Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Friday, October 01, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Just What Are the Essentials? ...
Excerpt from embedded link:
"Protestants reply that they agree on the essential issues and disagree on the peripheral issues. But calling baptism, Holy Eucharist, ecclesiology, liturgy, matrimony, sin, salvation, and eschatology “peripheral issues” does not change anything. They are major doctrines, tenaciously held by their respective denominations."
This is a very informative work, Questions to ask Protestants, and is written to/for Catholics to know how to evangelize brothers and sisters in other denominations. Don't be to quick to 'disregard' this. Please, if you're a Protestant or an Evangelical, 'put down the 'anti-Catholic' "sword" and read, consider, ponder, think, and ask yourself these same questions. Do your own homework, and realize that Catholics ARE Christians, and we are only desiring that you, too, come back or into the Fullness of Communion with TRUTH, where TRUTH resides, wholly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Church Jesus built, founded, established. He did not build "many" but only One. The Catholic Church. Let us ALL be united, and make Jesus happy by fulfilling His prayer to His Father in JOHN 17. ONE Bread ONE Body.
"Protestants reply that they agree on the essential issues and disagree on the peripheral issues. But calling baptism, Holy Eucharist, ecclesiology, liturgy, matrimony, sin, salvation, and eschatology “peripheral issues” does not change anything. They are major doctrines, tenaciously held by their respective denominations."
This is a very informative work, Questions to ask Protestants, and is written to/for Catholics to know how to evangelize brothers and sisters in other denominations. Don't be to quick to 'disregard' this. Please, if you're a Protestant or an Evangelical, 'put down the 'anti-Catholic' "sword" and read, consider, ponder, think, and ask yourself these same questions. Do your own homework, and realize that Catholics ARE Christians, and we are only desiring that you, too, come back or into the Fullness of Communion with TRUTH, where TRUTH resides, wholly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Church Jesus built, founded, established. He did not build "many" but only One. The Catholic Church. Let us ALL be united, and make Jesus happy by fulfilling His prayer to His Father in JOHN 17. ONE Bread ONE Body.
Monday, September 20, 2010
This Is A BIG Dilemma...Where Do You Stand?
Something to pray about...
Something to learn about...
Something to "do"
about
because it
DOES
matter
what you believe
after all.
"We can believe what we choose.
We are answerable for what we choose to believe."
Blessed Cardinal John Henri Newman
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
In Joel's Words...
How does "joke telling" accomplish "life giving change?" How does gathering for a meeting like this really 'transform' a soul? I've nothing against him personally, but this is a far cry from what the Early Church celebrated when they gathered together! (Mass of the Early Christians) It was for MASS that they gathered and were hunted and slaughtered like animals, for their belief IN the EUCHARIST, the Lord's Supper. They had to meet under the dire threat of injury or death as many in other parts of the world are still doing, under penalty of death!
A big gathering of people in a (click for video -->) "mega church" such as this is no threat to the devil at all! In fact, he's pretty much laughing at this "modern church" calling itself 'Christian.' The only Church the devil is attacking regularly is the same One he's been attacking since its founding by Jesus himself! The Catholic Church!
This is a 'sad joke' in comparison. When Joel closes with the words: "...a bible based church" what exactly IS a bible based church? There are countless fellowships out there, claiming to be just that, yet bicker and destroy one another so another can be "planted." Is THAT the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17? There's only ONE CHURCH that canonized the books to complete the "bible" as we, Catholics and Protestants know it. (Martin Luther's scissors and arbitrary editing aside)
This may be a few 'clean jokes' told, and some laughs, but in the end, it's a very sad joke to play on the vulnerabilty of humans in search of Truth, as all of us are 'created to know, and love truth. To tell others all they have to do is just "pray a prayer" (the 'sinners prayer' I presume?) and "go to a 'bible-based' church" is nothing short of a gleefully added mark on Satan's scorecard.
No,I'm not saying anyone there is "going to hell" for I'm not God. But neither can anyone there in that congregation claim Catholics are 'going to hell' either, for they are not God. I don't know what they all believe and cannot read everyone's heart.
