We are making some progress here people.
---
"The Eucharist is the consummation of the whole spiritual life,"
"The Bread of angels has
become the Bread of mankind;
This heavenly Bread puts an
end to all images;
O wonderful reality!
The poor, the slave, and the
humble can eat the Lord."
-Thomas Aquinas( 13th Century)
---
"What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this under the form of a little bread, for our salvation"
"In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood."
"Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all Heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest."
-St Francis of Assisi(Early 13th Century)
-----
"O You who are mad about Your creature! true God and true Man, You have left Yourself wholly to us, as food, so that we will not fall through weariness during our pilgrimage in this life, but will be fortified by You, celestial nourishment,"
-Saint Catherine of Siena(14th Century)
----
---
"Here, in the Sacrament of the Altar, You are wholly present, my God, the Man Christ Jesus; here we freely partake the fruit of eternal salvation... No levity, curiosity, or sentimentality must draw us, but firm faith, devout hope and sincere love."
"O God, invisible Creator of the world, how wonderful are Your dealings with us! How sweetly and graciously You welcome Your chosen, to whom You give Yourself in this Sacrament! It passes all understanding, it kindles the love and draws the hearts of the faithful to Yourself. For Your faithful ones, who strive to amend their whole lives, receive in this most exalted Sacrament the grace of devotion and the love of virtue,"
-St Thomas a Kempis (Late 14th/ Early 15th Century)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
eucharist(4)
Here are some more quotes, today we will get to a new millenium in the quotes. Im sorry that I am still missing a few centuries, i am working hard on researching and finding some quotes from them.
"Hold most firmly and never doubt in the least that the Only-begotten God the Word Himself become flesh offered Himself in an odor of sweetness as a Sacrifice and Victim to God on our behalf; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, in the time of the Old Testament animals were sacrificed by the patriarchs and prophets and priests; and to whom now, I mean in the time of the New Testament, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, with whom He has one Godhead, the Holy Catholic Church does not cease in faith and love to offer throughout all the lands of the world a sacrifice of Bread and Wine . . . In those former sacrifices what would be given us in the future was signified figuratively; but in this sacrifice which has now been given us, it is shown plainly. In those former sacrifices it was fore-announced that the Son of God would be killed for the impious; but in the present it is announced that He has been killed for the impious."
-St Fulgene of Ruspe (6th Century)
---
If the Word of God is living and powerful, and if the Lord does all things whatsoever he wills; if he said, "Let there be light", and it happened; if he said, "let there be a firmament", and it happened; ...if finally the Word of God himself willingly became man and made flesh for himself out of the most pure and undefiled blood of the holy and ever Virgin, why should he not be capable of making bread his Body and wine and water his Blood?... God said, "This is my Body", and "This is my Blood."
- St. John of Damascus (Late 7th, Early 8th Century)
----
"I adore and venerate you as much as ever I can, though my love is so cold, my devotion so poor. Thank you for the good gift of this your holy Body and Blood, which I desire to receive...,"
-St Anselm (11th Century)
---
"O outstanding miracle! O marvelous and most divine Sacrament!... What the priest takes up is not what he replaces on the altar. That which is taken up and placed down seems to be the same in appearance, colors and taste. Completely different, however, is that which appears from that which lies within. Common bread is lifted up from the altar; the immortal Flesh of Christ is set down upon it. What was natural food has become spiritual food. What was the momentary refreshment of man has been made the eternal and unfailing nourishment of angels,"
- Stephen, Bishop of Autun (12th Century)
"Hold most firmly and never doubt in the least that the Only-begotten God the Word Himself become flesh offered Himself in an odor of sweetness as a Sacrifice and Victim to God on our behalf; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, in the time of the Old Testament animals were sacrificed by the patriarchs and prophets and priests; and to whom now, I mean in the time of the New Testament, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, with whom He has one Godhead, the Holy Catholic Church does not cease in faith and love to offer throughout all the lands of the world a sacrifice of Bread and Wine . . . In those former sacrifices what would be given us in the future was signified figuratively; but in this sacrifice which has now been given us, it is shown plainly. In those former sacrifices it was fore-announced that the Son of God would be killed for the impious; but in the present it is announced that He has been killed for the impious."
