The leaders of our local Patchogue Prayer Meeting produce a PODCAST each week. I would like to recommend it to you. They talk about real life issues of living out our Catholic faith by sharing stories and experiences as well as teaching moments. To me, the thing that makes them stand out is the range in ages from teenage to Grown Adults. I asked them to write a short description and to give links to their podcast. Please find that here:
The Open Doors Podcast is a local Long Island–based, Catholic faith-centered podcast rooted in Christian testimony, reflection, and honest conversation. Through real-life stories of trials and triumphs, the podcast creates space for listeners to encounter God’s presence in everyday moments—especially when faith feels messy, uncertain, or difficult to articulate. Its mission is to encourage deeper trust in Christ and remind listeners that they are not alone on their spiritual journey.
The podcast is hosted by four voices from different seasons of life: Marissa (36), Janine (49), her son James (15), and Ivette (25), from Spain. Together, they offer an intergenerational perspective on faith, family, doubt, perseverance, and grace. Their conversations are intentionally relatable and welcoming, with a special heart for those who may feel disconnected, overlooked, or unsure if they truly belong within the Church.
At its core, The Open Doors Podcast exists to support evangelization by welcoming all—especially those searching for meaning, healing, and belonging. Select episodes are also available in Spanish, helping to reach listeners who feel more comfortable engaging in their native language. Wherever someone finds themselves on their faith journey, the podcast seeks to remind them that God meets them exactly where they are—and that the door is always open.
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of this Martyr on October 17 of every year. He was the third Bishop of Antioch (70AD) and was ordained by St. Peter. He and Polycarp, were both taught by St. John, the Gospel writer. A Church tradition tells us that Ignatius was the child that Jesus, in Mathew 18: 3-4 chose to place on His lap and teach the disciples about humility. There is no doubt that Ignatius, who was martyred in 107, was around from the very beginnings of the Church. There are seven extant letters of his that tell us a lot about early Church life. These letters were written while he was under arrest and on his way to Rome to be killed.
Ignatius, as Bishop of Antioch, was arrested for failing to worship the Roman Emperor as God. When Ignatius ruled the Christians in Antioch, the Roman Emperor Domition declared himself a god and took on the title, “Lord and God”. Ignatius stood up against this, as an example to his fellow Christians. Domition was murdered in 96, and his successor Nerva reigned only briefly, but was soon followed by the Emperor Trajan. Trajan again pushed that all in the Empire see him as God. Everyone was required to follow the State religion and if they failed to do so, they were to be killed. Of course, Ignatius would not follow the State religion and was sentenced to death, at Rome. Those seven extant letters of his were written on his journey to Rome.
The letters tell us about how important it was to have unity in the Church and to obey the local Bishop. They also showed his deep love for the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ and how the Eucharist was so important in remaining in unity. Ignatius called the Eucharist, the “Medicine of Immortality”. The letters also have the first surviving written words describing the Church as Catholic. Ignatius’ teachings are very rich but can be summoned up in the word UNITY. He taught that Christian Unity was a command of Jesus (John 17:26) and that Unity was obtained by remaining true to the faith (no heresy), obedience to the clergy and bishops, AND Eucharistic worship. Ignatius said, “Make it a point, then, to participate in one Eucharist. For the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ is one, and one is the cup that yields unity in his blood”. Ignatius laments that “those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus Christ … refuse to acknowledge that the Eucharist is the flesh of our savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father by his goodness raised up” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6.2).
Ignatius welcomed his upcoming martyrdom and told his fellow Christians in his letter to Rome, “All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing, It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth.” He continued, “Now I begin to be a disciple, Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ.” He quite clearly did not want the Roman Christians to try to keep him from martydom. As he witnessed to Jesus for the last time in Flavian’s Amphitheater (the Roman Colliseun) where he was to be torn to shreds by lions, he said, “I am the wheat of the Lord, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, so that I may prove to be pure bread”. Even in his death, Ignatius is remembering the Eucharist. He was a true man of faith and we celebrate him, now 2000 years after his death. Here are a few of his quotes:
“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.”
“We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action.”
“My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece.”
“It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but actually to be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name”.
“The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”
He describes the Eucharist as, “the medicine of immortality, the antidote we take in order not to die but to live forever in Jesus Christ”
He tells the Christians at Smyna that they “are established in an unshakable faith, having been nailed, as it were, to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in both body and spirit, and firmly established in love by the blood of Christ”
We pray that Saint Ignatius will help us to live out the UNITY that Jesus prayed for, help us to remain faithful to the Bishops and the Church, and see the Eucharist as the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.
First of all, this is not a political article, it is simply about the death of a great American Christian evangelist and his impact on so many. His assassination on September 10, 2025 brought widespread sadness to so many people. I watched his memorial service on September 21 and was shocked at two things. First of all, it was a huge service with over 100,000 people attending, including the President and most of his Cabinet. Secondly, it seemed more like an Evangelical praise and worship meeting, than a funeral service. Also, I have never seen so many government officials give testimony to their faith in Jesus. I think that the reason for this was that even though Charlie Kirk was known as a Conservative political activist, I believe that his deepest convictions lay in his Christian faith and his desire to spread the Good News. He himself, when asked what he would like to be remembered for, or what his legacy was, said, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith”. When asked of his goal of teaching conservatism to people, he said, “You have to try to point them toward ultimate purposes and toward getting back to the church, getting back to faith, getting married, having children. That is the type of conservatism that I represent, and I’m trying to paint a picture of virtue, of lifting people up, not just staying angry.” That is the role of a Christian Evangelist.
The slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk was “a modern-day St. Paul,” New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said in a Sept. 19 appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “He was a missionary, he’s an evangelist, he’s a hero,” he said. “He’s one, I think, who knew what Jesus meant when he said, ‘The truth will set you free.’”
The Cardinal was not familiar with Kirk before his shooting, but when he heard about it, and the tremendous outpouring of grief about it he said, “I thought, ‘I’ve got to learn about this guy,’ and the more I learned about him, I thought, ‘this guy’s a modern-day St. Paul,’” “Now I understand he was pretty blunt and he was pretty direct. He didn’t try to avoid any controversy, he didn’t even try to avoid confrontation,” he said. “The difference is the way, the mode, the style that he did it — always with respect (for his opponents) and not only was that a gracious, kind of virtuous thing to do, it’s effective. … I thought this guy can teach us something.” I agree so much with the good Cardinal. The Cardinal went on saying Kirk “wasn’t afraid to talk about the Lord. He wasn’t even afraid to say the name of Jesus,” Cardinal Dolan said, adding, “I heard Billy Graham once say, ‘I will never publicly speak without saying the name of Jesus because that name has power and it echoes through the universe.’ And apparently, that’s what Charlie did.” Dolan said he had spent the previous evening with about 200 students at the New York University Catholic Center and “this is what they talked about.” He said he is seeing a return to religion among young people, who, he thinks, are feeling there’s “something missing … a void,” despite their jobs and success. There’s a “kind of a revival” of “a sense of value and truth and conviction” among young people, he said, “almost an elevation of the role of faith back into the public square where our founders intended it to be from the beginning.” “This overwhelming sense of appreciation for Charlie and the great solidarity that we’re sensing is itself an answer to prayers and is itself a sign of the Resurrection,” he said. “I would reckon,” the cardinal added, “that some people are saying, ‘Well, you’re saying too many nice things about him (Kirk).’ I don’t know him that well, but I am sure if he was a convinced disciple of Jesus Christ, he knew his sins. Jesus knew them.” He praised Kirk’s debate style — respecting those who disagreed with him and those he disagreed with. The focus of healthy debate, the cardinal said, must be “issues not individuals, principles not just politics, principles not people. The weakest of all arguments, you know, is ad hominem, when you begin to attack the person.”
I agree with our good Cardinal. Whether you agreed with Charlie Kirk on his political beliefs, or not, there is no doubt that he led many young people to Jesus and back to their church. I have now watched several of his video appearances and have been amazed at how much he talked about Jesus and his faith. He has done several interviews and has impressed so many people, both religious and not, with his faith.
R.C. Bishop Robert Barron said, “I first met Charlie Kirk about four years ago when I was in Phoenix for a speaking engagement. He reached out and invited me to breakfast. I was deeply impressed by him that day. He was a man of great intelligence, considerable charm, and real goodness of heart I reconnected with him just last year, after I saw him debate twenty-five young people who were, to put it mildly, hostile to his views. I texted him that I was so struck by how he kept his cool and his charitable attitude in the face of some pretty obnoxious opposition. I then asked him to appear as a guest on my interview program, “Bishop Barron Presents,” and he eagerly accepted my invitation. He was scheduled to come to Rochester, Minnesota in about ten days. The last contact we had was two nights ago. After I appeared on one of the evening news shows to talk about the Religious Liberty Commission, he texted me and told me how much he appreciated what I said and then added, “I’m excited to join you on your show soon. God bless you.” That last sentence shows what was most important to Charlie. He was indeed a great debater and also one of the best advocates in our country for civil discourse, but he was, first and last, a passionate Christian. In fact, when we had that breakfast in Phoenix, we didn’t talk much about politics. We talked about theology, in which he had a deep interest, and about Christ. I know I’m joining millions of people around the world in praying that he rests now in the peace of the Lord. The assassination of Charlie Kirk kept him from going on Bishop Barron’s show. I would have loved to see that.
