Catholic Fiction: Responding to Myths & Half-Truths

Do Catholics worship Mary?

2013-05-21T00:30:00.000Z

Common Sense Answer:
To answer this recurring question, let us consider this:

A child kneels in front of a bed whiles praying. Is the child guilty of worshipping the bed?
A pastor lies on the floor whiles crying, singing and praying. Is the pastor committing idolatry?

The fact that the bed and the floor are graven images or objects of things under the Earth doesn’t imply that they are committing idolatry by worshipping those objects in front of them whiles in prayer. This is true for Catholics who pray in front of statues of Mary and the saints.

Continue here: Do Catholics worship Mary?

The Death Cookie

2013-04-30T08:03:00.000Z

Tract: The Death Cookie
Claim: The Eucharist or Holy Communion is a death cookie.

The Big Question: Is that true? Let’s find out.

In this tract as in all his other gospel tracts, Jack Chick begins his anti-Catholic propaganda with, “How could I gain control of all these people without an army?” He continues with, “Make them believe that their immortal souls are in your hands.” Let’s see what the Bible has to say about this:
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17 KJV emphasis mine)
The Pope never claims that the immortal soul of any Catholic is in his hands. The Pope follows what the Bible says, knowing that as a shepherd, he has to watch over the souls of his flock. That is what the Word of God says clearly in Hebrews 13:17.
Mr. Chick continues, “If you can make a man believe that you have the power to put him into Hell… He’ll do anything you ask to save his skin.” When has the Pope claimed that he as a human being has power to put others into Hell? Can Chick cite a source?

Jack Chick writes, “Man is religious by nature and so you must appear to be very holy.” Indeed man is religious by nature but the issue is what true religion is. Let’s see what the Bible says:
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:26-27 KJV emphasis mine)
He continues, “Oh, yes, but you must also be very mysterious and different. Speak things that no one understands and burn a lot of candles.” This is another falsehood presented by Jack Chick. Are Popes really mysterious and different? No! Do Popes speak things that no one understands? No. Popes usually speak in Latin which is the official language of the Latin/Roman Church. They even speak in familiar languages like English, Spanish, German and French. As for the “burn a lot of candles,” it is true that the Catholic Church burn candles during worship but it is not only candles that are burned. The Church also burn incense. I guess Jack Chick intentionally left the incense aspect because he knows even at the birth of Christ frankincense was presented as one of the gifts to the child Jesus. Burning candles is not unchristian just as burning incense isn’t.

Mr. Chick continues, “It is vital that the people believe that only you and your Holy Helpers know God.” It is ironic how Chick refers to Catholic priests and clergies as Holy Helpers. He also makes the Pope seem power and money hungry. These are all false. What he is presenting is at best fictional and nothing Catholic.

Now the real case that Jack Chick attempts to make begins. We shall see from the Bible that Jack Chick is wrong and the Catholic Church is right.

Jack Chick in his fictional view of the Catholic Church believes that the Pope and priests are some magicians. This is highly insane of him.

What the Egyptians did is different from what the Catholic Church does. The Egyptians were pagan worshippers and unbelievers by Christian standards. Catholics on the other hand are believers of the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ. Continue here.

The Rosary Explained

2012-10-19T22:24:00.001Z

Many people are wondering why Catholics hold those beads called the Rosary in their hands and what’s the real inspiration behind them. In this little booklet I’ll attempt to give quick answers to some of the questions and doubts often raised by people.

>>> Click to Download Your Copy Now (PDF 326.9 KB). Thank you. Spread the word about this booklet.

Dr. Scott Hahn on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2012-08-18T17:16:00.000Z

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology presents:
Dr. Scott Hahn on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
For more, visit www.salvationhistory.com

Sign the Life at Conception Act Petition

2012-07-15T12:55:00.001Z

Whereas: Because of Roe v. Wade, more than 56 million unborn children have died through abortion; and

Whereas: In Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court declared it could not resolve "the difficult question of when life begins" – and on the basis of this unresolved question, declared a new "right to abortion" based on a "right of privacy"; and

Whereas: The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states: "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law"; and

Whereas: In Roe, the Supreme Court admitted: "If . . . personhood [for the unborn] is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [Fourteenth] Amendment..." (Roe v. Wade [410 US 113 at 156-7]); and

Whereas: Science is clear that human life begins at conception when a new human being is formed; and

Whereas: The American people oppose abortion-on-demand and want innocent human life to be protected especially when it is most defenseless; and

Whereas: It belongs to Congress to resolve the question the Supreme Court said IT cannot resolve; and

Whereas: A Life at Conception Act, by declaring that unborn children are persons legally entitled to constitutional protection, will rescue millions of unborn children from dying by abortion-on-demand;

Therefore: I urge you to cosponsor and cast every vote for a Life at Conception Act, and to do everything necessary to win ultimate passage in the United States Congress.

Let's END ABORTION-ON-DEMAND once and for all. Americans do sign and promote this historic initiative, it affects the whole of mankind. Let's change history together dear people of conscience. PLEASE VISIT http://nationalprolifealliance.com/rlacys_petition.aspx

Logos Bible Software Giveaway for Catholics

2012-04-13T10:13:00.000Z

William Albrecht and Logos Bible Software are thrilled to announce a Catholic Library contest giveaway! All you have to do is ENTER it and you might be the lucky one drawn in a few weeks as the winner of over 150 amazing resources, including the writings of the Church Fathers, the Catechism, early Church documents, Scriptural commentaries, the works of the great St. Thomas Aquinas, Denzinger’s Sources of Catholic Dogma, various Bibles, including Greek and Latin! That's really not it, you'll also get Greek, Hebrew, and Latin Lexicons, and SO MUCH MORE! Over 150 incredible resources, worth over $2,700 in print! It's ALL FREE! Just enter and you could be the lucky one!

Prayer of Saint Ephraim

2012-04-04T11:49:00.000Z

O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement,
of lust for power,
and of vain speaking.

But bestow upon me, Thy servant,
the spirit of chastity,
of meekness,
of patience,
and of love.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions,
and judge not my brother,
for blessed art Thou
unto ages of ages.
Amen.

Prayer of Saint Basil the Great

2012-04-04T11:45:00.001Z

O God and Lord of the Powers, and Maker of all creation, Who, because of Thy clemency and incomparable mercy, didst send Thine Only-Begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and with His venerable Cross didst tear asunder the record of our sins, and thereby didst conquer the rulers and powers of darkness; receive from us sinful people, O merciful Master, these prayers of gratitude and supplication, and deliver us from every destructive and gloomy transgression, and from all visible and invisible enemies who seek to injure us. Nail down our flesh with fear of Thee, and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil, but pierce our souls with Thy love, that ever contemplating Thee, being enlightened by Thee, and discerning Thee, the unapproachable and everlasting Light, we may unceasingly render confession and gratitude to Thee: The eternal Father, with Thine Only-Begotten Son, and with Thine All-Holy, Gracious, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom

2012-04-04T11:42:00.001Z

Prayer of Saint John Chrysostom according to the Hours of the Day and Night

1. O Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly blessings;
2. O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment;
3. O Lord, if I have sinned in my mind or thought, in word deed, forgive me.
4. O Lord, deliver me from every ignorance and heedlessness, from pettiness of the soul and stony hardness of heart;
5. O Lord, deliver me from every temptation;
6. O Lord, enlighten my heart darkened by evil desires;
7. O Lord, I, being a human being, have sinned; do Thou, being God, forgive me in Thy lovingkindness, for Thou knowest the weakness of my soul.
8. O Lord, send down Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy holy Name;
9. O Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me, Thy servant, in the Book of Life, and grant me a blessed end;
10. O Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me, according to Thy grace, that I may make a start in doing good.
11. O Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Thy grace;
12. O Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, cold of heart and impure, in Thy Kingdom.
13. O Lord, receive me in repentance;
14. O Lord, leave me not;
15. O Lord, save me from temptation;
16. O Lord, grant me pure thoughts;
17. O Lord, grant me tears of repentance, remembrance of death, and the sense of peace;
18. O Lord, grant me mindfulness to confess my sins;
19. O Lord, grant me humility, charity, and obedience;
20. O Lord, grant me tolerance, magnanimity, and gentleness;
21. O Lord, implant in me the root of all blessings: the fear of Thee in my heart;
22. O Lord, vouchsafe that I may love Thee with all my heart and soul, and that I may obey in all things Thy will;
23. O Lord, shield me from evil persons and devils and passions and all other lawless matters;
24. O Lord, Who knowest Thy creation and that which Thou hast willed for it; may Thy will also be fulfilled in me, a sinner, for Thou art blessed forevermore. Amen.

