Septuagesima Sunday
Sts. Fabian - Pope & Sebastian - Martyr
J.M.J.
SEASON OF SEPTUAGESIMA
From "The St. Andrew Daily Missal" (1937)
The Septuagesima season always begins with the ninth week before Easter
and includes three Sundays called respectively Septuagesima, Sexagesima and
Quinquagesima. These names which were borrowed from the numeral system of
the time, denote a series of decades working back from the commencement of
Lent, which is known in Latin as Quadragesima.
Easter is a movable feast and can be kept, according to the year in
which it occurs, between March 22 and April 25. When it falls early the
Septuagesima season encroaches on the time after Epiphany, some Sundays of
which are then kept between the twenty-third and the last Sunday after
Pentecost.
This liturgical period is a prelude to Lent and a remote preparation for
Easter. It serves as a time of transition for the soul, which must pass from
Christmas joys to the stern penance of the sacred forty days. Even if the
fast is not yet of obligation, the colour of the vestments worn is already
violet. As during Advent, the recital of the Gloria in excelsis is
suspended, since this hymn which celebrated Christ's birth in our mortal
flesh, is reserved to extol Him when born in His undying body, i.e. when He
rises from the tomb. "Born once of the Virgin, thou art now reborn from the
sepulcre," will then be the cry of the Church. Again the Martyrology
introduces Septuagesima Sunday as that on which "we lay aside the song of
the Lord which is Alleluia." "How, said the people of Israel, "shall we sing
the song of the Lord in a strange land?"
This "strange land" is for the people of Christ, the world, which is a
place of exile, while the Alleluia, the chant St. John heard in heaven, will
begin again in the liturgy at Paschaltide, which represents the future life.
In the Easter festivities we shall hail our Lord, the conqueror of Satan,
who while freeing us from the bondage of sin, will re-open to us the
heavenly kingdom. The season of Lent which lasts for forty days
(Quadragesima) and that of Septuagesima which is made up of the following
periods of ten days (Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima) may well be
taken as representing the seventy years passed by Israel in exile under the
harsh captivity of the Babylonians. The chant of Alleluia is silent during
this period in which the spirit and very name remind us so strongly, that we
are "poor banished children. . . mourning and weeping in this vale of tears"
(Salve Regina).
The Season of Septuagesima ends in the Temporal Cycle on Ash Wednesday.
In the Sanctoral Cycle its extreme limit is March 10, that is, when Easter
falls on April 25.
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org/
Friday, January 25, 2008
Latin Mass in Iloilo
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Adolescence and the Pride of Life
The Feast of the Holy Family
J.M.J.
ADOLESCENCE and the PRIDE OF LIFE
By Rev. Fr Nicholas Mary, C.SS.R.
It is of Faith that in becoming truly man, Jesus Christ, Who is truly God,
"emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant" [Phil. II, 7]. "Is it
possible", asks St Bernard, "for men to be proud after seeing the life of
Jesus Christ?" Reflect that God Himself lay in a cradle, God Himself died on
a cross and God Himself awaits us in the tabernacle in order to win the love
of the creatures He called from nothingness; can we then be proud?
The answer, of course, is that men are proud because they forget who they
are and Who God is. They do not meditate on the sublime truths of Christmas
any more than they do on Our Lord's Passion or His Real Presence. They are
too "choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life" [Lk VIII,
14]. They are caught up with this world, and "all that is in the world is
the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and the
pride of life" [I Jn II, 16].
To set concupiscence and the pride of life at naught and breathe instead the
pure night air of a cave outside Bethlehem takes wisdom, that gift which
enables the soul to consider the eternal truths, judge all things by them,
set a right value on salvation and the means to it, and relish the things of
God. By it our intellect is illuminated; our passions curbed; our affections
well ordered; our will rightly directed. The wise have vigour and energy of
soul; they live united with God; they find it easy to do what is right and
overcome temptations.
All men at all times have associated wisdom with age. It is not that a long
life confers the gift of itself - would that it did! - but rather that both
natural and supernatural wisdom are found more often, though by no means
exclusively, in the old than in the young. Grace builds on nature, and our
experience of life and its betrayals, the natural extinction of our
passions, and the gradual growth in our understanding, perspective and
knowledge all play a part in disposing our souls to wisdom as our physical
powers begin to wane.
But if we associate wisdom with the old, we associate innocence with the
very young. A precious gift to be preserved throughout life, all too often
it is lost at the first stirrings of adulthood.
Between naturally innocent childhood and naturally wise old age lie the
years of our physical prime, years so often devastated by concupiscence and
the pride of life. And how often do the effects of that devastation not last
into old age! The same holds true on the supernatural level, which alone
avails to salvation. At the first seductive beckonings of the world and its
pleasures so many young Christians lose their baptismal innocence. Very few
find grace again through wisdom and penance; some, indeed, only at death's
approach.
It is not difficult, accordingly, to understand that the devil, the
adversary of our souls who "as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he
may devour" [I Pet. V, 8] waits impatiently for that moment when a child
will first be vulnerable to his attacks. That turning point comes with the
age of reason, but by reinforcing the child's baptismal grace through the
sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Confirmation and by the grace of
living in a good Catholic home and attending a soundly Catholic school,
innocence can be safeguarded and the reign of grace extended.
There comes a time, however, where each young person must make the Faith and
the battle to keep and live it his own. At that moment the pride of life
presents itself in its full force and concupiscence makes its first attacks.
This onslaught can be withstood by God's Grace and with parental help, but
the adolescent must actively resist on his or her own account. Passive
resistance combined with active assistance will not be enough; the moment of
decision has arrived. Either adolescents will give in to temptation, ease,
peer and social pressure and fall into sin with a shrug of the shoulders and
a word of blame for the parents who "forced religion down their throats", or
they will survive their first battles in the fight for salvation, and remain
true to the promise once made for them at their baptism: to renounce "the
devil, his works and pomps". Perhaps they will fall, and even fall often,
but if they are fighting on their own behalf then there is hope that they
will persevere past the ravages of adolescence. If they put up a token
resistance merely to please their parents, or by way of laying a plaster on
a conscience still tinged with a guilt that is disappearing along with the
faith that produced it, then they will succumb to the pride of life. All
which they have hitherto accepted on the authority of their parents and
educators must become the faith of an adult or it will perish. They must
nourish it by reading, study and reflection, and their interior life by
mental prayer, or else they will go on to face adult difficulties with a
faith that is not childlike in its simplicity (as it must remain) but merely
infantile in its weakness.
There is a modern idea - widely current even amongst nominal Catholics -
that children should not be brought up in the Faith, but rather decide the
great issues of life for themselves "when they are older". This is a
diabolical trap. All children who have inherited their parents' faith will
have to choose for themselves to persevere in that faith sooner or later,
but those who have inherited nothing will have nothing to choose, and
nothing to come back to if they fall away. This poisonous notion is worlds
away from Catholic wisdom, which knows that one cannot do enough to prepare
the young adult for the moment of choice. Those who seek to emancipate the
child are "miserably deluded", Pope Pius XI taught; "in reality they are
making him the slave of his own blind pride and of his disorderly
affections". On the contrary it is absolutely necessary "to direct and
watch the education of the adolescent, 'soft as wax to be moulded into vice'
removing occasions of evil and providing occasions for good in his
recreations and social intercourse; for 'evil communications corrupt good
manners'" [Divini illius magistri, 1929].
Such is Catholic realism motivated by true charity and a desire for the
salvation of souls. Its opposite is naturalism, which, as Pius XI says,
"grievously errs in refusing to recognise the inborn weakness of human
nature, and the law of which the Apostle speaks, fighting against the law of
the mind; and also in ignoring the experience of facts, from which it is
clear that, particularly in young people, evil practices are the effect not
so much of ignorance of intellect as of weakness of a will exposed to
dangerous occasions, and unsupported by the means of grace."
Fathers and mothers who think that their children will win the first great
battles against temptation as a matter of course are sadly mistaken
concerning the effects of original sin. It is not merely those modern
Catholics who do not even believe in original sin who are here worthy of
blame. Often enough, traditional Catholic parents will underestimate what is
required of them where their adolescent children are concerned. How many
sacrifices they have made in order to bring these children into the world
and even send them to a traditional school! Indeed, and in this they are
worthy of nothing but praise; yet if they think that their responsibility
ends there they are wrong. The primary responsibility for educating their
children and setting them on the path to Heaven, our supernatural goal lies
with them, not with schools or states. Where catechism lessons and the
family rosary sufficed to keep their seven-year-old in fine spiritual form,
Sunday Catholicism will not be enough to tip the balance in the war waged by
the devil, the world and the flesh on their 17-year-old. Parents must ensure
that, whilst they still have influence over their teenage sons and
daughters, they communicate with them about the Faith. An adolescent may be
driven to the Mass of All Time every Sunday; this does not mean that he has
an interior life. Another may have been to a Society school; this does not
mean that she can coherently defend her faith to others or even to herself.
Parents must make the difference by discussion, debate and common prayer.
Otherwise they will soon join the ranks of those good parents who, now wise,
but no longer able to influence their children, spend long decades in prayer
and generous sacrifice for them that they might return to the practice of
their religion, a conversion often made all the more difficult by a
disastrous marriage.
To realise this as a young parent is a gift, the gift of wisdom. This
Christmas, dear young parents, watch your infant children before the
nativity scene and reflect how they still possess that other gift, holy
innocence. Now resolve to beg the Divine Infant daily to preserve that gift
in them and to do yourselves whatever it takes to give them the best
fighting chance to overcome the pride of life.+
------------------------------
--
Instaurare omnia in Christo (To restore all things in Christ)
ROMEO K. ESCUYOS JR.