Another Catholic, Alex Jones who is the co-founder of the Prayer app, HALLOW, said that Kirk had contacted him recently and told him that he used HALLOW as a prayer app. Jones said that Kirk “was so kind to me; a brother in Christ.” Jones said that in the week following Charlie Kirk’s death, the HALLOW app saw a 95 percent increase in new users.
Charlie Kirk worked with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Author and speaker, who said, “I am devastated by the tragic murder of my friend Charlie Kirk. Charlie was not only a fearless voice for America but also a tireless advocate for Israel’s safety and security. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, as activists committed to strengthening the bond between these two great allies. I’ve been looking back through our many text messages, especially from the days of the first Trump administration, when I strongly encouraged him to ensure that Turning Point USA and young American conservatives fully grasped the threats against Israel. Charlie responded as a devout Christian with passion and conviction, emerging as one of Israel’s leading defenders in the United States. His courage, friendship, and unwavering voice will be deeply missed. America is becoming a sewer of anti-American hatred and anti-Israel violence. Those fomenting that hatred against Jews and their steadfast allies like Charlie Kirk have blood on their hands tonight. May his memory be a blessing.
When Charlie Kirk met with Bill Maher, who was raised in a Catholic/Jewish household and has declared himself an atheist or at least a skeptic, Kirk told Maher, “”The greatest minds of history have been mesmerized by the Scriptures — Isaac Newton, Thomas Aquinas. Isaac Newton wrote more about biblical prophecy than even physics. And so there’s something about the Scriptures that are intellectual, that does push your limits. And that’s what I think is so beautiful about our faith is it can be accessible to everyone, but also infinitely nourishing in exploration.” He went on to say, “In China and, of course, in the Soviet Union, there was an anti-Christian movement. Very hardcore. …What book do you think is best for humanity to live by? I say the Bible. … The entire arc of the Bible is a story of love and a need for humanity’s redemption. …The Bible has wisdom in ways you might not ever imagine. …Humanity will seek to find a book, they’ll seek to find a code to live by.” After Charlie Kirk’s death, Bill Mayer said, “Charlie Kirk and I certainly didn’t agree on much politically, but he sat here, he’s a human being, he’s not a monster,” Maher said. “And I liked him.”
There is no doubt that Charlie, and his evangelical love of God and preaching touched many people. He definitely is responsible for drawing many young people back to Jesus and back to Church. Charlie himself, knew what growth in faith was all about. He was initially brought up by his parents in the Presbyterian Church. They later became Evangelicals and Charlie was definitely an Evangelical Christian. He did, however marry a woman, Erika, who was brought up by Roman Catholic parents and who attended Catholic school. It would appear that she and Charlie shared a deep faith commitment to each other and that a little of each other’s faith rubbed out on each. There are some insiders who say that Erika attends Catholic mass often and there are pictures of Charlie and her and the family at mass. There are pictures of them at mass at St. Bernadette parish in Scottsdale, AZ and at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Charlie told others that the pastor at St. Bernadette’s was a good friend of his.
Edgar Lujano, of Catholic Answers, tells us that a little more than a week before his murder, Kirk attended a pro-life prayer breakfast in Visalia, California, which is in the Diocese of Fresno. The local bishop was among those in attendance and had a brief, private moment with Kirk. It was there that Kirk told the bishop about his Catholic wife and children and how he attended Mass with them. He punctuated this conversation with “I love my Catholic pastor.” As they were parting to attend the more public portion of the prayer breakfast, Kirk mentioned speculation regarding his contemplating entering the Catholic Church, saying: “I’m this close.”
There are some friends who say that Charlie would even pray the rosary on occasion. In one of his video shows he said, “But let me first say, I think we as Protestants and Evangelicals under-venerate Mary. She was very important. She was a vessel for our Lord and Savior.” “I think that we, as Evangelicals and Protestants, we’ve overcorrected. We don’t talk about Mary enough. We don’t venerate her enough. Mary was clearly important to early Christians. There’s something there. In fact, I believe one of the ways that we fix toxic feminism in America is that Mary is the solution.” “Have more young ladies be pious, be reverent, be full of faith, slow to anger, slow to words at times. Mary is a phenomenal example, and I think a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era.”
In an interview with Russell Brand in 2024, Charlie said, “I mean, I’m nothing without Jesus. I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it’s the most important decision I’ve ever made, and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.” On September 6, 2025, four days before his murder, Charlie said, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”
Pastor Rob McCoy, Co-chair of Turning Point Faith said, “Charlie did not die. Instead, he has begun to truly live. His life was secured eternally by His Savior Jesus Christ. This truth allowed Charlie to face every threat with courage because he didn’t fear death.” I do believe that Charlie is in a better place now. But what about those he left behind. He has a beautiful wife, Erika and two children. Erika is a strong woman, and strong in her faith, and has taken up the role of CEO of Turning Point, Charlie’s organization. She brought me to tears when at Charlie’s memorial service she publically said, “My husband Charlie, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life.” She then mentioned how Jesus, while on the cross, forgave those who were killing him and said that they don’t know what they do. She then said, “That young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the Gospel is LOVE, and always love, love for our enemies, and those who persecute us.”. It seems that Erika is certainly a great choice to continue what Charlie had started. She has shown the world what true forgiveness as a Christian is all about. It is also interesting to know that membership in Turning Point, as well as attendance at the events they have held since the death of Charlie has grown tremendously.
Thank you Charlie for your faith and the way you shared it, especially with young people. “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen”, “May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen”.
First of all, I feel so inadequate to write this because I was brought up as a Protestant Methodist (I converted in 1972) and I heard very little about Mary when I was growing up. About the only time we heard about her was at Christmas. However, after becoming Catholic, I have grown in love with Mary, not only as the mother of Jesus, but also as my mother. Because of this, I am very excited to write about her Queenship. Believe me, most Protestants do not understand how we Catholics can see Mary as Queen. Hopefully, this might help. I think that it is interesting that the Protestant Evangelist and Conservative commentator, Charlie Kirk, only two months before his assassination/death, had this to say, “But let me first say, I think we as Protestants and Evangelicals under-venerate Mary. She was very important. She was a vessel for our Lord and Savior. I think that we, as Evangelicals and Protestants, we’ve overcorrected. We don’t talk about Mary enough. We don’t venerate her enough. Mary was clearly important to early Christians. There’s something there. In fact, I believe one of the ways that we fix toxic feminism in America is that Mary is the solution. Have more young ladies be pious, be reverent, be full of faith, slow to anger, slow to words at times. Mary is a phenomenal example, and I think a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era.” Whether or not you agree with the political side of that statement, I think that it is notable that a Protestant Evangelical made such a statement about Mary. I once read an article stating that Mary would be the one who brings the Protestant and Catholic Church back together. I would love to see that happen.
The main scripture that shows Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth is Revelation 12: 1-6 which describes a woman, with a Crown of 12 stars giving birth to a male child who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” It tells how the Devil wished to devour the child. This vision that Saint John descibes, clearly shows Mary, the Mother of Jesus as a Queen. But the question is often asked, “why does the Church need a Queen? Didn’t Mary fulfill her duty by giving birth and raising Jesus?” The answer is clearly, no. Mary was chosen not only to be the mother of Jesus but our mother too, She was chosen to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth. We can understand this better when we look at the Hebrew scriptures and the history of their Kings. Don’t forget that Jesus is known as the King of Kings and Son of David. The Davidic Kingdom finds its fulfillment in Jesus as KING OF THE UNIVERSE.
In the Davidic Kingdom of the Jews, the King had primary authority and often they had many brides. Even if there was one favored bride, the Mother of the King was known as the Queen. This was a recognized office and not just a title. In her office she possessed a Crown and a Throne and had signigicant powers. The Queen had the title of Gebirah (Hebrew for Great Lady) and served as a powerful and influential person within the King’s royal court. Often the King would have his subjects go to her with their requests and she would bring to him the ones she thought were necessary and would often handle many on her own. Catholics continue this tradition by often bringing to Mary their intercessions, to then to bring to Jesus. Remember that the Queen mother had the highest royal position, even above any of the King’s wives. Today the Church is seen as the Bride of Christ and we can all thus be seen as his bride (males too). There are many scriptures that show this, but my favorite is Isaiah 54:5 – “For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and the Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.” However, even though we have many Brides of the King, we have only one Queen, His mother Mary. This is just like the Davidic Kings.
Bathsheba, the wife of Solomon, is known as the first Gebirah, or Queen mother. Many others followed; Maacha, Azubah, Zibiah, Jehoaddom, Jecholiah, Jerusha, Abi, Hephzihah, Meshullemeth, Jedidah, Hamutal, Zebidah, and Nehusta who was the last when the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom. It should also be noted that the royal expression for addressing the Gebirah was “the mother of my Lord”. This is the same exxpression that Elizabeth called Mary when the Visitation occurred (Luke 1:43). Even Elizabeth, during that very special meeting, while Jesus was still within Mary’s womb, recognized Mary as the Gebirah or Queen Mother. Today the Church continues that tradition of recognizing Mary as the Queen Mother, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Why? Because Jesus is the King of Kings, the King of Heaven and Earth and Mary is His Mother and both Scripture and Tradition tell us to..
