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† IN PASSIONE ET MORTI DOMINI ~ The Passion and Death of Christ Jesus † † Statio ad S. Crucem in Ierusalem ~ Station at Holy Cross in Jerusalem † Color: Nigrum ~ Black Vestments I Classis ~ First Class Observance 6 April 2012 Anno Dómini D uring the late Middle Ages, when heathen muslim occupation of the Holy Land prevented devout pilgrims from visiting Christianity's Most Sacred Sites, the faithful made replicas of those Holy Sites in Western and Eastern Europe, where they would come to pray.Roman Catholics sought greater detail about the Passion of the Lord, beyond...

The "Inconvenient Tale" of the Original King James BibleBy Gary Michuta King James I at the Hampton Court Conference"Dr. Reynolds...insisted boldly on various points ; but when he came to the demand for the disuse of the apocrypha in the church service James could bear it no longer. He called for a Bible, read a chapter out of Ecclesiasticus, and expounded it according to his own views ; then turning to the lords of his council, he said, " What trow ye makes these men so angry with Ecclesiasticus ? By my soul, I think Ecclesiasticus was a bishop,...

I'm reading my monthly publication of "The Voice of the Martyrs" and am just amazed and stunned by the power an impact of the Holy Bible. I'm reading a story of how someone named Mozafar, who was a devout Muslim, had been commanded by his mullah (Islamic leader) to read the Bible so that he could write an argument against it to defeat the Christians. Upon reading the book of Matthew, he was stunned by the mercy and grace of Jesus. He went to a hotel room to read more without interruption. He became a Christian. The message of the...

Our house has become a frequent stop for the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  More than likely it is because my beautiful wife smiles, listens, and takes their literature.  Her feeling has always been that it is better for us to take The Watchtower than to have it in the hands of someone else. At any rate, I rarely read it, but the subtitle on the front cover this month was, “What Are the Marks of the True Christianity?”  I’ve always known that, like Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses consider themselves “Christians” but the rest of Christendom does not for lack of their profession...

Unto What Shall We Liken the Roman Hermeneutic? Rome insists that she is an authentic interpreter of Scripture. We can easily provide an example, within a document defining a dogma, of Rome making a clear blunder. But let's leave that aside for a second, and consider the effect of Rome's claims on a conversation. Christian: We should reject Marian devotion because the Bible teaches us to trust in God alone. Roman apologist: You have wrongly interpreted the Bible. Only Rome can authentically interpret the Bible. Christian: That's not true, the Bible was written to be understood. Anyone can authentically interpret...

The recent indignity by which the Obama administration wants to mandate everyone, including all Catholic institutions or their insurers, to pay for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, has raised the issue of Catholic teaching on these issues. Some commentators have mistakenly asserted that the Catholic ban on these practices only goes back to Humanae Vitae (On the Regulation of Birth), by Pope Paul VI in 1968, or as far back as Casti Connubii (Of Chaste Wedlock), by Pope Pius XI in 1931. The latter encyclical was written in response to the change of moral doctrine by the Anglican Church, which...

Theological lessons appear in the most unexpected places. The February 12, 2012 edition of The New York Times included an obituary for Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, who died February 8 in Toronto at age 99. The obituaries in The New York Times are legendary, rivaled only by those in The Times of London. Both papers feature unexpectedly lengthy obituaries devoted to those who made a difference in their times. Rabbi Plaut was one of those figures. As Margalit Fox of the Times explained, the rabbi was one of the most influential figures in Reform Judaism, North American Judaism’s most liberal...

Chicago—In 1835 a traveling curiosity peddler of Egyptian mummies arrived in the small town of Kirtland, Ohio. He caught the attention of Joseph Smith (1805-44), the controversial founder of the Mormon religion. Smith secured a large sum of money from his followers ($2,400, or $60,000 in today’s dollars) to purchase four Egyptian mummies with scrolls of papyri. Smith announced that he could do what no one else could do: translate the ancient hieroglyphics. Smith asserted that the papyri contained the writings of the biblical prophets Abraham and Joseph. He titled his translation of the papyri the “Book of Abraham.” Smith’s...

Much has been made already about President Obama’s comments yesterday at the National Prayer Breakfast concerning the Christian faith’s teachings about social responsibility. During his time at the breakfast, the president opined that getting rid of tax breaks for wealthy Americans amounted to a Christian obligation: In a time when many folks are struggling and at a time when we have enormous deficits, it’s hard for me to ask seniors on a fixed income or young people with student loans or middle-class families who can barely pay the bills to shoulder the burden alone. And I think to myself, if...

Our confidence that the account of the flood and Noah’s ark happened in space, time, and history is grounded in the Bible, not in remnants of ancient timber. For centuries, an inordinate and unhealthy attention has been directed to certain items claimed to be relics of Christ, Christian leaders, or illustrious Christians. The veneration of relics has been a major feature of Roman Catholic popular piety since the earliest centuries of its history, reaching its highest official sanction in 787, when the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that every church should have some relic at the altar. Now, much attention...

