Daily Readings September 1, 2012

Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time


Lectionary: 430

Reading 1
1 Cor 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.Not many of you were wise by human standards,not many were powerful,not many were of noble birth.Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,those who count for nothing,to reduce to nothing those who are something,so that no human being might boast before God.

St. Paul is still talking to the Corinthians today and he is calling them to a bit of introspection.  He says, "Consider your own situation.  God didn't call you because you were especially wise, rich or noble.  God chose the foolish, poor and lowly to overcome the strong.   He did this to show that it is His work, not ours."

It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,who became for us wisdom from God,as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,so that, as it is written,Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

Your salvation in Christ Jesus is due to God.  Not to your wisdom but to God's.  Therefore, if you boast at all, boast in the work of God.  Not your own.

Two vs Seven Sacraments

Lutero said:

Only two were actually instituted by Christ as rites requested by Chirst to be accomplished by christians.(baptism and eucharist) Of course there were no priests in the NT or among the early ECFs. They are not mentioned and no sacraments cannot be attributed to Christ for those fabricated rites made up centuries later.

Christ instituted all 7 Sacraments.  Including the ministerial Priesthood.

Sola Scriptura is not mentioned by the ECF's.  In fact, Sola Scriptura contradicts Scripture (2 Thess 2:15).

Sola Fide is not mentioned by the ECF's either, And it also, contradicts Scripture (James 2:17; 24).

The Early Church Fathers were thoroughly Catholic and observed all the Traditions of the Catholic Church.  Protestants cast off the Traditions of Jesus Christ centuries later in the Protestant Revolution.  Your doctrines are a product of that error.


Sincerely,


De Maria

Daily Readings August 31, 2012

Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 429

Reading 1 1 Cor 1:17-25

Brothers and sisters:Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

St. Paul says, God didn't send me to Baptize, but to preach the Gospel.  Although he did Baptize a few people, primarily he preached.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

The wisdom of the Cross remains foolishness to those who do not believe in God and are therefore perishing.

Two vs Seven Sacraments

Lutero,

No, He didn't. Jesus Christ only instituted TWO sacraments!

Mark 16:16-Baptism
John 6:51-Eucharist 
Matt 19:5-Matrimony
John 20:22-Confirmation
John 20:23-Confession

Ministerial Priesthood:

Luke 22:
King James Version (KJV)²⁶ But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.²⁷ For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

1 Timothy 4:14
King James Version (KJV)¹⁴ Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Annointing the Sick:

Luke 9:1
King James Versio9 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Jesus Christ established SEVEN Sacraments.


Sincerely,


De Maria

Daily Readings August 30, 2012

Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 428

Reading 1 1 Cor 1:1-9

Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,and Sosthenes our brother,to the Church of God that is in Corinth,to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.Grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Paul begins with a blessing upon all in the Church.

I give thanks to my God always on your accountfor the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,that in him you were enriched in every way,with all discourse and all knowledge,as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,so that you are not lacking in any spiritual giftas you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Paul gives thanks to God for all who have come to believe in Christ.

Plan of Salvation according to Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ said:

Matthew 19:17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

And it is consistent with God's plan of salvation from the beginning:

Deuteronomy 28:9
The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

And it is easy to see then that God chooses to save the obedient:

Hebrews 5:9
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

And it is clear that if we do not keep His Commandments, we will not even be justified:

Romans 2:13
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

One thing must be perfectly clear however. We do not obligate God to save us because we claim to keep His Commandments:

Galatians 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

For salvation is the gift of God to whom He wishes to give it.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

God obligated Himself when He made the promise:

2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

And what is the promise?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings August 29, 2012

The Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

Scripture says:

Colossians 1:24
King James Version (KJV)
²⁴ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

St. John the Baptist suffered and died for the Christian Faith.  St. John is known as the precursor.  He preceded Jesus in life and in death.  Read more.  To come back, click your Back button.

Lectionary: 427/634

Reading 1 2 Thes 3:6-10, 16-18

For the past three days, we've been visiting with St. Paul and the Thessalonians.

We instruct you, brothers and sisters,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to shun any brother
who walks in a disorderly way
and not according to the tradition they received from us.

This is a strong confirmation of the admonition to hold the Traditions in Chapter 2, verse 15:

2 Thessalonians 2:15
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

For you know how one must imitate us.

