Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Ro 3:9–20)
Read this portion of the verse:
through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Ro 3:9–20)
and read verse 2:13 again:
Ro 2:13. For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
And now, understand. If we become conscious of sin, but do nothing about it, we are hearers of the Law and are not just before God.
But if we become conscious of our sin and repent, doing works meet for repentance (Acts 26:20), we are then doers of the law and we will be justified by God.
Ah, but there's more. How will we be justified by God? Scripture is clear:
Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thysins, calling on the name of the Lord.
In Baptism:
Titus 3:5
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;So then, it is clear. Our works do not justify us. God does. But God does not justify those who do not, being conscious of their sin, repent and do works meet for repentance:
Revelation 22:14
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.And that is the Catholic Teaching. Justification is by faith and works because only those who work to demonstrate their repentance will be justified.
Sincerely,
De Maria
Washed, Sanctified and Justified in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
October 28, 2012
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 149
Reading 1 from the Old Testament book of Jeremiah
Jer 31:7-9
Thus says the LORD:Jeremiah is having a vision wherein God is telling him to rejoice because God has sved the remnant of Israel.
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
This is a prophecy which had not yet taken place. But would soon happen.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.
They were carried away in suffering but God would console them and heal them.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,When the Lord saved the Israelites from the captivity of Babylon, there was great rejoicing.
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then they said among the nations,And the whole world noticed what God had done for His people.
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,The people of Israel prayed that their possessions be given back to them.
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Although they go forth weeping,And the Psalmist reminds us that those who suffer for the sake of God's Kingdom, will rejoice in God's Kingdom.
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Reading 2 from St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 5:1-6
Brothers and sisters:Brethren, up until the time of Christ, all high priests were human beings
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,who needed to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people and their own.
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himselfNo one appoints himself a high priest but is called to the office by God.
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;just as he says in another place:
You are a priest foreveraccording to the order of Melchizedek.
Christ also did not appoint Himself. But the Father appointed Him and glorified Himself through Him.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Mk 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,Bartimaeus was begging by the road with his son, when Jesus and His students with a large crowd, left Jericho.
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,Bartimaeus heard the name of Jesus mentioned as the crowd was going by and called out, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.And many tried to silence him.
But he kept calling out all the more,But he ignored them and called on the name of the Lord all the louder.
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."Jesus requested that they bring the man to Him.
So they called the blind man, saying to him,And they said, "Be strong, Christ is calling you."
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.He cast off his cloak and came to Jesus
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"Jesus asked, "What would you have me do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see.""Lord, that I might see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."And Jesus said, "Go on now, it is done to you according to your faith."
Immediately he received his sightAnd Bartimaeus could see. And he immediately followed Jesus.
and followed him on the way.
Sincerely,
De Maria
That woman Babylon
Protestants claim that the woman, Babylon, in Revelations Chapters 17 and 18 is a reference to the Catholic Church. A study of the Scriptures does not bear this out.
Babylon, represents Jerusalem and Israel. Let us correlate some Scriptures (note, all Scripture references are from the King James version):
Babylon described as a whore:
Revelation 17 1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Israel is described as a whore:
Hosea 9 1Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
Jerusalem described as a harlot (which is another word for whore):
Isaiah 1 21How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
Ezekiel 16 1Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, ….15But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Babylon is clothed in finery:
Rev 17 4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Jerusalem clothed in finery:
Ez 16 10I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. 11I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. 12And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. 13Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 14And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. 15But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Babylon kills the prophets and saints:
Rev 17 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Jerusalem kills the prophets and saints:
Matthew 23 33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Babylon is described as "that great city":
Rev 17: 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Rev 18: 10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
The "great city" is the city in which Jesus was crucified:
Rev 11: 8And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. . The Kings of the earth gathered in Jerusalem to crucify Christ.
Rev 17: 2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication
Acts 4: 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Babylon and Jerusalem are built on seven mountains:
Revelation 17: 9And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings:
Jerusalem is built on seven mountains: Mt. Goath, Mt. Gareb, Mt. Acra, Mt. Bezetha, Mt. Zion, Mt. Ophel, and Mt. Moriah.
Babylon is destroyed by fire:
Rev 18: 8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire
Jerusalem is destroyed by fire:
Ez 23: 25And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.
God calls His people out of that city:
Rev 18: 4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Paul calls people out of Jerusalem:
Heb 13: 12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
The harlot, Jerusalem is redeemed:
Isaiah 2 1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Revelation 21: 10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
All of that is directly from Scripture.
Nowhere does Scripture refer to the Church as Babylon or a harlot. But the Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ. And the Church in Scripture is the Catholic Church. Read more.
Sincerely,
De Maria
Friday, October 26, 2012
October 27, 2012
Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 478
Reading 1 Eph 4:7-16
Brothers and sisters:Brothers and Sisters, Christ gave us all gifts in accordance with our faith.
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ"s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;he gave gifts to men.
