direct will also be deleted immediately.

Thank you for complying and understanding.

Scripture of the Week

 

• "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV)

St. Paul sends these words of encouragement to the Church at Corinth after informing them that Apollos was not willing to visit them at that time – but that he would go when the opportunity arises. The advice to remain on guard, firm in the faith, courageous, and strong is followed by “Do everything in love” (v. 14). He also reminds them that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus were available for their guidance and leadership – and they should be recognized for their service and authority.

Applying this to my current situation – while we (my professor and I) are separated by three-fourths of a continent, we are only seconds apart by the Internet! Oh, what St. Paul would have done had he been around in this day and age! Though geographically separated, I do not feel apart from you. I respect your guidance and leadership as we walk through this journey.

On a side-note – I was in a discussion with our piano tuner (wife plays, not me!) and he spoke of a conspiracy theory that the entire New Testament was originally in Aramaic. I had not heard that before. I had heard of the likelihood that the Gospel of Matthew was originally in Aramaic since it was primarily directed at the Jews, and we have Irenaeus of Lyons who wrote circa 180 AD “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect” (Against Heresies, 3:1:1). I bring this up because St. Paul, in his conclusion to this letter uses the phrase “Maranatha” – often left untranslated (see KJV, NASB, DRA, NAB, and others) which is Aramaic! Very interesting!

AMDG,

Scott<<<

What To Wear

Recently at Mass (local, Ordinary Rite, parish) I noticed a guy walk in wearing a Catholic t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops walk in and sit down, nearly front and center in the sanctuary. Others were wearing everything from quite casual to a few wearing full suits. 

If you were invited to dine with the President of the United States...

If you were invited to dine with the Pope...

If you were invited to dine with God Almighty...

What would you wear? 

Would you "come as you are," or would you prepare and wear your "Sunday best?" I think most of us would get dressed up nicely for any of these options - and would not show up in flip-flops.

In the third option, we have that invitation at EVERY Mass we participate in! EVERY time you go to Mass you KNOW - or at least SHOULD know that you are going before the REAL PRESENCE of God Almighty. I know, I've heard the excuses "God accepts me for who I am, not what I wear to Mass," but the point is there is a modicum of respect expected when approaching any world leader and should be even more true for the Leader and Creator of the universe! When we do not take the time to clean up or change into something a bit more dignified - or even deliberately wear such casual clothes it is just plain disrespectful.

The problem is that many have lost that level of respect for God, especially in His House - our place of worship. If He is worthy of our worship, He is worthy of our respect too. 

In the image below, from Real Men, Real Style, the encircled attire is most appropriate - and even "Casual" can suffice, but not "Ultra Casual" or "Sloppy." On the other end of the scale, while those would not be inappropriate, "White Tie" or "Black Tie" would not be required (and really not much difference between "Black Tie Optional" and "Semi-Formal or Business").

Sola Scriptura Revisited

http://effectualgrace.com/2016/10/10/sola-scriptura-five-part-series/ (presentation of a 5 part series by James White posted by John Samson).

(Corrected a misspelling and reposted - original posting 2/3/2017).

SW: In listening to White's recent presentation he does cover many things we've already discussed here on the CathApol Blog - and he freely admits, much of this ground is already covered.  The topic he believes no Catholic apologist has ever defended is the nature of Sacred Tradition.  Karlo Brousard, the apologist White is answering to in the above linked series, says, according to White, that there is a difference in the nature between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. Well really, is there?

SW: White likes to point out what sola scriptura is, and more importantly what it is not. He claims that many Protestant apologists get stuck because they attempt to defend something which sola scriptura is not - in other words, a Straw Man. White believes that many a time the non-Catholic apologist allows the Catholic apologist to define what sola scriptura is and they end up debating that instead of what sola scriptura actually is. He lists examples like, "sola scriptura contains all truth, so when we see truth outside of Scripture - sola scriptura is proven false;" and then states, "since Scripture does not tell us the color of St. Matthew's eyes or the menu they had in April of the second year of Jesus' ministry, Scripture is lacking and thus we need Sacred Tradition to fill in the gaps" (I'm paraphrasing a bit there). The problem I have with these statements is that I have NEVER heard or seen a Catholic apologist use those arguments! I've seen White throw them out before as to belittle the Catholic position - but I have never seen said arguments. Now I'm not saying said arguments have never been made - and I would agree with White that many Protestant apologists really don't know what sola scriptura means - which is understandable. There are several variations on the definition of sola scriptura, they even debate among themselves the difference between "sola" and "solo" scriptura!  (Linguistically speaking, the only difference in those Latin words is one is masculine and the other feminine and since "scriptura" is feminine, the "proper" phrase is "sola scriptura" so "solo scriptura" is not only contrary to Scripture, it is contrary to Latin grammar).  That some or even many apologists are confused is not incomprehensible. This is why, in the course of my debates (several have been with White in the past) I don't use other people's definitions - I use White's definition. White's definition is "sola scriptura is the teaching that Scripture alone is the sole infallible rule of faith for the church." He bases that statement on the nature of sola scriptura - that it is "God breathed" (in Greek, "theopneustos") and since nothing else is "God breathed," that Scripture, and Scripture alone, holds the highest spot in authority and teaching for the church. I believe I am accurately representing White here.

