Posted on 06/16/2019 4:55:18 AM PDT by CharlesOConnell
In Captains Courageous, with Spencer Tracey, Freddy Batholomew is a blowhard millionaire's son who is socially, poorly adjusted. He uses his father's incredible wealth, to bully his classmates and even his teacher, but he's roundly disliked, and ostracized. While on an ocean liner, he unsuccessfully tries to impress some other boys by eating 5 ice cream sodas. When he has to throw up, to escape the mocking boys, he runs into a lifeboat area to evade their ridicule while purging his overindulgence, and manages to fall overboard into the ocean.
Instances of people falling overboard into the open ocean are rather commonly reported in the news. Usually they are lost, but if by chance their accidents are observed and a life-preserver is thrown to them, is that the end of the story, do we just say, "oh, well, you have a floatation device, you're okay now"?
No, we have to pull them in. The life-preserver, the lifesaver, is only part of the formula for saving their lives. There is also a rope, which must be attached to the life-preserver, and must be used to finally accomplish their salvation.
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man. But on the man side of the equation, unlike the radical individuality most typified by J.J. Rousseau, we who life the life of Christians do so in communities. But even then, we do not abide as atomistic individualists. We live our Jesus-oriented life in relation to our fellows. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." – Hebrews 10:25.
Jesus' first disciple was his mother, who gave us the total account of his early life and who "treasured these things up in her heart". "A sword will pierce your own soul too, so that the secret thoughts of many hearts might be revealed". On the cross, he gave his mother to John to take in his home, but when you take your master's mother, she takes care of you.
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.
And another portent appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he might devour her child when she brought it forth; she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. …
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. - Rev 11:19 -- 12:17
She forms the body of Christ. She schools her son's disciples. Those who won't attend her school, remain ignorant.
We are in a time when any merely human institution would be washed away. Our churches are going under the shadow of a new Heresy of Ba'al of Peor, as when the Hebrew people were successfully attacked and overwhelmed through human sexuality. Our churches are now pro-gay and as soon as the civil authority authorizes child sex, they will be indistinguishable from the denizens of the town of Sodom: "Bring them out that we may know them".
Jesus' mother forms the few of the elect who will resist being fooled by the great apostasy. Those who will not avail themselves of the lifeline of Mary, will be lost.
Now you have to insult and call names.
Tell it to your FATHER at confession time.
And telling me what I have to do in confession. Strange.
We see later in Scripture, after Jesus' discourse about being Pharisees, that Paul addresses himself as father - for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. And there are numerous places in scripture where the disciples use phrases like "my children", "my son", "my little children" as though they are their father.
And that's the meaning and intention that not only Catholics but also Eastern Orthodox follow. I guess they could address them as, for example, "John, who became my father in Christ Jesus through the gospel". But that becomes cumbersome after a while. So, it is truncated to Father John, but it still has the same meaning and usage as Paul and the other disciples intended.
You seem to be interested in the Eastern Orthodox, so this reference may be useful to you.
Gnonomenal!
It’s no different than asking someone on earth to pray for you. We believe Mary is just as much alive as anyone on earth. These things may not have been explained to you before so there you go.
You may disagree saying such things as, “There’s no biblical evidence she can hear your prayers”, and/or “it’s necromancy to pray to the dead” but I’m not interested in debating these and other same tired “arguments” related to intercessory prayer. Someone else may take up that mantle if you so desire to go down that road. Or feel free to read here: https://www.catholic.com/tract/praying-to-the-saints
There’s really nothing else to say on the matter, other than “I don’t agree with that use of Scripture”. Which is fine, really. But it can’t be said we are doing something *against* Scripture. Not by any reasonable person anyway.
From a recommended prayer for the dying:
Response: Deliver Your servant, O Lord.
As you delivered Noah from the flood./
Deliver your servant, O Lord,
Prayers to Mary and saints certainly can be disagreed with by reasonable people. You are not interested in discussion and that is fine. You have a right to be wrong. But you are the one that asked what downside there is to praying to Mary. I answered your question.
If he even reads the entire first paragraph it will be ... amazing.
And you don’t even realize that you have merely added to the proof that Catholicism which you teach others is praying to non-living beings. It would be sad to witness such dullardry if it were not so telling of which direction YOU are leading people.
Means absolutely nothing.
In the New Testament you don't have people praying to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or any created being.
It sure seems that Roman Catholics have a very low expectation that God will hear and answer their prayers.
You may want to re-think that.
Notice your comment....if I neglect my time with Mary and God.
One of the errors of the Israelis in the OT is they mixed in a little error with their worship of God.
The Rosary, with its repetitive prayer and overwhelming emphasis on prayer TO Mary is not Scriptural. Is some scripture in the prayer? Yes...but so is false teaching.
If Satan can get you, or anyone else, praying to, worshipping a created being as Roman Catholics do with Mary....then he's accomplished his objective.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray...what did He teach them?
Our Father who art in Heaven and your "mother" Mary....?
NO!
The prayer, as all prayers should be, are directed to the Creator.
You see...when you get away from scripture as your ultimate source of truth, you open yourself up to error.
That's a good place to start.
You don't believe I did WHAT?
Well; you are acting like Pee Wee; so; as pertaining to the avian SHOO bird...
Let the spin continue...
Prayer by assertion: Cool!!
So is that a yes that Catholics teach salvation by works or no?
I’m only asking for one word; will you give it to me?
Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval!
I don't believe you reposted my reply.
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