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
1 – Do I really honor Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth?
2 – Do I appreciate the rich link between our Christian faith and the Jewish traditions?
3 – Do I see Mary as someone to intercede to?
4 – Do I recognize Jesus as the King of the Universe?
5 – Do I see how God was at work within the Jewish nation and how it led to our beliefs today?
6 – Do I stand up for my beliefs even among people who believe differently than me?
7 – Can I think of ways to give special honor to Mary, as Queen of the Universe”
8 – Again, how am I doing on praying the Rosary on a regular basis?
9 – In the midst of her Queenship, can I see Mary as my mother?
10 – Do I understand how special I am as a believer in Jesus, as having Him as my Spouse and as having His Mother as my mother too?
One of the greatest things about the Catholic Church is its unity within a great deal of diversity. We can see this on a small scale by visiting different churches within our living areas and even by listening to different priests or deacons preach within our home parish. You can really see this when you understand that the Catholic Church consists of 24 different, or particular Churces using six different rites all under one Pope. All of these Catholic churches have the same core beliefs, they just express them in different ways. One of the churches is the Roman Catholic Church which follows the Latin rite, and is the church most readily recognized as Catholic. This is the largest of all 24. The other 23 churches follow the Eastern Rites and may look quite different in their appearances and liturgy, but follow the same core beliefs. ALL OF THESE CHURCHES ARE CATHOLIC and have the same head, the Pope.
Each church and rite developed within its own area and own history, but it is important to see that we are one. Someday we hope that the Orthodox churches and the Catholic churches will be again united after a 1,000 year separation. Many Popes and Patriarchs have worked on this, and I am hoping to see it happen within my lifetime. Nonetheless, we should celebrate the unity that we have within our Catholic diversity. One can even hope for the return of the Protestant churches. All of the Churches, and Rites (as listed below) are in full communion with each other and recognize the Pope as their head.
Jesus said in John 17: 21-23
May they all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be one in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, so that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, and thus the world may know that you have sent me and that you have loved them even as you have loved me.
Latin Rite Roman Catholic Church
Alexandrian Rite Coptic Catholic Church Eritrean Catholic Church Ethiopian Catholic Church
West Syrian (or Antiochene) Rite Maronite Catholic Church Syriac Catholic Church Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Armenian Rite Armenian Catholic Church
East Syrian (or Chaldean) Rite Chaldean Catholic Church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Constantinopolitan (or Byzantine) Rite Albanian Catholic Church Belarusian Catholic Church Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro Greek Byzantine Catholic Church Hungarian Greek Catholic Church Italo-Albanian Catholic Church Macedonian Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Church Romanian Catholic Church Russian Catholic Church Ruthenian Catholic Church (Byzantine Catholic Church in America) Slovak Catholic Church Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS – by Deacon Marty McIndoe
All four Gospels tell us about the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus. Matthew and Mark have very similar accounts and Luke adds “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do” as well as the story of the repentant thief to whom Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” John adds the story of Jesus giving His mother to John (and all of us) and her being given John (and us) as her children. John also adds the lines, “I thirst” and “It is finished”. These two remarks indicated that the Passover observance (The Last Supper) is finally done. When Jesus is given the sour wine, it marks the fourth cup of the Passover, the final cup. I would highly recommend reading Dr. Scott Hahn’s book, THE FOURTH CUP – Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross.
Jesus’ death on the cross is at the very heart of our Christian beliefs. We Catholics remember it every time we celebrate mass. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” Quite simply, Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrificial offering, which fulfilled scriptural prophecies and was done in atonement for our sins. The Fifth Mystery is truly one that we should meditate on frequently and celebrate often. Remembering the death of Jesus, on the cross is central to our Catholic belief and something that we should often ponder, especially by attending mass.
I once saw a medical presentation of what the human body has to go through when it is being crucified. Suffice it to say that Jesus suffered so much for us. He persevered through it all even offering forgiveness to those who were persecuting Him. He also thought enough to make sure that His mother, Mary was taken care of and that she would be linked to us as our mother too. Jesus was driven by His mission to set all of us free. He knew that His death (and Resurrection) was needed to allow all of us, as God’s children, to be given the gift of immortal life with Him and the Father.
As I once said before, a protestant friend of mine told me that he did not like to see the corpus of Jesus on a cross, because Jesus had resurrected from the dead. I reminded him that the very ACT of Jesus dying on the cross is what gave us our salvation. He suffered and died for us. We can never forget what He did for us. St. Paul tells us that he preaches Christ crucified. We as Catholics, fully knowing that Jesus rose from the dead, also preach the crucifixion of Jesus. We must never forget that Jesus suffered terribly on a cross, for our salvation.
Questions to Ponder:
1 – How often do I think about the suffering of Jesus on the Cross?
2 – Do I have some form of penance that I do on Friday to remember that Jesus died for me?
3 – Have I learned to persevere in those things that I know I should do?
4 – Am I good at forgiving people who hurt me?
5 – Do I see the Blessed Virgin Mary as my mother?
6 – Do I try to strenthen my relationship with Mary and Jesus and the Church?
7 – Do I truly believe that Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life with Him?
8 – Do I proudly display the Crucifix on my person and in my home?
9 – Do I tell others that Jesus died for all of us and offers us eternal life?
10 – Do I attend mass at least every Sunday (or Saturday evening)?
All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about Jesus carrying the cross. The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us that Simon of Cyrene was chosen to help Jesus carry the cross. John does not mention Simon. Mark alone tells us that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. This detail would make us think that the early Church knew who Alexander and Rufus were, and indeed later scripture does mention Rufus. Simon was from northern Africa in what is today Libya. You can’t help but to consider that his being selected, out of the blue, made a total change in his life. This experience must have made him become a follower of Jesus. Undoubtedly he brought his children in to the WAY too.
John, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus carried His own cross, but the witness of the Synoptic writers can’t help us but to consider that Jesus had reached the point of pure exhaustion when carrying His cross and could not do it by himself. The Roman soldiers wanted to do what they were ordered to do; to Crucify Jesus. They knew that He needed help to get to Golgotha and thus they ordered Simon of Cyrene to help Him. One can only imagine what Jesus suffered in this ordeal. Remember that he had been beaten and whipped and thus in great pain. Now He had to carry a heavy large beam that was to be His cross, His instrument of torture. Along with the physical pain, He had to endure the mockery of the crowds. He had to also see His Mother Mary, and his disciples and friends, watching Him suffer so much. It must have been such a long and hard road for Him to travel to Golgotha.
I can’t help but to wonder if His friends and disciples remembered how Jesus had earlier told them how they had to pick up their own cross to follow Him. All of them would be used to seeing the crucifixions that were too often used by the Romans to show their power. They knew that a crucifixion was a very painful sacrifice that led to death. Now they had to watch their own leader, their Jesus, walk to His own crucifixion. Did they think that the same thing might happen to them? Did they know that following Jesus would mean that they had to endure hardship, suffering and perhaps even death? Did they have any idea that this terrible sacrifice and suffering would lead to eternal life?
Jesus himself, in His humanity, must have wondered this too. Did the human side of Jesus know that someday His followers would see the cross as the instrument of their salvation? Did he, and His followers know that they would sign themselves with the cross? Did they know that they would have the cross mounted on their walls of their homes and made in to jewelry to wear around their necks? Soon St. Paul would, be saying, “I PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED, a stumbling block to many but THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD”. To this day, on Good Friday, when we recognize the day when Jesus was crucified, we kiss the cross and say, Behold the Wood of the Cross, on Which was Hung Our Salvation. Truly, this instrument of torture has become the instrument of our salvation.
Questions to Ponder:
1 – Have I really considered how much Jesus suffered for me?
2 – Have I thanked Him for all that He has done for me?
3 – Do I have my own personal cross in my life?
4 – Have I been able to unite my own suffering with the suffering of Jesus?
5 – Do I truly believe that my own cross will lead me to something quite beneficial?
6 – Have I ever been like Simon of Cyrene and helped someone carry their own cross?
7 – Have I ever suffered because of my love of Jesus or for preaching His Good News?
8 – Do I have the cross placed in several prominent places in my home?
9 – Am I ever ashamed to wear a cross?
10 – Do I honor the cross not only on Good Friday, but on every Friday?
The Institution of the Eucharist is recalling how Jesus, at the Last Supper, when Jesus celebrated the Jewish Passover, started the Eucharistic celebration of the mass. It was here that He taught His disciples to consecrate bread and wine to become His body and blood. It started at the Last Supper and continues today throughout the world in the mass where the priests or bishops use the same words of Jesus to take ordinary bread and wine and make it become the body and blood of Jesus. Catholics believe that even though the hosts and wine keep their appearances of bread and wine, they DO become the glorified body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. This process is called Transubstantiation.