Remember when Jesus was admonishing the people not to imitate the Pharisees, not too long ago.  He said:

Fr. John's homily, Aug 28, 2012

Father John's homily was great today.  Apparently, his housekeeper is in the hospital for the next two months, keep her in your prayers.  The replacement is on vacation for a week.

So, Fr. John is learning that tupperware containers have to be washed or you'll wind up with a hefty supply of penicillin.  He's agreed to supply antibiotics to anyone who is sick in the Parish.  Perhaps that is his subtle plea for someone to come and wash the dishes for him.

In today's homily, Fr. John spoke at length about St. Augustine, who's feastday it is.  He mentioned that St. Augustine wrote in an easy to understand form of Latin unlike St. Thomas Aquinas.  He said St. Augustine was a great source of hope for people who convert later in life as St. Augustine achieved the pinnacle of holiness.  He is a Doctor of the Church.  The Doctor of Grace.

Then Fr. John spoke about Tradition.  And how necessary it is for us to keep Tradition and Scripture.  He mentioned this because the First Reading is from the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, where he says, "hold the traditions we have given you, by word and epistle."

Fr. John is the Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Community and one of the greatest homilist you will ever hear.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Blood of the Lamb

Lutero, you said:

"Washed, Sanctified and Justified in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church!"

Exactly!

But the Scriptures say that we are washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14), sanctified by God's word (Ps 119:9, Jn 15:3) and justified by faith in Christ (Rms 5:1).  Now just whose telling the truth?   

Let me ask you, where do you get the Blood of the Lamb in order to wash yourself in it? Do you sacrifice Jesus again?



As for Catholics, we are washed in the washing of regeneration which is Baptism:

Acts 22:16
King James Version (KJV)¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Ephesians 5:26
King James Version (KJV)²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

We are sanctified and justified in the Holy Eucharist which is His Body and Blood:

Hebrews 10:10
King James Version (KJV)¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:29
King James Version (KJV)²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Romans 5:9
King James Version (KJV)⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Sincerely,

De Maria 

Daily Readings August 28, 2012

Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

We just read yesterday about St. Monica, his mother.  Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church.

Pope Leo I, during whose pontificate Augustine was canonized, ordered that the feast of this saint should be observed with the same honors as that of an Apostle. In every succeeding age his memory has been held in the highest veneration and his writings have been an inspiration to Catholics and non-Catholics alike....Read more.  To come back, hit the back button.

Lectionary: 426

Reading 1 2 Thes 2:1-3a, 14-17

We are still visiting with St. Paul and the Thessalonians.

We ask you, brothers and sisters,with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christand our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,or to be alarmed either by a 'spirit,' or by an oral statement,or by a letter allegedly from usto the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.Let no one deceive you in any way.

Two things here.  Apparently, the Thessalonians were concerned that the Final Judgement was imminent.  In addition, someone was passing along false information attributed to the Apostles, concerning the Final Judgement.

2 Thess 2:15, against Scripture alone

Today in the Daily Readings, we will be reading the 2nd Chapter of the 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians.  This letter contains excellent proof against the false doctrine of Scripture alone (aka Sola Scriptura).   It is this doctrine which Protestants use to justify casting off the authority of the Church and Tradition. 

The Deposit of Faith

Before we begin, lets talk a bit about how our Faith, in the sense of our Religion, came down to us through the ages.  Did Jesus Christ write the New Testament and say, "Here, pass this down from generation to generation."?  No.

Jesus Christ first established a Church.  He chose twelve Apostles.  From amongst them He chose a leader to rule them.  This was the foundation of His Church.

He also chose 72 disciples which accompanied the Twelve from the beginning.

Then He spent three years teaching them His Commands and doctrines.  At the end of the three years, before He ascended to the Father, He gave them the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19-20
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Pay close attention.  He didn't say, "Here, take this Bible and pass it down."  Nor did He say, "Go out and write a Bible and pass it down.  Afterwards, that is all that anyone will need.  The Church will no longer be necessary because you will no longer need to teach the Traditions.  They can learn them in the book."  

But this is what Protestants would have you believe.  But it is wrong.

1.  Jesus established the Church.

2.  Jesus established Tradition.

3.  Jesus commanded the Church to hand down these Traditions.

And this is what we see enacted in the 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians.