Gizmo Project: romeoescuyos
http://romeoescuyos.multiply.com
Excellent PC Tech Support Plus Products To Improve Your Life
http://romeoescuyos.juvio.com
Free Home-based Business
http://romeoescuyos.cognigen.org
............................................................
This electronic message transmission contains information that is deemed confidential or privileged by the sender. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named as recipient(s) above, only. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited.
............................................................
J.M.J.
ADOLESCENCE and the PRIDE OF LIFE
By Rev. Fr Nicholas Mary, C.SS.R.
It is of Faith that in becoming truly man, Jesus Christ, Who is truly God,
"emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant" [Phil. II, 7]. "Is it
possible", asks St Bernard, "for men to be proud after seeing the life of
Jesus Christ?" Reflect that God Himself lay in a cradle, God Himself died on
a cross and God Himself awaits us in the tabernacle in order to win the love
of the creatures He called from nothingness; can we then be proud?
The answer, of course, is that men are proud because they forget who they
are and Who God is. They do not meditate on the sublime truths of Christmas
any more than they do on Our Lord's Passion or His Real Presence. They are
too "choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life" [Lk VIII,
14]. They are caught up with this world, and "all that is in the world is
the concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes and the
pride of life" [I Jn II, 16].
To set concupiscence and the pride of life at naught and breathe instead the
pure night air of a cave outside Bethlehem takes wisdom, that gift which
enables the soul to consider the eternal truths, judge all things by them,
set a right value on salvation and the means to it, and relish the things of
God. By it our intellect is illuminated; our passions curbed; our affections
well ordered; our will rightly directed. The wise have vigour and energy of
soul; they live united with God; they find it easy to do what is right and
overcome temptations.
All men at all times have associated wisdom with age. It is not that a long
life confers the gift of itself - would that it did! - but rather that both
natural and supernatural wisdom are found more often, though by no means
exclusively, in the old than in the young. Grace builds on nature, and our
experience of life and its betrayals, the natural extinction of our
passions, and the gradual growth in our understanding, perspective and
knowledge all play a part in disposing our souls to wisdom as our physical
powers begin to wane.
But if we associate wisdom with the old, we associate innocence with the
very young. A precious gift to be preserved throughout life, all too often
it is lost at the first stirrings of adulthood.
Between naturally innocent childhood and naturally wise old age lie the
years of our physical prime, years so often devastated by concupiscence and
the pride of life. And how often do the effects of that devastation not last
into old age! The same holds true on the supernatural level, which alone
avails to salvation. At the first seductive beckonings of the world and its
pleasures so many young Christians lose their baptismal innocence. Very few
find grace again through wisdom and penance; some, indeed, only at death's
approach.
It is not difficult, accordingly, to understand that the devil, the
adversary of our souls who "as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he
may devour" [I Pet. V, 8] waits impatiently for that moment when a child
will first be vulnerable to his attacks. That turning point comes with the
age of reason, but by reinforcing the child's baptismal grace through the
sacraments of Penance, Holy Communion and Confirmation and by the grace of
living in a good Catholic home and attending a soundly Catholic school,
innocence can be safeguarded and the reign of grace extended.
There comes a time, however, where each young person must make the Faith and
the battle to keep and live it his own. At that moment the pride of life
presents itself in its full force and concupiscence makes its first attacks.
This onslaught can be withstood by God's Grace and with parental help, but
the adolescent must actively resist on his or her own account. Passive
resistance combined with active assistance will not be enough; the moment of
decision has arrived. Either adolescents will give in to temptation, ease,
peer and social pressure and fall into sin with a shrug of the shoulders and
a word of blame for the parents who "forced religion down their throats", or
they will survive their first battles in the fight for salvation, and remain
true to the promise once made for them at their baptism: to renounce "the
devil, his works and pomps". Perhaps they will fall, and even fall often,
but if they are fighting on their own behalf then there is hope that they
will persevere past the ravages of adolescence. If they put up a token
resistance merely to please their parents, or by way of laying a plaster on
a conscience still tinged with a guilt that is disappearing along with the
faith that produced it, then they will succumb to the pride of life. All
which they have hitherto accepted on the authority of their parents and
educators must become the faith of an adult or it will perish. They must
nourish it by reading, study and reflection, and their interior life by
mental prayer, or else they will go on to face adult difficulties with a
faith that is not childlike in its simplicity (as it must remain) but merely
infantile in its weakness.
There is a modern idea - widely current even amongst nominal Catholics -
that children should not be brought up in the Faith, but rather decide the
great issues of life for themselves "when they are older". This is a
diabolical trap. All children who have inherited their parents' faith will
have to choose for themselves to persevere in that faith sooner or later,
but those who have inherited nothing will have nothing to choose, and
nothing to come back to if they fall away. This poisonous notion is worlds
away from Catholic wisdom, which knows that one cannot do enough to prepare
the young adult for the moment of choice. Those who seek to emancipate the
child are "miserably deluded", Pope Pius XI taught; "in reality they are
making him the slave of his own blind pride and of his disorderly
affections". On the contrary it is absolutely necessary "to direct and
watch the education of the adolescent, 'soft as wax to be moulded into vice'
removing occasions of evil and providing occasions for good in his
recreations and social intercourse; for 'evil communications corrupt good
manners'" [Divini illius magistri, 1929].
Such is Catholic realism motivated by true charity and a desire for the
salvation of souls. Its opposite is naturalism, which, as Pius XI says,
"grievously errs in refusing to recognise the inborn weakness of human
nature, and the law of which the Apostle speaks, fighting against the law of
the mind; and also in ignoring the experience of facts, from which it is
clear that, particularly in young people, evil practices are the effect not
so much of ignorance of intellect as of weakness of a will exposed to
dangerous occasions, and unsupported by the means of grace."
Fathers and mothers who think that their children will win the first great
battles against temptation as a matter of course are sadly mistaken
concerning the effects of original sin. It is not merely those modern
Catholics who do not even believe in original sin who are here worthy of
blame. Often enough, traditional Catholic parents will underestimate what is
required of them where their adolescent children are concerned. How many
sacrifices they have made in order to bring these children into the world
and even send them to a traditional school! Indeed, and in this they are
worthy of nothing but praise; yet if they think that their responsibility
ends there they are wrong. The primary responsibility for educating their
children and setting them on the path to Heaven, our supernatural goal lies
with them, not with schools or states. Where catechism lessons and the
family rosary sufficed to keep their seven-year-old in fine spiritual form,
Sunday Catholicism will not be enough to tip the balance in the war waged by
the devil, the world and the flesh on their 17-year-old. Parents must ensure
that, whilst they still have influence over their teenage sons and
daughters, they communicate with them about the Faith. An adolescent may be
driven to the Mass of All Time every Sunday; this does not mean that he has
an interior life. Another may have been to a Society school; this does not
mean that she can coherently defend her faith to others or even to herself.
Parents must make the difference by discussion, debate and common prayer.
Otherwise they will soon join the ranks of those good parents who, now wise,
but no longer able to influence their children, spend long decades in prayer
and generous sacrifice for them that they might return to the practice of
their religion, a conversion often made all the more difficult by a
disastrous marriage.
To realise this as a young parent is a gift, the gift of wisdom. This
Christmas, dear young parents, watch your infant children before the
nativity scene and reflect how they still possess that other gift, holy
innocence. Now resolve to beg the Divine Infant daily to preserve that gift
in them and to do yourselves whatever it takes to give them the best
fighting chance to overcome the pride of life.+
------------------------------
----
From "The Catholic" - December 2003 issue.
( http://www.thecatholic.org/2003_December/Adolescence_Pride_Life.htm).
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
From "The Catholic" - December 2003 issue.
( http://www.thecatholic.org/2003_December/Adolescence_Pride_Life.htm).
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
--
Instaurare omnia in Christo (To restore all things in Christ)
ROMEO K. ESCUYOS JR.
Gizmo Project: romeoescuyos
http://romeoescuyos.multiply.com
Excellent PC Tech Support Plus Products To Improve Your Life
http://romeoescuyos.juvio.com
Free Home-based Business
http://romeoescuyos.cognigen.org
............................................................
This electronic message transmission contains information that is deemed confidential or privileged by the sender. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named as recipient(s) above, only. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited.
............................................................
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The Ephiphany of Our Lord
J.M.J.
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD
January Sixth
From "Divine Intimacy" by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.
Presence of God - I recognize in You, O little Jesus, the King of heaven and
earth; grant that I may adore You with the faith and love of the Magi.
Meditation
1. "He whom the Virgin bore is acknowledged today by the whole world .
. . . Today is the glorious Feast of His Manifestation" (RB). Today Jesus
shows Himself to the world as God.
The Introit of the Mass brings us at once into this spirit,
presenting Jesus to us in the full majesty of His divinity. "Behold the
sovereign Lord is come; in His hands He holds the kingdom, the power, and
the empire." The Epistle (Is 60, 1-6) breaks forth in a hymn of joy,
announcing the vocation of the Gentiles to the faith; they too will
acknowledge and adore Jesus as their God: "Arise, be enlightened O
Jerusalem: for thy light is come . . . . And the Gentiles shall walk in thy
light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising . . . . All they from Saba
shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and showing forth praise to the
Lord." We no longer gaze upon the lowly picture of the shepherds at the
manger; passing before us now is the resplendent procession of the Wise Men
from the East, representing the pagan nations and all the kings of the
earth, who come to pay homage to the Child-God.
Epiphany, or Theophany, means the Manifestation of God; today it
is realized in Jesus who manifests Himself as God His divinity-the
extraordinary star which appeared in the East. To the commemoration of this
miracle, which holds the primary place in the day's liturgy, the Church adds
two others: the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana,
and the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordon, when a voice from heaven announced,
"This is My beloved Son." The Magnificat Antiphon says, "Three miracles
adorn this holy day" - three miracles which should lead us to recognize the
child Jesus as our God and King, and to adore Him with a lively faith.
