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Bishop Strickland: Remember that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Christ’s Church
LifeSite News ^ | July 1, 2024 | Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Posted on 07/02/2024 9:03:14 AM PDT by ebb tide

Bishop Strickland: Remember that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Christ’s Church

'The Church is now facing extremely hard times. ... It is important for all of us to wake up and look around.'

The following is a piece written by Bishop Emeritus of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, first published here.  

(LifeSiteNews) — “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliacim the son of Helcias, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and will strengthen him with thy girdle, and will give thy power into his hand: and he shall be as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda. And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place, and he shall be for a throne of glory to the house of his father.  And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, divers kind of vessels, every little vessel, from the vessels of cups even to every instrument of music. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the peg be removed, that was fastened in the sure place: and it shall be broken and shall fall: and that which hung thereon, shall perish, because the Lord hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 22:20-25 DRB).

“Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.  Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.” (Matthew 16:16-20 DRB).

“And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, write: These things saith the Holy One and the true one, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth, and no man shutteth; shutteth, and no man openeth.” (Revelation 3:7 DRB).

The Lord does not interject things into the world abruptly and without warning that are necessary for our salvation. He builds a framework for them to rest upon, and then begins to teach us, step by step, how to enter in and partake of this salvific reality. And what is required in order to accept this reality is something I have written about in a previous letter – supernatural faith. Supernatural faith is of the utmost importance because salvific realities are far beyond human understanding and, therefore, supernatural faith is required to accept them. The “mystery” of the Church is one of these salvific realities which requires supernatural faith to understand and accept, for the Church came from the salvific plan of the Lord and is the “universal sacrament of salvation.”

By calling the Church the “universal sacrament of salvation,” it is not meant that it is the eighth sacrament. Instead, it is the foundation of all the sacraments, as it is through the Church that the other seven sacraments are received. Therefore, it is the Church that brings forth Christ’s saving mission in the world. The Church is both a sign and an instrument that brings forth God’s grace. As Christ was made flesh as the visible image of God on Earth, so too was the Church brought forth as the visible image of God on Earth, for indeed in His Church, His Bride, He is present among us.

Because this IS a great mystery, and because this does not always align with what others think the structure and function of Christ’s Church should be, does this mean that we should then attempt to take the “mystery” out of the divine structure of the Church so that it might be better understood by men? Should we attempt to reduce it to that which is in agreement with what those outside the true faith believe? And should we attempt to make the Church more “synodal” by a fraternal collaboration – in other words, by listening to men and attempting to modify immutable definitions of the Church, the sacraments, and the Papal office according to the various definitions of men? If we seek to do any of these things in an attempt to take away the “mystery” of the Church then there is danger of finding ourselves in a Church that is no longer Catholic – but is instead an “ape” of Christ’s Church.

Regardless of the apparent attempts of some in the Vatican to redesign the Church to make it more appealing to modern ears, the Catholic Church is still the one and only instrument of Christ’s salvation because she is not merely a charitable organization or a fraternal organization; the Church traces her origin to a divine beginning in which the divine Founder, our Lord Jesus Christ, brought her into being for the salvation of souls, and He continues to guide her to this day. Therefore, any efforts made to replace the divine nature of the Church or to change her into a form more acceptable to the world – even if these attempts come about by the hands of the Holy Father himself – will not succeed because the Church IS divine in nature, and therefore its substance and essence cannot be changed by man.  In the event that men do try to redesign the Church, then as the prophet Isaiah tells us: “saith the Lord of hosts, shall the peg be removed, that was fastened in the sure place: and it shall be broken and shall fall: and that which hung thereon, shall perish, because the Lord hath spoken it.”

This verse is first of all a description of what would be the downfall of Eliacim, also rendered Eliakim. Eliakim would fall because of his sinfulness. However, it is also a warning for those who attempt to change the Church into a church of man’s making – for that man-made peg will be removed even though it may sit in the holy place (Rome). But the Church of divine origin shall never fall, even though it may at some point be relegated to the catacombs for a time.  Jesus Himself tells us: “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18 DRB). It is important to understand that Peter was NOT himself given the task of building the Church – that is Jesus’s role – Peter was given the task of governing the Church which was established by Christ. Because Jesus is the Davidic king, the keys are His to give, and therefore He alone can bestow them as He chooses.

Looking again at the verses from Isaiah, we see the beginning of the foundation for the Papal office as we read about the highest office under the king of Jerusalem – that of the Royal Steward or Prime Minister. The Royal Steward carried the key of David upon his shoulder, and he was “as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” This was a foreshadowing of what was to come about in the Church that Christ would build. We see Christ building upon this foundation in Matthew chapter 16 as He appoints one of His Apostles, Peter, as the Royal Steward, giving him the keys of the kingdom. Jesus gave the other disciples the power to bind and loose, but it was only to Peter that he gave the keys.