SW: Let's take a page from White's book(s) and define Sacred Tradition as to what it is and more importantly, what it is not. Let's start with what it is not.  Sacred Tradition is not expressed in every personal opinion of popes and/or Church councils whether ecumenical or non-ecumenical. White brings out the fact that there is no dogmatic decree on the Canon of Sacred Scripture until the 16th century at the Council of Trent. I agree with him on this point. Then he goes on to point out that though the non-ecumenical councils of Rome, Carthage and Hippo, late in the 4th century, named the Canon, that there were even popes after 382 AD which disagreed with the inclusion of "the apocrypha" (not really the best term here, and White knows this - the more proper/accurate term is "deuterocanonical").  382 was the year St. Jerome was commissioned to translate the ancient texts into the Vulgate, but it wasn't completed until 405 AD. This is significant because the Council of Trent refers to Jerome's Vulgate as "the" Canon.

SW: What then IS the nature Sacred Tradition?  Sacred Tradition is the oral teachings of Jesus Christ to the Apostles. It is that which has been believed and taught from the beginning, but was not necessarily written down until there became a need for it to be formally defined. A prime example of this is the Blessed Trinity. You will not find the word "trinity" in Scripture and the closest you will find it being scripturally expressed is in 1 John 5:7-8, which while theologically sound and accurate, is also known as the Johannine Comma and is believed to be a later addition to the text as "the comma" is not found in the earliest of the manuscripts we have of 1 John. The fact is, the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity was not dogmatically defined until the Nicean Council about 300 years after Jesus and the Apostles walked the earth. Several heresies arose in those first 300 years, some denying the Trinity AND using Scripture to support their denials (Arianism being among the greatest of these heresies). Ultimately it would be the sacred authority of the Catholic Church along WITH Scripture which defined the Blessed Trinity and not Scripture Alone. The point is, when it was defined the Church stood on what was the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles, and guided by the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, she defined the Blessed Trinity to end the debate/argument among faithful Christians.

https://apologeticsandagape.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/sola-scriptura-series-by-dr-white/ (Ken Temple summary of White's series)

Ken Temple's (KT) additional comments (in purple):

There are a few points that I would have added into the already excellent material.
(1) Dr. White made an excellent point about 2 Thessalonians 2:15, that the verb, “you were taught” is past tense, so it cannot include things like the (2) Bodily Assumption of Mary (1950) or (3) the Immaculate Conception of Mary ( 1854) or (4) the infallibility of the Pope ( 1870) nor certain dogmatic decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) – the ones against Protestantism and justification by faith alone.  I would add (5) also Purgatory, which all the elements of it only came together after Gregory the first, bishop of Rome from 590-640 AD.   (6) He made a good point that John Henry Cardinal Newman knew this, that is why he had to come up with his “development of doctrine” theory of the Roman Catholic Church.

SW: Let's take a look at Mr. Temple's points.

1. That 2 Thes. 2:15 uses a past tense verb is not troublesome to the Catholic apologetic.  First off, just because something wasn't in writing at the time does not mean it was not taught and/or believed.
2. In 51-52 AD the Blessed Mother may not have finished the course of her life on earth. From "Scripture Alone" we cannot say for sure when her passing was - but I'm certain no Protestant believes she did not pass.
3. The Immaculate Conception is deduced from Scripture, especially the point of her being named "Full of Grace."  Yes, Protestants argue that the title does not necessarily equate to the Immaculate Conception - but their arguments do not negate the scriptural basis of Catholic teaching. 
4. We must not forget that Scripture also records that both St. Peter alone and the council of bishops (the Apostles being our first bishops) were granted the authority to bind or loose whatsoever they chose to - and said binding not only was bound on Earth, but also in Heaven. Therefore, the infallibility of the Pope (St. Peter's successor) and the Council of Trent (an ecumenical council of bishops) can be validly argued to have infallible authority - are based in Scripture.
5. Likewise, there are several scriptural references which support the doctrine of Purgatory.
6. That doctrine developed cannot be validly equated to the doctrine/teaching not previously existing.  The fact that definitions of doctrine became necessary at various times throughout Christian history is not an argument against the doctrines already existing - in fact, the definitions simply define pre-existing teachings so that the faithful can have certainty in these teachings.  To paraphrase St. Augustine, after Rome has (infallibly) spoken, the cause (for argument) has ended.  (Sermon 131).

