Posted on 03/21/2015 4:27:12 PM PDT by NYer
From The Salem News in Massachusetts:
If the deacon is a different sort of religious figure for the church, then Chuck Hall, 62, is a different sort of deacon. He came of age as an evangelical Protestant. Only slowly did he gravitate toward conversion, drawn by, of all things, the priest abuse scandals.
As one damaging headline followed another, he sensed an imbalance in the treatment of the church. Moreover, he saw the Roman church as at the very foundation of Christianity. While he never faulted the press for following the story, the fierce hostility brought on by the scandals seemed to him an attack on Christianity itself.
“It made me go back and study some church history. … I let the church speak for itself,” he said. The more he studied and understood, the more he began to feel that the conflicts always cited between Protestants and Catholics were overdrawn: “‘Do you worship Mary?’ No.”
The lessons of inclusion brought by Vatican II, the “inspirational” writings of G. K. Chesterton, also a convert, and the courage of Pope John Paul II eased Hall’s path.
“I went to my first Mass,” he said. The very interior of the church shouted of difference — the stained glass, the bright colors of the priest’s vestments, the statuary.
“A lot of things about being Catholic take some getting used to,” he laughed. But Hall began to see the beauty in these things and, sitting recently in the bright, soaring interior of St. John the Baptist, he smiled at the thought that God can be seen in such beauty.
“Art is a great gift,” he said. “The creative life is when we most imitate God.”
There is an added irony in Hall’s attraction to Catholicism. When he married 25 years ago, his wife, Mary, was teaching the Catholic catechism. As he was drawn toward her religion, however, she was drifting away. She currently worships in the Anglican church. Yet, he says, “She has been supportive of everything I’ve wanted to do.” They have no children.
The article has much more on deacons. Check it out.
Who interpreted it for the writers? And without infallibility somewhere along the line, it's a pretty flimsy foundation, isn't it?
It might help to know Greek. But it's hardly a requirement for knowing the true faith.
Who interpreted it for the writers? And without infallibility somewhere along the line, it's a pretty flimsy foundation, isn't it?
It might help to know Greek. But it's hardly a requirement for knowing the true faith.
You wanted a reasonable objection to the rcc....I gave you one which apparently you didn't even read.
Knowing the Greek and the historical background of the OT and the NT leads one to a clearer understanding of the Word and how it should be understood. I think I know why catholics downplay using the Greek. One it isn't Latin, and two when the Greek is used it destroys a lot of roman catholic teaching.
Until the roman catholic church publishes a verse by verse commentary on what each verse means they have no room to talk. You would think that for a group that claims to be the church going back 2000 years, that claims to be infallible, a verse by verse commentary would have been published by now.
I’ve been on FR a long time—longer than my sign-up date would indicate. I’ve only been a Catholic for five years, as I was raised Protestant and only very reluctantly came to the conclusion that Catholic doctrine was correct. But long before my conversion, I was embarrassed and shocked by the aggressiveness, hostility, illogic, and contempt my Protestant brethren showed to Catholics. Hardly a way to win souls to a faith.
It’s an FR way of life.
Muslims lurk here just to enjoy the carnage.
This is an absurdity on steroids.
And that would be what?
The Divine Office of readings is actually scripture and is also referred to as the Liturgy of the Hours.
As a Deacon, the subject of the article likely prayed over 3 Psalms, read a substantial section of Hebrews Chapter 1 and studied a letter from an early church Father earlier today... and he will go into scripture in a similar way tomorrow seeking the will of God and a relationship with Christ.
Many other devout Catholics, and especially the clergy, engage in this same practice multiple times a day. You know nothing of this man’s prayer life.
“From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours. In this way the Church fulfills the Lord’s precept to pray without ceasing, at once offering its praise to God the Father and interceding for the salvation of the world.” — Office of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship.
http://divineoffice.org/liturgy-of-the-hours/
I know if he is Roman Catholic, he is likely repeating the same empty words, in the hopes that eventually Mary or somebody else dead will hear him...
Our prayer life is directed toward God, not some subsititiute! He is the ONLY one able to answer!
Matthew 6: 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
One of my favorite passages which I have had to point out a couple of time to my fundamentalist acquaintances who want to link hands and pray at Ruth Chris. :-)
Sad isn’t it?
Because it is self evident. We are Catholics! Translation: We are the first christians! We came to membership in the Body of Christ through Baptism, oftentimes when we were infants. We came to know our christian faith through the weekly readings at Sunday mass and through our liturgical calendar which annually follows ALL the events in the life of Christ.