Matthew, Mark and Luke, as well as Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, detail the account. John spends one whole chapter discussing this, without repeating the exact words of consecration. The Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) tell us that Jesus took bread, broke it and said, “take this and eat. This is my body”. They continue to say that he then took the chalice of wine and said, “drink from it all of you. This is the blood of my covenant, poured out for you.” The Church has continued, from the earliest days, to celebrate the Eucharist and to hold it up as Live Giving. St. John, in his chapter 6 of the Gospel tells us how Jesus is to give us His body and blood to eat and drink to give us Life for all eternity. He recalls how Jesus said that everyone who eats His body and drinks His blood will live forever. For Catholics, the Eucharist is the “Summit and Source of our faith”. To attend mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist is the highest form of our faith and worship.
It is important to realize that Jesus instituted the Eucharist during His last celebration of the Jewish Passover meal. We must remember that as Catholics, we are rooted in Judaism. Jesus and the twelve were all good Jews, and their church continues the Jewish traditions in many ways. I can’t help but to recommend a couple of books by Dr. Scott Hahn. He is easy to read, but is also profound in what he teaches. Two books on the Eucharist that he wrote and that I would highly recommend are; “The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth” and “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper”. There are many other books as well, but starting with these would be highly recommended.
Above I indicated that the changing of the bread and wine in to the Body and Blood of Jesus is called Transubstantiation and that even though the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood, they keep the appearance of bread and wine. Sometimes this is not so. There have been numerous Eucharistic miracles where the bread and wine also change their appearance in to the body and blood. Our soon (Sept 2025) to be Saint, Carlos Acutis who had a great devotion to the Eucharist, compiled a list of Eucharistic Miracles and put them on a website prior to his dying at the age of 15 from leukemia. His website is available at https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/list.html. Many scientific studies of these miracles have confirmed their authenticity. The Eucharist truly is the body and blood of Jesus.
Questions to ponder:
1 – Do I really believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus?
2 – Do I attend mass at least every week on Sunday (or Saturday evening)?
3 – Have I considered going to mass more often, if possible?
4 – Do I see the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of our Faith (from Catechism)?
5 – Do I understand that our Church relies heavily upon its Jewish roots?
MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY the Third Joyful Mystery: the NATIVITY – by Deacon Marty McIndoe
Thanks to St. Francis of Assisi, we are all familiar with Nativity scenes. We put them up in our homes, our churches and our communities. We know quite well the stories shared by Matthew and Luke about Joseph taking the very pregnant Mary to Bethlehem and not finding room in the inn and having to settle for a place where the animals made their homes. We know the stories about the angels coming to the shepherds telling them that the new born King had come. We know how the Wise Men came to offer their gifts to the newborn King of the Jews, We know that this new baby is God-made-man and our savior and our Lord, Jesus the Messiah. In the midst of the nativity story, there is so much symbolism about who Jesus would be. The very fact that Jesus was born in a town named Bethlehem is quite notable. Bethlehem literally means House of Bread. This Jesus would become the Eucharist, the Bread from Heaven. It is also notable that Jesus was laid down in a manger, which is actually a feeding trough for animals. This also points to Jesus being the Bread for the World to be eaten as the Eucharist. Jesus later says, “I am the bread of life; unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you will not have life within you.”
The shepherds are awoken by the heavenly Host of Angels praising God and who tell the shepherds to go visit the newborn King. They do so, and it is interesting that there is some (although possibly scant) evidence that the shepherds in the Bethlehem area were the ones responsible for the lambs to be used in the temple for sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. These shepherds, who perhaps were responsible for taking care of the temple sacrificial lambs, get to view the true Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus the lamb of God. One of the gifts that the Wise Men bring is Myrrh, which is used at burial time. Here at the birth of Jesus, we are reminded that He was born to die for us. The very Star that led the Wise Men reminds us of the divine plan that is present and how God leads us to where he wants us to go. The Wise Men’s gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh foreshadow Jesus’ roles as King, Son of God and Savior. The whole story of the Nativity reflects that Jesus is born to be among the common people, among the humble of heart, and around the poor. It is truly a reflection of the life of Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
1 – Do I embrace humility the way Jesus does?
2 – Do I make room for Jesus in my home, and in my life?
3 – Do I offer a welcome home to others?
4 – Do I truly believe that Jesus, the Lamb of God shares his body, blood, soul and divinity with us in the Eucharist?
5 – Have I fully acknowledged that I am a sinner?
6 – Do I really understand that Jesus is my Savior and the answer to my sinful self?
7 – Do I understand that Jesus is the Lamb of God who died for my sins?
8 – Do I attend mass at least weekly to share in the remembrance of what Jesus did in His Passion?
9 – Do I offer prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving to God for all that He has done?
10 – Do I truly celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, and not just the social meaning?
Before his conversion, Saint Paul was known as Saul. He was a Pharisee who was born in to a devout Jewish family and he was well educated in his faith. He described himself as being “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee”. Saul, to say the least, was a good Jew who loved the Jewish law and followed it. He loved being a Jew and he saw Christianity as a threat to his religion, a threat that had to be eliminated.
The scriptures tell us that Saul persecuted the Christians and would enter homes looking for them, drag them out, and put them in to jail. He is even listed as being at the death of the first Christian Martyr, the deacon Saint Steven. The early Christians feared Saul and saw him as one of their primary persecutors. Saul hunted down Christians in Jerusalem and even received permission to go to Damascus to hunt them down. On his way to Damascus, something amazing happened. The risen Jesus appeared to him.
Acts Chapter 9 tells us; “ 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” In Damascus, Jesus sent Ananias to heal his sight and to baptize him and to teach him the good news. Saul, after his conversion, became Paul. He would soon become probably the greatest Christian evangelizer ever. Paul experienced a profound conversion. He went from being a zealous persecutor of Christians to being a vessel of God’s grace and intense sharer of the Good News of Jesus.
Conversion, in the Christian sense, is turning away from what is not Jesus and turning towards Jesus. Conversion can be a very profound thing like Saul/Paul experienced, or it can be as simple as turning away from tv and reading more scripture. Throughout our lives, God is continually calling us to conversion. We are called to turn away from what is not leading us towards Him, and turning to things that do lead us to Him. We are called to transform ourselves in to the very image of Jesus.
Conversion can also be seen in the large sense of turning form someone who is not Catholic, to someone who is. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a program within the Church to help non-Catholics do that. Over 50 years ago, I went through the RCIA program, and my life was changed forever. I was brought up as a Methodist and during my younger years attended Sunday School and Church. As I got older, I started to question my faith and by the time I was in college, I thought that religion was not important and that God was only a force that held the universe together. I married a good Catholic girl and was actually quite unkind as to what I said to her about her faith. After almost three years of marriage, we were quite unhappy. We knew that we loved each other, but there was something not right (my lack of faith). We were close to separating when God stepped in. Through some miraculous events, we were brought in to a Life in the Spirit Seminar. In the seminar, I experienced people talking about God as if He was someone who they knew and talked to. I still questioned that type of God, but I wanted a faith like they had.
The Life in the Spirit seminar is a series of weekly talks which talk about God’s love, his gift of Salvation, the need for repentance, the gift of His Spirit and it prepares the person to ask God to touch them and fill them with His Spirit. I still remember the fifth week night when my wife and I were prayed with to experience God and His Spirit. I had a remarkable experience of God loving me. For the first time in my life, I saw God as a person who loved and cared for me. There was no bright light or voice of Jesus like St. Paul had, but it was so very real for me. It changed my life forever. I had a real desire to know Him better so I began reading scripture and spiritual books. Since this all happened in a Roman Catholic church, I decided to look in to that faith. I started reading the documents from Vatican II and decided to become a Catholic. I went through the RCIA program and became Catholic. Our marriage was made anew and later on I received the call to become a deacon. God did so many marvelous things in our life. I still find God calling me to more conversion in my daily life.
For the season of Lent, which begins soon, I will be doing more articles on the call to continuing conversion. Right now I want to celebrate my major call to become a Roman Catholic. It has fulfilled me so much. In line with this celebration I would like to mention some famous people who have become Catholic. There are thousands more.
Actors: John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Jim Nabors, Faye Dunaway, Vincent Price, Susan Hayward . Patricia Neal and many others
Academics and intellectuals: Hadley Arkes (Amherst), Mortimer Adler (Great Books), Robert Bork (Yale) and G.K. Chesterton
Royalty; King Charles II (Great Britain)
Artist : Peter Paul Rubens
Heroes of the Old West: Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill and Doc Holliday
Musician: Dave Brubeck
Famed coach: Knute Rockne (Notre Dame)
Playwrights: Tennessee Williams and Oscar Wilde
Novelists: Ernest Hemingway, Evelyn Waugh, Sigrid Undset and Dean Koontz
I enjoy writing book
reviews of books that I have read and then posting them on my website. However, I didn’t feel comfortable writing a
book review for this book since I am one of the contributors to it. I did read the book and really enjoyed it and
would recommend it to my readers. For
the review, I turned to my friend, Steven R. McEvoy and obtained his permission
to post the review that he had written and originally appeared on his
website: www.bookreviewsandmore.ca . Steven
does a great job of reviewing books and you should check out his website. Here is his review of Epic Saints.