Wave Your Christian Victory Flag

2012-04-01T18:27:00.001Z

HOMILY ON PALM SUNDAY [April, 2012]

THEME: WAVE YOUR CHRISTIAN VICTORY FLAG. By Very Rev. Fr. John Louis
READINGS: Is. 50:4-7; Phil. 2: 6-11; Mk. 14:1- 15:47.

· The waving of PALM branches on this day should remind us to wave our CHRISTIAN VICTORY FLAG! By the end of this homily we will be reminded of what the Christian Victory Flag is.

· Unlike the recent unsatisfactory performance of our national soccer team, the Black Stars, at the CAN 2012, their victories at the 2010 World Cup made the carrying or waving of the Ghana flag a delight.

· For the Jews, the carrying or waving of PALM and other branches was like waving their national flag in times of victory. For example, around 170BC, the Maccabees led some fellow Jews to defeat the Greeks who had earlier on taken over Jerusalem and desecrated the Temple. On the occasion of the purification of the Temple and celebration of the victory, the Jews sang songs of praises to God while waving PALM and other branches (cf. 2 Macc. 10:7).

· So, as Jesus entered Jerusalem on that faithful day – which we now call PALM Sunday – the jubilant crowd was celebrating the victories of Jesus, their HERO! They were celebrating the victories of Jesus over evil:

o His victory over sickness [the many times he healed the sick, lame, blind…],

o His victory over evil possessions,

o His victory over hunger [e.g. feeding over 5,000 people with 5 loaves],

o His victory in raising the dead [the most recent of which was the raising of Lazarus; this made many people want to see who Jesus was].

· Beloved, as the crowd celebrated the victories of Jesus, they didn’t, however, know that they were welcoming him to the ‘stadium’ for the greatest of all his victories – his victory over Satan on his own home ground.

· Let me put it in another way. Jesus had defeated Lucifer [Satan] in heaven; then the latter asked for a rematch on a neutral ground, earth. Jesus accepted the challenge and for 33 years he defeated Satan [e.g. after his conception by Mary, the evil one suggested to Joseph to divorce Mary but he [was] defeated; after his birth, Satan wanted to kill the child through Herod, but he was defeated; after his baptism, Satan tempted Jesus as he fasted but he was defeated; in his ministry of teaching, healing and miracles, Satan was defeated …]. Now Satan called for a match on his home ground, hell. Jesus, confidently accepted the challenge, died and descended into ‘hell’ and there defeated Satan 3 – 0, arising on the third day!

· Beloved, Rev. 7:9-12 informs us that as the saints in heaven, with PALM branches in their hands, praised God and Christ, the Lamb of God, the angels responded by prostrating before the heavenly throne and worshipping with the words: ‘AMEN! BLESSING AND GLORY AND WISDOM, THANKSGIVING AND HONOUR AND POWER AND MIGHT, BE TO OUR GOD FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN!’

· So we could say that as the crowds waved the PALM branches in Jerusalem, the angels, who had the fore-knowledge that it was the celebration of Jesus’ anticipated victory over Satan, were prostrating and worshipping in heaven!

· Usually a victorious crowd has its victory song. The crowd in Jerusalem were shouting: ‘HOSANNA to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ (Mk. 11:9-10). The ‘Hosanna’ in the victory song means ‘SAVE US!’ or ‘SALVATION’. The saints in heaven with PALM branches also sang a similar victory song: ‘SALVATION belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev. 7:10).

· Therefore, let us join the saints to sing: ‘HOSANNA to the Son of David! … SALVATION belongs to our God and to the Lamb of God!’

· Beloved, since the victory of Jesus for our salvation is an everlasting victory, let us always wave our VICTORY FLAG – let us wave, in the church and outside the church, our PALM branches:

o P – Prayer

o A – Adoration [worship God]

o L – Lifestyle [good lifestyle]

o M – Mercy [deeds of mercy and forgiveness; for Jesus says, it is mercy that God desires (Mt. 9:13)]

Beloved, anytime we wave our PALM branches of PRAYER, ADORATION, good LIFESTYLE, and deeds of MERCY, may the angels respond with their worship in heaven! Amen! And may we one day be part of the heavenly saints with PALM branches and witness LIVE the angels prostrating before the throne of God and of the Lamb of God! Amen!

Unless A Grain of Wheat Dies

2012-03-25T16:28:00.001Z

HOMILY OF 5^TH SUNDAY OF LENT [March 25, 2012]

THEME: UNLESS A GRAIN OF WHEAT DIES …By Very Rev. Fr. John Louis

READINGS: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 5: 7-9; John 12: 20-33.

· A little boy, with no previous experience in farming, told his father that he wanted to sow some grains of corn the mother had given him. The dad advised that he put the grains in a bowl of water for a few days before sowing them.

· After three or four days the boy went to pick the bowl of ‘soaked’ grains of corn, only to realize that the whole stuff was smelly and rotten. He immediately ran to his father, crying and complaining that the grains were rotten and useless. But the dad put his arms around him, and consoling him, said: ‘unless the grains rot and die, they cannot grow and produce more fruits.’

· Jesus, likewise, said in today’s gospel reading: ‘unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest’ (Jn. 12:24). In this way, Jesus spoke of his impending sacrificial death in Jerusalem and of the fruit of salvation that would come out of it for all mankind.

· By his death, Jesus sealed the New Covenant God had promised through his prophet (Jer. 31:31-34; the first reading). The Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of animals, but the New and Eternal Covenant was sealed with the precious blood of the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.

· According to today’s gospel reading, right after Jesus had spoken about his sacrificial death, using the image of sowing a grain of wheat, he added: ‘anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life’ (Jn. 12:25). In other words, each of us is supposed to be a grain that falls to the ground, dies and produces much grain.

· Let us, therefore, use the process of sowing a seed and its growth and fruition to learn how we can also die to this world and produce a rich harvest for life in heaven.
· DIGGING OF THE GROUND: As we usually dig the ground to sow a seed, so the meaning of life [Why are we here on earth? Where are we going?] is deeper than is obvious. There is more to life than we experience on earth.

· PLACING THE SEED IN THE HOLE: As we have to place the seed in the hole, so we should seek the deeper/ spiritual life that Jesus offers us through his life and teachings.

· COVERING OF THE SEED WITH SOIL: As the seed, covered with some soil, is surrounded by darkness, so the seed of our faith is surrounded by ‘darkness’. This means that we see the future glory God has promised us not by our physical sight but by the ‘darkness of faith’. In other words, even by our faith, we cannot fully comprehend, in this life, the mysteries and blessings of God. St. Paul puts it this way: ‘for now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face; now I know partially, but then I shall know just as I am know’ (1 Cor. 13:12). St. John, in turn, says: ‘beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know when he is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is’ (1 Jn. 3:2).

· WATERING OF THE SEED AND PLANT: As the farmer may depend on rainfall for the germination and growth of the seed, so the seed of our faith sown in this life requires the grace of the Living Water, the Holy Spirit, to germinate and grow.

· ROTTING PROCESS: Beloved, as the seed has to rot or die, so we are to die to many things in this world:

o For instance, we are to die to illegitimate pleasures (e.g. pre-marital or extra-marital sex).

o For instance, we are to die to illegitimate ambitions (e.g. a young person who wants to get rich quickly through ‘sakawa’ [fraud or occultism]).

o Sometimes, we have to die to even legitimate ambitions (e.g. between age 16 and 20 years, as a science student, I had the legitimate ambition of becoming a civil engineer, in order to help grow my father’s small scale construction enterprise; but I had to abandoned it to respond to God’s call).

o The dead person suffers no physical pain; so we also die to this world when the sufferings or challenges of this life do not ‘shake’ our faith.

o St. Paul says, the dead person sins no more (Rom. 6:7); we should strive to achieve this level of dying to the world.

· GERMINATION: Germination is an observable sign of a new life of the seed that was sown. Similarly, when the seed of our faith continuous to receive the watering of the Holy Spirit and we die to this world, others begin to observe the freshness of our new life in Christ: they see that we have abandoned our old way of life and have embraced the new life of good deeds, prayer, active participation in church, etc.

· CARING FOR THE SEEDLING AND PLANT: The germination was just the beginning. As the farmer has to continue to take care of the seedling and the plant, by weeding, tilling the soil, watering, clearing of rubbish, etc, so we need to weed with the Word of God, till the soil of our faith with prayer, water with the Sacraments of Grace, clear the rubbish of bad deeds with good deeds, etc.

· FRUITION: With the continuous reception of the grace of God and our constant cultivation of the plant of our faith, we may produce many grains or fruits. St. Paul mentions some of the grains/ fruits we may produce: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Gal. 5:22).

