RIGHT TO LIVE

(Picture from Pinterest.com)

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I pick up my pencil to write this/

Because I don’t want us to keep living like this/

Things that shouldn’t be thoughts are now actions/

And more I doubt that anyone’s conscience functions/-

Children used to be the source of joy in families/

But now, the world had chosen to see them as enemies/

The world has been broken by a selfishness attack/

Now, inexplicable evils are creeping through the crack/-

People say they have a right, they want to be pro-choice/

So they can kill children whom they give no choice/

No opportunity to choose between life and death/

Their bodies/wombs are gas chambers, all who enter get death/-

What is sad is that they don’t consider the fact/

Their parents could have done the same but they were smart/

They don’t want to do for others what was done for them/

Their selfishness so big, it now engulfs them/-

People want to have sex, only for the pleasure/

And throw away children who are the actual treasure/

It’s like planting an Orange tree but destroying the fruits/

Just to sit at its root under the shade of its shoots/-

We used to hold this truth to be self-evident/

That all were equal, from the pauper to the president/

Now what we choose to rely on are lies/

And truth is no more welcome on this unholy paradise/-

Ugliness shining here brighter than the Sun/

They say the beautiful ones are not yet born/

In truth, the beautiful ones have been aborted/

Take a minute and make sure that this is noted/-

All lives matter including those of the unborn/

The ones we kill but don’t remember to mourn/

We need to protect them, we need to act fast/

Because without becoming the present, the future now becomes the past/-

Witness To The Incarnation

On this day, many years ago, a grand event changed the world as it was known. Prior to this event, the whole had always been divided into 2 sectors: The Cause and Effect, The Creator and the Creature, God and Man.

On this night however, the order of things changed forever when the 2 sectors for the first and only time fused into one so fully and perfectly that we can say that Man and God existed together in one person, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

On this night, God took upon himself the nature of man and was brought into the world through and by The Blessed Virgin Mary. With Mary being the Theotokos “God Bearer” and Jesus being the God being born, there is only one human who can actually be properly called a physical witness to the Incarnation of Christ.

That person is Saint Joseph (My Patron Saint). A man who made his living as a Carpenter. A man who comes home one day to hear from the Virgin to whom he is espoused that she was “with child”.

Imagine the confusion that must have set in. “She was a virgin when she came into my home. I have not had sexual relations with her. How come she is with Child?” This confusion could led have led him to act rashly but instead, he controlled himself and decided instead to separate himself for her privately.

Here, we learn a lesson concerning our dealings with our neighbors. Joseph knew there was no way that Mary’s pregnancy would remain a secret forever, however, he knew it was not his duty (neither was it necessary) to be the one who announced her “supposed infidelity” and “possible blasphemy (for who would believe that she conceived of the Holy Ghost)” to the world and hence be the Cause for her shame. We should therefore learn to overcome the desire to shame others, disgrace others and to gossip.

Joseph, before making a final decision, takes time to consider the issue deeply (showing us the importance of proper thought before action). During this consideration, an angel visits him in his sleep and explains to him Mary’s pregnancy and the identity of the Child whom she carried. Joseph obeys and takes Mary in fully.

Imagine the thoughts running through his mind. “I have to care not only for a pregnant virgin. I have to also protect her and the child in her womb who is God.” He practically had to become a Human Angel on earth. Imagine the inadequacy he must have felt.

Here, we learn another lesson, to obey God in all things regardless of how hard or odd they may seem.

Then came the Census and Joseph had to transport the already due Mary from Galilee to Bethlehem and by the time they arrived, all rooms had been taken. He could only secure a stable which of course they would have to share with the original inhabitants (sheep and other farm animals).

Imagine the renewed and enhanced inadequacy that Joseph must have felt. “God gave me a responsibility to care for him and I ended up bringing He and Mary into a stable. I am responsible for the Messiah’s entrance into this world, and I cannot even give him a clean place to enter.”

Then Jesus is born. The angels rejoice, the Shepherds and the Magi visit, worshipping and offering their gifts.

And Joseph must have realized (as we all must) that there is nothing we can do or offer God that is befitting of Him. The Glory and Honor Due Him is beyond that which we as Humans can muster.

May this Season of Christmas awake in us the zeal to love God and our neighbors with Saint Joseph as our Example.