-St Fulgene of Ruspe (6th Century)
---
If the Word of God is living and powerful, and if the Lord does all things whatsoever he wills; if he said, "Let there be light", and it happened; if he said, "let there be a firmament", and it happened; ...if finally the Word of God himself willingly became man and made flesh for himself out of the most pure and undefiled blood of the holy and ever Virgin, why should he not be capable of making bread his Body and wine and water his Blood?... God said, "This is my Body", and "This is my Blood."
- St. John of Damascus (Late 7th, Early 8th Century)
----
"I adore and venerate you as much as ever I can, though my love is so cold, my devotion so poor. Thank you for the good gift of this your holy Body and Blood, which I desire to receive...,"
-St Anselm (11th Century)
---
"O outstanding miracle! O marvelous and most divine Sacrament!... What the priest takes up is not what he replaces on the altar. That which is taken up and placed down seems to be the same in appearance, colors and taste. Completely different, however, is that which appears from that which lies within. Common bread is lifted up from the altar; the immortal Flesh of Christ is set down upon it. What was natural food has become spiritual food. What was the momentary refreshment of man has been made the eternal and unfailing nourishment of angels,"
- Stephen, Bishop of Autun (12th Century)
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Eucharist (3)
Today we continue on with this series. I am hoping that this collection of quotes proves to you that, wether or not you agree with the catholic belief, we are at least being consistent over the last 2000 years.
"Christ said indicating (the bread and wine): 'This is My Body,' and "This is My Blood," in order that you might not judge what you see to be a mere figure. The offerings, by the hidden power of God Almighty, are changed into Christ's Body and Blood, and by receiving these we come to share in the life-giving and sanctifying efficacy of Christ."
-St Cyril of Alexandria (5th Century)
---
"The bread that you see on the altar is the Body of Christ as soon as it is sanctified by God's word. The chalice, or better what is contained in the chalice, is the Blood of Christ as soon as it is sanctified by God's word,"
"For the whole Church observes this practice which was handed down by the Fathers: that it prayers for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their own place in the sacrifice itself; and the sacrifice is offered also in memory of them on their behalf."
"We do not sin when we adore Christ in the Eucharist; we do sin when we do not adore Christ in the Eucharist."
- St. Augustine(Mid 5th Century)
---
We are made partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ, not as taking common flesh, nor as of a holy man united to the Word in dignity, but the truly life-giving flesh of the Word Himself.
- Council of Ephesus 431
---
"When the Lord says: 'Unless you shall have eaten the flesh of the Son of Man and shall have drunk His blood, you shall not have life in you,' you ought to so communicate at the Sacred Table that you have no doubt whatever of the truth of the Body and the Blood of Christ. For that which is taken in the mouth is what is believed in faith; and in do those respond, 'Amen,' who argue against that which is received."
-St Leo I (5th Century)
"Christ said indicating (the bread and wine): 'This is My Body,' and "This is My Blood," in order that you might not judge what you see to be a mere figure. The offerings, by the hidden power of God Almighty, are changed into Christ's Body and Blood, and by receiving these we come to share in the life-giving and sanctifying efficacy of Christ."
-St Cyril of Alexandria (5th Century)
---
"The bread that you see on the altar is the Body of Christ as soon as it is sanctified by God's word. The chalice, or better what is contained in the chalice, is the Blood of Christ as soon as it is sanctified by God's word,"
"For the whole Church observes this practice which was handed down by the Fathers: that it prayers for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their own place in the sacrifice itself; and the sacrifice is offered also in memory of them on their behalf."
"We do not sin when we adore Christ in the Eucharist; we do sin when we do not adore Christ in the Eucharist."
- St. Augustine(Mid 5th Century)
---
We are made partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ, not as taking common flesh, nor as of a holy man united to the Word in dignity, but the truly life-giving flesh of the Word Himself.
- Council of Ephesus 431
---
"When the Lord says: 'Unless you shall have eaten the flesh of the Son of Man and shall have drunk His blood, you shall not have life in you,' you ought to so communicate at the Sacred Table that you have no doubt whatever of the truth of the Body and the Blood of Christ. For that which is taken in the mouth is what is believed in faith; and in do those respond, 'Amen,' who argue against that which is received."
-St Leo I (5th Century)
Friday, July 27, 2007
eucharist(2)
let us continue to see what the early christians believed about the eucharist(communion, lords supper)
"The priest who imitates that which Christ did, truly takes the place of Christ, and offers there in the Church a true and perfect sacrifice to God the Father."