It is more critical in this time than ever before that every faithful Catholic in the world should pause and pray with deep reflection on these words from Matthew chapter 16. These words have been cited for many centuries as the Church pointed to this foundational scriptural reference regarding the papacy and the very nature of the Church herself. The first millennium of Christianity understood these words universally, thus in a truly catholic way, as foundational to the Petrine office and to the hierarchical structure of the Church that Jesus Christ established.  Since the East/West schism early in the second millennium, and in the rise of Protestantism in the 16th Century, belief that Matthew 16:18-19 refers to the Chair of Peter has been an essential criterion for understanding yourself as a Catholic.

However, in these early years of the third millennium AD, an increasingly large number of faithful Catholics across the world find themselves deeply confused, concerned, and at times appalled by the confusing words and actions of the present occupant of the Chair of Peter, and the newly released study document, “The Bishop of Rome,” only adds to this confusion. I too share in these grave concerns.  Even as I write the above sentences, I am well aware that many of my fellow Catholics will find these words unsettling and deeply offensive. As a Catholic baptized in infancy, I agree that simply uttering these words is jarring and troubling to the depths of my soul, but I find that I must speak them. Love of Jesus Christ who is Truth Incarnate, love of the Church He established, love of the Petrine Office which is traced back to St. Peter himself, and love of Pope Francis all compel me to do so.

I must admit that as a sinner, I fall far short of living this compelling love as I should, but I must strive to do so each and every day – and so must we all. The greatest way to love another is to share the wondrous truth of our Catholic faith, and when necessary, to call even the Pope back to this truth. As a removed bishop I find myself in a unique position that calls me and allows me to “speak for the flock” as never before. Many members of the flock express their fears and concerns to me, and I am compelled to speak for them. It is true that a number of other bishops refrain from speaking up because they are concerned that they too might be removed. It is also true that some bishops do not speak up because they are in agreement with those who seek fundamental changes to the Church, including a reinterpretation of Matthew 16:18-19, and they are urging Pope Francis forward in changing what cannot be changed.

At this same time, we also see an attempt from the Vatican to separate the Church from its traditional past.  The Mass which uses the 1962 Roman Missal is known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite or the Tridentine or Traditional Latin Mass. It is the Mass that has been used for centuries, and it is this mass that was codified after the Council of Trent in the 16th Century. However, after Vatican II a different form of the Mass was created and released which authorized the use of the vernacular (or locally spoken) language over Latin, and many of the prayers were changed or eliminated.  Additionally, many other changes took place which moved the Church away from this Mass of the Ages. Although not specifically directed by the Council, following Vatican II, communion in the hand became commonplace and priests began facing the people rather than facing the altar as had been the custom of the Church for well over a millennium. However, despite these numerous changes, the Traditional Latin Mass was at least still permitted.

Various popes have tried to protect this ancient form of the Mass.  On July 19, 1570, Pope St. Pius V issued this decree: “By this our decree, to be valid IN PERPETUITY, we determine and order that NEVER shall anything be added to, omitted from, or changed in this Missal … At no time in the future can a priest, whether secular or order priest, ever be forced to use any other way of saying Mass.”  However, after 1970, the pre-conciliar 1962 Missal was discouraged and in fact banned in many places.  There was some confusion at the time about whether this would completely suppress the “Tridentine” Missal. However, in his motu proprio “Summorum Pontificum” Pope Benedict XVI stated: “this Missal {1962} was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.“ However, now with Pope Francis’s motu proprio, “Traditionis custodes,” he has embarked on a journey to suppress what other popes have sought to guard, and what Pope St. Pius V said shall be valid in perpetuity. This is deeply concerning.

Acknowledging these deep fissures brings me back to this text from the Gospel of Matthew and necessitates a closer examination. Jesus Christ, Truth incarnate, says, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” Clearly, Peter is the rock, “the foundation” of the Church which Christ intends to build, but it is also clear that it is Christ’s Church. Peter serves the Church while Christ retains full possession. Christ then underscores His ownership of the Church by emphasizing that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Christ confirms that He is the power that vanquishes the power of hell, and that He will later send His Holy Spirit as reinforcement to His people and His Church. Nothing is said about a collaboration of men to reimagine a synodal structure for His Church.