I don't think the verse in italics is found anywhere else in Scripture. Therefore, it must be something else to which St. Paul is referring. Or perhaps he is summarizing a teaching from one of the Gospels or Epistles. The only one that comes close to this is St. Peter's
What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descendedAs I mentioned above, I think this is a reference to St. Peter's epistle:
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
1 Peter 3:18-20But I don't understand the reference.
King James Version (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,for building up the Body of Christ,Remember that he started by saying that Christ gave us all grace through gifts. Then, at this point, he begins to enumerate the gifts. And he says that the purpose of these gifts is to build up the Church, the Body of Christ.
until we all attain to the unity of faithUntil all of us become one in Christ to the fullest extent.
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,And because we are more knowledgeable and mature, we will be more stable and confident in the knowledge of our faith. Being able to withstand temptation and the tricks of those who would turn us around.
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body's growth and builds itself up in love.
And live our lives in accordance with truth and love. Becoming everyday more like our Saviour and growing closer to our fellow man, uniting the Church and building it up in love.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.I rejoiced because they said to me,Jerusalem is in Zion. The Mountain of God. And that is what this Psalm is about. It is about the heavenly Jerusalem, where those who merit to live with God will abide after the Final Judgment.
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the GalileansPeople were asking Jesus about the reason for suffering in the world. Some people had died making sacrifices to God. And they wanted to know why this had happened?
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
"Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
And Jesus said that it wasn't because of their sin that these people had died in that manner. But, He warned that if they did not repent of their sins, they certainly would die in that manner.
This is puzzling to me. The only thing I can figger is that Jesus was referring to the death of their soul. If they did not repent of their sins, Jesus says, their souls will certainly die.
Or those eighteen people who were killedHe repeated the same lesson. Unless they repent, they will go to hell, where their souls will be as dead, because they are separated from the source of life, God.
when the tower at Siloam fell on them?
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!"
And he told them this parable:So, Jesus told them a fable. A story with a moral. In this story, God is the person who planted the fig tree. The Jews are the fig tree. Jesus is the gardner.
"There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
God came to the garden and said to His Son, Jesus, that the Jews had not produced any good fruits. It is time to call them up for judgment.
Why should it exhaust the soil?'Jesus replied, "have mercy Father. I will give them more grace and love, if they produce no fruit after that, certainly bring them to justice."
He said to him in reply,
'Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'"
Sincerely,
De Maria
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October 26, 2012
Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 477
Reading 1, from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians
Eph 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters:St. Paul frequently describes himself as a "prisoner" of the Lord. As though he were somehow coerced or involuntarily doing what he is doing. But he is speaking metaphorically, in the sense that those of us who love someone, feel overwhelmed by that love. In the same way, St. Paul is a prisoner of his overwhelming love for Christ.
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,And he calls everyone to live in love. Love is the only manner of living which is worthy of Christ:
Romans 13:8
King James Version (KJV)8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,Humility, gentleness, patience, these are all signs of love:
bearing with one another through love,
1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 13
King James Version (KJV)4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away....
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
striving to preserve the unity of the spiritWe are one Temple, one Body in Christ, one Church.
through the bond of peace;We should therefore, love one another:
John 13:34-35
King James Version (KJV)34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
one Body and one Spirit,Don't you know that we are the Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells within us?
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
King James Version (KJV)16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Peter 2:4-5
King James Version (KJV)4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;We were called to love and to be loved and to live in love for eternity.
one Lord,Through Christ,
one faith,And His Church,
one baptism;And His Sacraments whereby we receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit according to our faith
one God and Father of all,
In accordance to the plan of God the Father of all
who is over all and through all and in all.In whom we live, move and are.
God is He who created all with but a word. And we are they who love Him and show our love by obeying, hoping in His love and trusting in His word that He will keep His promises toward us.Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
and we do not give up hope nor despair in our sinfulness. Because He has sent His only begotten Son to die for us and wash us clean in His Blood.Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
And we have received His blessing in Christ our Lord, who died for us and provided for us the fountains of grace wherein we are washed clean of our sins in His Blood.He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Lk 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,Jesus said to the people, you can look at the sky and read the signs and predict the weather.
"When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain--and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is.
You hypocrites!And yet you claim not to know the sins you commit.
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
"Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?You know what is right. God has, from the beginning given you the guidance you need and it is not far from you:
Deuteronomy 30:10-14
King James Version (KJV)10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,Therefore, don't push it. You know that you have done wrong. Apologize to your brother or your Father in heaven will punish you and you will not be forgiven until you pay for everything you have done wrong.
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny."
Sincerely,
De Maria
Jewish Roots of Catholicism (Part 6)
"The Hail Mary, the first time an angel salutes a human. A prayer that came directly from heaven!" AMEN!