2 Thes 1:1

We are back in the New Testament, where St. Paul is addressing the Thessalonians.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians

Note first, that St. Paul mentions himself and two others who are greeting the Thessalonians in this letter.  Himself, and Sts. Silvanus (aka Silas) and Timothy.  Note that these two men are not members of the original Apostles.  They are however, members of the Church who accompany St. Paul many places handing down the faith.  For example:

2 Timothy 2
King James Version (KJV)
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  ² And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Acts 15:40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 

Now, lets skip down to Chapter two.

2 Thes 2:1-3a, 14-17

Note how St. Paul is concerned that some people are coming around pretending to speak for the Church.  

We ask you, brothers and sisters,with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a 'spirit,' or by an oral statement,or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.  Let no one deceive you in any way.

And St. Paul gives them the solution to the problem.

To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

St. Paul has now used the pronouns "we" and "our".  To whom is he referring?  To the individuals which came to Thessalonia representing the Church.

Acts 17
King James Version (KJV)
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:  ² And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  ³ Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.  ⁴ And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

These are they who made "oral statements" and  sent "letters" teaching the Thessalonians the TRADITIONS.   They didn't say, "hold on to the letters and forget about the Church."   No.  They told them to hold on to the letters and in the way the comport themselves, you can see that they expect their disciples to obey the Church.

2 Thessalonians 3
⁶ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

Notice that he repeats the admonition to hold on to Tradition.  He says, "avoid those who do not keep the Tradition we handed to you."  In so doing, confirming the need to hold on to the Tradition of the Church.

Sincerely,

De Maria

The Judgement is not Multiple Choice

God won't ask you anything. He'll tell you what you did good:

Matthew 25:31-45
King James Version (KJV)³¹ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:³² And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Or what good you should have done and didn't:

⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Salvation is like this:

Keep the Commandments and you will be saved according to your works in the Judgement:

Revelation 22:13-15
King James Version (KJV)¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

But if you want to walk with the Spirits of men made perfect in this life, then submit to the Sacraments of our Lord:

Acts 22:16
King James Version (KJV)¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Titus 3:5
King James Version (KJV)⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings August 27, 2012

Memorial of Saint Monica

Saint Monica, the faithful mother of St. Augustine.  Patron saint of wives and mothers because by her faithful prayers, she converted her husband and her children to the Catholic faith.  St. Augustine, of course, became one of the greatest doctors of the Church and he gives most credit for his knowledge of the faith, to his mother.  Read more....to come back, hit the back button.

Lectionary: 425

Reading 1 2 Thes 1:1-5, 11-12

We are back in the New Testament, where St. Paul is addressing the Thessalonians.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians

St. Paul does this more than anyone else, he includes other members of his group in the address or conclusion.

in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he begins frequently by bestowing a blessing from God.

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters,as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more,and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.

He thanks God for the faith and love that is flourishing in that community.

Accordingly, we ourselves boast of you in the churches of Godregarding your endurance and faith in all your persecutionsand the afflictions you endure.

And he records that the Church is very proud of the Thessalonian Community.

Faith and works

Hi Lutero,

Do you believe that De Maria, that Baptists will reach the throne of God and God will ask, “Did you love Me? Did you love your neighbor? Did you follow My commands? Where you Baptised?”

Lutero, Lutero, Luterooooo. God won’t ask any questions. Have you not read Matt 25:31-45? God will tell you what you good you did and what good you did not do. And only those who did the will of God on this earth will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 7:21).

“Yes Lord, I did all things to the best of my ability”

There will be no need for us to say a word. There will be no pop quiz, no multiple choice test. We might ask questions of God.

Mattt 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

How many times have you read the Scripture, Lutero?  Or is that one of those that you consider surpasseed?

