Who Founded the Catholic Church?

 Quite simply put:

I snagged this from a Facebook post by Dr. Taylor Marshall...

Mic drop!

Do you believe you have a valid argument against this? Post it in the comments below!

Scandals and The Catholic Church

 Last week, June 29th, was the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul and in the sermon for last Sunday we were reminded about the nature of the Church. Jesus Christ founded His Church to be the guide for us, but more importantly to be the dispenser of grace from Him. That is the nature of the Church! We need to not be so focused on the scandals which the secular media keep bringing up, as well as those who are haters of the Church - including Satan. Satan rejoices when he can draw our attention away from Jesus Christ, His Church and the Sacraments. The more we sow discord, the more we are doing the work of Satan. Our focus needs to be on what nourishes our souls and that which builds up His Church, not rips it apart.

Now, does that mean we just turn a blind eye to those who have been criminal in the Church? By no means, but those who have done wrong need to be turned over to the civil authorities and let the chips fall where they may. Do your duty and move on, it is not our duty to be inquisitors and go out looking for trouble. It is also not our duty to stand on the street corners and hold up signs. Sure, it lets everyone know you care - but it is also rekindling the flames of discord that many non-Catholics love to stir up - and again - Satan loves to see disharmony among God's people. Ask yourself, "Whom do I serve?"

Bring your focus back to the Eucharist, the Mystery of Faith, the Mass, Confession, and all the Sacraments. Look to Christ for His Grace and BE the example of Christ to others.

 

Rembrandt's painting of Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee

 Such a learning tool! Note that those in the front of the boat are focused on the storm and worried for the boat to come apart - but those in the back of the boat are focused on Christ. They are still worried, but their trust is in the Lord to get them through this - and He does. The lighting of this painting is interesting too, those being more illuminated, even attention brought to them, are not those focused on Christ. The back side of the boat is in darkness, but Jesus is the Light, and His face is the Light in that darkness. When Jesus awakes, He scolds the Apostles - "Oh ye of little faith!"

When our ship is rocked by the storm of scandals - remember Who is in control - and do not lose faith.

Einstein on the Church

Did you know...

Yes, he did not say "the Catholic Church," but he did say "the Church."  When speaking specifically to "the Church" the reference is to the Catholic Church.  Also, in Einstein's upbringing, he was raised a Jew, but went to a Catholic school.

Did Einstein say that?  Well, I have confirmed the quote from the December 23, 1940 Time Magazine Vault, and it does indeed quote Albert Einstein as saying: 

"Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly."

Want More?

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”My position concerning God is that of an agnostic. I am convinced that a vivid consciousness of the primary importance of moral principles for the betterment and ennoblement of life does not need the idea of a law-giver, especially a law-giver who works on the basis of reward and punishment.” (Albert Einstein in a letter to M. Berkowitz, October 25, 1950; Einstein Archive 59–215; from Alice Calaprice, ed., The New Quotable Einstein, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005, p. 206. )

OK, one more for now...  the classic:

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I wish to thank "Short Little Rebel" from where I gleaned most of the above quotes.




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Summary of Responses to Lester Alberque

The "Community" section of BeliefNet went "read only" as of today.  I was hoping it was at the end of the day so I could post my final responses there - but it has already happened, so I will post my final replies to that forum here.  Participants there are free to continue here or join the Catholic Debate Forum (CDF) if they would prefer a more interactive online/email forum.

For Lester Alberque, aka:  AristotlesChild, I will summarize some of our recent discussions in this posting.  If a deeper discussion is desired, separate postings can be started, or Les can do what is necessary to return to posting in CDF.  There were more discussions, but

Is Original Sin Still a Catholic Dogma?

Oct 13, 2015 -- 10:34AM, AristotlesChild wrote:

Oct 12, 2015 -- 11:15PM, Cathapol wrote:

CA:  How about reading CCC 404 (context seems to get you all the time!)

404 How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? The whole human race is in Adam "as one body of one man".²⁹³ By this "unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin, as all are implicated in Christ's justice. Still, the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state.²⁹⁴ It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act.

CA >>How about reading CCC 404 (context seems to get you all the time!)<<

AC: Ah yes! The old context ploy. Part of what the Council of Trent (Session 5) is still carried forward in Catholic teaching.

However, the second part about personal guilt (the "stain" that everybody had, except Mary) got dropped.

405 Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle.

So if none of Adam's descendents have the personal fault (or guilt, or stain) of Original Sin, we are all immaculate conceptiones, aren't we? There goes the dogma of (only Mary's) Immaculate Conception.

CA:  Wrong again!  Still within the context of the above:

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin. www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/491.htm

CA:  So we clearly see that the "second part" from Trent is NOT dropped and is echoed by Pope Pius IX and in the modern CCC.

