tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17954059811909742102024-02-19T02:34:23.637-08:00New Covenant Journal †Jesus Christ | Catholic | This blog is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, Jesuit and apostle of the EastNew Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.comBlogger497125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-53893893466190057292012-07-15T09:25:00.004-07:002012-07-15T09:30:23.627-07:00Attention When Praying The Rosary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJEX7dPbLt2OcRdSSGO8goQgvJEJon0BDGHDTtMzVC1_Y8G8NuL8UZ6VwqMrVQHJe3SMPa1cSXCYNTo0zfgcJS2I2_In5tx5Hp_OKI8ybSgkF0JD1jL5DkE2fNpgbeVN5YlxqjTr-Ug/s1600/qrer542435.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJEX7dPbLt2OcRdSSGO8goQgvJEJon0BDGHDTtMzVC1_Y8G8NuL8UZ6VwqMrVQHJe3SMPa1cSXCYNTo0zfgcJS2I2_In5tx5Hp_OKI8ybSgkF0JD1jL5DkE2fNpgbeVN5YlxqjTr-Ug/s400/qrer542435.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765433754042917330" /></a><div>Q: <b>Dear Dan, I used to pray the Rosary daily, but lately I have become frustrated with it and am confused about where my attention should be focused while praying it. One Hail Mary, I find myself meditating on how painful it must have been for Jesus to be scourged at the pillar, and what great love it took for him to tolerate that for our sake. However, during that prayer, I was not paying attention to the actual words of the Hail Mary or asking her to “pray for us sinners.” Another Hail Mary, I find myself paying attention to the words of the prayer, but not at all meditating on the mystery. Where is the “right” place for our attention to be focused when we pray the rosary? It doesn’t seem right to neglect the mystery. It also doesn’t seem right to cheaply say the words to the Hail Mary while thinking about something totally different, like the Scourging at the Pillar. Thank you.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>A: Dear Friend, this is a great question. The simple answer is that your attention should be on God. Here’s what the Catechism says about our attention during vocal prayer (#2700):</div><div><br /></div><div>Through his Word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: “Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls.”</div><div><br /></div><div>If your heart is in any way focused on or drawn to God, you are headed in the right direction.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be more specific regarding the Rosary, Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae (well worth reading it its entirety) said:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Mary constantly sets before the faithful the “mysteries” of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>So, when we pray the Rosary, we pray it with Mary, and through the eyes of Mary with our focus joining her focus – Jesus Himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first task with the Rosary is to join her in each scene (mystery) presented. As we join her, we ask for her help and prayers as we gaze upon Christ. To bring this reality closer to our hearts, we can imagine ourselves standing with Mary. We are both looking at Christ in agony in the garden. We whisper to her to pray for us as we realize what is happening to Christ, and for us. We repeat our requests to her as both of us continue to engage with the mystery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless of where we find ourselves after our initial efforts to focus our prayer on Christ, there are several principals that can help us maintain our peace when our minds seem to wander off:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Distractions are Normal: </b>Our job is to gently, by an exercise of our will, reject the distraction and turn our attention back to God. If we spend our entire prayer time turning back to Him, we have done well.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Christ is the Key:</b> Whenever our hearts are drawn to Christ in any way, we should follow that inclination. Sometimes, we should follow it even to quiet contemplation where we discontinue our vocalization of the prayer and simply gaze at Him. If we are not bound by religious duty to complete prayers in any specific way, we are free to set these formal prayers aside when they bring us to the very reason and highest purpose of our efforts in prayer – to adore Him.</div><div>In the end, it is important that you rest in Him and His work on your behalf. Yes, you should strive for increased devotion and attention to Him in prayer. However, when our fervent hearts find frustration, it is a good sign that our general focus regarding prayer is off track.</div><div><br /></div><div>Source: <a href="http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/07/14/i-am-struggling-with-my-rosary-prayer-where-should-my-attention-be-during-the-rosary">Catholic Spiritual Direction</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-50548116605848760862012-07-15T09:18:00.003-07:002012-07-15T09:23:09.074-07:00You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9A0ZmJcQ7F0FLIfwXSXXlCD9dFNIAv8pF0Kq3XgiDTihx5aSP7cC9_QbcMeJWGDl7PjNmQWFiu8AsHKKH3Cg16-guQdqBmDmXq1gTUE1W8HtFyk1BLAdFmKoyxCjUY14XJHYtAQ9FA/s1600/5424ths.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9A0ZmJcQ7F0FLIfwXSXXlCD9dFNIAv8pF0Kq3XgiDTihx5aSP7cC9_QbcMeJWGDl7PjNmQWFiu8AsHKKH3Cg16-guQdqBmDmXq1gTUE1W8HtFyk1BLAdFmKoyxCjUY14XJHYtAQ9FA/s400/5424ths.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765431975942436466" /></a><div>Today [July 14th] the Church celebrates the memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be declared Blessed. In the reading selection for today, Jesus reminds His Apostles not to fear those who can kill the body, but rather, to fear the One who can destroy both body and soul. And so that we His Apostles would not be intimidated by such instruction, He then speaks immediately to the great love God holds for each of us. </div><div><br /></div><div>Are not two sparrow sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:24-33)</div><div><br /></div><div> Isn’t it true how often we need to be reminded of this great love our God has for us? This is a constant challenge, to grow in our knowledge of the depths of this love, its perfection, its infinite nature, its purity and genuineness, and the fact that we can do nothing to earn this love.</div><div><br /></div><div>Part of what prevents me from realizing this love and appropriately responding to this love :</div><div><br /></div><div>I am too focused on myself, or too focused on how I want things to be, or how I would prefer things to work out. Also, because of my self-indulgences, I do not give the needed space to look beyond the superficial desires that I have to properly understand the deep yearning within me for God, and too often settle for superficial gratifications, rather than persevering in pursuit of the lasting truths of God, in Christ, and the heavenly kingdom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Or, as is often the case, my own sinfulness can make me doubt that God could love me always, infinitely, unconditionally. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, these are the things we are to be ‘wise’ about… Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. (Matthew 10:16) The demon has many deceits to keep us doubting God’s love; many deceptions to prevent our perseverance in responding to God’ love.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’m curious how often in the Gospels Jesus tells us: Do not be afraid. Courage, your sins are forgiven. Persevere. So again today, we are encouraged to grow in the knowledge of God’s love. We are instructed to be courageous in living our faith. The Lord again today patiently directs our own perseverance. </div><div><br /></div><div>Know that God is always with you. Know that God is always faithful. As you grow in the many ways God reveals these truths to you in the silence of your heart, and the hidden moments of your day, proclaim them in and through your life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Therefore, do not be afraid…Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (Matthew 10:26-27)</div><div><br /></div><div>Even Hollywood occasionally gets the God story right. At the end of the movie, All The Pretty Horses, Lacey asks John: “Do you think God watches over us?” To which, John answers: “I guess He does…reckon He’s got to…we wouldn’t make it a day otherwise.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Source: <a href="http://bishopsblog.dioceseofcheyenne.org/2012/07/14/you-are-worth-more-than-many-sparrows/">Truth In Love</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-58480009911618116902012-07-15T09:06:00.003-07:002012-07-15T09:46:21.946-07:00Taylor Marshall's Testimony<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOu90bBaM8ZoDIDTP3PpXBjHKdOfmAHYrdtlIwU-R8gZdyK_GfCfvzGwOs6ucyJhKuYQHyamD1ijhQtP81suTt0ypGl7P-TGxE6eSYtRWEh8u3BVsE1fGVWC42mJJq6-oVKylJCSE2YA/s1600/tajwkrtjwrt.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765429503193941922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOu90bBaM8ZoDIDTP3PpXBjHKdOfmAHYrdtlIwU-R8gZdyK_GfCfvzGwOs6ucyJhKuYQHyamD1ijhQtP81suTt0ypGl7P-TGxE6eSYtRWEh8u3BVsE1fGVWC42mJJq6-oVKylJCSE2YA/s320/tajwkrtjwrt.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 240px;" /></a>Dr. Taylor Marshall was an Episcopal priest in Fort Worth, Texas before being received with his wife into the Catholic Church by Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth on May 23, 2006.<br />
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Taylor received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Dallas. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University (BA, Philosophy) Westminster Theological Seminary (MAR, Systematic Theology), Nashotah Theological House (Certificate in Anglican Studies), and the University of Dallas (MA, Philosophy).<br />
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Taylor and his wife live in Dallas, Texas with their six children. He blogs at: www.taylormarshall.com.<br />
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Watch this video:<br />
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Related posts:<br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2010/11/dr-scott-hahn.html">Dr. Scott Hahn's Testimony</a></div>
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/drake-and-crystal-mccalisters-testimony.html">Drake and Crystal McCalister's Testimony</a></div>
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2011/05/thomas-howards-testimony.html">Dr. Thomas Howard's Testimony</a></div>
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2011/01/alex-jones-testimony.html">Alex Jones' Testimony</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #535353; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2012/03/kevin-lowrys-testimony.html">Kevin Lowry's Testimony</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2012/03/david-anders-testimony.html">Dr. A. David Anders' Testimony</a><br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2012/04/michael-cumbies-testimony.html">Michael Cumbie's Testimony</a><br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2012/04/joshua-johnsons-testimony.html">Joshua Johnson's Testimony</a><br />
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Please post your comments.</div>
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</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-45884005313878052102012-07-15T09:01:00.002-07:002012-07-15T09:04:04.143-07:00Why Is Rome - Not Jerusalem - The Center Of Catholicism ?<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZIzaYC7v49w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-31332848061387418892012-07-15T08:47:00.003-07:002012-07-15T09:35:45.581-07:00Katie Holmes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ab1mLKZgAZ_i9DZ2BxAz3IpAODzH-3NCfvsf2C91-I3iEJBObKmWq8VF6ULxpk87EwYCSl5VJDZi7_RL9qRwPncRtAZ1QNuNH0u7rTKxPKh53YF_cPaXk8yv1TepZ-tEehNAVwSlkw/s1600/image142143sarahbrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ab1mLKZgAZ_i9DZ2BxAz3IpAODzH-3NCfvsf2C91-I3iEJBObKmWq8VF6ULxpk87EwYCSl5VJDZi7_RL9qRwPncRtAZ1QNuNH0u7rTKxPKh53YF_cPaXk8yv1TepZ-tEehNAVwSlkw/s200/image142143sarahbrown.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Katie Holmes was baptised a Roman Catholic and attended Christ the King Church in Toledo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">She studied Scientology for 5 years while she was married to Tom Cruise, after the recent split with her husband, Katie Holmes has officially returned to the Catholic Church. She is now a parishioner of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">According to recent news reports, Katie Holmes has also enrolled her daughter Suri Cruise, 6, in Manhattan's prestigious all-girls Convent of the Sacred Heart. The school's notable alumnae list includes Lady Gaga, 26, Jordana Brewster, 32, Paris Hilton, 31, Caroline Kennedy, 54, and the late Gloria MorganVanderbilt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Please post your comments.</span></div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-4516893424892677252012-07-13T10:48:00.001-07:002012-07-13T11:05:17.960-07:00What's A Scapular And What Does It Represent ?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4bXKGHfGEac?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Over the years, scapulars have become more and more popular. For some it's a way to show devotion. For others, it's merely a fashion statement. But, not everyone knows the history of scapulars. They actually date back to the 12th century to the Order of Carmelites.<br />
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FR. MICEAL O'NEILL<br />
Carmelite<br />
“The Prior General at the time, a man named Simon Stock, an English man had this vision of the Blessed Virgin appearing to him and giving him this garment, a scapular, and promising him that she would look after this new Carmelite religious family.”<br />
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According to that promise, whoever wore the scapular would be protected in life and after death. The devotion quickly gained popularity as the message spread to other religious orders.<br />
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This small piece of fabric is a reminder of the long vestments Carmelites commonly wear. They're known for engaging in a life of deep prayer, for their committed devotion to the Virgin Mary and to the Church.<br />
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FR. MICEAL O'NEILL<br />
Carmelite<br />
“It had this added meaning of protection. Protection in life and protection at the hour of death. And that, over the centuries became a very important element in people's lives. And so the Carmelite scapular and the devotion to the Carmelite scapular grew quite rapidly.”<br />
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Now wearing this scapular also includes the popular notion that guarantees one will go to heaven on the first Saturday after one's death.<br />
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This devotion has also been quite popular among Popes. John Paul II wore one for most of his life.<br />
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FR. MICEAL O'NEILL<br />
Carmelite<br />
“He made no secret of the fact that he had worn the scapular all his life and he talked about that as an expression of his particular love for the Blessed Virgin.”<br />
After the Second Vatican Council, the popularity of the scapular of Our Lady, grew even more.<br />
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Many people still ask Carmelites to bless the scapular and say a short prayer before placing it over devotees. The design of the Sacred Heart, is often made of fabric or metal. Really, whoever wears it, in some way shares that historic link with the greater Carmelite family.<br />
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Watch these 4 videos on the Brown Scapular:<br />
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Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-17540103807881095292012-06-25T10:37:00.003-07:002012-06-25T10:40:40.288-07:00How Music Led Me To God<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIxTzafxoIPWkkj7l58akGYkT39L6atQ_FrbYm2elVKwX3XVeNhmiWCHm8uzT97RrIkLd5A6X_d5Qk2YHQmeQjN991e66DewzZ094jvkOQBvm3e_8K1Qmz9p8RA-Umhr5QWBOrUCdaw/s1600/rqre0.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5758030229065600626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIxTzafxoIPWkkj7l58akGYkT39L6atQ_FrbYm2elVKwX3XVeNhmiWCHm8uzT97RrIkLd5A6X_d5Qk2YHQmeQjN991e66DewzZ094jvkOQBvm3e_8K1Qmz9p8RA-Umhr5QWBOrUCdaw/s400/rqre0.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
By Jennifer Fulwiler<br />
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A while back I mentioned to an atheist acquaintance that I'd cried at Mass that morning. I explained that it was one of those times when I felt overwhelmed with the presence of God; I was so perfectly at peace, so surrounded by love, that I couldn't help but be moved to tears.</div>
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"Maybe it was the music," he responded. He went on to offer an erudite analysis of how music is known to produce certain positive sensations in the brain, noting that religious leaders from time immemorial have used the evolved human response to the stimulus of music to delude the faithful into believing that they've experience the divine.</div>
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I had to smile at his suggestion, because I actually agreed with part of his argument.</div>
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I never had a "religious experience" before my conversion from atheism to Christianity, and couldn't even imagine what that might be like. Would harp-playing angels appear in front of you? Would you hear a booming voice fill the room? I had no idea.</div>
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There had been a handful of moments in my life, however, when I experienced something that was unlike anything else I'd ever felt. On a few rare occasions I felt overcome with an odd sensation, an ecstatic elation on top of inner stillness that was so powerful that it made me feel as if I'd slipped into some other dimension. It was a moment of feeling compelled to relax, to let go, to just trust (trust in what or whom I didn't know, but that was definitely an overriding feeling when I had those experiences). Those moments were...well, if I hadn't been so certain that nothing existed beyond the material world, I might have said "spiritual." And they always occurred when I was listening to music.</div>
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It seemed illogical, really, that a mere arrangement of certain sounds in a certain order could transport me, for however brief a moment, into such a sublime state. I was aware of all the natural explanations for music's impact on the human brain; yet when I'd read about how the cochlea transmits information along the auditory nerve as neural discharges into the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe, I'd think, "Uhh, yeah, that's true…but I feel like there's something more going on as well."</div>
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One of the many things that rang true when I began studying Catholic theology was the emphasis on art -- music, in particular -- as a reflection of God. I came to see art as a sort of "secret handshake" of beings with souls: We share 96% of our DNA with chimps, but chimps don't write symphonies. Dogs don't rap. Dolphins can be trained to reproduce musical rhythms, but they don't sing songs. Only the creature made in the image and likeness of God can speak the secret language of music.</div>
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In other words, I realized that all those experiences I'd had while listening to music were so tremendous because they were experiences of my soul having a brush with its Creator. Or, in Pope Benedict's words:</div>
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The encounter with the beautiful can become the wound of the arrow that strikes the heart and in this way opens our eyes, so that later, from this experience, we take the criteria for judgment and can correctly evaluate the arguments. For me an unforgettable experience was the Bach concert that Leonard Bernstein conducted in Munich after the sudden death of Karl Richter. I was sitting next to the Lutheran Bishop Hanselmann. When the last note of one of the great Thomas-Kantor-Cantatas triumphantly faded away, we looked at each other spontaneously and right then we said:</div>
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"Anyone who has heard this, knows that the faith is true."</div>
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The music had such an extraordinary force of reality that we realized, no longer by deduction, but by the impact on our hearts, that it could not have originated from nothingness, but could only have come to be through the power of the Truth that became real in the composer's inspiration.</div>
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Christianity doesn't deny that beautiful music can move us to feel something; in fact, it acknowledges it, and then takes it a step farther by articulating exactly what it is we're feeling. And that's why I smiled when I heard my atheist friend's comment. It is actually because I am a Christian that I take that moment at Mass when I became filled with so much love and hope that I felt like I could explode with joy, and I say: Yes, maybe it was the music.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler/how-music-led-me-to-god">National Catholic Register</a><br />
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-81195510862496585152012-06-25T10:09:00.005-07:002012-06-25T11:03:15.996-07:00Why Latin American Catholics Join Evangelical Churches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mG-s0xXiNqKPh6SQi-9pTETNP8UMw1SVrySdvMZV4O20nYKVCTgLFF8supbCBIx9FNk3YGEwYZQmJWnEgM4yaj-_y2DWhyTUP0hxwXVRxDSS4g5Q5HsyDQ-CRs8DpwH47yUnWlESWA/s1600/5003115511_d4f3668dc5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5758024744016297618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mG-s0xXiNqKPh6SQi-9pTETNP8UMw1SVrySdvMZV4O20nYKVCTgLFF8supbCBIx9FNk3YGEwYZQmJWnEgM4yaj-_y2DWhyTUP0hxwXVRxDSS4g5Q5HsyDQ-CRs8DpwH47yUnWlESWA/s400/5003115511_d4f3668dc5.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Pope examines why Latin American Catholics join evangelical churches<br />
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Catholic News Agency reported on Jun 22, 2012:<br />
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Pope Benedict believes that Catholics who convert to evangelical Christianity often do so because they experience a lack of fervor, joy and community within Catholic parishes – rather than for doctrinal reasons.<br />
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“Often sincere people who leave our Church do not do so as a result of what non-Catholic groups believe, but fundamentally as a result of their own lived experience; for reasons not of doctrine but of life; not for strictly dogmatic, but for pastoral reasons; not due to theological problems, but to methodological problems of our Church,”he told a delegation of Colombian bishops at the Vatican June 21.<br />
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The Pope’s comments were specifically focused on Latin America, where“the increasingly active presence of Pentecostal and Evangelical communities … cannot be ignored or underestimated.”<br />
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Despite statistics indicating that more than 90 percent of Colombians still identify themselves as Catholics, in recent decades the rate of conversions to evangelical Protestantism has increased across Latin America, particularly in poor urban neighborhoods.<br />
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Such a trend, the Pope said, suggests that increasing numbers of Christians feel called “to purification and the revitalization of their faith.”<br />
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In response to this, he urged Catholics to become “better believers, more pious, affable and welcoming in our parishes and communities, so that no-one feels distant or excluded.” The Pope also offered some practical advice, calling for better catechesis – particularly to the young – carefully prepared homilies during Mass and the promotion of Catholic doctrine in schools and universities.<br />
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If Catholics strive to follow this path, the Pope said, it will help awaken in them “the aspiration to share with others the joy of following Christ and become members of His mystical body.”<br />
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Similarly important, he said, is social solidarity with those who suffer most due to poverty or violence. A 2009 survey by polling company Gallup found that nearly 1 in 5 Colombians has had a close friend or relative murdered in past 12 months.<br />
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The Pope called for increased help for those people “whose fundamental rights are trampled underfoot and are forced to abandon home and family under the threat of terror and criminality,” as well as“those who have fallen into the barbarous networks of drugs or arms dealing.”<br />
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Such“generous and fraternal” help, he said, is not born of “any human calculation” but from “love for God and neighbor: the source from which the Church draws the strength she needs to carry out her task.”<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-examines-why-latin-american-catholics-join-evangelical-churches/">Catholic News Agency</a><br />
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Here are some of the comments posted:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The pope is right. As a former Evangelical, I know firsthand why Catholics leave in droves to the Protestant churches. Walk into an Evangelical church at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and you will see people singing praises to God, hands raised and tears in their eyes. The music and the preaching are dynamic and inspiring. Walk into a typical Catholic church at the same time and you are likely to see a bunch of sour-faced parishioners repeatedly glancing at their watches while the priest delivers a homily that took him five minutes to prepare. Although we have the Eucharist and the fulness of truth, our Evangelical brethren possess something that we lack: life in the spirit.</span> </div>