· CONCLUSION – HARVESTING: Such are the fruits God enjoys! And so when we produce them his angels would harvest them for the banquet of heaven. In Ghana, only the best of some of our fruits (e.g. pineapples, bananas) can be exported to Europe, because that market demands high quality of fruits. Beloved, the market of heaven demands a higher quality, indeed, the highest quality of the fruits of our faith. So I pray that we would produce fruits of faith whose quality meets the market of heaven, and may they be so delightful to the Lord God that they would end up right on his banquet table! Amen!

Saint Francis de Sales Quotes

2012-03-19T11:06:00.002Z

“Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering, or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.” Saint Francis de Sales

“The measure of love is to love without measure.” St. Francis de Sales

“Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.” St. Francis de Sales

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.” St. Francis de Sales

“The many troubles in your household will tend to your edification, if you strive to bear them all in gentleness, patience, and kindness. Keep this ever before you, and remember constantly that God's loving eyes are upon you amid all these little worries and vexations, watching whether you take them as He would desire. Offer up all such occasions to Him, and if sometimes you are put out, and give way to impatience, do not be discouraged, but make haste to regain your lost composure.” St. Francis de Sales

“The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions” St. Francis de Sales

“It is a fact that people are always well aware of what is due them. Unfortunately, they remain oblivious of what they owe to others.” St. Francis de Sales

“Make friends with the angels, who though invisible are always with you. Often invoke them, constantly praise them, and make good use of their help and assistance in all your temporal and spiritual affairs.” St. Francis de Sales

“If, when stung by slander or ill-nature, we wax proud and swell with anger, it is a proof that our gentleness and humility are unreal, and mere artificial show.” St. Francis de Sales

“Those who love to be feared fear to be loved.” St. Francis de Sales

“Have contempt for contempt.” St. Francis de Sales

Spiritual Vaccination

2012-03-18T14:15:00.000Z

HOMILY OF 4^TH SUNDAY OF LENT [March 18, 2012]

THEME: SPIRITUAL VACCINATION. By Very Rev. Fr. John Louis

GOSPEL READING: John 3: 14-21.

The discovery of the use of vaccines has helped us a lot. Most of us, since childhood, have been vaccinated several times – e.g. vaccinations against polio, yellow fever, chicken pox, hepatitis.
But [if not] for such vaccinations many of [us] would have been very sick, disabled or even dead by now.

Today, I want to tell you of the good news of the spiritual vaccinations we have received from Jesus Christ! Because of this spiritual vaccination, many of us are not spiritually sick, nor disabled, nor dead! Praise the Lord!

In the time of Jesus his audience were not familiar with vaccination, but they were very familiar with the story of how some of their ancestors – on the journey to the Promised Land – were saved from snake bites. According to Num. 21: 4-9, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and those who beheld it were healed. Jesus used this story to explain how he had come to saved mankind from sin and its consequences.

Thus, we heard in today’s gospel reading that Jesus said: ‘Just as Moses lifted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believes might have eternal life in him’ (Jn. 3: 14-15).

We know that the picture of an enemy can upset us. Similarly someone bitten by a snake may jump from his/her seat by the sudden sight of a mere picture of a snake – don’t we have a local saying that ‘one who is ever bitten by a snake may even be afraid of a [mere] worm’?

Yet, when the Israelites were bitten by snakes, God instructed Moses to let them behold an image – ‘picture’ – of a snake, something which could have upset them. What then was God inviting them to do? He was asking them, not to be afraid of snakes, but to trust in God, whose power can immobilize or kill snakes. They were probably being invited to remember what had happened in Egypt not too long ago. There, in the palace of Pharaoh, God’s power, through the rod/staff of Moses had destroyed all the snakes of the king’s magicians.

The story of using an image of a snake to heal the people bitten by snakes is like the process of vaccination. The vaccines are made from the virus or germ that causes the disease (e.g. polio). The virus or germ is taken through a process by which it is weakened or killed, and then used to produce the vaccine, with which one is injected. One’s body then develops immunity against the disease (e.g. polio).

So, in the case of those Israelites, one could say that the harmless bronze serpent was like the weakened or killed virus or germ. By faith, then, they were vaccinated against snake bites.

Now, Jesus says, ‘just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believes ...’

We are very familiar with the Scriptural verse which says, ‘the wages of sin is death.’ Today’s second reading affirms this fact and goes on to tell us how we have been saved: ‘even when we were dead in sins, God made us alive through Christ ... For by grace you have been saved through faith’ (Eph. 2: 5-8). So we can see sin as the virus or germ of our suffering and death. Jesus, to take away this virus (sin) had to take it upon himself and nail it to the cross of Calvary (cf. Col. 2:14). By his death and resurrection Jesus had weakened or destroyed the potency of sin – the virus of suffering and death.

As the Israelites, by beholding the bronze serpent, had faith in God who vaccinated them against snake bites, so also by faith in Christ crucified, we are vaccinated with the vaccine of grace against the consequences of sin – suffering and death.

Thus, St. Paul says: ‘For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God... We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called Jews and Greeks [Africans and Europeans, Ghanaians and Togolese], Christ [crucified] is the power and wisdom of God’ to save us (1 Cor. 1:18, 23-24).

But, you may ask, if we have been vaccinated against suffering and death, why do we still suffer and die? In the normal medical vaccination, the body system may take a while to adjust to the vaccine; sometimes some people even have reactions like fever. Similarly, if we are suffering today, it is like an initial fever, telling us that our souls are adjusting to the spiritual vaccination.

Jesus, the Divine Physician, who has vaccinated us through faith, cannot err. So every bodily sickness or pain or suffering we experience is an assurance that our souls are adjusting well and our spiritual immune system is getting stronger and stronger.

So, I pray that every sickness or suffering you and I experience would make our souls healthy for heaven, and that our death will prove that we have been eternally immunized against the fires of hell! Amen!

St. Patrick's Day - The Real Meaning

2012-03-17T23:03:00.000Z

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston, followed in 1762 by New York. George Washington allowed his soldiers a holiday on March 17, 1780 as “an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.”

St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland and also in Monserrat "the Emerald Isle of the Carribean,” so called because it was settled in 1633 by Irish migrants from St Kitts.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all around the world, but its true meaning can be overshadowed by lepercons, 3 leaf clovers and wearing the color green.

Thanksgiving for Ghana’s Independence

2012-03-12T00:05:00.000Z

Image via Wikipedia

HOMILY ON THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, 2012

Theme: Thanksgiving for Ghana’s Independence. By Very Rev. Fr. John Louis

GOSPEL=JOHN 2:13-25

· This year’s Thanksgiving Day for Ghana’s 55^th Independence Anniversary coincides with 3^rd SUNDAY OF LENT. I find today’s gospel passage (John 2:13-25) very appropriate for the celebration of our Anniversary.

· The gospel reading says Jesus went to Jerusalem just before the Jewish Passover feast. The Passover feast marked the liberation from slavery of the ancestors of the Jews, or their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. So we could say it marked their independence as a people.

· According to the gospel reading when Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem around the time of the Passover [or, Independence] celebration, he realized it had been turned into a market. So he drove out those doing commerce, as well as the cattle and sheep, and scattered the money changers’ coins, etc.

· When asked what sign he had to justify His action, Jesus said ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will rebuild it.’ The gospel passage explains that Jesus was referring to his body [as the temple].

· It is in this light that I want us to reflect on: a. ‘The Church as Temple of God’ and b. ‘Ghana as Temple (of the citizens)’.

· For each of these temples, we shall look at its architecture/vision, its building materials, its sacrifice, its realization, and then I will add an exhortation.

A. THE CHURCH AS TEMPLE OF GOD

· In 1 Corinthians 3:16, St. Paul asked the question: “DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN YOU?”

· The Church, which St. Paul also referred to as the Body of Christ, is the Temple of God.

A.1 BEAUTY/ARCHITECTURE:

· God established the Church, the body of Christ and temple of God, to be pure, holy, a community of faith and love, which is a sign and instrument of hope and salvation.

A.2 BUILDING MATERIALS:

· Living stones of Christ and humans decorated with holiness, unity, justice, compassion, honesty, chastity, self-sacrifice, etc.

A.3 SACRIFICE:

· The merits of the Sacrifice of Christ; the sacrifice of the apostles, martyrs and other saints; the sacrifice of all other Christians.

A.4 REALIZATION/FULFILLMENT:

· Yes and No.

· Yes=the sacrifices of Christ, the apostles, the martyrs and other saints.

· No=the Sins of human members of the Church.