CA: I do thank you for conceding:

AC:  Ah yes! The old context ploy. Part of what the Council of Trent (Session 5) is still carried forward in Catholic teaching.

CA:  And I add, "context" is not a "ploy" - it is a means of coming to the TRUTH by showing MORE of what was ACTUALLY SAID and, as usual, context betrays you, Les.  To what you did present, Original Sin is NOT about the "personal guilt" of "actual sin" it is about the inherited or hereditary sin of Adam, which is part of our fallen nature.  The only "ploy" here is the one whereby you tend to label anything which contradicts your fallen arguments as a ploy.

BOTTOM LINE:   The Dogma on Original Sin is still a dogma of the Catholic Faith, as it MUST be for once dogmatically defined - it cannot be "un-dogma'd."  

CA:  Nothing in ANY of Les' arguments proves that the Catholic Church has "changed" its position on this matter of dogma.  Les rationalizes a change, but in reality does not demonstrate.

Did Jesus Build His Church?

Les posits that He did not...

AC:  Jesus thought himself to be an end-time prophet who would return during his generation. See the New Testament. Obviously he did not.
His followers did not found a new Church, but remained observant Temple worshipping Jews (a sect within Judaism - see Acts) until the parting of the ways about 85 AD.

CA:  Nowhere do we have Scripture telling us that Christianity was a sect within Judaism.  The fact is, Jesus selected The Twelve who are our first bishops.  Those bishops passed on the authority Jesus gave to them to guide/lead His Sheep - with St. Peter given primacy.  We have that same structure to this day, regardless if they still went into the synagogues to worship and preach to the Jews - OR - of Les' rationalizations.  Jesus did indeed build His Church.

THE Fundamental Issue:  AUTHORITY

AC quotes:  "We, moreover, proclaim, declare and pronounce that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human being to be subject to the Roman Pontiff."  [Pope Boniface VIII, Bull Unam Sanctam, promulgated November 18, 1302,]

Is this infallible? If so, do all Catholics have to believe this?

And any non-Catholics not subject to the Pope can’t be saved?

CA:  Well, that's not exactly what it says!  Just because some do not admit to being subject to the pope does not mean they aren't.  I know a few people who insist that President Obama is not their president - that doesn't make it not so.  That being said, some argue that Unam Sanctum is infallible, others argue it is not.  

AC adds:  And how about this?

 “But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.” [Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter, Sapientiae Christianae  1890]

Do all Catholics in good standing believe this too?

CA:  Yes, Catholics in good standing need to be in submission and obedience to the will of the Church and to the pope, as to God Himself.  Now that would have limits.  I left out the word "complete" on purpose.  1) This is not an infallible statement and 2) if "obedience" is intrinsically evil or immoral then we would be obliged NOT to obey. 

AristotlesChild aka: LittleLes Says Good-Bye

AC:  It's about time to say good-bye. It's been fun!

I assume you'll be returning to your former websites where, as moderator, you have the authority to control all dialogue.

I'll be continuing on a number of different websites.

On the other hand (there are four fingers and a thumb!), maybe I'll start my own site where I can be the moderator and find was for deleting posters who disagree with my views, and have the authority, to do so! Apparently, Yahoo Groups is looking for a few good men!

Regards,

AC/ formerly LL

CA:  Well, if this is good-bye, sobeit Les.  I came to BeliefNet at your invitation, but I'm not going to chase you around - you know where I am.  As for your allegation that I have "the authority to control all the websites" I run, well - again, except for the AmericanCatholicTruthSociety.com (which has no forums "on" it) I don't "run" the other "websites."  I do moderate forums on Yahoogroups and this blog on Blogger.  Yes, I DO have the authority to "control all dialog," but I don't.   I allow the free-flow of dialog unless someone breaks the rules.  You are one who broke the rules on the CatholicDebateForum on Yahoogroups (CDF), so you were put on moderation.  The rule you broke was not documenting yourself - OR - you COULD have left your statement as it was and state it was your opinion (since you could not provide valid documentation).  You refused to withdraw the statement you made as fact, or state it was your opinion.  Your obstinate refusal to submit to the moderator request brought the moderation upon you - AND it is STILL within YOUR CONTROL to have that moderation removed!  You have three options:   1) Provide the documentation (which you've already admitted does not exist) or 2) retract your statement or 3) stand firm in your statement, that it is your belief - and your opinion.  Any one of those three options - and moderation would be removed (you're STILL a member of CDF, so you could go back to unmoderated posting immediately).