Epic Saints Wild, Wonderful, and Weird Stories of God’s Heroes
I love books like this one. I love reading about saints and
am currently reading books from 4 different series about saints. But what a
book like this does is introduce me to a few new saints, it gives me some more
information and examples from saints that I am more familiar with. This was an
EPIC READ that I could hardly put down. It is mostly eBook about specific
saints and But there is also a lot of great information about the process of
saint making, and the canon and calendar of saints. But the volume is not just
the work of Shaun McAfee there are several contributors. Those contributors
are:
Alex R. Hey
Sarah Spittler
Jessica Mcafee
Theresa Zoe Williams
Brooke Gregory
Deacon Marty Mcindoe
Shaun Mcafee
Laura Hensley
Mike Panlilio
Maggie Van Sciver
The essays interspersed through the biographies are:
Have Saints Always Been Canonized The Same Way?
What Is The General Roman Calendar?
Can These Stories Be Allegorical?
Are We Really Expected To Believe These Stories?
Why Are Some Saints Not On The Calendar?
What Is The Process For Canonization?
What Should We Do With Saint Narratives That Contain Errors Or Inconsistencies?
Why Are Some Canonized Quickly While Others Have Been In The Process For
Centuries?
Can I Become A Saint?
And on top of that are profiles of 74 saints. Shaun and the other contributors
do an amazing job or highlighting so many saints in such a short space. There
are almost a dozen saints I need to go find further readings on. And my son is
already looking forward to my rereading this book with him.
In this volume there are a few tales about dragons. Saints pulling practical
jokes and pranks. A bilocating death and many, many more stories of saints, of
Martyrs and holy men and women.
Though I will be honest with you, the pieces in this volume are so well written
you might have a hard time picking a favorite. And you will
definitely want to read more on at least some of the saints. An excellent read
that I highly recommend.
I’M CATHOLIC. NOW
WHAT? By Shaun McAfee – a book review
by Deacon Marty McIndoe
Shaun McAfee, founder of EpicPew.com, blogger at National
Catholic Register, contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine and many other
Catholic resources has written a new book published by Our Sunday Visitor. Personally I think that this is the best book
he has written; and I really enjoyed his other books. When I first saw the pre-publication
announcement for this book, I immediately put in an order for it. The title and description led me to believe
that this book would be a great resource for my parish RCIA program. I have been involved in the RCIA (Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults) program for many years and know that those who
have gone through it need a really good resource book to continue their journey
after the time in the program has finished.
After reading this book I not only realized that the book is perfect for
that, but that the book is perfect for all Catholics on their journey of living
out the beauty of the Catholic faith.
The author of this book is a convert and has gone through
the RCIA process to become a Catholic.
How I wish that all of the people who go through RCIA become as good a
Catholic as Shaun and his wife have become.
Shaun’s overall knowledge of the Catholic faith and Catholic Theology (he
has a graduate degree from Holy Apostles College) is amazing. The way he lives out that faith with his wife
and family is even more amazing. Faith
is made to be put in to action and Shaun certainly does that. I have followed Shaun and his family on
Facebook for almost six years and although I have never met him in person, I
see the faith filled life that he leads.
That faith filled life pours over in to this book. Shaun tells us all the things we need to know
to be a good Catholic and he gives us personal examples of how to be a good
Catholic.
This 335 page book consists of 100 chapters that give us a
lot of information on the Catholic Church and why we do the things that we
do. I find it very refreshing that he
takes the times to not only tell us the things that we should be doing to be a
good Catholic, but also tells us why we do those things. He often refers to the Holy Scriptures as
well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
He also uses stories from the early church Fathers and the Saints to
explain. Besides that, he gives us plenty of personal examples
from his own life. He covers just about
everything that you can think of that speaks of Catholicism. He not only covers different topics but also
gives us things to do. For example, not
only do we learn about Baptism, but he also gives us ideas on how to celebrate
our Baptism day. He talks to us about
the priesthood and then encourages us to invite a priest over for dinner.
Shaun’s section on BEING A MODERN CATHOLIC has so much
richness to it when discussing evil, relativism (a must read), marriage,
sexuality, abortion, euthanasia, immigration, gossiping, giving, and
consumerism. His discussion of the
current sex abuse scandal and cover up is enlightening. He deals with all of the current issues in
the Church today. His way of facing
these issues clearly shows the HOPE that we as Catholics are called to
have. Shaun ends his book with a section
on EVANGELIZATION: IT’S FOR EVERYONE. The
chapters in this section remind us of our calling as Catholics to share the
Good News that we have received. He
explains the “New Evangelization” and encourages us to reach out to those
around us, especially to our children.
I highly recommend that ALL Catholics read this book. The book covers serious subjects but is very
easy to read. It is informative as well
as interesting. It is a wealth of
information on the Catholic faith. This
book is not only for those who have just recently come in to the Church,
although it is great for them, but it is for all of us on our journey towards
Jesus in His Church. We can all benefit
from the explanations and the suggestions that Shaun makes in this book. As I write this, we are approaching the
LENTEN season. I highly suggest that
every Catholic get this book and read it and study it and live it out for
Lent. It might be the best thing that
you ever did for Lent.
Living in a Gnostic Culture by Father Bill Peckman
A general rule of thumb for me is that if one truly believes something, it changes their behaviors. If I see someone preaching something or becoming an activist for something, but I do not see their behaviors follow suit, I dismiss it as hypocrisy at best and as neo-Gnosticism at worst.
In the USA, we live in an increasingly Gnostic culture.
Gnosticism is a belief that the created order is the result of a malevolent
entity, the height of that disorder is humanity, and that a benevolent entity
has planted within us a spark and a soul that most are too ignorant to act
upon. This spark is a special or secret knowledge. This created an elite group.
Gnosticism sees anything that creates more human beings as
evil. Abortion, suicide, mercy-killing, birth control, homosexuality, and other
forms of sexuality and life issues contrary to Christianity were seen as
positives. As Gnostics are dualists (body bad, soul good), salvation comes not
from renouncing sin, but from being released from ignorance about the created
order. Gnosticism takes a very dim view of organized religion as a whole.
What we see today, I call a neo-Gnosticism. What makes it
different is a two-tiered system of elites who posses the knowledge and the
commoners who don’t. Rules do not apply equally to the two groups. Gnosticism
is certainly the ‘religion’ of the eugenics movement. Gnosticism has found
itself in the man-made climate crisis controversy.
I am a man who is very much in favor of NOT dumping
pollutants into our land, sky, and water. I think we wildly over-consume. I am
in favor of re-usable anything. The personal choices I have made reflect this.
I think that many scare tactics are in use with the debate and that the debate
has taken a near zero sum quasi-religious fervor. Again, since I believe belief
should effect action, when I see celebrities and politicians who champion the
cause but whose lifestyles would give no witness to these beliefs (they fly
private jets, have limos, several homes, etc), it makes me question the
veracity of their beliefs. While I might not agree completely with anyone, I
will respect those who actions are in line with their beliefs in this matter.
My own opinion about so much of the debate in this country
is that is it about control. Elitism in any of its forms is about a general
disdain for the unenlightened. In this worldview, the enlightened are duty
bound to save the ignorant masses from themselves, even if that means culling
the herd. The tools for this are via the government: legislative activism,
judicial activism, and punitive taxation. However, for this to work, division
among the ignorant masses needs to happen. It is like the popular kids getting
unpopular kids to attack other unpopular kids with the promise the attackers
will become part of the elite..which seldom happens and makes useful idiots of
them. The neo-Gnostic mentality allows for this.
Progressive politics are rooted in neo-Gnosticism. So is
progressive Christianity. It is little wonder that progressive Christianity has
adopted Gnostic views on life issues and the use of human sexuality. Certainly
there are forces within the Catholic Church, who believing themselves to be oh
so reasonable, want to follow suit. While they might not say it outright, that
the majority of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence is of no concern.
For a Gnostic posing as a Catholic, the Incarnation itself would be
problematic, hence all things that flow from the Incarnation, especially that
we consume the Flesh and Blood of the Word made Flesh would seem ridiculous. As
Gnosticism does not see sin in the way Catholics do, the consequences of sin
would also mean little (who needs Confession? No such thing as spiritual
warfare) and means to rectify the consequences would be ignored as irrelevant.
No heresy ever really dies. It morphs and adapts. It goes by
new names while keeping its essential character. We live in a Gnostic culture
in the west and the Americas. Just as Gnosticism wanted to be the orthodoxy of
Christianity from the beginning, so too today. Heresy counts on ignorance of
the truth to spread. 50 years of horrid catechesis within the Catholic Church
is now bearing consequences that are a major contributory factor in the
emptying of our pews and the despoiling of the flock by ravenous wolves.
Demanding the truth, living the truth, and giving witness to the truth is how we have always battled heresies; it will be the way we do now.
August 4th is the Memorial day of St. John Vianney the Cure of Ars. He was a great priest who serves as the patron Saint of all priest. In view of that, I would like to share an article from my friend Apologist Luke Haskell about the priesthood. Check it out below – Deacon Marty McIndoe
If there is a New Testament priesthood established by God, then this is one of the most important aspects of faith in our world. It would mean that there is a sacrifice that is needed for the world. This affects every human who has ever lived and all who will live in the future. The main purpose for a priest is to offer sacrifice. This may sound archaic but we must consider the fact that God does not change. If people come to the awareness that God established a New Testament priesthood, then this should have a profound effect on their faith.
