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.”
I’ve been away from the religion forum for a bit and can see that I haven’t missed a thing.
The usual anti-Catholic bigots are alive and well.
Welcome back.
Those who insist upon a false distinguishing between “Christians” and “Catholics”, implying that Catholics are not Christians, but the myriad Protestant sects are — that’s both ignorant and rude.
Sorry...but no sale .. Rome likes to redefine words to serve their needs.. and hopefully deceive the foolish...sort of like trying to make presbyters into priests.. but the bible does not lie
. They chose the words VERY CAREFULLY.. they used , not a latin word.. but a Greek word dripping with Pauls condemnation
Douay-Rheims Bible....
Gal1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Ummm seems like an appropriate scripture for what they meant huh???
Lets look at the greek meaning
anathema: that which is laid up, i.e. a votive offering
Original Word: ἀνάθεμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: anathema
Phonetic Spelling: (an-ath'-em-ah)
Short Definition: a curse, a cursed thing
Definition: a votive offering, a thing devoted to God; a curse, the thing cursed.
331 anáthema (from 303 /aná, "up" concluding a process, which intensifies 5087 /títhēmi, "to place") – properly, place up, referring to something pledged (given up) to destruction; a divine curse/ban ("accursed"); an "oath-curse."
[331 (anáthema) is the root of the English word, "anathema."]
(repost )
I am sorry that you inferred that I said that Catholics cannot be Christians. I am not sure where you got that from what I said. I would be interested in knowing why you inferred that. I did not imply that at all. Nor did I imply that many who call themselves "Christian" really belong to the Lord. Very far from that. And if you knew my circumstances, you would be embarrassed that you even said that I implied that.
What of them? If they teach something other than what the apostles taught the passage is rather clear isn't it?
>>Or of the Jews?<<
I think scripture is very clear on where the Jews stand.
>>I surmise that your stock of condemnatory terms would be greatly taxed by any such accounting — with little concern as to how Christ would view such expressions.<<
You don't think Christ and the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of scripture agreed?
Romans 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Pompous arrogant Catholics still want to take the glory.
Oh, and don't try that list of apostate preachers with me. It's the Catholics who claim they serve the same god as Muslims and like the Mormons the Catholics rely on writings other than scripture.
“people that have no Savior..”
My Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s why Protestant anti-Catholics so routinely resort to lying.
That Catholic Church and Catholics do all they can to take credit from God and give it to man. Whether it's Mary or one of their so called saints or the magisterium.
But yet, you pray to Mary and other dead people. Something our Lord did not do. It seems contradictory.
Scripture is sometimes unclear or equivocal, our understanding of it may be inadequate or defective, and it does not answer all questions. Therefore we must often turn to human experience and reason in matters of faith. Fundamentalist, sola scripture Protestants reject that view and thus find themselves on problematic territory when it comes to science and reason, even moral reasoning.
So, in your view, the Catholic Church is merely pretending to its adherents and to the public at large to have a soft interpretation of anathema, while secretly holding to a severe original meaning of anathema as used at the Council of Trent? Have I stated the matter accurately?
As I posted to CynicalBear, Scripture is sometimes unclear or equivocal, our understanding of it may be inadequate or defective, and it does not definitively answer all human questions. Therefore we must often turn to human experience and reason in matters of faith. Fundamentalist, sola scripture Protestants reject that view and thus find themselves on problematic territory when it comes to science and reason, even moral reasoning.
Not for Bible believing Christians.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. Make up your own beliefs if you wish but scripture is still God's word and He promised the Holy Spirit to individual believers in order to understand.
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
“But yet, you pray to Mary and other dead people.”
Actually they are all alive in Christ. And since praying is asking in itself, why shouldn’t I? All I ask them to do is pray for me.
“Something our Lord did not do.”
Well, actually Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. Elijah may not have died beforehand, but Moses most definitely did.
“It seems contradictory.”
No, not to orthodox Christians. Those tainted with heresy - like Protestants - are often unable to grasp even the simplest of things about Christianity.
WORDS MEAN THINGS..they chose the word..now live with it.. The meaning is the meaning .. CURSED
If that is not what Rome meant then they should say that the infallible council of trent was not infallible and did not REALLY mean what it said.. it made a "mistake "
Yep..and they also do not know what the word Gospel means..
Ummm that is anti Roman Catholic Doctrine .... nothing personal
So are you saved ??? Are you sure of your salvation??
We know .....
But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor.2:14
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.1 Corinthians 1:18
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.