In Matthew 16:19, Christ grants the keys and the power of binding and loosing. The image of keys evokes the idea of locking in and locking out. Both are important to the Petrine Office – the Truth which Christ has revealed must be locked securely in the Deposit of Faith. In addition, any false teachings must be locked out of the Deposit of Faith. The keys serve both to secure and protect the precious truth of the Gospel. Finally, only the most precious valuables were under lock and key in the time of Christ; this further emphasizes the profound power and the solemn importance of the papacy.

In light of the constant and unchanging truth upheld by the Church in these verses of Sacred Scripture, it is reasonable to express profound concern regarding Pope Francis’s words and actions during his pontificate. I believe it is a disservice to the Petrine office and to Pope Francis himself to simply say, “He’s the Pope; we must obey.” (Cf. Galatians 2:11-14). This becomes even more important when we acknowledge that Pope Francis’s words and actions often leave us confused and deeply troubled. I find it to be especially disconcerting that this Pontificate apparently seeks to diminish papal authority and a centralized structure in favor of a more synodal way, while at the same time acting autocratically and wielding papal power with great force, as evidenced by the suppression of faithful traditional communities and the Traditional Latin Mass.

I am sure some will accuse me of attacking the Pope, but I can assure you that is not my intention in the least. As a successor of the Apostles, I have the utmost respect for the Church and every one of its divinely-instituted elements, which includes the Papacy. However, now more than ever we need a Supreme Pontiff who is a great bridge builder. What better way to express our hope in these desperate times than to speak honestly to the Holy Father and ask him to guard Christ’s Church.

In 1947, Archbishop Fulton Sheen saw the Church in the future dividing into two groups – “the God Who became man, and the man who makes himself God; brothers in Christ and comrades in anti-Christ.” Bishop Sheen saw the anti-Christ setting up a Church “which will be the ape of the Church because, he the devil, is the ape of God. It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the anti-Christ that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ.”

Sheen said that “in the midst of all his seeming love for humanity and his glib talk of freedom and equality,” the anti-Christ “will have one great secret which he will tell to no one; he will not believe in God. Because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God … ” With this caution in mind, we must remain ever-vigilant in defending the Church from any who would seek to change or corrupt the divinely instituted elements of Christ’s Church.

Be of courage, my brothers and sisters – Christus Vincit!  However, the Church is now facing extremely hard times. Seek always to pray, to remain in a state of grace, to grow in your supernatural faith, and to remember that “from now on, the struggle will be … for the souls of men.”

Archbishop Sheen predicted that people would accept this ape of the Church and its promise to unite people in a world brotherhood. And he said, “Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world. The great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on.”

It is important for all of us to wake up and look around – for this time is even now upon us. It is at our door.

May Almighty God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for you and point you always to the Sacred Heart of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland
Bishop Emeritus


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Wrong: It’s that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Christ. Catholics do not have ownership of that.

Not just having no ownership of being the church which shall overcome the gates of Hell, but as a false church with a false gospel, yet with many true beliefs, Catholicism has become as the gates of Hell for multitudes, especially those cultist who promote it as an object of faith.

Yet distinctive Catholic teachings are not manifest in the only wholly God-inspired, substantive, authoritative record of what the NT church believed (which is Scripture, in particular Acts through Revelation, which best shows how the NT church understood the gospels)

As for "this rock," beyond linguistics, the meaning of Petra and Petros is to be understood by how the Lord and Peter are revealed in Scripture as understanding Mt. 16;18. In which the NT church never taught that Peter was the "rock" of Mt. 16:18 upon which the church is built, interpreting Mt. 16:18, rather than upon the rock of the faith confessed by Peter, thus Christ Himself.

For in contrast to Peter (“petros”), that the LORD Jesus is the Rock (“petra”) or "stone" (“lithos,” and which denotes a large rock in Mk. 16:4) upon which the church is built is one of the most abundantly confirmed doctrines in the Bible (petra: Rm. 9:33; 1Cor. 10:4; 1Pet. 2:8; cf. Lk. 6:48; 1Cor. 3:11; lithos: Mat. 21:42; Mk.12:10-11; Lk. 20:17-18; Act. 4:11; Rm. 9:33; Eph. 2:20; cf. Dt. 32:4, Is. 28:16) including by Peter himself. (1Pt. 2:4-8) Rome's current catechism attempts to have Peter himself as the rock as well, but also affirms: “On the rock of this faith confessed by St Peter, Christ build his Church,” (pt. 1, sec. 2, cp. 2, para. 424) which understanding some of the so-called “church fathers” concur with.)

