Posted on 06/26/2015 10:18:59 AM PDT by Morgana
My grandmother celebrates 100 years of being a Catholic. She will most likely be a Catholic till her last breath as all my other grandparents were. Me? I’m a mere forty-year cradle Catholic. I own that it hasn’t been easy to remain a faithful daughter of the Church, particularly during my turbulent twenties. There was a period I disagreed with, questioned, and criticized Holy Mother Church. There were times I watched people I love abandon their baptismal promises. Still, I remained true to my heritage.
Why? Why am I still Catholic? It’s for the same reasons why people disagree, question, criticize and leave the Church:
1. The Eucharist. A mystery or a symbol to some, but the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord in the host is clear as the Catechism 1376 puts it, “because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread.” I am more than happy to remain in the Church where Jesus is really and truly present, and where I can be united to Him in receiving Communion.
2. Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church exalts the Mother of God as the perfect apostle and bestows dignity to womanhood. Since Mary was “preserved free from all stain of original sin” (Catechism 966), she is the role model for every Christian. The scripture on the wedding feast at Cana illustrates that she is a powerful intercessor to our prayers and that devotion to her is the fastest, surest way to unity with Christ as she encourages us: “do whatever [Jesus] tells you.” Our Lady is, to me, all that and a mother who cares about my everyday concerns, with the end goal of the sanctifying my soul. “Don’t be afraid of loving Mary too much,” St. Maximilian Kolbe said. “You can’t possibly love her more than Jesus does.”
3. The saints. By the rigorous process of canonization, the Catholic Church venerates the saints as humans who blazed the path on how to live the Christian life and who “provide us with examples on holiness.” The saints also obtain favors for us as they “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as the proffer the merits which they acquired on earth.” (Catechism 956). Just like any good friend, saints inspire and pray for me. The journey of my spiritual life is easier with their assistance.
4. Penance and Reconciliation. Undoubtedly, the Church houses both saints and sinners. Knowing our fallen nature, which tempts us to sin and often characterizes us as Pharisees, Christ established the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a means for contrite sinners to obtain absolution for our sins. Jesus told St. Faustina “When you approach the confessional…I myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden in the priest.” Never have I heard more powerful words than the merciful ones voiced at the Sacrament of Reconcilation: “I absolve you from your sins, may God give you pardon and peace.”
5. Purgatory. Purgatory is the place where all who die in God’s grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified undergo purification after death so as the achieve holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (Catechism 1030). Purgatory as a manifestation of God’s mercy gives me hope that even if I can’t overcome my faults during my life on earth, I still have an opportunity to be sanctified by God’s justice so that I can one day enjoy the beatific vision.
6. Suffering. Suffering is inevitable in our lives because of man’s free will. The Catholic Church makes sense of suffering when it teaches that suffering can be untied with Christ’s passion in atonement for sins. According to St. John Paul II, suffering also increases our capacity for selfless love and hones the virtue of humility. Since scripture says that carrying my cross is necessary to share in Christ’s redemption, the Church not only explains suffering’s purpose but also offers me graces from the Sacraments to endure sacrifice.
7. Magisterium. Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church as the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” to sift through the muddled moral issues that confounds our modern age (and every age) so that she can provide clear guidelines on right versus wrong. “To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles.” (Catechism 2032) In every moral issue it has addressed, the Church has illustrated wisdom that only comes from the Holy Spirit. I rely on this wisdom to guard my soul from evil and to direct me on the path to eternal life as much as I rely on the promise of Jesus that “the gates of hell shall never prevail against [the Church].”
I could go on and on. The truth in the Catechism and experience of millions of Catholics over two thousand years are inexhaustible. I don't know how far back my Catholic roots go. But I hope I am not the branch that withers and rots off a steadfast family tree and I pray that I leave Catholicism as a fruitful legacy to my children, and generations after them.
Catechism 2030: “It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized that the Christian fulfills his vocation.”
He said
John 6 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and BELIEVES in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
” 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and BELIEVES in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
And if someone loses their belief in Christ?
And...
“He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 24:13; 25:31–46).
“See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off” (Rom. 11:22; see also Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21).
Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
See the difference is I believe salvation is 100percent God. He saves and He preserves. I can not lose what He preserves .According to Rome no one was saved at the cross..Jesus is only the Savior of those that save themselves. Yes He is just a probation officer..
“See the difference is I believe salvation is 100percent God.”
No. I believe that salvation is 100% accomplished by God’s grace. I also believe we can be unrepentant sinners and be damned by rejecting God’s grace. I also believe we can become followers of Christ but then “backslide” (as Protestants call it) and lose our salvation. You apparently do not understand these issues. You apparently confuse one thing with another. I do not. God’s grace accomplishes our redemption and salvation, but we can reject God’s gifts through infidelity and sin.
“He saves and He preserves.”
