I don't believe in salvation by grace through faith ALONE.

Luther said:

Since you do not believe in salvation by grace through faith,

I don't believe in salvation by grace through faith ALONE. I do believe in salvation by grace through faith. Because that is what Scripture teaches. Read it:

Ephesians 2:8
King James Version (KJV)
⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Show me the word, "alone". It isn't there.

now point me to Scripture where it says eternal life is deserved by our works.

Revelation 22:14
King James Version (KJV)
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.


Romans 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:


Matthew 25:31-46
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.
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.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew 19:17
King James Version (KJV)
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.

Matthew 7:21
King James Version (KJV)
²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Faith is the gift of God. But faith does not save unless it is proven by works:

James 2:18

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:14

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Faith is the grace which is given us by God:

Romans 4:16
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
And if we have faith in God, we will work out our salvation:

Philippians 2:12
King James Version (KJV)
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.
By allowing Him to work through us for our salvation:
Philippians 2:13

King James Version (KJV)
¹³ For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Salvation is God's Work.

That is Catholic Teaching.

There is nothing we can do by our own works to deserve eternal life in Heaven with Him.

You had better obey:
Hebrews 5:9

King James Version (KJV)
⁹ And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Romans 6:16

King James Version (KJV)

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?

All credit goes to Him.

That is also Catholic Teaching.

Why do you want to take some of the credit for yourself when it's God's Work He did on the Cross for all of us?

It is you who take credit for yourself by usurping God's right of judgement and reserving it for yourself:

1 Corinthians 4:3-4

King James Version (KJV)
³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Luke 17:10

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰ So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

As I see how Catholics hold to grace + faith + works = Salvation

That is the message of Scripture:
James 2:24

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

tells me they think they deserve to go to heaven because they worked so hard for it. God is deminished as a result.

Those who diminish God are they who usurp God's right to judge their souls.

As I see how Christians hold to grace + faith = Salvation recognizes the Work of God on the Cross and becomes humbled when they realize the trouble God went through to save them from eternal hellfire.

But none of those are Protestants. Nor are they like you. Because you diminish God by claiming to save yourself by your faith alone. Thereby elbowing God out of your life.

PS could you post in ESV or NIV? No one I know talks in Old English anymore and it's hard to read.

In the future. But you'll have to remind me. I started using the KJV because that is the one that most Protestants accept. 

Sincerely,

De Maria

October 23, 2013

Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 475
Reading 1 ROM 6:12-18

Brothers and sisters:
Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies
so that you obey their desires.
And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin
as weapons for wickedness,
but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life
and the parts of your bodies to God
as weapons for righteousness.
For sin is not to have any power over you,
since you are not under the law but under grace.

Those who have been washed in the Sacrament of Baptism have been cleansed of sin.  Therefore they should no longer dwell in sin.  But should turn to God and do righteousness by keeping the Commandments.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law
but under grace?
Of course not!
Do you not know that if you present yourselves
to someone as obedient slaves,
you are slaves of the one you obey,
either of sin, which leads to death,
or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Who is your master? If God is your master than you must be like God, holy.

But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin,
you have become obedient from the heart
to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted.
Freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.

Therefore, become God's servant and do the right thing, keep the Commandments and you will eat of the Tree of Eternal life.

Responsorial Psalm PS 124:1B-3, 4-6, 7-8

R. (8a) Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Had not the LORD been with us,
let Israel say, had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive;
When their fury was inflamed against us.

R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, who did not leave us
a prey to their teeth.

R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
We were rescued like a bird
from the fowlers’ snare;
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

But for the grace of God, there go I.  If God had not been with me, I would be lost.  I'm speaking not just about myself, but all of us. Mea culpa.  Mea culpa.  Mea culpa.  We are all guilty of sin.  And everyday we must strive to do the will of God and beseech Him to give us the grace to overcome temptation.

Gospel LK 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Do not let Satan break into your house and sow discord.  Have your house ready and prepared to receive Our Lord.  Because if you love Him, He will love you and He and His Son will come to your house and sit and dine with you (John 14:21).  Therefore, keep your house tidy, be strong, fight temptation and do not let Satan disrupt your household that you will not be prepared when God calls on you.

Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.

The parable is meant for everyone, but mores, for those who are appointed leaders of God's flock.

Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.

