Posted on 08/15/2013 7:03:11 PM PDT by annalex
Once a woman in the crowd surrounding Christ and His disciples cries out to Him:
Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. (Luke 11:27)
What is it? We have, clearly, an act of venerating Mary. Note that the Blessed Virgin is venerated properly: not on her own but as the mother of Christ. Yet the reason for venerating is indeed concerning: it is her physiological and physiologically unique relationship with Jesus that is emphasized. That is not yet paganism with its crude theories of gods giving birth to other gods, but it is lacking proper focus and Jesus corrects it:
Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
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| The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source |
Having gotten past this linguistic hurdle, we can understand clearly what this passage, Luke 11:27-28, does: it establishes veneration of saints based not on their blood relation to Christ but on their obedience to God. It is in that sense that we venerate Our Lady: given that Christ is the Word of God personified, she heard and kept both Him in person as her Child and His teaching, figuratively. In Mary the essence of sainthood is seen in the flesh as well as in the mind. We could say that by the late second century at the latest, when we find evidence of the veneration of both the prophets and the Mother of God in the catacombs, the two reasons to venerate a saint: his martyrdom as in the case of Polycarp, or his obedience to the Word, as in Mary, -- unite into a single practice.
Christ does not need a stand-in
lol. "Go out and worship 10,000 Saints and fulfill these rituals and yee can be saved or something, if a priest says so"
Not necessarily, -- I agree with the rest of your post. Monastic life is not indeed the only vocation that can lead to salvation, but it is an important one, and in America shaped by Calvinism it is especially important to underscorethe salvific quality of religious dedicated life, for every American need to recognize himself in the young rich man of the Gospel.
Christ commanded His Apostles to become Catholic priests when He sent them to offer the Holy Eucharist (Luke 22:19) and to remit sins (John 20:21-23). The need for the Catholic priests remains today and “until he come” (1 Cor. 11:26).
find me the word “Catholic” in the Bible
And each time the scripture shown was solid Catholic teaching and the poster either misunderstood the scripture or the Catholic teaching.
That is not what Luke 22:19 said.
That’s the problem with RCs. Scripture is secondary to what the cult teaches.
obviously
You and the Jews Peter was talking to think there is a better class ey?
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
You mean those Catholics who readily admit to incorporating paganism?
Why?
Not even once is there mention of a priest in the New Testament church other than all believers are called priests. At least preface the deceit and admit that it’s only Catholic teaching and not scripture that says there are.
Christ said He would be with us always and doesn’t need a “stand it”. At least the Christ of scripture doesn't. I'm becoming convinced that Catholics serve someone else entirely.
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