2. The verse at the Gradual of the Mass continues the story of the Magi
: "We have seen His star in the East and are come with gifts to adore Him."
They saw a star and immediately set out. They had no doubts: their unbounded
faith was strong and sure. They did not hesitate at the prospect of the
trials of a long journey: they had generous hearts. They did not postpone
the journey: their souls were ready.
A star often appears in the heaven of our souls; it is an inspiration
from God, clear and intimate, urging us to greater generosity and calling us
to a life of closer union with Him. Like the Magi, we too must always follow
our star with faith, promptness, and selfless generosity. If we allow it to
guide us, it will certainly lead us to God; it will bring us to the One whom
we are seeking.
The Magi did not give up their quest, although the star-at one
point-disappeared from their sight. We should follow their example and their
perseverance, even when we are in interior darkness. This is a trial of
faith which is overcome only by the exercise of pure, naked faith. I know
that He wills it, I know that God is calling, and this suffices for me: Scio
cui credidi et certus sum (2 Tm 1,12); I know whom I have believed. No
matter what happens, I shall trust Him.
In this spirit let us accompany the Magi to adore the new-born King.
"And as they brought forth from among their treasures mystical gifts, let us
from our hearts bring forth something fit to offer Him" (RB).
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
--
Instaurare omnia in Christo (To restore all things in Christ)
ROMEO K. ESCUYOS JR.
Gizmo Project: romeoescuyos
http://romeoescuyos.multiply.com
Excellent PC Tech Support Plus Products To Improve Your Life
http://romeoescuyos.juvio.com
Free Home-based Business
http://romeoescuyos.cognigen.org
............................................................
This electronic message transmission contains information that is deemed confidential or privileged by the sender. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity named as recipient(s) above, only. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited.
............................................................
Friday, January 04, 2008
Most Holy Name of Jesus
January, the month dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Circumcision and Octave of the Nativity
J.M.J.
Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's
The Church's Year
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Why is this day so called?
Because the secular year begins with this day, as the Church year begins
with the First Sunday in Advent.
What should we do on this day?
An offering of the new year should be made to God, asking His grace that we
may spend the year in a holy manner, for the welfare of the soul.
Why do we wish each other a "happy new year"?
Because to do so is an act of Christian love; but this wish should come from
the heart, and not merely from worldly politeness, otherwise we would be
like the heathens (Mt. 5:47), and receive no other reward than they.
What feast of the Church is celebrated today?
The Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord, Who, for love of us, voluntarily
subjected Himself to the painful law of the Old Covenant, that we might be
freed from the same.
What was the Circumcision?
It was an external sign of the Old Law, by which the people of that day were
numbered among the chosen people of God, as now they become, by baptism,
members of the Church of Christ.
What is the signification of Circumcision in the moral or spiritual sense?
It signifies the mortification of the senses, of evil desires, and
inclinations. This must be practiced by Christians now, since they have
promised it in baptism which would be useless to them without the practice
of mortification; just as little as the Jew by exterior Circumcision is a
true Jew, just so little is the baptized a true Christian without a virtuous
life. Beg of Christ, therefore, today, to give you the grace of the true
Circumcision of heart.
PRAYER I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus, because Thou hast shed Thy blood for me
in Circumcision, and beg Thee that by Thy precious blood I may receive the
grace to circumcise my heart and all my senses, so that I may lead a life of
mortification in this world, and attain eternal joys in the next. Amen.
INTROIT A child is born to us, and a Son is given to us; whose government is
upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called the Angel of great counsel
(Is. 9). Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: for he bath done wonderful
things (Ps. 97). Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT O God, Who, by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast bestowed
upon mankind the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that
we may feel the benefit of her intercession for us, through whom we have
deserved to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who
livest and reignest, etc.
EPISTLE (Tit. 2:11-15). Dearly beloved, the grace of God our Savior hath
appeared to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and worldly
desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world,
looking for the blessed hope and coming of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and might cleanse to himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of
good works. These things speak, and exhort, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL (Lk. 2:21). At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the
child should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, which was called by
the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Why did Jesus submit to Circumcision?
That He might show His great love for us, which caused Him even at the very
beginning of His life, to shed His blood to cleanse us thereby from all our
sins. Furthermore to teach us obedience to the commandments of God and His
Church, since He voluntarily subjected Himself to the Jewish law, although
He was not in the least bound by it, which ordered that every male child
should be circumcised on the eighth day after its birth (Lev. 12:3).
Why was He named Jesus?
Because Jesus means Redeemer and Savior, and He had come to redeem and save
the world (Mt. 1:21). This is the holiest, most venerable, and most powerful
name by which we can be saved.
What power has this name?
The greatest power, for it repels all attacks of the evil Spirit, as Jesus
Himself says (Mk. 16:17). And so great is the efficacy of this most holy
name that even those who are not righteous, can by it expel devils (Mt.
7:22). It has power to cure physical pains and evils, as when used by the
apostles (Acts. 3:3-7), and Christ promised that the faithful by using it
could do the same (Mk. 16:17). St. Bernard calls the name of Jesus a
"Medicine"; and St. Chrysostom says, "This name cures all ills; it gives
succor in all the ailments of the soul, in temptations, in faintheartedness,
in sorrow, and in all evil desires, etc." "Let him who cannot excite
contrition in his heart for the sins he has committed, think of the loving,
meek, and suffering Jesus, invoke His holy name with fervor and confidence,
and he will feel his heart touched and made better," says St. Lawrence
Justinian. It overcomes and dispels the temptations of the enemy: "When we
fight against Satan in the name of Jesus," says the martyr St. Justin,
"Jesus fights for us, in us, and with us, and the enemies must flee as soon
as they hear the name of Jesus." It secures us help and blessings in all
corporal and spiritual necessities, because nothing is impossible to him who
asks in the name of Jesus, whatever tends to his salvation will be given him
(Jn. 14:13). Therefore it is useful above all things, to invoke this holy
name in all dangers of body and soul, in doubts, in temptations, especially
in temptations against holy chastity, and still more so when one has fallen
into sin, from which he desires to be delivered; for this name is like oil
(Cant. 1:2) which cures, nourishes, and illumines.
How must this name be pronounced to experience its power?
With lively faith, with steadfast, unshaken confidence, with deepest
reverence and devotion, for in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Phil. 2:10). What
wickedness, then, is theirs who habitually pronounce this name carelessly
and irreverently, upon every occasion! Such a habit is certainly diabolical;
for the damned and the devils constantly abuse God and His holy name.
Why does this name so seldom manifest its power in our days?
Because Christian faith is daily becoming weaker, and confidence less, while
perfect submission to the will of God is wanting. When faith grows stronger
among people, and confidence greater, then will the power of this most
sacred name manifest itself in more wonderful and consoling aspects.
PRAYER TO JESUS IN DIFFICULTIES
O Jesus! Consolation of the afflicted! Thy name is indeed poured out like
oil; for Thou dost illumine those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death; Thou dost disperse the blindness of the soul and dost cure its ills;
Thou givest food and drink to those who hunger and thirst after justice. Be
also, O Jesus! my Savior, the physician of my soul, the healer of its
wounds. O Jesus! Succor of those who are in need, be my protector in
temptations! O Jesus! Father of the poor, do Thou nourish me! O Jesus! joy
of the angels, do Thou comfort me! O Jesus! my only hope and refuge, be my
helper in the hour of death, for there is given us no other name beneath the
sun by which we may be saved, but Thy most blessed name Jesus!
EXHORTATION St. Paul says: All whatsoever you do in word or in work, all
things do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17). We should,
therefore, follow the example of the saints, and continually say, at least
in our hearts: "For love of Thee, O Jesus, I rise; for love of Thee I lie
down; for love of Thee I eat, drink, and enjoy myself; for love of Thee I
work, speak, or am silent." Thus we will accustom ourselves to do all in the
name of Jesus, by which everything is easily or at least meritoriously
accomplished.
PRAYER TO BE SAID ON NEW YEAR'S DAY
O God, Heavenly Father of Mercy, God of all Consolation! we thank Thee that
from our birth to this day, Thou hast so well preserved us, and hast
protected us in so many dangers; we beseech Thee, through the merits of Thy
beloved Son, and by His sacred blood which He shed for us on this day in His
circumcision, to forgive all the sins which, during the past year, we have
committed against Thy commandments, by which we have aroused Thy
indignation and wrath against ourselves. Preserve us in the coming year
from all sins, and misfortunes of body and soul. Grant that from this day to
the end of our lives, all our senses, thoughts, words, and works, which we
here dedicate to Thee for all time, may be directed in accordance with Thy
will, and that we may finally die in the true Catholic faith, and enjoy with
Thee in Thy kingdom a joyful new year, that shall know no end. Amen.
----------------------------------------------------
From the Church's Year online:
http://www.sspxasia.com/Documents/The_Church_Year/New-Years-Day.htm
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
Feast of the Circumcision and Octave of the Nativity
J.M.J.
Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's
The Church's Year
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Why is this day so called?
Because the secular year begins with this day, as the Church year begins
with the First Sunday in Advent.
What should we do on this day?
An offering of the new year should be made to God, asking His grace that we
may spend the year in a holy manner, for the welfare of the soul.
Why do we wish each other a "happy new year"?
Because to do so is an act of Christian love; but this wish should come from
the heart, and not merely from worldly politeness, otherwise we would be
like the heathens (Mt. 5:47), and receive no other reward than they.
What feast of the Church is celebrated today?
The Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord, Who, for love of us, voluntarily
subjected Himself to the painful law of the Old Covenant, that we might be
freed from the same.
What was the Circumcision?
