Dominicans of Fanjeaux Visit Rome

SSPX nuns bring over a thousand children to Rome... talks of reconciliation are brought up again...

Signs of unity between Rome and SSPX...

Catholic In Good Standing?

On a discussion board elsewhere a person I was debating with claims he is a Catholic in good standing with the Church.  I found that rather curious, as this person obstinately denies SEVERAL dogmatically defined (infallible) teachings of the Catholic Church.  My response back to him was that he's either flying under the radar of his local bishop - or - he's too weak or liberal to take action.  The fact is if one who is validly baptized "obstinately denies" even ONE de fide teaching of the Catholic Faith, then he is a heretic. 

Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith  
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2H.HTM (Code of Canon Law)

 Can. 1364 §1. Without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 194, §1, n. 2, an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication; 
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P52.HTM (Code of Canon Law)

So, one does not need to be exposed to their local bishop.  If one who has been baptized has demonstrated to be in obstinate denial or doubt then they incur an automatic (latae sententiae) excommunication.  So there can be little doubt, actually NO doubt for this person to whom I refer.  Below is a partial list of the teachings he obstinately denies:

• The inerrancy of Scripture
• The Immaculate Conception
• The Nativity Narratives
• The Virgin Birth of Christ
• The Divinity of Christ
• That Jesus started a Church
• Papal Infallibility
• Infallibility of Ecumenical Councils
• The Blessed Trinity (as Three Divine Persons in One God)
• The Bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

These are not all the teachings this person denies, but for a baptized Catholic to obstinately deny even ONE of these teachings equates to heresy and an heretic is automatically excommunicated, no official action need to be taken by their local bishop (but he could act, if he so chooses).  

My recommendation to this person, who still claims to be a Catholic in good standing:  My friend, you are not in good standing with the Catholic Church!  You need to go to your confessor and confess these sins (each heresy IS a mortal sin!) and sincerely repent of having committed these offenses and sincerely resolve not to commit these sins again.  Be humble and submit yourself to the due and proper authority which Jesus Christ left His Flock.  It is ONLY through His bishops and/or one whom they have authorized (such as priests within their jurisdiction) who have the ability/authority to forgive your sins.  It is my prayer that you come back to full communion with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

AMDG,
Scott<<< 

SSPX and Vatican Talks Resume!

Well, back on the 15th I wrote of my disappointment that SSPX had broken off talks with the Rome, and this past week my wife directed me to EWTN's The World Over, with Raymond Arroyo, with a story that talks have resumed!  Here is the official press release from the Vatican: 

On the morning of Tuesday 23 September from 11 am to 1 pm, a cordial meeting took place at the premises of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, between Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X. The meeting was also attended by Archbishops Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, S.I., secretary of the same Congregation, Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P., adjunct secretary and Guido Pozzo, secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, along with two assistants from the Society of St. Pius X, Rev. Niklaus Pfluger and Rev. Alain-Marc Nély.

During the meeting, various problems of a doctrinal and canonical nature were examined, and it was decided to proceed gradually and over a reasonable period of time in order to overcome difficulties and with a view to the envisioned full reconciliation.http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2014/09/23/0667/01479.html

"SSPX, already in full communion, is not yet in full reconciliation."

So reads the blog at Rorate-Caeli.  The article goes on to say, "Regarding this, we recall that Cardinal Castrillón, when he was in charge of the dossier, was eager to affirm that the SSPX was not at all schismatic."

Let us pray for continued and successful talks.

Why Penance?