-St Cyprian of Carthage(Mid 3rd Century)
---
"After the disciples had eaten the new and holy Bread, and when they understood by faith that they had eaten of Christ's body, Christ went on to explain and to give them the whole Sacrament. He took and mixed a cup of wine. The He blessed it, and signed it, and made it holy, declaring that it was His own Blood, which was about to be poured out. ...Christ commanded them to drink, and He explained to them that the cup which they were drinking was His own Blood: 'This is truly My Blood, which is shed for all of you. Take, all of you, drink of this, because it is a new covenant in My Blood, As you have seen Me do, do you also in My memory. Whenever you are gathered together in My name in Churches everywhere, do what I have done, in memory of Me. Eat My Body, and drink My Blood, a covenant new and old.",
-St Ephraim (Mid 4th Century)
----
"In Cana of Galilee Christ changed water into wine, and shall we think Him less worthy of credit when He changes wine into His Blood?,"
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem(4th Century)
---
This bread and this wine, so long as the prayers and supplications have not taken place, remain simply what they are. But after the great prayers and holy supplications have been sent forth, the Word comes down into the bread and wine - and thus His Body is confected.",
-St Athanasius (Mid 4th Century)
---
"Rightly then, do we believe that the bread consecrated by the word of God has been made over into the Body of the God the Word. For that Body was, as to its potency bread; but it has been consecrated by the lodging there of the Word, who pitched His tent in the flesh."
-St Gregory of Nyssa (Late 4th Century)
----
"It is not the power of man which makes what is put before us the Body and Blood of Christ, but the power of Christ Himself who was crucified for us. The priest standing there in the place of Christ says these words but their power and grace are from God. 'This is My Body,' he says, and these words transform what lies before him."
-St John Chrysostom (Early 5th Century)
"The priest who imitates that which Christ did, truly takes the place of Christ, and offers there in the Church a true and perfect sacrifice to God the Father."
-St Cyprian of Carthage(Mid 3rd Century)
---
"After the disciples had eaten the new and holy Bread, and when they understood by faith that they had eaten of Christ's body, Christ went on to explain and to give them the whole Sacrament. He took and mixed a cup of wine. The He blessed it, and signed it, and made it holy, declaring that it was His own Blood, which was about to be poured out. ...Christ commanded them to drink, and He explained to them that the cup which they were drinking was His own Blood: 'This is truly My Blood, which is shed for all of you. Take, all of you, drink of this, because it is a new covenant in My Blood, As you have seen Me do, do you also in My memory. Whenever you are gathered together in My name in Churches everywhere, do what I have done, in memory of Me. Eat My Body, and drink My Blood, a covenant new and old.",
-St Ephraim (Mid 4th Century)
----
"In Cana of Galilee Christ changed water into wine, and shall we think Him less worthy of credit when He changes wine into His Blood?,"
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem(4th Century)
---
This bread and this wine, so long as the prayers and supplications have not taken place, remain simply what they are. But after the great prayers and holy supplications have been sent forth, the Word comes down into the bread and wine - and thus His Body is confected.",
-St Athanasius (Mid 4th Century)
---
"Rightly then, do we believe that the bread consecrated by the word of God has been made over into the Body of the God the Word. For that Body was, as to its potency bread; but it has been consecrated by the lodging there of the Word, who pitched His tent in the flesh."
-St Gregory of Nyssa (Late 4th Century)
----
"It is not the power of man which makes what is put before us the Body and Blood of Christ, but the power of Christ Himself who was crucified for us. The priest standing there in the place of Christ says these words but their power and grace are from God. 'This is My Body,' he says, and these words transform what lies before him."
-St John Chrysostom (Early 5th Century)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
eucharist(1)
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and controversial teachings of Catholicism is transubstantiation, or the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I must say that it was something that actually initially drew me to the Catholic Church. I find it to be consistent with the Scriptures, and that it has been consistently taught for the last 20 centuries.
Over the next few entries we will look at quotes from Christians throughout the centuries to see if I am right in believing that it has been a consistent belief for the past 2000 years.
_______________________________________________
Jn 6:53 "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life."
----
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
----
"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."
"Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us. They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead."
-St Ignatius of Antioch (Late 1st Century)
----
"This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."
"God has therefore announced in advance that all the sacrifices offered in His name, which Jesus Christ offered, that is, in the Eucharist of the Bread and of the Chalice, which are offered by us Christians in every part of the world, are pleasing to Him."