Two Witnesses
A reading from St. John's book of Revelations
Rv 11:4-12
I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me:Here are my two witnesses:These are the two olive trees and the two lampstandsthat stand before the Lord of the earth.St. John hears the voice of God again. Now there is a mention of two witnesses. Earlier we saw that candlesticks symbolized Churches:
Revelation 1:20
King James Version (KJV)
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
If lamp stands are veiled references to churches, then this could be a reference to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Both of which have valid Sacraments.
On the other hand, this could be a reference to the two true religions of the world, Christianity and Judaism. Both are religions which were established by God. Both are based on the Ten Commandments.
Or it could be a veiled reference to two of the greatest Preachers of our time. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies.Fire coming from the mouth is a metaphor for preaching the word of God.
Jeremiah 5:14
King James Version (KJV)
14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain.This is a reference to those who do not repent from their sins by the powerful preaching of the two witnesses. They will die in their sins and be punished in eternity for eternity.
They have the power to close up the skyTheir preaching will be as powerful as that of Elijah's:
so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying.
1 Kings 17
King James Version (KJV)
17 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.They will be as powerful as Moses and Aaron, who upon God's command, turned the Nile into a river of blood:
Exodus 7:20
And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
When they have finished their testimony,the beast that comes up from the abysswill wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.Apparently, Satan will be given control for a bit and will conquer these witnesses. That reminds me of the vision of Pope Leo:
Just as suddenly, Pope Leo awoke and said, 'What a horrible picture I was permitted to see!' In this vision, God gave Satan the choice of one century in which to do his worst work against the Church. The devil chose the 20th century. So moved was the Holy Father from this vision that he composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.[17]I also remember that, during the Sixties, people were saying that Religion was dead. They had counted Religion the opiate of the masses and were celebrating a new humanistic enlightenment. It came as a great surprise to them, when Pope John Paul the II died, that Catholics came from all over the world, for days and days, to pay respects. And after the occurrence of 911, when the Twin Towers were destroyed, Religion made a huge comeback in the United States.
Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city,That great city where Jesus was crucified is Jerusalem. And in Scripture, God has castigated Jerusalem and said that it was worse than Sodom and Egypt:
which has the symbolic names 'Sodom' and 'Egypt,'
where indeed their Lord was crucified.
Jeremiah 23:14According to what I've been told, Christianity is almost non-existent in Jerusalem. It is now under the Jewish and Islamic shared custody.
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
The percentage of the Christian population within Jerusalem is 1.9%, as compared to 19% in 1946, during the latter days of the British Mandate. In absolute figures, the number of Christians in Jerusalem decreased from 31,300 in 1946 to 14,600 at the close of 2010.http://allaboutjerusalem.com/article/christians-and-christianity-jerusalem
However, Christian sites are always on display there. They have many of the places where Jesus walked, taught, died, was buried and resurrected.
Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nationSo, in a veiled manner, the bones of Christianity are visibly on display in this town. But the two witnesses of Christianity, the Catholic and Orthodox Church, could be said to be dead there.
will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days,
and they will not allow their corpses to be buried.
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over themWhen everyone thought that the Church was dead, they gloated, that is true. Many still think the Church is dead. But Pope John Paul II's vision of a new Springtime is slowly appearing. The Church is now thriving in many places in the world.
and be glad and exchange gifts
because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth.
But after the three and a half days,I don't know what the three and a half days represent. However, I believe this is a a reference to the Rapture. When the Church is taken into heaven and the enemies of Christ become His footstool.
a breath of life from God entered them.
When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here."
So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.
All of this is my own speculation on the words of the Apostle John in this part of the book of Revelation. As far as I am aware, the Church has no definite doctrine on what these words actually mean. The only thing I believe the Church teaches definitively is, "only the Father knows."
By the same token, I don't believe that any of my explanations above contradict the Teachings of the Catholic Church. If they do, let me know and I'll correct myself.
Sincerely,
De Maria
The merit of faith alone
We also believe that salvation is a gift. But then, many gifts are given on the basis of merit. For instance, I have given my children gifts if they received an A in some subject or if they did something speedily.
So, I'd like to focus on your direct answer to my question. My question is very simple. I asked:
Do you merit salvation by your faith alone?
You're response:
so I'd say "no" to your question.Ok, fair enough. What does it mean, then, merit?
1.claim to respect and praise; excellence; worth.
2.something that deserves or justifies a reward orcommendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.:Thebook's only merit is its sincerity.
3.merits, the inherent rights and wrongs of a matter, as alawsuit, unobscured by procedural details,technicalities,personal feelings, etc.: The case will be decided on itsmerits alone.
4.Often, merits. the state or fact of deserving; desert: totreat people according to their merits.
5.Roman Catholic Church . worthiness of spiritual reward,acquired by righteous acts made under theinfluence ofgrace.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/merit
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/merit
when God says:
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Now, I'm thinking that if one's faith PLEASES GOD, then God finds merit with that faith. Otherwise, why must one have faith in order to be saved, if there is no merit in faith?
Any further thoughts?
Sincerely,
De Maria
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
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