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OUR FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Scott Hahn: Founder, President and Chairman of the Board of The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, Dr. Scott Hahn is one of the world’s most successful Catholic authors and teachers. He earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Marquette University. Dr. Hahn is the general editor of the Ignatius Study Bible and is author or editor of more than 20 books, including Consuming the Word: The New Testament and The Eucharist in the Early Church; Understanding the Scriptures, and The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. He has more than one million books and tapes in print worldwide.

June 24 – 25, 2016

“The Gospel of Divine Mercy”

Prince of Peace Catholic Church

19222 Tomball Pkwy, Houston, Texas 77070

Dr. Michael Barber: Michael Barber is the Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought at John Paul the Great Catholic University. He has his Ph.D. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. His dissertation was on the Historical Jesus and Sacramental Eschatology under the world famous scholar, Colin Brown. He has an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and received his B.A. in Theology and Philosophy from Azusa Pacific University. He is the author of several books, including,Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today (Emmaus Road, 2006) andGenesis to Jesus: Studying Scripture from the Heart of the Church(Servant, 2007), a Bible study co-authored with Kimberly Hahn.

Dr. John Bergsma: Dr. John Bergsma is Full Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007).

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Fullness of Truth Catholic Evangelization Ministries is offering a special rate of $70 per night at the Wyndham Garden Houston Willowbrook located about a mile from Prince of Peace Catholic Community. When making your reservations with Wyndham Garden, use the code 06237042CO.

Wyndham Garden Houston Willowbrook

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In praise of Mary

Scripture says that God's will should be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And God wills that the Angels praise Mary:

Luke 1:26-28
King James Version (KJV)
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Let's break this down:
ANGEL GABRIEL
1. an angel is a messenger of God. That is what the word, angel, means.
2. this angel, Gabriel, is one of the four angels that stands before the throne of God.

WAS SENT FROM GOD
1. God sent this angel to Mary.
2. Since this angel is a messenger of God's, God sent Him to deliver a message.
3. Therefore, the angel was not speaking on his own, but was communicating God's message to Mary.
4. If we skip down to verse 28, we see that this was a message of praise (i.e. blessed art thou).
5. Therefore God praised Mary through His Angel.

That is great praise indeed. Do you know of any man whose praise is worth more than God's? In other words, what do you value more highly, the praise of man or the praise of God?

But, there's more. God sent the Angel to do His Will. What is His Will. Obviously, God sent the Angel to deliver a message of praise. Therefore it is God's will that the Angels praise Mary.

And there's yet more. Because the Holy Spirit inspired a holy woman to exclaim, ""Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! "

still in:

Luke 1:41-45
King James Version (KJV)
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Should we break this down?

1. The Holy Spirit is God the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
2. Therefore, God inspired Elisabeth to praise Mary.
3. This praise is inscribed in the Word of God for all generations.
4. Since Elisabeth is a member of the human race, then it is safe to conclude that God wills that men praise Mary.
5. And we find, again, that God praised Mary through His Saint. Saint Elisabeth praised Mary when she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so. That means that it is the Holy Spirit's praise which she passed on. That is why Scripture is called the Word of God. Because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Need we say more? Let's do it anyway.

Mother of God

Luke 1:43-45
New International Version (NIV)
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Lets break this down:
1. The word "Lord" is here mentioned two times.
2. In the second instance, it is an obvious reference to God. "Blessed is she who believes that the LORD would fulfill His promises." That is an obvious reference to God.
3. Therefore, then, what could she possibly have meant when she said, "mother of my LORD"?
4. Since she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to utter these words, she must have meant what is most obvious. Is Jesus, God? Yes. Therefore, the words she uttered could also be translated, "mother of my GOD".
5. So, God explicitly teaches us, in His Word, that Mary is the Mother of God.

Is there any higher praise than that?

And finally, Scripture says:

Matthew 6:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Thus, God wills that mankind PRAISE Mary. This is confirmed by Mary herself when she says,

"From now on all generations will call me blessed (Luke 1:48)."