As far back as you go, even to the beginning of Christianity, there is a priesthood and the Holy Mass. The early Christians were adamant about keeping a true understanding of faith. If the priesthood were a later invention, then you would see the pages of history scream out over the heresy. The Arian heresy that almost destroyed the church would have paled in comparison. The pages of history are silent because from the beginning, there was a priesthood and a Holy Mass as there still is today, 2000 years later. That in itself is a sustained miracle. “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations.” (Eph 3:21)
It is an interesting fact that the reformer Tyndale’s translation of the Bible was condemned in England and it was burned by other Protestants. Thomas More charged Tyndale with falsely translating scripture in order to remove references to the priestly office. He was calling Tyndale out as a heretic for doing so. In Tyndale’s Bible, the word priest became senior and was changed to elder in his revised 1534 edition. The word “church” became congregation. The word “penance” became repent and the word “charity” became love. Words are powerful. Changes in words have a huge impact over time. This is the main reason why the church outlawed many protestant Bibles. There appears to have been an active process to manipulate history in order to remove the image of the priesthood God established.
The New Testament priesthood developed out of the bishopric during apostolic times. When it comes to the structure of the church, everything was not put in place as soon as Pentecost. The church had to grow in knowledge of itself and of its purpose; a mustard seed that would grow into the biggest tree. The apostles at different times, were Bishop, Deacon, and Priest. “For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.” (Acts 1:20)
“Diakonos” means “servant” or “minister”. “Who also hath made us fit ministers of the new testament.” (2 Corinthians 3:6) In the beginning, these terms were fluid. The New Testament was the Holy Mass for 360 years before it was a book. The apostles were ministers of the sacraments and the Holy Mass. Paul tells us, “Let a man so account of us as of ministers of Christ, and dispensers of the mysteries of God.” (1 Cor 4:1) From the word mystery we get the word mysterion, sacramentum, sacrament. Paul being a priest is a minister of the sacraments of God.
Paul tells us, ‘For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.” (Hb 7:12) There was both a change in priesthood that occurred in the New Covenant between God and man, and there was a change in law.
The New Testament, scripture contains both an image of a universal priesthood and the priesthood of the ordained. The universal priesthood consists of all who enter the church through a Trinitarian baptism. This is understood as the mystical body. The mystical body of Christ as a royal priesthood, is shown in scripture to be called in the Greek text, hiereus. Christ is the head of the body. “And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy:” (Colossians 1:18) Those who have past on in a state of grace have not left the mystical body, but celebrate the Holy Mass with the hosts of heaven on the other side of the veil.
From Strong’s Greek concordance we define hiereús (from word 2413 /hierós, “sacred because belonging to the Temple”) – a priest. Word 2409 /hiereús(“priest”) is used in the NT: Christ is the true Temple. Those belonging to the Temple are sacred. The New Covenant sees the hiereus sacred, and belonging to the Temple.
“Priest is defined as Old English preost probably shortened from the older Germanic form represented by Old Saxon and Old High German prestar, Old Frisian prestere, all from Vulgar Latin *prester “priest,” from Late Latin presbyter “presbyter, elder,” from Greek presbyteros (see Presbyterian). An alternative theory (to account for the -eo- of the Old English word) makes it cognate with Old High German priast, prest, from Vulgar Latin *prevost “one put over others,” from Latin praepositus “person placed in charge,” from past participle of praeponere (see provost). In Old Testament sense, a translation of Hebrew kohen, Greek hiereus, Latin sacerdos.”
Hiereus is priest, presbyter is priest. The English word priest is different from hiereus. It is not derived phonetically nor etymologically from the word hiereus. It is derived from “Presbyteros”. From the beginning the elders, or presbyters in the church structure, were the respected and ordained leaders within the royal hiereus, or, within the body priest. The apostles assigned the leaders of the church to the presbytery. They were the ordained through the process of laying on of the hands of the bishop, starting with those who received the spirit in the upper room at Pentecost. This is the process of apostolic succession. This image fulfilled what the priesthood of Aaron and Moses did before. “Impose not hands lightly upon any man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins. Keep thyself chaste.” (1Timothy 5:22) “Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.” (Numbers 27:23) There is no true atonement for sins in the sacrificing of bulls and goats in the Old Testament. The images are to show us the mystery of sacrament and how the priesthood of Christ is fulfilled in the New Testament. The types in the old, become the truth in the new. The New Testament priests are those that administer the sacraments.
Timothy was an elder in the church of one doctrine, yet he was very young. Historical documentation tells us he was a bishop of Ephesus in Turkey. Bishops are both bishops and priests who perform the sacramental office. When one is ordained, his ministry becomes sacramental. It is ordained by God through the laying on of hands of the bishop, and given special graces by the Holy Spirit.
John in Revelation tells us, “He has made us a Kingdom of priests.” Priest as in Hiereus. This is the entire mystical body inside the high Priest Jesus Christ. Peter says, “You are a chosen people a Holy Nation a Royal Priesthood.” Paul says: “That I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles; sanctifying the gospel of God, that the oblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:16) In Paul writing to the Romans, he is writing as a priest of the church who in the sacramental office, through the Holy Spirit, sanctifies the oblation of bread and wine. Paul is describing his own ministry which he was called to by God. In the Greek, he is using a variant of the word “hiereus”.
He explains, “of the grace from God that makes him a “minister of Christ to the Gentiles in a priestly service (hierougounta=priestly work.) The bread that becomes the Eucharist through the Holy Spirit is sanctified. Paul tells us, “Is not the bread that we break, participation in the body of Christ?
Webster’s defines the word “sanctify” as to, set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use consecrate, to free from sin : purify to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect to… to make productive of holiness or piety.
An oblation is an unbloody sacrifice. In the Old Testament the unbloody sacrifices are of bread and wine. Paul offers a consecrated, holy, unbloody, oblation through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, for the Gentiles. Through the Holy Spirit, the priest of the mystical body, sanctified bread and wine, therefore setting it apart, consecrating it, making it holy for a holy purpose. An offering to God through Jesus Christ our high priest and mediator in the Holy of Holies, for the sins of the entire world. The holy of holies in the meeting tent represents heaven. The holies is the church. This is a prophecy of Malachy fulfilled.
“For from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is offered to my name a clean oblation: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 1:11)
The Gentiles were not baptized into the church until after the cross, so this clean oblation is offered from where the sun rises to where it sets, after the cross. The Old Covenant is fulfilled in the new. In the old, God told Moses that the bread of the presence must always be placed before Him. This bread was to be eaten every Sabbath by the priests in a holy place. Three times a year the sacred bread along with consecrated wine, was brought out of the holies to the Jews. The table containing the bread and wine was raised and the priests would say, “behold God’s love for you.”
The types are fulfilled in the heavenly realities. “This is my body”. Behold Gods love for you. Christ raised this image to the covenant memorial of the cross where His glorified essence that does not conform to time, space, and matter, in the Eucharist, is present before the Father before the Father sees the sins of the world. This is called a covenant memorial. It is a covenant memorial of the crucifixion of Christ. Christ at the last supper told the first priests of His church to, “do this in memory of me.” He was saying, keep the covenant memorial of the cross before the Father for the sins of the world, like the bread of the presence was in type. Without the Holy Mass, the crucifixion is only an execution. This priesthood that was established by the apostles through God, was passed on to their disciples, and continues into our present day.
The word covenant comes from the Semitic word “berit”. It means to cut a covenant. It means an oath secured by a shedding of blood. “This is my blood of the New Covenant”…
We can see the priesthood in scripture and we can confirm it with history. St. Hegesippus (A.D. 180) records that the Apostle, St. James the Less, wore Temple vestments; and St. Polycrates of Ephesus ( A.D. 196) records that St. John the Beloved Apostle, wore a primitive Bishop’s mitre, in which he was buried. The Holy Mass is indigenous to Christianity. There is no Holy Mass without apostolic succession of the priesthood.
“The oriental liturgy, or mass, which bears the name of this apostle (James the just) is mentioned by Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, and by the council in Trullo, and is of venerable antiquity. St Basil, indeed, testifies that the words of the sacred invocation, in the consecration of the bread and the cup, were not committed to writing, but learned and preserved by tradition, down to the fourth century.” (Butlers Lives of The Fathers, Martyrs and Other Saints.” )
Irenaeus (died about 202) a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John the apostle tells us, “For David had been appointed a priest by God, although Saul persecuted him. For all the righteous possess the sacerdotal rank. And all the apostles of the Lord are priests, who do inherit here neither lands nor houses, but serve God and the altar continually.” (Irenaeus Against Heresies Book IV, Chapter 8)
From the book titled Clement of Rome Recognitions book 6 ch 15. The author is talking about Peter and his priestly office. “and baptized them; and celebrating the Eucharist with them, he appointed, as bishop over them, Maro, who had entertained him in his house, and who was now perfect in all things; and with him he ordained twelve presbyters and deacons at the same time. He also instituted the order of widows, and arranged all the services of the Church; and charged them all to obey their bishop in all things that he should command them.”