It was an external sign of the Old Law, by which the people of that day were
numbered among the chosen people of God, as now they become, by baptism,
members of the Church of Christ.
What is the signification of Circumcision in the moral or spiritual sense?
It signifies the mortification of the senses, of evil desires, and
inclinations. This must be practiced by Christians now, since they have
promised it in baptism which would be useless to them without the practice
of mortification; just as little as the Jew by exterior Circumcision is a
true Jew, just so little is the baptized a true Christian without a virtuous
life. Beg of Christ, therefore, today, to give you the grace of the true
Circumcision of heart.
PRAYER I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus, because Thou hast shed Thy blood for me
in Circumcision, and beg Thee that by Thy precious blood I may receive the
grace to circumcise my heart and all my senses, so that I may lead a life of
mortification in this world, and attain eternal joys in the next. Amen.
INTROIT A child is born to us, and a Son is given to us; whose government is
upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called the Angel of great counsel
(Is. 9). Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: for he bath done wonderful
things (Ps. 97). Glory be to the Father.
COLLECT O God, Who, by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast bestowed
upon mankind the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that
we may feel the benefit of her intercession for us, through whom we have
deserved to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who
livest and reignest, etc.
EPISTLE (Tit. 2:11-15). Dearly beloved, the grace of God our Savior hath
appeared to all men, instructing us, that denying ungodliness and worldly
desires, we should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world,
looking for the blessed hope and coming of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and might cleanse to himself a people acceptable, a pursuer of
good works. These things speak, and exhort, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL (Lk. 2:21). At that time, after eight days were accomplished that the
child should be circumcised, his name was called Jesus, which was called by
the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Why did Jesus submit to Circumcision?
That He might show His great love for us, which caused Him even at the very
beginning of His life, to shed His blood to cleanse us thereby from all our
sins. Furthermore to teach us obedience to the commandments of God and His
Church, since He voluntarily subjected Himself to the Jewish law, although
He was not in the least bound by it, which ordered that every male child
should be circumcised on the eighth day after its birth (Lev. 12:3).
Why was He named Jesus?
Because Jesus means Redeemer and Savior, and He had come to redeem and save
the world (Mt. 1:21). This is the holiest, most venerable, and most powerful
name by which we can be saved.
What power has this name?
The greatest power, for it repels all attacks of the evil Spirit, as Jesus
Himself says (Mk. 16:17). And so great is the efficacy of this most holy
name that even those who are not righteous, can by it expel devils (Mt.
7:22). It has power to cure physical pains and evils, as when used by the
apostles (Acts. 3:3-7), and Christ promised that the faithful by using it
could do the same (Mk. 16:17). St. Bernard calls the name of Jesus a
"Medicine"; and St. Chrysostom says, "This name cures all ills; it gives
succor in all the ailments of the soul, in temptations, in faintheartedness,
in sorrow, and in all evil desires, etc." "Let him who cannot excite
contrition in his heart for the sins he has committed, think of the loving,
meek, and suffering Jesus, invoke His holy name with fervor and confidence,
and he will feel his heart touched and made better," says St. Lawrence
Justinian. It overcomes and dispels the temptations of the enemy: "When we
fight against Satan in the name of Jesus," says the martyr St. Justin,
"Jesus fights for us, in us, and with us, and the enemies must flee as soon
as they hear the name of Jesus." It secures us help and blessings in all
corporal and spiritual necessities, because nothing is impossible to him who
asks in the name of Jesus, whatever tends to his salvation will be given him
(Jn. 14:13). Therefore it is useful above all things, to invoke this holy
name in all dangers of body and soul, in doubts, in temptations, especially
in temptations against holy chastity, and still more so when one has fallen
into sin, from which he desires to be delivered; for this name is like oil
(Cant. 1:2) which cures, nourishes, and illumines.
How must this name be pronounced to experience its power?
With lively faith, with steadfast, unshaken confidence, with deepest
reverence and devotion, for in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Phil. 2:10). What
wickedness, then, is theirs who habitually pronounce this name carelessly
and irreverently, upon every occasion! Such a habit is certainly diabolical;
for the damned and the devils constantly abuse God and His holy name.
Why does this name so seldom manifest its power in our days?
Because Christian faith is daily becoming weaker, and confidence less, while
perfect submission to the will of God is wanting. When faith grows stronger
among people, and confidence greater, then will the power of this most
sacred name manifest itself in more wonderful and consoling aspects.
PRAYER TO JESUS IN DIFFICULTIES
O Jesus! Consolation of the afflicted! Thy name is indeed poured out like
oil; for Thou dost illumine those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death; Thou dost disperse the blindness of the soul and dost cure its ills;
Thou givest food and drink to those who hunger and thirst after justice. Be
also, O Jesus! my Savior, the physician of my soul, the healer of its
wounds. O Jesus! Succor of those who are in need, be my protector in
temptations! O Jesus! Father of the poor, do Thou nourish me! O Jesus! joy
of the angels, do Thou comfort me! O Jesus! my only hope and refuge, be my
helper in the hour of death, for there is given us no other name beneath the
sun by which we may be saved, but Thy most blessed name Jesus!
EXHORTATION St. Paul says: All whatsoever you do in word or in work, all
things do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17). We should,
therefore, follow the example of the saints, and continually say, at least
in our hearts: "For love of Thee, O Jesus, I rise; for love of Thee I lie
down; for love of Thee I eat, drink, and enjoy myself; for love of Thee I
work, speak, or am silent." Thus we will accustom ourselves to do all in the
name of Jesus, by which everything is easily or at least meritoriously
accomplished.
PRAYER TO BE SAID ON NEW YEAR'S DAY
O God, Heavenly Father of Mercy, God of all Consolation! we thank Thee that
from our birth to this day, Thou hast so well preserved us, and hast
protected us in so many dangers; we beseech Thee, through the merits of Thy
beloved Son, and by His sacred blood which He shed for us on this day in His
circumcision, to forgive all the sins which, during the past year, we have
committed against Thy commandments, by which we have aroused Thy
indignation and wrath against ourselves. Preserve us in the coming year
from all sins, and misfortunes of body and soul. Grant that from this day to
the end of our lives, all our senses, thoughts, words, and works, which we
here dedicate to Thee for all time, may be directed in accordance with Thy
will, and that we may finally die in the true Catholic faith, and enjoy with
Thee in Thy kingdom a joyful new year, that shall know no end. Amen.
------------------------------
From the Church's Year online:
http://www.sspxasia.com
--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
Pious Practices and Prayers Recommended during the Missions preached by the Redemptorists
In the Morning, as soon as you awake, make the sign of the Cross, and say: In the Name of the Father,+ and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
O my God, I believe that Thou art here present. I adore Thee; I love Thee with my whole heart. I thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast bestwoed upon me.
O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Here kiss your Brown Scapular. This carries a partial indulgence), I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate that She may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart.
Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Saviour of the world, save Russia!
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, who do not adore, who do not hope and who do not love Thee.
The Fathers and Doctors of the Church teach: "The majority of adult Christians damn themselves." [St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, St. Basil, St. Ephrem, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus and others.]
And...
"He who neglects the service of the Blessed Virgin will die in his sins." [St. Bonaventure, St. Bernard, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Anselm, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus and others.]
But...
"It is impossible for a client of Mary who is faithful in honouring and recommending himself to Her to be lost." [St. Alphonsus, St. Bernard, St. Ephrem, St. John Chrysostom, St. Hilary, St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. John Damascene, St. Anselm, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas and others.]
Therefore, every morning upon rising and every evening before going to bed, lying prostate on the floor, or at least kneeling, recite three times:
Hail Mary, full of grace... etc.
By Thy Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure, and my soul holy. [300 days indulgence -- St. Pius X, 05/12/1904]
My Mother, preserve me this day (night) from mortal sin. [200 days indulgence -- Leo XIII, 08/02/1900]
"The practice of the Three Hail Marys is a sign of a true servant of Mary," says Our Holy Father St. Alphonsus. Those who practise this devotion perseveringly and have at least the desire to abandon sin are promised: 1st, The happiness of possessing or of soon recovering sanctifying grace; 2nd, Victory over the vice of impurity; 3rd, The grace of final perseverance.
During the Day,
Pray the Holy Rosary.
When you begin your work, say: All for Thee, O Lord! O my Jesus! All for Thee!
When you are tempted, say: Jesus and Mary! Help me! or a Hail Mary.
When inclined to anger, say: O my Jesus, give me patience! My Mother Mary, restrain my tongue.
When you have committed a fault, say: O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against Thee, because Thou art so good; I will never sin again.
Before and after meals, bless yourself, and say grace:
Before meals: Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
After meals: We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
At night.
Say your Night Prayers -- examine your conscience and make an Act of Contrition.
Say also the Three Hail Marys and the little prayer to Our Lady, as in the morning.
Before retiring to rest, sprinkle your room and bed with holy water. When lying down, occupy yourself with pious thoughts, or repeat some short prayter, and do not cease to do so until you fall asleep. Fold your arms in the form of a cross and say to yourself: I must die; I do not know when -- nor how -- nor where; but if I die in mortal sin, I am lost forever. O Jesus, have mercy on me!
If you awake in the night, raise your heart immediately to God and pray, in order that no bad thoughts or temptations may enter your mind.
It is a most excellent practice in Christian families to say the Night Prayers in common; it brings a great blessing on the house.
O my God, I believe that Thou art here present. I adore Thee; I love Thee with my whole heart. I thank Thee for all the blessings Thou hast bestwoed upon me.
O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Here kiss your Brown Scapular. This carries a partial indulgence), I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate that She may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart.
Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Saviour of the world, save Russia!
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, who do not adore, who do not hope and who do not love Thee.
The Fathers and Doctors of the Church teach: "The majority of adult Christians damn themselves." [St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, St. Basil, St. Ephrem, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus and others.]