So, when do you praise Mary?

Newborn infants baptized

VG:
Why does the RC mandate parent's get their newborn infants baptized..especially the sickly ones if there is no real threat they go to hell?

Many reasons. 

1. Because Baptism is a Sacrament that washes away sin right now and he could enjoy the afterlife in the company of a multitude of angels and the spirits of men made perfect (Heb 12:21-24). Otherwise, the child, like all those who reject the Sacraments, would have to await the Judgment day in a state of Limbo, outside of the presence of God.

The Sacraments are the key for salvation in this life. No matter how much some claim to be saved, God is Judge. And all will stand before Him on that day, to be judged of their sins.

But those infants who have had their sins washed away in Baptism will not await their Judgment in the company of sinners outside the Divine Countenance. They will await the Judgment amongst the souls of they whose souls have been made perfect in the company of a multitude of angels. (Heb 12:21-24).

2. Why wait? Tomorrow I might die and my child could wind up in the hands of Protestants who deny the Sacraments. 

3. God was angry with Moses when he postponed the circumcision of his children. 

Exodus 4:24-26
King James Version (KJV)
24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.


25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.


26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

How much more angry is he with those parents who claim to believe in Him and yet postpone the circumcision without hands, which is Baptism, of their children.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Moses and the Old Testament

Hi Louie,
I am a devout Catholic. I disagree with your claim that the tradition of the Jews disagreed with the Old Testament Bible. Your logic is flawed and your interpretation about what Jesus said is simply wrong.

First of all, the only part of the Old Testament that was written by God was the Ten Commandments which He wrote in His own hand, on a stone.

The rest were transmitted by word FIRST and then were written down, much later. If you read the text in context, you see that some of the writings attributed to Moses could not have been written by Moses since they were writing about the time when he died.

Deuteronomy 34:7
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

Therefore, except for the Ten Commandments, the rest of the Old Testament was first taught by word, handed down in tradition and then written down. And it was taught by Word and by Scripture through the centuries. Simultaneously. Just as the Catholic Church continues to do so today.

Leviticus 10:10-12
King James Version (KJV)
10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

Sincerely,

De Maria

Martin Luther said, "My judgment is not mine but God's".

In a discussion with a Protestant on this forum, he challenged me to prove that Luther (and Calvin, but we’ll stick to Luther in this article), wanted to be seen as the new infallible Leader of Christ’s Church. 
Read More...

But the parents do have faith

VR:
I don't accept "faith alone." I agree with Jesus in Mark 16:16. Children have no faith.  Therefore they can't believe and be baptized in order to be saved.

But the parents which brought them to be baptized and receive eternal life in the name of Christ do have faith. So, do you believe that God will turn away a parent who has brought his child to Him to be saved:

Matthew 15:21-28
King James Version (KJV)
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.


22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.


23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.


24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.


25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.


26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.


27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.


28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Matthew 9:18-25
King James Version (KJV)
18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.


19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.


20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:


21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.


22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.


23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,


24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.


25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

If Jesus were before you, would you hesitate to bring your child to Him because your child can not yet exercise the grace of faith? Read the Scripture, perhaps you missed it:

Matthew 19:14

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Come, Holy Spirit - a meditation

Come, Holy Spirit, You are the love which proceeds from the Father and the Son 
Read More...

Together we confess: By grace alone

Together we confess: By grace alone

These words are found in the “JOINT DECLARATION ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION” by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. Apparently, based upon these words, many Catholics are beginning to say that the Catholic Church teaches salvation by grace alone. I beg to differ. 
Read More...

For the promise is unto you, and to your children

VR:

You are right, He did say that, but He also said that those to be baptized must believe as well:

"He believes and is baptized will be saved, he who does not believe is condemned already." (Mark 16:16)

You read the Scriptures in isolation of other Scriptures which speak on the same matter. Acts 2 says:

Acts 2:38-40
King James Version (KJV)
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.


39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.