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Oh my this is not true from what i have personally seen. I am a Catholic who left the church and came back 12 years later near one of the largest evangelical churches in Canada and i left because of Doctrine and although i did not know it at the time i was being evangelized out of the Catholic church by people who were teaching me that i had to be "saved " and " born again". With a non practicing family and fear of being excommunicated if i was found out to have attended another church and in light of the very anti catholic stuff i was now learnin,I left so that i could gain heaven and God's approval. I am not alone. I know entire families at least three that i can think of off the top of my memory who left in order to be "saved" and now truly need to be saved from their error. Most of my many friends in the evangelical church are Catholics who have left. I have just by God's mercy, after the damage (and much of it) from the evangelical churches, came home to a more safe Catholic Church. The Pope needs to know that evangelicals are heavyily into "witnessing" to others and evangelising them who are already Catholic to save us. They think they are doing good. They are sheep stealing. Yes the youth find a sort of culture and more connection than they do here. I can relate i am horribly lonely after coming back finding very little to help me as i came back. The people run out of the church right after the mass here. It is not easy to make friendships here. But that is not what draws them out It is the evangelicals familiarity with scripture and our lack of it. They know their dctine we don't and as such we are a target. There are so many groups here that steal Catholic sheep. I could go through half of my facebook friends and tell you that they are stolen Catholic sheep for lack of a better word.</div>
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God help us, help them and help us help them come home too.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Catholic doctrine and dogma in the Homilies serves to cement our faith and understanding in what the Church teaches about our Faith as Catholics ... In contrast: Homilies presenting God's Message from the Word of Scripture speaks to the Soul of the Believer; and it is this which the Holy Spirit uses to call God's Children closer to Him. "Jesus is the Word of God", and it is only true Jesus that we can come to God the Father.</span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This is what Fr. Robert Barron says about why Catholics leave the Church:</span></div>
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Related post:</div>
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-catholics-leave-church.html">Why Catholics The Church</a><br />
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<br /></div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-41483182443911925862012-06-22T10:52:00.001-07:002012-06-25T10:55:03.775-07:00Making Time For Prayer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBTGvmFzJDkTeitsNtvnf-JrNfENsAu_ZCba7egG_j67PZUqCYzbCUjE3l6WKTdjHVNGIdys9RBM044yAEp2rBR-ugdO9hbyR-nqgTmWP7u_ibBjTIfgK4Xc9ixpe4jYbULpWIjlE-g/s1600/199.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5758034176194988626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBTGvmFzJDkTeitsNtvnf-JrNfENsAu_ZCba7egG_j67PZUqCYzbCUjE3l6WKTdjHVNGIdys9RBM044yAEp2rBR-ugdO9hbyR-nqgTmWP7u_ibBjTIfgK4Xc9ixpe4jYbULpWIjlE-g/s200/199.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 133px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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How often does it occur to us to make our prayer lives a priority? Do we even know how to get started? How about if we stop making prayer conform to our day and instead make the day conform to our prayer lives. Not that this is easily done all the time, but it will help to start us off on the right path toward becoming more faithful Christians at work.</div>
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When I think of people who excel at integrating prayer with the busy workday, one of the best examples I can think of is Jennifer Baugh. Jennifer impressed me the first time she contacted me more than a year ago via a business networking Web site. She was starting a Dallas-based networking group for Catholics in their 20s and 30s called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/youngcatholicprofessionals" style="color: #336699; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Facebook page for Young Catholic Professionals of DFW">Young Catholic Professionals</a>and wanted to discuss my experiences with similar groups I have started in Atlanta.</div>
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Jennifer has an impressive background, and I love her passion for encouraging a culture of Catholic community in all aspects of our lives, especially in the workplace.</div>
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In one of our discussions, I asked Jennifer how she makes time for prayer during her hectic days. She told me she has long been inspired by one of her favorite verses in Scripture, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:11)! It is how Jennifer makes prayer the backbone of her day. She says: “As a young professional, there are constant pressures to perform and exceed expectations in a new working environment. I often felt that as a recent MBA graduate working for a high-intensity consulting firm that I had a great responsibility to react to every challenge with complete calm and confidence. The temptation to lose my spiritual center amidst the demands of the corporate world was real. My BlackBerry never left my side as I awaited each email with anxiety and disquiet.</div>
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“By the grace of God, my office building was located right next to the downtown Cathedral where daily Mass was celebrated at noon. Each day I would look forward to leaving the office for this time of prayer and reflection. Seeing the other men and women who were taking time out of their busy schedules to participate in the Mass was a powerful and humbling experience. Together we listened to the eucharistic prayer that says, ‘In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety.’</div>
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“Making time for prayer has helped me find balance to my work and reminded me not to be so inwardly focused on my trials. As Saint Paul tells us, ‘Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God’ (Philippians 4:6). Prayer is our great weapon and will help us weather any storm in our professional and personal lives. Making time for prayer will also enable us to act in a Christian manner in business decision-making rather than react emotionally to new situations.”</div>
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Jennifer is eminently practical and very disciplined. She sets aside time for prayer when she wakes up and before she goes to bed, but finds that going to daily Mass as often as possible provides the best opportunity for prayer. She is also fond of prayer in the car and leaves her rosary beads hanging from her mirror to remind her to use the time for thanksgiving and reflection. Jennifer finds that using her daily routines to help her stay close to Christ is rewarding and helpful. Lest you think her prayer is always scheduled, Jennifer is working on being more spontaneous in her prayer life. She shared with me that, “Life is full of contradictions. I am working on praying throughout the day as the Spirit moves me. There are so many opportunities to thank God or to offer up a struggle. My favorite prayer is the <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/memorare.htm" style="color: #336699; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Memorare">Memorare</a>, which I tend to pray when I am worried about something. I also have started to pray the Jesus prayer when I am pressed for time.”</div>
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Thinking about Jennifer, what can you learn from her and perhaps integrate into your own daily prayers? Knowing that we are all different in our spiritual and prayer lives, I encourage you to take from Jennifer’s experience the value that it might have in your own workplace. It is a challenge, but it will also strengthen your workplace faith.</div>
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In past blogs, I explored the difficulties that we often have in finding quiet time for prayer, reflection, and thinking. That, in addition to finding time to prayer, are the biggest challenges I most frequently hear from business and professional people. In today’s world, the trend is toward squeezing the air out of our schedules and being more productive. We rarely stop to consider the harm we are doing ourselves by ignoring our need for peace and quiet. By just taking the time to think and pray each day, it will become easier and easier to work and to share our faith in the workplace.</div>
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For me, the difficulty in finding the time to think and pray came in those moments when my faith was new; when I still relied on books to find faith, not prayer. Before I began my RCIA classes in the summer of 2006, I studied the Catholic faith in earnest. I tend to intellectualize everything, and my first thoughts were to learn everything I could about our faith. I quickly realized there was more to Catholicism than knowledge, history, and tradition. I then began to focus on being the best Catholic I could be, and started on my true faith journey, versus simply immersing myself in books. One of the biggest obstacles for me in those days was my lack of prayer life. I knew I needed to pray, but I couldn’t ever remember sincerely praying about anything. I was struggling with the typical male challenge of asking for help, especially asking God for help. Who was I to bother him with my petty problems?</div>
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I finally sought guidance. I shared my prayer challenges with one of our deacons and asked for advice. He looked at me with some amusement and said I was approaching prayer the wrong way. “Don’t worry about asking for help just yet,” he said. He advised me to simply praise God for who he is, and then thank him for what he has done…praise first, then thanksgiving. Eventually, I learned to ask God for help and guidance, but my real prayer life started by praising and then offering thanks to him. I finally got it! I understood that my faith would never grow unless I had an active prayer life. This was the beginning of my prayer journey that has continued to unfold and grow with each passing day. I would like to share with you the stages of my prayer journey as a Catholic, lessons I have learned and insights into how I pray in hopes you will find my experiences helpful.</div>
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<strong>STAGE ONE </strong>of my prayer life was learning to thank God and be grateful. Going to him in prayer every day and reflecting on the blessings and burdens in my life are how I learned to appreciate and acknowledge the Lord’s role in my life. I never start a prayer without thanking him. I have also learned to recognize his role in my work life, and I frequently go to him in prayer before major decisions and when I need support.</div>
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<strong>STAGE TWO </strong>for me was learning to ask for forgiveness. I go to reconciliation frequently, but it is still important for me to ask the Lord for his pardon and forgiveness when I commit a sin, which is more frequently than I care to admit. It has become a daily examination of conscience for me to reflect on where I have failed him and ask for forgiveness and the grace to not commit that sin again. This reflection time is easily incorporated into the <a href="http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/05/randy-hain-praying-the-daily-examen/" style="color: #336699; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Jesuit Daily Examen">Daily Examen</a> that I have mentioned in previous blogs. I often take moments out of my day to think back on where I may have wronged him, or perhaps acted in self-interest. Doing this daily, I am able to move forward in forgiveness.</div>
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<strong>STAGE THREE </strong>was asking for his help and guidance. This stage of prayer is also when I learned to pray for others and their needs. Help is the key here. I think men in general struggle with asking for help, and I am no exception. My growing prayer life and deepening faith journey have given me the humility to realize I don’t have all the answers and that Jesus absolutely wants to help me. Early on I would tentatively ask for help with the big stuff such as getting my family into heaven, blessing our priests and deacons, blessing my business, and so on. Now, I am very comfortable asking for his help and guidance in every facet of my life. But first I had to gain the humility to recognize that without our Lord, I am nothing, and I need his strength. Asking for help in my work life was once a major struggle for me, but as I shed my old compartmentalized existence for an integrated life, I recognized where I needed perhaps the most help was at work.</div>
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<strong>STAGE FOUR </strong>in my prayer journey has been learning to completely unburden myself to the Lord. This has occurred only in the past few years. I have always been inclined to carry my stress, frustrations, worries and fears like a secret weight around my neck. As I got better at asking the Lord for help, I began asking him to help lighten these mental and emotional burdens. I am so grateful that I now can go to him and absolutely give up to him whatever is weighing me down, from work stress to concern about my children’s futures. Whatever it is, I share it with Jesus as he asked us to: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28–30).</div>
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I am confident there will be more and evolving stages of prayer growth for me if I am humble and focused on deepening my relationship with Christ. Saint Teresa of Avila wrote frequently on the stages of prayer, especially in her book <em>The Interior Castle</em>. I hope to reach the contemplative and mystical prayer life she describes in her works, and pray that Jesus will lead me there. But I have a lot yet to learn.</div>
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I’d like to share some important, big-picture lessons I have learned in my prayer life:</div>
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<strong>1. Make time for prayer; just do it!</strong></div>
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As I stated earlier, if you don’t schedule prayer time and stick to it, it will not happen. And again, I encourage you to include prayer time on your calendar. You should start your day with prayer and continue to pray throughout the day. Set aside short blocks of time. Making time for prayer is like making time for your family. How much time are you willing to spend a day with your loved ones? It should not be a struggle to commit a small amount of time each day to pray. How you do it, or for how long, is not nearly as important as the act of doing it.</div>
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<strong>2. Block out the noise.</strong></div>
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Turn off the car radio, watch less or no TV, reduce unnecessary computer time, and seek out more quiet moments during the day. Take a walk by yourself at lunch to clear the cobwebs. Turn off your cell phone on the way home and use that time for quiet reflection. Because our jobs typically demand it, it is difficult to pray and hear God when we are distracted by the noise of the world. It is easy to schedule around it, if you must, but remember: It’s not another “to-do” list item.</div>
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<strong>3. Have the proper disposition.</strong></div>
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It is important to have the right attitude of humility and trust that God can and will help us before we start praying. Reading Scripture or a book of meditations such as <em>In Conversation With God </em>or <em>Imitation of Christ </em>every day before prayer will help prepare our minds and hearts to approach the Lord in a deeper and more meaningful way. We should always end our prayers feeling grateful for the blessings God has given us in our lives.</div>
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<strong>4. Work through the “dry patches.”</strong></div>
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We all experience dryness in our prayers or have trouble focusing. We may feel that God is not listening. We may fall into the trap of asking God to validate what we want, instead of submitting to his will. I am certain that we will all likely experience this, but keep at it. We may realize that our dry patches come as a result of rushing prayer or going through the motions, which we should always avoid. In those cases, we have to revert back to taking the time to think and be alone with God; that will lead back to a prayerful life.</div>
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<strong>5. Practice more listening and less talking.</strong></div>
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As our work schedules continuously fill up, we often become so busy talking and working that we don’t hear him. That detracts from our quality prayer time. I have a tendency to ask God to grant my requests when I should be focused on asking him what he requires of me. It is easy to fall into cycles of “I’m too busy” or to simply forget to take prayer time. Don’t let your work become so busy that you forget your role in God’s plan.</div>
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<strong>6. Realize we can’t grow in our faith journeys without growing our prayer lives.</strong></div>
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We simply will not grow our relationship with Christ unless we do so through prayer. According to the <em>Catechism of the Catholic Church </em>(2744): “Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin.”8 Make time for prayer throughout the workday, and you will find a more peaceful and enjoyable work environment.</div>
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Finally, I would like to share insights on how I pray and what led me to where I am now, in hopes that they will inspire and help you deepen your own prayer life:</div>
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I get up early each morning and start every day by reading Scripture in the quiet of my home. I then read and reflect on various meditations and how they apply to my life. I follow with the Morning Offering, praying for the special intentions of friends and loved ones, and then finish with the Angelus, which is traditionally prayed three times a day (at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m.)</div>
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I started praying the rosary a few years ago and typically pray it on my way to work or during a run. I put off praying the rosary for a long time, but it has become a critical part of my prayer life and is a true blessing. This goes hand-in-hand with my ever-deepening love and appreciation for our Blessed Mother and asking for her intercession and help.</div>
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<a href="http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/05/randy-hain-praying-the-daily-examen/" style="color: #336699; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Jesuit Daily Examen">The Daily Examen</a>, developed by the Jesuits, is a critical part of my daily routine. Basically we are asked to stop five times throughout the day for a few minutes of reflection and prayer. Each stopping point has a specific purpose, such as the prayer of thanksgiving, prayer for insight, prayer to find God in all things that day, prayer for your desires and what you seek from God, and finally a prayer about the future and what you will resolve to do tomorrow. It is best to put these five-minute blocks on your calendar throughout the day so you will be reminded.</div>
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If it is not on my calendar, it rarely happens. I schedule different prayers at various times in the day on my iPhone. This helps me remember to pray, forces me to make time for it and allows me to read the prayer if I have not yet memorized it. This is a good way to integrate our faith with technology.</div>
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In a nod to the incredible advances in technology, I will share that I find a number of Catholic apps for my iPhone to be very helpful for integrating my faith into my busy world. A few suggestions are iRosary, The Divine Office, Confession and RC Calendar. BlackBerry, Android and other smartphones may have similar products worth investigating.</div>
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Pray at every meal, public and private, regardless of your companions. It is important for us be thankful, acknowledge Christ, and ask for his blessing.</div>
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My wife and I pray with our children every night. It is important for them to develop their own prayer lives, but they need to see our example, and we also grow by sharing our prayer lives with them.</div>
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I have been a eucharistic adoration guardian since January 2007, and this is the best hour of my week. No matter what is happening in my life, I can come into the Real Presence of Christ and open up to him in prayer. It is uplifting, energizing, and a great way to start my day. I also stop by our parish chapel to pray before or after work as often as I can.</div>
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I certainly don’t have all the answers on prayer. I simply want to share with you as someone who struggles with the same issues and obstacles as you that my prayer life and my faith journey have grown together. I presented you with many ideas and suggestions, but remember that they are yours to accommodate into your own life. Start at a comfortable place and work until you reach your level of comfort. The important thing is that you just do it. The most significant changes in my prayer life occurred when I made the commitment to “just do it” and started scheduling my prayer time on my computer and iPhone.</div>
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I didn’t have any kind of prayer life before converting to the Catholic Church, and now I couldn’t imagine life without it. To me, prayer is any time that I turn my attention to God and away from myself alone. It can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Feeling worthy or inspired is not a great barometer for measuring our prayer lives. Praying for the desire for prayer is worthwhile and a good start. My life, especially my work life, is richer and more fulfilling because my days are now built on a foundation of prayer.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/06/randy-hain-making-time-for-prayer-2/">The Integrated Catholic Life</a></div>
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-34542969166924763782012-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:002012-06-25T10:52:07.540-07:00Your life Is Not About You<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLdSDIAmKhomb5pfqkl3R9FXVMB2Fn434rf7ghNZ4pCvbMjRJKTdio17BlA3c2dGgwDKucJk2uquyAVdWUm3GSaQHA3mt-Gamo-OfAAHhKeFCyDhQBEQERUhHI0K2iT8D7VZdufLfSQ/s1600/lazarus4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 296px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLdSDIAmKhomb5pfqkl3R9FXVMB2Fn434rf7ghNZ4pCvbMjRJKTdio17BlA3c2dGgwDKucJk2uquyAVdWUm3GSaQHA3mt-Gamo-OfAAHhKeFCyDhQBEQERUhHI0K2iT8D7VZdufLfSQ/s320/lazarus4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5758033143843956658" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "></span><span><span>By: Msgr. Charles Pope </span></span><br /><div><br /></div><div>I was meditating on John 11, for personal Bible Study earlier today. It is the story of the raising of Lazarus. And I was struck by the following lines:<br /><br />[Martha and Mary] sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Therefore, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days…..[Later. Jesus] told [his disciples] plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”<br /><br />One of the harder truths of life is that our life is not about us. Neither are we the most important thing or person in the world. Rather we exist in and for the glory of God and our ultimate glory in to be caught up in and be part of God’s glory and his Kingdom. Further, we also exist, not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others.<br /><br />And we see some of this in this story of Lazarus. Jesus speaks of Lazarus’ grave illness as “for the glory of God.” He further indicates that it is also so that He (Jesus) may be glorified. Further, Lazarus’ illness is also for others, that they may come to believe.<br /><br />And even more stunning than his words are the actions of Jesus, who, hearing of the grave condition of Lazarus, delays his departure to see him for two whole days. His delay means that Lazarus dies! Jesus then says to his disciples that he is “glad for their sakes that he was not there (for Lazarus)!<br /><br />Now, few of us can failed to be shocked by some or all of this. But our shock is largely based on a premise that this story should be largely about Lazarus and his physical condition. But, it is not, in the first place about Lazarus or about his health. It is about Jesus, it is about God’s glory, and it is about our faith in God.<br /><br />Jesus’ first concern is not about Lazarus’ physical life, his condition, or about the distress of Mary and Martha who see their brother sick and then die. His first concern is for the faith of all involved and he is willing to allow a crisis to unfold in order to finally strengthen the faith of the many, even if this means the distress of the few.<br /><br />Your life is not about you. We are each part of a bigger picture, a picture that God sees far better than we. This concept shocks us, I suspect for at least two reasons:<br /><br />First, we live in an age that strongly emphasizes the dignity, rights and importance of the individual. Of itself this is not bad and is one of the things that distinguishes our age and its concern for human rights. However, the importance and needs of the individual must be balanced against the common good, and the needs of other individuals and groups. It must also be seen in the light of God’s glory, God’s plan and the mysterious interplay of the individual, others and God. God alone knows all this and what is best for all involved, not just me.<br /><br />Second, we live in an age that strongly emphasizes physical health and comfort, as well as emotional happiness. While these things are truly good, there are greater good. And the greatest good is our spiritual well being, our faith and holiness. God is far more concerned with our eternal destiny that our present comfort. Jesus says for example, it is better to cut off a hand, a foot or pluck out our eye than to sin seriously. And while he may be using hyperbole, the teaching remains that it a more serious thing to sin seriously than to loose even very precious parts of our body. We don’t think this way. We tend to value our bodies and physical well-being more than spiritual matters. Not so with God.<br /><br />Hence we see that Jesus is willing to rank faith and spiritual well-being above physical and emotional comfort. He is also willing to act for the good of many, even if that means some difficulty for the few or the one. This many rankle our “self-esteem culture,” but, to some extent we are a little to “precious” these days, and it is good to be reminded we are not the only one who is important, and that we don’t exist only for our own sake, but also for others and for the glory of God.<br /><br />Another example of this whole principle is the surprising and “inconclusive” ending of the Acts of the Apostles.<br /><br />Fully the last two-thirds of Acts is focused on the Evangelical Mission of St. Paul as he made four journeys into Asia Minor and then into Greece. The final chapters of Acts deal with Paul’s arrest, imprisonment and appearance before Roman officials such as Felix and Festus, as well as Herod Agrippa in Jerusalem and Caesarea.<br /><br />Paul appeals his case to Rome and is sent there on ill fated journey that shipwrecks at Malta. Finally making it to Rome, Paul is imprisoned and awaits the trial that will either vindicate him or seal his fate. The story seems to be building to a climactic conclusion and we, the readers, are ready to see Paul through his final trial. But then something astonishing happens: the story just ends. Here is the concluding line of the Acts of the Apostles:<br /><br />[Paul] remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 28:30-31)<br /><br />But Luke! Don’t just leave us hanging! Did Paul go on trial? We he acquitted as some traditions assert and then made his way to Spain as he wanted? Or did he loose his appeal and suffer beheading right away? What was the outcome? We have seen Paul so far and now the story just ends?!<br /><br />How can we answer this exasperating and unsatisfying end?<br /><br />The simplest answer is that the Acts of the Apostles is not about Paul. It is about the going forth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. Luke has, to be sure, personified this going forth of the Gospel to the nations by focusing on Paul. And once Paul reaches Rome and, though under house arrest, is able to freely preach the Gospel there (for there is chaining the Word of God (2 Tim 2:9)), the story reaches its natural conclusion. From Rome the Gospel will go forth to every part of the Empire, for every road led to Rome and away from it. Now that the Gospel has reached the center hub and is being freely preached, it will radiate outward in all directions by the grace of God.<br /><br />It never WAS about Paul. It was about the Gospel. Paul himself testified to this when he said, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)<br /><br />We are often focused on personalities and frequently we loose track about what is most important. And, frankly the personality we are most focused on is very often ourselves. Acts never really was about Paul. And your life is not about you. It is about what the Lord is doing for you and through you. We often want things to revolve around us, around what we think, and what we want. But, truth be told, you are not that important, neither am I. We must decrease and the Lord must increase (Jn 3:30).<div><br /></div><div><span><span>Source: <a href="http://blog.adw.org/2012/06/your-life-is-not-about-you/">Archdiocese of Wa</a></span></span><a href="http://blog.adw.org/2012/06/your-life-is-not-about-you/">shington</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Please post your comments.</div><div><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: small; "><span><span></span></span></em></div></div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-45040875791303744402012-06-21T10:57:00.000-07:002012-06-25T11:01:03.046-07:00Newlyweds Flock To Rome For Papal Blessing<div class="noticia_imagen_contenedor" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: -webkit-auto; width: 502px;">