Why do we go to Confession?  Why do we NEED to go to Confession?  These are a couple questions answered in the sermon I heard yesterday.  The priest, Fr. Terra, opened with a story of a man who was quite depressed.  He had lost everything, or so he thought, cheated on his wife who left him and took the kids, lost his job and many friends.  So late one night he downed a bottle of barbiturates and chased that with a fifth of whiskey.  The obituary was "kind" stating he died by "accident."   What this man really needed was the confessional!  He pushed God out of the center of his life and replaced Him with his own desires and immediate wants.  Humbling ones self before God and seeking true reconciliation from one duly authorized to grant absolution is what this man needed.  He could have united his sufferings in some way to the sufferings of Christ on the Cross.  However small, however large our sufferings are - we can unite them to Jesus' Sacrifice for our sins.  Did this man die alone?  No!  His death affects so many others!  Not just physically, oh yes, his family and friends will miss him - but spiritually too!  This man, had he come before the Lord and begged forgiveness - he may have become a great inspiration to others, or even if only a small inspiration, he could have inspired others to come to the Lord - but he is gone, tragically gone.

Then, today I received a DVD in the mail from my mother-in-law.  It is Matthew Kelly's "Seven Pillars of Catholicism" - and pillar number one is "Confession."  Inspired by a story from that DVD comes the next paragraph....

Why go to Confession?  Because it gives you a chance to look at two versions of yourself.  The first version is who you are now and the second is who you could be.  Lord, make me more like the person I could be!  Every visit to the confessional gives you the opportunity to examine these two people, who you are and who you could be.  And we go to Confession and we feel so good!  A burden has been lifted!  But how often do we go?  Once every twenty years?  Once every ten years?  Heavens no!  (pun intended!)   Consider how you feel after you wash your car.  It's all clean on the outside, vacuumed and cleaned on the inside - and it feels great!  And what do you pray for?  "Oh God, don't let it rain!  I just washed my car!"  You're driving down the road and you see a mud puddle - what do you do?  You drive around it!  Why?  "I just washed my car!"  You come out one morning and it feels a little chilly, so you bring your jacket.  Well, as the day goes on, you find you don't need your jacket - and you put it neatly in the backseat, "I'll get that later."  You don't.  You go to the fast food place, and after you're finished you think, "I can't just throw this trash in my clean car!"  So you carefully cram everything back into the bag it came in - and put it on the floor in the backseat, "I'll get to that later."  You don't.  It's Sunday, you go to Mass and come out with the bulletin, which you've already read - and you put it into the backseat, "I'll get to that later."  Soon you have all sorts of little things piling up in the backseat, and you have this "big" thing you need to throw away - well, it's hardly going to be noticed among all these little things... it goes into the backseat.  That mud puddle you avoided, well, it's no biggie - your car is so dirty on the inside now, you just drive through it.  Before you know it, your car is a mess again - and it needs another trip to the car wash.  How many of you would actually drive your car in such a state for weeks, months or even years?  Yet, when it comes to our own soul, some of us will avoid "the car wash" for months, if not years!  Why do we go to Confession?  It's a spiritual "reload" for us!  It's a chance for us to examine those two persons - who we are and who we can be.  We need to strive to what we can be, even in little ways each week.  When we stumble, get a little "dirty," get back to the Confessional immediately and get re-invigorated to continue moving toward whom we can become.

Do not fear the confessional.  It may be an old cliche', but it's true - you're not that unique!  There's nothing you can say that hasn't been said already in the confessional.  Just GO!  You don't have to go all prepared to tell the priest volumes of details - just GO!  You just begin with telling him how long it has been, then you begin to list (not detail) the sins you are aware of from the time of your last confession.  If the priest needs more detail of a specific deed, he'll ask - but likely, he'll let you proceed through your list.  The burden that will come off your shoulders will be SO comforting!  Don't put it off, just GO!  

As for myself - I try to go at least once a month!  You don't have to have a "major sin" to confess to go to Confession - even minor sins can be confessed.  Like those "little things" you put in the backseat of your car, you don't have to wait for "something big" before you clean it out!  With frequent Confession, your spirit is "recharged" and it's SO much easier to avoid those "mud puddles" and keep your soul clean.

Matthew Kelly's DVD is free, just pay for shipping and handling - and/or include a donation if you wish.  It's a GREAT tool to give to a friend, especially a Catholic friend who may have become a bit luke-warm.  