KT continues:

KT: 1. I would add something about the early date of 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians 2:15 (51-52 AD) and so the oral traditions include things written earlier in Galatians (49-50 AD), and 
2.. also, it seems certain that the oral traditions that Paul is saying are binding there in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, were all later written out in the rest of the NT books – Romans, Ephesians, 1-2 Corinthians, Colossians, Philippians, John, Acts, Luke, (even by other authors in Hebrews, Matthew, John, Mark, Peter, James and Jude – “the faith once for all delivered to the saints”, (Jude 3), etc.

SW: There is nothing in any of those (later) books which states all oral traditions were included in them!  Mr. Temple's eisegesis is clearly pointed out in this fact. Since he is slinging verses, how about considering 3 John "¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face."  St. John, the Apostle who wrote much, did NOT want to put everything in writing! He wanted to wait until he could speak to them, face to face - orally.  Mr. Temple's use of Jude 3 has nothing to do with sola scriptura as Jude is referring to a specific situation of those who have turned against the Lord and are infiltrating the faithful to try and get them to turn away also (so much for once saved, always saved too, but that's a whole different topic) and certainly Temple is not implying that the tiny book of Jude contains ALL which is necessary to be taught and learned for salvation! Is he? Also, that Galations might include things "spoken" of in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 does not say there were not other things passed on by word of mouth and NOT written, such as our example from 3 John 13-14, a much later epistle.
Let us continue...

KT:  Acts 15:19 – the apostle James, the half-brother of Jesus, says, “I judge” – Dr. White made a great point:  “but James, don’t you know “the Vicar of Christ” is seated here right next to you?” The fact that Peter was right there with him, shows there was no such thing as a Pope; and Peter was not the “first Pope.”

SW:  St. James was the Bishop of Jerusalem, I don't think even our Protestant detractors deny this fact, and as such - he was "responsible" for the Council of Jerusalem, regardless of the fact that the "Vicar of Christ" (a title which comes later) is sitting there with him.  The fact of the matter is that it was St. Peter who stood up and ended the debate!  St. James "judgment" is simply affirmation of what St. Peter already declared!

KT:  3.  also, I would point out that 2 Tim. 3:16-17 is expanding “the sacred Scriptures” of v. 15 from OT to all Scripture; even NT books written later.

SW: I, for one, do not deny the sufficiency or profitablility of Scripture - which is spoken of in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, but sufficiency is not the point of the debate - "sola" is!  That Jim-Bob's Bike Shop can sufficiently supply the cyclist with everything he needs doesn't mean that Billy-Bob's Bike Shop cannot do just as good a job supplying the cyclist.  A claim of sufficiency (satis scriptura) or profitability does not validly answer the challenge the adherent to sola scriptura is presented with.

KT:  4.  Paul already put Gospels on same level as Torah in 1 Timothy 5:18. “Paul is enlarging on the previous reference . . especially by his use of πασα.”  (πασα = pasa = “all”) George Knight, Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, p. 448

SW: This is a non-argument in the sola scriptura debate - I am not aware of any Christian who does not put the Gospels on the same level as the Torah. The bigger point here is not just the Gospels, which among Christians were widely accepted as Scripture, but also the Epistles which were also accepted as Scripture - as well as some of the other books which were included in early canons of Scripture, but ultimately rejected as such in the late 4th century (and they are still good reading, just not "on the same level as Torah").

SW: In summary, the best that White, Samson and Temple can come up with is an argument for satis scriptura - which Catholics do not deny! What we, Catholics, do deny is sola scriptura - and what's more is, Scripture itself does not teach sola scriptura! That said, in light of the fact that Scripture itself teaches us that Scripture is NOT the sole infallible rule of faith for the Church in Matthew 16:18-19 and Matthew 18:18, we have "the other pen" (also an argument White likes to make) so Scripture certainly is NOT alone so far as infallibility is concerned.

Thus, when a pope speaks ex cathedra (defining something to be part of Sacred Tradition) or an ecumenical council infallibly defines a teaching, this puts Sacred Tradition, not above or below Sacred Scripture, but equal to Sacred Scripture as both are infallible. White can no longer claim that no Catholic apologist has or will defend the nature of Sacred Tradition (and I am not the first to do this).

In JMJ,
Scott Windsor<<<

Peaked, Perked, or Piqued?

 

Well, in use - any of these can be used but the traditional use is "piqued."