Merry Christmas

To Be Just Truthful (On TB Joshua and Trump)

Jonah, as depicted by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel
ceiling

Normally, I don’t talk about ‘False Prophets’ and their multiple lies in the name of God and Christianity. However, this particular ‘supposed prophecy’ made by TB Joshua about the American Presidential Election on Sunday, the 6th of November, 2016 in which he said He ‘saw a woman winning’ but Donald Trump, a man has been the topic of a lot of discussion with a number of people defending him, accusing him of being a false prophet and some others saying we should not judge. Some have also joined on the topics and these discussions to once again condemn religion and the idea of God in general.

While I must confess I haven’t read all the points being used to defend him, there is one in particular which I have seen repeated over and over again. The ‘Jonah and Nineveh‘ story. I must however say, that while I am not saying TB Joshua is a false prophet (I do not need to since his prophecies are already proving that he is), I just need to say that Jonah’s mission in Nineveh is totally different from TB Joshua’s mission (whatever it is) with the American Elections.

What is Prophecy?
Prophecy is basically speaking for God, the passing of ‘A Message from God to a person or people’. It does not always have to be ‘predicting the Future’ as many seem to think it is.

Why is Jonah’s prophecy at Nineveh different from TB Joshua’s declaration concerning the ‘Election’?
Jonah was called to ‘go and preach repentance in Nineveh’ (Jonah 1:2 and 3:2).
Jonah did not go into Nineveh to say ‘In exactly 40 days, God will destroy Nineveh’, this would have been ‘predicting the future’.
He went into Nineveh saying ‘You have sinned against God and if you don’t stop sinning and repent in 40 days, God will destroy Nineveh’, which is obviously a ‘warning’.

Upon simple analysis, Jonah’s message to Nineveh has 3 main parts; a previous character, the impending effect of it and the call to change that character which would cause a change in the impending effect.
Previous Character: Nineveh’s sinful lifestyle
Impending effect: Destruction in 40 days
Change in character and event: They repented and were spared.

But TB Joshua’s statement lacks these 3 parts. He said ‘I saw a woman win the election’. A straight prediction of the Future.

As demonstrated above, TB Joshua’s prediction and Jonah’s warning of Nineveh are not remotely similar and as such, the statement or line of thought that ‘Since Jonah said A in Nineveh and B happened and Jonah is still considered a true prophet’, then ‘TB Joshua saying A and B happening, does not make him a false prophet’ is a very wrong one.

Jonah gave a warning and TB Joshua predicted (or rather, falsely predicted) the future. Don’t compare them.

Thank You.

Beside Still Waters

Life is full of challenges. Everyone faces tough times and at those times, we Christians tend to turn even more to Our God and Father in heaven, hoping and believing that He will release/save us from our sufferings.

At times we receive answers almost instantaneously and other times, it seems that God has chosen not to answer us. This however, is not the case as God always answers our prayers. It just often happens that we place expectations on our prayers and conclude to ourselves that unless God meets those expectations, he has not answered us. This means that if God answers us in a different way from that which we are expecting, we end up being oblivious to it.

There are times when we find ourselves in conditions which are uncomfortable for us and we cry out to God asking for a change in our lives. And when it seems that there is no change, we seem to be stuck in our condition. It begins to feel like we are stuck in still waters and that there is no tide to move us forward.

In these conditions, we tend to focus on our problems and conditions and only look to God to meet our expectations. This is why we fail to see how God has answered and is still answering our prayers. We focus too much to “the still waters” that our lives as become as a result of our conditions and fail to see any other thing happening.

But we know from the Scriptures, that even beside still waters, a lot is still going on. As Psalm 23 says “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in Green pastures. He leads me beside STILL WATERS…”

When we focus on the still waters, we fail to see God as the Shepherd he is to us and so we are unaware that He is in fact leading us. Just as the Israelites failed to understand that it was God leading out of Egypt just because they were in a desert and it seemed like they would be there forever.

Truly, it is hard to have faith when in one form of suffering or the other but It is in times like this that we should not only persist in prayer but also draw closer to God and remind ourselves continually that He loves us.

So as often we see ourselves in “Still Waters” we should remember Psalm 23 and focus on God leading us rather than the Water itself.

Litany of Saints

LORD, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, hear us.
CHRIST, graciously hear us.

GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, have mercy on us.
GOD THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, have mercy on us.
GOD THE HOLY GHOST, have mercy on us.
HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, have mercy on us.

HOLY MARY, pray for us.
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us.
HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, pray for us.