While men can argue about the significance of the difference between the Greek (the language the Holy Spirit chose to express the New Testament revelation in) words “Petros” (Peter, or stone in Jn. 1:42) and “petra” (rock) in Mt. 16:18, and what the LORD might have said in Aramaic (and your own appeal to a Hebrew Matthew was dealt with), the phrase “this stone” (“touton lithosis”), used to identify the cornerstone which is the foundation of the church, (Mt. 21:42) is only used of Christ as regarding a person. (Mt. 21:44)

It is by the “rock of this faith” that the church not only exists but it gains its members. (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13) And it is by the essential faith which Peter expressed that church overcomes: "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1Jn, 5:5; cf (1Jn. 2:13,14,25)

And linguistical debates never end:

David Garland (“Reading Matthew”, New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1995) contending that there is a very good possibility that the possible “underlying Aramaic” for the “petros/petra” wordplay (possibly “kepha/kepha” in the unknown Aramaic) may well have been “kepha/tnra” – which then separates the Greek “petros/petra” by more than just gender issues; it changes the whole meaning of the wordplay. And this “changed wordplay” greatly advances the (already likely) scenario that Peter is not “the rock” of that verse.Following on what Garland pointed out, Everett Ferguson, in his “The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today” (Grand Rapids/Cambridge: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996), also affirms that in the Syriac language, which is a later form of Aramaic, does indeed make the “kepha/tnra” distinction in existing Syriac translations of the Gospel of Matthew:... More, by the grace of God.

And the NT church never taught or exampled that all the churches were to look to Peter as the bishop of Rome and the first of a line of supreme infallible heads reigning over all the churches, and having the final defining judgment in questions affecting the whole Church, even without the consent of the bishops. Which is contrary to what Scripture reveals of Peter, and which modern research even by Catholics provides testimony against.

. And which never manifestly saw mention or intimation of preparation to choose a successor for Peter by electing a elder as a apostolic successor, much less conveying total supreme papal authority. Unlike king David and the promise of his son Solomon to reign over Israel and his institution as king, (1 Chronicles 29) and the record of his son Rehoboam reigning in his stead (2 Chronicles 9:31) and so forth, the Bible not only does not record Peter�s death but it also does not foretell of a successor or speak of preparations for one. Nor does it mention any apostolic successor for any apostle (even though the apostle James who was martyred: Acts 12:1,2) except for Matthias being chosen for the apostate Judas (which was in order to maintain the foundational number of apostles (Acts 1:15-26; :cf. Rv. 21:14), which was by the non-political Scriptural means of casting lots, (cf. Prov. 16:33) which Rome has never used to select popes. What Scripture does teach is that of presbyterous (see #8) being ordained to oversee the flock of God. (Acts 20:28)

Furthermore, although Rome's so-called apostolic successors do not claim to be apostles, yet as popes they presume ensured (conditional) infallibility as being an attribute of the apostle Peter and for ecumenical councils with him, though this was not an ensured charism, and Romes popes fail (as I do also) of the overall character, attributes, qualifications and credentials of manifest Biblical apostles, in all things approving themselves as the ministers of God. (2 Corinthians 6:4; Acts 1:21,22; 1Cor. 9:1; Gal. 1:11,12; 2Cor. 6:4-10; 12:12)

61 posted on 07/03/2024 7:40:52 PM PDT by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)
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To: daniel1212

Daniel1212, this is an excellent collection of references for this matter.

I will need some time to unpack parts, which makes for a joyous occasion

Thank you.


62 posted on 07/03/2024 8:02:07 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ealgeone

We aren’t the ones with a fake leader wearing ornate clothing and countless gold adornments.

The Pope is as far from Christ’s example as one can be.


63 posted on 07/03/2024 8:05:03 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: metmom
She simply told Jesus they ran out of wine.

When my wife tells me the kitchen trash can is full or the back porch needs sweeping, I know she's expecting me to do something about the situation. She is not making casual conversation like it's supposed to rain today. And guess what: I take out the trash and I sweep the back porch.

Have you ever wondered why Mary told Jesus, Her Son, and not the chief wine steward, or any other person, that the wine had run out?

Have you ever wondered why even though Jesus Christ told His Mother that it was not yet His time, that he went ahead and performed His first public miracle? Sounds like an intercession to me and of Jesus Christ obeying an implied request from His Mother to remediate an unfortunate situation.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ understood His Mother's simple statement of fact to be an implied request as I mentioned above? Look at His response to His Mother:

4 And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come. John, Chapter 2.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

I wouldn’t be surprised if others were talking about it too.

Now your speculation of what's outside scripture violates the protestant mantra of "sola scriptura" which in practicality is an impossible command to keep. And if others were talking about it, it would be no more than talking about the weather. Who else could do something about the situation? Who else could turn water into wine?

The Mother knew her Son, unlike any other mother could; and He immediately addressed Her intercession.