And...
"He who neglects the service of the Blessed Virgin will die in his sins." [St. Bonaventure, St. Bernard, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Anselm, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus and others.]
But...
"It is impossible for a client of Mary who is faithful in honouring and recommending himself to Her to be lost." [St. Alphonsus, St. Bernard, St. Ephrem, St. John Chrysostom, St. Hilary, St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. John Damascene, St. Anselm, St. Albert the Great, St. Thomas Aquinas and others.]
Therefore, every morning upon rising and every evening before going to bed, lying prostate on the floor, or at least kneeling, recite three times:
Hail Mary, full of grace... etc.
By Thy Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure, and my soul holy. [300 days indulgence -- St. Pius X, 05/12/1904]
My Mother, preserve me this day (night) from mortal sin. [200 days indulgence -- Leo XIII, 08/02/1900]
"The practice of the Three Hail Marys is a sign of a true servant of Mary," says Our Holy Father St. Alphonsus. Those who practise this devotion perseveringly and have at least the desire to abandon sin are promised: 1st, The happiness of possessing or of soon recovering sanctifying grace; 2nd, Victory over the vice of impurity; 3rd, The grace of final perseverance.
During the Day,
Pray the Holy Rosary.
When you begin your work, say: All for Thee, O Lord! O my Jesus! All for Thee!
When you are tempted, say: Jesus and Mary! Help me! or a Hail Mary.
When inclined to anger, say: O my Jesus, give me patience! My Mother Mary, restrain my tongue.
When you have committed a fault, say: O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against Thee, because Thou art so good; I will never sin again.
Before and after meals, bless yourself, and say grace:
Before meals: Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
After meals: We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
At night.
Say your Night Prayers -- examine your conscience and make an Act of Contrition.
Say also the Three Hail Marys and the little prayer to Our Lady, as in the morning.
Before retiring to rest, sprinkle your room and bed with holy water. When lying down, occupy yourself with pious thoughts, or repeat some short prayter, and do not cease to do so until you fall asleep. Fold your arms in the form of a cross and say to yourself: I must die; I do not know when -- nor how -- nor where; but if I die in mortal sin, I am lost forever. O Jesus, have mercy on me!
If you awake in the night, raise your heart immediately to God and pray, in order that no bad thoughts or temptations may enter your mind.
It is a most excellent practice in Christian families to say the Night Prayers in common; it brings a great blessing on the house.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
The Catholic Religion Proved By The Protestant Bible
The Catholic Religion
Proved By
The Protestant Bible
29 page booklet (8.25" x 5.25") - 65¢ ea.
| This booklet recalls how Christ's Church existed 350 years before the New Testament was under one cover and over 1400 years before it could be printed; which completely refutes the "Bible Only" theory of today's 33,800 sects. Meanwhile the Protestant Bible itself proves the marks, attributes and basic doctrines of the ancient one-faith-fold-shepherd Church of Christ – as shown herein. |
ANSWERS TO 25 QUESTIONS ON THE
HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
WHICH COMPLETELY REFUTE THE "BIBLE ONLY" THEORYONE
Did Our Lord write any part of the New Testament or command His Apostles to do so? Our Lord Himself never wrote a line, nor is there any record that He ordered his Apostles to write; He did command them to teach and to preach. Also He to Whom all power was given in Heaven and on earth (Matt. 28-18) promised to give them the Holy Spirit (John 14-26) and to be with them Himself till the end of the world (Mat. 28-20).
COMMENT: If reading the Bible were a necessary means of salvation, Our Lord would have made that statement and also provided the necessary means for his followers.
TWO
How many of the Apostles or others actually wrote what is now in the New Testament? A Few of the Apostles wrote part of Our Lord's teachings, as they themselves expressly stated; i.e., Peter, Paul, James, John, Jude, Matthew, also Sts. Mark and Luke. None of the others wrote anything, so far as is recorded.
COMMENT: If the Bible privately interpreted was to be a Divine rule of Faith, the apostles would have been derelict in their duty when instead, some of them adopted preaching only.
THREE
Was it a teaching or a Bible-reading Church that Christ founded? The Protestant Bible expressly states that Christ founded a teaching Church, which existed before any of the New Testament books were written.
Rom. 10-17: So then faith cometh by HEARING, and hearing by the word of God.
Matt. 28-19: Go ye therefore and TEACH all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Mark. 16-20: And they went forth, and PREACHED everywhere the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Mark 16-15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and PREACH the gospel to every creature.
COMMENT: Thus falls the entire basis of the "Bible-only" theory.
FOUR
Was there any drastic difference between what Our Lord commanded the Apostles to teach and what the New Testament contains? Our Lord commanded his Apostles to teach all things whatsoever He had commanded; (Matt. 28-20); His Church must necessarily teach everything; (John 14-26); however, the Protestant Bible itself teaches that the Bible does not contain all of Our Lord's doctrines: COMMENT: How would it have been possible for second century Christians to practice Our Lord's religion, if private interpretation of an unavailable and only partial account of Christ's teaching were indispensable? Does the New Testament expressly refer to Christ's "unwritten word"? The New Testament itself teaches that it does not contain all that Our Lord did or, consequently, all that He taught. COMMENT: Since the Bible is incomplete, it needs something else to supplement it; i.e., the spoken or historically recorded word which we call Tradition. What became of the unwritten truths which Our Lord and the Apostles taught? The Church has carefully conserved this "word of mouth" teaching by historical records called Tradition. Even the Protestant Bible teaches that many Christian truths were to be handed down by word of mouth. COMMENT: Hence not only Scripture but other sources of information must be consulted to get the whole of Christ's teaching. Religions founded on "the Bible only" are therefore necessarily incomplete. Between what years were the first and last books of the New Testament written? This first book, St. Matthew's Gospel, was not written until about ten years after Our Lord's Ascension. St. John's fourth gospel and Apocalypse or Book of Revelations were not written until about 100 A. D. COMMENT: Imagine how the present-day privately interpreted "Bible-only" theory would have appeared at a time when the books of the New Testament were not only unavailable, but most of them had not yet been written. When was the New Testament placed under one cover? In 397 A. D. by the Council of Carthage, from which it follows that non-Catholics have derived their New Testament from the Catholic Church; no other source was available. COMMENT: Up to 397 A. D., some of the Christians had access to part of the New Testament; into this situation, how would the "Bible-only privately interpreted" theory have fitted? Why so much delay in compiling the New Testament? Prior to 397 A. D., the various books of the New Testament were not under one cover, but were in the custody of different groups or congregations. The persecutions against the Church, which had gained new intensity, prevented these New Testament books from being properly authenticated and placed under one cover. However, this important work was begun after Constantine gave peace to Christianity in 313 A.D., allowing it to be practiced in the Roman Empire. COMMENT: This again shows how utterly impossible was the "Bible-only" theory, at least up to 400 A. D. What other problem confronted those who wished to determine the contents of the New Testament? Before the inspired books were recognized as such, many other books had been written and by many were thought to be inspired; hence the Catholic Church made a thorough examination of the whole question; biblical scholars spent years in the Holy Land studying the original languages of New Testament writings. COMMENT: According to the present-day "Bible-only" theory, in the above circumstances, it would also have been necessary for early Christians to read all the doubtful books and, by interior illumination, judge which were and which were not divinely inspired. Who finally did decide which books were inspired and therefore belonged to the New Testament? Shortly before 400 A. D. a General Council of the Catholic Church, using the infallible authority which Christ had given to His own divine institution, finally decided which books really belonged to the New Testament and which did not. If the Church was infallible then, why is it not infallible now? If the Church was not infallible then, in that case the New Testament is not worth the paper it is written on, because internal evidences of authenticity and inspiration are inconclusive and because the work of this Council cannot now be rechecked; this is obvious from reply to next question. COMMENT: In view of these historical facts, it is difficult to see how non-Catholics can deny that it was from the (Roman) Catholic Church that they received the New Testament. Why is it impossible for modern non-Catholics to check over the work done by the Church previous to 400. A. D.? The original writings were on frail material called papyrus, which had but temporary enduring qualities. While the books judged to be inspired by the Catholic Church were carefully copied by her monks, those rejected at that time were allowed to disintegrate, for lack of further interest in them. COMMENT. What then is left for non-Catholics, except to trust the Catholic Church to have acted under divine inspiration; if at that time, why not now? Would the theory of private interpretation of the New Testament have been possible for the year 400 A. D.? No, because, as already stated, no New Testament as such was in existence. COMMENT: If our non-Catholic brethren today had no Bibles, how could they even imagine following the "Bible-only privately interpreted" theory; but before 400 A. D., New Testaments were altogether unavailable. Would the private interpretation theory have been possible between 400 A. D. and 1440 A. D., when printing was invented? No, the cost of individual Bibles written by hand was prohibitive; moreover, due to the scarcity of books, and other reasons, the ability to read was limited to a small minority. The Church used art, drama and other means to convey Biblical messages. COMMENT: To have proposed the "Bible-only" theory during the above period would obviously have been impracticable and irrational. Who copied and conserved the Bible during the interval between 400 A. D. and 1440 A. D.? The Catholic monks; in many cases these spent their entire lives to give the world personally-penned copies of the Scriptures, before printing was invented. COMMENT: In spite of this, the Catholic Church is accused of having tried to destroy the Bible; had she desired to do this, she had 1500 years within which to do so. Who gave the Reformers the authority to change over from the one Faith, one Fold and one Shepherd program, to that of the "Bible-only theory"? St. Paul seems to answer the above when he said: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galations 1-8 - Protestant version ). COMMENT: If in 300 years, one-third of Christianity was split into at least 300 sects, how many sects would three-thirds of Christianity have produced in 1900 years? (Answer is 5700). Since Luther, what consequences have followed from the use of the "Bible-only" theory and its personal interpretation? Just what St. Paul foretold when he said: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." 