"Moreover, as I said before, concerning the sacrifices which you at that time offered, God speaks through Malachias, one of the twelve, as follows: 'I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord; and I will not accept your sacrifices from your hands; for from the rising of the sun until its setting, my name has been glorified among the gentiles; and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a clean offering: for great is my name among the gentiles, says the Lord; but you profane it.' It is of the sacrifices offered to Him in every place by us, the gentiles, that is, of the Bread of the Eucharist and likewise of the cup of the Eucharist, that He speaks at that time; and He says that we glorify His name, while you profane it."
-St Justin Martyr (Mid 2nd Century)
-----
"So then, if the mixed cup and the manufactured bread receive the Word of God and become the Eucharist, that is to say, the Blood and Body of Christ, which fortify and build up the substance of our flesh, how can these people claim that the flesh is incapable of receiving God's gift of eternal life, when it is nourished by Christ's Blood and Body and is His member? As the blessed apostle says in his letter to the Ephesians, 'For we are members of His Body, of His flesh and of His bones' (Eph. 5:30). He is not talking about some kind of 'spiritual' and 'invisible' man, 'for a spirit does not have flesh an bones' (Lk. 24:39). No, he is talking of the organism possessed by a real human being, composed of flesh and nerves and bones. It is this which is nourished by the cup which is His Blood, and is fortified by the bread which is His Body. The stem of the vine takes root in the earth and eventually bears fruit, and 'the grain of wheat falls into the earth' (Jn. 12:24), dissolves, rises again, multiplied by the all-containing Spirit of God, and finally after skilled processing, is put to human use. These two then receive the Word of God and become the Eucharist, which is the Body and Blood of Christ."
"Jesus taught a new sacrifice which the Church received from the Apostles and offers throughout the whole world."
-St Irenaeus of Lyons (Late 2nd Century)
Over the next few entries we will look at quotes from Christians throughout the centuries to see if I am right in believing that it has been a consistent belief for the past 2000 years.
_______________________________________________
Jn 6:53 "Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you; he who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life."
----
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
----
"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ."
"Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us. They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead."
-St Ignatius of Antioch (Late 1st Century)
----
"This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."
"God has therefore announced in advance that all the sacrifices offered in His name, which Jesus Christ offered, that is, in the Eucharist of the Bread and of the Chalice, which are offered by us Christians in every part of the world, are pleasing to Him."
"Moreover, as I said before, concerning the sacrifices which you at that time offered, God speaks through Malachias, one of the twelve, as follows: 'I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord; and I will not accept your sacrifices from your hands; for from the rising of the sun until its setting, my name has been glorified among the gentiles; and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a clean offering: for great is my name among the gentiles, says the Lord; but you profane it.' It is of the sacrifices offered to Him in every place by us, the gentiles, that is, of the Bread of the Eucharist and likewise of the cup of the Eucharist, that He speaks at that time; and He says that we glorify His name, while you profane it."
-St Justin Martyr (Mid 2nd Century)
-----
"So then, if the mixed cup and the manufactured bread receive the Word of God and become the Eucharist, that is to say, the Blood and Body of Christ, which fortify and build up the substance of our flesh, how can these people claim that the flesh is incapable of receiving God's gift of eternal life, when it is nourished by Christ's Blood and Body and is His member? As the blessed apostle says in his letter to the Ephesians, 'For we are members of His Body, of His flesh and of His bones' (Eph. 5:30). He is not talking about some kind of 'spiritual' and 'invisible' man, 'for a spirit does not have flesh an bones' (Lk. 24:39). No, he is talking of the organism possessed by a real human being, composed of flesh and nerves and bones. It is this which is nourished by the cup which is His Blood, and is fortified by the bread which is His Body. The stem of the vine takes root in the earth and eventually bears fruit, and 'the grain of wheat falls into the earth' (Jn. 12:24), dissolves, rises again, multiplied by the all-containing Spirit of God, and finally after skilled processing, is put to human use. These two then receive the Word of God and become the Eucharist, which is the Body and Blood of Christ."
"Jesus taught a new sacrifice which the Church received from the Apostles and offers throughout the whole world."
-St Irenaeus of Lyons (Late 2nd Century)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
reflections on my first latin mass
"You come to me and unite Yourself intimately to me under the form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, Your Soul, Incarnate God, compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!"