Remember, it was Mary, not Jesus, who instructed the stewards to do whatever Her Son told them to do.

64 posted on 07/03/2024 8:25:55 PM PDT by ebb tide ("The Spirit of Vatican II" is nothing more than a wicked "idealogy" of the modernists.)
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To: ebb tide
...and may the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for you...


 

Anselm: It suffices, O Lady, that thou willest it, and our SALVATION is certain.

Antoninus: …souls protected by Mary, and on which she casts her eyes, are NECESSARILY JUSTIFIED AND SAVED. 

Athanasius: …And, thou, O Lady, wast filled with grace, that thou mightiest be the way of our SALVATION and the means of ascent to the heavenly Kingdom.

Bernadine: …all gifts, all virtues, and all graces are dispensed by the hands of Mary to whomsoever, when, and as she pleases. O Lady, since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and since the grace of salvation can ONLY come through thy hands, OUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON THEE.
(Leo XIII: Adiutricem populi, September 5, 1895) — [p. 19, no. 44]

Bonaventure: …the gates of heaven will open to all who confide in the protection of Mary. Blessed are they who know thee, O Mother of God, for the knowledge of THEE is the high road to everlasting life, and the publication of thy virtues is the way of ETERNAL SALVATION . Give ear, O ye nations; and all you who desire heaven , serve, honor Mary, and certainly you will find ETERNAL LIFE.

She says, "He that shall find Me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.   "Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino."

Listen," exclaims St. Bonaventure on these words, "listen, all you who desire the kingdom of God: honor the most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation."  "Audite qui ingredi cupitis regnum Dei: Virginem Mariam honorate, et invenietis vitam et salutem perpetuam."-psalt. B.V.ps.48.

Guerric: …he who serves Mary and for whom she intercedes, is as CERTAIN of heaven as if he were already there…and those who DO NOT serve Mary will NOT BE SAVED.

“The Catholic Church has always and with justice put all her hope and trust in the Mother of God.”

(Leo XIII: Encyclical, Supreme Apostolatus, September 1, 1883.) — [p. 32, no. 104]



"Only She Can Help You"
by Father Nicholas Gruner, S.T.L., S.T.D. (Cand.)
In this letter introducing The Fatima Crusader Issue 38, Father Gruner discusses the growing lies and deception about Russia's errors and the consecration of that nation. He also reminds us that, while it is urgent that we be informed about and fight for Our Lady's cause, we must ask for Her help and intercession.

 

Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
In this article taken from The Glories of Mary, Saint Alphonsus explains that there are countless souls in Heaven who are there now only because Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them there. If a soul persists in true devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, She will certainly lead that soul to Heaven.

 



The Rosary
by Father Stefano Manelli, S.T.D.
It is greatly important that Our Lady insisted on the Rosary. When at Fatima She spoke of the salvation of sinners, of the ruin of souls in hell, of wars and peace, and of the future of our age. Our Lady indicated and recommended the Rosary as the prayer that saves, that brings peace, that preserves the faith.

Mary, Our Life, Our Sweetness, Our Hope
by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
St. Alphonsus de Liguori explains how Mary is our life, how She is our sweetness, and how She is our hope.

The historical record of the worship of Mary accumulated by St. Alphonsus de Liguori who wrote “The Glories of Mary” in the year 1745, which has been since translated into English and printed again and again and again with the full affirmation and imprimatur of the official Roman Catholic Church.  In this book there is the sum of all the glories of Mary which has been vouchsafe to the Roman Catholic Church and the Church itself calls upon all its constituents to give Mary that honor she is due.  She is identified as Mary, our Queen; Mary, our mother; Mary, our life; Mary, our sweetness; Mary, our hope; Mary, our help; Mary, our Mediatress; Mary, our advocate; Mary, our guardian; and Mary, our salvation.  It is said that Mary delivers us from hell, Mary delivers us from purgatory, and Mary leads us to heaven.  And it should be said that de Liguori, who collected all the Marion dogma and devotion, was himself one of the most celebrated and revered authorities in the Roman Catholic Church.  De Liguori was himself a cardinal in life, and a saint in death.

 

Jesus said "Without Me you can do nothing". In this crisis which looms ahead of us, Our Lady has told us that we need Her help, Her intercession. We must ask for Her help with the Rosary and the Scapular.

At Fatima, Our Lady told us very plainly that "Only I can help you". Today more than ever is this so true.

Pray the Rosary and sacrifice yourself for Our Lady.