And if that leader does his duty and does the will of God, God will give him greater blessings in the world to come.

But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

But if that leader, disobeys God, he will be punished more severely than those who had no responsibility.

That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Therefore, if you pretend to teach anyone about God's will, make sure that you practice what you preach.  For God is not pleased with the double minded, who preach, but do not practice.

Nicodemus, the Teacher of Israel, was apologizing

Nondenom said:
I think it is interesting to note that when Nicodemus came to ask Jesus how to get to heaven, Jesus did not say "Keep the law." What He did say is "You must be born again." Then He stated that this was the plan from the beginning, by berating Nicodemus for not knowing it.

That's not what Nicodemus asked. He asked Jesus if He was the Messiah:
John 3
King James Version (KJV)
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Nicodemus, the Teacher of Israel, was apologizing for those Pharisees who believed that Jesus produced His miracles by the help of Baal. He therefore assured Jesus that he believed that Jesus was sent by God. In other words, that Jesus is the Messiah.

However, Nicodemus is not one of Christ's chosen. Therefore He speaks to him in parables:
Matthew 13:12-14
King James Version (KJV)
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Jesus did that in order that Nicodemus be in need of the Church, which Jesus was establishing, with the Apostles as the foundation. And Nicodemus would need to go to them for understanding of His Teachings.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Note that Jesus did not address what Nicodemus (Nic) said. Nicodemus was speaking of Jesus and His miracles. And of the fact that Jesus was united with God.

But Jesus turned it around on Nic and said, in order for you also to accomplish the works of God and to be united to God, you must be born again. This is something which Nic should have known. For Nic was a Teacher of Israel and should have known that it takes a conversion of the heart, a new birth, in order to be united to God:
Ezekiel 18:31
King James Version (KJV)
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

But, perhaps because he was nervous. After all, he didn't want to be seen with Jesus and was sneaking around at night. But Nic didn't understand the reference to being born again in the Spirit.

So, Jesus said to him:
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Now, the reference to water is a reference to the flesh. Being born of woman. Have you ever heard of the term, "her water broke"? It happens in every human birth.

And being born of the Spirit, is a reference to God giving the man new life and a new heart. Conversion.

Jesus explains further:
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

But Nic is still a few steps behind. Apparently taking Jesus literally:
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

And so Jesus scolds him and tells him that He is God, who has descended from heaven in order to ascend back again.

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

And save those who believe in Him in the process.

Quote:

I think in Genesis 15 it says "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." This is the process of being born again.

And so, you have proven that Nic should have known of what Jesus spoke. Because I'm sure that Nic was aware of that passage.

Quote:

Paul says the law was only given to reveal sin and I agree with him.

As do I.

Quote:

However, I believe if we do not follow the law, we suffer earthly consequences for breaking it, even though we are forgiven if we are born again.

I agree. But I don't understand why you place this sentence behind the second as though they contradict. The Law reveals sin because anything which contradicts the law is sin. Therefore, ipso facto, in order to avoid sin, one must keep the Law.

1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Note:  Perhaps some of you are wondering why I did not mention Baptism in this explanation.  Well, Nondenom was not denying the efficacy or necessity of Baptism.  I saw it more as a debate on whether or not to keep the Commandments.  Which, surprisingly, so many Protestants claim they are no longer necessary to keep.  So, I didn't think it was necessary to mention it.  However, John 3:5 is the verse which the Catholic Church has defined, in Trent VI, as the verse which establishes the necessity of being Baptized.

CHAPTER IVA BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE SINNER AND ITS MODE IN THE STATE OF GRACE

In which words is given a brief description of the justification of the sinner, as being a translation from that state in which man is born a child of the first Adam, to the state of grace and of the adoption of the sons of God through the second Adam, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

This translation however cannot, since promulgation of the Gospel, be effected except through the laver of regeneration or its desire, as it is written:

Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

October 22, 2013

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 474
Reading 1 ROM 5:12, 15B, 17-19, 20B-21

Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered the world,

That man through whom sin entered the world, is Adam.  He disobeyed God's command and that is the essence of sin (1 John 3:4).

and through sin, death,

Sin results in a rupture between the one who commits sin and the One whom one sins against, God.  Since, God is the source of eternal life, then one dies, when one sins against God.

and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned.