CA:  As I said, I will not be following Les to other forums - I joined BeliefNet basically after Les challenged that I could not withstand discussion with him in a forum I did not control - and he was proven wrong there too.  He knows where to find me - he knows how to have unmoderated access to CDF and he's not moderated here on the CathApol Blog.  It appears he'd rather be a self-declared martyr than come back to engage in valid discussion where we first met.

Authority

What an interesting sequence of Gospel readings we have when we look at last week’s Gospel reading and then the one for this week.  We read last week that Jesus told the Apostles: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And then He breathes on them and says: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

 

We see here that Jesus sent the Apostles as the Father sent Him, with the power to forgive, or retain, sins.  Now, when we look at the specifics of how Jesus was sent we find that he was sent not only with the power to forgive sins but that He can confer this power to others as seen in Matt 9:6 where even the scribes and publicans were in awe that God had given authority to forgive sins to ‘human beings’.  Notice the plural.  Not just to Jesus but to ‘men’, plural.

 

What other powers did Jesus give the Apostles?  Well, in Mark 6 we find that Jesus, “[c]alling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.” (v.7) Jesus gave them authority over impure spirits.  We also find in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus gives the Apostles the power to bind and loose infallibly (“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Mat 18:18)  Since whatever they bound or loosed on Earth would also be bound and loosed in heaven because we know that nothing untrue can be bound or loosed in heaven.

 

The context in each of these selection of verses makes it clear that Jesus gave this power to the Apostles and not to all followers.  This is why we know that for this power to be here in His Church until His return means that the power to confer this power to others must have been given to them as well.  This idea of ‘succession’ is found in many different places in Scripture but the clearest ones are found in today’s Gospel reading.  “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to [Jesus].” (Mat 28:18)

Jesus was sent with the power of heaven and earth and confers the power to forgive and retain sins, authority over impure spirits and the power to bind and loose infallibly.  I also contend that the Apostles were also given the power to confer these attributes to others who would succeed them since we know that the Apostles were described as the authority in the

 

Church.  Just have a quick look at Matthew 18 and you’ll see what I mean.   Speaking to the twelve Jesus tells them: “if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (v.17-18)

 

And because we know that the gates of hell will never prevail against His Church means that this authority to bind and loose infallibly will always be present in the world, which means that there will always be those who have authority to bind and loose infallibly in the Church, at least until His return.  For this to be possible tells us that the power confer these attributes to others was also part of what was handed down to the Apostles from Jesus Himself.  Jesus was sent with the power to impart the powers to bind and loose, to forgive or retain or authority over impure spirits because we read in today’s Gospel that “[a]ll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Him]”.  This tells us that the Apostles received the power to impart these same powers to others as well.

 

The handing on of these powers has always been done through the laying on of hands throughout the centuries via there successors all the way to today’s bishops beginning with Jesus handing on this authority to His Apostles and they to those who would succeed them.

 

God Bless
Nathan

 

 

Missed past week’s leaflets?  Questions?  Comments?  Come visit our Blog at www.parishofthepreciousblood.blogspot.com
 Prepared by a St.Denis parishioner

Christian Unity

In this week’s leaflet I thought I’d reflect on John 17 which was last Sunday’s Gospel reading.  The reading was pointing out Jesus’ prayer of unity for all believers in Him.  Namely that we all be “one as [Jesus and the Father] are one.” (v.11)

 

Up until this moment of the chapter we see that Jesus is praying for unity of His disciples, ie the apostles, but the context also shows us that Jesus wasn’t praying for them alone, He also prayed “for those who will believe in me through their message” (v.20) Jesus prayed that all Christian believers be one as Jesus and the Father are one.  Did Jesus believe in infant baptism but the Father did not?  They believed in the truths of heavenly things. They believed the same doctrines.  The same truths.  Therefore Jesus prayed that we all believe in the same doctrines as He and the Father believed the same.

 

Was Jesus’ prayer effective?  Did it come true or are we to wait until His return that He may unite all Christian denominations who believe differently now but no longer when He comes back at the end of time?  The answer to this question can be found in the context of these verses where Jesus prays not only for these apostles to remain one, or simply at His return. Jesus plainly speaks of praying for the unity of not only the apostles but also “Those who will believe in [Him] through [the apostles] message.”

 

Scripture is also pretty plain that “[t]he prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)  Is anyone more righteous than Jesus?  Jesus is the pinnacle of righteousness and therefore His prayer is very powerful and effective.  Putting these verse together we can see that Jesus prayed for unity of all Christians who believed through the Apostles message.  Now, to the extent that a Christian believes some of what Jesus and the Apostles taught he is a member of His Church though imperfectly.  The more one is in union with His teachings, ie the Truth, the more in union he is with His Body, the Church.