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Newlyweds, (L to R) Axel and Susie Dreyer from Dusseldorf, Germany and Anna and Kyle Barella from Naples, Fla.</div>
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<span class="noticia_byline">Vatican City, Jun 20, 2012 - </span>One of the most striking sights in Rome appears every Wednesday afternoon in St. Peter’s Square when newly married couples, resplendent in their wedding attire, emerge after being blessed by Pope Benedict XVI.</div>
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“I had never been to Rome before and could only imagine how beautiful and how sacred this place is … so I could not be happier than to get married and have that marriage blessed by the Pope,” said new bride Anna Barella, a 26-year-old from Naples, Florida.</div>
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Standing next to her was her husband, 25-year-old Kyle. They were married in Rome on Saturday, June 16 at the Church of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini. On June 20 they were one of over a dozen couples to experience the papal tradition of newlyweds being blessed at the weekly general audience.</div>
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“I think it is great,” said Kyle, “I mean there is no better way to start your marriage than with a blessing from the Holy Father, and hopefully we’ll get a lot out of it.”</div>
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The Barellas applied for their special newlywed or “Sposi Novelli” tickets through the Bishop’s Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican, which is based in Rome.</div>
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Couples must have been married in the Church for two months or less, something that has to be verified by a valid Catholic sacramental marriage certificate. This is often further inspected by ushers before the papal audience itself. Both bride and groom are also encouraged to don their wedding attire.</div>
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“It was a great experience,” said the tuxedo-wearing German Axel Dreyer. The 40-year-old from Dusseldorf got married 10 days ago to 32-year-old Susie, and they are now enjoying a Roman honeymoon.<br /><br />“Well, we always planned that when we got married we wanted to get a blessing from the Pope, because it is just like a second wedding and we loved it,” said Axel.</div>
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Wearing her wedding dress beneath the blistering mid-afternoon sun, the new Mrs. Dreyer remarked that “it is so hot I’m feeling that I have to jump into one of the fountains.”</div>
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She fully believed, however, that the discomfort was worth it to receive a blessing directly from Pope Benedict XVI.</div>
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Susie hopes that they will have a “good family life and that our children, when we have some, will also grow up in the beliefs of Jesus and the Catholic Church.”</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/newlyweds-flock-to-st-peters-square-for-papal-blessing/">Catholic News Agency</a></div>
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-7484035653305216202012-06-10T08:44:00.002-07:002012-06-10T08:45:51.762-07:00Top 10 Eucharistic Movie Moments<p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">Over at the <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/reel-presence-and-the-real-thing" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: initial; outline-style: none; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(48, 187, 219); "><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">National Catholic Register</em></a>, my wife, April and I run down our “Top 10 Eucharistic Movie Moments” just in time for Corpus Christi. Here’s the list, updated from what we filed two weeks ago. Add further suggestions in the comments.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><a href="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Adrienne-bed.jpg" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: initial; outline-style: none; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(48, 187, 219); "><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31066" title="Adrienne bed" src="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Adrienne-bed-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" style="border-top-width: 3px; border-right-width: 3px; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-left-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-right-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-left-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); caption-side: right; position: relative; z-index: 10; max-width: 640px; display: inline; float: right; " /></a>10.<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> Rocky II</em> (1979) … and <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Rudy,</em> and<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "> Cinderella Man.</em></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">You’ve got to love Rocky praying in front of the tabernacle, the giant crucifix absurdly close to Adrienne’s hospital bed so that it’s in every shot, and Rocky getting a blessing on the way to the big fight. But <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Rudy</em> and<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Cinderella Man</em> also have strong Catholic chapel scenes.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">9. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Longest Day </em>(1962): A priest puts forth heroic effort on D-Day to rescue his Mass kit.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">8. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Marcelino Pan y Vino </em>(The Miracle of Marcelino) (1955): This great old movie only treats of the Eucharist symbolically, but the reference is unmistakable and powerful.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">7. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Romero </em>(1989)<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">:</em> Martyrdom at Mass is not just the climactic scene, but the theme.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">6. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Becket </em>(1964)<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">:</em> The saint is killed in Canterbury Cathedral.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">5. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Maldonado Miracle </em>(2003): The blood of Christ unites a town and saves souls in Salma Hayek’s directorial debut.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><a href="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mission-movie1.jpg" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: initial; outline-style: none; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(48, 187, 219); "><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-31069 alignright" title="mission movie" src="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mission-movie1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" style="border-top-width: 3px; border-right-width: 3px; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-left-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-right-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-left-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); caption-side: right; position: relative; z-index: 10; max-width: 640px; display: inline; float: right; " /></a>4. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Brideshead Revisited </em>(1981)<em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">:</em> Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons) calls the chapel with an empty tabernacle “just an oddly decorated room” and is renewed when it is reconsecrated and “reloaded.”</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">3. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Mission </em>(1986): At the end, there is a remarkable scene of enemies firing on a Eucharistic procession led by Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons).</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Note to Jeremy Irons: Might God be trying to tell you something by putting you in two of the clearest, most direct Eucharistic movie scenes in the 20th century?</em></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><a href="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/greater-Glory.jpg" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: initial; outline-style: none; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(48, 187, 219); "><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31071" title="greater Glory" src="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/greater-Glory-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" style="border-top-width: 3px; border-right-width: 3px; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-left-width: 3px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; margin-top: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-right-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-bottom-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); border-left-color: rgb(195, 195, 195); caption-side: right; position: relative; z-index: 10; max-width: 640px; display: inline; float: right; " /></a>2. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">For Greater Glory </em>(2012): There are priests martyred next to tabernacles, makeshift Masses on mountainsides, and an altar boy is the bravest hero.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">1. <em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Passion of the Christ</em> (2004): The top place has to go to the movie that takes pains to represent how the Eucharist is a window on the Crucifixion.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">The way the movie intercuts between the passion and the Institution of the Eucharist makes it clear that Jesus wanted us to have contact with the first through the instrument of the second.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">Source: <a href="http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php">Catholic Vote</a></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-size: 13px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: top; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 19px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 21px; color: rgb(88, 87, 87); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto; ">Please post your comments.</p> <!--EndFragment-->New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-76479665358134579632012-06-07T23:12:00.002-07:002012-06-07T23:14:48.079-07:00The Three Temptations Of The Church<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV41RKfs-TgB3nz9gy_QcBAstJx7FOpSnmNjNqwMiwj6JWrHjLNK-hCHVWXMm1XZdaPimxvV0IArHxM2JtfMLUTfPAVD_OYKpAJ7MYd0BKkXYg85F2QGSWuwzfOlmjgSSAkpcciEtExg/s1600/tempted-522x320.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV41RKfs-TgB3nz9gy_QcBAstJx7FOpSnmNjNqwMiwj6JWrHjLNK-hCHVWXMm1XZdaPimxvV0IArHxM2JtfMLUTfPAVD_OYKpAJ7MYd0BKkXYg85F2QGSWuwzfOlmjgSSAkpcciEtExg/s400/tempted-522x320.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5751545406881778626" /></a><p class="first-child " style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span title="I" class="cap" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0.05em -0.4em 0px; float: left; font-size: 48px; line-height: 1em; position: relative; "><span style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">I</span></span>n Volume I of <em style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">Jesus of Nazareth</em>, authored by Pope Benedict XVI before he became pontiff, the three temptations of Christ in the desert before entering public life are considered. The devil poses these temptations to try to confirm his suspicions that Jesus is the chosen one of God, and the temptations themselves are geared to be attractive to one who wants to be accepted as the promised Messiah. The Pope also makes applications of the temptations to the Church – three tempting approaches that would assure the acceptance of the Church and its message, but would be unworthy of the Church.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">1) Regarding the first temptation</strong>, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread” (Mt. 4:3), it is clear that an easy way for Jesus to win acceptance of his Messiahship would be to become a “bread king.” One thinks of the incident in which he multiplied the loaves and fishes for a crowd of five thousand, which incited the crowd to try to take him by force and make him king (Jn. 6:15) – so that he had to flee into the mountain to escape. If he provided such largesse often, an easy path to acceptance by the masses would be paved for him.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">As applied to the Church, Benedict envisions the Church being afflicted by the same temptation:</p><blockquote style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.786em; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em 0.786em; border-left-style: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; ">Is there anything more tragic, is there anything more opposed to belief in the existence of a good God and a Redeemer of mankind, than world hunger?… Are not social problems—the primary, true yardstick by which redemption has to be measured?… Marxism—quite understandably—made this very point the core of its promise of salvation. Should we not say the same thing to the Church? If you claim to be the Church of God, then start by making sure the world has bread—the rest comes later.</p></blockquote><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">A very serious temptation of the Church is to gain acceptance of its authority and message by solving social problems. Liberation theologians during the 70s allied themselves with Marxism, thinking this alliance would draw people to the message of the Gospel. But the Kingdom of God is a separate message, connected, but not identical, with social justice.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Liberal Catholics, identifying the Gospel with social justice, often are willing to literally “throw out the baby with the bathwater” – voting for rabidly pro-abortion candidates on the grounds that they are for social justice (along with most atheists and secularists). The right to life of the most vulnerable human beings is considered somehow irrelevant to <em style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">this </em>“social justice.”</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">2) In the second temptation</strong>, the devil transports Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, and challenges him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge concerning you’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (Mt. 4:5-7). This challenge to “push the envelope” of God’s forbearance would satisfy the devil’s curiosity, but Jesus responds that we “should not tempt the Lord God.”</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The Pope comments,</p><blockquote style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.786em; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em 0.786em; border-left-style: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; ">The structural question concerning the remarkable scriptural discussion between Christ and the tempter thus leads directly to the question about its content. What is this dispute about? The issue at stake in this second temptation has been summed up under the motif of “bread and circuses.” The idea is that after bread has been provided, a spectacle has to be offered, too.</p></blockquote><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Imagine the instant influence and adulation Jesus could have acquired, if there had been a crowd gathered down below the temple, looking up and seeing him literally being carried down by the angels; or if, in his preaching, he had used his miraculous powers to draw attention to himself in front of crowds, e.g. by levitating.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">There is a temptation among some segments of the Church to draw people in and make conversions through “signs and wonders.” The Medjugorje cult now is the chief example of this. Pilgrims have been coming in the tens of thousands for over thirty years to an unauthorized Marian shrine, where the Madonna is alleged to have been appearing almost on demand to six visionaries over 33,000 times. Visitors often return with tales of seeing solar phenomena imitating the miraculous “dance of the sun” at Fatima in 1917, and having their rosaries mysteriously turn a golden tint; Randall Sullivan, in <em style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">The Miracle Detective</em>, reports an incident when the visionaries were pulled miraculously in two minutes to the top of Cross Mountain at Medjugorje.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But the messages of the “Gospa” at Medjugorje are heterodox messages: “all faiths are identical;” some people are in hell because “they have committed grave sins that God cannot pardon;” people in heaven are “present with the soul and the body;” and a disobedient priest-director, Fr. Zovko, is a “saint,” in spite of his suspension from priestly functions. This Madonna allegedly entrusted ten secrets to the visionaries, none of which have been revealed; predicted a “great sign” which never appeared; and said that her last appearance would be on July 31, 1981, but apparently changed her mind, and decided to continue appearing. This Madonna also, strangely and uncharacteristically, supports the Franciscans in their disobedience to Vatican orders, and tells the visionaries to ignore their bishops. These are strange “fruits” of a visitation by the Madonna. Disobedience is the sin Satan (famous for his own <em style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">non serviam</em>) identifies with most closely; once inculcated, it branches out into greed, lust, wrath, and other capital sins.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Medjugorje supporters point to many “good fruits” – conversions, return to the sacraments, etc. – but one can also be sure that there would have been all manner of conversions and repentance, possibly lifelong, if Jesus had decided to manifest his supernatural powers in public.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Yves Chiron chronicles 71 apparitions supposed to have taken place after Medjugorje, between 1981 and 1991. This is a spectacular way to get some people to flock to the sacraments and convert, complementing the “bread” with “circuses.” But lasting faith ordinarily grows in low-key surroundings in the silence of the heart.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">3) In the third temptation</strong>, from a very high mountain, the devil “showed [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory, and he said to Him, ‘All these things will I give you, if you fall down and worship me’” (Mt. 4:8).</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The Pope observes that, as applied to the Church,</p><blockquote style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.786em; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em 0.786em; border-left-style: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-style: italic; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; ">The tempter is not so crude as to suggest to us directly that we should worship the devil. He merely suggests that we opt for the reasonable decision, that we choose to give priority to a planned and thoroughly organized world, where God may have his place as a private concern but must not interfere in our essential purposes…. Faith and religion are now directed toward political goals. Only the organization of the world counts. Religion matters only insofar as it can serve that objective.</p></blockquote><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">First of all, one should notice that Jesus did not <em style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; ">contradict </em>the devil regarding the alleged power he had over the world. Like a Mafia boss, Satan, within the limits allowed by God, has tremendous power to reward those who are forwarding his purposes, and make things difficult for anyone who gets in his way. But Jesus was not interested in any kind of “power sharing” or détente with evil.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The temptation of the Church, similarly, is nothing so gross as devil worship, but much more subtle – making accommodation with evil, to be seen as “progressive,” and thus winning many of a progressive mentality to its side. For example, the current rush of some Catholic institutions to accept the Presidential mandate for coverage of contraceptives, abortifacients, and sterilizing procedures is an accommodation that has mustered much support from liberals, who congratulate such institutions for no longer being “stuck in the dark ages,” inimical to modern progress. Some, seeing how “progressive” the Church has become, might overcome their hesitancy and desire to become associated with this modernized Church. This sort of Church, in their eyes, would be an asset for their plans of organizing or reorganizing society, no longer an unwelcome obstacle. But power-sharing with evil has a way of boomeranging.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">At the end of these three temptations, the Gospel tells us that angels came to minister to Jesus. Likewise, if the Church is able to avoid easy, pragmatic ways of evangelizing the world, we can be sure that supernatural help will arrive to give an extra boost to its efforts.</p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Source: <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/the-three-temptations-of-the-church">Crisis Magazine</a></p><p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.571em; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Please post your comments.</p>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-6279580104232899252012-06-07T23:09:00.002-07:002012-06-07T23:12:20.633-07:00Six Principles Of Discernment<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fh0njQdNMXnSvemh6Q-kA-M37it0AzT4Vvg4SHGGjicpXvKKBhM2Bh8VBZzQFAYv8xqSVVCsWEJ8hJijM1Clv9y7S8hTGBSFKDrLDGcJbYEd2PKfjAAvPfjE2GB7egvLbsNkfsd4CQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-14+at+4.11.00+PM.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fh0njQdNMXnSvemh6Q-kA-M37it0AzT4Vvg4SHGGjicpXvKKBhM2Bh8VBZzQFAYv8xqSVVCsWEJ8hJijM1Clv9y7S8hTGBSFKDrLDGcJbYEd2PKfjAAvPfjE2GB7egvLbsNkfsd4CQ/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-12-14+at+4.11.00+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5751544747500284578" /></a><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">As a priest and pastor I am often called to spend time with people discerning the voice and the will of God in their life. I have about twenty lay people in spiritual direction. There are also times in other people’s lives, where careful guidance is necessary, either due to a crisis, or simply to a moment of decision about career, about vocations, or some other significant event.