All, in this sense, is all those who actually committed sin.  Not all human kind has committed sin before they died.  For instance, the children who died in the womb and those who died before they achieved the age of reason.  

If by that one person’s transgression the many died,
how much more did the grace of God
and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ
overflow for the many.

"The many" does not mean "all" either.  For we know that not all men have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  But many have also rejected His grace.

For if, by the transgression of the one,
death came to reign through that one,
how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the gift of justification
come to reign in life through the one Jesus Christ.

This is a reference to the Sacraments where we receive the abundance of grace in this life, through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose grace flows to us through the Sacraments.

In conclusion, just as through one transgression
condemnation came upon all,
so, through one righteous act
acquittal and life came to all.

Through Adam's sin, we inherited a fallen nature.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we receive the hope of salvation.

For just as through the disobedience of one man
the many were made sinners,
so, through the obedience of the one
the many will be made righteous.

Through the sin of Adam, those who cooperate in sin will die to eternal life. But through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those who cooperate with righteousness will partake of eternal life.

Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification
for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And, although men sinned mightily, God poured His grace upon us even more abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”

R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”

R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, “The LORD be glorified.”
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Let us choose righteousness and live.  Turn to God and do good without tiring.  Love God and love neighbor, this is the end and fulfillment of the Commandments.

Gospel LK 12:35-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”

Blessed are they who serve the Will of God without tiring.  They will themselves be served in the next life.

Did Jesus abolish God's laws?

Lutero asks:

In another debate someone said:Jesus abolished all ceremonial and sacrificial law.

Questions for debate:
Did Jesus ever make any claim that any of God's laws were to be abolished?

Yes.

Matthew 5:18
King James Version (KJV)
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

All was fulfilled when He died on the Cross:

Hebrews 9:15-17King James Version (KJV)15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Quote:
Did Jesus make a distinction between ceremonial, sacrificial and others of God's laws?

Jesus, being a practicing Jew, knew the entire law.

Quote:
How does one differentiate between ceremonial and sacrificial laws and any other of the laws?

I don't know what you are talking about. The difference is explained in the Scriptures.

Quote:
Which Old Testament Laws are Christians bound to observe and which ones can they safely ignore?

They are bound to obey the Ten Commandments.

Quote:
How do you know?

By the Teaching of the Church in Tradition and Scripture.

Quote:
For the purposes of this debate, we may not assume that the teachings of Paul were necessarily in accord with the teachings of Jesus.

You can assume what you want. But that assumption is false. St. Paul was a Christian and his teachings are in complete accord with the Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

De Maria

October 21, 2013

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 473
Reading 1 ROM 4:20-25

Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.

Abraham was completely sure that God would deliver on His promise.

That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.

That is why judged him a just man.

But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;

But this justification was done for him in order that we might know

it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,

that it is also for us, who will be credited righteousness in the Sacraments

who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Because we believe in God the Father who raised Jesus Christ from the dead

who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.

Who died for our sins and was raised in order that we might live unto God and do the works of righteousness which God intended for us.

Responsorial Psalm LK 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R. (see 68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

This Responsorial comes from the Song of Zechariah which is in the Gospel of Luke 1:67-79.  It is a very famous prayer which many people pray every morning.  It is about St. John the Baptist, who is the Precursor, who came to pave the way for Jesus Christ.  And it is about Jesus Christ, who came to save us.  And it is about the faithfulness of God, who did these things in fulfillment of His promises.

Gospel LK 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

Jesus was usually being followed by crowds.  And usually, people were asking for healing of some sort, either physical or spiritual.  Today, someone in the crowd asked Jesus to intervene on his behalf against his brother.

He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

But Jesus replied, "why should I do that?  I didn't come to intervene in financial matters." And it is true.  Nowhere in the bible do we see Jesus meddling in financial matters.  The closest He came to it was when He chased the money lenders out of the Temple (John 2:15). 

Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then He explained the reason for this to the crowd.  He said, "Be on your guard against greed. Because life is not about owning things."

Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”

This man, put his faith upon his earthly treasures.  And he neglected to ask the will of God and he neglected to be upright before God.  And so, hoping that he would have a long and luxurious life, he died, caught off guard and an accounting of his life and his wealth and what he had done with them was demanded of him.  Don't be caught off guard.  Because our life is not our own and it can be demanded of us at any time.  We are not promised even one more second.  