2 Timothy 4-3 (Protestant edition). According to the World Christian Encyclopedia and other sources, there are 73 different organizations of Methodists, 55 kinds of Baptists, 10 branches of Presbyterians, 17 organizations of Mennonites, 128 of Lutherans and thousands of other denominations. COMMENT: The "Bible-only" theory may indeed cater to the self-exaltation of the individual, but it certainly does not conduce to the acquisition of Divine truth. In Christ's system, what important part has the Bible? The Bible is one precious source of religious truth; other sources are historical records (Tradition) and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. COMMENT: Elimination of any one of the three elements in the equation of Christ's true Church would be fatal to its claims to be such. Now that the New Testament is complete and available, what insolvable problem remains? The impossibility of the Bible to explain itself and the consequent multiplicity of errors which individuals make by their theory of private interpretation. Hence it is indisputable that the Bible must have an authorized interpreter. COMMENT: Only by going on the supposition that falsehood is as acceptable to God as is truth, can the "Bible-only" theory be defended. Who is the official expounder of the Scriptures? The Holy Spirit, acting through and within the Church which Christ founded nineteen centuries ago; the Bible teaches through whom in the Church come the official interpretations of; God's law and God's word. COMMENT: Formerly at least, it was commonly held that when individuals read their Bibles carefully and prayerfully, the Holy Spirit would guide each individual to a knowledge of the truth. This is much more than the Catholic Church claims for even the Pope himself. Only after extended consultation and study, with much fervent prayer, does he rarely and solemnly make such a decision. What are the effects of the Catholic use of the Bible? Regardless of what persons may think about the Catholic Church, they must admit that her system gets results in the way of unity of rule and unity of faith; otherwise stated, one Faith, one Fold and one Shepherd. COMMENT: If many millions of non-Catholics in all nations, by reading their Bible carefully and prayerfully, had exactly the same faith, reached the same conclusions, then this theory might deserve the serious consideration of intelligent, well-disposed persons-but not otherwise. Why are these so many non-Catholic Churches? Because there is so much different interpretation of the Bible; there is so much different interpretation of the Bible because there is so much wrong interpretation; there is so much wrong interpretation because the system of interpreting is radically wrong. You cannot have one Fold and one Shepherd, one Faith and one Baptism, by allowing every man and every woman to distort and pervert the Scriptures to suit his or her own pet theories. COMMENT: To say that Bible reading is an intensely Christian practice, is to enunciate a beautiful truth; to say that Bible reading is the sole source of religious faith, is to make a sadly erroneous statement. Without Divine aid, could the Catholic Church have maintained her one Faith, one Fold, and one Shepherd? Not any more than the non-Catholic sects have done; they are a proof of what happens when, without Divine aid, groups strive to do the humanly impossible. COMMENT: Catholics love, venerate, use the Bible; but they also know that the Bible alone is not Christ's system but only a precious book, a means, an aid by which the Church carries on her mission to "preach the Gospel to every living creature" and to keep on preaching it "to the end of time." Were there any printed Bibles before Luther? When printing was invented about 1440, one of the first, if not the earliest printed book, was an edition of the Catholic Bible printed by John Gutenberg. It is reliably maintained that 626 editions of the Catholic Bible, or portions thereof, had come from the press through the agency of the Church, in countries where her influence prevailed, before Luther's German version appeared in 1534. Of these, many were in various European languages. Hence Luther's "discovery" of the supposedly unknown Bible at Erfurt in 1503 is one of those strange, wild calumnies with which anti-Catholic literature abounds. COMMENT: Today parts of the Bible are read in the vernacular from every Catholic altar every Sunday. The Church grants a spiritual premium or indulgence to those who read the Bible; every Catholic family has, or is supposed to have, a Bible in the home. Millions of Catholic Bibles are sold annually. During the Middle Ages, did the Catholic Church manifest hostility to the Bible as her adversaries claim? Under stress of special circumstances, various regulations were made by the Church to protect the people from being spiritually poisoned by the corrupted and distorted translations of the Bible; hence opposition to the Waldensians, Albigensians, Wycliff and Tyndale. COMMENT: Individual churchmen may at times have gone too far in their zeal, not to belittle the Bible, but to protect it. There is no human agency in which authority is always exercised blamelessly. The Bible teaches that the true Church began with Christ over 1900 years ago, not with men or women 15 to 19 centuries later. It was founded when Our Lord spoke the following and other similar words: COMMENT: History proves that the First Protestant Church was the Lutheran, founded in 1517 by the ex-priest Martin Luther; all other of the some 33,800 sects have been created since then. The Bible teaches that the rulers of Christ's Church have authority which must be obeyed in matters of religion. COMMENT: The apostles repeatedly claimed this authority: Gal. 1-8; John 1-10; Acts 15, 23 and 28. Hence the laws or precepts of the true Church are founded upon the same authority as the commandments of God. For the Church of Christ has authority to act in his Name. The Bible teaches that not the Bible itself, but the Holy Ghost was the teacher of the Apostles. COMMENT: In consequence, the true Church was necessarily infallible, being as St. Paul said (l Timothy 5-15) "the pillar and ground of the truth." The Bible teaches that the Church has Christ always WITH IT and the Holy Ghost always to guide it-not only during the first century but during all future ages. COMMENT: Hence it is an insult to Christ and the Holy Spirit to say that God's Church fell into error and had to be reformed by Luther, Calvin and other men or women. The Bible teaches that the visible Church of Christ has had and will ever have uninterrupted existence. COMMENT: Hence the theory that Christ's Church, which began with Christ, failed - became non-existent for 1000 or more years - and then was revived by either Luther, Calvin, Knox or some other man or woman, is ridiculous and untrue. The Bible teaches that Christ ascribed to his Church qualities and gave to it the names that proved it to be a VISIBLE organization with VISIBLE UNITY among its followers. In many places of scripture, Christ's Church is compared to a house, a body, a city built on a mountain, a sheepfold, etc.; but these are all visible things. Hence Christ's Church besides being one spirit is also "One Body." The Catholic Church alone has this two-fold unity. The "invisible" theory is therefore false on the face of it. COMMENT: Contrast the unity of Faith, Fold and Shepherd in the Catholic Church with the dissenting, contradictory tenets of 33,800 Protestant organizations and the divinity of the former becomes obvious and certain. The Bible teaches that Christ died for all men, both saints and sinners; and not merely for the "saved or predestined." COMMENT: Hence to the Catholic Church the soul of the condemned criminal on the scaffold is an object of tender solicitude even as, to Our Lord, was the thief on the cross. The Bible teaches that not only the just but sinners will always claim external membership in the true Church. COMMENT: Hence that ungodly persons call themselves Catholic, but are so in name only, is no reflection upon the Church itself. It is rather a verification of Christ's prophecies. The Bible teaches that from the beginning and in every age the true Church of Christ is all over the world or universal; the Greek word used is "Katholikos," from which the English word "Catholic" is derived. COMMENT: Except the Catholic Church, what Christian organization has even a remote claim to universality, in point of place and in point of time? But this is what the essential nature of Christ's Church demands. The Bible teaches that the Apostles appointed lawful successors to carry on their work. COMMENT: Saul or St. Paul had been selected by Christ Himself; yet he was later ordained by Apostolic authority. By what right then does a Dowie, Eddy, Russel, Calvin, Knox, Campbell, or their agents assume the role of ruler, teacher, founder of a "Christian" Church? The Bible teaches the one (and only one) Church which Christ founded had Simon Bar-Jona or Peter for its head. (Our Lord had changed his name from Simon Bar Jona to Peter.) COMMENT: Hence only the Church having Peter and his lawful successors for its head can logically claim to be the Church of Christ. The Bible teaches that in apostolic times whole families were baptized. COMMENT: Unquestionably there were children in these families. Moreover, the earliest records of the Church prove that children were baptized a few days after birth. The Bible teaches that (for grown persons to whom the Gospel can be preached) faith is a necessary condition for baptism. COMMENT: In this text there is no question of children, to whom the Gospel could not be preached and who therefore could not believe. For them not faith but only baptism is required, that original sin may be washed away and supernatural grace imparted to them. The Bible teaches that no one at all (hence not even an infant) can enter the Kingdom of God without baptism. COMMENT: The expression "a man" or "tis" in Greek means any one at all. Hence this text applies to both babes and adults. The Bible teaches that there is such a Christian ordinance or Sacrament as confirmation or "the laying on of hands" by which we receive the Holy Ghost. COMMENT: In the early Church, the Sacrament of "the laying on of hands" was often attended with visible miraculous effects, which is not now usually the case. But the Sacrament itself remains the same when conferred by a lawfully consecrated Bishop as a successor of the Apostles. The Bible teaches that when making his last will and testament Christ gave to us his own Body and Blood. COMMENT: Christ having said "this is my body," who shall deny it and say "this is not your body." Christ having said "this is my blood," who shall deny and say, "this is not your blood." The Bible teaches that Our Lord solemnly claimed that his Eucharist was superior to the miraculous food (John 6-11 to 13) and to the manna (Exodus 16-15). COMMENT: But if the Holy Eucharist were only bread and wine and not the Body and Blood of Christ, these statements would constitute gross deception. The Bible teaches that Christ's Holy Eucharist actually came down from Heaven; in other words that it was really his own very self. COMMENT: Here Our Lord sums up and confirms what He had said in Parts One and Two above; reflect also that mere bread and wine does not come down from Heaven. Nor is it Christ's flesh as He expressly states of his Holy Eucharist. The Bible teaches that upon hearing Our Lord's claim about the Holy Eucharist, many Jews became Protestors or Protestants. COMMENT: If they had said, how can this God do this, there would have been no difficulty, for God can do all things. The Bible teaches that in spite of the Jews' most strenuous objections-Christ did not correct or modify his statement (which he would have done had there been a misunderstanding); but insisted the more upon the reality of his presence in the Eucharist. COMMENT: Even taken as an isolated proof, this is unassailable, but taken as a part of a chain of proofs, it becomes as impregnable as a wall of solid granite. The Bible teaches that Jesus allowed many of his disciples to abandon Him, rather than to substitute the Protestant version of his