40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Now, we notice that when parents brought their children to Jesus for healing, Jesus said:

Matthew 15:28
King James Version (KJV)
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Now, its just as easy for Christ to heal one of sins as it is for Him to heal one of illness:

Matthew 9:5
King James Version (KJV)
5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Therefore Scripture shows that Christ will accept the faith of the parent in lieu of the faith of the child.

But if you want to believe that God will send an innocent child to hell, go right ahead. We believe that God is merciful and loving.

Sincerely,

De Maria

What is your excuse for casting the Church aside?

RC: 

The Roman Catholic Church believes it is her duty to discern the revelation of God to her people.

Who does this for you? You yourself?

Prot: 

How can you ask such an inane question? Have you not read the very words of Jesus to His believers: "... but you're advocate the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will call to mind all that I have told you."

Do you pick and choose your Scriptures? Do you pit one Scripture against another? For Scripture says:

Hebrews 13:7

King James Version (KJV)
⁷ Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Hebrews 13:17

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁷ 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.

Correlating the Scriptures, it is obvious that God is telling us that He will teach us through the Church and through other believers:

Romans 10:14

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

what is your excuse for casting the Church aside?

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.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church

First off, I want to thank all who participated in the “Does the Bible say that missing the Mass is a mortal sin?” thread.

One of the things which was brought up by one of the Protestants in that thread is this idea that St. Constantine started the Catholic Church. But, is that true? Why do Protestants make this claim?

The short answer, “I don’t know.” The claim is patently false and can be proven directly from the New Testament. And, although the Bible was not put together until after St. Constantine’s death, yet the New Testament was already written although not compiled.

And while the name, “Catholic Church” is not written in those pages, yet, the Catholic Church is therein described. And if the Catholic Church is described in the New Testament, then it must be the Church established by Jesus Christ. AND, lest we forget, what we don’t find is any of the Protestant denominations there mentioned. Nor any of their doctrines. Without further ado, let's see what Scripture says.

First, Jesus Christ appointed a Pastor as head of the entire Church: 
John 21:17 
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

I see only a few Churches with such a Pastor. Further, Jesus Christ said that the Pastor over His Church would be infallible:

Matthew 16:17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The list of Churches accept this teaching gets smaller. Certainly, all Protestant denominations can now be eliminated.

Jesus Christ not only said that the Pastor was infallible but Scripture describes the Church as infallible: 
Ephesians 3:10 
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

The list remains the same, but now I can certainly eliminate all Protestant denominations.

Back to Matt 16:18, Scripture says that Jesus Christ established one Church. History shows that all the Churches sprang from the Church which is frequently described as the Mother Church. The Catholic Church.

So, even using just a few verses we can eliminate the Protestants. None of their denominations even come close to being in Scripture. But we can continue to find Catholic indicators throughout the Bible:

The Church which is infallible (1 Tim 3:15; Eph 3:10).
The Church which is united (Eph 4:5).
The doctrines of the Catholic Church which are distinctive from other churches:
Purgatory (1 Cor 3:15).
Eucharist (1 Cor 11:23-27).
Communion of Saints (Rom 12:12-20).
The Mass and the necessity to attend (Heb 10:25-31).
The Sacrament of Confession (Heb 13:17).
The Sacrament of Holy Orders (1 Tim 4:14).
The Sacrament of Baptism (Titus 3:5).
Justification and salvation by faith and works (Rom 2:1-13).

And we find that the Protestant doctrinal pillars all contradict Scripture. For instance:

Sola Scriptura contradicts 2 Thess 2:152 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.

Sola Fide contradicts James 2:24
James 2:24
King James Version (KJV)
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

OSAS contradicts Heb 6:4-6
Hebrews 6:4-6
King James Version (KJV)
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

Salvation by grace alone contradicts:
Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

and also:

Romans 6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Every Protestant doctrine which contradicts the Catholic Church also contradicts the Word of God in the Bible.

So, the fact that Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church is recorded in the New Testament. And Protestants nor their doctrines are anywhere to be found in those venerable pages.