The sad thing is, get 3 or more from that congregation in a room and there will be a wide array of beliefs, potentially even bitter disagreements over doctrine(s). But no one cares to do that, for they're mostly too comfortable w/ the Osteen status quo' to "make any waves." A sad commentary again, because Truth is Truth and to compromise Truth w/ "untruth" is only "untruth."
When a "bible based" church states one thing is true, and yet another bb church states another thing is true, then pray tell WHICH ONE IS TRUE? Come on....and COME HOME TO ROME! Your MOMMA is waiting for you! Holy Mother Church is TRUE! The Catholic Church is the ONE CHURCH Jesus built, to REMAIN, even if the gates of Hell pound it, SHE WILL STAND, and never crumble.
No suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God" - (then) Card. Joseph Ratzinger
Where will Osteen's mega (non-suffering) church be in 2000 years? Anyone? Buehler?
A big gathering of people in a (click for video -->) "mega church" such as this is no threat to the devil at all! In fact, he's pretty much laughing at this "modern church" calling itself 'Christian.' The only Church the devil is attacking regularly is the same One he's been attacking since its founding by Jesus himself! The Catholic Church!
This is a 'sad joke' in comparison. When Joel closes with the words: "...a bible based church" what exactly IS a bible based church? There are countless fellowships out there, claiming to be just that, yet bicker and destroy one another so another can be "planted." Is THAT the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17? There's only ONE CHURCH that canonized the books to complete the "bible" as we, Catholics and Protestants know it. (Martin Luther's scissors and arbitrary editing aside)
This may be a few 'clean jokes' told, and some laughs, but in the end, it's a very sad joke to play on the vulnerabilty of humans in search of Truth, as all of us are 'created to know, and love truth. To tell others all they have to do is just "pray a prayer" (the 'sinners prayer' I presume?) and "go to a 'bible-based' church" is nothing short of a gleefully added mark on Satan's scorecard.
No,I'm not saying anyone there is "going to hell" for I'm not God. But neither can anyone there in that congregation claim Catholics are 'going to hell' either, for they are not God. I don't know what they all believe and cannot read everyone's heart.
The sad thing is, get 3 or more from that congregation in a room and there will be a wide array of beliefs, potentially even bitter disagreements over doctrine(s). But no one cares to do that, for they're mostly too comfortable w/ the Osteen status quo' to "make any waves." A sad commentary again, because Truth is Truth and to compromise Truth w/ "untruth" is only "untruth."
When a "bible based" church states one thing is true, and yet another bb church states another thing is true, then pray tell WHICH ONE IS TRUE? Come on....and COME HOME TO ROME! Your MOMMA is waiting for you! Holy Mother Church is TRUE! The Catholic Church is the ONE CHURCH Jesus built, to REMAIN, even if the gates of Hell pound it, SHE WILL STAND, and never crumble.
No suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God" - (then) Card. Joseph Ratzinger
Where will Osteen's mega (non-suffering) church be in 2000 years? Anyone? Buehler?
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
A Friend Writes About His "Epiphany" Moment...
Russ answered a post of mine on Facebook, about how it seems that MANY Christians, here in America, at least, are more likely to make the "Burger King" their "King" all while claiming to follow the One King, Jesus Christ...simply by the numerous sects and countless denominations scattered around the country/globe now, since the earliest times, but ever so much more widely abounding since the Reformation's "cancerous spread" of them.
It's not that these people are bad, (some might be) but most are not "bad" at all, most are simply just "wrong." Many are even 'brainwashed' into thinking the Catholic Church is the "Whore of Babylon" and are almost like 'robots' programmed to bleat out falsehood/misinformation/downright lies about the Catholic Church/Faith. So they continue to search and wander amid the countless thousands of sects/denoms/fellowhips, etc.
Going hither, thither and yon to find that "one place" where they can hang their spiritual hat and call 'home.' But then, the sad thing is, that place, too, will come under attack, something will happen that others don't agree with and the "exodus" of congregants will begin. They will leave for another fellowship, or perhaps order the "Start Your Own Church" kit on line, and do just that.