ST. MICHAEL, pray for us.
ST. GABRIEL, pray for us.
ST. RAPHAEL, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY ORDERS OF BLESSED SPIRITS, pray for us.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, pray for us. ST. JOSEPH, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS, pray for us.

ST. PETER, pray for us.
ST. PAUL, pray for us.
ST. ANDREW, pray for us.
ST. JAMES, pray for us.
ST. JOHN, pray for us.
ST. THOMAS, pray for us.
ST. JAMES, pray for us.
ST. PHILIP, pray for us.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW, pray for us.
ST. MATTHEW, pray for us.
ST. SIMON, pray for us.
ST. THADDEUS, pray for us.
ST. BARNABAS, pray for us.
ST. LUKE, pray for us.
ST. MARK, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY APOSTLES AND EVANGELIST, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY DISCIPLES OF OUR LORD, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY INNOCENTS, pray for us.

ST. STEPHEN, pray for us.
ST. LAWRENCE, pray for us.
ST. VINCENT, pray for us.
SS. FABIAN AND SEBASTIAN, pray for us.
SS. JOHN AND PAUL, pray for us.
SS. COSMOS AND DAMIAN, pray for us.
SS. GERVASE AND PROTASE, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY MARTYRS, pray for us.

ST. SYLVESTER, pray for us.
ST. GREGORY, pray for us.
ST. AMBROSE, pray for us.
ST. AUGUSTINE, pray for us.
ST. JEROME, pray for us.
ST. MARTIN, pray for us.
ST. NICHOLAS, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY BISHOPS AND CONFESSORS, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY DOCTORS, pray for us.

ST. ANTHONY, pray for us.
ST. BENEDICT, pray for us.
ST. BERNARD, pray for us.
ST. DOMINIC, pray for us.
ST. FRANCIS, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY PRIESTS AND LEVITES, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY MONKS AND HERMITS, pray for us.

ST. MARY MAGDALEN, pray for us.
ST. AGATHA, pray for us.
ST. LUCY, pray for us.
ST. AGNES, pray for us.
ST. CECILIA, pray for us.
ST. CATHERINE, pray for us.
ST. ANASTASIA, pray for us.
ALL YE HOLY VIRGINS AND WIDOWS, pray for us.
ALL YE MEN AND WOMEN, SAINTS OF GOD, make intercession for us.

BE MERCIFUL, spare us, O Lord!
BE MERCIFUL, graciously hear us, O Lord!

FROM ALL EVIL, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM ALL SIN, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM THY WRATH, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM A SUDDEN AND UNPROVIDED DEATH, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM THE DECEITS OF THE DEVIL, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM ANGER, HATRED, AND ALL ILL WILL, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM THE SPIRIT OF FORNICATION, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM LIGHTNING AND TEMPEST, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM THE SCOURGE OF EARTHQUAKE, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM PESTILENCE, FAMINE, AND WAR, O Lord, deliver us.
FROM EVERLASTING DEATH, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THE MYSTERY OF THY HOLY INCARNATION, O Lord, Deliver us.
THROUGH THY COMING, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THY NATIVITY, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THY BAPTISM AND HOLY FASTING, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THY CROSS AND PASSION, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THY DEATH AND BURIAL, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THY HOLY RESURRECTION, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THINE ADMIRABLE ASCENSION, O Lord, deliver us.
THROUGH THE COMING OF THE HOLY GHOST, THE PARACLETE, O Lord, deliver us.

IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, We Sinners beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST SPARE US, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST PARDON US, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST BRING US TO TRUE PENANCE, We Beseech Thee hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST GOVERN AND PRESERVE THY HOLY CHURCH, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST PRESERVE OUR APOSTOLIC PRELATE AND ALL ECCLESIASTICAL ORDERS IN HOLY RELIGION. We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST TO HUMBLE THE ENEMIES OF THY HOLY CHURCH, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST TO GIVE PEACE AND TRUE CONCORD TO CHRISTIAN KINGS AND PRINCES, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST GRANT PEACE AND UNITY TO ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST BRING BACK TO THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH ALL THOSE WHO HAVE STRAYED AWAY, AND LEAD TO THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL ALL UNBELIEVERS, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST CONFIRM AND PRESERVE US THY HOLY SERVICE, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST LIFT UP OUR MINDS TO HEAVENLY DESIRES, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST RENDER ETERNAL BLESSINGS TO ALL OUR BENEFACTORS, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST DELIVER OUR SOULS AND THOSE OF OUR BRETHREN, RELATIVE, AND BENEFACTORS FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST GIVE AND PRESERVE THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST GIVE ETERNAL REST TO ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED, We beseech Thee, hear us.
THAT THOU WOULDST GRACIOUSLY HEAR US, We beseech Thee, hear us.
SON OF GOD, We beseech Thee, hear us.

LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Spare us, O Lord.
LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKEST AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, Have mercy on us.

CHRIST, hear us.
CHRIST, graciously hear us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.

(Silently)
Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins. As we forgive those who sin against us.
V- And Lead Us Not Into Temptation.
R- But Deliver Us From Evil.

Psalm LXIX (69)
Incline unto my aid, O God.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul.
Let them be turned backward and blush for shame that desire evils to me.
Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me, “Tis well, ’tis well.”
Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be magnified. But I am needy and poor: O God, help me.
Thou art my helper and my deliverer; O Lord, make no delay.

Glory Be To The Father, etc.

V- Save Thy servants.
R- Trusting in Thee, O my God.

V- Be unto us, O Lord, a tower a strength.
R- From the face of the enemy.

V- Let not the enemy prevail against us.
R- Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us.

V- O Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
R- Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

V- Let us pray for our chief bishop: (name)
R- The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V- Let us pray for our benefactors.
R- Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good.

V- Let us pray for the faithful departed.
R- Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

V- May they rest in peace.
R- Amen.

V- For our absent brethren.
R- Save Thy servants who hope in Thee, O my God.

V- Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place.
R- And from Sion protect them.

V- O Lord, hear my prayer.
R- And let my cry come unto Thee.

LET US PRAY:
O God, Whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we and all Thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, mercifully be absolved.

Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy supplicants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that, in Thy bounty, Thou mayest grant us both pardon and peace.

In Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy to us, that so Thou mayest both loose us from all our sins and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them.

O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people, who make supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thine anger, which we deserve for our sins.

O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant (N)., our chief bishop, and direct him according to Thy clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by Thy grace, he may desire the things that are pleasing to Thee, and perform them with all his strength.

O God, from Whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that, our hearts being disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies taken away, the times, by Thy protection, may be peaceful.

Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit; that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired.

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and through Thee be happily ended.

O almighty and eternal God, Who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all who Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have purposed to offer our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh or the next world hath already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the intercession of Thy saints and the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R- Amen.

V- O Lord, hear my prayer.
R- And let my cry come unto Thee.

V- May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us.
R- Amen.

V- And my the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R- Amen.

Can Saints Actually Pray For Us?

Picture gotten from Catholicculture.org

Today is the 1st of November. On this day, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of All Saints. On this day, we the Church Militant celebrates with all members of the Church Triumphant.

This Celebration is possible because we believe in the Communion of Saints and that the Church Triumphant are aware of what happens on Earth.

One of the gifts in the Communion of Saints is the ability of the Saints to hear our prayers and to intercede for us. The gift however is one that is not fully utilized by all because some still do not really understand it. And so we encounter the question:

Can Saints Actually Pray For You?
The Catholic Church teaches that Saints (Christians who are in heaven) can and do pray for us who are on this earth. This teaching encourages praying to Saints asking them to intercede specially for us. Why do we believe and teach this?

What is prayer?
Prayer is communication with God. Therefore it is something that can done by those who are living.

Who is alive?
This is a valid question. We believe this because we look at life and human existence from an Catholic perspective. We know that everyone lives twice; the earthly life of the body and the everlasting life of the Soul. The former being an opportunity to decide the state in which the latter will be spent. So while saying that Abraham for example, is dead, we know that he is still alive just not physically anymore. This means that we on earth and the Saints in heaven can pray.

“And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” —Matthew 22:31-32

Can those in Heaven hear our request for their intercession?
Do those in heaven know what is going on here?
The simple answer is Yes. They are not Omnipotent but being in a direct and perfect connection with God, they are not bound by the physical limitations of the flesh.

“I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” – Luke 15 : 7 – 10

Obviously, those in heaven can’t celebrate what they are unaware of.

In Hebrews, St Paul calls them witnesses.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us” –Hebrews 12:1

How can the Saints pray for us when Christ is our only Mediator?
Jesus Christ is the only Son of God. But John 1:12 says “… as many as received him, he gave But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of them power to be made the sons of God”

So we see that Jesus gives us a share in His Sonship if we receive him. In the same way, by baptism, he makes us members of his body. And as members of his body, we now have a share in his Mediatorship.