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>And thank God many of the faithful are actually trying to learn what God would have them do.</strong> For, too many people run off and make big decisions about things like marriage or major career moves without asking God. It is always refreshing when someone says, “What would God have me do?”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>How to discern in moments like these? </strong>Are there any rules, or at least a structure to follow in being reasonably certain of what course of action to take? Are there any ways to learn to how to recognize the voice of God and distinguish it from my own voice, the voices of others, or even the voice of the devil? There are of course.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>And while many great spiritual masters have written far more eloquently than I of the art of discernment,</strong> I would like to offer a few things I have learned in my own discernment, and in walking with others on their own journey. What I offer here is by no means complete, and others will add, distinguish and write more profoundly on these than I. But these principles I have collected based on my study and experience as a parish priest dealing with ordinary members of the lay faithful. Take what you like and leave the rest. For a far richer treatment of the topic of discernment I recommend Fr. Thomas Dubay’s<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Authenticity-A-Biblical-Theology-Discernment/dp/089870619X" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment</a>.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Let’s just begin with a definition of the word discernment.</strong> Many people just use discernment as a synonym for “decide.” But discernment is a richer and deeper concept that, while related and antecedent to “deciding” is distinct from it. The goal of discernment is to see beyond the mere external dimensions of something, and to probe to its deeper significance.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>The word discern comes from the Latin</strong> <em>dis-</em> “off, or away” + <em>cernere</em> – “to distinguish, separate, sift, set apart, divide, or distinguish. Thus, to discern is to distinguish or sort out what is of God, and what is of the flesh, the world or even the devil. As such, discernment, in its root meaning is something that ought to precede decision and aid it.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">Thus as we discern, either a course of action or simply whether what we think or “hear” is of God or not, we must often admit that, while some things are purely from God, it is also the case that there may be other things admixed, things not of God, which must be sifted or separated out. Discernment regards these sorts of things.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>And so we come to some basic norms or principles</strong> that I offer, humbly, and not as a spiritual master, just as a simple parish priest. These principles are most often applicable to discern about a course of action, but many of them can also apply to discerning the promptings and urges that the faithful often sense in their walk with God, and which cause them to wonder, is this of God or just me?</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Disclaimers.</strong> – None of these principles should be read in an absolute sense. They all admit of limits and distinctions. They are merely principles that guide further reflection. In a brief blog, not everything can be said about them, and you may wish to use the comments to elaborate some of your own thoughts and distinctions. Secondly, while not every principle applies to every situation, as a general rule, these principles ought to be used together and in tandem. It would be wrong merely to use one principle, and think discernment is complete. Generally these are all part of a process and their evidence should be considered collectively.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); "><strong>Principle 1 – State of life. </strong></span>There are many different states in life, some permanent, some long-lasting, some only temporary. We may be single, married, a priest, a religious, young, old, healthy, or fragile in health. We may be a student, a parent, rich or poor. Being clear about our state in life can help us discern if a call is from God or not.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>For example,</strong> a young woman may sense a call to spend extended hours before the Blessed Sacrament. Of itself this is surely a good and fine thing. But what if she is the mother of four young children? Would God ask this of her? Probably not. Perhaps one hour will be more in keeping with her state in life. On the other hand a single woman, may be free to do this, and it may even be a part of her learning of her vocation to the religious life. Other things being equal it is more likely we can be open to this call being of God in her case.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">State in life helps to do a lot of sorting out. A priest is not going to hear from God to leave the priesthood and marry the pretty woman in the front pew. An elderly and feeble man is not going to hear a call to go to walk the Camino in Spain, etc. We can be pretty clear that such notions are not of God. Yet other calls that seem to be in keeping with one’s state in life are something to remain open to, and apply other principles that follow.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); "><strong>Principle 2 – Gifts and talents -</strong> </span>It is a clear fact that people have different combinations of virtues and talents, gifts and skills. In discerning the will of God, regarding a course of action, or of accepting an offer or opportunity, we ought to carefully ponder if it will make good sense based on our skills and talents.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">God has surely equipped us for some things and not others. I am a reasonably good teacher of adults, I am not a good teacher of young children. Thus, in being offered opportunities to teach or preach, I am much more open to the possibility that God wants it, if it is for adults. If I am asked to address young children for more than 5 minutes, I am quite clear God is not asking.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Hence we do well to ask at this stage of discernment to ask, </strong>“Is what I am being asked to do, or what I want to do, a good match to the gifts and talents God has given me? Does it make sense based on what I am equipped to do?” And while it is a true fact that God does sometimes want us to try new things, and discover new abilities, it more usually the case that God will ask of us things that are at least somewhat in the range of the possible, based on our gifts.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Age is something of a factor here too.</strong> Young people are often still in a process of discovery as to their gifts and talents, and should try more new and challenging things. Older adults are more likely to discern God’s will a little closer to their current skill set.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">Principle 3 – Desire -</span> </strong>Desire as a principle of discernment surprises some people. We are often suspicious of our desires, and not without reason. When it comes to most things regarding the Moral Law and Doctrine, our feelings and desires are largely irrelevant, and should not be determinative of understanding God’s will. For example that we should not commit adultery remains the clear will of God, no matter how we feel about. That Jesus is God is true, no matter our feelings.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>But when it comes to discerning between various courses of action that are both good</strong> (e.g. marriage and priesthood), feelings and desires <em>do</em> matter and may help indicate the will of God for us. For when God wants us to move in a direction of something good, he most often inspires some level of desire for it. He leads us to appreciate that it <em>is</em> good, attractive and desirable.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Learning to listen to our heart therefore is an important way of discernment</strong>. There may, for example, be a good thing proposed for us to do, yet we feel no joy or desire to do it. Such feelings should not be wholly dismissed as mere selfishness or laziness. It is possible that our lack of desire is a sign of a “no” from God. On the other hand, we may experience a joy and zeal to do, even things that are challenging, and these desires too may help us to discern that God has prepared and wills for us to do that very thing. Hence desire is an important indicator, among others, in deciding between courses of action that are both, or all, good. Ultimately God’s will for us gives joy.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">Principle 4 – Organic development – </span></strong>This principle simply articulates that God most often moves us in stages rather than in sudden and dramatic ways. While it is true, in most lives, there are times of dramatic change, loss, and gain, it is more usual for God to lead us gently and in stages toward what he wills for us.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Hence, in discernment, it is valuable to ask</strong>, “Does this change…, does this course of action, seem to build on what God has generally been doing in my life? Is there some continuity at work if I move in this direction? Does moving into the future in this particular way make sense based on how and where God has led me thus far?”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">It is generally a good idea to exercise great caution about “biggie-wow” projects and “out of the blue” rapid changes. It is better to ask, “What is the next best step in my life?”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">While it sometimes happens that “life comes at you fast,” God more often works with slow, steady, incremental growth, and asks us to be open to changes that make sense for us as the “next best step.” Discernment will respect this as a general principle, though not an absolute law.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">Principle 5 – Serenity -</span></strong> When God leads us, the usual result is serenity (peace) and joy. In my own priestly life I have at times, been asked to move from one assignment to another. At such moments there is great sadness, since I had to say goodbye to people I greatly love. And yet, when it is God’s will that the time has come for moving on, in spite of the sadness, I also feel an inner peace, a serenity.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Serenity should not be underestimated</strong> as a tool for discernment. For it often happens that to ponder change is stressful, even fearful. But beneath the turmoil of difficult decisions, we must listen carefully for a deeper serenity that signals God’s will.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">If serenity is wholly lacking, if there are no consolations, but only desolation, we should carefully consider the possibility that the proposed course of action is not God’s will. To be sure, in the stress that decisions often bring, being able to sense serenity is more difficult, and hence we ought not quickly conclude it is lacking.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">Sometimes we must wait a while to sense serenity’s still, small voice. And when it is present we have an important indicator that this is God’s will.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); ">Principle 6 – Conformity to Scripture and Tradition</span></strong>. – Some may think that this principle should be at the top of the list, and you are free to put it there. But I prefer to say that the Word of God and the teachings of the Church has the last word in any decision.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">For it may well be that one goes through principles like these and feels quite certain of a course of action or of an insight. But the final and most important step is to be sure that our insight or conclusion squares with the Lord’s stated revelation in Scripture and Church Teaching.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">If a person were to strangely think God was telling her of a fourth person in the Godhead, and that she should build an altar, and spread devotion to this fourth person, we will rightly and surely conclude she is dead wrong.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">God’s Revelation trumps every discernment in the end. Were a wayward priest to think God had summoned him to found a new Church featuring more ‘up-to-date’ teachings, it does not matter that he thinks it comports with his state in life, matches his skills, is an organic development for him, and gives him serenity. Sorry Father, you’re overruled. God is saying no such thing.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">On the other hand, it may be one hears a call from God to be more faithful in prayer, and more generous to the poor and has gone through the discernments above. And, while Scripture and Church teaching may have little to say on the exact way of prayer, or the precise amount of money, surely, as a general principle, such notions are in keeping with God’s revelation and would not be overruled by it. One can confidently proceed to discern how, and when to pray, or what amount and to whom alms should best be directed.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">Just a few principles for discernment. Remember the disclaimers above. They are to be considered together and held in balance. They are also not understood in an absolute sense, (except perhaps the last one) and may admit of exceptions and distinctions. Take what you like and leave the rest. Add to them if you like. Comments are open.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Here is a sermon excerpt in which I developed the last principle in a context wider than this article. For the context of the sermon was not discerning between various good options, but rather the discernment that distinguishes God from the idols and errors of this world.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Source: <a href="http://blog.adw.org/2012/06/six-principles-of-discernment/">Archdiocese of Washington </a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Please post your comments.</p>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-38743190671160974542012-05-24T09:58:00.002-07:002012-05-24T10:02:26.346-07:00150 Titles Of Christ From The Scriptures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisREPC8bCE3ztYkba4OKGpRZlZn4y17o6xp43sOhUugbdmp45kqMYbWhYi4G5HC3E8F08-fTPRBmGxYsRCJ_t5dJCAEXxfALas5DdkYHbZmDSZjKcKOocT5vkrXxBoKEp3N5izCyCXWg/s1600/aller.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisREPC8bCE3ztYkba4OKGpRZlZn4y17o6xp43sOhUugbdmp45kqMYbWhYi4G5HC3E8F08-fTPRBmGxYsRCJ_t5dJCAEXxfALas5DdkYHbZmDSZjKcKOocT5vkrXxBoKEp3N5izCyCXWg/s200/aller.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5746146208349077794" /></a><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">There are many, many titles of Christ in both the New and Old Testaments. As one prays and studies them, they amount to a mini-Catechesis of the Lord Jesus.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>Presented below are over 150 titles of Christ.</strong>I have also presented “hot-links” to the Scriptures from which they are drawn for your further study. The list is compiled from various sources, but most come from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Source-Book-Peter-Klein/dp/0159018838/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337828474&sr=1-1" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">The Catholic Source Book</a>, compiled and edited by Fr. Peter Klein. I have also placed this article in PDF Format here: <a href="http://blog.adw.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Titles-of-Jesus-Christ-in-Scripture.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">The Titles of Jesus Christ in Scripture</a>, if you’d like to print or save the material for later reference.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; "><strong>I would also ask your help. </strong>The list needs to grow. There are other titles of Christ that you may know that can and should be added. If perchance you would like to use the comments section to add titles you see missing here, I will be grateful.If you know the scriptural reference and want to include it that is great. Otherwise I can probably search for it.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">When considering an addition please consider if it is a true title or just an adjective. For example, “kind” is an adjective, and is true of Jesus, but it is not a title, <em>per se</em>. Nouns show usually show better promise as titles of Christ. But even nouns do not always amount to a title. For example “walker” is a noun, and surely an accurate description of Christ who did a lot of walking, but again, it is not a title <em>per se</em>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">Titles of Jesus Christ in Scripture:</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 60px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: justify; ">Advocate – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_john/2-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 John 2:1</a><br />Alpha and Omega – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:8</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/22-13.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">22:13</a><br />The Almighty – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:8</a><br />Amen – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/3-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 3:14</a><br />Apostle and High Priest of our Confession – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/3-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 3:1</a><br />Author and Finisher of our Faith – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/12-2.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 12:2</a><br />Beloved – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/12-18.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 12:18</a><br />Beloved Son – <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-13.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:13</a><br />Bread of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/6-33.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 6:33</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/6-50.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">50</a><br />Bread of life – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/6-35.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 6:35</a><br />Living Bread – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/6-51.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 6:51</a><br />Bridegroom – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/3-29.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 3:29</a><br />Brother – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/12-50.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 12:50</a><br />Captain of our Salvation – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/2-10.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 2:10</a><br />Carpenter – <a href="http://bible.cc/mark/6-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Mark 6:3</a><br />Carpenter’s Son – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-55.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 13:55</a><br />Chief Shepherd – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/5-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 5:4</a><br />Chosen One – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/23-35.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 23:35</a><br />Christ – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/16-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 16:20</a><br />Christ Jesus – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/1-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 1:15</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:1</a><br />Christ of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/9-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 9:20</a><br />Christ the Lord – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/2-11.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 2:11</a><br />Christ who is above all – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/9-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 9:5</a><br />Consolation of Israel – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/2-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 2:25</a><br />Chief Cornerstone – <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/2-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Ephesians 2:20</a>; <a href="http://1peter2:6/" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); "></a><a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/2-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 2:6</a><br />Dayspring – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-78.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:78</a><br />Deliverer – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/11-26.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 11:26</a><br />Deliverer from the wrath to come – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_thessalonians/1-10.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Thessalonians 1:10</a><br />Eldest of many brothers – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/8-29.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 8:29</a><br />Emmanuel – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/1-23.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 1:23</a><br />Faithful and True Witness – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:5</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/3-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">3:14</a><br />Father Forever – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/9-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 9:6</a><br />First and Last – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-17.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:17</a><a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/2-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">; 2:8</a><br />Firstborn among many brothers – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/8-29.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 8:29</a><br />First born from the dead – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:5</a><br />Firstborn of all creation – <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:15</a><br />First Fruits – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 15:20</a><br />Friend of tax collectors and sinners – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/11-19.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 11:19</a><br />Gate of the sheepfold – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/10-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 10:7</a><br />Glory – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/2-32.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 2:32</a><br />Good Shepherd – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/10-11.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 10:11</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/10-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">14</a><br />Grain of Wheat – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/12-24.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 12:24</a><br />Great Shepherd of the sheep – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/13-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 13:20</a><br />Head – <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/4-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Ephesians 4:15</a><br />Head of the Church – <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-18.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:18</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/1-22.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Ephesians 1:22</a><br />Hidden Manna – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/2-17.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 2:17</a><br />High Priest – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/3-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 3:1</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/4-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">4:14</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/7-26.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">7:26</a><br />He Who Holds of the Keys of David – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/3-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 3:7</a><br />He who is coming amid the clouds – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:7</a><br />Holy One – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/2-27.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 2:27</a><br />Holy One of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/mark/1-24.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Mark 1:24</a><br />Holy Servant – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/4-27.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 4:27</a><br />Hope – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 1:1</a><br />Horn of Salvation – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-69.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:69</a><br />I Am – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/8-58.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 8:58</a><br />Image of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_corinthians/4-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Corithinians 4:4</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:15</a><br />Indescribable Gift – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_corinthians/9-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Corinthians 9:15</a><br />Intercessor – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/7-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 7:25</a><br />Jesus – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/1-21.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 1:21</a><br />Jesus the Nazarene – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/18-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 18:5</a><br />Judge of the World – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_timothy/4-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Timothy 4:1</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/10-42.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 10:42</a><br />Just One – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/7-52.