Read the Catechism in a Year- Day 326

  Read the Catechism in a Year - Corporal Works of Mercy

What are the "corporal works of mercy"?

To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the imprisoned, and bury the dead. (YOUCAT question 450)

Dig Deeper: CCC section (2447-2450) and other references here.

NEW CD/MP3: The Miracle of Divine Mercy

This text comes from the YOUCAT - an accessible expression of the Catechism in a simple Q & A format. [Learn more here] Copyright 2011 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco. Sponsored by Lighthouse Catholic Media, NFP. Powered by Flocknote.

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn - October 20th 2013 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

-Read and listen to Dr. Scott Hahn's reflections on this Sunday's readings

October 20th 2013 - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Listen Here!
Hope From on High
Readings:
Exodus 17:8-13
Psalm 121:1-8
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8


The Lord is our guardian, beside us at our right hand, interceding for us in all our spiritual battles.

In today’s Psalm we’re told to lift our eyes to the mountains, that our help will come from Mount Zion and the Temple - the dwelling of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Joshua and the Israelites, in today’s First Reading, are also told to look to the hilltops. They are to find their help there - through the intercession of Moses - as they defend themselves against their mortal foes, the Amalekites.

Notice the image: Aaron and Hur standing on each side of Moses, holding his weary arms so that he can raise the staff of God above his head. Moses is being shown here as a figure of Jesus, who also climbed a hilltop, and on Mount Calvary stretched out His hands between heaven and earth to intercede for us against the final enemy - sin and death (see 1 Corinthians 15:26).

By the staff of God, Moses bested Israel’s enemies (see Exodus 7:8-12;8:1-2), parted the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:16) and brought water from the Rock (see Exodus 17:6).

The Cross of Jesus is the new staff of God, bringing about a new liberation from sin, bringing forth living waters from the body of Christ, the new Temple of God (see John 2:19-21; 7:37-39; 19:34; 1 Corinthians 10:4).

Like the Israelites and the widow in today’s Gospel, we face opposition and injustice - at times from godless and pitiless adversaries.

We, too, must lift our eyes to the mountains - to Calvary and the God who will guard us from all evil.

We must pray always and not be wearied by our trials, Jesus tells us today. As Paul exhorts in today’s Epistle, we need to remain faithful, to turn to the inspired Scriptures - given by God to train us in righteousness.

We must persist, so that when the Son of Man comes again in kingly power, He will indeed find faith on earth.


Yours in Christ,


Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

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We have Scripture

Lutero said

Do you have anything but progammed Pavlovian "the RCC can't be wrong" pablum to offer?

We have Scripture:

Which Church has one Shepherd appointed by Christ?

John 21:17

New International Version (NIV)
¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Which Church passes down the Keys to the Kingdom to every generation?
Matthew 16:18-19

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁸ And 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.
¹⁹ And 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.

Which Church claims infallibility?
1 Timothy 3:15

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Ephesians 3:10

King James Version (KJV)
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,

Which Church provides Baptism of water?
John 3:5

King James Version (KJV)
⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

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.

Which Church still expects Christians to keep the Ten Commandments?
Revelation 22:14

King James Version (KJV)
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.

Which Church teaches Apostolic Succession?
2 Timothy 2:2

King James Version (KJV)
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.

Etc. etc.

The Catholic Church is described in Scripture.

Sincerely,

De Maria

On the subject of multiple choice or essay....

Give me a word, verse or subject from Scripture or Catholic doctrine.  Even from Protestant doctrine if you want.  If I don't know about it, I'll look it up do a bit of research and post the reply.
Sound like fun?

Sincerely,

De Maria

October 20, 2013

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 147
Reading 1 EX 17:8-13

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.

The people of Amalek waged war against the people of Israel.

Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
"Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.

So, Moses commanded Joshua to lead some handpicked warriors in battle against Amalek.

I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand."

While Moses stood on top of the hill with God's staff in his hand.  The same staff which he used to separated the waters of the Red Sea.

So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.

So Joshua did as he was told and after Moses climbed the hill, engaged Amalek.

As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,

When Moses had his hands high, Israel would win the fight.

but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.

But when his hands fell low, Amalek would begin to win.

Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

So, Aaron, his brother and Hur another Israelite, held his hands high.