This is the reason why we can pray for each other and why the Saints can pray for us as Revelations 5:8 shows.

The Litany of Saints which should be prayed today (and everyday if you can) can be found here

And There Has Always Been

The third part of the series “Pillars of Catholic Authority”.
The first part “In the beginning, there was… ” can be found here.
The second part “Then there was… ” can be found here.

AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

While the Apostles travelled around preaching the Gospel to the people of the world, there often arose questions and confusions concerning some teachings and practices among those they were evangelizing. These questions mostly covered grounds where a direct/explicit teaching was already given by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

An example is the confusion on the “necessity of circumcision” (Acts 15: 1 – 2). Some disciples (not Apostles) were teaching that circumcision was needed for salvation while SS Paul and Barnabas were teaching the opposite.

When this confusion arose, the Church Leaders gathered at Jerusalem to determine which position was correct. This gathering is known as the “Council of Jerusalem”, the first Council of the Church.

In this Council after different opinions and accounts were aired, the Church arose at a decision spurred by a declaration by St Peter, the first Pope and the agreement of the Church leaders. This decision was also backed up with biblical references.

This became the first example of the ability of the Church Leaders (Bishops) to interpret the teachings of Christ and to address current issues facing the Church and the Society at large.

This power and authority to officially interpret and determine that which is to be done or not in the Church was given to the Apostles (The First Bishops) by Our Lord Jesus Christ himself when he said

“I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.”- Matthew 18,18.

This office (the interpretation and declaration of Christian Truth) is known as the Magisterium and is held by the Pope and the Bishops in union with him. It is the duty of the rest of us to listen, accept and obey the teaching which the Magisterium passes to us. As Jesus said

“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me.” – Luke 10:16.

Seeing as the Church is Apostolic (that is sent out to preach), it is only to logical that for there to be proper definition, defense and declaration of truth in the face of the possible lies, heresies and challenges that would arise at different times, there would have to “People – Leaders – Bishops” present at those different times from whom the Truth would come to the public.

The importance of this office has been seen throughout the 2000 years of the Church’s existence as numerous heresies have been addressed and condemned, the Right to life and other Moral norms have and are still being defended and the proper interpretation of biblical texts have constantly been declared and defended.

Imagine what it would have been like if Our Lord Jesus Christ had not created this office to “to guard the truth which has been passed down and entrusted to us – 1 Tim 6:20” and instead He had allowed us to follow the teachings of whatever person we chose.
Would there have a been a Council to declare and compile the “Canon of Sacred Scripture”? Would there have been any form of that Christ prayed for in John 17?

Hence, we see why Catholic Authority rests not solely on the Bible as some say we should (although they themselves rest not on the Scripture but on the Pastor’s/Minister’s interpretation) but instead on the Teachings of the Apostles and their Successors (TRADITION), the Sacred Books approved by the Church (SACRED SCRIPTURES) and the Always Present Teaching Office (MAGISTERIUM).

Clamp Down On Clapping

Clapping: The striking together of one’s palms from such a distance and with such a force as to produce sound. This is often done rhythmically as an easy to find, use and learn musical instrument.

Clapping has recently been introduced (unofficially though) into Catholic worship as a way of praising God. However, my ‘experience with’ and ‘understanding of’ both clapping and the Holy Mass show (to me at least) that the two are not necessarily compatible.

How?
Let’s look at the following instances:

Clapping during Gloria:
I know a lot of people are already comfortable with this practice but consider this very well “Does it show any reverence to God at all? Does it add any value to the spirituality of the Mass?”

Regardless of how you answer the questions, there is an even greater problem that those questions. St Augustine said “He who sings well, pray twice.” This is especially true of Catholic hymns which are mostly worded as prayers and not the “Question and Answer” kind of songs like the popular “Do you know there is another fellowship in heaven? I know there is another fellowship in Heaven” (If you doubt me, pick up any Catholic Hymnbook and show me a hymn like the one above)

So understanding that Hymns/Songs are actually prayers, answer this question “Can clapping substitute singing? Does he who claps well, pray twice? Does he who claps well, even pray at all?”