Why go to Confession?

Why must I go to Confession?  Can’t I go directly to God?

There are three main reasons why we ought to go to Confession for the forgiveness of our sins.  The first is because it has been set up this way since the very early years of our children in the faith.  The Jewish people have been giving sin offerings for the atonement of their sins through the priest for centuries.  Jesus taught this same idea of the forgiveness of sins through those He appointed and gave such necessary authority that the Jewish people never had.

Secondly, both John and James mention the need to confess our sins to each other.  These men tell us to confess our sins to each other but more specifically James says that certain men have this power to forgive the sins of others (James 5:14-15).  We find in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, verse 6 Jesus forgiving the sins of a paralytic man and saying: “your sins are forgiven” and Matthew goes on to say in verse 8 that these powers are given to men (plural).

Thirdly, we know that Jesus has the authority on earth to forgive sins (Matt 9:6) and that Jesus sends His apostles with the words: “As the Father sent me, even so I now send you.” (John 20:21).  Therefore it is clear that Scripture teaches us that Jesus gave His apostles the authority to forgive sins.  These have been given this same authority as well as the authority to pass this authority on to their successors all the way through history to our bishops and priests of today.

To recap, true sacramental forgiveness of sins is a fulfillment of the sacrificial system of the forgiveness of sins of the Jewish people.  It is also the power of God working through men (bishops and priests) and is instituted by Jesus Himself and passed on through apostolic succession to the bishops and priests of today.

If you were dying of cancer and you prayed everyday for God to heal you, God could easily heal you instantly.  But before that happens you will no doubt constantly visit the doctor to help you.  Now say you are healed by the doctors help.  It is not the doctor that healed you, it was God.  The doctor was just the intermediary for God.  God used the doctor to perform His miracle.  This is the same way that God uses a priest to administer the sacrament of confession to us.  Sin is like a cancer and we need to go to the doctor (priest) to be healed.

So why go to confession?  Because Jesus Christ set it up this way.  Yes, if you ask forgiveness with a repentant heart, you will be forgiven but this only for venial sins.  If you’ve completely cut yourself off from His communion by performing mortal sin then you must go to confession so as to reconcile yourself to Him and His Church.

If Jesus truly set it up this way then who are we to assume we that we don’t need to go?  Don’t delay in going to Confession.

Sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation or Penance)

In the Gospel of John, we see the power to forgive sins conferred by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles. The power to forgive sins conferred upon priests validly ordained by a bishop would play a prominent role in the life and miracles of Padre Pio. From 1918 to 1923, Padre Pio heard confessions fifteen to nineteen hours every day. In the 1940s and 1950s, he generally heard confessions somewhat less than that, but still five to eight hours every day.

So many people wanted Padre Pio to hear their confessions that they generally had to wait two or three weeks before their turn came. A numbering system began to be implemented in January, 1950. There was also a rule instituted that you couldn’t go to confession to Padre Pio more than once every eight days.

One man from Padua, who had gone to confession to Padre Pio, tried to go to confession again before the eight-day waiting period had elapsed. In order to circumvent the waiting-period, he lied about the amount of days that had passed since his last confession to Padre Pio. When he entered the confessional, Padre Pio sent him out and forcefully accused him of his lie. After being kicked out, the man said with tears, “I’ve told many lies during my lifetime, and I thought I could deceive Padre Pio too.” But Padre Pio had a supernatural knowledge of his action.

Padre Pio demanded that each confession be a true conversion. He didn’t tolerate a lack of honesty in the explanation of sins. He was very hard on those who made excuses, spoke insincerely, or lacked a firm resolution to change. He demanded frankness and total honesty from the penitent. He also required a true and sincere sorrow of heart, and an absolute firmness in a person’s resolutions for the future.

If the penitent wasn’t honest, or just read through the list of his or her sins without the firm resolution to change, Padre Pio would often growl “get out.”