· By our Sins we turn the temple of God into a marketplace. As Jesus noticed in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, we are buying and selling in the Church (eg. The gospel is commercialized; holy water and holy oils are being sold, as fake herbal medicine peddlers do);

· As in the Jerusalem temple, exchange of money in going on in the church (eg. Cards for appointments with some pastors are obtained at a fee; certain blessings are given at a monetary price);

· As in a marketplace, there is a lot of noise making in the church;

· As in a marketplace, there are cheating and deception in the church (eg. False testimonies; pastors consulting local shrines, where they are required to perform strange rites to obtain miraculous powers. Recently, a local newspaper reported the strange sight of a pastor sleeping with a sheep).

A.5 EXHORTATION:

· Christians (leadership and ordinary membership), let us arise (like Nehemiah told his people) and rebuild the temple of God by:

- repenting from acts which turn the temple into a marketplace;

- making personal spiritual sacrifices; and

- using the materials of holiness, unity, justice, compassion, honesty, charity, etc.

B. GHANA AS TEMPLE

- We should see Ghana as the sacred temple of all citizens. Ghana, our motherland, should be cherished and held above one’s personal interest.

B.1 BEAUTY/ARCHITECTURE (VISION):

· In the 3 verses of our national anthem we find aspects of the architectural beauty of Ghana (Vision of our founding fathers).

· ‘GOD…MAKE OUR NATION GREAT AND STRONG, BOLD TO DEFEND FOREVER THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND OF RIGHT.’(vr. 1)

· ‘TO BUILD TOGETHER A NATION STRONG IN UNITY’ (vr. 2)

· ‘BLACK STAR OF HOPE AND HONOUR, TO ALL WHO THIRST FOR LIBERTY.’ (vr.3)

I wish the ‘Black Star’ could be replaced with ‘African Star’ or ‘Star of Africa’; for it is difficult to see how a black can shine.

· To the above vision extracted from the national anthem, I wish to add the following: that Ghana would be the ‘African Star’ of development and best management of our human and natural resources.

B.2 BUILDING MATERIALS

Again form the national anthem can extract the building materials of the ‘temple of Ghana’:

· The building materials include: True HUMILITY, fearless HONESTY, and Resistance to OPPRESSOR’S RULE (vr.1)

· The others are GIFTS OF MIND (i.e. knowledge, intelligence, expertise, wisdom), STRENGTH OF ARM (i.e. hard work), and SERVICE (vr.2)

B.3 SACRIFICE

· Sacrifices of founders/fathers of our nation, and of Ghanaians of every generation subsequent to our independence.

B.4 FULFILMENT/ACHIEVEMENT:

· Yes and No

· Yes= our founder/fathers and some Ghanaians since independence have sacrificed their lives and made good contributions towards the development of Ghana.

· No, because some Ghanaians are not making the necessary sacrifices, and are not using quality building materials; rather we have turned the ‘temple of Ghana’ into a marketplace.

· How? For instance, instead of building with the quality material of true HUMILITY, we see false humility and pride (e.g. some politicians exhibit false humility when seeking for votes, and after they have been elected they are hardly approachable to voters.)

· Instead of fearless HONESTY, we see actions of LIES and CORRUPTION.

· Instead of using intelligence and knowledge to develop Ghana, some use the gift of the mind to embezzle state funds.

· Instead of HARD WORK, a lot of workers exhibit laziness at their workplaces or offices.

· Instead of service to our motherland, many play the “stomach-direction” game.

· Instead of resisting OPPRESSORS’S RULE (eg. Strangling loan/grant conditions, imposition of foreign culture, bad trade regulation), we either feel helpless or inferior, or we are only interested in the KICK-BACKS.

· And instead of self-sacrifice, many Ghanaians are sacrificing the lives, jobs, and talents of others for their personal gains.

B.5 EXHORTATION

· Beloved Ghanaians (leadership and ordinary citizens), ‘chobouee…ee’ let us arise (like Nehemiah and his people) and rebuild Ghana by:

o repenting of acts which turn Ghana into a corrupt [kalabule] marketplace;

o making personal sacrifices;

o using the materials of true HUMILITY, fearless honesty, resistance to oppressor’s rule, our gifts of minds and strength of arm and selfless service.

CONCLUSION

- May Ghana @ 60 be a united prosperous nation, the true shining STAR of hope and Honour for AFRICA. Amen.

The bigger the sacrifice, the greater the miracle

2012-03-06T01:17:00.002Z

Image via Wikipedia

HOMILY ON SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT, 2012

THEME: THE BIGGER THE SACRIFICE, THE GREATER THE MIRACLE. By Very Rev. Fr. John Louis

Some Businessmen and women say that ‘the bigger the risk, the higher the returns’ (on the investment). For instance, if one saves his/her GHc 1,000.00 in a risk free savings account in a bank in Ghana at an interest rate of 5% per annum he/she gets a return of only GHc 50.00 at the end of the year. On the other hand, if he/she takes the risk of investing in some other business, the annual return on the investment may be GHc 2,000.00 or more.

Similarly, the readings of this Sunday of Lent suggest the theme of this homily: ‘the Bigger the Sacrifice, the Greater the Miracle.’

Abram [Abraham] took the risk of leaving his fatherland and his place of comfort, and God blessed him with a new land – the Promised Land. Again, he risked his faith in Yahweh, and he was blessed with a miracle: a son, Isaac, given birth to by the centenarian’s ninety-year old wife, Sarah. Now [according to today’s first reading, Gen. 22], to be blessed with the greater miracle of becoming the father of many nations, Abraham had to take the greater risk of sacrificing his only beloved son, Isaac. Abraham took the risk, and today Jews and non-Jews [including you and I] refer to him as our father in faith.

Similarly behind today’s gospel reading’s story of the transfiguration is the message that ‘the Bigger the Sacrifice, the Greater the Miracle.’ About two-and-half years before the transfiguration, Jesus, at the Sea of Galilee, asked Peter and his colleagues to make a sacrifice: to offer him their boat as a ‘pulpit’ for Jesus [and this was on a bad day of fishing expedition by Peter and co. But they didn’t lament nor tell Jesus off.] They made the sacrifice there, and in the end they enjoyed the miracle of probably the biggest fish catch in their fishing career! [And this happened during the day time and not when it was dark as required for fishing!] Jesus soon asked for another sacrifice: Peter and co were to leave the source of their livelihood and become fishers of MEN. Because they made this bigger sacrifice, they witnessed greater miracles as they followed Jesus: multiplication of loaves, sights given to the blind, lame made to walk, the dead raised to life…. But the greatest miracle was yet to come!

The greatest miracle entailed the resurrection of Jesus, the transfiguration of our deaths, Peter and co becoming ‘princes’ in heaven, and all of us becoming citizens of heaven! This required the greatest sacrifice! And only one person could fittingly offer that sacrifice: Jesus, the Son of God; he had to die for our sins. And so about a week before the transfiguration, when Peter had identified Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the disciples were told by the Lord of his impending suffering, death and resurrection. The disciples, esp. Peter, could not take in this message. So, on the mount of transfiguration they tasted, for a short while, the glorious miracle which followed the greatest sacrifice! Beloved, because of the greatest sacrifice of Jesus, you and I have access to the greatest miracle: our death shall be transfigured, not for a while, but for eternity, not on an earthly mountain, but in the glorious heaven itself! Let us prepare to celebrate this Easter with a special sense of gratitude to Jesus, and to his Father [who like Abraham offered his only beloved Son], and to the Holy Spirit [who gives us the faith to appreciate and accept these mysteries]! Amen!

Saint Ambrose Quotes and Sayings

2012-02-26T16:29:00.001Z

Some excellent quotes and sayings of Saint Ambrose of Milan (Father and Doctor of the Church).

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

Prayer is the wing wherewith the soul flies to heaven, and meditation the eye wherewith we see God. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

Feed him who is dying of hunger; if you have not fed him you have killed him. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

It is not the ambassador, it is not the messenger, but the Lord Himself that saveth His people. The Lord remaineth alone, for no man can be partner with God in forgiving sins; this office belongs solely to Christ, who taketh away the sins of the world. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

True repentance is to cease from sin. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

In some causes silence is dangerous. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church's foundation is unshakable and firm against assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress. There is a stream which flows down on God's saints like a torrent. There is also a rushing river giving joy to the heart that is at peace and makes for peace. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

God by nature is uncompounded, joined to nothing, composed of nothing, to whom nothing happens by accident; but only possessing in His own nature that which is divine, enclosing all things, Himself closed out of nothing, penetrating all things, Himself never penetrable, everywhere complete, everywhere present at the same time, whether in heaven or on earth or in the depths of the sea, incapable of being seen or measured by our senses, to be followed only by faith and venerated in our religion. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

We must preserve the distinction between the deity and the flesh. The Son of God is described as one in both natures because both natures are in the same person. Although the same person speaks, He does not always speak in the same way, for as God He speaks divine things and as man the things which are human. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

What is evil unless it is the absence of good? ~St. Ambrose of Milan

The Devil tempts that he may ruin and destroy; God tests that He may crown. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

There is no time of life past learning something. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

He took what is mine in order that He might impart to me what is His. He took it not to overturn it but to fill it. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

There is nothing evil save that which perverts the mind and shackles the conscience. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

If you are at Rome live in the Roman style; if you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but in Milan I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal. ~St. Ambrose of Milan

The true Church

2012-01-18T19:26:00.001Z

What positive proof have you that the Catholic Church is the only true Church?

