[marshmallow]

Posted as a counterpoint to a widely held viewpoint, especially among my non-Catholic brothers and sisters that Catholics don't "know" Christ or don't have a personal relationship with Christ.

We may have a little more common ground than you think. I'm sure those of you who habitually bag us could sign off on this; "That is the essence of Christian faith, the Pope said: a direct personal encounter with Jesus."

[Salvation]

Bump.

[quadrant]

No one disputes that Paul's conversion came from a personal encounter with the risen Christ, for if his conversion had come by some other manner, he could not be an apostle. Though this encounter was the central fact of Paul's life and the cornerstone of belief, his faith needed to be moulded by thought, study, and prayer. This process began when Paul met other believers and when he spent time alone (three years, I believe) after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.

[quadrant]

No one disputes that Paul's conversion came from a personal encounter with the risen Christ, for if his conversion had come by some other manner, he could not be an apostle. Though this encounter was the central fact of Paul's life and the cornerstone of belief, his faith needed to be molded by thought, study, and prayer. This process began when Paul met other believers and when he spent time alone (three years, I believe) after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.

[xzins]

this transformation of his life was not the result of a psychological process, of an intellectual or moral evolution, but the fruit of his meeting with Christ Jesus."

Good.

The pope agrees with me.

[Quix]

Glad to read the Pope’s assertions. He’s quite right and Biblical in what I read above.

As to Vaticans not having a personal relationship with Christ . . .

It’s still mystifying to me that so many Vaticans think so highly of themselves . . .

They seem to think that something magically makes them super human and immune to the human frailties mentioned in the New Testament and common to so many ‘professing’ Biblers/Proddies.

Repeatedly do folks of the EDIFICE clique hereon pontificate about how every last Vatican believes X,Y&Z and if they don’t, then they are automatically NOT Vaitcans.

How tidy.

Every denomination has it’s version of Jack Mormons or as some Vaticans have said—cafeteria Vaticans.

There are also the misguided—who’ve believed the Pastor’s press releases. Or the denomination’s press releases—MORE than they’ve believed The Bible.

Far too often those noises hinder or even prevent or sabotage a vibrant RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST in ‘favor’ of suckling at the breast of the RELIGIOUS EDIFICE.

Very hazardous, that.

[Marysecretary]

Yes, it certainly is the essence of the whole gospel. Most of us here just wish Catholics would get rid of the extra-biblical stuff about Mary, etc. There IS a lot in common and as long as we stick to what the Bible has to say, we’re on common ground. Blessings. M