Posted on 01/10/2005 12:36:47 PM PST by It's me
CHENNAI (ICNS) – The tsunami waves have subsided, but a miracle is being talked about across Chennai. It is the story of how St Thomas’ miraculous post kept the invading waves away, sparing the newly renovated Santhome Cathedral.
The Cathedral, the world’s second basilica built on an apostle’s tomb, has been giving shelter to hundreds of tsunami victims ever since the waves ravaged many buildings across the coast.
But even though the killer tsunami waves devastated the Chennai coast, Father Lawrence Raj, the parish priest of the Santhome Cathedral Basilica, says “the sea did not touch our church.”
The reason? “We believe the miraculous post of St Thomas prevented the sea waters from entering the church,” says Father Raj.
The church that sits at the site where St. Thomas, one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, was buried after his death in the year 72 is located a few metres from the sea. While all the buildings on either side of the church were hit by the tsunami waves, the Santhome Cathedral remained unaffected.
Local people now say it is the St Thomas’ miraculous post that has kept the sea away on December 26.
According to Father Raj, the legend is that when St Thomas planted the post at the top of the steps leading to the Cathedral, he said the sea would not pass that point.
The priest saw from the terrace of church the angry sea in action, as it surged across the road and flooded the huts in front of St Thomas’ post, which is an innocuous looking log of wood, mounted on a cement pedestal.
The belief goes that a village in the Mylapore area was flooded when a huge tree trunk fell across the river. The local king brought a royal pachyderm to lug it away, but the task seemed impossible.
Then, according to legend, St Thomas came along, removed the girdle from his waist and handed it to a bystander and asked him to yank the log with it. He did so and the log was moved easily.
A mural in the Cathedral museum illustrates this incident. Father Raj says the current post is believed to be from that same log of wood.
Hundreds of homeless survivors who have been staying in the church ever since the tragedy hit them have prayed to St Thomas for saving them.
“It is St Thomas who has saved me. This church was untouched by the waters because of the miraculous power of the St Thomas post,” said K Sebastiraj, a fisherman who sought shelter in the Santhome Cathedral.
God loves all of his children. You had faith in God and your faith is what healed her along with the faith of others. It was also God's will which none of us understand.
This does not make your Priest God's servant ordained with his blessing. He may serve God but was not called by God to do so. God may bless others through him if he is truly righteous but this will not save them or himself. Baptism is required and he is not authorized to do that by God as no Apostle called him by the laying on of hands to do so.
OK, Imph, where did the canon of the Bible come from?
The fact is that God's Church on earth is populated by sinners. Those fallable men made mistakes. This does not impugn the validity of the Church itself. Are you saying that the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are without sin?
Why do you condemn to Purgatory those who Christ taught between Good Friday and Easter? Why do you condemn the babies that die that could not possibly commit any sin?
Your statements evidence alot of misconceptions about the Catholic Faith. First, we believe that Christ descended into purgatory to preach the gospel to the old testament faithful who were essentially "stored" there. This in fact opened the way to heaven for them. No one was condemned to Purgatory, particularly because purgatory is a transitive place anyway. People who go there are on their way to heaven. As to babies, we leave the issue of babies who cannot have committed a sin to the infinite mercy of God.
Why do you not have a Prophet and Apostles?
The last prophet was John the Baptist. We do have Apostles. We have their successors, the Bishops. The Acts of the Apostles clearly shows that the concept of apostolic succession was contemplated when the remaining Apostles chose Judas' replacement(Mathias). Interestingly, the word "office" used in the relevent passages is translated in the King James version as "bishopric."
Because Catholics are sinners?
Why did Jesus choose Judas to be an Apostle?
Why did you sell absolvance?
Indulgences? See above.
Why do you condemn to Purgatory those who Christ taught between Good Friday and Easter?
Purgatory is a state of purgation or purification prior to entering heaven for those who die with an attachment to sin, but without mortal sin on their souls. It's referenced in Scripture, most notably in 2 Maccabees.