Unless we refuse His love - which is what we do when we sin.
“I can not lose what He preserves .”
You can refuse His gifts. Men have done so. Hence, “backsliding”.
“According to Rome no one was saved at the cross..”
No, I think that’s your invention.
“Jesus is only the Savior of those that save themselves.”
No, Jesus is the only Savior, but men can refuse to be saved by rejecting Christ. Jesus doesn’t force men into Heaven.
“Yes He is just a probation officer..”
No, you’re just inventing things that no one actually believes. You have to: “To Protestantism False Witness is the principle of propagation.” (St. John Henry Newman, Lecture 4. True Testimony Insufficient for the Protestant View)
And you come back and offer no proof of anything just immature name calling which proves your ignorance of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
big·ot
noun
plural noun: bigots
a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions.
“don’t let a few small-minded bigots destroy the good image of the city”
synonyms: chauvinist, partisan, sectarian;
IAW the Holy Scriptures all true Christians are to be loving of others, but not tolerant of non-repentant sin. I will not hurt you nor force you to believe in Jesus, but I will point out your sin IAW the Holy Scriptures and give you the truth that if you don’t repent you will go to Hell. While Jesus forgives all who ask he still doesn’t tolerate non-repentant sin.
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
13”Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14”For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Most Catholics and most Prots are not true Christians, but continue the charade of “feel good and that’s what my parents did”. You can consider it rude or whatever, but if you follow the true teaching of the RC Church you will not go to Heaven. Most Prot sects have a chance if they follow the basic tenants of the denomination and don’t add their Satan infused teachings.
Our God is a jealous God and bowing to a graven imagine of what’s in Heaven and praying to anyone other than Jesus Christ stirs the wrath and anger of our God like it or not.
Well it sounds like according to you about four people are going to go to heaven and you’re going to be one of them.
Well, goody-goody for you.
Boy are you going to be surprised at the end and coming to judgment day
I didn’t say it Jesus Christ said it, so take it up with him.
…22”Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23”And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
God gave us believers the Bible.
And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
God worked through the Pharoah of Egypt, but was he Godly? No he wasn’t!
16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” 18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Just because God works through you doesn’t’ indicate your Rightness or your security of Salvation.
Oh you want to compare bad seeds...
This is just a couple of Popes in the last few years.
Your Pope believes in the worship of the earth god gaia with his atheist science adviser? Or who am I to judge that homosexual behavior is sinful? Or transfer child molesters instead of removing them? Or kissed the koran and said that you, him, and muslims worship the same god which by the way is Satan? Or believes that capitalism is evil and socialism is so much better? That’s enough for now.
We all have that problem, so get over it.
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
It’s very clear and if it’s not then you must pray and study some more the answer will come when God reveals it to you. The only Scripture that has to be known is:
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
who expand the authority of Scripture
Like the catechism does?
You do realize that our flesh is weak, so we must rely totally on the Holy Scriptures or we end up with man’s add on like you said. Short list catechism, book of mormon, seven day adventist, david koresh, and etc...
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
As far as evolution there is absolutely no proof of that either from the Bible or secular. The few bones the secular scientist call proof is such a joke that CSI wish it was that easy.
But I guess you have to follow the magisterium and since the Pope believes in evolution and global warming you are mandated or somehting to that effect.
Again your buying the Devil’s doubt.
It’s all inspired by God it doesn’t matter who penned it.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
Did God really say that Eve (Jack)?
Whether I’m there or not I can promise you that by your fruit you will not be one of the four!
Obtw IAW Scripture there will be at least twelve... you know the Apostles of the Lamb who’s names will be on the foundation stones of Heaven’s gates. Revelation 21:14
You seem to not understand. The scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit. God Himself told people what to write. You want to quibble about who those people were? Fine. The oracles of God were entrusted to the Jews, NOT the Catholics. The scripture we have today (without the books the Catholics added) were established long before there ever was a Catholic Church.
It would do you well to study what the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 1:18 really means. The word "judge" or "discuss" would be more appropriate. But hey, you go right ahead and rely on human reason if you wish.
You sure do like to jump away from scripture into some human reasoning don’t you?
No, I think that’s your invention.
Who was saved at the cross?? Were you?? or did you just get probationary status there?
“Who was saved at the cross??”
Everyone was redeemed at the cross.
“Were you??”
I was redeemed just as everyone else was.
“or did you just get probationary status there?”
God forces no one into Heaven. If I reject what God has given me then I will not go to Heaven.
With recent advances in DNA technologies, evolution is so well-proven by science as a biological process that opponents rarely dispute it except in regard to human beings. In that regard, our essential attribute that distinguishes us from animals — the human soul — cannot be explained by science and must be reserved to religion. By way of explanation, Catholics are not obliged to adhere to Papal encyclicals on evolution or climate change since they were not delivered ex cathedra, meaning with the full authority of the Papacy.
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