The proof lies in the fact that the Catholic Church alone corresponds exactly to the exact religion established by Christ. Now the Christian religion is that religion which— (a) Was founded by Christ personally; (b) Has existed continuously since the time of Christ; (c) Is Catholic or universal, in accordance with Christ's command to go to all the world and teach all nations; (d) Demands that all her members admit the same doctrine; (e) Exercises divine authority over her subjects, since Christ said that if a man would not hear the Church he would be as the heathen. Now the Catholic Church alone can claim— (a) To have been founded by Christ personally. All other Churches disappear as you go back through history. Christ said, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." There are many claimants to the honor of being Christ's Church. But among all non-Catholic Churches, we find one built on a John Wesley; another on a Martin Luther; another on a Mrs. Eddy, etc. But the Catholic Church alone can possibly claim to have been built on Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and one-time Bishop of Rome. (b) To have existed in all the centuries since Christ. (c) That every one of her members admits exactly the same essential doctrines. (d) To be Catholic or universal. (e) To speak with a voice of true authority in the name of God.

You have given those tests from Christ's predictions and intentions. What of the test given by Mark XVI., 17? "These signs shall follow those who believe; they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them."

The passage you quote was never meant to indicate a permanent test of the true Church. Christ predicted that certain signs would occur to justify the preaching of His followers. He did not say that they would occur continuously, nor that every individual follower would be endowed with such miraculous powers. The signs did occur in the case of some followers of Christ in the early Church, and thus Christ's prophecy was fulfilled. Thus St. Paul himself was bitten by a deadly viper and suffered no harm, to the astonishment of the people around him. Acts XXVIII, 3. But the miracle was for the sake of the unbelievers who had no other external sign. But now that the Church has been solidly established and propagated, such extraordinary signs are not necessary. You have plenty of external evidence, now that the Church exists throughout the world and stares you in the face.

Let me have you bitten by a poisonous serpent, and if nothing happens to you, I will believe!

You are asking me to do that which is sinful in order to prove God's religion true! Satan said to Christ, "Throw thyself down," and Christ replied, "It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." It is wrong to try to force God to do even things we believe that He has promised—for Satan quoted a promise of God. Above all, it is wrong when you want God to do always what He has promised to do on some particular occasions only. The Jews cried, "Come down from the cross, and we shall believe." You would have watched Him die for your salvation, and then refused to believe because He did so! You have sufficient evidence, and if you refuse to look at that, you would not believe even if one rose from the dead before your very eyes. I do not fear death. I do fear sin. But your logic in promising to believe that I am a true successor of the Apostles provided I indulge in sinful conduct is baffling.

I admit your tests of a Church founded by Christ, continuously existing, united, universal, and authoritative. But I cannot admit the machine made organization with its hard and fast rules, which you call the Catholic Church, to be that Church.

If the Catholic Church is not it, no other can be it. However, the Catholic Church is not a machine-made organization. It is just as established by Christ Were the Catholic Church a man-made system, it would have gone the way of all man-made kingdoms and empires which have come and gone, whereas it has serenely kept going with a humanly inexplicable vitality.

The true Church, Questions 327-330 from Radio Replies Volume I Copyright © 1938 (by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty).

Catholic idea of the Church

2012-01-18T11:44:00.000Z

What is the Catholic idea of the Church?

The Church is that visible society of men upon earth which was founded by Jesus Christ, guaranteed by Him to exist all days until the end of the world, and sent by Him to teach all nations with His own authority. It is one definite society for man's spiritual good, and its members are bound together by the profession of the same and complete Christian faith, by the same Sacraments and worship, and by submission to the same spiritual authority vested in the successors of St. Peter— the present successor being the Bishop of Rome.

The Church means an assembly of men united in prayer, not a building.

The word Church has a twofold sense. Its proper meaning is a union or assembly of men united not only in prayer, but also in a definite creed, worship, and obedience. In that sense I speak of the Catholic Church. Or again, it can refer to a building erected for purposes of worship by members of the Catholic Church, and in that sense I speak of a Catholic Church.

Nature of the Church, Questions 325-326 from Radio Replies Volume I Copyright © 1938 (by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty).

The Hail Mary and Saint Thomas Aquinas

2012-01-17T14:33:00.000Z

Saint Thomas Aquinas on THE ANGELIC SALUTATION

This salutation has three parts. The Angel gave one part, namely: "Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women."[1] The
other part was given by Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, namely:
"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb."[2] The Church adds the third part, that
is, "Mary," because the Angel did not say, "Hail, Mary," but "Hail, full of
grace." But, as we shall see, this name, "Mary," according to its meaning
agrees with the words of the Angels.[3]

"HAIL MARY"

We must now consider concerning the first part of this prayer that in
ancient times it was no small event when Angels appeared to men; and that
man should show them reverence was especially praiseworthy. Thus, it is
written to the praise of Abraham that he received the Angels with all
courtesy and showed them reverence. But that an Angel should show reverence
to a man was never heard of until the Angel reverently greeted the Blessed
Virgin saying: "Hail."

THE ANGEL'S DIGNITY

In olden time an Angel would not show reverence to a man, but a man would
deeply revere an Angel. This is because Angels are greater than men, and
indeed in three ways. First, they are greater than men in dignity. This is
because the Angel is of a spiritual nature: "Who makest Thy angels
spirits."[4] But, on the other hand, man is of a corruptible nature, for
Abraham said: "I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes."[5] It
was not fitting, therefore, that a spiritual and incorruptible creature
should show reverence to one that is corruptible as is a man. Secondly, an
Angel is closer to God. The Angel, indeed, is of the family of God, and as
it were stands ever by Him: "Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and
ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before Him."[6] Man, on the other
hand, is rather a stranger and afar off from God because of sin: "I have
gone afar off."[7] Therefore, it is fitting that man should reverence an
Angel who is an intimate and one of the household of the King.

Then, thirdly, the Angels far exceed men in the fullness of the splendor of
divine grace. For Angels participate in the highest degree in the divine
light: "Is there any numbering of His soldiers? And upon whom shall not His
light arise?"[8] Hence, the Angels always appear among men clothed in light,
hut men on the contrary, although they partake somewhat of the light of
grace, nevertheless do so in a much slighter degree and with a certain
obscurity. It was, therefore, not fitting that an Angel should show
reverence to a man until it should come to pass that one would be found in
human nature who exceeded the Angels in these three points in which we have
seen that they excel over men--and this was the Blessed Virgin. To show
that she excelled the Angels in these, the Angel desired to show her
reverence, and so he said: "Ave (Hail)."

"FULL OF GRACE"

The Blessed Virgin was superior to any of the Angels in the fullness of
grace, and as an indication of this the Angel showed reverence to her by
saying: "Full of grace." This is as if he said: "I show thee reverence
because thou dost excel me in the fullness of grace."

The Blessed Virgin is said to be full of grace in three ways. First, as
regards her soul she was full of grace. The grace of God is given for two
chief purposes, namely, to do good and to avoid evil. The Blessed Virgin,
then, received grace in the most perfect degree, because she had avoided
every sin more than any other Saint after Christ. Thus it is said: "Thou
art fair, My beloved, and there is not a spot in thee."[9] St. Augustine
says: "If we could bring together all the Saints and ask them if they were
entirely without sin, all of them, with the exception of the Blessed
Virgin, would say with one voice: 'If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.'[10] I except, however, this
holy Virgin of whom, because of the honor of God, I wish to omit all
mention of sin."[11] For we know that to her was granted grace to overcome
every kind of sin by Him whom she merited to conceive and bring forth, and
He certainly was wholly without sin.

VIRTUES OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, that He was conceived and born
without original sin, while the Blessed Virgin was conceived in original
sin, but was not born in it.[12] She exercised the works of all the virtues,
whereas the Saints are conspicuous for the exercise of certain special
virtues. Thus, one excelled in humility, another in chastity, another in
mercy, to the extent that they are the special exemplars of these virtues--
as, for example, St. Nicholas is an exemplar of the virtue of mercy. The
Blessed Virgin is the exemplar of all the virtues.