 

 Jesus and Mary — Our Hope

It is so urgent that we reach as many souls as possible before it is too late. Let us be of good cheer and remember the words of Jesus to each of us, "It's never too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary." That is why it is so important to reach the many millions of souls who do not know this, and who do not know the grave dangers lying in wait for their souls.

No, we must never lose hope. Mary is our hope. She can obtain for us what we cannot by ourselves. Read what St. Alphonsus has to say regarding confidence in Our Lady's intercession in "Mary Leads Her Servants to Heaven". Father Manelli also reminds us of the importance of devotion to Our Lady. (See "Hail Mary, Full of Grace"). Our Blessed Mother tells us to turn to Her in confidence. She tells us repeatedly to ask Her intercession through the frequent fervent praying of the Rosary. (See "The Rosary"). She tells us we must pray the Rosary every day. She wants us to pray it many times a day.

 

http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg2.asp



O, how many blessed souls are now in Heaven who would never have been there had not Mary, by Her powerful intercession, led them thither. I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth. Cardinal Hugo, in his commentary on the above text of Ecclesiasticus, says in the name of Mary, "I have caused as many saints in Heaven through Her intercession, who would never have been there but through Her ."

...in the words of St. Ambrose, "Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since Thou hast its keys." "Aperi nobis, O Virgo coelum, cujus claves habes." Nay more, the Church says, that "Thou art its gate." 

 


 23.  "Coeleste nobis regnum, suo interventu auxiliis, et precibus, impetravit."—Paciucch. Sup. Salve Reg. exc. I.
 24. "Qui Virgini famulatur, ita securus est de paradiso, ac si esset in paradiso."
 25. "Summus honor, servire Mariæ, et de ejus esse familia; etenim ei servire, regnare est; et ejus agi frænis, summa libertas."
 26. "Gens quæ non servierit illi, peribit; gentes destitutæ tantæ Matris auxilio, destituuntur auxilio Filii et totius curi’‘ coelestis."— De Laud. B. M. I. 4.

St. Antoninus tells us "that this divine Mother has already, by Her assistance and prayers, obtained Heaven for us, provided we put no obstacle in the way."23

Hence, says Abbot Guerric, "he who serves Mary, and for whom She intercedes, is as certain of Heaven as if he was already there."24

St. John Damascene also says, "that to serve Mary and be Her courtier is the greatest honor we can possibly possess; for to serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and live under Her commands is more than to govern."25

On the other hand, he adds, "that those who do not serve Mary will not be saved; for those who are deprived of the help of this great Mother are also deprived of that of Her Son and of the whole court of heaven."26

 

Cardinal Hugo http://fatima.org/crusader/cr38/cr38pg3.asp 

 

 
 

65 posted on 07/04/2024 4:51:56 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
What a joke. You’re the one taking things out of context.

I guess that I'd best take things out of the CCC then!


 


PART ONE
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

SECTION TWO
THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

CHAPTER TWO
I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY SON OF GOD

 

424 Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess:

 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'8 

On the rock of this faith confessed by St. Peter, Christ built his Church.9


66 posted on 07/04/2024 4:55:57 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide
What's the misinterpretation of:

None.

But since you CHOOSE to go against the TEACHING of the RCC...

 As regards the oft-quoted Mt. 16:18, note the bishops promise in the profession of faith of Vatican 1...
 
 

Likewise I accept Sacred Scripture according to that sense which Holy mother Church held and holds, since it is her right to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy scriptures; nor will I ever receive and interpret them except according to the unanimous consent of the fathers.  http://mb-soft.com/believe/txs/firstvc.htm

 

Yet as the Dominican cardinal and Catholic theologian Yves Congar O.P. states,

Unanimous patristic consent as a reliable locus theologicus is classical in Catholic theology; it has often been declared such by the magisterium and its value in scriptural interpretation has been especially stressed. Application of the principle is difficult, at least at a certain level. In regard to individual texts of Scripture total patristic consensus is rare...One example: the interpretation of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16-18. Except at Rome, this passage was not applied by the Fathers to the papal primacy; they worked out an exegesis at the level of their own ecclesiological thought, more anthropological and spiritual than juridical. — Yves M.-J. Congar, O.P., p. 71

 

And Catholic archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick (1806-1896), while yet seeking to support Peter as the rock, stated that,

“If we are bound to follow the majority of the fathers in this thing, then we are bound to hold for certain that by the rock should be understood the faith professed by Peter, not Peter professing the faith.” — Speech of archbishop Kenkick, p. 109; An inside view of the vatican council, edited by Leonard Woolsey Bacon.

 

Your own CCC allows the interpretation that, “On the rock of this faith confessed by St Peter, Christ build his Church,” (pt. 1, sec. 2, cp. 2, para. 424), for some of the ancients (for what their opinion is worth) provided for this or other interpretations.

