Posted on 02/10/2011 7:57:12 AM PST by Christian Engineer Mass
Jesus said that the truth will set us free. (John 8:32) However, He did not say that the truth would necessarily be easy to accept. It was painful for me to learn the information that I am about to share with you, but it was also liberating and it led to a closer relationship with God.
As a faithful Catholic, and later as a nun, I practiced Mary worship for many years without realizing it. The prayers and practices were so familiar. They were taught to me by good people, sincere people that I trusted. I prayed rosaries and wore a scapular and engaged in other “devotions” which I honestly thought were good and pleasing to God. Because of my lack of knowledge of the Bible and of Church history, I honestly had no idea that I was actually worshipping Mary.
If modern Catholic teachings and doctrines about Mary are true, then they will not be contrary to Scripture, the writings of the Early Fathers, or the decrees of past popes. For a devout Catholic to question these issues and put them to the test can be painful. It certainly was for me. However, it would be far more painful to have God correct us when we face Him on Judgment Day.
LETTING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SPEAK FOR ITSELF
I believe in letting people speak for themselves. Therefore my primary sources about Catholic doctrines and history come from the Catholic Church.
First and foremost is the official Catechism of the Catholic Church which was written for the purpose of summarizing the essential and basic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It was approved by Pope John Paul II in 1992 and the English translation was released in 1994.
(Excerpt) Read more at parkviewgospelhall.com ...
Because men are fallible and judge erroneously.
This doesn't mean that scripture itself is fallible.
Who wrote the bible?
Incorrect.
Can. 1124 Without the express permission of the competent authority, marriage is prohibited between two baptised persons, one of whom was baptised in the catholic Church or received into it after baptism and has not defected from it by a formal act, the other of whom belongs to a Church or ecclesial community not in full communion with the catholic Church.
Can. 1125 The local Ordinary can grant this permission if there is a just and reasonable cause. He is not to grant it unless the following conditions are fulfilled:
1° the catholic party is to declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith, and is to make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power in order that all the children be baptised and brought up in the catholic Church;
2° the other party is to be informed in good time of these promises to be made by the catholic party, so that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and of the obligation of the catholic party
3° both parties are to be instructed about the purposes and essential properties of marriage, which are not to be excluded by either contractant.
Can. 1126 It is for the Episcopal Conference to prescribe the manner in which these declarations and promises, which are always required, are to be made, and to determine how they are to be established in the external forum, and how the non-catholic party is to be informed of them.
Can. 1127 §1 The provisions of can. 1108 are to be observed in regard to the form to be used in a mixed marriage. If, however, the catholic party contracts marriage with a non-catholic party of oriental rite, the canonical form of celebration is to be observed for lawfulness only; for validity, however, the intervention of a sacred minister is required, while observing the other requirements of law.
§2 If there are grave difficulties in the way of observing the canonical form, the local Ordinary of the catholic party has the right to dispense from it in individual cases, having however consulted the Ordinary of the place of the celebration of the marriage; for validity, however, some public form of celebration is required. It is for the Episcopal Conference to establish norms whereby this dispensation may be granted in a uniform manner.
§3 It is forbidden to have, either before or after the canonical celebration in accordance with §1, another religious celebration of the same marriage for the purpose of giving or renewing matrimonial consent. Likewise, there is not to be a religious celebration in which the catholic assistant and a non-catholic minister, each performing his own rite, ask for the consent of the parties.
Can. 1128 Local Ordinaries and other pastors of souls are to see to it that the catholic spouse and the children born of a mixed marriage are not without the spiritual help needed to fulfil their obligations; they are also to assist the spouses to foster the unity of conjugal and family life.
Can. 1129 The provisions of cann. 1127 and 1128 are to be applied also to marriages which are impeded by the impediment of disparity of worship mentioned in can. 1086 §1.
***Of course, this is why Luther and others decided that the Scriptures available to Jesus, in the Temple, should not be considered by Protestants.***
Actually JEROME wanted to toss them but the Pope said NO! that is why they are still in the Catholic bibles.
They were still in the English bibles till the Revolution when the Crown no longer had control over the KJV. american publishers took them out.
You can still get an English KJV with them in there.
This is why we say it was "God-breathed".
>>He was very respectful of her<<
There is actually very little said by Jesus to and about Mary. And other than his “honoring” her request to turn water into wine, he is not particularly respectful.
I very carefully used the word “particularly” in my original post, and I was referring to His words, not His actions.
I believe you misunderstood.
>>I would agree with you, save for what Christ said before, “whoever believes in me, and does what God teaches, is my father, mother, etc).
Mary is our mother, just as we are brothers.<<
So are you saying that just as all believing men are my brothers, that all believing women are my mothers?
Which men? Were there 70 of them or just one?
See my post 136.
ping!
Or sisters or daughters. That is the sense in which Mary is our mother.
>>But we are commanded by Christ to pray for one another! <<
Yes. those words are to those who still occupy this earthly body. It’s really VERY clear.
We are bound to have different interpretations. We are viewing the light via a sin broken mirror. The shards reflect to the left for some, the right for others.
The main thing is we look TOWARDS the light as it comes to us. Not away.
Why do you say 70?
And no....not just one.
Does it say that?
‘Only those who are here on earth are to pray for one another?’
What do you think Septuagint means?
“And account the longsuffering of our Lord, salvation; as also our most dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, hath written to you: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16
>>...just as you consider the Pope infallible because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. <<
The flaw in your statement is that you presume the Holy Spirit is present there. I’m not saying He is or isn’t. I’m saying that the only human I can speak for is me, and the only human you can speak for is you. Our God is a VERY personal God.
>>Therefore, Christ is the only mediator but there are many intercessors just as Scripture states.<<
As long as they are alive, yes.
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