In her is the fullness of the virtue of humility: "Behold the handmaid of
the Lord."[13] And again: "He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid."[14]
So she is also exemplar of the virtue of chastity: "Because I know not
man."[15] And thus it is with all the virtues, as is evident. Mary was full
of grace not only in the performance of all good, but also in the avoidance
of all evil. Again, the Blessed Virgin was full of grace in the overflowing
effect of this grace upon her flesh or body. For while it is a great thing
in the Saints that the abundance of grace sanctified their souls, yet,
moreover, the soul of the holy Virgin was so filled with grace that from
her soul grace poured into her flesh from which was conceived the Son of
God. Hugh of St. Victor says of this: "Because the love of the Holy Spirit
so inflamed her soul, He worked a wonder in her flesh, in that from it was
born God made Man." "And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son of God."[16]

MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS

The plenitude of grace in Mary was such that its effects overflow upon all
men. It is a great thing in a Saint when he has grace to bring about the
salvation of many, but it is exceedingly wonderful when grace is of such
abundance as to be sufficient for the salvation of all men in the world,
and this is true of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin. Thus, "a thousand
bucklers," that is, remedies against dangers, "hang therefrom."[17] Likewise,
in every work of virtue one can have her as one's helper. Of her it was
spoken: "In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope
of life and of virtue."[18] Therefore, Mary is full of grace, exceeding the
Angels in this fullness and very fittingly is she called "Mary" which means
"in herself enlightened": "The Lord will fill thy soul with brightness."[19]
And she will illumine others throughout the world for which reason she is
compared to the sun and to the moon.[20]

"THE LORD IS WITH THEE"

The Blessed Virgin excels the Angels in her closeness to God. The Angel
Gabriel indicated this when he said: "The Lord is with thee"--as if to say:
"I reverence thee because thou art nearer to God than I, because the Lord
is with thee." By the Lord; he means the Father with the Son and the Holy
Spirit, who in like manner are not with any Angel or any other spirit: "The
Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."[21] God the
Son was in her womb: "Rejoice and praise, O thou habitation of Sion; for
great is He that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel."[22]

The Lord is not with the Angel in the same manner as with the Blessed
Virgin; for with her He is as a Son, and with the Angel He is the Lord. The
Lord, the Holy Ghost, is in her as in a temple, so that it is said: "The
temple of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,"[23] because she
conceived by the Holy Ghost. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee."[24] The
Blessed Virgin is closer to God than is an Angel, because with her are the
Lord the Father, the Lord the Son, and the Lord the Holy Ghost--in a word,
the Holy Trinity. Indeed of her we sing: "Noble resting place of the Triune
God."[25] "The Lord is with thee" are the most praiseladen words that the
Angel could have uttered; and, hence, he so profoundly reverenced the
Blessed Virgin because she is the Mother of the Lord and Our Lady.
Accordingly she is very well named "Mary," which in the Syrian tongue means
"Lady."

"BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN"

The Blessed Virgin exceeds the Angels in purity. She is not only pure, but
she obtains purity for others. She is purity itself, wholly lacking in
every guilt of sin, for she never incurred either mortal or venial sin. So,
too, she was free from the penalties of sin. Sinful man, on the contrary,
incurs a threefold curse on account of sin. The first fell upon woman who
conceives in corruption, bears her child with difficulty, and brings it
forth in pain. The Blessed Virgin was wholly free from this, since she
conceived without corruption, bore her Child in comfort, and brought Him
forth in joy: "It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy
and praise."[26]

The second penalty was inflicted upon man in that he shall earn his bread
by the sweat of his brow. The Blessed Virgin was also immune from this
because, as the Apostle says, virgins are free from the cares of this world
and are occupied wholly with the things of the Lord.[27]

The third curse is common both to man and woman in that both shall one day
return to dust. The Blessed Virgin was spared this penalty, for her body
was raised up into heaven, and so we believe that after her death she was
revived and transported into heaven: "Arise, O Lord, into Thy resting
place, Thou and the ark which Thou hast sanctified."[28] Because the Blessed
Virgin was immune from these punishments, she is "blessed among women."
Moreover, she alone escaped the curse of sin, brought forth the Source of
blessing, and opened the gate of heaven. It is surely fitting that her name
is "Mary," which is akin to the Star of the Sea ("Maria--maris stella"),
for just as sailors are directed to port by the star of the sea, so also
Christians are by Mary guided to glory.

"BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB"

The sinner often seeks for something which he does not find; but to the
just man it is given to find what he seeks: "The substance of the sinner is
kept for the just."[29] Thus, Eve sought the fruit of the tree (of good and
evil), but she did not find in it that which she sought. Everything Eve
desired, however, was given to the Blessed Virgin.[30] Eve sought that which
the devil falsely promised her, namely, that she and Adam would be as gods,
knowing good and evil. "You shall be," says this liar, "as gods."[31] But he
lied, because "he is a liar and the father of lies."[32] Eve was not made
like God after having eaten of the fruit, but rather she was unlike God in
that by her sin she withdrew from God and was driven out of paradise. The
Blessed Virgin, however, and all Christians found in the Fruit of her womb
Him whereby we are all united to God and are made like to Him: "When He
shall appear, we shall be like to Him, because we shall see Him as He
is."[33]

Eve looked for pleasure in the fruit of the tree because it was good to
eat. But she did not find this pleasure in it, and, on the contrary, she at
once discovered she was naked and was stricken with sorrow. In the Fruit of
the Blessed Virgin we find sweetness and salvation: "He that eateth My
flesh . . . hath eternal life."[34]

The fruit which Eve desired was beautiful to look upon, but that Fruit of
the Blessed Virgin is far more beautiful, for the Angels desire to look
upon Him: "Thou art beautiful above the sons of men."[35] He is the splendor
of the glory of the Father. Eve, therefore, looked in vain for that which
she sought in the fruit of the tree, just as the sinner is disappointed in
his sins. We must seek in the Fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary
whatsoever we desire. This is He who is the Fruit blessed by God, who has
filled Him with every grace, which in turn is poured out upon us who adore
Him: "Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with spiritual blessings in Christ."[36] He, too, is revered by
the Angels: "Benediction and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and
power and strength, to our God."[37] And He is glorified by men: "Every
tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the
Father."[38] The Blessed Virgin is indeed blessed, but far more blessed is
the Fruit of her womb: "Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the
Lord."[39]

ENDNOTES

1. Luke i. 28.

2. "Ibid.," 42.

3. The Hail Mary or Angelical Salutation or Ave Maria in the time of St.
Thomas consisted only of the present first part of the prayer. The words,
"Mary" and "Jesus," were added by the Church to the first part, and the
second part--"Holy Mary, Mother of God, etc."--was also added by the Church
later. "Most fittingly has the Holy Church of God added to this
thanksgiving [i.e., the Hail Mary] a petition also and an invocation to the
most holy Mother of God. This is to impress upon us the need to have
recourse to her in order that by her intercession she may reconcile God
with us sinners, and obtain for us the blessings necessary for this life
and for life eternal" ("Roman Catechism," "On Prayer," Chapter V, 8).

4. Ps. ciii. 4.

5. Gen., xviii. 27.

6. Dan. vii. 10.

7. Ps. liv. 8.

8. Job, xxv. 3.

9. Cant., iv. 7.

10. I John, i. 8.

11. "De natura et gratia," c. xxxvi. Elsewhere St. Thomas says: "In the
Angelic Salutation is shown forth the worthiness of the Blessed virgin for
this conception when it says, 'Full of grace;; it expresses the Conception
itself in the words, 'The Lord is with thee'; and it foretells the honor
which will follow with the words, 'Blessed art thou among women' " ("Summa
Theol.," III, Q. xxx, art. 4).

12. St. Thomas wrote before the solemn definition of the Immaculate
conception by the Church and at a time when the subject was still a matter
of controversy among theologians. In an earlier work, however, he
pronounced in favor of the doctrine (I Sent., c. 44 Q. i, ad. 3), although
he seemingly concluded against it in the "Summa Theologica." "Yet much
discussion has arisen as to whether St. Thomas did or did not deny that the
Blessed virgin was immaculate at the instant of her animation ("Catholic
Encyclopedia." art. "Immaculate Conception"). On December 8, 1854, Pope
Pius IX settled the question in the following definition: "Mary. ever
blessed Virgin in the first instant of her conception, by a singular
privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of
original sin."

13. Luke, i. 38.

14. "Ibid.," 48.

15. "Ibid.," 34.

16. "Ibid.," 35.