 

We know that Jesus’ prayer of unity is very effective therefore there must be a group of believers that believe in unison all that He and the Apostles taught, and this throughout Christian history.   Where do we find a group of believers whose teachings can be traced back through history from today to 2,000 years ago?  This group can only be found the Catholic Church and Her doctrinal teachings.  The Church not only claim this but have historical documents supporting it.

 

God Bless

Nathan

Yes, January 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation

Madonna of the Streets by Roberto Ferruzzi

On January 1st, we, the Catholic Church, celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God.  Why does this declaration make so many so uncomfortable?  Mary is the mother of Jesus.  We have declared what Jesus declared--that He is God.  His human mother, Mary, bore the God-man.  This solemnity, while a Marian Feast day, celebrates Christ's Godhead as well.  Every feast, every holy day, every title given to Mary is in honor of her Son.

495 Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus", Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord".¹⁴⁴ In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos).¹⁴⁵  144 Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt 13:55; et al.
145 Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251.

The Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God

115. On New Year's Day, the octave day of Christmas, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God. The divine and virginal motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a singular salvific event: for Our Lady it was the foretaste and cause of her extraordinary glory; for us it is a source of grace and salvation because "through her we have received the Author of life"(127).

The solemnity of the 1 January, an eminently Marian feast, presents an excellent opportunity for liturgical piety to encounter popular piety: the first celebrates this event in a manner proper to it; the second, when duly catechised, lends joy and happiness to the various expressions of praise offered to Our Lady on the birth of her divine Son, to deepen our understanding of many prayers, beginning with that which says: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners". [From the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy]

We celebrate Mary's motherhood, Jesus Christ's Godhood, and the eternal connection between mother and Son. 

If you're Catholic, don't forget to go to Mass tomorrow.  If you're Christian of any other kind, think about Christ, His mother, and the message of peace on earth this day.

The Holy See shares the profound aspirations of man for peace. Since 1967, 1 January has been designated "world day for peace". [from sec. 117 of the Directory cited above]

Mary and the Christ Child by Raphael

Immaculate Mary, hymn whose author is unknown, using a traditional french tune:

Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing,
who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King.
Ave, ave, ave, Maria, ave, ave Maria.

In heaven, the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth, we thy children invoke thy fair name.
Ave, ave, ave Maria, ave, ave Maria.

Thy name is our power, thy virtues our light,
They love is our comfort, thy pleading our might.
Ave, ave, ave Maria, ave, ave Maria.

We pray for our mother, the Church upon earth;
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth.

Ave, ave, ave, Maria, ave, ave Maria.

1 - Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing,
who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King.

Refrain: Ave, Ave, Ave Maria, Ave, Ave Maria.

2 - In heaven, the blessed thy glory proclaim;
On earth, we thy children invoke thy fair name.

3 - Thy name is our power, thy virtues our light,
Thy love is our comfort, thy pleading our might.

4 - We pray for our mother, the Church upon earth;
And bless, dearest Lady, the land of our birth. - See more at: http://www.wf-f.org/SolemnityMary.html#sthash.j52u9gfT.dpuf

What Catholics Believe: The Blessed Virgin Mary

On Catholic Debate Forum some time ago, a woman who seems to be wavering between her Protestant beliefs and the Catholic Church she says she grew up around, made a passing comment about how wonderful it is to be able to pray to Mary.  A Protestant, uneducated in the Catholic doctrines concerning Mary, decided she just had to chime in and make comments about how it was not biblical to pray to Mary.  She said that since Jesus didn't say any such prayer, like He did the Lord's Prayer, then it must not be true.  It is painfully obvious that she did not think her statement through. Mary was not in Heaven when Jesus was teaching His followers how to pray to God as their Father.  Since Mary was still alive when her Son was on earth, all He would have to do is turn to her and ask her to pray for Him.  Now, Mary is in Heaven with Jesus, and all Mary has to do is turn to her Son when we ask her to pray for us.  Huge big problem in Protestant "logic" when trying to analyze Catholic doctrine concerning Mary is that they frequently compare apples to oranges.  We pray to the Blessed Virgin (and the other saints, too) asking her to pray for us since she is so close to God and part of the same family to which we belong.  Jesus is God, so the Protestant's point is moot, as He has no need to ask anyone to pray for Him.

Now, what do Catholics believe about Mary?  Here are my personal top ten.
1) Mary is the Mother of God.
2) Mary is wholly united with her Son, Jesus.
3) She is the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
4) She is the queen of Heaven.
5) Mary is venerated, not worshiped.
6) Mary is a model of the Church.
7) Mary is a model for Christians.
8) Mary is the Immaculate Conception.
9) Mary has a special part in the order of grace.