People clap as a form of instrument and it takes a lot of practice and training to be able to sing and play an instrument at the same time. If you look around and listen well during Masses now, you will find that only a few sing the Gloria. The rest (which is often the majority) do not. Instead, they clap because they have been made to believe that clapping well equals singing well or that CLAPPING is an acceptable alternative to singing.

A lot of people do not know the Gloria anymore because they want to be instrumentalists/clappers and not singers since the former is easier. They no longer learn hymns or use Hymnbooks because “they can clap.”

So again I ask “Can clapping substitute singing? Does he who claps well, pray twice? Does he who claps well, even pray at all?”

If the answer is NO, then we need to stop clapping and teach people to actually pray or sing the Gloria.

Applause:
Applause is a different kind of clapping. It is not used as an instrument but as a means of generating loud sounds conveying approval, encouragement or acceptance. For applause to be used at Mass, there would have to be something or someone being approved.

First question: “What is meant to be approved at or in the Holy Mass?” The Sacrifice of the Mass itself.
“Who does this approval?” God Almighty.
“Who gives the applause at Mass?” Mostly the Lay Faithful and often, the Priests!

“Are those who render applause at Mass approving in place of God? Or are they somehow conveying God’s approval?” I think you(or they if you can’t) should answer these questions.

But what if the applause is aimed at encouraging the Choir, Priests, Lectors or any section of the Laity?
Habakkuk 2:20 says “But Yahweh lives in his holy Temple: let the whole earth be silent before him!”

So do we turn the Solemn Holy Mass where we should actually encourage silence into a noisy celebration just to show approval?

There are a lot more ways to show encouragement to people than applause because ultimately, the louder the noise generated by the applause, the higher the approval or encouragement conveyed.

I personally would prefer the whole Parish offering 1 Hail Mary for me to giving me a standing ovation. Which of the two would you prefer?

As Pope St. Pius X said “It is not fitting to applaud the servant in the house of his Master”. Let me also add quotes from 2 other and more recent Popes;

“Wherever applause breaks out in the liturgy because of some human achievement, it is a sure sign that the essence of liturgy has totally disappeared and been replaced by a kind of religious entertainment.”– Pope Benedict XVI

“I am very glad to have come here. But if I must express a wish, it is that in church you not shout out, you not clap your hands, and you not greet even the Pope, because ‘templum Dei, templum Dei.’ (“The temple of God is the temple of God.”) Now, if you are pleased to be in this beautiful church, imagine how happy the Pope is to see his dear children. But as soon as he sees his good children, he certainly does not clap his hands in their faces.” – Pope John XXIII

I believe the statements of 3 Popes already clarify and settle this matter. Clapping and especially Applause while not bad in themselves, are totally contrary to Catholic worship especially where the Mass is concerned.

Then There was…

Then There was...

The second part of the series “Pillars of Catholic Authority”. The first part “In the beginning, there was… ” can be found here.

THEN THERE WAS…

The Apostles taught mainly in the same manner as their master; orally, that is. “He who hears you hears me; and he who rejects you, rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me.” (Lk 10:16).

But due to the vast area and the number of cities they had to travel to, St Paul mainly started writing letters to communicate with the different Church commuities of that time. This letters were mainly responsed to questions or complaints that were sent to him.

After his death, some of his disciples and admirers followed in his footsteps writing letters containing advice and teachings which they believed were “faithful” to Paul’s mind. Examples of these letters are 2 Thessalonicans, Colossians and Ephesians.

During this time also, a number of narratives of the Life of Jesus were penned down to preserve an eyewitness account for their immediate readers (1st Century Christians) and for those who may come after them.

Problem of Limited Readership
Due to the stress involved in writing a book (not to mention replicating one), almost all the books written could only be read by those in a particular city or area or to whom they were addressed. In other words, those in Corinth were able to read only 1 and 2 Corinthians which were written and sent to them, they could not read the book of Romans which was written and sent to Rome.

Fake “Apostolic” Writings
Then, some individuals outside the Church started writing their own versions of the Gospel adding into it, different stories from what happened and naming it after Apostles to make them seem to be True Apostolic Books. Examples are “The gospel of Thomas”, “The gospel of Mary”, e.t.c. Some also wrote their own epistles and sent them out claiming that they were truly apostolic.

The Old Testament
The Apostles and Early Christians taught and evangelised in the Greek language and so they quoted from the Greek translation of the Sciptures known as the “Septuagint”. This version was composed by Alexandrian Jews and in it were not just books written/preserved in Hebrew-Aramaic but also those in Greek. The Septuagint contained 46 books and this Canon of the Old Testament was adopted by the Early Church.