- St. Maximilian Kolbe
So Sunday I went to my first Latin Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Grand Rapids. I went not really sure what to expect. I had heard much talk about it(especially in the wake of the motu proprio). Anyways. I am guessing it was a low mass. I am not sure of all the differences in the different ways the mass is celebrated, but i think it was a low mass.
Anyways here are my positive impressions:
1) I loved the church building. I am a sucker for well designed and cool looking churches. It was a beautiful looking church building with a wonderful architecture and interior. There were stain glass windows on both sides with the joyful and glorious mysteries. it was simply incredible, i spent the first 5 minutes in there looking around
2)In the Latin mass it makes it more obvious that the priest is not just another person, he has a special role
3)It seemed like everyone was very reverent
4) Receiving the Holy Eucharist while kneeling was a totally different experience that i definetly liked
5) i loved the fact that there were prayers at the end that the congregation prayed together. And people stayed and prayed instead of rushing to get out
well, thats my thoughts.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The mysteries of the rosary
When one prays the rosary, they meditate on certain mysteries. These mysteries are based off of the lives of Jesus and Mary. There are 4 sets of mysteries which are as follows:
The Joyful Mysteries(Monday and Saturday):
1.The Annunciation-when the angel announces to Mary that she will be the Mother of God Incarnate. (It is from this scripture passage that
2.The Visitation- when Mary visits Elizabeth.
3.The Nativity- the birth of Jesus.
4.The Presentation-the presenting of Jesus in the temple
5.The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday):
1. The Agony in the Garden- Jesus time in the Garden of Gethsemenae before being arrested
2. The Scourging at the Pillar- Jesus is scourged by Pilate
3. The Crowning with Thorns- Jesus is mocked by the soldiers
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5.The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries(Wednesday and Sunday):
1.The Resurrection of Jesus
2. The Ascension of Christ into Heaven
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. The Coronation of Mary
The Luminous Mysteries(added by Pope John Paul II, said on Thursdays)
1.The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
2.The Wedding at Cana
3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4.The Transfiguration
5.The Institution of the Eucharist
(I personally like the luminous mysteries, because it is easier to break the week down because the luminous mysteries seperate the other sets of mysteries during the week.)
The Rosary is a wonderful,simple way to meditate on the work of Christ.
The Joyful Mysteries(Monday and Saturday):
1.The Annunciation-when the angel announces to Mary that she will be the Mother of God Incarnate. (It is from this scripture passage that
2.The Visitation- when Mary visits Elizabeth.
3.The Nativity- the birth of Jesus.
4.The Presentation-the presenting of Jesus in the temple
5.The Finding of Jesus in the Temple
The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesday and Friday):
1. The Agony in the Garden- Jesus time in the Garden of Gethsemenae before being arrested
2. The Scourging at the Pillar- Jesus is scourged by Pilate
3. The Crowning with Thorns- Jesus is mocked by the soldiers
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5.The Crucifixion
The Glorious Mysteries(Wednesday and Sunday):
1.The Resurrection of Jesus
2. The Ascension of Christ into Heaven
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
5. The Coronation of Mary
The Luminous Mysteries(added by Pope John Paul II, said on Thursdays)
1.The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
2.The Wedding at Cana
3.The Proclamation of the Kingdom
4.The Transfiguration
5.The Institution of the Eucharist
(I personally like the luminous mysteries, because it is easier to break the week down because the luminous mysteries seperate the other sets of mysteries during the week.)
The Rosary is a wonderful,simple way to meditate on the work of Christ.
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Prayers of the Rosary( as well as some other prayers i like)
So today we will take a look at the prayers of the rosary
The Apostles Creed- which is prayed on the cross itself. Wonderful statement of basic Christian beliefs.( I posted on it in another blog)
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Our Father is the prayer that Christ gave to his apostles when they asked how to pray. It is a wonderful prayer, and a beautiful one too!
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full or grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The beginning of the Hail Mary comes straight from Scripture, and combines both what the angel says to her, as well as what Elizabeth says to her. The prayer even points to Jesus(as Mary always does).
The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end Amen.
Another Beautiful Prayer, it has been passed on down the centuries. It focuses on the Holy Trinity, and the Glory that is due to the each of the members of the Trinity.
The Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, saves us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven, and help especially those most in need of Thy mercy.
This is a prayer that is not necessarily part of the Rosary, but many people add it in after the Glory Be. It is a short prayer, and helps bring to mind an attitude of repentance.
