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www.catholicnewsagency.com Pope calls Catholics to daily meditation on the Bible Pope Benedict XVI Vatican City, Oct 28, 2009 / 10:37 am (CNA).- At today's General Audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Benedict provided a lesson on the theological renaissance of the 12th century, advising Christians to learn from the monks and set aside time every day to meditate on the Bible, “so that the Word of God will be the lamp that illuminates our daily path on earth."Benedict XVI began his address to the 15,000 faithful by recalling how the 12th century was a time of a spiritual, cultural...

It is my pleasure to be able to write on a subject where we as Catholics share so much common ground with our Reformed brothers, and even with most Evangelicals. In fact, it is no small thing that we agree upon foundational truths contra mundum in a time when even many Christians deny them.This article intends to show that, though Protestants agree with the Catholic Church on the basic truths about Scripture and its authority, the Reformed view of Scripture errs in three respects: in its assumption about the canon of Scripture, in its view of the authority of Scripture,...

Who do you say that Jesus is? Do your thoughts, upbringing, religious background, or personal beliefs about Jesus line up with God’s Christ of the HOLY SCRIPTURES? You might ask, “Well, does it make a difference? My friend, I say unto you, it surely does! TAKE THE JESUS CHALLENGE The Bible is the final AUTHORITY on who Jesus Christ is. It is God’s absolute instruction manual and blueprint for life. If you reject the authority of the Word of God, my friend, you are doomed. There is no hope for your lost, sinful condition. The Bible teaches that “All have...

News to Note, October 17, 2009: A weekly feature examining news from the biblical viewpoint (fascinating STEM CELL piece in story #5!)...

Christ,The Begotten Son of God From Everlasting,was made son of Joseph and Mary according to the flesh by Divine Artificial Insemination. Rom 1:3 (KJV) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  Mary was the young virgin chosen by God to bear the child Jesus, whose Spirit is of The begotten Son, whose going forths have been from old from everlasting...and Joseph, from David, from Judah, was Jesus's father in the flesh..fulfilling all prophecies concerning Christ Jesus. Jesus shared in the same flesh and blood as his brethren so...

We all know the story of Lazarus. By the time in the story when Jesus is weeping, he is fairly clear about the fact He is going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Thus the tears are not necessary for grieving Lazarus. So, why the tears? Why does Jesus weep? Perhaps the tears are a result of Jesus feeling the pain of grief on two close friends. Seeing the hurt in their own lives, the pain present in their eyes and their voices might cause Jesus to weep. He might hurt because two of his friends hurt, and when we...

Today is the feast of the great priest, Doctor, Church Father, Scripture scholar, translator, and apologist St. Jerome (347-420). From the Holy Father's November 7, 2007, General Audience: Jerome refuted with energy and liveliness the heretics who contested the tradition and faith of the Church. He also demonstrated the importance and validity of Christian literature, which had by then become a real culture that deserved to be compared with classical literature: he did so by composing his De Viris Illustribus, a work in which Jerome presents the biographies of more than a hundred Christian authors. Further, he wrote biographies of...

The New International Version of the Bible is by far the most preferred translation of the Scripture, according to a new survey of U.S. evangelical leaders. More than 65 percent of the participating leaders named the NIV as their preferred Bible in a survey conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in light of the NIV’s 30th anniversary this year. “New Bible translations face large competition to gain a foothold in churches and homes but once established they have long staying power,” commented Leith Anderson, president of the NAE, which claims to represent 30 million evangelicals. “And, the NIV...

David’s message 7 September 2008 The Scriptures We attending this small fellowship have made a choice. We have chosen to be defenders of the Faith, and being of like mind to worship together in order to encourage and edify one another in our walk with Christ and bring glory to God’s name. An awful alternative would be to fellowship with apostates and heretics- a journey of compromise and error. There is no middle-of-the-road. What then is deemed to be heresy and apostasy? Heresy is an opinion or doctrine at variance with orthodox or accepted doctrine evidenced in God’s Word. Apostasy...

Being Men of Valor in Our Everyday Lives January 10th, 2006 by Maurice Blumberg The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:12)God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come share your master’s joy. (Matthew 25:21)During and following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, we witnessed many brave firemen, policemen, and rescue workers risking, and sometimes losing, their...

Catholics are sometimes puzzled when they hear their non-Catholic friends speaking of the "Apocrypha." If they question them they discover that they understand by that term the Books of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Tobias, Judith, Baruch, First and Second Machabees and portions of Esther and Daniel. If further questioned, their friends should be able to say that at the Reformation the churches which separated from Rome and followed the lead of Luther and others decided that the above Books were not of equal authority with the rest since they are not to be found in the Hebrew Bible, but only in...