 

 Ambrosiaster [who elsewhere upholds Peter as being the chief apostle to whom the Lord had entrusted the care of the Church, but not superior to Paul as an apostle except in time], Eph. 2:20:

Wherefore the Lord says to Peter: 'Upon this rock I shall build my Church,' that is, upon this confession of the catholic faith I shall establish the faithful in life. — Ambrosiaster, Commentaries on Galatians—Philemon, Eph. 2:20; Gerald L. Bray, p. 42

 

 Augustine, sermon:

"Christ, you see, built his Church not on a man but on Peter's confession. What is Peter's confession? 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' There's the rock for you, there's the foundation, there's where the Church has been built, which the gates of the underworld cannot conquer.  John Rotelle, O.S.A., Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine , © 1993 New City Press, Sermons, Vol III/6, Sermon 229P.1, p. 327

Upon this rock, said the Lord, I will build my Church. Upon this confession, upon this that you said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,' I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not conquer her (Mt. 16:18).  John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City, 1993) Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 236A.3, p. 48.

 

 Augustine, sermon:

For petra (rock) is not derived from Peter, but Peter from petra; just as Christ is not called so from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. For on this very account the Lord said, 'On this rock will I build my Church,' because Peter had said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' On this rock, therefore, He said, which thou hast confessed, I will build my Church. For the Rock (Petra) was Christ; and on this foundation was Peter himself built. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus. The Church, therefore, which is founded in Christ received from Him the keys of the kingdom of heaven in the person of Peter, that is to say, the power of binding and loosing sins. For what the Church is essentially in Christ, such representatively is Peter in the rock (petra); and in this representation Christ is to be understood as the Rock, Peter as the Church. — Augustine Tractate CXXIV; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series, Volume VII Tractate CXXIV (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.cxxv.html)

 

 Augustine, sermon:

And Peter, one speaking for the rest of them, one for all, said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:15-16)...And I tell you: you are Peter; because I am the rock, you are Rocky, Peter-I mean, rock doesn't come from Rocky, but Rocky from rock, just as Christ doesn't come from Christian, but Christian from Christ; and upon this rock I will build my Church (Mt 16:17-18); not upon Peter, or Rocky, which is what you are, but upon the rock which you have confessed. I will build my Church though; I will build you, because in this answer of yours you represent the Church. — John Rotelle, O.S.A. Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1993), Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 270.2, p. 289

 

 Augustine, sermon:

Peter had already said to him, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' He had already heard, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the underworld shall not conquer her' (Mt 16:16-18)...Christ himself was the rock, while Peter, Rocky, was only named from the rock. That's why the rock rose again, to make Peter solid and strong; because Peter would have perished, if the rock hadn't lived. — John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City, 1993) Sermons, Volume III/7, Sermon 244.1, p. 95

 

 Augustine, sermon:

...because on this rock, he said, I will build my Church, and the gates of the underworld shall not overcome it (Mt. 16:18). Now the rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Hold on to these texts, love these texts, repeat them in a fraternal and peaceful manner. — John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (New Rochelle: New City Press, 1995), Sermons, Volume III/10, Sermon 358.5, p. 193

 

 Augustine, Psalm LXI:

Let us call to mind the Gospel: 'Upon this Rock I will build My Church.' Therefore She crieth from the ends of the earth, whom He hath willed to build upon a Rock. But in order that the Church might be builded upon the Rock, who was made the Rock? Hear Paul saying: 'But the Rock was Christ.' On Him therefore builded we have been. — Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume VIII, Saint Augustin, Exposition on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXI.3, p. 249. (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf108.ii.LXI.html)

 

 Augustine, in “Retractions,”

In a passage in this book, I said about the Apostle Peter: 'On him as on a rock the Church was built.'...But I know that very frequently at a later time, I so explained what the Lord said: 'Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,' that it be understood as built upon Him whom Peter confessed saying: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' and so Peter, called after this rock, represented the person of the Church which is built upon this rock, and has received 'the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' For, 'Thou art Peter' and not 'Thou art the rock' was said to him. But 'the rock was Christ,' in confessing whom, as also the whole Church confesses, Simon was called Peter. But let the reader decide which of these two opinions is the more probable. — The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C., Catholic University, 1968), Saint Augustine, The Retractations Chapter 20.1:.

 

 Basil of Seleucia, Oratio 25:

'You are Christ, Son of the living God.'...Now Christ called this confession a rock, and he named the one who confessed it 'Peter,' perceiving the appellation which was suitable to the author of this confession. For this is the solemn rock of religion, this the basis of salvation, this the wall of faith and the foundation of truth: 'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.' To whom be glory and power forever. — Oratio XXV.4, M.P.G., Vol. 85, Col. 296-297.