Hippolytus of Rome (170 – 235 AD) When a deacon is to be ordained, he is chosen after the fashion of those things said above, the bishop alone in like manner imposing his hands upon him as we have prescribed. In the ordaining of a deacon, this is the reason why the bishop alone is to impose his hands upon him: he is not ordained to the priesthood, but to serve the bishop and to fulfill the bishop’s command. He has no part in the council of the clergy, but is to attend to his own duties and is to acquaint the bishop with such matters as are needful. . . .On a presbyter, however, let the presbyters impose their hands because of the common and like Spirit of the clergy. Even so, the presbyter has only the power to receive [the Spirit], and not the power to give [the Spirit]. That is why a presbyter does not ordain the clergy; for at the ordaining of a presbyter, he but seals while the bishop ordains (The Apostolic Tradition 9 [A.D. 215]).
We must not deny facts. We must build on facts in order to establish a clearer image of truth that has been lost to most of our world. Scripture through proper exegesis shows us a Priesthood established by God through the apostles. If there is a priesthood established by God then there is a sacrifice that is worthy of God that the priesthood has been ordained to offer. The early history of the church confirms this priesthood and shows us the growth of the priesthood established. All those who have been given a Trinitarian baptism are part of the Royal Priesthood who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb in the Holy Mass. Many modern Christians have received a valid Trinitarian baptism, but do not participate in what that baptism calls us to. It will always come down to faith though. The great doctor of the church Thomas Aquinas said, “with faith, no explanation is necessary. Without faith, no explanation is possible.”
“Christ our true pasch (Passover Lamb) has been sacrificed. Let us keep the feast. (1 Cor 5:7)
Every Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we, ourselves, do not know…It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!” St. Padre Pio
Luke Haskell is a Catholic Apologist and can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn
In the RCIA
program, the period following the reception in to the Church is known as a
period of Mystagogy. Mystagogy is a time
where the mysteries of the Church are revealed to the new Catholics. It is revealed through their experience of
the Sacraments and through all that the Church offers them. Although teaching is involved, experience and
sharing about that experience is the way the mysteries are revealed. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(Chicago, 1988) manual states: “. The purpose of the mystagogy is to enable the
newly baptized to draw from their sacramental experience a new sense of the
faith, the Church, and the world”. As a
leader in the RCIA program in my parish, I try to encourage our Neophytes to
experience as much as they can, the resources that the Church offers them. Truly, I believe that this is good for all
the people of the Church as well.
Those who
have gone through the RCIA program have experienced at Easter NEW LIFE. They are, in a spiritual sense, born
anew. I have truly seen, throughout the
years, a big change in them. They are
more alive in the faith. We established
Catholics have also been enlivened by experiencing all that Lent and Easter has
given us. Our faith should truly be
renewed. I believe that a period of
mystagogy is appropriate for us too. We
need to experience all that the Church offers us, and there is so much. We are constantly called to grow in our faith
by using the sacraments and other tools that the Church gives us. When we grow in our faith we become more of
who God wants us to be. When we do that,
we become happier, more fulfilled and more at peace. We can grow in our experience of all that
the Holy Spirit gives us by receiving the Spirit’s gifts and fruits. Literally, we can set the world on fire.
I would like
to share some of my thoughts on how to do this.
I thought that I would do this in a list format. Sometimes it is good to have a list of some
of the things that the Church can offer to us so that we can grow in our
faith. Here is a list (certainly not a
full one) of things that will help us to grow in our faith:
TWELVE STEPS TO HELP US GROW IN OUR
FAITH
1 – Go to
mass at least every Sunday. The mass
is the Summit and Source of our faith.
In the mass we hear God’s Word proclaimed and explained and we receive
the most precious gift of His Body and Blood.
We pray together and experience community and are sent forth. I attend daily mass because I believe it can
do more for me than anything else.
2 – Pray. When you are in Love with someone,
communication is a natural expression of that Love and a way that Love can
grow. Prayer is communication with God. There are so many ways to pray. I love praying the Liturgy of the Hours. It is now so easy to do and so available by
placing an app on your smart phone. I
use the ibreviary app. It is a no cost
app. Try it out, you will be glad that
you do. I would suggest at least praying
Morning prayer and Evening prayer.
I also like
to use what I call “gut” prayer. This is
totally spontaneous and can be done at any time. It comes from deep within us, our “gut”. Sometimes my gut prayer is filled with praise
and thanksgiving. Often it is filled
with “why me God?” And “why are you
allowing this to happen?” It is a
prayer of honesty and truth and feelings.
3 – Eucharistic
Adoration. This is also a form of
prayer, but it goes beyond regular prayer.
It is a time to adore the Lord as he is present to us in His Risen Body
in the Eucharist. It is certainly a time
for prayers of thanksgiving and praise but can also be a time for prayers of
supplication. I go to Eucharistic
Adoration at least once a week.
4 – The
Sacrament of Reconciliation. St.
Paul tells us that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All means all. Christians too sin. Even the Pope goes to confession. There is no doubt that when I do something
that I know is wrong, or more often, fail to do something I know that I should
have done, I immediately ask for God’s forgiveness. However, it is very freeing to regularly
confess our sins to a priest and to hear him give us God’s forgiveness.
5 – The
Rosary. I love praying the
rosary. I try to do it every day. In the rosary you can meditate on the
mysteries of God’s touch to mankind. The
rosary is meant to be a meditative prayer where we literally focus on many of
the stories from the scriptures about our salvation. I look at it as a mini-course on God’s love
and action.
6 – The
Bible. The Bible is a special gift
that the Church has given to the world.
In it we hear God’s Word and receive direction and support for our
lives. Every liturgy that the Church
does has at least one reading from the Bible.
We should listen closely to it at every liturgy but it also should have
a special place in our homes. The Catholic
Church has given us the Bible and it is up to the Catholic Church to help us
understand it. I highly recommend using
a Catholic study guide; My favorite is The Word Among us. Going to a good Catholic Bible study is
great (stay away from Protestant ones as they can misinterpret the Bible). There are many online resources to help us
(see last page).
7 – Charity
and Service. Every Christian is
called to be a person of action. We are
called to feed the poor, heal the sick, visit the lonely and those in prisons
etc. Every parish has some sort of
ministry to help us do that. Check it
out and become involved. Put your faith
in to action.
8 – The
Blessed Virgin Mary. The Lord
literally gave His mother to us to help us in our journey towards Him. Since the very beginnings of the Church Mary
has been held in high esteem and has helped the Church and all Christians in
many ways. It is good to learn about
Mary and to ask her intercession in your life.
She loves you as her own son or daughter.
9 – The
Saints. The Saints were all ordinary
people just like you and me. They
struggled with the same things we struggled with and they were able to grow so
close to Jesus and follow Him that the Church assures us that they are in
heaven. They intercede for us in prayer
and they love it when we ask them to do so.
Try to learn as much as you can about the Saints and learn from them how
to follow the Lord.
10 – Go
on a Retreat. A retreat is simply a
time set aside for you to get away from the normal distractions in life and to
draw closer to the Love that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have for you. Some retreats have themes, and some are
simply quiet time with the Lord. Try
one, you will love it.
11 – Visit
Holy Sites. Throughout the world
there are places that one would consider a Holy Site. It might be one because of its history and
what happened there, or it could be just an ordinary place that has been set
aside for people to visit and grow closer to God. I have been fortunate to visit many Holy
Sites throughout the world, including the Holy Land, Rome and several places
where Mary has appeared. I have one Holy
Site nearby, The Shrine of Our Lady of the Island that I love to visit and
spend time with the Lord.
12 – Be
Proud to be Catholic. The more you learn
about the Church, the prouder you will be.
Yes, the Church is not perfect (the priest sex scandal shows us that),
but it is something that Jesus Himself started and maintains. No other organization on this planet has
lasted as long as the Church has. It is
an instrument of God’s grace. Let your
pride in the Church show. Tell others
about it.
There are so many other resources that the Church offers us that we should take advantage of. I have compiled a partial list of some important Internet Resources and include that here. There are also so many great books out there that you could (should) read. Perhaps another time I will look in to that. May our good Lord bless you in your walk with Him.
CATHOLIC INTERNET
RESOURCES
CATHOLIC WEB SITES
SITES EVERY
CATHOLIC SHOULD USE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR FAITH:
The
Vatican: www.vatican.va
(choose English in the menu at top right)
Today Christianity across the world
celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is a celebration of a
miraculous—and seemingly impossible—event. The feast of Jesus’ Resurrection
holds a special place in my heart. I wish to share the basic biblical
proof of the Resurrection, examples from some saints, and my own personal
experience.
Note: If you still have questions related to a more cerebral and
logical argument for the Resurrection of Jesus, I highly recommend Carl
Olson’s: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
Gospel
evidence
Since there is a lot of evidence to
refer to and I prefer to keep today’s post as concise as possible I will only
focus on the two strongest pieces of evidence, I found to be convincing for me
in showing validity in Jesus’ Resurrection. First, the witness of the women
being the initial people to notice the empty tomb is strong evidence. The
reason for this is due to in 1st century Palestine life women did not
enjoy the benefits of voting, membership in the workforce, or even respect to
be witnesses in events like today.