There are four aspects of powerful preaching displayed by Jesus in this passage. As such, Jesus is not just a powerful preacher himself, but also models what it means to be a powerful and effective preacher.In using the word “preacher” here we ought to be careful not to reduce preaching merely to what takes place in a church. For surely the clergy have churches in which to preach. But every Catholic parent ought also to learn from Jesus here, for they have the church of their home in which to preach, and the pulpit of the dining room table,...

Featured Term (selected at random):SPIRITUAL READING As the Lectio Divina prescribed in monasticism from the earliest times, it is all reading that is conducive to prayer and closer union with God. The Sacred Scriptures have always held the primacy of honor in such reading, along with writings of the Church's teachers; notably, the popes andbishops, the writings and lives of the saints, and all other forms of composition whose avowed purpose as writing is to enlighten the mind and inspire the will and affections to the worhsip and service of God. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John...

T he doctrine of apostolic succession is the belief that the 12 apostles passed on their authority to successors, who then passed that apostolic authority on to their successors, continuing on throughout the centuries, even to today. Whilst this might be a fascinating and intriguing concept, is it truly biblical? The great thing about the New Testament is that it clearly establishes the major doctrines of the Church. One may find vital doctrines such as the atonement, resurrection and justification by faith alone, clearly outlined with many scriptural references (one may wish to check out this page). One is left...

A Revolutionary Resolution Make this the year when you’ll really get to know the Bible. Every new year presents us with an exciting challenge and opportunity. As another year fades into memory and as we stand on the brink of a new beginning, we almost naturally ask ourselves, “What can I do this year to better myself?” Some choose to lose a few extra pounds or to establish a new exercise regimen. Others decide to spend more time with their families. Still others establish a new budget and set some kind of financial goal for the year. Finally, others...

... and a key figure during Advent, by Frank Sheed: St. John the Baptist, Forerunner | Frank Sheed | From To Know Christ Jesus All four evangelists begin Jesus' entry into public life with John the Baptist's emergence from his desert. Matthew leaps straight to John's mission after the return of the Holy Family from Egypt, Luke after the finding of the boy in the Temple. The other two actually begin their Gospel with it, nothing of our Lord's earthly life being told before, apart from John's "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." It is clear, then, that...

Archaeology and the New Testament by  Kyle Butt, M.A. Any time a book alleges to report historical events accurately, that book potentially opens itself up to an immense amount of criticism. If such a book claims to be free from all errors in its historical documentation, the criticism frequently becomes even more intense. But such should be the case, for it is the responsibility of present and future generations to know and understand the past, and to insist that history, including certain monumental moments, is recorded and related as accurately as possible. The New Testament does not necessarily claim to...

Remember the Lectures on Faith sections in the Mormon scripture, “Doctrine and Covenants?” No? But they were there for 86 years? I’m reading an 1918 “Doctrine and Covenants” and sure enough, there’s Lectures on Faith.” What about “Section 101″ in early D&C editions, the “Article on Marriage” that says men and women should only have one spouse? No, haven’t heard of that one either? It was eventually deleted by church leaders and replaced by Section 132, which details celestial marriage and having multiple wives. Decanonization of scripture is not talked about much in the LDS church, and it’s certainly far...

Featured Term (selected at random):ISHBOSHETH This name is a deliberate alteration of the name "Ishbaal," offensive to Jews because it mans "man of Baal." Ishbaal was the son of Saul, the king of Israel who was wounded and then committed suicide in the battle of Gilboa (I Samuel 31:6). Abner, Saul's commander, installed Ishbaal as successor, but David, now King of Judah, aspired to take over Israel (II Samuel 2:8-9). In the war that ensued Ishbaal antagonized Abner, who was the only one who could have kept him in power (II Samuel 3:6-11). Both Ishbaal and Abner were murdered, and...

It's one thing for your average, secular liberal not to know the New Testament. But for the Reverend Al Sharpton not to know better? On his MSNBC show this evening, Sharpton showed Michelle Bachmann, after making the case for self-reliance, saying "if anyone will not work, neither shall they eat." Even this NewsBuster, who is anything but expert in the area, realized that Bachman was quoting Scripture to the effect that people who are unwilling--not unable--to work don't deserve support. But Sharpton incredibly claimed Bachmann meant that "if you don't have work, you should starve." View the video here.

The early church Fathers on the Scriptures Prayer is Answering the Word of God Isidore said:   `Anyone who wants to be always united to God must pray often and read the Bible often. For in prayer it is we who are speaking to God, but in the readings it is God speaking to us.   `All spiritual progress is based on reading and meditation. What we do not know, we learn in the reading; what we have learned, we preserve by meditation.   `Reading the Bible provides us with a two-fold advantage. It instructs our minds, and introduces us to the love...