And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.

And Joshua destroyed Amalek and his people.

Responsorial Psalm PS 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (cf. 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

In everything, turn to God.  Every step you take, know that God is with you.  God sustains the whole creation in place and sustains all life.  Every hair on your head is counted.  Nothing that you do is unimportant to God.   Therefore, ask God for assistance in everything you do.

Reading 2 2 TM 3:14-4:2

St. Paul addresses St. Timothy,

Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed
because you know from whom you learned it,

He reminds him of the faith filled lessons which he received from his mother and grandmother (2 Tim 1:5).

and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.

And from a child, he was taught the Scriptures by his parents.

All Scripture is inspired by God

God inspired man to write the Scriptures, therefore, they are without error.

and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

And Teachers of the Christian faith will find the use of the Scriptures very useful in their endeavor to pass on the faith to righteous men.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

And so, St. Paul admonished St. Timothy to teach the faith of Jesus Christ continually, without rest.

Gospel LK 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

Jesus commanded us to pray without ceasing.

He said, "There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.

There was a certain judge who feared neither God nor man.

And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.'

But an elderly widow came to him and demanded a verdict in her favor.

For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.'"

And since the widow was so persistent, the judge finally became weary and afraid that if he did not render the verdict in her favor, she might attack him.  So, he did.

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?

And so, the Lord says, "take a lesson from this evil judge.  Call out to God, the Just Judge continually and He will listen to you." 

Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

He will not be slow to respond but will render justice to us immediately.

Review of Memorize the Bible verses

I hadn't done this in a while.  So, let's see how I do:

From memory, Heb 9:15:

For this reason He became the minister of the New Covenant, that by means of death for the transgressions in the first Covenant, those called could receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

2 Cor 5:15

And He died for all that those who live might no longer live unto themselves but live unto Him who died for them and rose again.

1 Cor 4:3-4

I am not concerned by your judgment or of any man's council.  I am not aware of any wrongdoing and my conscience is clean.  But that does  not make me innocent.  Because Christ is my judge.

And Philippians 4:15

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 Now to compare:


Hebrews 9:15
King James Version (KJV)
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

2 Corinthians 5:15
King James Version (KJV)
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.


1 Corinthians 4:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.  4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.


Philippians 4:13
King James Version (KJV)
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

1 Cor 4:3-4 still gives me trouble, but I think the gist is there.  Pray for me that I may master these techniques.

Sincerely,

De Maria

St. Alphonsus "Marie" de Liguori - Glories of Mary

An objection was posted against St. Alphonsus Marie de Liguori

Quote: 

Then I presume that you have read "Glories of Mary".

I sure have. A wonderful book and a treasure of Catholic devotion to Mary.

Quote:Here are quotes, with page references:
"At the command of Mary all obey-even God."

That is true. I'll go even further. At the suggestion of Mary, all obey, even God.

Let me take you to Scripture. Jesus is God, is He not?

Luke 2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

Jesus was subject to whom? To Joseph and Mary.

And lets look at the Wedding at Cana:

John 2
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

Mary, Jesus and His disciples were at a wedding feast.

3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

And Mary said to Jesus, "they have no wine". Is this a command? Is this a request? No, this is merely an observation.

What confidence this woman has that her intentions will be fulfilled.

4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.

What is this? Is this an objection from the PERFECT Son? I don't believe so, but many Protestants characterize it thus.

To me it is merely Our Lord jesting with His Mother. After all, there at a party.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 

At any rate, His mother doesn't take it seriously. She doesn't even acknowledge it. She simply turns around and says, "do as He tells you."

Note that she doesn't say, "Do MY will." She says, "Obey Him." "Do what Jesus tells you."

Mary always points us to Jesus and Mary always COMMANDS us to do God's will.

Quote:Page 155 in the paperback version that I have, a short ways into Chapter VI.
"The Way of salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary."

Jesus Christ is our salvation and salvation came through Mary.

Revelation 12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And unless you accept Mary as your mother, you will not be at war with the dragon. Because it is HER seed who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Quote:Page 143 in the paperback, but if you read the entirety of Chapter V, you will see this restated over and over and over many times so that it is abundantly clear.

I didn't deny it. I embrace that teaching. It is from Scripture. This is why THE WORD OF GOD calls Mary blessed amongst women.