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 7:52</a><br />Just Judge – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_timothy/4-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Timothy 4:8</a><br />King – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/21-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 21:5</a><br />King of Israel – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-49.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:49</a><br />King of Kings – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/17-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 17:14</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/19-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">19:16</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/6-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 6:15</a><br />King of Nations – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/15-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 15:3</a><br />King of the Jews – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/2-2.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 2:2</a><br />Lamb of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-29.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:29</a><br />Last Adam – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-45.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 15:45</a><br />Leader – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/2-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 2:6</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/2-10.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 2:10</a><br />Leader and Perfecter of Faith – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/12-2.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 12:2</a><br />Leader and Savior – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/5-31.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 5:31</a><br />Life – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 14:6</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/3-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 3:4</a><br />Light – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-9.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:9</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/12-35.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 12:35</a><br />Light of all – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/2-32.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 2:32</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:4</a><br />Light of the world – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/8-12.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 8:12</a><br />Lion of the tribe of Judah – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/5-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 5:5</a><br />Lord – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:25</a><br />One Lord – <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/4-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Ephesians 4:5</a><br />My Lord my God – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/20-28.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 20:28</a><br />Lord both of the dead and the living – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/14-9.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 14:9</a><br />Lord God Almighty – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/15-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 15:3</a><br />Lord Jesus – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/7-59.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 7:59</a><br />Jesus is Lord – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/12-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 12:3</a><br />Lord Jesus Christ – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/15-11.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 15:11</a><br />Lord of all – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/10-36.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 10:36</a><br />Lord of Glory – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/2-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 2:8</a><br />Lord of lords – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/6-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 6:15</a><br />Lord of Peace – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_thessalonians/3-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Thessalonians 3:16</a><br />The Man – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/19-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 19:5</a><br />Master – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/5-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 5:5</a><br />Mediator – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/2-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 2:5</a><br />Messiah – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-41.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:41</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/4-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">4:25</a><br />Mighty God – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/9-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 9:6</a><br />Morning Star – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_peter/1-19.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Peter 1:19</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/2-28.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 2:28</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/22-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 22:16</a><br />Nazarene – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/2-23.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 2:23</a><br />Passover – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/5-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 5:7</a><br />Power and wisdom of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/1-24.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 1:24</a><br />Power for salvation – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-69.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:69</a><br />Priest forever – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/5-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 5:6</a><br />Prince of Life – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/3-15.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 3:15</a><br />Prince of Peace – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/9-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 9:6</a><br />Rabboni – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/20-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 20:16</a><br />Ransom – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_timothy/2-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Timothy 2:6</a><br />Redeemer – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/59-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 59:20</a><br />Rescuer from this Present Evil Age – <a href="http://bible.cc/galatians/1-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Galatians 1:4</a><br />Radiance of God’s Glory – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/1-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 1:3</a><br />Resurrection and Life – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/11-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 11:25</a><br />Rising Sun – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-78.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:78</a><br />Root of David – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/5-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 5:5</a><br />Root of David’s line – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/22-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 22:16</a><br />Root of Jesse – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/11-10.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 11:10</a><br />Ruler – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/2-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 2:6</a><br />Ruler of the kings of the earth – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/1-5.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 1:5</a><br />Ruler and Savior – <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/5-31.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Acts 5:31</a><br />Savior – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_peter/2-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 Peter 2:20</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/2_peter/3-18.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">3:18</a><br />Savior of the world – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_john/4-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 John 4:14</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/4-42.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 4:42</a><br />Second Adam – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/5-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 5:14</a><br />Servant of the Jews – <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/15-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Romans 15:8</a><br />Shepherd and Guardian of our souls – <a href="http://1peter2:25/" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); "></a><a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/2-25.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 2:25</a><br />Slave – <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Philippians 2:7</a><br />Son – <a href="http://bible.cc/galatians/4-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Galatians 4:4</a><br />Beloved Son – <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-13.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Colossians 1:13</a><br />Firstborn Son – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/2-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 2:7</a><br />Son of Abraham – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 1:1</a><br />Son of David – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 1:1</a><br />Son of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-35.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:35</a><br />Son of Joseph – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-45.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:45</a><br />Son of Man – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/5-27.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 5:27</a><br />Son of Mary – <a href="http://bible.cc/mark/6-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Mark 6:3</a><br />Son of the Blessed One – <a href="http://bible.cc/mark/14-61.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Mark 14:61</a><br />Son of the Father – <a href="http://bible.cc/2_john/1-3.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">2 John 1:3</a><br />Son of the Living God – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/16-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 16:16</a><br />Son of the Most High – <a href="http://bible.cc/luke/1-32.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Luke 1:32</a><br />Son of the Most High God – <a href="http://bible.cc/mark/5-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Mark 5:7</a><br />Only Son of the Father – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:14</a><br />Source of God’s creation – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/3-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 3:14</a><br />Spiritual Rock – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/10-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 10:4</a><br />Living Stone – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/2-4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 2:4</a><br />Stone rejected by the builders – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/21-42.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 21:42</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/2-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 2:8</a><br />Stumbling Stone – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_peter/2-8.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Peter 2:8</a><br />Teacher – <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/8-19.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 8:19</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/23-10.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Matthew 23:10</a><br />Testator of the New Covenant – <a href="http://bible.cc/hebrews/9-16.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Hebrews 9:16</a><br />True God – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_john/5-20.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 John 5:20</a><br />True Vine – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/15-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 15:1</a><br />The Way the Truth and the Life – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 14:6</a><br />The One who is, is was, and who is to come – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/3-7.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 3:7</a><br />Wisdom of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/1-24.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 Corinthians 1:24</a><br />Wonderful Counselor – <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/9-6.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Isaiah 9:6</a><br />Word – <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">John 1:1</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-14.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">14</a><br />Word of God – <a href="http://bible.cc/revelation/19-13.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">Revelation 19:13</a><br />Word of Life – <a href="http://bible.cc/1_john/1-1.htm" style="text-decoration: none; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(153, 0, 0); ">1 John 1:1</a></p> <!--EndFragment--><br />Source: <a href="http://blog.adw.org/2012/05/150-titles-of-christ-from-the-scriptures/">Archdiocese of Washington</a><br /><br /><br />Please post your comments.<div><br /><br /></div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-76775755974855845202012-05-22T19:00:00.000-07:002012-05-22T07:51:58.413-07:00Are All Sins Equally Bad? Are All Saints Equally Good?<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Colijn_de_Coter_(ca.1440-1445%E2%80%93ca.1522-1532)_-_De_aartsengel_Micha%C3%ABl_-_MSK_Brussel_25-02-2011_11-51-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #999999; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Colijn_de_Coter_(ca.1440-1445%E2%80%93ca.1522-1532)_-_De_aartsengel_Micha%C3%ABl_-_MSK_Brussel_25-02-2011_11-51-47.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">Colijn de Coter,<br />
Saint Michael Weighing Souls (detail)<br />
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Protestants typically believe that all sins are equally bad, and all Saints are equally good. For example, a Kansas middle school teacher is in hot water for writing, according to the <i>Huffington Post</i>, that “<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/jack-conkling-teacher-writes-being-gay-just-like-being-a-murderer_n_1527608.html" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">Being Gay Is 'The Same As Murder'</a>.” Despite the quotation marks, the teacher didn't actually write that. Instead, he wrote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #990000;">All this talk in the news about gay marriage recently has finally driven me to write. Gay marriage is wrong because <b>homosexuality is wrong</b>. The Bible clearly states it is sin. Now <b>I do not claim it to be a sin any worse than other sins. It ranks in God's eyes the same as murder, lying, stealing, or cheating. </b>His standards are perfect and ALL have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Sin is sin and we all deserve hell. Only those who accept Christ as Lord and daily with the help of the Spirit do their best to turn from sin will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There aren't multiple ways to get to Heaven. There is one. To many this may seem close minded and antagonistic, but it doesn't make it any less true. Folks I am willing to admit that<b> my depravity is just as great as anyone else's,</b>and without Christ I'd be destined for hell, if not for the undeserved grace of God. I'm not condemning gay marriage because I hate gay people. I am doing it because those who embrace it will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And I desire that for no one.</span></blockquote>
While he's not actually saying that being gay <i>is</i> the same as murder, he <b>is</b> saying that homosexuality “<span style="color: #990000;">ranks in God's eyes the same</span>” as everything from lying to murder. In other words, every sin, from the smallest lie to the largest massacre, is equally bad. But is that right?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Are All Sins Equally Bad?</b></div>
<br />
The clearest Scriptural evidence as to the degrees of sin comes from <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/1%20John%205.16-17" reference="1 John 5.16-17" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">1 John 5:16-17</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 1.3em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple;">If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal.<b>There is sin which is mortal</b>; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, <b>but there is sin which is not mortal.</b></span></blockquote>
In other words, Scripture clearly distinguishes between two categories of sin: mortal (or deadly) sin, and venial sin, which John defines as “<span style="color: purple;">sin which is not mortal.</span>” A Christian who knowingly and willingly commits a mortal sin cuts himself off from eternal life. That's what John means by “<span style="color: purple;">mortal</span>” or “<span style="color: purple;">deadly.</span>” It <i>kills the soul</i>. So a man who, on his deathbed, is mildly rude to a family member is not going to be treated the same way as a man who, on his deathbed, renounces his faith in Christ. A Just Judge doesn't treat those two cases the same, and God is a Just Judge.<br />
<br />
Look at <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/1%20Cor.%2011.29-30" reference="1 Cor. 11.29-30" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">1 Cor. 11:29-30</a>, in which St. Paul says of the Eucharist that “<span style="color: purple;">any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are <b>weak</b> and <b>ill</b>, and some have <b>died</b>.</span>” Just as mortal sin is mortal to the soul, here again, it's primarily <i>their souls</i> that are weak, or ill, or dead. But notice that we're beginning to see distinctions even within the two categories: that some sinners are objectively worse off than others. So even within the categories of venial and mortal sins, we can distinguish between the degree and gravity of sin.<br />
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Jesus refers to sinners as “<span style="color: purple;">the sick</span>” in <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Mark%202.17" reference="Mark 2.17" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Mark 2:17</a>, and Himself as the Doctor. But of course, there are different kinds and degrees of illness. Even if all of the sick need a doctor, and need healing, it's <i>just not true </i>that a headache and cancer are equally bad. We see this also in <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Luke%207.36-50" reference="Luke 7.36-50" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Luke 7:36-50</a>, in which Jesus compares sins to different sized debts, in the house of Simon the Pharisee:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Jean_Beraud_Simon_the_Pharisee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #999999; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Jean_Beraud_Simon_the_Pharisee.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center;">Jean Beraud, <i>St. Mary Magdalene in the House of Simon the Pharisee</i> (1891)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple;">One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "What is it, Teacher?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>"A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?" </b>Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."</span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, <b>her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little</b>." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." </span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."</span></div>
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So this captures two different points, each of which is very important. First, that <b>some sins are actually worse than others,</b> that some sinners have offended God's Justice more egregiously than others. But second, that everyone is in need of redemption, and everyone is offered redemption, regardless of how bad their sins are. Protestants generally grasp the second point, but in the process, they often deny the first one. It's a shame, because each teaching is clear from Scripture.</div>
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<b>Are All Saints Equally Good?</b></div>
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The flip side to the claim that all sins are equally bad is the claim that all Saints are equally righteous in the eyes of God. But as with the first claim, <u>this doesn't appear to be based on anything from Scripture</u>. Because Scripture actually paints a rather different picture. </div>
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When God is planning to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He doesn't talk to Lot, who lives there. He talks to his holier cousin, Abraham, instead, even though Abraham doesn't live in either of those cities (<a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Gen.%2018.16-33" reference="Gen. 18.16-33" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Gen. 18:16-33</a>). And Abraham intercedes on behalf of his cousin, Lot, saving him and his family. <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Genesis%2019.29" reference="Genesis 19.29" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Genesis 19:29</a> captures this succinctly: “<span style="color: purple;">So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, <b>He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out</b> of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.</span>” So it's for the sake of Abraham that Lot is spared.</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Tetramorph_meteora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #999999; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Tetramorph_meteora.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 4px;" /></a></div>
And Jesus rather frequently speaks about which of His followers are the greatest. For example, in <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Luke%209.48" reference="Luke 9.48" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Luke 9:48</a>, He says, “<span style="color: purple;">Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For <b>he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.</b></span>” And in <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Luke%2022.26" reference="Luke 22.26" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Luke 22:26</a> says that, “<span style="color: purple;"><b>the greatest among you </b>should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”</span> And shortly after this, He says to His Apostles (<a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Lk.%2022.28-30" reference="Lk. 22.28-30" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Lk. 22:28-30</a>):</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">You are those who have stood by Me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as My Father conferred one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in My Kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.</span></blockquote>
Now, Jesus doesn't give <i>all of us</i> that authority in Heaven, but just the Apostles who were with Him in His trials. And indeed, the image of Heaven given in Scripture is much more hierarchical than anything Protestants tend to describe. There are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelic_hierarchy" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;">various ranks of angelic beings</a> (angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim) lists in Scripture, and rankings even among the Saints. For example, <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Revelation%2014.3" reference="Revelation 14.3" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Revelation 14:3</a> refers to a song that can only be sung by the 144,000 redeemed, a subgroup of the saved who are honored in a special way (<i>see </i><a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Rev.%2014.1-5" reference="Rev. 14.1-5" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">Rev. 14:1-5</a>).<br />
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So clearly, both in Heaven and on Earth, the Saints are not merely interchangeable parts. Some have more power and authority. This is one of the reasons why Scripture prescribes intercessory prayer (see <a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/1%20Tim.%202.1" reference="1 Tim. 2.1" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" version="rsv">1 Tim. 2:1</a>): because we want those holier than ourselves interceding for us.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b></div>
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This is admittedly a bit of an overview for what should be a basic point: some sins are worse than others, and some Saints are holier than others. This point strikes me as so basic and intuitive that the burden should really be on the one who denies it. Where in Scripture do we <i>ever </i>hear that murder is no worse than, say, lying?</div>
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Source: <a href="http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2012/05/are-all-sins-equally-bad-are-all-saints.html">Shameless Popery</a></div>