It is a very sad commentary on "Christendom," and how it must grieve our Lord and the Holy Spirit who was sent to 'lead and guide the Church' into *ALL* TRUTH. But the way it is anymore is that many still prefer 'their own church' and 'their own Jesus' to accommodate 'their own interpretation' of scriptures and thus prefer Burger King's dictum: Have it 'your way.'
Yes, Susie, one of the tenets of the reformers could have been SOLO MIO!
" Only MY WAY of understanding God."
I blogged on this idea of surrendering my personal kingship when I had that epiphany :
...In the early spring of 2004, while watching the Passion of the Christ, for the first time I saw how much Christ had suffered for me. It was as if my eyes were opened anew despite years of having read the gospels. I had always believed it but not until I saw his suffering displayed so graphically did I finally say: "Ok, God, since you did that for me, I will do anything for you." "Anything?" He asked me in the quiet darkness. "Yes, Jesus" I said back to him with hot tears running down my cheeks trying to contain my sobs. "I will do anything you ask of me." My next thought was "I'd even become Catholic!" One of the most contrary things I could think of at the time.
* I would even surrender MY IDEA of what a church should look like.
* I would even surrender My RIGHT to understand the Bible my way.
* I would even surrender MY PREFERENCE of worship styles and practices.
* I would even surrender MY BITTERNESS against the Church of my youth and my parent's religion.
Giving up our rights as a King of out own theological kingdom is a tough thing to do, especially if we are mistakenly thinking we are submitted to the Bible only and the Holy Spirit. What we really are is submitted to is our interpretation or our pastor's interpretation etc.
We all have a magisterium of one type or another over us. Catholics are just more honest about it and admit, it's the Church, not me.
It's not that these people are bad, (some might be) but most are not "bad" at all, most are simply just "wrong." Many are even 'brainwashed' into thinking the Catholic Church is the "Whore of Babylon" and are almost like 'robots' programmed to bleat out falsehood/misinformation/downright lies about the Catholic Church/Faith. So they continue to search and wander amid the countless thousands of sects/denoms/fellowhips, etc.
Going hither, thither and yon to find that "one place" where they can hang their spiritual hat and call 'home.' But then, the sad thing is, that place, too, will come under attack, something will happen that others don't agree with and the "exodus" of congregants will begin. They will leave for another fellowship, or perhaps order the "Start Your Own Church" kit on line, and do just that.
It is a very sad commentary on "Christendom," and how it must grieve our Lord and the Holy Spirit who was sent to 'lead and guide the Church' into *ALL* TRUTH. But the way it is anymore is that many still prefer 'their own church' and 'their own Jesus' to accommodate 'their own interpretation' of scriptures and thus prefer Burger King's dictum: Have it 'your way.'
Not exactly the "unity" Jesus prayed for in John 17 is it?
Here's Russ's reply:
Yes, Susie, one of the tenets of the reformers could have been SOLO MIO!
" Only MY WAY of understanding God."
I blogged on this idea of surrendering my personal kingship when I had that epiphany :
...In the early spring of 2004, while watching the Passion of the Christ, for the first time I saw how much Christ had suffered for me. It was as if my eyes were opened anew despite years of having read the gospels. I had always believed it but not until I saw his suffering displayed so graphically did I finally say: "Ok, God, since you did that for me, I will do anything for you." "Anything?" He asked me in the quiet darkness. "Yes, Jesus" I said back to him with hot tears running down my cheeks trying to contain my sobs. "I will do anything you ask of me." My next thought was "I'd even become Catholic!" One of the most contrary things I could think of at the time.
* I would even surrender MY IDEA of what a church should look like.
* I would even surrender My RIGHT to understand the Bible my way.
* I would even surrender MY PREFERENCE of worship styles and practices.
* I would even surrender MY BITTERNESS against the Church of my youth and my parent's religion.
Giving up our rights as a King of out own theological kingdom is a tough thing to do, especially if we are mistakenly thinking we are submitted to the Bible only and the Holy Spirit. What we really are is submitted to is our interpretation or our pastor's interpretation etc.
We all have a magisterium of one type or another over us. Catholics are just more honest about it and admit, it's the Church, not me.