The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
I love this prayer. It is beautiful in its description of the Holy Mother. And once again the prayer asks her to point us to Christ!
These are the wonderful prayers of the Holy Rosary. Tomorrow I will post on the mysteries of the Rosary.
Here is another prayer that I am a big fan of: The St Michael Prayer, which was penned by Pope Leo XIII at the end of the 19th Century.
St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou O Prince of the heavenly Host, by the Divine power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all evil spirits, who roam now throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
The Apostles Creed- which is prayed on the cross itself. Wonderful statement of basic Christian beliefs.( I posted on it in another blog)
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The Our Father is the prayer that Christ gave to his apostles when they asked how to pray. It is a wonderful prayer, and a beautiful one too!
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full or grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
The beginning of the Hail Mary comes straight from Scripture, and combines both what the angel says to her, as well as what Elizabeth says to her. The prayer even points to Jesus(as Mary always does).
The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end Amen.
Another Beautiful Prayer, it has been passed on down the centuries. It focuses on the Holy Trinity, and the Glory that is due to the each of the members of the Trinity.
The Fatima Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, saves us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven, and help especially those most in need of Thy mercy.
This is a prayer that is not necessarily part of the Rosary, but many people add it in after the Glory Be. It is a short prayer, and helps bring to mind an attitude of repentance.
The Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
I love this prayer. It is beautiful in its description of the Holy Mother. And once again the prayer asks her to point us to Christ!
These are the wonderful prayers of the Holy Rosary. Tomorrow I will post on the mysteries of the Rosary.
Here is another prayer that I am a big fan of: The St Michael Prayer, which was penned by Pope Leo XIII at the end of the 19th Century.
St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou O Prince of the heavenly Host, by the Divine power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all evil spirits, who roam now throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
the one true church
Recently, The Congregation For The Doctrine of The Faith released a document that further clarified the Catholic Church's Doctrine on the Church (Ecclesiology). It sought to clear up misconceptions of how the Catholic Church viewed both itself and other ecclesiastical bodies. You can find the document here .This document is approved by the Pope, who just a few days earlier had also approved wider use of the Latin version of the Mass. Both of these moves are annoying to the liberals in the Catholic Church who use Vatican II as an excuse to desecrate the mass as well as promote false ecumenism(ignoring the big differences). I must say that this makes me quite proud of the Pope, he is standing up to those who have strayed to the liberal side.
The news had horrible coverage of the release of this document. Most headlines involved 1)the catholic church claiming it is the only true church and/or 2)protestant churches are not. There is a lot more depth in this three and a half page document then that.(funny thing is, i saw an article that said the document was 16 pages...talk about bad news coverage!) It is safe to say that the media absolutely skewed the document, its purpose, and did all of this in an attempt to once again stir up prejudice against catholics(the only acceptable prejudice in America if you ask me).
In my opinion i think this document is wonderful, it does not back away from proclaiming what the Catholic Church has always taught and believed as truth. That way when we dialogue with the Orthodox, or the Protestants, or anyone, we do not hide what we believe. The Catholic Church has always held that it is the church established by Christ and built on the rock of peter. For them to betray this idea would be to cease to be Catholic.
The media was quick to point out that the statement says that orthodox churches are "defective", but apparently they missed the part that says that we recognize them as churches. The media definetly used the Catholic's church stance on the Protestants to spark angry comments. The Catholic Church does not use the term church in regards to Protestants. This is because according to the Catholic Ecclesiology, they are not. Protestant communities "do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church" and "cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called 'churches' in the proper sense."
This all makes sense, seeing as how the Catholic Church views itself as the true church, as well as containing the fullness of the faith. This document does not say that protestants go directly to hell because of being Protestant or Orthodox.
I pray that this document can open up real dialogue between churches, not false ecumenicism
rosary part 1
The Rosary is perhaps one of the most identifiable parts of Catholicism. It is also something that is often attacked because of it's emphasis on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Over the next few days I am going to discuss the rosary, the prayers involved in the rosary, and some of the basic catholic beliefs about the Blessed Virgin.
The name Rosary comes from the Latin word rosarium which means "Crown of Roses". The Rosary has been around for about 1000 years and has been practiced by Catholics for quite some time. The item of the rosary is a set of beads that each denote a certain prayer. The beads are organized into decades(sets of 10) of "Hail Mary" with beads before each decade where an "Our Father" is said. During each decade the person praying the rosary is to meditate on various sets of mysteries. These Mysteries revolve around the Gospels, and are wonderful in helping one think deeply about various aspects of the Christian Story. At the end of the decade one recites the "Glory Be", and sometimes the Fatima Prayer. Finally the final prayer is a "Hail Holy Queen". All these prayers will be examined later.