“Well done my good and faithful servant but too bad you weren’t Catholic off to hell with you”

I think He will say that to you. He’ll say, “Lutero, too bad you didn’t listen to all my messengers that I sent to tell you about the Catholic Church. You would have saved yourelf a lot of suffering in Purgatory.” ; )

Sincerely,

De Maria

Lighthouse Catholic Media

Daily Readings August 26, 2012

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 122

Reading 1 Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,summoning their elders, their leaders,their judges, and their officers.When they stood in ranks before God,Joshua addressed all the people:"If it does not please you to serve the LORD,decide today whom you will serve,the gods your fathers served beyond the Riveror the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling.As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

This is a beautiful stanza and it is our family motto:

As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Joshua has gathered the people of Israel after much navigation to arrive at the Promised Land and fight off the pagan settlers there.  And after they have been victorious, he challenges them, "Are you going to follow the Lord or not?  Make up your own minds.  Because I already know what I'm going to do, my family and I will follow the Lord."

Respecter of Persons

Lutero said:
Last time I checked, God is no respector of persons....
Why do you put one above another, with a "BIG S" and a "little s" when God doesn't?

What did God say to Aaron and Miriam? Hint:

Numbers 12:⁶ And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.⁷ My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.⁸ With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?⁹ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.¹⁰ And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.¹¹ And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.¹² Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.¹³ And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.¹⁴ And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.¹⁵ And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.¹⁶ And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

What did God say to Job's friends?

Job 42
King James Version (KJV)⁷ And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.⁸ Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: theLord also accepted Job.¹⁰ And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

And what did God say about Jacob and Esau?

Romans 9:13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
I think you've got that "no respecter of men " thing twisted.

When Scripture says that God is not a respecter of persons, it means that God doesn't care who you are, yo had better do His will or you will be punished:

Romans 2:1-13King James Version (KJV)
1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.² But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds:⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God.¹² For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;¹³ (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings August 25, 2012

Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 424

Reading 1 Ez 43:1-7ab

The angel led me to the gate which faces the east,and there I saw the glory of the God of Israelcoming from the east.

Yesterday we began in the New Testament book of Reveleations with the angel showing St. John the Bride of Christ.  Today we go back to the Old Testament and begin with the angel leading Ezekiel to the east facing gate where he sees the glory of God.

I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters,and the earth shone with his glory.

I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters.  If you have ever been to a place like Niagara falls, you  understand this metaphor.  The sound of a large volume of water racing past you is deafening.
Ezekiel says this is how the glory of the Lord sounded and that it made the earth shine in the splendor of His glory.

The vision was like that which I had seenwhen he came to destroy the city,and like that which I had seen by the river Chebar.

Ezekiel had seen this vision before, when God came to destroy the city and by the river Chebar.

I fell prone as the glory of the LORD entered the templeby way of the gate which faces the east,but spirit lifted me up and brought me to the inner court.

Ezekiel fell on his face before the Lord when He entered the temple through the east facing gate.  But the angel (i.e. spirit) lifted him up and brought him to the inner court.

Daily Readings August 24, 2012

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Lectionary: 629

St. Bartholomew, Apostle.

One of the Twelve Apostles, mentioned sixth in the three Gospel lists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14), and seventh in the list of Acts (1:13).  The name (Bartholomaios) means "son of Talmai" (or Tholmai) which was an ancient Hebrew name, borne, e.g. by the King of Gessur whose daughter was a wife of David (2 Samuel 3:3). It shows, at least, that Bartholomew was of Hebrew descent; it may have been his genuine proper name or simply added to distinguish him as the son of Talmai. Outside the instances referred to, no other mention of the name occurs in the New Testament. Nothing further is known of him for certain.

Many scholars, however, identify him with Nathaniel (John 1:45-51; 21:2)....Which explains why the Gospel today is about the Apostle Nathaniel.  Read more, hit the back button to return.

Reading 1 Rv 21:9b-14

We begin in the midst of St. John's vision of heaven.

The angel spoke to me, saying,"Come here.I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

The angel approaches John and says, "let me show you the Bride of Christ."

He took me in spirit to a great, high mountainand showed me the holy city Jerusalemcoming down out of heaven from God.

He took me into a Mt. Sion and showed me the Church coming down from heaven.

It gleamed with the splendor of God.

It was bright with God's light.

Rational explanation for prayer to Saints

Lutero said:

No one in Scripture EVER prayed to any non-gods such as peter, paul, or mary.

Scripture depicts Dives beseeching Abraham:

Luke 16:24
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Please EXPLAIN HOW (no catholic seems to explain how) it is NOT worship to:
kneel down before the image of a man
cross yourself before prayer

First, it is because we know the difference between man and God. We do not worship men no matter what position we may take before them.