Hahahahahaaaaaa! God would disagree with that claim! You can't even bring yourself to capitalize Christian, but you made sure to pimp your cult!
Galatians 3: ... 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. ...
Every denomination can make that claim...it's evident because I'm ______. Just because you claim catholicism means nothing.
Translation: We are the first christians!
Irrelevant to the question if you are a follower of Christ. No proof the roman catholic church of today is the same church we read about in the New Testament. In fact, I'm sure it's not. No mention of the papacy, immaculate conception, assumption, cardinals, priests, confession to a priest for forgiveness, etc.
We came to membership in the Body of Christ through Baptism, oftentimes when we were infants.
Being baptized or becoming a member doesn't make you a Christian. I can join any denomination, get dunked, sprinkled, etc, but unless one believes Jesus is the only Son of God then one is not a Christian. One can go through a lot of processes, but that doesn't get you into the Kingdom of God. We must come to God as Abraham did...through faith..."And Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Since the crucifixion and resurrection, our faith/belief in Christ is what gets us to God and Heaven.
Babies cannot make a decision to believe in Christ. All infant baptism does is make the baby wet and the parent(s) feel good. In addition, we have no examples of babies being baptized in the New Testament so this is an unscriptural practice.
We came to know our christian faith through the weekly readings at Sunday mass and through our liturgical calendar which annually follows ALL the events in the life of Christ.
Again, studying about Christianity doesn't make you a Christian. Lots of athiests have studied Christianity. But they are not saved.
I would ask you, and all who claim catholicism, have you placed your faith in Christ? Have you been born again as Jesus asked Nicodemus?
**Hardly a way to win souls to a faith.**
And hardly Christian at that.
I posted my story on my home page. I never remember not knowing who Jesus was, and my life in Him continued to grow, even when I was away from the Church, because I believed in Him and loved Him so strongly.
As Catholics, we're taught that Jesus founded our Church with Peter as His Vicar, and that other denominations disagreed over the years and left, but still believe in Jesus. It's analogous to the way we are in secular life: wherever our ancestors came from, we are still Americans, but tend to identify by our descent. I was born here and love my country, but if you ask me to describe myself, I'm Italian! We're all Americans but tend to describe ourselves by our differences, perhaps more often than by our commonality. Same with faith: we're all Christians, but if I say in forum I'm a Christian, I'm told that my God, my Jesus, are not the same as those of non-Catholics. Of course Catholics are Christians, but say it in forum and well, that's one more thing that makes folks argue and say things that are not always befitting Christians.
I can't say I've never been sarcastic, or gotten frustrated and spoken my mind discourteously. I don't want to mock other people's beliefs, because over the years I've learned that a person's faith in God may be the only thing, the thread, by which that person is hanging on at that point, and mocking it may hurt them, despite the "tough-skin" meme. I wouldn't want to hurt someone that way. I pray I never have.
I hope I've stated this well- not to point fingers, but so that the issue is better understood, because I've seen it asked before. Thanks for listening, and God bless you all!
Please keep me in prayer, if you will! - Thanks,
Grateful2God
I think his story is great! I've seen him on EWTN, and he really is an inspiration! His inspiration was an amazing man who was an example of humility, charity, and a refusal to hate, Rev. Augustine Toltien.
Rather, the Scripture is found within the Divine Office. The faithful recite Scripture, prayers, and meditation throughout the day, so that around the world there is prayer being offered to God at all times- just as in the Bible, in Revelation, the “Holy Holy Holy” was prayed without ceasing.
That was cute! Some certainly are here! God bless us all! 😆
Knowing Jesus came from being read Scripture every night, learning to pray, most of all from a waiting room in a cancer hospital when they would bring me for my Mom's monthly checkups. There are no atheists, and no ingrates, in a home with someone who survived cancer against all the odds! God gave us a miracle and we knew it! When I was older and had been away, well, again it's on my home page, but at times in my life there has been an intangible love, a joy, that brings me to tears, just when I needed it the most. There have been the dark times when I felt forsaken, but i remember Jesus Crucified, and know He went through worse and i hang on by remembering He will be there to lift me up eventually. I speak with Him now, even as I did when I was a child and afraid. That's the best I can explain it, E. I wish I were more articulate! Trying to explain my life's walk with Jesus is like trying to give people compass points and route numbers directing them to a place you know and go to every day! It's hard to explain... You know it in your heart but can't seem to put it into words... Not always, anyway.
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