To "pique" one's attention is to stimulate (Oxford Languages). Originally from the French, it was a word meaning to "prick." In the original English use it most often had a negative connotation or resentment. However, in more common or modern usage it means to arouse curiosity or interest in a subject.

To "peak" - when used as a transitive verb, can mean "to cause to come to a peak, point, or maximum." This can have appropriate use for "peaking one's attention." (Webster's).

Likewise, to "perk" is to bring something to the top - so again, it could be used to "perk" one's attention.

All that said, what is traditionally meant is to "pique" one's attention. English can be funny at times, especially since even improperly used words can become "accepted" if usage is high enough.

Never Had the Chants

 Saw this on Facebook and had to share!

Scripture of the Week

 

From class this week:

Verse: The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns (Ecclesiastes 1:6, English Standard Version).

Translation: No matter how exciting life is, it is of little value without God.

Application: Under the sun, there is nothing new. We can get what we need from the Maker of the sun.

I like this passage, especially the application of it above, though I might change the wording a bit. 

Under the sun, there is nothing new. We get what we need from the Son, who is the Maker of the sun and of all else which exists.

From the same context, going to verse 17: 

"Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind." 

Solomon here, though considered quite wise among men, realizes that all wisdom of men is folly before the Lord. Therefore, we need to be reminded of our place - and remain humble in our pursuits. Never think ourselves wise before the Lord, always willing to yield to His Will in our lives.

Scripture of the Week - Who Is Drawn?

From class:

Verse: In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9, New International Version).

Translation: He leads the way and shines light on the path of life.

Application: We can bend hearts and minds with our own will and intentions, but we are made in His image. He paves the way, as our design is divine.

The readings this week, the 19th Week in Ordinal Time (I refuse to use "Ordinary Time" but that's a topic for another discussion) were:

1 Kgs 19:4-8

Eph 4:30—5:2

and the Gospel was:

Jn 6:41-51

Part of the Gospel reading goes: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day." I tied that to the Scripture of the Week (my professor provides passages each week) as we, men (and women) make choices in life, one may choose to follow Christ while another chooses not to, but only those who are drawn can come to the Father. That used to trouble me a bit until I ran into John 12:32 - "When I am lifted up. I will draw all men unto Me." This brings us back to John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (not just a part of it) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." In short, and tying it back to this week's Scripture, while man(kind) chooses - God has laid out the path, the groundwork, and all we need to do is heed His Word - and it is left to the free choice of men to follow or reject Christ.

Scripture of the Week

 I stopped doing this for a while because my previous instructor stopped posting a Scripture of the Week, my current one, my Chair, has been very regular so I hope to continue this again.

Verse: I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first (Revelation 2:2, New International Version)

Translation: Our love and grace will continue to grow through hard work.

Application: We may continue to lean on Him throughout the hurdles or challenges that the dissertation journey brings.

My response:

I must say when I read a verse like that the apologist in me jumps up! Not only does love and grace increase, but so does faith! So many times anti-Catholic "apologists" (a contradiction in terms, in my humble opinion) attack Catholics with the "faith alone" argument, then I have to respond with "saving faith is never alone" and if they would take a closer look at the verses they point to it is "works of the law" that scripture condemns as unable to save you. Many more modern non-Catholics, starting with Martin Luther and more precisely stated by John Calvin make the statement "One is justified by faith alone, but not by a faith which is alone" (Bauer, 2015). From someone else in that same article/response who goes by "Mr. Toodle-Ood," several other quotes and citations are made, including one from a Mr. James Swan, whom I have had many direct debates with - and also whom I would concur is a genuine authority on quotes from Martin Luther. For one such response to Swan on this very topic, I wrote a blog article (Windsor, 2016). Perhaps the chief argument I have with the statement "faith alone justifies, but not a faith that is alone" is that it is a contradiction of terms or double-speak. However, I believe the bottom line here is that non-Catholics, especially anti-Catholics, get stuck in a mantra and end up talking past Catholics and not engaging what is actually said. At one point I believe I too engaged in that sort of "debate" - but in recent years it has been my goal to hear what they have to say, and then if I can, point out the flaws in the arguments so that we can continue a dialog and learn and grow from each other.

Cordially,

Scott<<<

References

Bauer, S. (2015). Is Luther really the originator of “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone”? Stack Exchange: Christianity. https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/42366/is-luther-really-the-originator-of-we-are-saved-by-faith-alone-but-the-faith-t  

Windsor, S. (2016). The fatal flaw in sola fide [blog]. Qui Locutus. http://quilocutus.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-fatal-flaws-in-sola-fide.html (For more discussions between Windsor and Swan, see this list: http://quilocutus.blogspot.com/search/label/James%20Swan).