Holy Eucharist, for what He had given. COMMENT: What a strange concept one must have of Christ to imagine that He would have acted in this manner if the disciples had really misunderstood Him. (See also John 3, 3 to 7 and John 8, 56-9). The Bible teaches that Jesus would have allowed his twelve Apostles also to abandon Him rather than to give them the Protestant version of his Holy Eucharist. COMMENT: Peter as usual had the correct view. He believed and knew that Christ was God, therefore he accepted his divine word, difficult to understand, though it may have been. Catholics lovingly do the same. Saint Paul teaches that the unworthy reception of Holy Communion constitutes a desecration of the Body and Blood of Christ and is the cause of damnation. COMMENT: Let unbelievers in the truth of our Lord's real presence endeavor to show how the taking of a mere piece of bread or a sip of wine could be a desecration of Christ himself and a crime worthy of damnation. The Bible teaches that there is a sacrifice and a priesthood in the new law. COMMENT: The usual Protestant communion service is not intended to be a sacrificial act which the prophet's word "altar" connotes. Where today except in the Catholic Church do we find among Christians an altar of sacrifice and a pure offering, i. e., the sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine? The Bible teaches that the confessing of sins is a usual requisite for obtaining forgiveness. COMMENT: Private confession is necessarily contained in the double power which Christ gave to the Church-the power to forgive or retain sins as the circumstances require. To do so prudently-the "minister of reconciliation" must have the required information, which the penitent supplies by confession. The Bible teaches that Christ gave to the validly ordained ministers of his own Church the power to forgive sins. COMMENT: All purely spiritual powers which Christ conferred upon his Church were given to it perpetually except where no need of such a power remained. But who will say there is no longer any need of the power to forgive sin, that sin is no longer a live problem upon earth? The Bible teaches that the anointing of the sick with oil and prayer by the priests of the Church (called Extreme Unction) may obtain forgiveness of sins and even refreshment Of body. COMMENT: As all such spiritual ordinances derived from Christ and the Apostles were of their very nature perpetual, there is absolutely no reason for saying that Extreme Unction as here described was but a temporary institution. The Bible teaches that Christ has ambassadors or agents (his bishops and priests) who represent Him in this world. COMMENT: No wonder that the Catholic Church imposes such serious obligations upon her priests. The fact that an occasional individual may be faithless to his obligations proves nothing against Christ or his Church. The fact that many slander and vilify the priests, only makes them so much the more like their Divine Master. The Bible teaches that the office of the bishop, priests, etc., in the true Church comes by divine appointment; i. e., God gives individuals a special vocation to this calling. COMMENT: Most unscriptural, therefore, is the practice of congregations ordaining, commissioning their ministers to preach the gospel to them. This authority comes from Christ, through the Apostles and their lawful successors. The Bible teaches that the Apostles actually appointed lawful assistants and successors to carry on their work. COMMENT: Holy Orders is a special sacrament which transmits the Apostolic power and authority down through the centuries. The Bible teaches that it is unlawful to have women ministers who speak or preach in the Churches. COMMENT: In view of this, it is difficult to see how any one can take it upon himself to nullify the word of God, by having women preachers, ministers or evangelists. The Bible teaches that lawful marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power. COMMENT: This doctrine is maintained at a great price by the Catholic Church. Of old it cost her nearly the whole of England. Today she loses thousands every year because of her uncompromising stand upon this subject. But did she do otherwise, she would cease to be the true Church of Christ. The Bible teaches that remarriage (during the lifetime of the former consort) is adultery. COMMENT: If one party commits adultery the other party may, under certain circumstances, live separate from guilty party; but may not remarry during the former consort's lifetime. This is the real meaning of Matt. 19, 9. The Bible teaches (a) that some sins are forgiven in the next world; (b) that some souls are saved in the next world "by fire"; (c) that it is useful and beneficial to pray for the dead. COMMENT: As nothing defiled can enter Heaven (Rev. 21-27), there must necessarily exist a state of cleansing or purgation usually called "purgatory." The Bible teaches that God approves the use and veneration of sacred pictures and images to stimulate religious fervor. COMMENT: Hence men are not forbidden "to make to thyself a graven image," except when this is to be set up and adored as a god. The Bible teaches the utility of ashes as a sign of penance. COMMENT: Hence criticism of blessed ashes and similar Catholic sacramentals is irreverent and irreligious. The Bible teaches that special vestments are worn by those exercising sacred functions. COMMENT: Hence Catholic vestments are by no means "superstitious," but conformable to Bible precedent. The Bible teaches that already in ancient times, God not only permitted but commanded the use of Holy Water. COMMENT: Hence the Catholic Church should be commended, not blamed, for following Sacred Scripture. The Bible teaches that it is proper and beneficial to venerate the relics of sacred personages or things. COMMENT: Hence while the Catholic Church forbids her children to pray TO relics of Christ and the Saints, or to act towards them as if they had any power IN THEMSELVES; she rightly teaches us to honor the relics for what they represent. Similarly, Americans honor the flag because of its symbolism. The Bible teaches that incense symbolizing prayer can be used in churches when offering praise and worship to God. COMMENT: Hence Catholic ceremonies, the use of incense, etc., all have Scriptural basis. The Bible teaches that those who reject willingly the true faith are to be classified with heretics and lost souls. COMMENT: Therefore according to the Bible, one religion is not as good as the other. It is the true religion that God demands of men and which men are bound to practice in order to save their souls. The Bible teaches that both faith and good works are necessary for salvation. COMMENT: Hence the futility of saying, "I am a Christian, I am a Catholic," unless one earnestly strives to serve God. Hence the egregious error of maintaining that the mere acceptation of Christ as one's Personal Savior is all that is required. Christ is, will be our personal Savior only if we exercise that necessary faith and good works. Hence also the folly of saying: "It makes no difference what you believe." The Bible teaches that God made Mary the earthly mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity; that true Christians of every age MUST honor her: Read Luke 1, 26-35, COMMENT: Since God honored Mary more than other angelic or human beings, are we not allowed, EVEN OBLIGED, to do the same? But where outside the Catholic Church is this precept, this prophecy fulfilled? The Bible teaches that the citizens of heaven take an active interest and (within limitations) intervene in the affairs of men. COMMENT: Hence the Catholic Church is most consistent in enumerating angels among men's protectors, patrons, well-wishers. The same may be said of God's saints in Heaven. Today there are so many Protestant churches because there is so much different interpretation of the Bible; there is so much different interpretation of the Bible because there is so much wrong interpretation of the Bible. And there is so much wrong interpretation because the system of interpreting it is radically wrong. You cannot have one fold and one shepherd, one faith and one baptism by letting every man and every woman distort and pervert the Scriptures to suit their own pet theories. Some, like the early heretics, will prove from the Bible that Christ is only God and not man. Others, like modern Unitarians, will prove from the Bible that Christ is only man and not God. Some denominations will prove from the Bible that in the New Law, Christ shared his priesthood with NO ONE. Others will prove from the Bible that in the New Law, even the women are priests; hence the name Presbyters or priests, from which "Presbyterian" is derived. One sect will prove from the Bible that baptism is unnecessary for children, but is necessary for adults. Others will prove from the Bible that baptism is necessary for no one; that it is only a ceremony, an initiation such as is required when one joins a lodge. Campbellites or "First Christians" will prove from the Bible that to be really baptized, one must be totally immersed in water. Others prove from the Bible that the whole thing is unnecessary and ought to be abandoned. Russellites prove from the Bible that there is going to be a millennium, a thousand years when every one will get a second trial. Calvinists prove from the Bible that a large part of mankind do not even get a first trial, but are predestined to damnation irrespective of their merits. Some sects prove from the Bible that eternal punishment is going to be meted out to nearly every one, but the little handful of their particular false sect is going to escape. But others prove from the Bible that everyone is going to be saved. To even murderers, adulterers, and those who rob widows and orphans-and never repent-will Christ hold out His arms and say: "Come, Blessed of My Father, and possess the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Mrs. Eddy will prove from the Bible that man is all soul, the body is practically a delusion, and does not really exist, "Bible Students" will prove from the Bible that the soul is all delusion you really have none When you die, your soul knows not anything: the soul which God gave Adam was only air and nothing more In the Bible, we are told to serve the Lord in fear and trembling and so we have the shakers, the mourners and the weepers. Again in the Bible, we are told to rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. And so we have the singers and the jumpers and the rollers. Surely you would think that there is a sufficient variety to suit every one, but it seems not, for new sects are springing up constantly. All these claim to prove their version of Christianity from the Bible; all these are willing to swear that their little handful are the only ones who are right and that every one else is wrong. Christ's Church for nineteen hundred years was a complete failure, but fortunately they have finally come to set it aright. Meanwhile the Bible itself warns us: For whosoever preaches any other but the accepted Christian faith of past centuries, by that very fact proves himself to be a false teacher, a false prophet, who as Christ says, "Comes in the garb of a shepherd, but inwardly is a ravening wolf." The true faith must be and necessarily has been believed, as St. Augustine puts it: "Semper et ubique;" i.e. always and all over - by at least the vast majority of Christians. Of that accepted Christian faith, therefore, we can say what St. Paul did of his own teachings: "Though an angel from heaven preach to you a different doctrine, let him be accursed." Here are ten children. Give them all the same simple problem in arithmetic. Imagine that each gives you a different answer. Of these ten answers, you know that at least nine are wrong. Perhaps also the tenth. Here are 33,800 sects. Ask them all to solve the problem, "What does the Bible teach?" Each gives you a different answer. But you know that only one can really be correct. All the rest are wrong. Two and two are always four. There are a thousand wrong answers to every problem, but only one correct reply. John 20-30: And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, etc.