 

 Bede, Matthaei Evangelium Expositio, 3:

You are Peter and on this rock from which you have taken your name, that is, on myself, I will build my Church, upon that perfection of faith which you confessed I will build my Church by whose society of confession should anyone deviate although in himself he seems to do great things he does not belong to the building of my Church...Metaphorically it is said to him on this rock, that is, the Saviour which you confessed, the Church is to be built, who granted participation to the faithful confessor of his name. — 80Homily 23, M.P.L., Vol. 94, Col. 260. Cited by Karlfried Froehlich, Formen, Footnote #204, p. 156 [unable to verify by me].

 

 Cassiodorus, Psalm 45.5:

'It will not be moved' is said about the Church to which alone that promise has been given: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.' For the Church cannot be moved because it is known to have been founded on that most solid rock, namely, Christ the Lord. — Expositions in the Psalms, Volume 1; Volume 51, Psalm 45.5, p. 455

 

 Chrysostom (John) [who affirmed Peter was a rock, but here not the rock in Mt. 16:18]:

Therefore He added this, 'And I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; that is, on the faith of his confession. — Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily LIIl; Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.LII.html)

 

 Cyril of Alexandria:

When [Peter] wisely and blamelessly confessed his faith to Jesus saying, 'You are Christ, Son of the living God,' Jesus said to divine Peter: 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.' Now by the word 'rock', Jesus indicated, I think, the immoveable faith of the disciple.”. — Cyril Commentary on Isaiah 4.2.

 

 Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII):

“For a rock is every disciple of Christ of whom those drank who drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, 1 Corinthians 10:4 and upon every such rock is built every word of the church, and the polity in accordance with it; for in each of the perfect, who have the combination of words and deeds and thoughts which fill up the blessedness, is the church built by God.'

“For all bear the surname ‘rock’ who are the imitators of Christ, that is, of the spiritual rock which followed those who are being saved, that they may drink from it the spiritual draught. But these bear the surname of rock just as Christ does. But also as members of Christ deriving their surname from Him they are called Christians, and from the rock, Peters.” — Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Book XII), sect. 10,11 ( http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/101612.htm)

 

 Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II): Thus our one immovable foundation, our one blissful rock of faith, is the confession from Peter's mouth, Thou art the Son of the living God. On it we can base an answer to every objection with which perverted ingenuity or embittered treachery may assail the truth."-- (Hilary of Potier, On the Trinity (Book II), para 23; Philip Schaff, editor, The Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers Series 2, Vol 9.


67 posted on 07/04/2024 5:02:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide

(Too bad you can’t blame the current pope for the above!)


68 posted on 07/04/2024 5:03:00 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion
Mary intercedes with and through Jesus, the same way any other Christian intercessory prayer works.

WHY do you apparently HATE Mary by limiting her vast powers?!?

69 posted on 07/04/2024 5:04:20 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion

I’ve read much of what countless Catholic teachers have put forward as gospel.


70 posted on 07/04/2024 5:05:49 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Texas_Guy

Deal with it...


71 posted on 07/04/2024 5:07:57 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: JesusIsLord
If I've mischaracterized the Catholic or (most) Protestant belief on prayer and intercession amongst Believers, please let me know.

Of COUSE you have!

REPENT!!!


72 posted on 07/04/2024 5:08:48 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: patriot torch

Definitely!

“I love you; BUT...


73 posted on 07/04/2024 5:09:33 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ealgeone

Well, if you read and study the CCC: Reader’s Digest version...


74 posted on 07/04/2024 5:10:33 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ealgeone; ebb tide; patriot torch
Mary interceded at the Wedding at Cana.

Did they PROVE this?


Here is ALL she said:

 
... at Cana
And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:3-5).

75 posted on 07/04/2024 5:13:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ebb tide

Poor thing - you getting picked on?


76 posted on 07/04/2024 5:14:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: metmom

How DARE you explain the text to beginning English readers!


77 posted on 07/04/2024 5:15:56 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion
Where in the Bible does it say that only people on earth can pray for others?

Where ELSE would they be?

78 posted on 07/04/2024 5:16:51 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion
You seem terrified that I'm making Mary superior to Christ.

Many others WAY more qualified than yourself, have already blazed this trail.

79 posted on 07/04/2024 5:17:54 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ealgeone

Rome wants to put it’s members into heaven early - bypassing the GWT judgement.


80 posted on 07/04/2024 5:19:13 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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