10) Mary has and does make special appearances on Earth--called apparitions. 

Here is a presentation of each point:

1)  Mary is the mother of God.

Jesus is God.  Mary is the Mother of Jesus, therefore, Mary is the Mother of God.

No, Catholics do not believe Mary to be the progenitor of the Blessed Trinity.  That never was, nor never will be the claim of the Church.

"Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus", Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord". In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos)." --Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 495.

The above statement from the Catechism succinctly states why we call her "Mother of God."  The Orthodox church honors her as the "Theotokos" or God-bearer.  I don't know about other people but I introduce the woman who carried me in her womb as "mother."  I don't call her 'mother of my body' or "my bearer" because she did not create my soul.  No, I call her "mother." In the same way, we call the bearer of Jesus (the second Person of the Trinity) the "Mother of God" for that is what Jesus is--God.

"For in the first place no common man was born of the holy Virgin; then the Word thus descended upon him; but being united from the womb itself he is said to have endured a generation in the flesh in order to appropriate the producing of His own body.  Thus [the holy Fathers] did not hesitate to speak of the holy Virgin as Mother of God." --Council of Ephesus, AD 431.

It is a belief that was thought over, fought over, and decided very early in the Church.  She is in reality the "Mother of God" not mother of an ordinary man or just His body.  She bore the second Person of the Blessed Trinity in her womb.

"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

"This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God..." I John 4:2

The Church stated in Lumen Gentium (LG) (or Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) in chapter VIII, "Our Lady":   

"The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and brought forth life to the world, is acknowledged as truly the mother of God and of the Redeemer." (LG 52)

 2) Mary is wholly united with her Son.

[Mary is] "Redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son and united to him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed with the high office and dignity of being the mother of the Son of God, and therefore she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the holy Spirit.

"Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. 'This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to His death; [LG 57] it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:

Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: "Woman, behold your son.'  [LG 58; cf. John26-27] (CCC 964)

At a general audience in October 1995, Pope St. John Paul II stated:

Mary is united to Christ in the whole work of Redemption, sharing, according to God's plan, in the Cross and suffering for our salvation. She remained united to the Son "in every deed, attitude and wish" (cf. Life of Mary, Bol. 196, f. 122 v.). Mary's association with Jesus' saving work came about through her Mother's love, a love inspired by grace, which conferred a higher power on it: love freed of passion proves to be the most compassionate (cf. ibid., Bol. 196, f. 123 v.).

Annunciation by Murillo, 17th cent.

3) She is the spouse of the Holy Spirit.

Mary was "overshadowed" by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).  She conceived Jesus by Him.  How else could we express in human terms the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary but spousal.  Although every woman is a cooperator with God in the miracle of creation, Mary's cooperation was a much deeper one.  She gave her whole self in her "yes" to God.  This is the type of "yes" God expects us to give in the marriage Sacrament, when two become one.  Mary truly became one with God.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.  The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.  He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.  He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.  He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  (Mary's "Magnificat", Luke 1:46-55)

The Crowning of the Virgin by the Trinity, Velazquez

4) She is Queen of Heaven.

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."  --Revelation 12:1

The logic of this title escapes a lot of well-meaning Christians.  By virtue the fact that Christ is the King of the Universe, Mary is the Queen Mother.  Just as Queen Elizabeth's Mother was called "Queen Mother", so Mary merits the title.  And, like her title as the "Mother of God", "Queen of Heaven" is appropriate and true.  

We have a foreshadowing of this relationship in King Solomon and his mother, Bathsheba.  Solomon had many wives because of the tradition of taking wives of royal families for peace and trade treaties.  The nation of Israel wanted a king "like all the other nations" and they certainly achieved that.  Who was to be his queen?  His hostess?  He couldn't have a favorite and cause strife in the royal household.  Bathsheba, his mother, Queen mother fulfilled those duties.  I Kings chapter shows an incident of someone coming to her to beg a favor of her son, King Solomon.  It shows that she was the acknowledged queen; the one anyone should talk to if they wanted something from the king. In the same way we can go to Blessed Virgin Mary when we want to ask the King for His mercy and favor.

Our Lady of Grace from an old prayer card

5) Mary is venerated not worshiped.

The first person to venerate Mary was her cousin, Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Luke 1:41-45

Mary is considered the first of the saints because of her role in the economy of salvation.  She bore the second Person of the Blessed Trinity in her body.  She was Christ's first disciple.  She is the Queen Mother, as Christ is the King of the Universe. 

"Mary has by grace been exalted above all angels and humanity to a place after her Son, as the most holy mother of God who was involved in the mysteries of Christ: she is rightly honored with a special cult by the church."

