Barbara Castro Garcia
Posted on 07/13/2012 2:34:37 PM PDT by NYer
Barbara Castro Garcia
July 13, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One day early in 2010, newlyweds Ignacio Cabezas and Barbara Castro Garcia were sitting in a café eating breakfast. The couple both had smiles on their faces that, in the words of Ignacio, were “impossible to erase.”
After 11 years of dating, the couple had gotten married several months before, and now they had just found out they were expecting their first child. “We were crazy about getting married and once married, we wanted very much to be parents,” Ignacio remembers.
Little did they know that this pregnancy, which had already brought them so much joy, was also the beginning of a saga that would test their faith to the limit—and ultimately take the life of the young mother.
Four months into the pregnancy, Barbara took a trip to the dentist complaining of a sore in her mouth. The dentist sent her on to a specialist, who diagnosed her with mouth cancer.
The couple was presented with a conundrum: Barbara urgently needed life-saving treatment, but the treatment had the potential to harm their unborn child.
Bolstered by her Catholic faith Barbara, who worked as a journalist in the communications office of the Catholic diocese of Cordoba, made the difficult decision to forgo all treatments except for a surgical procedure that left her in immense pain.
But Ignacio says that throughout the ordeal, Barbara remained strong. “My wife said from the beginning that our daughter would be born the day that God wanted, not one before,” he says.
A statement on the diocese of Cordoba’s website remembers Barbara’s faith at this time. “Anchored in the heart of Christ, the inexhaustible source of love, Barbara opted first for the life of her daughter,” the diocese says. “At all times she has maintained an unwavering faith, and has been the encouragement and hope for all who have surrounded her during this long and painful illness.”
Their child, Barbarita, was born on Nov. 1, 2010 – a healthy baby and the source of much consolation to the couple.
But within days the pains of Barbara’s cancer were flaring up, and the couple went to Madrid to see a surgeon. The news wasn’t good. The surgeon told Barbara that there was little hope, and that he was amazed she even survived as long as she had.
Thus began the grueling rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments that left her without a tongue and part of her jaw, rendering her incapable of speaking or eating. She had to be fed through a tube.
Ultimately the cancer would get the upper hand, and earlier this month Barbara died, after having sacrificed everything for her child.
The Spanish publication La Gaceta reports that it spoke to Ignacio the day after Barbara’s death, and that he seemed “serene.”
He told the paper that he feels “a strength of faith that I had never felt before.”
“I feel invincible…God is holding on to me and he doesn’t want to let me go.”
In part of a letter from Ignacio to his wife, quoted by La Gaceta, Ignacio wrote: “I sensed we were going to suffer a lot, that it would be very hard and probably very long, but I also assured you that, no matter how hard it was, afterwards I would make sure you were the happiest person in the world, that all the effort was worth it, that we would enjoy our daughter and that we would have to prepare ourselves for an uncertain and horrible period.”
The statement on the Cordoba diocese’s website concludes: “The Good Father, Lord of Charity, who embraced [Barbara] tenderly in her lifetime, today opened the doors of Paradise. The angels have come to her and the Blessed Virgin gave her the crown of victory, because she, better than anyone, knows what it takes to give her life for love.”
For his part, Ignacio says he simply wants to “honor her as she deserves.”
The story of Barbara’s heroism closely parallels that of Chiara Corbella, an Italian woman who died just last month, also after foregoing cancer treatment to save the life of her unborn baby.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy [Catholic Caucus]
The Corporal Works of Mercy [Catholic Caucus]
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With: The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
Catholic Caucus: Spiritual Works of Mercy
Introduction to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Corporal Works of Mercy
Lest We Forget - The Corporal Works of Mercy & The Spirtual Works of Mercy/A>
Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
Saint Paul taught that good works must accompany saving faith (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 3:8; Gal. 5:6; Phil. 2:11-12).
But here’s the one that protestants like to ignore.
Revelation 20: 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Careful, everyone has to make the best choice they can about God's mind.
Yes, even Catholics.
Even with the entirety of Catholic teachings and everything they claim, a person still has to make the choice to accept Catholicism as their beliefs, and - before God - they are personally responsible for that choice.
Devout Catholics shrug and say, "fine, before God I choose Catholicism as my faith. But many other people believe that once they choose a faith, including Catholicism, they are somehow freed of the responsibility for that personal choice. That it's now "Catholicism" that bears the responsibility.
Well, even if Catholicism (or any other religion) claims that authority, the person still has to first choose Catholicism.
I just happen to think that issue is a big deal. Everyone chooses their path to God, and everyone is personally responsible for that choice before God.
In my humble opinon, of course.
Lord our God, rest Thy servant Barbara with the saints.
Lord Jesus, thank you for Thy Church who raises saints like this to Thy glory. We praise Thee, Lord and we adore Thee.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.
There is NO way that I can know God’s mind at any time.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” - John 15:13
Grieve not - she went from Love, to Love, through Love.
Unless, of course, God tells you His mind. In which case it wouldn't be your doing, but His. And you can't deny Him the power to do it if He chooses. After all, such a thing has been known to happen.
In any event, all all I meant is that we are all personally responsible for our beliefs.
You can trash me, but I was very complimentary of her. What she did was rare and heroic. I admire her. However, some here presume her decision to die so that her child might live secured eternal life, but it did no such thing. The Bible contains no “sacrificial death” guarantee of eternal life. There are hellbound pagan mothers who have never heard the name of Christ who would do the same thing. No one here knows what was in her heart, so no one reading my words can know her eternal destiny with certainty. What we know is that she is in the Lord’s hands. He is just and He will do what is right. Of that we can be certain.