One man who was thrown out of the confessional by Padre Pio stated: “What kind of blackguardly monk is that? He did not give me time to say a word, but straightway called me an old pig and told me to get out!” Another person said to this man that Padre Pio probably had good reasons for calling him an old pig and treating him in this way. “I can’t think why,” said the man who had been thrown out of the confessional; and then, after a pause, the man said: “unless it is because I happen to be living with a woman who is not my wife.”

There are too many such stories to recount them all but I’ll share with you one more extraordinary anecdote and refer you to go do your own internet search or simply go to http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/padre_pio.php

Frederick Abresch was one of those penitents who had been converted after going to Padre Pio for confession. Here are some of the things he described about the story of his incredible conversion:

“In November of 1928, when I went to see Padre Pio for the first time, it had been a few years since I had passed from Protestantism to Catholicism, which I did out of social convenience. I did not have the faith; at least now I understand that I was merely under the illusion of having it. Having been raised in a highly anti-Catholic family and imbued with prejudices against dogmas to such a degree that a hasty instruction was unable to wipe out, I was always avid for secret and mysterious things.

“I found a friend who introduced me into the mysteries of spiritism. Quite quickly, however, I got tired of these inconclusive messages from beyond the grave; I went fervently into the field of the occult, magic of all sorts, etc. Then I met a man who declared, with a mysterious air, that he was in possession of the only truth: ‘theosophy’. I quickly became his disciple, and on our nightstands we began accumulating books with the most enticing and attractive titles. With self-assurance and self-importance, I used words like Reincarnation, Logos, Brahma, Maja, anxiously awaiting some great and new reality that was supposed to happen.

"I do not know why, although I believe it was above all to please my wife, but from time to time I still continued to approach the holy Sacraments. This was my state of soul when, for the first time, I heard of that Capuchin Father who had been described to me as a living crucifix, working continual miracles.

“Growing curious… I decided to go and see with my own eyes… I knelt down at the confessional [and told Padre Pio that]… I considered confession to be a good social and educational institution, but that I did not believe in the divinity of the Sacrament at all… The Padre, however, said with expressions of great sorrow, ‘Heresy! Then all your Communions were sacrilegious… you must make a general confession. Examine your conscience and remember when you last made a good confession. Jesus has been more merciful with you than with Judas.’

“Then, looking over my head with a stern eye, he said in a strong voice, ‘Praised be Jesus and Mary!’ and went over to the church to hear the women’s confessions, while I stayed in the sacristy, deeply moved and impressed. My head was spinning and I could not concentrate. I still heard in my ears:‘Remember when you last made a good confession!’ With difficulty I managed to reach the following decision: I would tell Padre Pio that I had been a Protestant, and that although after the abjuration I was rebaptized (conditionally), and all the sins of my past life were wiped out by virtue of holy Baptism, nevertheless, for my tranquility I wanted to begin the confession from my childhood.

“When the Padre returned to the confessional, he repeated the question to me: ‘So when was the last time you made a good confession?’ I answered, ‘Father, as I was…’ but at that point the Padre interrupted me, saying, ‘…you last made a good confession when you were coming back from your honeymoon, let’s leave everything else aside and begin from there!’

“I remained speechless, shaken with a stupor, and I understood that I had touched the supernatural. The Padre, however, did not leave me time to reflect. Concealing his knowledge of my entire past, and in the form of questions, he listed all my faults with precision and clarity… After the Padre had brought all my mortal sins to light, with impressive words he made me understand the gravity of these faults, adding in an unforgettable tone of voice, ‘You have sung a hymn to Satan, while Jesus in His ardent love has broken His neck for you.’ Then he gave me my penance and absolved me… I believe not only in the dogmas of the Catholic Church, but also in the least of its ceremonies… to take away this faith, one would have to take away my life as well.’’