The Catholic blogosphere was recently set on fire by word of a document issued by the bishops of England, Wales, and Scotland entitled The Gift of Scripture. The firestorm was triggered by an October 5 article in The Times of London carrying the inflammatory headline "Catholic Church no longer swears by the truth of the Bible." The Times article contained a number of errors and distortions, but it also contained a number of quotes from the British bishops' document that were of concern to faithful Catholics. For example, the document is quoted as saying that "we should not expect...

A discussion from a comment on the post Bare Minimum for Salvation Lena: I just want to say that Jesus did in fact die for the sins of mankind. No matter what “works” you do it is not enough to get you into the kingdom.BFHU: AMEN!Lena: Thankfully though, there is hope and you can have that hope. God offers His grace as a gift for the taking, should you so choose to accept it. How do you accept this gift? You have to BELIEVE that Jesus died for you—and yes—He paid the WHOLE price!BFHU: Protestants do not believe in...

Chapter V - Of the Reading of Holy Scriptures:In the holy Scriptures, truth is to be looked for rather than fair phrases. All sacred scriptures should be read in the spirit in which they were written. In them, therefore, we should seek food for our souls rather than subtleties of speech, and we should as readily read simple and devout books as those that are lofty and profound. Do not be influenced by the importance of the writer, and whether his learning be great or small, but let the love of pure truth draw you to read. Do not inquire,...

One basic rule of thumb to understand in Catholic/Protestant conversations is that it is not the case that Catholics rely on Sacred Tradition and Protestants don't. Rather, Catholics (and by this I mean "educated Catholics speaking out of the Magisterial teaching of the Church") rely on Sacred Tradition and know they do, while Protestants rely on (parts) of Sacred Tradition and (usually) don't know they do. So, for instance, despite Paul's prescriptions (directed only at clergy of his day) that a man must be the husband of but one wife, nowhere in the text of Scripture is it made...

In the True Presence of Christ, I fall to my knees. I am humbled to be so near Him in the form of the Eucharist.A feeling of peace and joy comes over me.I start to pray in earnest because our Lord hears our prayers.I offer Him my sincerest gratitude for the many blessings in my life.I ask His forgiveness for the sins I have committed.I promise our Lord that I will go to Reconciliation soon.I unburden myself to Him and share all of my stress and anxiety as He asked us to in the Gospel.I pray for others-family, friends,...

Sotheby's might want to send a bidding paddle to Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown. In its July 7 London manuscripts sale, the auction house is offering a 1,500-year-old biblical document that includes layers of text and meaning--in three languages. Known as the Codex Climaci Rescriptus, the piece was written over the span of three centuries and stowed in a sacred monastery until landing in the hands of a pair of British twins by way of local Egyptian dealers. Now an English college is cannibalizing its library and cashing out, to pay for some building renovations. The ancient manuscript could...

Bishop James Conley, Auxiliary of Denver Denver, Colo., Jun 26, 2009 / 05:50 pm (CNA).- Addressing the National Catholic Bible Conference on Friday morning, Auxiliary Bishop of Denver James D. Conley urged Catholics to be “disciples of the Word” like King Josiah, the priest Ezra and St. Francis of Assisi. Recovery of God’s Word can create renewal and change “hearts and history,” he said.“Too few of us think of God’s Word as exciting or newsworthy enough to be sought out every day. And therefore too many of us miss the most newsworthy event in life – the experience of...

It is a sunny Sunday morning in a typical London suburb. I am doing some quick work in the garden before Mass. My next-door neighbors are Evangelical Christians, originally from India. This morning, the grandmother, wearing a sari, is walking up and down with her little granddaughter, and when we stop to chat, she tells me that she is teaching the little girl a Bible verse for the child to commit to memory. As I resume my work, chopping away at an overgrown hedge, I find I am echoing the verse too, and it follows me into the house...

Perhaps it’s the 11 kids or my own undisciplined personality, but I tend to fall asleep when I pray the Rosary in traditional positions. During adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, I am ashamed to admit, I find the prayer especially mesmerizing and struggle to recite five decades before the head nodding begins. However, while running in the woods, my soul soars as I stride along rugged cross-country trails. I have received both physical and spiritual consolations. Once, in His goodness, God enticed two deer to race across my path. He knew that Psalm 42, which begins, “As a hart longs...