When we kneel down in prayer to God,  we humble ourselves before God. 

But when we kneel down in prayer before the image of a Saint, we are humbling ourselves before those men who have been made perfect by God.  There is no sin in humbling ourselves before men, because Jesus Himself did so:

Luke 2:51

King James Version (KJV)

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

When we make the sign of the Cross, we are remembering the Crucifixion and uniting ourselves to Christ crucified (Gal 2:20).

close your eyes, clasp your hands, say prayers

Really?  You object to our closing our eyes, clasping our hands and saying our prayers?

ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER. What about them?

So far NO CATHOLIC SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO demonstrate that doing all that stuff is NOT WORSHIP. 

Worship according to the modern interpretation is to adore. We only adore God.

According to the "modern" interpretation is correct.  But our Church was instituted by Christ.  It is an ancient Church with ancient terminology which still conveys the ancient meaning.

What does this say?

Joshua 5:14
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

Do you think that Joshua was adoring St. Michael, the Archangel.  Because that is who is captain of the host of the Lord.  An Angel.

Didn't you know?

Revelation 12:7
King James Version (KJV)
⁷ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

However, we  venerate or respect and love the angels and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I would REALLY LIKE to see a rational "explanation" of how it is not. It won't do you any good.

I'm sure you've seen many.  But you will not understand until God calls you to understand.  As Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Love is the key.

in the Name of the BIBLICAL Jesus Christ, The Biblical Jesus wants you to submit to His Church, not to make up your own religion:

That is true.  So why have you made up your own?  Here is what Scripture says:

Matthew 18:17
King James Version (KJV)
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Scripture doesn't give you license to set aside Christ's Church.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Daily Readings August 23, 2012

Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time


Lectionary: 422

Reading 1
Ez 36:23-28

Thus says the LORD:I will prove the holiness of my great name,profaned among the nations,in whose midst you have profaned it.

I will prove My greatness to the people of the world before whom, you have made Me look bad.

Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.

Thus the world will know that I am God when I prove my holiness through your imperfections.

For I will take you away from among the nations,gather you from all the foreign lands,and bring you back to your own land.

Because I will separate you from the world, gather you in far away lands and then bring you back.

I will sprinkle clean water upon youto cleanse you from all your impurities,and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

I will wash you and cleanse and cure you of your idolatries.

I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,taking from your bodies your stony heartsand giving you natural hearts.

I will take away your hearts of stone and put in their place, soft hearts filled with My spirit.

Surpassed verses of Scripture

Hi Lutero, 

You said:

Did you know that the verses you have quoted in your prior messages are in this present age surpassed by Ephesians 2:8-9?

1. Joel, are you saying that some of the Bible is no longer valid? Are these the only verses which have been surpassed? Or are there others?

2. And whom should I ask about this state of affairs? Are you the only one who knows which verses have been surpassed? Does that mean that you are the authority over Scripture, knowing which Scriptures to cast out and which to retain?

3. Can you give us a list of all the Scriptures which have been surpassed?

So whether you are a Jew or Gentile, in the present age you are saved by God’s Grace through “faith” and in Christ’s alone (John 14:6). This is Christian teaching and not a Catholic or Protestant teaching. After Jesus Ascension into heaven, Christian participation at the Lord’s supper table is in “remembrance” and the bread and wine used symbolically representing the body and blood of the Lord till he return the second time. This teaching is final and binding on all Christians (Jews and Gentiles) and is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29.

1. This is your own personal teaching Joel. You have set aside that part of the Bible with which you disagree and made a new gospel in the tradition of men out of those verses which you retain in the Bible.

2. Go back to Ephesisans 2 and read all the way through verse 10. Here, I’ll help you:

Ephesians 2:8-10

King James Version (KJV)

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

This is a Sacramental Teaching. It is in the Sacraments within which we approach Jesus Christ with the proper disposition of faith in His Power to change our lives.

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In the Sacraments, we merely come to the table of Lord in faith and cry out His name. He does all the rest (Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5).

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

This verse is a double entendre.
a. In the Sacraments, we are born again in Christ, unto good works.
b. But from the beginning, from the foundations of the world, God had fore ordained that we walk in His works, His Commandments. We were conceived and born to do the works of God.

Sincerely,

De Maria