"This cult, as it has always existed, in the Church, while it is totally extraordinary, it yet differs essentially from the cult of adoration which is offered equally to the Incarnate Word and to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and is most favorable to this adoration.  The various forms of piety towards the Mother of God which, within the limits of sound and orthodox doctrine,...ensure that while the mother is honored, the Son through whom all things have their being and in whom it has pleased the Father that "all fullness should dwell" rightly known, loved and glorified and his commandments are observed."  [both quotes from Lumen Gentium (LG), Chapter VIII, para 66.

This is essentially saying that there has always been a following of Mary, but it has always come in second place the adoration and worship of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Despite the anachronistic accusations of  many anti-Catholics, praying to Mary is not worshiping her.  I, personally, have a difficult time in understanding how to a) hold onto a heritage that includes perfectly legitimate language while at the same time b) not sounding as if Catholics have to justify that perfectly legitimate language to the willfully ignorant.  To pray does include other meanings aside from the worship of God. The current Merriam-Webster online Dictionary has this definition of pray:

St. Louis de Monfort was devoted to Mary

: to speak to God especially in order to give thanks or to ask for something
: to hope or wish very much for something to happen

: to seriously ask (someone) to do something

transitive verb   1:  entreat, implore —often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea; pray be careful;  2:  to get or bring by praying

 intransitive verb  1:  to make a request in a humble manner  2:  to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving

Examples of PRAY:  1. There's little else to do now but hope and pray.  2. The minister said, “Let us pray.”   3.  He prayed that they would have the strength to go on.   4. He prayed that he would find a parking spot.

Origin of PRAY
Middle English, from Anglo-French prier, praer, preier, from Latin precari, from prec-, prex request, prayer; akin to Old High German frāga question, frāgēn to ask, Sanskrit pṛcchati he asks

Any educated person can see that "pray" has had and still has more than one meaning.  It is not just a wording meaning worship or adoration or praising God.  What is that pray tell?  No, I am not worshiping you.

As for the kneeling, I kneel to weed my garden; I do not worship my flowers.  I kneel to scrub the floor; I am not worshiping linoleum.  There is a purpose for kneeling, but kneeling is not reserved just for worshiping God.  Kneeling in supplication to God in Church is for us; it humbles us before God.  Kneeling in prayer to Mary helps us quiet our body and our mind in asking the mother of Our Lord to pray for us to her Son.  So, when a Catholic prays a Rosary on their knees they are not worshiping Mary, they are praying through her to her Son, Jesus.  If one cares to investigate how Jesus is actually the co-star, as it were, of the Rosary, one may find this research on the Rosary done by David MacDonald of Catholic Bridge interesting.

Some important dates connected to remember because they are holy days of obligation are: January 1, the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God; August 15, the Assumption of Mary; December 8, the Immaculate Conception of Mary (not moved to Sunday because Mary Immaculate is the Patroness of the United States), and, of course, Christmas, December 25th.

Other important feast days (though not obligations) are:  February 2, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple; March 25, the Annunciation; May 31, the Visitation; August 22, the Queenship of Mary; September 8, Mary's birthday; September 12, the most holy name of Mary; November 21, the presentation of Mary at the Temple; May is the month of Mary; and October is the month of the Rosary.

Pentecote [Pentecost] by Jean II Restout 1732

6) Mary is a model of the Church.

"The Church becomes a mother, taking Mary as her model. In this regard the Council says: "The Church in deed, contemplating her hidden sanctity, imitating her charity and faithfully fulfilling the Father's will, by receiving the Word of God in faith becomes herself a mother. By preaching and Baptism she brings forth sons, who are conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of God, to a new and immortal life" (LG 64).

Analyzing this description of the Church's maternal work, we can note how the Christian's birth is linked here in a certain way to the birth of Jesus, as though a reflection of it: Christians are "conceived by the Holy Spirit", and therefore their birth, the fruit of preaching and Baptism, resembles the Saviour's.

Moreover, in contemplating Mary, the Church imitates her charity, her faithful acceptance of the Word of God and her docility in fulfilling the Father's will. By following the Blessed Virgin's example, she achieves a fruitful spiritual motherhood.  (Pope St. John Paul II, Mary is Model for Church's Motherhood, Section 3.)

St. John Paul II explained this point extremely well.  The Church must imitate Mary's charity and "her faithful acceptance of the Word of God."  There is nothing more important than having the Church as our Mother.  We have God as our Father and the Church as our Mother.  Those of us who have a true passion for Christ's Church are working hard in making sure the Church becomes more like Mary.


7) Mary is a model for Christians.