John 21-25: And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
FIVE John 20-30: And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, etc.
John 21-25: And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written Amen.
SIX 2 Thes. 2-15: Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2 Tim. 2-2: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
SEVEN EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN Either the Church at this General Council was infallible, or it was not. TWELVE THIRTEEN FOURTEEN FIFTEEN SIXTEEN SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN NINETEEN 2 Peter 1-20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Peter 3-16: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Acts 8-30: And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaias, and said, understandest thou what thou readest? 31. And he said, How can I except some men should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
TWENTY Luke 10-16: He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Matt. 16-18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mal. 2-7: For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
TWENTY-ONE TWENTY-TWO TWENTY-THREE TWENTY-FOUR TWENTY-FIVE
ORIGIN OF CHRIST'S CHURCH Matt. 28, 18-20: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore. and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
AUTHORITY OF CHRIST'S CHURCH Heb. 13, 17: Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Matt 18-17: And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Luke 10-16: He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Matt. 16-19: And I will give unto thee (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou (Peter) shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou (Peter) shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
INFALLIBILITY OF CHRIST'S CHURCH i.e., THAT IT CANNOT ERR IN TEACHING CHRIST'S RELIGION ONE John 14-26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things. and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16-13: How be it when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth . . .
Acts 1-8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
TWO Matt. 28-20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END of the world. Amen.
John 14-16: And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you FOREVER.
PERPETUITY OF THE ORIGINAL CHURCH Matt. 28, 19-20: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost . . . lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Matt. 16-18: . . . and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
VISIBLE UNITY OF THE CHURCH Romans 12-5: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Eph. 4-3 to 5-3: Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is ONE BODY, AND ONE SPIRIT even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. 5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, etc.
John 10-16: And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Rom. 12, 4-5: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, etc.
John 17-21: That they may be one, as thou Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that (as a consequence) the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.
SINNERS AND CHRIST'S CHURCH ONE II Cor. 5-15: And that he died for ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Rom. 5, 6-21: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, etc.
I John 2-2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
I Tim. 2-4: Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
TWO Matt. 22-2: The parable of the king who made a marriage for his son.
Matt.13-24: The parable of the field in which grew both grain and cockle.
II Tim. 2-20: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
Matt. 18-15: Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee. go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Matt. 13-47: Parable of the net that was cast into the sea, and gathered every kind of fish, savory and unsavory.
CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH Matt. 28, 19: Go ye therefore, and teach ALL NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Mark 16-15: And he said unto them, Go ye into ALL THE WORLD, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Acts 1-8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea; and in Samaria, and unto the UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH.
Rom. 10-18: But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
APOSTOLICTY Titus, 1-5: For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that was wanting, and ordain elders (i. e. priests) in every city, as I had appointed thee.
Acts, 13, 2 and 3: As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have recalled them. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
THE FIRST POPE Matt. 16, 18-19: And I say also unto Thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, etc.
Later Our Lord made Simon-Peter pastor of both the lambs and the sheep, that is His whole flock.
John 21, 15 to 17: So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him. Feed my sheep. 17. He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Our Lord promised that Peter would confirm the faith of the other Apostles:
Luke 22-32: But I have prayed for thee (Peter) that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
BAPTISM ONE Acts 16-33: And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
I Cor. 1-16: And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides I know not whether I baptized any other.
Acts 16-15: And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
TWO Mark 16-16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Matt. 28-19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
THREE John 3-5: Jesus answered. Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
CONFIRMATION Acts 8. 14-15 and 17: Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15. Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 17. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 19-6: And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
Heb. 6-2: Of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
THE HOLY EUCHARIST: CHRIST ACTUALLY PRESENT THEREIN ONE Mark 14, 22-24: And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: This is my body. 23. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks. he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
TWO John 6, 26: Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you; ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you. etc. 31, Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
THREE John 6, 33: For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 35. . . I am the bread of life ... 38.... For I came down from heaven, etc. 41. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said I am the bread which came down from heaven, etc. 48. I am that bread of life. 49. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
FOUR John 6, 52: The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?
FIVE John 6, 53: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is meat indeed, and by blood is drink indeed. 56. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58. This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.
SIX John 6-60: Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying; who can hear it? 66. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
SEVEN John 6, 67: Then said Jesus unto the twelve. Will ye also go away? 68. Then Simon Peter answered him. Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
EIGHT I Cor. 11, 27: Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
I Cor. 11, 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE TRUE CHURCH Mal. 1, 11: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering.
Heb. 13, 10: We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle (of the Jewish temple).
CONFESSION ONE Numbers 5, 6-7: Speak unto the children of Israel. When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit . . . Then they shall confess their sin which they have done, etc.
Proverbs 28, 13: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
II Samuel 12, 13: After David confessed his sins to the prophet Nathan he was given assurance of pardon.
Luke 23, 43: When the thief on the cross confessed, our Lord promised him paradise.
I John 1, 9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, etc.
Matt. 3, 5-6: Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan. And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Acts 19, 18: And many that believed came (to the Apostles), and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
TWO 2 Cor. 5, 20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
John 20-21: Then said Jesus to them again. Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so I send you. 23, Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: And whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Matt. 18, 18: Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.
2 Cor. 5, 18, 20: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the Ministry of reconciliation.
EXTREME UNCTION James 5, 14-16: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders (i. e., priests) of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
HOLY ORDERS ONE 2 Cor. 5-20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
I Cor. 4, l: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
John 20, 21: Then said Jesus to them again. Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you .
TWO Heb. 5, 4: And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb. 5, 1: For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
John 15, 16: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit; and that your fruit should remain- that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 20-21: Then said Jesus to them again. Peace be unto you; as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
THREE Titus 1-5: For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders (i. e., priests) in every city, as I had appointed thee.
Acts 13, 2 and 3: As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
WOMEN AS MINISTERS I Cor. 14, 34: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak, etc.
MATRIMONY AND DIVORCE ONE Matt. 19, 6: Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
TWO I Cor. 7, 10-11: And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband; but and if she depart let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
Mark 10, 11-12: And he saith unto them, whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another she committeth adultery.
Luke 16-18: Whosoever putteth away his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
PURGATORY Matt. 12-32: And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME. (Some sins can therefore be forgiven after death.)
I Cor. 3, 13 and 15: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, YET SO AS BY FIRE.
2 Machabees, 12-46: (This is one of the Old Testament books omitted from the Protestant Bible). It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.
PICTURES AND STATUES Exod. 25-18: And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Numbers 21, 8-9: And the Lord said unto Moses. Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
John 3, 14: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.
I Kings 6-29: And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. (Also see verses 32 and 35).
ASHES ON ASH WEDNESDAY Job. 42, 6: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Jonah 3, 6: For word came unto the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
VESTMENTS AT MASS Exod. 28-4: And these are the garments which they shall make; a breast plate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre and a girdle, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
HOLY WATER Numbers 5-17: And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.
RELICS OF SAINTS 2 King, 2, 8-14: The mantle of Elijah.
Exodus 7, 10: The rod of Aaron.
Matt 9, 20-21: Also Matt. 14-36: The hem of our Lord's garment.
Acts 19, 12: So that from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs. or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirit went out of them.
Acts 5, 15-16: Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them
USE OF INCENSE Rev. 8, 3: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Psalm 141-2: Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
HERESIES Titus 3-10: A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject.
Gal. 1-8: But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal. 1-9: As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received let him be accursed.
Rom. 16-17: Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
2 John 10: If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.
NECESSITY OF GOOD WORKS James 2, 22-26: Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect? etc.... so faith without works is dead also.
I Cor. 13, 1-3: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels . . and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains . . . and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing
. Matt. 7-21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mark 16-16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.
HONORING MARY Luke 1-48: . . ., for, behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
HONORING ANGELS AND SAINTS Eph. 2-19: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but FELLOW-CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS and of the household of God.
Acts 12-7: And behold the angel of the Lord came upon him and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying: Arise up quickly. And his chains fell from his hands.
Heb. 1-14: Are they not all ministering spirits, set forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Luke 15-10: Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Catholic Doctrine Is Derived From These Four Sources:
Why There Are So Many Churches In our day, there is no whim, fad or fancy that some one does not claim to prove from the Bible. Almost any man or woman is conceited enough to set himself up as a competent interpreter of the word of God. "I think the Bible means this, therefore it does mean this," is their modest position. These men and women want it thoroughly understood that our forefathers in the faith were all fools that for the last nineteen hundred years, the Christian world was in inky darkness. With them, however, light has come into the world.
VARIOUS INSTANCES BIBLE IS MISTREATED Reduced to practice their theory means this: Read the Bible and believe as you like; if you like Martin Luther's theory, follow it; if you prefer John Calvin's Christianity, embrace it. If you think that Campbell, or Dowie, or Mrs. Eddy, or the Adventists have "discovered" the truth, have succeeded in doing what Christ must have failed to do, then take them as your guide. If the theory of none of these persons suits you, make up one yourself.
RECENT FALLACIES "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. but . . . shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (2 Tim. 4-3).
Again, referring to the epistle of St. Paul, the Prince of the Apostles tells us:
"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also other scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter. 3-16).
CHRIST'S TRUTHS CHANGELESS Copies of this item available from: Our Lady of the Rosary Library 11721 Hidden Creek Road Prospect, KY 40059
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Instaurare omnia in Christo (To restore all things in Christ)
ROMEO K. ESCUYOS JR.
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