Quote:"The Holy Church carefully teaches us her children with what attention and confidence we should unceasingly have recourse to this loving protectress; and for this reason commands a worship peculiar to Mary"

Here he is using the word "worship" in its archaic sense. This can be verified if we look at several types of governors who receive worship from regular folk even today:

The word "worship" has undergone a change in meaning in English. It comes from the Old English weorthscipe, which means the condition of being worthy of honor, respect, or dignity. To worship in the older, larger sense is to ascribe honor, worth, or excellence to someone, whether a sage, a magistrate, or God.

For many centuries, the term worship simply meant showing respect or honor, and an example of this usage survives in contemporary English. British subjects refer to their magistrates as "Your Worship," although Americans would say "Your Honor." This doesn’t mean that British subjects worship their magistrates as gods (in fact, they may even despise a particular magistrate they are addressing). It means they are giving them the honor appropriate to their office, not the honor appropriate to God. 

Saint Worship?
Quote:- Immediately after the reference to worship, on page 107, he refers to here as the "Divine Mother" (his capitalization. This term is used from end of the book to the other.

Have you ever heard the term, "to err is human, to forgive divine". Does that mean that we believe everyone who forgives is God? Of course not!

Divine is here used as an endearment. In the Latin languages, "divina" is frequently used to speak of any woman whom we love. Be it wife, mother, daughter.

Related to the above, the word Divine also means "beautiful" and in that sense, we also use it to refer to Mary, O beautiful mother and to the women we love.

In Mary's however, it is exclusively used because she is the only Mother who gave birth to the Divine God. It is a reference to her Divine MATERNITY. Therefore, Divine Mother.

Quote:- Page 112 and elsewhere suggests that her mercy never fails, but because Jesus is also our judge, and thus it is better to go to Mary than to Jesus for salvation since we can be assured of her mercy and compassion

Yeah. What he is saying there is that Jesus is also our Judge.  But Mary is not our judge.  She is our advocate.  They will both play the role which they are designated to play.  Have you not read in Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:1

King James Version (KJV)

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Have you not also read:

2 Corinthians 5:11

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Notice that St. Paul doesn't just say, FEAR of the Lord.  But TERROR.  And with good reason.  Let's look at another verse:

Hebrews 10:30-31

King James Version (KJV)

³⁰ For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But Scripture does not describe even on instance where Mary is to be feared or where Mary judges anyone.  So, St. Alphonsus is being perfectly Biblical in this teaching.

Quote:- She can be blasphemed (p114) someone which can only be done against God

Not so. Any Saint can be blasphemed. It is calling that which is holy, unholy. Saints are holy.

The question has been raised whether blasphemy against the saints differs in kind from that uttered immediately against God. While De Lugo thinks that such a difference obtains (De Poenit., disp. Xvi, n. 178 sqq.) the opposite opinion of St. Alphonsus seems more tenable, for as the latter theologian observes, the saints, ordinarily speaking, are not blasphemed because of their own excellence but because of their close relationship to God (Theol. Moral., lib. IV, n. 132).

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Blasphemy

Quote:- Though Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our salvation, we can only be saved through Mary since she dispenses the blood (P.116)

 I'd like to see the quote. I don't believe he would have used the word "only" in this regard. And this is the reason.

Although Protestants believe that the only one who suffered on Calvary that day was Jesus. We believe, because of her deep love for her Son, that Mary also suffered on that Cross.

Anyone who has children can perhaps empathize with this. I know I can. There's a song, "were you there" which touches upon this idea. But it can't come anywhere near the fact that this MOTHER watched her Son and her God being tortured and crucified.

Two people suffered on the Cross that day, Jesus and His Mother.

Quote:- She conquered Satan, hell and the demons and crushed the head of Satan (which scripture says was Jesus). P.117

Actually, the older text says it would be the Woman:

Genesis 3 15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.

We believe she crushed his head through Her Seed.

Quote:- At the name of Mary, the devils tremble and every knee bows (p.123)

Because Mary is always accompanied by her Son.

Quote:Now that I have shown that what you called impossible to be true, please answer my question -

Except I've shown you that what you said was true is impossible.

Quote:when tradition contradicts scripture, or contradicts itself, what do you do?

The Catholic Church never contradicts Scripture.

Sincerely,

De Maria