From the Church he [the Christian] learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary...." (CCC 2030)

Mary was there from the first moment of His Conception, to every aspect of His public ministry, through His suffering, death, and burial to His joyful Resurrection.  She was there in the upper room when the fulfillment of Christ's promise, to send a comforter, was fulfilled and the Apostles and Mary received the Holy Spirit.  (See LG 58) She was there for it all and she is an example for us all.  She believed His words; she believed His promises.  She followed Him with the undying faith that we all should have.

"...the followers of Christ still strive to increase in holiness by conquering sin.(300) And so they turn their eyes to Mary who shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of virtues....For Mary, who since her entry into salvation history unites in herself and re-echoes the greatest teachings of the faith as she is proclaimed and venerated, calls the faithful to her Son and His sacrifice and to the love of the Father."  (LG 65)

She is the model for us in virtue and our call to her Son.  If we were to model our lives after the example of Mary's complete giving of self to God, we, too, will be prepared to meet Him in Heaven.

Immaculate Conception by Murillo 1678

8) Mary is the Immaculate Conception

First, in talking about the Immaculate Conception, one must clear up a major misconception, namely that the Immaculate Conception is not the Virgin Birth of Jesus.  One could say that Jesus was born with an immaculate soul.  However, the title Immaculate Conception refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  This, in simple terms, means that Mary was the one person since before "The Fall" that received an immaculate soul--free of Original Sin.

"To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role."¹³² The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as "full of grace".¹³³ In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace."  [CCC 490;  132 LG 56.  133 Lk 1:28.]

This grace was not given to her because of anything she did but was a gift to her for her future "yes."  Now, how do we explain this concept?  Jesus, because He is God is not bound by time.  Yes, He voluntarily became man in time and space for a very short time on Earth.  However, Scripture makes it quite clear that He is God and has all the attributes of God.  By virtue of Mary's saying "yes" to God she was gifted an immaculate (or completely spotless) soul.

"The "splendor of an entirely unique holiness" by which Mary is "enriched from the first instant of her conception" comes wholly from Christ: she is "redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son".¹³⁶ The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person "in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" and chose her "in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love"." ¹³⁷  [CCC 492;  136 LG 53, 56.  137 Cf. Eph 1:3-4.]

9) Mary has a special part in the order of grace.

This means she was full of God's life (grace).  She literally had God inside her.  There could be no more special way in which one could have God's life in you.  She therefore has a special part in the order of grace.

"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . .

"Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power." (CCC 969, 970)

Our Lady of Kibeho

10) Mary has and does make special appearances on Earth--called apparitions. 

An apparition is defined as an appearance of Jesus, Mary, or another saint which may include a message to the person(s) who experiences the apparition. While most people think that the Vatican or a council of bishops must approve an apparition, it is actually the responsibility of the bishop (the ordinary) of the diocese in which the apparition occurs.  As a result there are many conflicting reports on just how many Marian apparitions are "approved".  However, many times the pope has made an official approval of certain apparitions, but he is usually putting his stamp of approval, so to speak, on apparitions approved by the local ordinary (bishop).  As far as this author can find, there is no comprehensive, up to date list of all "approved" Marian apparitions.  ("Approved" is defined as "worthy of belief by the Christian faithful" but by no means is it obligatory to do so.)  Some of those "approved" by proper Church authority are Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531), Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830), Our Lady of LaSalette (1846), "Immaculate Conception" or Our Lady of Lourdes (1858), Pontmain (1871), Our Lady of Knock (1879) at Knock, Ireland, "Our Lady of the Rosary" aka Our Lady of Fatima (1917), Beauraing (1932-33), Belgium, Banneux (1933), Belgium, Our Lady of Kibeho also known as "Mary, Mother of the Word" (1981), Rwanda.

This is not a complete list, but I plan to address some of these Marian apparitions in a future post.

**********
So, there you have it--some basics on Mary.  These are my personal Top 10.  There could be things I didn't touch on or forgot to include.  This is not meant as a comprehensive treatise on the Blessed Virgin, but a starting point for non-Catholics (perhaps Catholics, too) in understanding who is this Mary, the mother of our Savior.

Further Reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part I, Section 2, Chapter 3, Paragraph 6. Mary--Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church.  
Churches teachings on Mary, EWTN index on various teachings.
General Audiences: Teaching of John Paul II on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope St. John Paul II, various dates.
Redemptoris Mater (or On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church), Pope St. John Paul II, March 25, 1987.
Rosarium Virginis Mariae (or Apostolic Letter on the Most Holy Rosary), Pope St. John Paul II, Oct. 16, 2002.
Marialis Cultus (or Apostolic Exhortation For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary), Pope Paul VI, Feb. 2, 1974.

Chicken Parmesan Church

Chicken Parmesan

I wrote this some time ago after an interesting discussion with a protestant friend. 

