Posted on 12/17/2005 7:10:55 AM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even those who spend their lives serving the church must recognize that faith alone will save them, the preacher of the papal household told Pope Benedict XVI and his closest aides.
"Christianity does not start with that which man must do to save himself, but with what God has done to save him," Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa said in his Dec. 16 Advent meditation.
The preacher told the pope and top Vatican officials that they, like St. Paul, must avoid any temptation to think that the good works they have accomplished will guarantee their salvation.
"Gratuitous justification through faith in Christ is the heart" of St. Paul's preaching "and it is a shame that this has been practically absent from the ordinary preaching of the church," he said.
Father Cantalamessa said that the Protestant Reformation debate over the role of faith and works led the Catholic Church to focus so much on the need for the demonstration of faith in actions that it practically ignored the need for faith in the first place.
St. Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians, warned believers of the "mortal danger" of putting their own good works between them and Christ, as if the works would save them, Father Cantalamessa said.
Conversion to the fact that faith in Christ is the only means of salvation "is the conversion most needed by those who already are following Christ and have lived at the service of his church," the Capuchin said.
"It is a special conversion that does not consist in abandoning the bad, but abandoning the good, in a way," he said. "It means detaching oneself from everything one has done, repeating to oneself, 'We are useless servants; we have done only what was required.'"
Father Cantalamessa told a familiar Italian story about the shepherds near Bethlehem going to visit the newborn Jesus, each of them trying to outdo the others with the beauty of the gifts they offered.
One poor shepherd had nothing and was ashamed.
"Mary could not figure out how to accept all the gifts, since she was holding the baby in her arms," he said. "So, seeing the poor shepherd with his hands free, she handed Jesus to him."
"Having his hands free was his fortune and it should be ours as well," Father Cantalamessa said.
Dang dude. With your quetionable behavior on these threads I can't fathon why you'd think anyone would want what you have. lol.
Still stalking, huh.
Insulting your enemies merely demonstrates that you don't follow the one who said "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you", nor do you follow the one who said "repay a curse with a blessing".
If it's your desire to send more souls our way, you've chosen the right way to do it.
LOL. Good luck citing that at your particular judgement.
I agree, Geezer. This is not a big deal. Faith without works is a dead faith. So, faith comes first, and then a desire to please the Creator and our Lord Jesus Christ comes after and is manifested in good works.
True enough. I know many who claim to be Christian and are remarkably shallow, hateful, unfeeling and unforgiving. Yet, `they will tell you loudly and repeatedly that they are going to heaven because they are saved through faith alone and nothing will change their standing with God because NOTHING else is required.
FR. Can't ala Messa seems to be playing with an interesting deck of cards.
Could you give me a ping if you post part 2 please? Thank you.
My adoptive father's parents were both Lutherans. Neither was practicing. When their son was born, they never bothered to baptize him, leaving the decision up to him when he grew up and matured.
On his journey through life, he met my Catholic mother and married her. At the time, I was 8 years old, and the Catholic Church insisted that he promise to raise me in my faith. He agreed and held to his word throughout my life. Over the years, he attended Christmas and Easter Mass. He was there for me when I made my Confirmation. I prayed for him; yet he never professed any faith.
At one point in his professional career, a colleague whom he respected, became a Baptist minister. He considered joining the Baptist Church but never did.
He is a good man and probably far more charitable than most christians I know. He is very generous with Catholic charitable organizations, giving to the Little Sisters of the Poor and a local home for unwed mothers. When his mother died 3 years ago, she left all her worldly belongings to the Lutheran Church that she never attended. Her son honored those wishes. (It came as a surprise to us all that there were different congregations within the Lutheran Church and my father chose the more conservative one). He even asked the Lutheran minister to say some prayers at my grandmother's wake.
For Christmas last year, at my father's request , my mother gave him a Bible. Though Catholic, my mother respected the fact that her husband's parents had been Lutheran and gave him a KJV Bible. I doubt that he has read it but don't know for sure.
I have related this story for your edification and input. I'm not even sure what my father actually believes. He is a perfectionist and has often been called to task on his desire to have everything in order. Over the years, he has often said: "God created only one perfect man and the world crucified him".
This situation has plagued me since childhood. I introduced my father to my pastor who enthralled him with his fluency in German. Dad was most impressed! But he has never returned to my parish, citing physical ailments that, because of his 'perfection', prevent him from standing, kneeling, etc. Now, even my mother has stopped attending Mass at her RC parish so as not to leave Dad home alone. They have been together for nearly 50 years. When one suffers, both do.
So I ask you ... justification by works without baptism? Justification by belief + works without baptism? Where does my dad stand? My pastor has given me his response; what is yours?
Ping to my post #70. Perhaps you can provide an answer.
That priest apparently hasn't read his Bible. Is he even Catholic? Let's just examine this statement:
The headline is wrong -dig deeper and one will see that the actual statements are far different than the headline which was penned by a USCCB writer...
NOTE: Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
As you know, the Catholic church believes that baptism by Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, etc. is acceptable - and need not be "re-done" if someone's going through RCIA.
Your dad sounds very, very similar to my mom -- nominal Lutheran, very generous - more charitable than anyone else I know (even the Little Sisters of the Poor part) -- so I am interested in the other responses as well.
Pray, pray a lot that he joins you in the faith. If he hasn't been baptised yet, try to get him baptised as soon as possible. (Baptism - "the gateway to life in the Spirit".)
For sure your prayers have effect towards his salvation and bring him closer to God in ways that we don't know. So keep praying. He will be in our prayers too.
Still a phoney eh?
He has never been baptized.
I don't think so. "iustitia Dei, qua aliquis iustificatur a Deo" - the righteousness of God, by which one is made just by God (St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Romans, cap. 3, lecture 3).
Dear NYer,
Your father's journey isn't over yet.
sitetest
He was married with a Catholic Sacrament and the marriage confers sacramental graces and along with that his actions have spoken loudly in proclaming Christ. It is as if he was Baptized in pectore but only God knows.
"He has never been baptized."
Have you ever asked him why he has chosen not to get baptized so far?
Even for those who believe in "Baptism of Desire", it is a bit of a stretch to claim that a man with a lifetime of opportunity and surrounded by a family of believers, but who still does not come to the Sacrament, has any good hope of salvation if he does not repent, believe and be baptized.
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