Find out more and learn more about the Catholic Church/Faith here:
Russ's Blog
Are you going to continue to 'split off' and have it [Christianity/church/Faith/the bible]
"your way?"
Or GOD'S?
What "King" will you serve?
Come Back to the
"MAIN BRANCH"
JESUS
&
HIS CHURCH
Russ's Blog
Are you going to continue to 'split off' and have it [Christianity/church/Faith/the bible]
"your way?"
Or GOD'S?
What "King" will you serve?
Come Back to the
"MAIN BRANCH"
JESUS
&
HIS CHURCH
Monday, August 23, 2010
Syllogism ...
Syllogism; n. Logic . A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example; Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the Mother of God.
Seriously, why is that such a s-t-r-r-r-r-e-t-c-h for some Christians??? Anyone? Buehler??
Seriously, why is that such a s-t-r-r-r-r-e-t-c-h for some Christians??? Anyone? Buehler??
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Presentation Ministries...
One Bread, One Body
"I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see My glory." —Isaiah 66:18
Years ago in the fire and brimstone era of the Church, we got the idea that hardly anyone went to heaven. Most people hoped to just slip into the back door of purgatory. Nowadays, we get the idea that everyone goes to heaven. Some people even say there is no hell, or if there is, no one's there but Judas, Hitler, and Jack the Ripper.
What does Jesus say? In answer to the question about whether few would be saved, Jesus replied: "Try to come in through the narrow door. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and be unable" (Lk 13:24). Jesus also said: "The invited are many, the elect are few" (Mt 22:14).
It seems unbiblical and presumptuous to think that almost everyone accepts Jesus as Lord and goes to heaven. On the other hand, it is not part of our heavenly Father's plan that even one person be lost (Mt 18:14), for He wants all to be saved (1 Tm 2:4). If God had His way, all would be saved and go to heaven.
Therefore, we should be confident but not presumptuous about our eternal life with Jesus. "Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, brothers; surely those who do so will never be lost. On the contrary, your entry into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for" (2 Pt 1:10-11).
Prayer: Jesus, Savior, have mercy on me!
Promise: "Make straight the paths you walk on, that your halting limbs may not be dislocated but healed." —Heb 12:13
Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus. You came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10). You are our Salvation (Ps 27:1). Alleluia!
Presentation Ministries, Fr. Al Lauer
"I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see My glory." —Isaiah 66:18
Years ago in the fire and brimstone era of the Church, we got the idea that hardly anyone went to heaven. Most people hoped to just slip into the back door of purgatory. Nowadays, we get the idea that everyone goes to heaven. Some people even say there is no hell, or if there is, no one's there but Judas, Hitler, and Jack the Ripper.
What does Jesus say? In answer to the question about whether few would be saved, Jesus replied: "Try to come in through the narrow door. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and be unable" (Lk 13:24). Jesus also said: "The invited are many, the elect are few" (Mt 22:14).
It seems unbiblical and presumptuous to think that almost everyone accepts Jesus as Lord and goes to heaven. On the other hand, it is not part of our heavenly Father's plan that even one person be lost (Mt 18:14), for He wants all to be saved (1 Tm 2:4). If God had His way, all would be saved and go to heaven.
Therefore, we should be confident but not presumptuous about our eternal life with Jesus. "Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, brothers; surely those who do so will never be lost. On the contrary, your entry into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for" (2 Pt 1:10-11).
Prayer: Jesus, Savior, have mercy on me!
Promise: "Make straight the paths you walk on, that your halting limbs may not be dislocated but healed." —Heb 12:13
Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus. You came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10). You are our Salvation (Ps 27:1). Alleluia!
Presentation Ministries, Fr. Al Lauer
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Word From G.K. Chesterton, Catholic Convert...
"It is the fashion today to talk of institutions as cold and cramping things, the truth is, that when people are in exceptionally high spirits, really wild w/ freedom and invention, they always must and always do create institutions. When ...men are weary they fall into anarchy but while they are happy and vigorous, they invariably make rules. This is true not just of the churches and republics throughout history, it is also true of the most trivial parlor game. We are never really free until some institution frees us, and liberty cannot truly exist until it is declared by authority." GKC circa 1906
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