I read the menu for a formal dinner to which I'd been invited.  One of the three options for the entree was Chicken Parmesan.  However, the description said that the entree is a lightly breaded chicken breast cutlet covered in marinara sauce and provolone cheese.  Now, how can one call an entree Parmesan chicken without Parmesan cheese?  It may look similar but provolone is not Parmesan.

It is like the Church or what some call "the church."  The Church I know now, the Catholic Church, is both the visible, holy, apostolic, united Church Christ founded for His people, and the invisible spiritual body of Christ.  However others, the ones who claim to be part of the mysterious, coincidentally hard to define, invisible church, are not quite the same thing.  It may have similarities to the Church, but none of these churches are the original.  Church is more than just a word or a name, it is the substance of the thing.  Just like the Parmesan chicken without the Parmesan, these other "churches" are not the Church without the rock on which Christ founded His Church.

Christ commissioning St. Peter

The Catholic Church claims to be the Church Christ founded.  Why?  The short answer?  Because He did found the Catholic Church.  The Church is founded on Jesus' words, "You are Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church", "Feed My sheep, Feed My lambs, Feed My sheep", "Go and make disciples of all nations.  Baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", and "I will be with you until the end of the age."  But, because a mentally unstable German priest had problems with the abuses of the men in the Church in his country, and a rebellious and ambitious Frenchman decided to create a church in their own image, many left the Church for an imitation of the Church.  They left Christ's Church for someone's idea of what the Church should be; they left the actual Church for an imitation. 

The tragedy is that now so, so many don't realize that their "church" is an imitation.  They don't know the difference between Parmesan and provolone, because they've never tasted Parmesan.  What they have is something similar in name, similar in focus, similar in words, similar in appearance but not the same.  We all should pray for the unity of the Body--the intention of Christ.  He didn't say, "You all form churches that reflect your idea of what My Church should be" or "There will be many bodies."  It is tragedy that so many Christians spend so much time and energy fighting and disparaging His Church.  Let us pray for future Christian unity or at least understanding--that someday they, those Christians who are not full members of His Church, will come to know the "taste" of the real thing.

Recommended reading:
How to Become a Catholic by Catholic Answers
Visible Vs. Invisible Church by David MacDonald of CatholicBridge.com
Joining the Catholic Church by OurCatholicFaith.org

Do Denominations Matter?

Question:  Does the denomination really matter?
Person asks:
I have always believed that “a Christian is a Christian.” If we love Jesus and believe that He died for our sins, we will be saved. Promoting a specific “brand” of Christianity only promotes division. I am a Methodist, but I love Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, and Pentecostals all the same. We need to learn to live together. What we have in common is more important than our differences.

My reply:
The compromise you’re suggesting doesn’t work in matters of salvation.  Let me explain.  As a Christian, you believe in the Ten Commandments, right?  In the First Commandment, God warns us not to worship false gods.  If we do, we commit the mortal sin of idolatry and condemn ourselves to hell.  Sound about right?

Now, if a pagan comes to your door and shared with you his religion and worship of the Great Tree, you would have a moral duty to explain to him that what he is doing is wrong and to reject this religion, repent of his sins and come to Jesus Christ who is the only way of salvation.  Make sense so far?

Now, here’s your problem.  Catholics worship what appears to be mere bread, which the Church calls the Eucharist.  We worship the Eucharist because we believe that, in the sacrifice of the Mass, the bread becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ and is thus worthy of worship.  Our belief is based on Scripture, history and the entire Christian tradition.

If the Eucharist is not Jesus Christ, but a mere piece of ordinary bread, then Catholics are committing idolatry.  If we are committing idolatry, you have the same moral obligation to us as you had to the pagan.  You are obligated to tell us that we are committing idolatry and must reject our false religion, lest we go to hell.  If Catholics worship bread, then Catholicism must be renounced by all Christians.  In fact, the Catholic religion lives or dies with the Eucharist, for the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Catholic faith.  If the Catholic faith is false, then you must not sit idly by and let us Catholics commit idolatry and die in our sins.

If, however, the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, then the Catholic Church is the one and only true religion.  Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me.”  As Catholics we are obliged to bring the fullness of the truth to all since we wish all to have the fullness of Christ.  And what could be better than to receive the WHOLE Christ as He intended;  Body, blood, soul and divinity, into your very self both spiritually AND physically?

To recap, if we Catholics are wrong then it is the Christians duty to bring it to our attention so that we would reject this great sin of idolatry of a false god.  But if we are right, then of course we are obliged to bring this truth to all who are unawares.

Inspired by John Slaza’s response on his website:
http://www.johnsalza.com/p/q-a.html

God Bless
Nathan