17. Cant., iv. 4.

18. Eccl., xxiv. 25.

19. Isa., lviii. 11.

20. "The Blessed Virgin Mary obtained such a plenitude of grace that she
was closest of all creatures to the Author of Grace; and thus she received
in her womb Him who is full of grace. and by giving Him birth she is in a
certain manner the source of grace for all men" ("Summa Theol.," III, Q.
xxvii, art. 5). St. Bernard says: "It is God's will that we should receive
all graces through Mary" ("Serm. de aquaeductu," n. vii). Mary is called
the "Mediatrix of all Graces," and her mediation is immediate and
universal, subordinate however to that of Jesus.

21. Luke. i. 35

22. Isa., xii. 6.

23. Antiphon from the Little Office of Blessed Virgin.

24. Luke. i. 35

25. "Totius Trinitatis nobile Triclinium."

26. Isa., xxxv. 2.

27. I Cor., vii. 34.

28. Ps. cxxxi. 8.

29. Prov., xiii. 22.

30. Here St. Thomas compares the fruit of the forbidden tree for Eve with
the Fruit of Mary's womb for all Christians.

31. Gen., iii 5

32. John, viii. 44.

33. I John, iii. 2.

34. John, vi. 55.

35. Ps. xliv. 3.

36. Eph., i. 3.

37. Apoc., vii. 12.

38. Phil., ii. 11.

39. Ps. cxvii. 26.

Why is the Catholic Church antagonistic towards the Bible?

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Was not the Bible unknown to the people before the Reformation?

No. Beautifully illuminated copies of the Scriptures, wrought by the Monks, were in the charge of the Clergy and the Churches, and from these the Word of God was carefully preached to the people. Before the invention of the printing press, a wider diffusion was impossible.

Did not the Catholic Church bum all Bibles, and punish those who had copies?

No. The Catholic Church would have been very foolish to have copies multiplied only to destroy them. When the printing press was invented by the German Catholic Gutenberg in 1445, the first book printed was a Bible, before Protestantism had come into existence.

Yet does not the Catholic Church regard the work of the Bible Society as dangerous to Christianity?

She condemns the principle that Bibles should be distributed indiscriminately to people on the understanding that they will be able to attain the truth without the guidance of the Church, and by their own unaided efforts. The wildest absurdities have resulted from the theory of private interpretation of Scripture, and if it is not dangerous to Christianity to have a new pretended Christian Church arising every ten years from some mad-cap reading of an isolated text, I would like to know your idea of what is really dangerous to Christianity.

Not opposed to the Bible, Questions 549-551 from Radio Replies Volume I Copyright © 1938 (by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty).

Spiritualism and Spiritistic Seances

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May Catholics assist at Spiritistic Seances?

No. In 1917, the Church decreed as follows: "It is not lawful to assist at Spiritistic Seances or manifestations whether with or without a medium, even though such meetings seem to be honest and religious." Spiritualism claims to be a new religion, and therefore meets with the same fate as all other religions invented by men since the time of Christ. The only true religion is that established by Christ, and in the form in which He established it. It is little use to call oneself a Christian, and reject the Church as Christ built it, accepting any form of religion men would like to substitute for it.

Is there any truth in the claims of Spiritualism?

There is truth in the claim that the soul is distinct from, and can survive the body. All men instinctively know this, and as they lose faith in Protestantism, this fundamental truth of reason remains. Many of them therefore turn to Spiritualism. Thus this new phase gains ground among non-Catholics. As a religious system Spiritualism is the outcome of human effort, and is in vogue among certain men for a time. But it is valueless as a religion in the sight of God. It will die out in due course, possibly to give place to some other extravagant form of religious excitement. Man is constitutionally religious, and if deprived of Catholic truth will grasp at anything for a time. But substitutes are bound to disappoint in the end.

Why precisely does your Church condemn Spiritualism?

The Catholic Church certainly believes in the existence of the spiritual world, of God, of good and evil created spirits, and in the continued existence of the souls of men. But the phenomena of Spiritualism are due at best to natural causes; at times to imposture; very often to evil spirits. Certainly any effects due to the influence of spirits are not due to the intervention of good spirits. The medium acts under uncanny and feverish excitement; the effects are evil only too often; and messages received, as well as the methods adopted, are openly blasphemous and immoral, and quite unworthy of God. God Himself says, "Neither let there be found among you . . . one that seeketh the truth from the dead." Deut. XVIII., 10-11.

Has the Catholic Church ever been in communication with spirit beings from the next world?

In the history of the Catholic Church there are many accounts of messages received from the souls of the departed. The truth of these accounts is subject to the ordinary laws of historical criticism, and some accounts have certainly been proved doubtful. Others leave no room for prudent doubt. As a rule, God permits a soul only occasionally to communicate momentarily a warning, or a request for prayers, but nothing fantastical. Likewise, the messages are spontaneous, and not due to the curious efforts of people seeking the truth from the dead. The Church tests the messages received, or claimed as received, in order to discern whether good or evil spirits are responsible for the communication. (1) The message must in no way conflict with Catholic teaching or moral principles. Gal. I., 9. (2) The person who claims to have received such a communication must be characterized by sound common sense, and even be undesirous of such occurrences. (3) The effects of the message must be good, the recipient being moved to a holier life, and to nothing indecent, shameful, or contrary to Christian standards.

Spirits have told Spiritualists that we shall not see God face to face, and that we shall have only natural happiness in Heaven. Is there any truth in this?

The idea of merely natural happiness in Heaven is nonsense. The supreme happiness of Heaven is totally different from any happiness we know on earth. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . what things God hath prepared for them that love Him." I. Cor. II., 9. An eternity of the things we know here, and of life as we experience it would soon become blank misery, and not Heaven at all. God Himself tells us that we shall see Him face to face, and it is better to believe the God who made us than the Spiritualist who would only unmake us as regards our rational nature.

Spiritualism, Questions 317-321 from Radio Replies Volume I Copyright © 1938 (by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty).

Errors of the Greek Orthodox Church

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Does the Catholic Church recognise the Greek Orthodox Church as part of itself?

No. As a matter of fact there is no one Greek Orthodox Church. There are many independent Greek Churches. They originated by rebellion against the Catholic Church in the ninth century, and have split up into many different allegiances. As long as they refuse to submit to the authority of the Catholic Church they are as much outside the Catholic Church as the Protestant variations.

How does the Greek Church differ from the Catholic Church?

The Greek Churches are both schismatical and heretical. They are separated from the obedience due to the authority of Christ in His true Church. They acknowledge no infallible head. They may retain valid orders and the Mass—things which Protestantism lost—but they have fallen into errors concerning the Holy Trinity, the Immaculate Conception, Purgatory, and various other points of Christian doctrine.

Greek Orthodox Church, Questions 306-307 from Radio Replies Volume I Copyright © 1938 (by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty).

Fourth Century False Religious Denominations

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DONATISTS: Heretical followers of Donatus the Great, an African Bishop, who played a prominent part in the Donatist schism (named after another Donatus) of the fourth century, which preceded and paved the way for the heresy of the same name. He succeeded Majorinus in 315 as Bishop of Carthage, and being a man of forceful character gave a great impetus to the Donatist movement. They held that the true Church consisted only of the elect, and declared baptism to be invalid unless conferred by a Donatist.

AUDAEANS: A sect that took its rise and name from Audaeus, a native of Mesopotamia, who was banished to Scythia in 338 and died about 370 in the country of the Goths. He incurred the enmity of the clergy by censuring their luxuries and vices.

The Audaeans held that God has a human form, and taught erroneous opinions concerning the administration of the Sacrament of Penance.

ARIANS: The strongest heretical sect with which the early Church had to contend. Its leader was Arius, an Alexandrian priest, theologian and controversialist. Arius was ordained deacon by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, but was subsequently excommunicated by him for joining in with the Meletian schism. He later repented and was restored, being advanced to the priesthood and given sole charge of a Church. After some time he was excommunicated again for his heretical views. He was a rigorous ascetic, a persuasive speaker and ardent propagandist. Tall, gloomy, fanatical, with down-cast eyes and tangled hair, he went about singing his doctrines, which he had set to the music of the theaters. Before long they were being sung by priests, boatmen, bakers and all sorts of people. The first ecumenical council, that of Nicea, was convened to condemn the heresy. Arius was banished to Illyria but later succeeded in returning in order to replace Athanasius, his chief opponent, as Bishop of Alexandria, but the popular up-roar did not allow him actually to do so. He died in his errors.

The Arians denied the divinity of Christ, and taught that God the Son was not eternal, Christ being made the partaker of the divine nature as a reward for the work of the redemption.

MACEDONIANS: The followers of Macedonius, who was intruded into the See of Constantinople by the Arians (342), and enthroned by Constantius, who had for the second time expelled Paul, the Catholic Bishop. Macedonius is known in history for his most cruel persecution of the Catholics and Novatians. Subsequently he fell into disgrace. Constantius caused him to be deposed and succeeded by Eudoxius in 360. He died about 364.