Padre Pio died in 1968 at the age of 81 and carrying the stigmata for 50 years. His legacy included 726 prayer groups with 68,000 members. There are also twenty-two Padre Pio centers for handicapped children and one center for the blind. As an example of the profound influence of his life, in 1997 six and a half million people visited Padre Pio’s tomb.

Padre Pio said what he would do after he died. “I have made a pact with the Lord: when my soul has been purified in the flames of purgatory and deemed worthy to be admitted to the presence of God, I will take my place at the gate to paradise, but I shall not enter until I have seen the last of my spiritual children enter.”

Let us take advantage of such a gift of God by going to confession, to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as possible.

Missed past week’s leaflets? Questions? Comments? Come visit our Blog at www.parishofthepreciousblood.blogspot.com

Prepared by a St.Denis parishioner

Who Cleanses Us From Sin? (Petillo Part 1)

Petillo, in another article posted Thursday, October 11, 2012, goes on about the cleansing from sin and, though he does not mention the name, "Purgatory" as well.  Whereas his article is relatively short and a comment response on his blog would have been sufficient - he does not allow for comments on his blog.  I'll discuss that in another posting myself. 

Who cleanses us from sin?

The Bible teaches that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cleanses us from all defilement, sin, iniquity and transgression. (Hebrews 1:3 and Colossians 1:22).  Jesus has cleansed us from our sins and sat down at the right hand of God the Father.  Jesus presents us holy, free of reproach and blame. 

Yes, and it is Jesus who cleanses us through the "fires of Purgatory" too.  It is still Jesus who presents us to the Father, now "free of reproach and blame."

However, Rome teaches that if we die in the state of grace and friendship we will undergo purification to achieve holiness and enter the joy of heaven (CCC 1030).  

Yes, and we know that nothing unclean can enter heaven - so when we have sins which we have not confessed - these must be cleansed before we are allowed "in."

Are we walking in line with Jesus?  

If we are walking with the Church He founded and seeking forgiveness from the successors of the men whom He empowered to forgive or retain sins - then yes.  John 20:23 - "If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (NIV)

Do we repent of all our sins when we first commit them? 

When we first commit them?  While I think that is possible, I would say it is not typical.  Repentance tends to come after reflection - though I could see it happening as the sin is committed.  Repentance is one thing, forgiveness is another.  God provided us with the means of getting our sins forgiven through men whom He empowered to do so.

Do we live holy lives so we will not have to make the excuse of a purification after we die? 

We strive to live holy lives because we wish to please our Lord, our Savior and God.  If it is judged that we must be further purified before entering Heaven, then sobeit - God is sovereign.

Do we know that Jesus cleansed us from all of sin now and how we can live triumphantly and not some purification after we die? 

If there were no such thing as purification after death, or sins being forgiven in the next life, then why does Scripture make mention of such things?
May we contemplate what is being said.  Amen.
Yes!  May we?  I hope we do and I hope we objectively look at what has been said and consider the following too...
From the "Scripture Catholic" website:

Matt. 5:26,18:34; Luke 12:58-59 – Jesus teaches us, “Come to terms with your opponent or you will be handed over to the judge and thrown into prison. You will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” The word “opponent” (antidiko) is likely a reference to the devil (see the same word for devil in 1 Pet. 5:8) who is an accuser against man (c.f. Job 1.6-12; Zech. 3.1; Rev. 12.10), and God is the judge. If we have not adequately dealt with satan and sin in this life, we will be held in a temporary state called a prison, and we won’t get out until we have satisfied our entire debt to God. This “prison” is purgatory where we will not get out until the last penny is paid.
Matt. 5:48 - Jesus says, "be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are only made perfect through purification, and in Catholic teaching, this purification, if not completed on earth, is continued in a transitional state we call purgatory.
Matt. 12:32 – Jesus says, “And anyone who says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next.” Jesus thus clearly provides that there is forgiveness after death. The phrase “in the next” (from the Greek “en to mellonti”) generally refers to the afterlife (see, for example, Mark 10.30; Luke 18.30; 20.34-35; Eph. 1.21 for similar language). Forgiveness is not necessary in heaven, and there is no forgiveness in hell. This proves that there is another state after death, and the Church for 2,000 years has called this state purgatory.
Luke 12:47-48 - when the Master comes (at the end of time), some will receive light or heavy beatings but will live. This state is not heaven or hell, because in heaven there are no beatings, and in hell we will no longer live with the Master.
Luke 16:19-31 - in this story, we see that the dead rich man is suffering but still feels compassion for his brothers and wants to warn them of his place of suffering. But there is no suffering in heaven or compassion in hell because compassion is a grace from God and those in hell are deprived from God's graces for all eternity. So where is the rich man? He is in purgatory.
1 Cor. 15:29-30 - Paul mentions people being baptized on behalf of the dead, in the context of atoning for their sins (people are baptized on the dead’s behalf so the dead can be raised). These people cannot be in heaven because they are still with sin, but they also cannot be in hell because their sins can no longer be atoned for. They are in purgatory. These verses directly correspond to 2 Macc. 12:44-45 which also shows specific prayers for the dead, so that they may be forgiven of their sin.
Phil. 2:10 - every knee bends to Jesus, in heaven, on earth, and "under the earth" which is the realm of the righteous dead, or purgatory.
2 Tim. 1:16-18 - Onesiphorus is dead but Paul asks for mercy on him “on that day.” Paul’s use of “that day” demonstrates its eschatological usage (see, for example, Rom. 2.5,16; 1 Cor. 1.8; 3.13; 5.5; 2 Cor. 1.14; Phil. 1.6,10; 2.16; 1 Thess. 5.2,4,5,8; 2 Thess. 2.2,3; 2 Tim. 4.8). Of course, there is no need for mercy in heaven, and there is no mercy given in hell. Where is Onesiphorus? He is in purgatory.
Heb. 12:14 - without holiness no one will see the Lord. We need final sanctification to attain true holiness before God, and this process occurs during our lives and, if not completed during our lives, in the transitional state of purgatory.
Heb. 12:23 - the spirits of just men who died in godliness are "made" perfect. They do not necessarily arrive perfect. They are made perfect after their death. But those in heaven are already perfect, and those in hell can no longer be made perfect. These spirits are in purgatory.
1 Peter 3:19; 4:6 - Jesus preached to the spirits in the "prison." These are the righteous souls being purified for the beatific vision.
Rev. 21:4 - God shall wipe away their tears, and there will be no mourning or pain, but only after the coming of the new heaven and the passing away of the current heaven and earth. Note the elimination of tears and pain only occurs at the end of time. But there is no morning or pain in heaven, and God will not wipe away their tears in hell. These are the souls experiencing purgatory.
Rev. 21:27 - nothing unclean shall enter heaven. The word “unclean” comes from the Greek word “koinon” which refers to a spiritual corruption. Even the propensity to sin is spiritually corrupt, or considered unclean, and must be purified before entering heaven. It is amazing how many Protestants do not want to believe in purgatory. Purgatory exists because of the mercy of God. If there were no purgatory, this would also likely mean no salvation for most people. God is merciful indeed.
Luke 23:43 – many Protestants argue that, because Jesus sent the good thief right to heaven, there can be no purgatory. There are several rebuttals. First, when Jesus uses the word "paradise,” He did not mean heaven. Paradise, from the Hebrew "sheol," meant the realm of the righteous dead. This was the place of the dead who were destined for heaven, but who were captive until the Lord's resurrection. Second, since there was no punctuation in the original manuscript, Jesus’ statement “I say to you today you will be with me in paradise” does not mean there was a comma after the first word “you.” This means Jesus could have said, “I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise” (meaning, Jesus could have emphasized with exclamation his statement was “today” or “now,” and that some time in the future the good thief would go to heaven). Third, even if the thief went straight to heaven, this does not prove there is no purgatory (those who are fully sanctified in this life – perhaps by a bloody and repentant death – could be ready for admission in to heaven).
Gen. 50:10; Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8 - here are some examples of ritual prayer and penitent mourning for the dead for specific periods of time. The Jewish understanding of these practices was that the prayers freed the souls from their painful state of purification, and expedited their journey to God.
Baruch 3:4 - Baruch asks the Lord to hear the prayers of the dead of Israel. Prayers for the dead are unnecessary in heaven and unnecessary in hell. These dead are in purgatory.
Zech. 9:11 - God, through the blood of His covenant, will set those free from the waterless pit, a spiritual abode of suffering which the Church calls purgatory.
2 Macc. 12:43-45 - the prayers for the dead help free them from sin and help them to the reward of heaven. Those in heaven have no sin, and those in hell can no longer be freed from sin. They are in purgatory. 

