1. Mass is observed every day. At mass, the words and actions of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, are remembered, as well as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it isn’t like, Catholics only remember these things once a year. Only the sinful lapsed Catholics who attend Mass only once or twice a year do that. However, Holy Week takes on more meaning as we draw nearer to the actual days on the calendar each year when Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
I salute the good work you do in introducing Christ and his teaching to those who may have been previously unaware.
2. I agree. As I have said before, the paganistic rituals that accompany these days are abhorrent. As I am not Irish, I do not completely understand the nature of these non-Christian practices on St. Patrick’s Day.
3. It is my firm belief that God the Holy Spirit, working through Pope Gregory, set up the current Gregorian Calendar, and in the moving this year of the rememberance of St. Patrick, it will be returned to what it should be, a rememberance of a man, who like yourself, was a missionary and brought Christianity to Ireland. Those who celebrate on the 17th will not be the Christians, but the pagans who St. Patrick attempted to convert. Thus light should be shed more brightly on these less-than-Christian practices.
“At mass, the words and actions of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, are remembered, as well as the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
I realize that the Roman church believes in apostolic authority which is extra-biblical. But then any man claiming authority can become the authority over the Scriptures. I am not trying to be unkind, but I don’t believe that any pope has authority to do anything.
The New Testament isnstructs walking in the spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit for all the children of God (Eph. 5). They that are led by the spirit are the sons of God (Romans 8). And so Colossians ch. 2 instructs clearly that Christians have no particular holy days. So what right does a pope or a church system have to over-ride the Scriptures Themselves?
The world can see religious pomp and ceremony any day of the year in any part of the world. But the world so rarely sees common Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit, living Christ in their daily expression, words, activities.
Holy days and religious trappings are mainly for leading along people who have not the Spirit of God. Religion is basically a substitute for the Holy Spirit.