The Macedonians denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost.

MASSALIANS: A sect founded by a native of Mesopotamia named Adelphus.

They were a kind of vagrant quietists. Sacraments they held to be useless, though harmless, the only spiritual power being prayer, by which one drove out the evil spirit which baptism had not expelled, received the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, and arrived at union with God, becoming so perfect that the passions ceased to trouble. They disregarded regulations in the matter of fasting; wandered from place to place, and in summer were accustomed to sleep in the streets. They engaged in no occupations.

AERIANS: Adherents of Aerius, a priest ordained by Eustathius, Bishop of Sebaste (355) and placed over the hospital or asylum in that city. He soon fell out with Eustathius, began to preach a doctrine of his own and for a time had many followers.

He insisted that there was no sacred character distinguishing bishops and priests from laymen; taught that the observance of the feast of Easter was a Jewish superstition; that it was wrong to prescribe fasts or abstinence by law, and held that it was useless to pray for the dead.

APOLLINARISTS: The sect started by Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea. At first this prelate was highly esteemed by such men as St. Athansius, St. Basil, and St. Jerome for his classical culture, his biblical learning, his defense of Christianity and his loyalty to the Nicene faith. But later, having fallen into heresy, he failed to submit to the solemn condemnation of his doctrine by the Council of Constantinople in 381, and died in his error about 392. Apollinaris taught that Christ had a human body and a human sensitive soul, but no human rational mind, the Divine Logus taking the place of this last; held that there were three different degrees of dignity in the Trinity itself; and maintained erroneous views on the Incarnation, one of which was that the Divine Substance of the Word was converted into flesh.

PRISCILLIANISTS: A sect originally founded by an Egyptian from Memphis by the name of Mark. One of his early disciples was Priscillian, a man of noble birth, great riches, bold, restless, eloquent, learned and ready at debate and discussion, who soon became leader of the sect which now bears his name. He was ordained to the priesthood and appointed Bishop of Avila by his heretical followers, among whom were two bishops. About 383 he was condemned to death. His errors were condemned in the Council of Saragossa by St. Damasus.

The Priscillianists held that angels and the souls of men were severed from the substance of the Deity; that Christ only appeared to be a man and that His death was only apparent; prohibited meat; r ejected the narrative of creation in the Old Testament, and denied the Trinity.

ELVIDIANS: Disciples of Elvidius, who himself was a disciple of the Arian Auxentius, who was intruded into the See of Milan by the Emperor Constans when he banis hed St. Dionysius. Elvidius, who was a poor peasant with scarcely any education, began to disseminate his heretical doctrines about 382.

The Elvidians denied the virginity of Mary.

JOVINIANS: Followers of Jovinianus, a monk for a while but subsequently an advocate of anti-ascetical tendencies. His views, pro mulgated mostly by writing, were condemned by Pope Siricius in a Council held at Rome in the year 390, and soon after in another Council held by St. Ambrose in Milan. In the end Jovinianus was exiled by the Emperor Theodosius, and afterwards by Honorius, to Boas, a maritime town of Dalmatia, where he died in misery in the year 412.

He taught that a virgin, as such, is no better in the sight of God than a wife; held abstinence to be no better than the taking of food in the proper disposition; that a per son baptized with the Spirit as well as with water cannot sin; that all sins are equal; that there is but one grade of punishment and one of reward in the future state, and denied the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

VIGILANTIANS: A sect started by Vigilantius, a Gallic writer and priest of the last years of the fourth century. He was born in Western Gaul and became an inn-keeper, but about 395, through the influence of Sulpicius Severus, was ordained to the priesthood. He went to visit St. Jerome and immediately quarreled with him on religious matters, accusing him of being a heretic. St. Jerome later refuted his errors.

Vigilantius condemned the veneration of images and relics; the invocation of the Saints; the celibacy of the clergy; and monasticism; and held it useless to pray for the dead.

Third Century False Religious Denominations

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TERTULLIANISTS: A sect that flourished in Carthage for 200 years after the death of Tertullian, whom they claimed as their founder. This man was the most eminent Latin ecclesiastical writer of the early Church. He was born at Carthage about 160, was converted to Christianity and later ordained to the priesthood. His over-severe views and austerity caused him to break with the regular Church authorities and he fell into the errors of Montanism. He is famous for many works, apologetical, doctrinal and ethicopractical, and is considered the most fecund, original and powerful genius in all the history of Christian Latin literature. He was a priest for 40 years and died at a very advanced age.

The errors of Tertullian were a belief that the Church could not absolve adulterers; that those who married a second time were adulterers, and that it was not lawful to fly from persecution.

ORIGENISTS: Named after Origen, one of the most learned and spirited men of his time, born at Alexandria in 185. His father was St. Leonidas, the martyr, who had him educated in every branch of sacred and profane literature. So great was the zeal of Origen for Christianity that he besought his mother to allow him to join his father when he was in prison during the persecution that he too might shed his blood for Christ. His earlier years were devoted to intensive study and successful teaching, and as time went on his fame for learning and wisdom grew so that all the priests and doctors consulted him in any difficult matter. He was one of the most voluminous writers the world has ever seen. He was ordained to the priesthood at Caesarea, but the Bishop of Alexandria, provoked for some reason or other, refused to recognize him. In spite of his great learning some of Origen’s views got him into trouble, and he was deposed and excommunicated by an Alexandrian council. He found refuge at Caesarea where he reopened his school with great success. During the persecution under Maximinus he fled to Cappadocia where he lived for two years. Under Gordianus he returned and continued his activities, but the suffering and torture he endured under the Decian persecution broke his strength, and he died at Tyre in 254.

Origen held that from their beginning all rational creatures were pure spirits; taught that after the universal restoration, which was to be accomplished by a second crucifixion of Christ, all, even the damned in hell, would be pure spirits; and believed that the blessed in heaven could be expelled from that abode for faults committed there. These errors were condemned by the Second Council of Constantinople in 553.

NOVATIANS: A schismatical sect which took its name from Novatus (Novatian), a Roman priest who made himself anti-pope. He was a learned and eloquent man but of a melancholy temperament, and, according to St. Cyprian, was turbulent, seditious and avaricious. St. Cornelius states that Novatus was possessed by Satan for a season, apparently while a catechumen. He was baptized by aspersion as he lay on a bed of sickness, but apparently was never confirmed. How he became a priest is not clear. He was accused by Cornelius of cowardice during the persecution of Decius. At the beginning of 251 the persecution relaxed and St. Cornelius was elected Pope. Some days later Novatus set himself up as a rival pope and had himself consecrated bishop. A council of sixty bishops was assembled under Pope Cornelius before the end of 251 in which Novatus was excommunicated.

The Novatians held that idolatry was an unpardonable sin, that confirmation was no sacrament, that mortal sins committed after baptism could not be forgiven; condemned second marriages, and refused Communion to those who had contracted them, even at the time of death.

MANICHEANS: Followers of Manes (Mani), a Persian, born in 216 in the village of Mardinu in Babylonia. In 242 he stood before the people of his native village as a religious teacher, but, being unsuccessful there, he lived the life of a wanderer for forty years. He announced himself as the “Messenger of the True God,” and amongst Christians as the promised Paraclete. Returning to Persia, he made at first a favorable impression upon the king, Ormuzd I. Ormuzd’s favour, however, was of little avail, as he occupied the Persian throne only a single year, and Bahram I., his successor, caused Manes to be crucified, had the corpse flayed, and the skin stuffed and hung up at the city gate as a terrifying spectacle to his followers, whom he persecuted with relentless severity. Manes’ death is fixed at about 276-277.

The Manicheans believed in a plurality of gods; rejected the Old Testament absolutely, and of the New they retained only what had been revised and redacted by Manes; they held that Christ had no real body; denied free-will; recognized no baptism or marriage; believed in the transmigration of souls, and
held that each man had two souls.

MILLENARIANS: Advocates of an old heresy that was revived by Nipos (Nepos), Bishop of Egypt during the third century. His energy in defending the doctrines of this sect nearly brought about a schism in the Church, but unity was preserved by the prudent and moderate policy of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria.

The fundamental idea of millenarianism may be set forth as follows. At the end of time Christ will return in all His splendor to gather the just, to annihilate hostile powers, and to found a glorious kingdom on earth for the enjoyment of the highest spiritual and material blessings. He Himself will reign as its King, and all the just, including the Saints recalled to life, will participate in it. At the close of this kingdom the Saints will enter heaven with Christ, while the wicked, who have also been resuscitated, will be condemned to eternal damnation. The duration of this glorious reign of Christ with His Saints on earth is frequently given as 1000 year s. Hence the name Millenarianism.