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-75529327079462522562012-05-22T07:07:00.001-07:002012-05-22T07:10:21.830-07:00Who Is The Beast Of Revelation?One of the most sinister figures in the Bible is the so-called “Beast” from the Book of Revelation. Portrayed as a frightening monster and identified with the ominous number 666, the Beast has been the subject of an enormous amount of discussion down through the centuries.<br /><br />Countless individuals, both past and future, have been proposed as the true identity of the Beast, but what does the evidence from the Bible say?<br /><br />In this video, I take a calm, balanced look at the evidence from the perspective of the original Christians reading the book of Revelation in the first century and suggest that the evidence points to an individual that many will find very surprising, especially if they view the book of Revelation as applying almost exclusively to the future.<br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4Naznbw0-6E?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />There is more evidence regarding who the Beast of Revelation is than I could fit in the first video I did on the subject, so in this video I pick up where I left off and reveal new and surprising facts–things most people have never heard of–that point to who the Beast is.<br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nwkJBo3-HOA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://jimmyakin.com/2012/05/who-is-the-beast-of-revelation-video.html">Jimmy Akin</a><br /><br />Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-45937471523402408742012-05-22T06:52:00.003-07:002012-05-22T07:05:13.265-07:00Misty's Testimony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrLBYw92d-82Nq5WaS8dwB7-YnVf42ncWWfpNpTTrSaj818kI1CJGcARnMShoMVkLhyiUG3Mbso2jbRy6TmHRTwx58P3obwhYzc0qvChrooaRk_oGBJgGeR1avmiuA-nWUUt5AEDlAg/s1600/172890f4d57976ab2807270aa9e360b5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrLBYw92d-82Nq5WaS8dwB7-YnVf42ncWWfpNpTTrSaj818kI1CJGcARnMShoMVkLhyiUG3Mbso2jbRy6TmHRTwx58P3obwhYzc0qvChrooaRk_oGBJgGeR1avmiuA-nWUUt5AEDlAg/s200/172890f4d57976ab2807270aa9e360b5.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Pro-Choice Atheist writer and editor becomes Catholic.<br /><br />Ten years ago Misty was a pro-choice atheist living out her dream of being a writer and editor outside of Washington, D.C. Then her husband convinced her to join him in a spiritual journey through investigations of Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Judaism, and Christianity.<br /><br /><br /><div>
Through God's grace, they're now both practicing Catholics blessed with faith, hope, and love--and five beautiful children! She now lives in Alaska and spend her days educating our children at home.<br />
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This is her story:<br />
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<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Why I Became Catholic (and Not Buddhist)</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the questions I get most often when people hear I’m a convert is, “Why did you choose to become Catholic?” I’ve been asked this question by Jews, Baptists, Mormons, atheists, and even Jehovah’s Witnesses. The person who asks the question never says the rest of it, which is, “Why did you choose to become a Catholic INSTEAD of what <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I </em>am?” These are people of genuine faith, who believe they have found and are living by The Truth. So naturally they want to understand how someone educated and sane could believe so differently.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s always a hard question to answer, because I’m sensitive to that unspoken part. I don’t want to insinuate–even accidentally–that they are less intelligent, less holy, or inferior to me as a Catholic. I usually give the “safe” answer, and talk about how my husband and I were drawn continuously to Jesus in the Eucharist. But part of me always yearns to say what G.K. Chesterton said so beautifully:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The difficulty of explaining “why I am Catholic” is that there are 10,000</strong></em></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">reasons </strong></em><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all amounting to one reason: </strong></em></span><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that Catholicism is true.</strong></em></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I never wanted to be a Catholic. I never even wanted to be a Christian. When my husband convinced me to join him on a quest through major and minor religions nearly 15 years ago, I did it mostly to humor him. I had lived as an avowed atheist for more than a decade and couldn’t imagine that The Truth even existed, much less it could be found. Especially when I couldn’t even accept that God was real.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortunately, God literally changed my mind about Him with a thunderbolt. One day, I was reading an article about the human genome project (I was a technical writer), when I was drawn to look at my own hand. What had before been a clever machine of flesh and bone was suddenly revealed to me as a pure miracle of creation. It was truly that instant; one second I was an atheist, and the next I was a believer. I knew with absolute certainty that only an intelligent designer–God–could have created something as incredible as me!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But accepting God’s existence didn’t solve anything; in fact, it created new problems. I’ve had friends who are Deists, who believe God created the universe (including humanity) and then left it alone…much like a clockmaker might create a masterful clock he sets into motion and then ignores. To me, it was simply unthinkable that God would create the glorious universe–including all the amazing people such as my husband–and then just walk away. I realized that the beauty that had brought tears to my eyes even as an atheist could only be interpreted as the uniquely personal stamp of a loving God who delighted in His creation. If God created the majestic earth, gave us the joy of music, and gave me the mind to appreciate it, then it made no sense that he’d create all that just to turn His back on it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So my agnostic husband and I started questioning the people who claimed to know something about God: the believers. <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All</em> believers. Every time we encountered someone of faith, we invited them to dinner and then respectfully grilled them on their beliefs. We visited their churches and temples, went to services with them, and read <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ad nauseum </em>about what and why they believed and how they lived out their beliefs.</span></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_7462" style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: right !important; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; height: auto; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 15px !important; margin-left: 30px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div class="pp-img-protect pp-img-protect-aligncenter no-orig-alignclass" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="pp-overlay" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 0px !important; box-shadow: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 239px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-7462 ov-done" height="225" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/RICHARD-GERE-AND-THE-DALAI-LAMA-300x225.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 7px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 7px; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 7px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 7px; box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="RICHARD-GERE-AND-THE-DALAI-LAMA" width="300" /></span></div>
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<div class="wp-caption-text" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center !important; vertical-align: baseline;">
I wanted to be cool, but God made me Catholic instead. Le sigh.</div>
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<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We were initially most attracted to Buddhism, no doubt because its adoption by prominent Hollywood celebrities made it a “cool” religion. But despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t accept that Buddhism was true. For one, we found it too morally fuzzy. We had both come around to the pro-life position a few years earlier; even as an atheist I could see it was a human rights issue. So we were disturbed to hear a Buddhist woman who claimed to respect all life describe assisting in an abortion.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When we talked to Buddhists about morality, their answers were relativistic: “It’s only wrong if it’s wrong for YOU.” This never set well with us; either abortion is wrong in all cases because it takes a human life or it’s never wrong. The idea of basing the morality of an action on whether I want it to be right or wrong just seemed ridiculously self-serving. We shuddered to imagine a world where people get to decide for themselves whether lying, stealing, or killing are right or wrong.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There also was the problem of access. When the local Buddhist temple brought in a Buddhist master for a few days, the temple charged several hundred dollars for a guided retreat. While the temple likely would not have turned away a person who couldn’t afford to pay, the wisdom of their living saints ordinarily came with a hefty price tag. My husband simply couldn’t accept this. “So the poor get Truth at the charity of the wealthy?” he asked. This became an insurmountable barrier to him.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For me, it was what Buddhism said was our ultimate destiny that proved the real stumbling block. The end goal of Buddhism is extermination of the self, to annihilate your consciousness by entering “Nirvana.” You’re reincarnated again and again until you learn to eliminate all desire from your soul, at which point your “consciousness” diffuses and becomes one with the universe. Unlike in Christianity, where the goal is union with God (but you are still, in essence, an individual named Susan or Richard), Buddhism’s goal is to destroy the self.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When I considered the people I loved, I found it terrifying to think that what makes them who they truly are–the soul–would just disappear. As atheist convert Jeff Miller (the Curt Jester) said in his conversion story, “Facing death, I found that I did not really believe that if I had been killed that my existence would have winked out of the universe. The soul is not just some metaphysical idea.” Even for myself, I could never understand how spiritual extermination was a palatable goal.</span></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_7460" style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: left !important; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; height: auto; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 15px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 30px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div class="pp-img-protect pp-img-protect-aligncenter no-orig-alignclass" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="pp-overlay" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 0px !important; box-shadow: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 239px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-7460 ov-done" height="225" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/LDS-temple-300x225.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 7px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 7px; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 7px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 7px; box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="LDS temple" width="300" /></span></div>
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<div class="wp-caption-text" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center !important; vertical-align: baseline;">
My coffee addiction would have caused serious problems for me as a Mormon.</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So we stopped going to Buddhist temples and asking Buddhists to dinner. And it was nice, because I could now serve meat to our guests again. But it was actually a Mormon who made us realize Jesus of Nazareth was the key. One night we had dinner with a faithful Mormon family. The father spoke about Jesus so tenderly that his love for Him was almost palpable.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I can only describe what happened to both my husband and I at that dinner as “Love testified to The Truth.” We knew that Jesus was not just real, but that He was–inexplicably–ALIVE and that this man had a relationship with Him. It was like reading about Abraham Lincoln your whole life and finding out he was actually still alive. And that there were people among you who were friends with him!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">While we were strongly attracted to the Church of Latter Day Saints because of its emphasis on family values and strong sense of community, we’d done enough research to know we did not accept Joseph Smith’s claim to divine authority. So we went looking for Jesus in the only other place we’d seen His friends congregate: Protestant churches.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why not the Catholic churches? Because most Catholics we knew believed more in Luke Skywalker than Jesus. Even those who participated externally in the faith, such as the coworker who went to Mass each week and never failed to show up with her annual ashen cross, told me she didn’t need to believe “all that stuff about Jesus” to be Catholic. “I just like<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> the idea</em> that God came down to live with us,” she said. “But I don’t care whether it actually happened.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We knew just two young Catholics who practiced their faith, but their quiet reverence was eclipsed by the Protestants we knew, who unabashedly talked about their love for Jesus and whose churches were vibrant and welcoming. When you showed up at their services, they were on you like white on rice and never failed to invite you to their spiritual family. We’d attended several Catholic Masses to learn more about Catholicism, but we’d never once been approached by a welcoming Catholic. In fact, when we’d asked one priest if he’d meet with us to answer questions about the faith, he gruffly told us, “Call the diocese.” Catholics seemed to worship more as individuals, even in Mass.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ll never forget our first Easter in a Christian church. We attended Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia, an on-fire congregation that has since left the Episcopal Church. The line to get in wrapped around the block, with so many children you’d swear there was an orphanage on grounds. In front of us, a little boy played with action figures. Not of wrestlers or superheros, but of Jesus and the apostles. When the priest entered the church and processed down the aisle shouting, “Christ is risen!” the place erupted with so much excitement you felt like you were at a rock concert. These were people truly joyful to be Christian.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But for us, it wasn’t just about which group of believers impressed us. After all, we had been most impressed by the Mormons, but the <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teachings</em> of Mormonism were a showstopper. The same thing happened with Protestantism. We’d call up churches and ask the pastor to meet for lunch. We’d meet, interview him about the church’s beliefs, then attend services the following Sunday. And we just could not accept that everyone gets to discern for himself what the truth is in the Bible. Everyone claimed <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">their </em>church was “Biblically-based,” yet every one taught something different. Even within the same traditions: Episcopalian Pastor A told us that abortion was always wrong while Episcopalian Pastor B told us it was sometimes acceptable. So remarriage is wrong in this church but not in that church? Women can be priests here but not there?</span></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_7463" style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: right !important; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; height: auto; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 15px !important; margin-left: 30px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; max-width: 100%; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;">
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<div class="pp-img-protect pp-img-protect-aligncenter no-orig-alignclass" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="pp-overlay" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: none; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 0px !important; box-shadow: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; height: 314px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 314px;" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-7463 ov-done" height="300" src="http://www.catholicsistas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Protestantism-300x300.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; -webkit-user-select: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-width: 7px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-left-style: double; border-left-width: 7px; border-right-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-right-style: double; border-right-width: 7px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(175, 187, 174); border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border-top-style: double; border-top-width: 7px; box-shadow: rgb(136, 136, 136) 6px 6px 5px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 1; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Protestantism" width="300" /></span></div>
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How can the Holy Spirit be leading so many people to different and even conflicting truths?</div>
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<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The more we read about Christian history, the more we realized that Protestant churches had changed “The Truth” to whatever was culturally acceptable at the time. Far from being immutable, Protestantism teachings were only true for as long as the congregants said they were. And if Truth really existed, we intuitively knew it wasn’t decided by committee.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s when we began seriously researching the teachings of the Catholic Church and discovered that the teachings of Catholicism today are the same as taught by the earliest Christians. We read that early Catholics—people who lived just a century or two after Jesus—believed in the Eucharist as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. They believed in infant baptism. They believed in Confession. Purgatory. Hell. They were against abortion and yes, even contraception. That the Bible canon was compiled because the books supported the oral traditions of the Church and not the other way around.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For us, it was the historical consistency of the Catholic Church—that the teachings are the same today as they were in the first centuries after Christ—that led us to it despite the poor experiences we’d had with individual Catholics. We believed firmly in objective truth: that was what morally true thousands of years ago for humanity is still true today. If the nature of marriage and sex made contraception wrong 2,000 years ago, then it’s still wrong, because the essential nature of sex and marriage is the same.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So Catholicism is true after all. Crap.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s one thing to intellectually accept a religious institution has divine authority. It’s another thing to live that out. We’d decided at the beginning of our quest, though, that if we ever found Truth, we intended to live by it. Integrity, for some strange reason, was critically important to us both. If Buddhism was true, then we’d shave our heads and wear robes to work. If Mormonism was true, we’d give up coffee and Coke and wear sacred underwear. Probably even move to Utah.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But then there was Catholicism…and we realized that being faithful to Catholic teachings was the hardest path to follow as far as religions go. The bar is set very, very high for a person who wants to be a genuine Catholic—it’s not that there are so many rules about what you can’t do, but the call to holiness in Catholicism demands more of you spiritually than any other faith. C.S. Lewis called this the “weight of glory.” Were we ready to never tell a lie again? To avoid gossiping? To attend Mass every weekend after years of sleeping in? To eschew contraception for NFP even when we didn’t want to abstain?</span></div>
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By the time we were done RCIA, we were beating down the doors to become members of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.</div>
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<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We realized that if we believed the Church spoke with the voice of Christ—and we did—then we had to submit to all her teachings, not just the ones we found convenient or easy. We realized that if we decided, for example, the Church was wrong about remarriage, then we were undermining the Real Presence. If the Church is wrong about contraception, then how can we have faith it’s right about baptism taking away sin or about God or even heaven? We had rejected, over and over, faiths that taught <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">we</em> could define morality on our own. But with that Truth facing us, it was a frightening prospect to submit our whole lives to it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the end, we did. We became Catholic together, surrendering our wills to the Church because we knew it was the same as surrendering them to Christ. That alone made it possible for us to accept all the teachings of Catholicism. And all along this hard road to sanctification, we’ve relied on our love for Him–and more importantly, His love for us–to live out the gift of faith He gave us.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f8f7ee; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Garamond, Palatino, Georgia, serif; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some people are amazed we were so resolute in our search for truth. But really, we did not choose Him–He chose us. Like Aslan in <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Horse and His Boy</em>, Jesus was there the entire time, nudging us this way and that, ensuring we had the grace to find the truth, accept it, and live by it.<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em></span></div>
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<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you, Jesus, for loving me even in my sin and for calling me home to You. What a gift it is to be Catholic!</em></span></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.catholicsistas.com/2012/05/17/why-i-became-catholic-and-not-buddhist/">Catholic Sistas</a><br />
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Please post your comments.</div>
</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-26078517063280801442012-05-15T10:27:00.003-07:002012-05-15T10:49:37.253-07:00Angels Of God<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2NW4cYsYVRcupp7Q7vGRCeoSO3G1XmDS8YqtP7y9FdC7wFUyY7qUNrkeX3LOBw_SlTEKD4FWks_DXMhgNipeuBjKZduv9oL-Ovt9q4IQFtpaJxYpUeuhnGYgnowb6P9_6UTBEIowYw/s1600/rqwrqwrqw1lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2NW4cYsYVRcupp7Q7vGRCeoSO3G1XmDS8YqtP7y9FdC7wFUyY7qUNrkeX3LOBw_SlTEKD4FWks_DXMhgNipeuBjKZduv9oL-Ovt9q4IQFtpaJxYpUeuhnGYgnowb6P9_6UTBEIowYw/s320/rqwrqwrqw1lg.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
This EWTN series by Fr. John Horgan<span style="background-color: transparent;"> teaches us about these wondrous spiritual beings, we call Angels. This series was created to draw us closer into that fidelity which characterizes the life of the angels. Fr. Horgan helps us understand why their ministry to our spiritual formation is so important.</span><br />
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Father John Horgan is a graduate of Harvard. He holds four degrees from the Angelicum in Rome. He received a Licentiate in Moral Theology, summa cum laude, with specialization in medical-moral matters. In June of 1997, he also received a diploma magna com laude from the<br />
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Studium of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, certifying his expertise in the investigation and evaluation of candidates for sainthood.<br />
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Father Horgan was ordained for the Archdiocese of Vancouver in 1986 by Pope John Paul II.<br />
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<span style="color: white;"><strong>Angels of God </strong>with Fr. John Horgan</span></div>