May God richly bless those who have been led here.

In JMJ,
Scott<<<

A Response to Steve Finnell

Steve Finnell left us an invitation to follow his blog, and he did this in a post under San Gennaro.  I have deleted Steve's comment there (as well as the responses to it) and instead will post one of his blog entries here and respond to it (and it is linked back to his original article).  A repeating theme on Steve's blog is "forgiveness" and "the Word of God," so I've picked one of those for my initial response to him.

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN

There are more than few who present the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican as an example to support the "Sinner's Prayer" as a means to forgiveness from sins. (Luke 18:9-14)

THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE PUBLICAN IN THIS PARABLE EVEN BELIEVED IN  JESUS.

Jesus used this parable to illustrate the futility of a  self-righteous attitude. Jesus was not saying non-Christians can say a form of the "Sinner's Prayer" as the means to being justified before God.

The Scriptures teach that sins are forgiven because of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8), faith in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16), confessing Jesus as Lord, believing in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10), repentance (the intellectual commitment to turn from sin and turn to God.--Luke 24:46-47) and water baptism, (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Galatians 3:27, 1Peter3:20-21).

Jesus nor any apostle ever stated that non-Christians should say a  Sinner's Prayer, in order to receive forgiveness from sins.

ONLY CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE BEEN WASHED BY THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CAN RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FROM THEIR SINS, BY PRAYER!

John 20:23 tells us:  "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."  Now, this is Jesus speaking directly and only to His Apostles, our first bishops.  The forgiveness of sins is an authority given by Jesus to His bishops!   To this day it is the bishop who holds jurisdiction over the Sacrament of Reconciliation and only those priests whom the bishop with jurisdiction has given faculties to forgive sins can do so.  So, if Mr. Finnell wishes to rely on Scripture - he must submit himself to one who has been granted this authority!  This authority, as pointed out, is traced all the way back to Jesus Christ Himself in His Word at John 20:23, and there's really no getting around this.  

Yes, it is those Christians who have been washed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ who can receive forgiveness - but it is also only those who have been thusly empowered to forgive sins who can do so!

We can also agree with Mr. Finnell that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee relates to the futility of a self-righteous attitude.  However, he calls into question whether or not the Publican is even a Christian.  Well, the Publican is NOT a Christian!  Christianity had not been born yet!  Christ had not yet built His Church, as He promised He would do (Matthew 16:18-19). 

Back to the point... Mr. Finnell does a good job of laying out what it takes for forgiveness EXCEPT the KEY POINT of WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS!  Yes, He will claim that forgiveness is by the Blood of Christ, but it is Christ Himself who tells us WHO can forgive sins - and sins THEY do not forgive are NOT FORGIVEN.  

May God guide Mr. Finnell, and all who are reading along, the Spirit of Wisdom and Grace to seek out what God's Word REALLY tells us about forgiveness. 

A blessed Ash Wednesday to you too and may you have a good Lent.

 

In JMJ,

Scott<<<