I was always interested in what exactly the rosary was when I was a protestant, and right before i converted I got a rosary as a gift, i did not know what i was supposed to do with it, so i decided to try something experimental and simply pray a prayer request on each bead. I don't think i actually made it through the whole thing because i was struggling to come up with 50 some prayer requests off the top of my head. I eventually printed off some instructions that included the prayers and the mysteries, i tried it a few times, but i never really started practicing it on a consistent basis. It has not been until recently that I have actually made it a regular part of my prayer life, and i must say it is a wonderful prayer tool. It has often been called a weapon against the devil, and i would agree. My only problem is staying focused on meditating on the mysteries, I think my mind is trained to not focus on things for too long, so i hope eventually i get better at it.
I am excited for this blog series, tommorow i will most likely post on the prayers of the rosary. Hope to get some feedback!
The name Rosary comes from the Latin word rosarium which means "Crown of Roses". The Rosary has been around for about 1000 years and has been practiced by Catholics for quite some time. The item of the rosary is a set of beads that each denote a certain prayer. The beads are organized into decades(sets of 10) of "Hail Mary" with beads before each decade where an "Our Father" is said. During each decade the person praying the rosary is to meditate on various sets of mysteries. These Mysteries revolve around the Gospels, and are wonderful in helping one think deeply about various aspects of the Christian Story. At the end of the decade one recites the "Glory Be", and sometimes the Fatima Prayer. Finally the final prayer is a "Hail Holy Queen". All these prayers will be examined later.
I was always interested in what exactly the rosary was when I was a protestant, and right before i converted I got a rosary as a gift, i did not know what i was supposed to do with it, so i decided to try something experimental and simply pray a prayer request on each bead. I don't think i actually made it through the whole thing because i was struggling to come up with 50 some prayer requests off the top of my head. I eventually printed off some instructions that included the prayers and the mysteries, i tried it a few times, but i never really started practicing it on a consistent basis. It has not been until recently that I have actually made it a regular part of my prayer life, and i must say it is a wonderful prayer tool. It has often been called a weapon against the devil, and i would agree. My only problem is staying focused on meditating on the mysteries, I think my mind is trained to not focus on things for too long, so i hope eventually i get better at it.
I am excited for this blog series, tommorow i will most likely post on the prayers of the rosary. Hope to get some feedback!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
A quick overview of church splits, since the "reformation"
Below is a small list detailing just part of the splitting that has occurred since the "reformation".
Four things to take note of. 1) this list is not too in detail, since there are other major splits that probably are not documented. 2) there are many "denominations" that can be classified under each of these major titles(for example the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America would fall under lutheran, as well as different forms of Lutheranism, which often disagree with eachother and split over very big things as well as very small things. 3)This does not even touch the different amounts of personal interpretation that exist out there, as well as different systems of interpreting the Bible and such 4) Unitarian, Mormons, and Christian Science(found in this list) would probably not be counted as remotely Christian by Catholics, Orthodox, and most Protestants.
Here is the list, i downloaded it off a website, but i do not remember where:
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
(a good link to check out is... http://scripturecatholic.com/history.html )
It is obvious that there has been a problem with church splits since the "reformation"….
Four things to take note of. 1) this list is not too in detail, since there are other major splits that probably are not documented. 2) there are many "denominations" that can be classified under each of these major titles(for example the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America would fall under lutheran, as well as different forms of Lutheranism, which often disagree with eachother and split over very big things as well as very small things. 3)This does not even touch the different amounts of personal interpretation that exist out there, as well as different systems of interpreting the Bible and such 4) Unitarian, Mormons, and Christian Science(found in this list) would probably not be counted as remotely Christian by Catholics, Orthodox, and most Protestants.
Here is the list, i downloaded it off a website, but i do not remember where:
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex- monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.
If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N.Y., in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as 'Church of the Nazarene," "Pentecostal Gospel." "Holiness Church," "Pilgrim Holiness Church," "Jehovah's Witnesses," your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past century.
(a good link to check out is... http://scripturecatholic.com/history.html )
It is obvious that there has been a problem with church splits since the "reformation"….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