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<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod01.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod01.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>2. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The role of Angels in the natural order</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod02.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod02.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod02.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod02.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>3. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The prayer and ministry of the Angels</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod03.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod03.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod03.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod03.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>4. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> Gabriel, the Messenger of God</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod04.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod04.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod04.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod04.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>5. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> St. Joseph</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod05.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod05.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod05.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod05.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>6. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The Angels in the life of Our Lord</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod06.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod06.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod06.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod06.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>7. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The activities of the Holy Angels in our spiritual </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: white;"> lives</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod07.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod07.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod07.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod07.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>8. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The messages of the Angels</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod08.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod08.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod08.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod08.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>9. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> Contrition/Prayer</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod09.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod09.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod09.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod09.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>10. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The Angels and the life of the young </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: white;"> Church</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod10.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod10.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod10.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod10.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>11. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The role of the Angels in the Liturgy of the </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: white;"> Church</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod11.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod11.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod11.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod11.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>12. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The Book of Revelation</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod12.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod12.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod12.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod12.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>13. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> The Choirs of Angels</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod13.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod13.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod13.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod13.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td width="32"></td><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><strong>14. </strong></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" rowspan="3" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Program Name:</strong></span></td><td align="left" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top" width="425"><strong><span style="color: white;"> Our friendship with the Angels and their </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: white;"> protection</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod14.mp3"><strong><img alt="smallspeaker.gif (241 bytes)" border="0" height="19" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/smallspeaker.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod14.mp3">Listen Now</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"><a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod14.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_self"><strong><img align="bottom" alt="Download " border="0" height="18" src="http://www.ewtn.com/images/disk.gif" width="20" /></strong></a> <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/dload1.asp?audiofile=angelsofgod14.mp3&source=seriessearchprog.asp&seriesID=7071&T1=" target="_top">Download</a></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Series Name:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Angels of God</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Host:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">Fr. John Horgan</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Date Produced:</strong></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425">7/27/2005</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="top" width="32"></td><td align="right" bgcolor="#C48F2F" valign="top"><span style="color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></td><td bgcolor="#F3EDDA" valign="top" width="425"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center></div>
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=7071&T1=">EWTN</a><br />
<br />
Please post your comments.<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="3" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; width: 600px;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="109"></td><td width="425"></td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" valign="bottom" width="32"><br /></td><td align="right" bg="" rowspan="3" valign="top"><br /></td><td align="left" bg="" valign="top" width="425"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-78780942368813030832012-05-15T10:10:00.003-07:002012-05-15T10:14:29.473-07:006 Types of Catholic Churches: The Basics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TG88ian83V2gM97TybbfYRMnS_JqcgcL2639q_PJMa1DSPTbZ0A3nlGnwPLwhc5dchnAk3vmB9v9hztNf5xqT52xPDBznCQM8gD60kVMuuUFIDB-Rh_AeDUBDgR4W-oB5F0atmc2Jg/s1600/414rx480.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TG88ian83V2gM97TybbfYRMnS_JqcgcL2639q_PJMa1DSPTbZ0A3nlGnwPLwhc5dchnAk3vmB9v9hztNf5xqT52xPDBznCQM8gD60kVMuuUFIDB-Rh_AeDUBDgR4W-oB5F0atmc2Jg/s400/414rx480.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5742809307821932738" /></a>There are many kinds of Catholic Churches, and each kind has further subclasses which make for a rather confusing classification system. Here is a quick list comprised of highlights from the Catholic Encyclopedia pages on various kinds of Churches.<br /><br />1. Cathedral: The chief church of a diocese, in which the bishop has his throne (cathedra) and close to which is his residence; it is, properly speaking, the bishop’s church, wherein he presides, teaches, and conducts worship for the whole Christian community. What properly constitutes a cathedral is its assignment by competent authority as the residence of the bishop in his hierarchical capacity, and the principal church of a diocese is naturally best adapted to this purpose. Such official designation is known as canonical erection and necessarily accompanies the formation of a new diocese.<br /><br />2. Basilica: A title assigned by formal concession or immemorial custom to certain more important churches, in virtue of which they enjoy privileges of an honorific character which are not always very clearly defined. Basilicas in this sense are divided into two classes, the greater or patriarchal, and the lesser, basilicas.<br /><br />Major: To the former class belong primarily those four great churches of Rome…which among other distinctions have a special “holy door” and to which a visit is always prescribed as one of the conditions for gaining the Roman Jubilee. They are also called patriarchal basilicas, seemingly as representative of the great ecclesiastical provinces of the world thus symbolically united in the heart of Christendom. They possess a papal throne and an altar at which none may say Mass except by the pope’s permission.<br /><br />Minor: The lesser basilicas are much more numerous, including nine or ten different churches in Rome, and a number of others, such as the Basilica of the Grotto at Lourdes, the votive Church of the Sacred Heart at Montmartre, the Church of Marienthal in Alsace, &c. There has been a pronounced tendency of late years to add to their number. Besides conferring a certain precedence before other churches (not, however, before the cathedral of any locality), include the right of the conopaeum, the bell, and the cappa magna. The conopaeum is a sort of umbrella (also called papilio, sinicchio, etc.), which together with the bell is carried processionally at the head of the clergy on state occasions. The cappa magna is worn by the canons or members of the collegiate chapter, if seculars, when assisting at Office. The form of the conopaeum, which is of red and yellow silk, is well shown in the arms of the cardinal camerlengo over the cross keys.<br /><br />3. Chapel: The basic definition of a Chapel is an informal Church or a room containing a small side altar. There are many different kinds of Chapels. See the NewAdvent page on Chapels for more detail.<br /><br />4. Oratory: As a general term, Oratory signifies a place of prayer, but technically it means a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass. In the Latin Church oratories are classed as:<br /><br />Public: Canonically erected by the bishop and are perpetually dedicated to the Divine service. They must have an entrance and exit from the public road. Priests who celebrate Mass in public oratories must conform to the office proper to those oratories, whether secular or regular. If, however, the calendar of an oratory permits a votive Mass to be said, the visiting priest may celebrate in conformity with his own diocesan or regular calendar.<br /><br />Semipublic: Those which, though erected in a private building, are destined for the use of a community. Such are the oratories of seminaries, pious congregations, colleges, hospitals, prisons, and such institutions. If, however, there be several oratories in one house, it is only the one in which the Blessed Sacrament is preserved that has the privileges of a semipublic oratory. All semipublic oratories (which class technically includes the private chapel of a bishop) are on the same footing as public oratories in regard to the celebration of Mass.<br /><br />Private: Those erected in private houses for the convenience of some person or family by an indult of the Holy See. They can be erected only by permission of the pope. Oratories in private houses date from Apostolic times when the Sacred Mysteries could not be publicly celebrated owing to the persecutions. Private oratories are conceded by the Holy See only on account of bodily infirmity, or difficulty of access to a public church or as a reward for services done to the Holy See or to the Catholic cause. The grant of a private oratory may be temporary or for the life of the grantee, according to the nature of the cause that is adduced.<br /><br />5. Parish Church: A Church under the authority of a priest legitimately appointed to secure in virtue of his office for the faithful dwelling therein, the helps of religion. It must have besides the liturgical equipment necessary for Divine worship, a baptismal font (exception is occasionally made in favour of a cathedral or a mother-church; hence in the Middle Ages parish churches were often called baptismal churches), a confessional, and a cemetery. According to canon law, every church should have a stable income, especially land revenues, sufficient to insure not only the Divine service but also the support of its clergy.<br /><br />6. Crypt: An underground church, generally built among the dead. At first, crypts were sometimes as deepsunk as the cubicula of the catacombs themselves. Or they were but partly above ground, and were lighted by small windows windows placed in their side walls. Occasionally their floor was but little below the surface of the ground.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.stpeterslist.com/5809/6typesofchurches/">St. Peter's List</a><br /><br />Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-60214135271364002822012-05-14T14:40:00.006-07:002012-05-15T10:24:53.070-07:00Why Does God Allow Bad Things To Happen ?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYLvWvjJpOGlHt6NKkeb0AxdadVn-QyMa0Z__sC44FSjhAMuV0b6gkM-73pzIpyrmPo6rL_t6fJGw07_oAhSbFipK2WeweN0IfAKiP4pIL6RQp_TjAAArSxopMzh1wBYMMGKuRD8SmQ/s1600/rqrerqer4224.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5742513200049569010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYLvWvjJpOGlHt6NKkeb0AxdadVn-QyMa0Z__sC44FSjhAMuV0b6gkM-73pzIpyrmPo6rL_t6fJGw07_oAhSbFipK2WeweN0IfAKiP4pIL6RQp_TjAAArSxopMzh1wBYMMGKuRD8SmQ/s400/rqrerqer4224.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Why would God allow a church roof to collapse and kill His people during Mass ?<br />
<br />
Read this news report:<br />
<br />
<i></i><br />
<blockquote>
<i>Nigeria: Church Collapses, Kills 22 in Benue</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Twenty-two people were killed and 31 others were injured in Benue state when their church building caved in on them during Easter vigil, a government spokesman said Sunday."Following a heavy downpour and storm Saturday night, the building of St Robert's Catholic Church in Adamgbe collapsed, killing 22 worshippers while 31 others sustained various degrees of injury," Cletus Akwaya told AFP.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Fourteen of those killed were women while six others were children, including a two-year-old, he said on telephone.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>"It was an outdoor Easter vigil service but within the church premises. When the rain poured down, followed by a storm, the about 3,000 worshippers ran and crammed into the church and the building collapsed, killing 22 of them," said the spokesman.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>The storm first blew off the roof of the church and its wall caved in, he said, adding that the bodies have been taken to a state hospital morgue in Vandeikya, a major city near the scene of the tragedy.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>The deputy governor of the state, Stephen Lawani, visited relatives of the victims on Sunday to offer his condolences, Akwaya said.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>The Benue church tragedy comes on the heels of a bomb blast in Kaduna, which killed at least 36 people on Sunday morning.</i></blockquote>
<br />
Source: <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201204090038.html">All Africa</a><br />
<br />
A reader writes to Mark Shea (a popular Catholic writer and speaker) as follows:<br />
<br />
My faith has been on the line for the past couple of years. Nearly every time I feel drawn back to confession and an active life within the Church, I read something like this [link to the above news report] and have great doubts. I understand the consequences of sin causing tragedy in our world, but why would God allow a church roof to fall in and kill tens of people during the Easter Vigil? People were running from the outside Mass to seek shelter IN A CHURCH, and then this? I realize that it would have necessitated a miracle due to the sheer number of people in the church, but that's nothing if the Eucharistic miracle is taking place at every Mass, right? How can we consider ourselves blessed to find a convenient parking spot at the mall, how can we consider that a miracle has occurred when we find a job or get the approval for a mortgage, when twenty-some women and children perished for trying to give God his due worship, and on the night-of-nights to boot. I just don't get it.<br />
<br />
Here's Mark Shea's reply:<br />
<br />
I don’t get it either. But do really keep that in mind. You don’t get it. You and I don’t know the first thing, let alone the last thing, about the lives of the people who died that night. We know nothing. All we know is that they died. That they were going to die sometime or other was already a given. What matters is, precisely, their disposition to God when they did—because this life is given to us with an absolute, money-back guarantee that it is subject to expiration by the Manufacturer at his discretion, not ours. We are also given assurance by that same Manufacturer that when our lives end, they don’t end. All who have ever lived live still. Those are the things we know. What we don’t know in the slightest—but are sorely tempted to draw conclusions about--is The Meaning of certain deaths.<br />
<br />
In Jesus’ own day, for instance, people were tempted to conclude they knew The Meaning of why a tower had fallen on a few people (Luke 13:4). They were, said Jesus, totally wrong. Job’s Comforters were certain they knew The Meaning of Job’s terrible sufferings. God begged to differ with them. Jesus’ disciples were sure they knew The Meaning of why the blind man was born blind:<br />
<br />
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. (John 9:1-3)<br />
<br />
Others were tempted to conclude they knew The Meaning of why the up-country hick preacher with a messiah complex had gotten nailed to a cross after a royal beating all the best people said he richly deserved, on the very eve of Passover. Cursed is he who is hanged upon a tree. It was obvious to such people what The Meaning was: a dirtbag had gotten his comeuppance from a righteous God. Turns out they were wrong.<br />
<br />
These days, people are much more inclined to discern The Meaning of such deaths as you chronicle by concluding that The Meaning is that there is no God, or he is evil, or simply a capricious idiot who kills us for his sport. Like we know any more than the clueless people who stood at the foot of the cross declaiming on The Meaning of the crucifixion of Jesus.<br />
<br />
Bottom line: we don’t know anything except that the same Jesus who died on that cross loves the people killed in that tragedy no less than he loved his apostles and all the martyrs of the Church. The manner of their death is not revelatory of Who God Really Is, Nor is it revelatory that God Does Not Exist. It is the manner of Jesus’ death (and resurrection) that is revelatory. Look to that and entrust them, and yourself, to Jesus. In the next life, you may, if it is any of your business, discover why the lives of these particular people ended in this way. If not, and you meet them in heaven, you will not be grieving there because the time for crying and mourning will be over.<br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea/a-reader-grapples-with-tragedy">National Catholic Register</a><br />
<br />
Related post:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-do-we-suffer-theological-answer-of.html">Why Do We Suffer? The Theological Answer Of St. Paul</a><br /><br />Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-6523601988449441032012-05-14T14:26:00.002-07:002012-05-14T14:28:39.208-07:00Todd Meade's Testimony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm8K8gL5qVZThWbDUd9goVhD2h63dBqoGURSucgqAdDuzK45m3Qne22R6jLUg63A0ayKh8Aars9SyFXnolwv22Np333XGrPxxGAYeqH8DtkR4dDMOhoyVa3Ceyk2yIHW8tDgzPXS9MA/s1600/451441410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm8K8gL5qVZThWbDUd9goVhD2h63dBqoGURSucgqAdDuzK45m3Qne22R6jLUg63A0ayKh8Aars9SyFXnolwv22Np333XGrPxxGAYeqH8DtkR4dDMOhoyVa3Ceyk2yIHW8tDgzPXS9MA/s320/451441410.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Every spiritual life is a journey. Mine began in Warner Robins, Georgia in 1971. I was born into a good Methodist family and had a strong Christian foundation laid for me in childhood. Unfortunately, as is all too common, during my teenage years I drifted away somewhat from this good foundation and was lukewarm, at best, towards Christianity. I still attended weekly church services and youth group activities, but my interests were mainly in having fun with my friends. Having a spiritual life was far from my mind.</span><br />
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At the age of 17, I had a profound conversion experience that impressed upon me the reality and urgency of Christianity. I gave my heart and life to Jesus and experienced a great sense of meaning and purpose in life. Around this time, my family and I became Southern Baptists, which matched well with my new fervency and devotion.</div>
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I ended up attending Jerry Falwell’s well-known Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, which proved to be an ideal place to deepen my devotion and learn more about the faith. College was a great time of spiritual development for me, and by the time I graduated in 1995, I felt energized and excited about where the Lord would lead me and what He would do through me.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Struggling to Re-connect with God</strong></div>
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After college, without the support and security of a self-contained Christian environment and, thus, being thrust into “the real world,” I found myself depressed, lonely, and struggling to find my place. I had moved back to Georgia, but I could not find a church where I truly felt at home. The usual format of singing a few praise and worship songs and listening to a preacher for 30 to 40 minutes no longer fulfilled my spiritual hunger the way it had before. Even my own private devotions of Bible reading and prayer also left me feeling empty. Talking with God became more and more of a struggle and trying to maintain that prior tangible sense of fervent devotion became an oppressive burden. It was a crisis moment in my life.</div>
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I was not aware of it at the time, because it was not a teaching that I had come across in my Protestant circles, but what I was going through is a common stage in spiritual development.</div>
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After an initial period of zeal and sensible delight in the spiritual life, a period of dryness and seeming darkness often comes as Our Lord draws souls closer to Him and away from self-seeking in pleasurable spiritual consolations. He leads souls through this to teach them to rely on trust and love, and not on good feelings.</div>
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But I knew none of this at the time. I only felt like my Christianity was dismantling around me and that there was nothing I could do about it. No matter what I did, I could not find those familiar, sensory indicators, which had previously told me I was close to God. God seemed very distant — even absent — and my cries to Him seemed to be ignored. I felt lost in barren darkness.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finding Solidarity in the Saints</strong></div>
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After many months, a new light did finally pierced the darkness. Oddly enough, this light shown through the writings of some medieval Catholics such as St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. St. John’s <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dark Night of the Soul</em> and St. Teresa’s<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Interior Castle</em>, provided me with new spiritual insights and made some sense of what I was going through; they gave me hope.</div>
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Their writings also ignited a strange new sweetness of intimacy with Our Lord that was quite unlike anything I had experienced before — profound and deep, but simple, quiet, and peaceful. I discovered that a relationship with God was not always a matter of me thinking about what to say in prayer, or always studying biblical texts for applicable truths. These laudable activities are only the means to reach the ultimate goal, which is a real loving experience with the living God. I learned about something called “contemplation,” which was the name given to the simple, serene, loving intimacy with God for which my soul had been craving, but had been unknowingly fighting against by trying to regain some perceivable feeling.</div>
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I began to embrace this new quietude and sweetness, but after a few months I was again plunged into a deep darkness of spirit, which frightened me greatly. A depressing weight seemed to descend upon me. I felt like I was suffocating and I was desperate to get out from under it. I felt as though I needed to expand my horizons and renew my outlook on life. I decided that moving away from my hometown would be the sort of stimulating change of setting that I needed to regain that peace.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Searching for God’s Peace</strong></div>
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My foray into the wide world took me next to New England. One night, I stayed at a Benedictine retreat house in Still River, Massachusetts. I still considered myself firmly Protestant, despite the fact that my reading material was at that time mostly written by medieval, Catholic saints. I also felt drawn to monastic settings for some reason, and had a handful of retreat houses picked out prior to my trip that were close to where I would be traveling. At St. Benedict Abbey, after a friendly dinnertime debate with some of the monks about Catholic beliefs, a fellow guest gave me a copy of <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic </em>by David Currie. She said that she would be praying that I would one day become Catholic. I thought to myself that she could pray all she wanted, but that I would never become Catholic. I tucked the book into my things and moved on the next morning.</div>
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I eventually settled in Louisville, Kentucky where I had friends from college. Over the months that followed, I was unable to find a Protestant church that suited me. I knew that I needed more than what I was being offered in the typical Baptist service. Occasionally, in my private time of prayer, I would still enter into moments of that certain deep contemplative peace. Upon going to a Baptist church service, though, I found I was pulled into something much more superficial, with all the songs and preaching and giddy exuberance. On one occasion, I managed through the songs at the beginning of the service, trying unsuccessfully to get into the spirit of the singing. But then, as we sat down and the pastor got up to preach I felt compelled to get up and bolt out of the door, which is exactly what I did. I decided that I could not sit there anymore and listen to another lengthy sermon.</div>
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Christian worship had to be more than that. But where would I go? I had experienced in years past the extremes of Pentecostalism and I knew that was not what I wanted. On the other side, the more “reverent” liturgical churches, in recent decades, seemed to have softened into a shapeless liberalism, so I steered clear of them as well. I looked objectively at all the different types of Christian groups, and I became very disenchanted with the fractured nature of Protestantism. There were so many competing groups, all claiming to be following the same Jesus and reading the same Bible. If the Bible was the authority, why did all these Christians disagree on doctrine and practice?</div>