2 Macc. 12:43-45 - the prayers for the dead help free them from sin and help them to the reward of heaven. Those in heaven have no sin, and those in hell can no longer be freed from sin. They are in purgatory. Luther was particularly troubled with these verses because he rejected the age-old teaching of purgatory. As a result, he removed Maccabees from the canon of the Bible.
Otherwise, I'm not sure what you're referring to.
Why do you condemn the babies that die that could not possibly commit any sin?
The Church does not. The Church hopes for their salvation. There does not exist a definitive teaching on the subject. "Limbo" is a theological speculation.
Why do you not have a Prophet and Apostles?
Not sure what you're referring to here. Do you mean a Pope and Apostles?
See Isaiah 22:22 and Matthew 16:19. Jesus gives Peter the keys of the House of David, of which Jesus is the eternal King. Historically (Isaiah 22:22), the keys represented the office of vice-regent (vice-king). The vice-regent wore the key around his neck. The vice-regent enjoyed full plenary authority in the king's absence, and the key represented his office. In Matthew 16:19, Jesus is appointing Peter to this office.
I dont see your point. Both characters are fictional.
Great minds think alike,as it were.
Illbay
Is that you????? If so you are still full of shit
Seems to me the Pope approved many of these very evil deeds in the Middle Ages. I see no way that he was the Lord's chosen in those days and if not there is no secession. Although there is none anyway. John was the last living Apostle with him ended God's Authority on Earth. But as Paul said All men have sin. The real problem is that there is no Revelation through a Prophet to put things back in order. John received many Revelations from God to make sure the Church was doing things correctly. This ended with John, since the Apostles stopped being replaced after the first three replacements. You do not even claim the Pope receives Revelations yet throughout the Old and New Testament this is ALWAYS the way God made sure the church kept on the right track.
As to babies, we leave the issue of babies who cannot have committed a sin to the infinite mercy of God.
This was not the teachings in the 40's. Once again proof that the Pope is very fallible.
We do have Apostles. We have their successors, the Bishops.<-i>
They had bishops in John's time as well. They were not Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles clearly shows that the concept of apostolic succession was contemplated when the remaining Apostles chose Judas' replacement(Mathias). This was not continued as Jesus knew the church would not last long, although his influence would.
Three Centuries latter some of the successors to these Bishops got together and created a Church but that is not what Christ created. He created a Church with a Prophet or Apostle to receive Revelations from him. These Bishops did not receive Revelations nor did they have Apostles. They did the best they could but Christ would not bless they with the complete Gospel as they were not worthy of it. Thus the Dark Ages.
I am not saying God does not love you or these Bishops in 323 AD. I am just saying that he determined they were not ready for his full Gospel and thus did not give it to them. The half baked religion they came up served his purpose of keeping his memory alive and giving the righteous a reason to be so. I am very thankful for the purpose the Catholic Church provided from then till now. But it is not the full Gospel of Jesus Christ.
here we go again.....
I see you have been thoroughly educated about Catholicism by Catholic haters. You know we could really take off on your "religion" but if you noticed no Catholics have.
or maybe that the building was well built from the start????
So Christ loves the Asian Southern Baptist Missionaries as well as the Catholics of Santhome Cathedral...guess we should call a truce to any Catholic or Protestant bashing that seems to be ready to occur on this thread!
Is it time to tee Mormonism up and hit it out of the park for Imph?
Did you hear the report on Fox & Friends several days after the tsunami hit. I was leaving for work, but from what I understand a priest had some orphans on a boat tring to escape the waves. When a large wave approached which he thought would sink the boat, he held out his arms and said, "In the name of God, I order you to stop." The wave did not hit the boat and the people on it were saved.
December 26, 2004: Tsunami wipes out 150,000 in muslim Indonesia and assorted other muslim countries but a Catholic basillica is not damaged.
Who says God is not on our side?
So, I guess your god is the type of god who drowns little kids while preserving a random building.
Anyone who believes this is "dumb as a post"...God may have spared this edifice, but St. Thomas had nothing to do with it.
Getting from Judea to India would not have been all that difficult. The Roman Empire had trading posts along India's Western shore. Ships ran regularly from ports along the Red Sea. Spain would have been even safer, since the Mediterranean was wholly controlled by the Romans.
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