Posted on 06/27/2005 1:42:52 PM PDT by Coleus
| Parents miss Mass, kids get ax |
|
|
|
The Rev. Michael Cichon, pastor of St. Joseph/St. Thomas in Pleasant Plains, used each family's bar-coded donation envelope to track attendance. He's tossed about 300 kids from classes and told them not to reapply until next April. Without the classes, children cannot receive the sacraments, meaning some youngsters who thought they'd be making their First Communion next year will have to wait. The suspensions, legal under church doctrine, were a shock to many parents with kids enrolled in the 1,400-child program, which caters to kids who don't attend Catholic schools. "It's hurtful," said Joseph LoPizzo, 38, whose 6-year-old son was booted. "I've been a parishioner at that church for 23 years - longer than he's been the reverend." LoPizzo said he paid the $150 for his son's Thursday afternoon classes last year, but his father-in-law's illness hampered the family's church attendance. "I've just never heard of a church kicking you out," complained Lisa Nicol, 36, who got a letter saying her 7-year-old twin daughters had been barred from classes. "They should be more welcoming and sensitive." The pastor said he suspended kids from the 2005-2006 after-school program because Mass is an "essential" component of the Catholic faith. The affected families were attending church less than once a month, he said. Cichon insisted that the move has nothing to do with the lack of a donation. "There are many families who put absolutely nothing inside the envelopes they submit," he said. |
Actually, I have read the Gospels more than once!
No you don't. They are two separate doctrines. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Then answer the question: was Christ's sacrifice on the Cross a human sacrifice or wasn't it?
Q: Can you provide a New Testament example which parallels how Matthew uses the word "until" with respect to Mary in Matthew 1:25? I’ve had Fundamentalists tell me the word translated "until" in most modern versions, is different in the New Testament than in the Old Testament and that Catholic arguments in support of Mary’s perpetual virginity based on Old Testament examples of how "until" is used won’t work.
A: Such examples do work because, while two different words are used (one Greek, the other Hebrew), they mean the same thing ("until") and don’t mean that something which didn’t happen up to a certain time, necessarily happened afterward. Those who say "until" in Matthew 1:25 proves Mary had marital relations after the birth of Jesus, then, are wrong.
Although Old Testament examples commonly cited by Catholics paralleling the use of "until" in Matthew 1:25 are perfectly valid, a New Testament example you can cite is Luke 1:80 which says, "And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel."
The Greek word translated "until" in this passage is heos, the same word used in Matthew 1:25. The child spoken of is John the Baptist who, after as well as before he appeared in public, resided in the desert (Matt. 3:1, Mark 1:3,4; Luke 3:2).
Duh. I'm not questioning that the word is there, I am questioning how you interpret it. To read it your way, they had sex immediately after the birth.
In order to believe in the immaculate conception you have to believe in the perpetual virginity.
Uh, no. I'm not aware of any logical linking between the two. This is assuming that you know what "Immaculate Conception" means, and it has been put forth that you do not.
Scripture also states that Jesus has brothers and sisters. Jude being one of the half brothers.
Jesus had kin, yes. Possibly even step-siblings. But none other is identified as a child of Mary.
However, Mary was just like any other young Jewish girl, not of supernatural origins,
Who said Mary was of "supernatural origins"? You have an odd idea of what Catholicism teaches.
Until does mean up to a point when a change occurs, or Until wouldn't be there
Psalm 110:1The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
So, after the enemies are made into a footstool, He no longer sits at the right hand? It says "until," right?
SD
"Philadelphia AREA" - mom didn't tell me exactly where the school is located. It could be in Jersey.
"Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death."
of course, a catholic resource...
It can mean that, but it does not necessarily mean that.
When Paul says in Acts 23:1:
"Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."
Does Paul mean that after this day (i.e. the day after he was arrested for preaching Christ in Jerusalem) he will no longer live in good conscience with God?
Is he implying that because he has now appeared before Ananias he has changed and will no longer be in good conscience with God?
Clearly "until" does not have the restricted, exclusive meaning you place on it.
How can THE Lord sit on HIS own right hand? He was talking to Whom, me' Lord? Yes, it is a reference to another sitting on the Lord's right hand until the enemies were beatten to submission...
My resource in post 549 is the KJV Bible.
It has the very meaning.... yes, there was a change when the word UNITL was used....what? you answer that
So, on the day this book was written, the Israelites expelled the Geshurites and the Maachathites?
SD
Was it a human sacrifice?
Good one, thanks.
SD
Just divorced.
No I didn't. I criticized his method. I didn't attack him.
Next, you told me what I worry about. That is something you made up. You have no way of knowing. That's how it's not true. That is the insult, not your opinions about things you THINK I might not want to hear. Please withdraw it.
Next, neither you, nor the Pastor, knows if all these people are hypocrites, much less not attending Mass. His method of finding out was flawed and arrogant. His approach to fixing the problem was ill-thought out and addresses the wrong people.
If you saw the importance of living a Catholic life in essence and not just appearance, you would understand Jesus' blistering attacks on the Pharisees.
I understand plenty. And your example in not analogous. And your idea of living a "Catholic" life, is not one I necessarily share. Although I don't think it's harmful and probably beneficial to some. I prefer to focus on the Christian life.
Was Christ wrong for pointing out hypocrisy like the priest is wrong?
I never said the priest was wrong for pointing out hypocricy. You made that up.
Now tell me about how Jesus taught to turn the children away because of the parents' unfaithfulness.
He SPECIFICALLY told others to allow the children to come to him and not interfere. Pray about that.
And please stop making things up about me. You want to know something? Ask. It's simple,,,and Christian.
:-).
are you implying that the word until means never happened?
or are you trying to justify away a fact that the catholic church denys
Your parish gives 3/4 of its budget to the school? Unbelievable! I hope you're seeing some return on your money, if not vocations, at least in parish retention. Our parish gives less than a quarter of its budget to the school, and a lot of that is grey area - groundsmen, janitorial staff, etc.
Do you send your kids to the parish school? Did you know that there is a new private Catholic school in Wyndmoor (just outside Chestnut Hill) at the old Seven Dolors parish school that teaches the children of orthodox Catholics in the classical tradition? The kids start learning Latin in the primary grades. It's a little pricier and certainly not a great commute from the Northeast when you compare it to your parish school, but you might find the sacrifices worth it just to keep the "Brittany Spears" factor away from your kids.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.