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I read more on the histories of various denominations and competing theologies and, in the process, my eyes were opened to the fundamental fallacy of the doctrine of <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sola scriptura</em>, the idea that the Bible alone is the sole authority for Christian belief. As I later discovered, so many people who end up becoming Catholic realized that the belief that all Christian teachings must be found in the Bible is <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not itself taught in the Bible!</em></div>
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When the paradoxical truth of that statement settled into my heart and mind, I realized that I could no longer remain Protestant. Protestantism was illogical at its very foundation. However, I also felt that I could not become Catholic either, since I still felt that doctrines like transubstantiation, “worshipping” Mary, praying to saints, the infallibility of the pope, and the belief in purgatory made it a gravely misled religion.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Not Protestant. Not Catholic.</strong></div>
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I spent many months in this odd limbo between worlds, with the frustrated feeling that I was at an impasse. After wrestling with it from all angles, I decided to “just live” and not agonize over it. At least I still believed in Jesus, even though He seemed so distant to me. He was real to me by faith and I would trust Him to sort all these things out for me in time. Since I did not know which group to associate with, I actually stopped going to church services for a while, but I did not stop reading the Bible and trying to pray. Praying, at least with words, was like trying to swim upstream, but I tried not to worry too much about it. I eventually gave up trying to pray words at all and would just allot a certain portion of time each day to kneel quietly before Our Lord.</div>
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I began making weekly day-trips to the nearby Abbey of Gethsemane in Bardstown, Kentucky (where Thomas Merton had lived) for more intense quiet time with God. These peaceful retreats were the most nourishing times to me during this period, and it was the closest that I felt to a spiritual home. I would often attend Compline (Night Prayer) in the chapel.</div>
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Being there with the monks chanting the Psalms was a peaceful and prayerful experience, which made my spirit soar. The peaceful time at the Abbey of Gethsemane resonated with the longing of my spirit and I had a strong sense that I had been brought there by my search for God. I stopped trying to make everything fit together and make sense. For the time, I could gain nourishment from these Catholic resources and places without actually being Catholic. Besides, I was not Protestant anymore. I was not sure exactly what I was except a follower of Jesus, but I was neither a Protestant nor a Catholic. It was a strange time.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Drawn by the Mass</strong></div>
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My apartment in Louisville was very close to Holy Spirit Catholic Church and I passed by it daily. Trying to find more avenues of spiritual nourishment, I decided to attend Mass one Sunday evening. I sat there alone, spiritually burdened, and exhausted. As the liturgy started, I was struck with something new: a worship service that answered the unnamed longing. There was music and singing, but it was peaceful and reverent worship, with a subdued and beautiful joy. There were non-embellished prayers and readings from Scripture, followed by a short sermon.</div>
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As the priest began the Eucharistic prayers, I was prepared to endure some strangeness, some glaring vestiges of ancient pagan rituals. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The Eucharistic prayers sounded scriptural, Christ-centered, and quite rich and meaningful. There was no strangeness, no invoking of pagan deities. The priest was expounding on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, which I wholeheartedly believed in. Above the altar in that particular church, there was a life-size, realistic depiction of Jesus hanging on the cross. I found myself gazing up throughout Mass at His outstretched arms. He seemed to be reaching out to embrace me, to draw me close to Him — there in <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that</em> place. I did not quite understand everything that happened at that first Mass, but I knew I would return the following week.</div>
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I started to feel very much at home at Mass. I still felt strongly that many of the underlying doctrines of the Catholic Church were wrong, but I was finding nourishment there that I had not found elsewhere. I felt confident that I could glean spiritual nourishment by coming there and still not become Catholic. Therefore, I continued to go to Mass.</div>
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Eventually, I was moved to begin reading that book given to me so many months before. <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic</em>actually made me angry the first time through! The author seemed to me to be somewhat arrogant in his absolute certainty of the truths of the Catholic Faith. How could he be so sure? I continued to make the weekly trips to the Abbey of Gethsemane and I read the book again. In addition, I read the writings of the early Church Fathers. I quietly knelt before our Lord daily in prayer, like a mute beggar.</div>
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Then, through continued prayer, reading, study, and attending Mass, a great miracle took place. Nothing else except a miracle could explain the melting away of so many barriers and long-held misconceptions I had about the Catholic Faith. The first doctrine I accepted was that of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I saw anew the sixth chapter of St. John’s Gospel in which Jesus speaks so clearly of the necessity of eating His Body and drinking His Blood. This was confirmed in the writings of the early Church that spoke of the Eucharist in ways consistent with the Catholic teaching. The Lord’s Supper in the Baptist church always seemed to lack something, and now I saw that Baptist teaching on the Eucharist did not match up with either Scripture or early Church practice.</div>
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Papal authority and apostolic succession closed the authority gap that Protestants had unsuccessfully sought to fill with <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sola scriptura</em>. Again I found confirmation in the early Church writings of the authoritative role of the successors of the Apostles and that of the local bishops. After the authority question was settled, the other “problem” doctrines fell into place: purgatory, Mary and the saints, indulgences, and so on. Catholic doctrines and practices are so beautifully woven together that once one begins to accept some of the Church’s teachings, the entire theological system eventually falls into place.</div>
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I joined the RCIA program at Holy Spirit Parish and, at long last, I was received into full communion with the Catholic Church on February 18<sup style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; line-height: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">th</sup>, 1999. Words cannot express the fire that Christ ignited in me through union with His one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church — truly a treasure of treasures. I could go on for pages and pages about the Eucharist alone, as well as the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Communion of Saints, the rosary, the Divine Office, the feasts and liturgical seasons, the myriad of precious devotions, the 2000 years of Christ’s Church on earth, and the increased love for our Lord that He has instilled within me! New vistas and vast oceans of boundless and unspeakable riches have opened up before my eyes as the clear and brilliant light of Truth — O Glorious Truth! — shining brightly from the bosom of Holy Mother Church, in the Bride and Body of Christ dispersed, yet one throughout the whole earth!</div>
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Yes, I knew Jesus Christ as a Protestant. But the crumbs and morsels of Him I previously tasted and cherished I now find laid out in fullness before me upon the richest and most glorious banquet table — the Catholic Church! Praised be God forever!</div>
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Source: <a href="http://chnetwork.org/2012/05/towards-the-light-of-his-truth-conversion-story-of-todd-meade/">The Coming Home Network International</a><br />
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Please post your comments.New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-51966783055133042122012-05-09T15:16:00.000-07:002012-05-14T15:32:08.692-07:00International Exorcist Priest Passes Away<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_nlb8NSORUhL7ojhhyphenhyphen9PGxpWe0AXjvnc3111UVrTl4gnwQyHaZLLlMFfhmf7IzeQ5U3clCEhZ7YkiYN2fnJg0RD1E5u1xgm3_J0Jl1Y-OlPKrNl2S6ZpqPnWrmWp977PHEaeJW7YzQ/s1600/image522435245243.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5742517342369900050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_nlb8NSORUhL7ojhhyphenhyphen9PGxpWe0AXjvnc3111UVrTl4gnwQyHaZLLlMFfhmf7IzeQ5U3clCEhZ7YkiYN2fnJg0RD1E5u1xgm3_J0Jl1Y-OlPKrNl2S6ZpqPnWrmWp977PHEaeJW7YzQ/s320/image522435245243.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 206px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/fr-rufus-pereira-vice-president-of.html">Fr Rufus Pereira</a> died in the morning on Wednesday, 2 May 2012 due to cardiac arrest during sleep in London, UK. He had been to Europe tour for giving retreats. He was known worldwide for performing exorcisms for healing and deliverance meetings. The body of Father Rufus remain in England until they have completed preparations to take him to India, where he will be buried. The date has not yet been disclosed.</div>
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Father Rufus was born in Bandra on 6-May-1933. He was a priest in the Archdiocese of Bombay and was a resident at St. Pius Church Mulund. He was an international charismatic preacher and was known for his power in deliverance (casting away the demons).</div>
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His first personal experience of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was on Pentecost Sunday in 1972 – at the Renewal’s beginning in India. Since then he has worked extensively in Renewal and World Evangelism ministries.</div>
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He studied Philosophy, Theology and Sacred Scripture in Rome, where he was ordained in 1956. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology.</div>
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For several years he served as director/headmaster of four secondary schools in Mumbai. In addition to the retreat speaker, Bible teacher and lecturer, he was a professor of Sacred Scripture in postgraduate courses in various Papal Theological Institutes.</div>
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He was also president of the International Association for the Ministry of Liberation. He published numerous articles and biblical theology, especially on evangelism and healing.<br />
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He was appointed by Archbishop Cardinal Gracias to dedicate himself to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Since then he has preached in meetings, retreats and missions throughout your country and also throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and some places in Latin America such as Brazil, where he was several times, including the New Song Community.</div>
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Father Rufus was also a director of the National Charismatic Bible College. It has recently been integrated into the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) in Rome, as responsible for the global ministry of healing and deliverance.</div>
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Father Rufus was editor of ‘Charisindia’, the National Charismatic Monthly, and director of the National Charismatic Bible College and continues to be visiting post-graduate Scripture professor at a Pontifical Theological Institute. In 1994 he was selected as Vice-president of the newly started International Association of Exorcists, Rome and in 1995 initiated the International Association for the Ministry of Deliverance.</div>
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He joined the ICCRS Council in 1997 and represents Asia and the Healing and Deliverance Ministries.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://persecutedchurch.info/2012/05/07/eminent-exorcist-and-charismatic-priest-goes-to-be-with-the-lord/">The CSF</a></div>
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Related post:</div>
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/fr-rufus-pereira-vice-president-of.html">Fr. Rufus Pereira Vice-president Of The Association Of Exorcists</a></div>
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-81548735193011982432012-05-04T10:57:00.001-07:002012-05-04T10:57:50.497-07:00Why A Former Evangelical Loves The Rosary<br />
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<a href="http://newcovenantjournal.blogspot.com/2010/11/dr-scott-hahn.html">Scott Hahn</a> is a well-known Catholic writer. He used to be staunchly anti-Catholic Presbyterian minister. He is now a Catholic. Scott tells how, as a fervent Evangelical teenager, he discovered his grandmother’s rosary beads. His grandmother had just died and the young Scott Hahn ripped the rosary in pieces crying out, ‘God, set her free from the chains of Catholicism that have bound her!’</div>
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Since then, Scott has discovered the power of the rosary and has written a beautiful book about the Blessed Virgin Mary called <em>Hail Holy Queen. </em>Scott is not the only American Evangelical to have discovered the rosary. I was brought up in a similar background. After university I came to England to study and was eventually ordained as an Anglican priest. As an Anglican priest I used to make my annual retreat at Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. Just as I was about to leave for retreat a parishioner gave me a rosary. She had just come back from a pilgrimage to Walshingham and she had felt led to buy me this gift. I had never used the rosary, and was prejudiced against it.</div>
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But one of my guiding principles was a little saying I had discovered while a student. It is, ‘A person is most often right in what he affirms and wrong in what he denies.’ So I looked at the rosary and asked myself why I was denying something used by millions of fellow Christians. Who was more likely to be right—me or the millions? So I went to the Abbey bookshop and found a little book of instruction and started to learn my way around that ‘chain of prayer that binds us to God.’</div>
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What happened next was terrible. Within weeks my life started to come apart at the seams. I was a young priest who thought he had everything together. Suddenly I began to see great fault lines in my life. I started to receive Christian counselling and God began the long process of sorting me out, and before he could start to put me together he had to take me apart. It wasn’t easy, but in the midst of it a gentle priest said to me, ‘Our Lady’s prayers have done you so much good haven’t they?’ Only then did I realise that the healing process I was going through had started once I began using the rosary.</div>
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Since then I have used the rosary regularly in my life. The journey of Christian healing is never over, and the rosary has been my link back to that same power that constantly seeks to draw me back to Christ. I am also convinced that praying with the rosary has been one of the great magnets that finally drew me into full communion with the Catholic Church. Evangelicals have great difficulties understanding the Catholic view of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At worst they think we worship Mary instead of God. At least they think our worship of Jesus Christ is distorted by our devotion to Mary. They have trouble accepting the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Our Lady. I had thought these things through, but it was the rosary that brought me to understand them with the heart, not just with the head.</div>
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This is why I am so delighted by Pope John Paul’s new encyclical letter on the Rosary. He has called for the year from now until next October as the year of the rosary. As part of his renewal of the rosary the Pope has introduced five new mysteries. These five mysteries take us further into the life of Christ. The Joyful Mysteries focus on his conception, birth and boyhood. The sorrowful mysteries focus on his passion and death. But the new ‘Mysteries of Light’ or ‘Luminous Mysteries’ take us into his earthly ministry. The five new mysteries are 1. Our Lord’s Baptism 2. Our Lord’s First Miracle at the Wedding in Cana 3. Our Lord’s Teaching on the Kingdom and the need for Repentance 4. The Transfiguration and 5. The Institution of the Eucharist.</div>
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Many people who use the rosary focus on one set of mysteries per day. Where does the new set of mysteries fit in? The traditional form is for Sunday to be devoted to the Glorious Mysteries, then Monday and Thursday for the Joyful Mysteries, Tuesday and Friday for the Sorrowful Mysteries and Wednesday and Saturday for the Glorious Mysteries. The Pope suggests that instead of focussing on the Glorious Mysteries on Saturday and Sunday, that we focus on the Joyful Mysteries on Saturday instead of Thursday, which leaves Thursday free for the Luminous Mysteries.</div>
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Put simply, the order goes like this: Sunday: <em>Glorious</em>. Monday: <em>Joyful</em>. Tuesday: <em>Sorrowful</em>. Wednesday: <em>Glorious</em>. Thursday:<em>Luminous</em>. Friday: <em>Sorrowful</em>. Saturday: <em>Joyful</em>.</div>
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I’m delighted with this renewal of the rosary not only for my own life, but because of my friendship with Evangelicals. I correspond regularly with many evangelical friends. I have to admit that most are not really interested in the Catholic Church. But some are interested and a few are attracted to the Catholic faith. However, they still have problems with our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now the Pope has answered many of their concerns.</div>
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They have argued that that the rosary does not focus on the ministry and teaching of Jesus. Pope John Paul has corrected that imbalance. They have worried that the prayer is a vain form of repetition done only for its own sake. The pope warns that the rosary is simply a method of contemplation. As such, ‘it serves as a means to an end and cannot become an end in itself.’ They have complained that those who use the rosary ignore Scripture. In the new encyclical the pope teaches us to use passages from Scripture to nourish and inform our contemplation of Christ. They have complained that the rosary focuses on Mary too much. The Pope has reminded all of us that the centre of the rosary is Christ not Mary. Furthermore, in substituting the Luminous Mysteries for one day’s focus on the Glorious Mysteries he has boosted our focus on Christ and slightly lessened our attention to Mary in the mysteries of the Assumption and Coronation.</div>
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One of the best things about Evangelicals is their emphasis on having a ‘personal relationship with Jesus’. Often that means they regard Christ as a friend and brother. That is good, but Jesus Christ is also our Lord and God. Because of this our relationship with him should also be one of adoration and love. My evangelical friends admit that they are not strong on this aspect of worship. They shouldn’t be afraid of the rosary. It provides a way for all Christians to enter into a closer relationship with Christ. To contemplate is to spend time in Christ’s loving presence, and the rosary is an excellent way to do this. As the Pope reminds us, ‘To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ.’</div>
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Go <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/holy-mary-mother-of-god" style="color: #0066cc;">here</a> for more archived articles on The Blessed Virgin Mary.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/why-a-former-evangelical-loves-the-rosary">Standing On My Head</a></div>
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Please post your comments.</div>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1795405981190974210.post-30324386817362808122012-05-04T10:47:00.000-07:002012-05-04T10:51:50.676-07:00The Differing Depths Of Prayer<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Anyone with a regular prayer life can attest to the great variation from one prayer time to the next. Some days, you’re trudging through Scripture like a knee-high river while other days you are elevated beyond the text and find yourself to be counted among the crowd of Jesus’ first-century disciples. Of course, given the chaos of life, the former is much more familiar than the latter, but it is the deep experience with Christ that causes a desire to return to well up within us. The difference from one prayer time to the next has often baffled me – especially when I ardently try to have a profound experience, but am unable to go beyond simple meditation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">About eight months ago, a confessor recommended that I read the Passion narrative from each Gospel, moving from one to the next and then repeating the cycle. I followed his advice for several months and began to discover analogies and nuances throughout; once I became intimately familiar with the events portrayed in the Gospels, my imagination was no longer focused on the verse-to-verse occurrences and began filling in details not mentioned in the story. Did St. Peter know Malchus before he cut off his ear? Was Pilate’s fear a superstition and, if so, was he more afraid of Caesar than the son of a God? Why is Peter seen as such a <a href="http://truthandcharity.net/st-peter-slave-no-more/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0167ab; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">hot/cold</a> figure in the Gospel of John?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://truthandcharity.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Giovanni_di_paolo_Christ_in_the_Garden_of_Gethsemane.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0167ab; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3910" height="285" src="http://truthandcharity.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Giovanni_di_paolo_Christ_in_the_Garden_of_Gethsemane-300x285.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Giovanni_di_paolo,_Christ_in_the_Garden_of_Gethsemane" width="300" /></a>Naturally, some days during this time of meditating on the passion bore more tangible spiritual fruit than others and it was during one of the drier days that I read the following verses from Mark 14:</span></div>
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray. He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him.</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">People certainly experience Christ in different ways and at different depths. Something that can be drawn from this passage are the various levels into which God draws us.</span></div>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-position: outside; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ’s disciples.</strong> These followers are brought to the garden after having just celebrated passover with the Son of God. It is a communal and public experience in which true intimacy might be rare. Many of the faithful find themselves here throughout the day – perhaps unable to enter into a formal prayer time, though small prayers and sacrifices are made.</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-position: outside; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peter, James and John.</strong> These men were selected in this situation to separate from the other group so that their friendship with the Lord might be relied upon in the difficult hour. Likewise, when we present ourselves to God in a time set aside for prayer, He often calls us out of the communal mindset and we find him on a more personal level; <span class="et-tooltip" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #993300; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">presenting Him</span></span> with thanks and petitions. The Lord gives consolation and a deep peace to those disposed to receiving it.</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-position: outside; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ, alone.</strong> Contemplation is a profound mystery of Catholic spirituality in which the beloved is lifted<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">beyond themselves</em> in such a way that the self is forgotten and Christ is all that remains. A person praying may only receive a moment from God on this level, but it is profound, nonetheless; at other times, this contemplation may last and the soul beholds Christ in such depth that the environment, time, and just about everything else is forgotten.</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Of course, Peter, James and John didn’t simply follow Jesus – they were invited. Many times, a person will become frustrated because they are unable to return to a certain level of deep prayer they experienced in the past. This happens either because of distraction (or willingness to indulge in distraction) or that God desires your perseverance in prayer, which is a virtue that would atrophy if the person levitated during every meditation – returning to prayer would be easy. Since God’s hand is behind any honest prayer experience, we must trust him with the result. While a simple study of Scripture may not be what we want, it is what God wants for us, today. We should be happier to pray as we are led by the Holy Spirit than to pray as we want.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Source: <a href="http://truthandcharity.net/the-differing-depts-of-prayer/">Truth & Charity</a></span><br />
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Please post your comments.</span>New Covenant Journalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15370360466778255724noreply@blogger.com0