Creation of Individual Canons
Due to this, the Apostles and leaders of the Church started individually to decide which books(among the ones they had received) were apostolic and which were not. They also instructed christians telling them which books they were to accept and teaching them how to know if a book was apostolic or not. An example is found in Galatians 1: 8 – 9.

Over time, Bishops continued to create canons of New Testament (A canon is a list, in this case, a list of approved books to be taken as Scripture) for the areas/christians under them. In 367 AD, Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt made a canon of the New Testament that contained only 27 books saying “In these alone is proclaimed the Good News of the teachings of the True Religion”.

Creation of An Official Universal Canon
Soon, the Church decided to hold Councils to determine once and for all, which books were to be considered as Scripture among the books claiming to be so.

A Council was called at Rome in 382 AD which made a Complete Canon of the Bible containing 46 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.

Two North African Local Councils held in union with Rome in the years 393 and 397 AD (Council of Carthage and Council of Hippo) both made the same Canon.

Criteria
Some of the criteria used in determining which books were to be in the Bible are:
1. The book must be of Apostolic origin.
2. The book must have a special relationship to God (In other words, it must be based on divine inspiration).
3. The book must have been used in Church liturgical services.

The First Bible
From 382 to 405 AD, St Jerome prepared the first Bible at the request of Pope Damasus I. This Bible is known as the Vulgate and was written in Latin. St Jerome translated the Old Testament directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek and revised the existing Latin version of the New Testament.

Sola Scriptura?
The mantra “By the Bible Alone” is one that is at least incorrect. The existence, nature and origin of the Bible totally contradicts it. Just a few points to consider:

If Christianity is based on the Bible only, what about those Christians who joined the Church at the Pentecost, which Bible were they given?

If the Bible was meant to be a maual of Christian Faith, why didn’t the Apostles write the Same content in the Epistles to the different Cities? Or does the manual for Christian living for the Romans differ from that of the Corinthians?

If the Bible is “Infallible”, what does it say about the people and Church that wrote and compiled the Bible? Can a book be more-trustworthy than its author?

Next in the series: …AND THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

National Centenary Summit 2016

The National Centenary Summit of the Block Rosary Crusade Nigeria held from the 8th to 10th of September, 2016. Thursday served mainly for arrival while the Summit itself began on Friday the 9th. M…

Source: National Centenary Summit 2016

My first discussion with A Calvinist

The Apostle to the Calvinists

About 3 weeks ago, I went to see a friend of mine. When I got there, he wasn’t home so I called and announced my presence to him and he promised to return home in less than 30 mins time.

I saw a bench in the fenceless compound and  I sat on it. While waiting there, I was approached by a stranger who was just passing by. He came to me and introduced himself as an envangelist who wanted to bring the Gospel to me.

He was a Calvinist (although i doubt he knows that that’s what he was). Why he came to me in particular, i dont know. My guess is he saw the Rosary which i almost always (actually always) wear outside my clothes and he thought to himself “Here is one of those Catholics who are being deceived by their Fathers and Bishops. He probably knows nothing about the bible. He is the easiest target in sight now. Let me go and convince him to stop worshipping Mary………”

Anyways when he asked if he could bring the Gospel to me, I wanted to say no. Because I was brought to the Gospel by my parents a long time ago and I haven’t left it. But in order not to “kill his morale” and discouraging him from bringing the Gospel to others who may have never received or accepted it, I said YES.

He said a short prayer and then it began.

Evang. Mark: Do you know that the Word of God is not for everyone? Do you know that there are 2 types of people; the good and the bad? The good are those that belong to God while the evil are the ones who do not.
The evil ones are those who cannot repent no matter how much you preach to them e.g. Herod, Jezebel, Pharoah and Judas. I know it’s hard for you to understand because your eyes of the Spirit are still closed.

(At this point, I was wondering how he came to that conclusion just by looking at me. My guess; the Rosary on my neck. I didn’t say anything though.He continued)

E. Mark (M): The Gospel is not for everyone so not everyone can receive it. This affects each one of us in our individual spirit (spirit-man). The sprit man is the one you see in your dreams.
So you can be living a righteous life while awake but always see yourself committing evil in your dreams because your spirit man is “Evil” which means the Gospel can’t actually save you. Do you understand?

Jolliano (J): Before I understand, i need to ask some questions to clarify some points.