When I run into people who presume someone is heaven bound based on a false hope I have two options. I can remain quiet and allow them to continue believing a lie all the way to the pit of hell simply to keep from hurting their feelings or upsetting them. Or I can tell them the truth knowing it might upset them at the moment but somewhere down the line the Lord might be pleased to allow my words to play a tiny part in bringing them to a saving knowledge of Christ. I chose door number two.
I don’t want strife with any man, but because I love the Lord and His gospel, I’m motivated to spread the saving truths found in His word. I can’t stand the thought of anyone perishing in his sin, so I try to tell the truth even when it is upsetting. I’m not cavalier about eternity. I know there is a literal hell in store for the lost. In the end I’d rather be divided by truth than united in error.
Friend, I’m not ignoring anything and neither do protestants who understand protestant beliefs. I completely and totally believe good works accompany faith, they are evidence of faith before men. But good works do not secure salvation because salvation is by grace through faith. There are countless passages that make that clear.
I go back to the clear words of St. Paul I posted earlier:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” —Romans 3:20
Paul works his way through the spiritual condition of all men and comes to this conclusion in Romans 3: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” —Romans 3:28
Where He has spoken we can trust Him. And He has made His way of salvation quite clear in His Word.
Who trashed you? You could learn from her. That isn’t trashing you. That’s just the truth.
you wrote:
“The Bible contains no “sacrificial death” guarantee of eternal life. There are hellbound pagan mothers who have never heard the name of Christ who would do the same thing.”
No, actually there aren’t.
“I can remain quiet and allow them to continue believing a lie...”
Prove it is a lie that this woman is heaven bound. Prove it. When you fail - and you will - we’ll see that you’re the only one really being presumptuous here about someone going or not to heaven.
“Or I can tell them the truth knowing it might upset them at the moment but somewhere down the line the Lord might be pleased to allow my words to play a tiny part in bringing them to a saving knowledge of Christ. I chose door number two.”
Don’t let that door hit you in the head. You HUGE error here is that you are essentially denying that this woman of obviously profound faith had no faith in Christ. Again, you’re being incredibly presumptuous.
When I meet people being presumptuous (i.e. assuming they know that someone didn’t actually have faith when all the facts speak otherwise) I can two one of two things: 1) I can let him be a presumptuous know-nothing, 2) I can show him he’s being a presumptuous know-nothing. You’ve been shown. Deal with it.
So have you experienced visions, dreams or otherwise from God?
No argument here.
Yes, but I’m only interested in what Scripture has to say, not the traditions, dogmas, and doctrines of men. Works of mercy don’t save souls. Christ and Christ alone is the Savior.
In order to enter heaven a man must be perfect and righteous. But men are sinful and far from perfect. In Psalms it says that we are conceived in iniquity. Scripture tells us we are dead in trespasses and sin. Perfection and rightousness are an impossibility. Is 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Because we are dead in sin and without hope, Christ died as a substitute. He became sin (took our sin debt as a substitute) so that His perfect righteousness could be imputed to His sheep. When the Lord looks at a man who is truly born again He doesn’t see their sin, He see’s them as perfect and righteous IN CHRIST.
If you read the last section of Romans 9 Paul refers to Israel’s unbelief and says:
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Read verse 33 carefully. Israel did not pursue rightousness by faith, but “as if it were based on works.” He goes on to say they have stumbled over a stumbling stone, a rock of offence. Don’t stumble over the same stone of works that doomed Israel.
Consider what Scripture says of Abraham’s justification.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)
“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
“Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:9)
Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”(Galations 3:6)
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. (James 2:23)
Men are justified today the exact same way Father Abraham was all centuries ago.
God bless.
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works.” ~ James 2:21-22
James also said faith without works dead, and that is Catholic theology. They go hand in hand.
I’ve not denied anything about this woman, certainly not about her faith. You are looking at one act and presuming faith in Christ, but was she trusting in her good work or was she truly trusting in Christ? You do not know and neither do I.
And apparently you did not read carefully. What I was saying was a lie was the idea that dying for her child secured salvation. I can say that with absolute certainty on the basis of Scripture because it is clear that salvation is by grace through faith AND NOT OF WORKS lest anyone should boast. Salvation cannot be earned. It is a gift of God.
Yes, James said that. What he was saying was that those works justify us before men, not before God. In other words, those good works are evidence before other men of what God has already done in us. Our works don’t contribute to our salvation, they are evidence of it. There is no conflict between Paul and James.
It doesn’t matter what Catholic doctrine is. It only matters what Scripture says.
you wrote:
“You are looking at one act and presuming faith in Christ, but was she trusting in her good work or was she truly trusting in Christ? You do not know and neither do I.”
Actually I do know since no one has ever voiced what you are claiming. If she had faith in Christ - and her husband and family attest to that - and she had it FIRST, that is, long before the baby came along, then there is no reason for your presumption. It’s just that simple.
“And apparently you did not read carefully. What I was saying was a lie was the idea that dying for her child secured salvation.”
And exactly who claimed “dying for her child secured salvation” before you started posting against that idea in post #3? Certainly the answer is NO ONE. Not even jagusafr was claiming that and you were posting to him!!!
“I can say that with absolute certainty on the basis of Scripture because it is clear that salvation is by grace through faith AND NOT OF WORKS lest anyone should boast. Salvation cannot be earned. It is a gift of God.”
And no one here disagrees with that. You need to smarten up.
You wrote:
“Works of mercy don’t save souls. Christ and Christ alone is the Savior.”
So, Christ dying on the cross for us was not an act of mercy?
You know I wasn’t referring to Christ and His work on the cross. I know you can distinguish between acts of mercy performed by a sinner and the death of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on that Roman cross. He died an atoning death as the substitute for His sheep. He paid their sin debt in full and in turn His perfect rightousness was imputed to them.
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