(M): Okay.

(J): Number 1. If God created some people with an evil “spirit man” as you call it and predestined that they were to be evil, then it means he also predestined that they would go to Hell, which in turn means that God is not fair but very partial, creating some for “Joy in Heaven” and others for “Sorrow and pain in Hell”. Is God partial?

(M): God is not partial but that is how it is.

(J): Then that means that there is nothing like “Good” and “Evil” “spirit man” that controls who can go to heaven and who cannot. God created and gives everyone an opportunity to be saved. Jesus Is For Everybody.

Number 2. Assuming your position is correct, How do we know who and who have this evil “spirit man”?

(M): It started right from creation. When the serpent met Eve, he filled her with a spirit and Adam only gave flesh to the Spirit that became Cain. Cain was the product of the Devil and that was why he killed Abel. Cain began the “Evil bloodline”.

(Being the kind of person I am, in discussions like this, I like to allow and even help the person build up his logic so that its flaws would become obvious to him without me directly pointing it out. So I started to contribute…..)

(J): Yes. Then when God decided to remove them from the Earth, He chose Noah “from the good bloodline” and flooded out the rest. The world would have been full of only “Good” people if “Ham” hadn’t gotten himself cursed and restarted the evil bloodline. (He was smiling, believing I was seeing his point – which I actually was and the point was wrong-). Then Pharoah was from that bloodline.
(Now I started calling out the flaws) But how did Judas who was an Israelite come from the “Evil” bloodline?

(M): Ehm. Ehm. Judas… (He couldn’t answer)

(J): Number 3. If it works by bloodline as you said, why then are you preaching to me? You should just check my genealogy and find out which bloodline I’m from and so you’ll know if I am “Good” or “Evil”. (Since you want us to be thinking/talking nonsense).

(M): It doesn’t work like that anymore.
(J): So before Jesus, it was by bloodline. During/After Jesus’ time, it now became random? That does not make any sense na.

(He then switched into what he thought would be the easiest way to finish a Catholic -Biblical Exegesis- since as most believe, Catholics don’t read the bible).

(M): But in John 17, Jesus said “I have not lost any of those you gave to me…” meaning not everyone is for Jesus. (As he was saying this, the person i was waiting for arrived. I told him to give me a few minutes and I would join him inside. I had to at least clear some of the errors the Evangelist was teaching)

(J): (I had to shatter the “Catholics do not read the Bible” mentality so i responded.) John 17 is the High Priestly prayer of Jesus.

(M): What is High Priestly Prayer?

(J): The prayer Jesus prayed with and for his Apostles as the High Priest when He began his sacrificial journey from the Last Supper to the Cross at Calvary.

(M): (Visibly surprised) Oh. Okay. So?

(J): Jesus said that sentence in the prayer in reference to His Apostles directly, not to everyone in the entire world. He said “I have not lost any of those you gave to me, except for the Son of Perdition who betrayed me”. He was talking about the 11 faithful Apostles and Judas who betrayed.

(M): (Surprised that i was quoting the Bible) No. Jesus was referring to everyone through them.

(J): So how many of us betrayed him?

(M): That’s an unnecessary question. (He didn’t answer.)

(J): If Jesus knew he came to die for the “Good” “bloodline or random choice” (He still had not answered my questions on that), why did He then say “When the Son of Man is lifted up, I will draw all things (including men) to myself”?

(M): (No answer) Em…..

(J): Why did He tell the Apostles in Matt 28:19 “…make disciples of all nations” and not “trace the bloodline and make sure each of them become disciples” or “This is the way you will know who is from good or bad bloodline. If they are from good, convert them. If not, don’t even waste your energy trying to preach there”.
(No answer)

(J): Brother, Jesus died for everyone and everyone can be saved if they respond to God’s grace by Faith, Hope and Love of which the Bible says “Love is the greatest”. This “predestination of some good and others bad” is neither biblical nor christian. (Rising) I need to go see the person I came here to see. Try and review what we have discussed and see what is true and what is false.

He then collected my number, name and even address with the promise to come see me later for further discussion. It has been 3 weeks now, no calls, sms or visit.

Regardless of that, I hope he corrects his teaching and stop telling people what is obviously wrong. This is the warning I try to tell those who love to teach.

Be careful and be very sure what you teach because if you teach God’s children things that lead them to hell, you will have questions to answer.

Jeremiah 23.
Read, Re-read and then continue Reading

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