Why would the Gospel writers
uniformly state that the first witnesses to the empty tomb and to proclaim
Jesus as risen were women unless it was true? It still does not make sense to
me why the gospel writers would embarrass the apostles by placing women in
a place of honor at being the first evangelizers of Jesus’ Resurrection unless
that was the truth!
Secondly, the Gospel of Matthew
already shows alternative explanations already surfacing to explain the disappearance
of Jesus’ body when the tomb was opened. According to Matthew, the priests and
elders charged the Roman soldiers to create a story to explain why the tomb was
empty. They [priests and elders] state, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came
during the night and stole him while we were asleep’. If any word of this gets
to the procurator, we will straighten it out with him and keep you out of
trouble.” (Matthew 28:13-14). This never made sense to me. If the
apostles were fraudulent, why the Matthew plainly write about the theory of the
stolen body of Jesus? Such a theory only makes sense as a lie developed by the
priests and elders.
Saintly
Sources
Because of the vast array of saints
to attest to the truth of the Resurrection, I will only focus on two for
conciseness’ sake—St. Peter and St. Paul. The thing that I really love about
St. Peter is his fervor to follow the gospel after Jesus’ Resurrection. In
addition to being the 1st pope of the Catholic Church, Peter testified to the
truth of the Gospel as a martyr via crucifixion.
St. Paul represents arguably the
greatest conversion in the history of Christianity. Paul went from being a
murderer of Christians to the Church’s great evangelizer and writer of almost
2/3 of the New Testament. These two men show us that they encountered someone
who transformed them. Peter and Paul’s conversions are an effect of the power
of Jesus’ Resurrection!
My
Testimony
While my own testimony does not hold
the same weight at Scripture and Tradition, I still am convinced that certain
things in my life transpired due to a power outside of my control and full
understanding. During my darkest days a few years ago, I learned of the power
of God. He rose me up from the loss of a job and our miscarriages. God
continues to demonstrate the glory of His Resurrected Son in seemingly ordinary
things too. For example, I asked my cousin to pray for my wife for an important
interview. My cousin told me, “Of course, and incidentally she [my wife] was
the person my cousin and his fiancée scheduled to pray for, in a special way, anyways.” This is not the first time this seeming coincidence
happened to my cousin.
Through
Scripture, Tradition [the saints], and my personal experience with daily and
extraordinary events I have come to more deeply realize the Resurrection of
Jesus as an historical fact. I pray that you come to enjoy this truth in
Scripture, Tradition, and your own life’s experiences!
There are few dogmas of the Catholic Church that have appeared more scandalous to non-Catholic believers than papal infallibility. Consider, for example, this reflection from Protestant apologist Matt Slick in one of his critical pieces on the subject:
I can’t help but wonder what new revelations and infallible interpretations will arise within the Roman Catholic Church. Will the next six million years produce the complete deification of Mary? Will Mary become the creator of the universe in Roman Catholic lore? Or perhaps the pope might be elevated to a celestial level here on earth (Infallibility, Fallibility, and the Roman Catholic Church).
As any decently catechized Catholic will know, Slick can rest assured that neither Mary nor the pope will ever be the subjects of deification by the Catholic Church; not in the next sixty years, not in the next 600 billion years. Not ever. Indeed, papal infallibility exists to prevent such heresies. It is also fitting given the primary of the pope in the Church.
Papal Primacy
In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives Peter alone “the keys to the kingdom of heaven” and the power to “bind and loose” (Matt. 16:16-20). Peter’s unique authority is powerfully exemplified in the Acts of the Apostles, at the Council of Jerusalem, when Peter made a definitive ruling regarding circumcision “and all the assembly kept silence” (Acts 15:12).
As the chief “overseer” of the Church, Peter—and his successors—was to maintain doctrinal purity, as well as doctrinal unity, in the Church. The eminent Protestant scholar James D.G. Dunn affirms this unitive role:
It is Peter who becomes the focal point of unity for the whole Church . . . he became the most hopeful symbol of unity for that growing Christianity which more and more came to think of itself as the Church Catholic” (Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, 386).
Writing in the second century, St. Irenaeus of Lyons gives important testimony to the primacy of the pope. Dealing with the Gnostic heretics in the second century, he asserted that the beliefs of every local Christian church must be congruent, not just with apostolic tradition, but with the teachings of every other Christian church. Why? Because the Church is essentially catholic. The primary way, wrote the ancient bishop of Lyons, that Christ ensures the unity of his Church is through the Petrine office: the church in Rome “is the greatest and most important and best-known of all . . . For with this church, because of her more powerful pre-eminence all churches must agree” (Against Heresies, III, 3.2) .
A Sensible Office
It makes sense that Jesus would establish such an authority in his absence—something like the Petrine office—because “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9). We are easily fooled and distracted, and thereby often fail to hear the still, small voice of God. Yes, the Holy Spirit can and will lead us into all truth as Jesus promised—but how, exactly? Through prayer and contemplation of the scriptures, surely. But as St. Paul tells us, we are to “test everything [and] hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). How should we test and confirm our spiritual sentiments? Through the infallible guidance of the Church, especially realized in the ministry of the chief bishop of the Church.
Papal infallibility is often misunderstood, but not because it is a hard concept to understand. It makes perfect sense. We need an infallible teaching authority because we are so fallible.
And because this charism exists to prevent the teaching of error in the universal Church, it is only present when the pope fulfills three narrow criteria. First, he must be teaching as the supreme pastor of the universal church. Second, he must have the intention of deciding a matter finally. Third, the teaching must be regarding faith and morals.
Assisted, Not Inspired
The writers of the New Testament were also specially influenced by God as they communicated religious truth. But there’s a critical distinction to be made here. The New Testament writers were not merely influenced—they were inspired. Indeed they were inspired in such a profound manner that, although it was mere creatures who put letters to the sacred page, God was in fact the primary author. Catholic theologian Ludwig Ott affirms this distinction in his well-known Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma:
This assistance [involved in papal infallibility] must be distinguished . . . from Inspiration, which is a positive influence effected by God over an author, of such a nature that God himself is the principal author of the writing, and the ideas are consequently the Word of God.
Whereas inspiration is a positive influence to “write only what God wants written,” papal infallibility is essentially a negative—or preventative—charism that prevents the chief teacher of the Church from teaching “what God does not want taught,” that is, from teaching error.
Peter the Pitiful
Given his blunderous and impulsive character, wasn’t the apostle Peter rather unfit for the job as infallible leader of the Church? What about his successors? Precisely so—at least according to worldly standards. By gospel standards, however, Peter was the perfect fit.
Truly at the crux of the Good News is the paradoxical truth that God “has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree” (Luke 1:52). Jesus specializes in making something great out the pitiful. Indeed during his earthly ministry he took a special interest in uneducated fishermen, sinful tax collectors—even murderers like Paul—many of whom he gave the task of overseeing his ministry and tending his flock.
Riddled as he was with imperfections, the genius of Peter’s selection may not have been immediately apparent. Centuries later, however, the power of God is clear. For the Chair of Peter still remains; no power has yet prevailed over the Church. “All the empires and the kingdoms have failed, because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men,” writes Chesterton. “But this one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link” (Heretics). Indeed, when Jesus gave Peter the keys and charism of infallibility, he infused the whole Christian people with a principle of unity that forms an unbreakable bond.
Peter’s Faith Did Not Fail
“The prayer of a righteous man is great in its effect,” writes St. James (James 5:16). How great in its effect must have been the Lord’s prayer for Peter when he said to his chief disciple, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:32).
Indeed, from that perfect prayer of Christ have come two miracles that have strengthened the Church ever since. The first is the witness—the martyrdom—of Peter whose faith did not fail in the end. And the second is still with us; indeed we are living it—the indestructible Catholic Church, the community of believers in grace whose faith has been strengthened century after century by the Servant of the Servants of God, the pope.
The philosopher Immanuel Kant said that all of philosophy aims to answer three basic questions: What can I know? What can I do? What may I hope? He then linked these three questions to three more: Does God exist? Is man free? Is there life after death?
The failure to take seriously life’s biggest questions—all of which are inherently religious—is one of the most unflattering characteristics of our day. Of all the great civilizations that have ever existed, ours “is the first that does not have to teach its citizens any answer to the question why they exist,” laments Peter Kreeft. “As society grows, it knows more and more about less and less. It knows more about the little things and less about the big things.”
How can we evangelize in such a spiritually indifferent culture?
The first step is to understand the problem.
When I was in my early twenties, I suffered from a wicked bout of spiritual restlessness. After a couple years of university, my Catholic upbringing had lost much of its hold on me. But although I was no longer attending Mass or receiving the sacraments—or living my life as though God existed—I was still open to the idea of something like God existing “out there.”
On some days I leaned towards a deistic view of God—the idea that a divine power had created the world but was no longer present to it. On other days I was swayed towards pantheism, the “everything is God” view that is characteristic of New Age thought. And still on other days I felt a pull, however slight and brief, towards the Catholic faith of my youth. Spiritually, I was all over the spectrum.
Not one of these fleeting attractions, however, ever amounted to a conviction. The problem was not that no case could be made for those worldviews. The problem was that I failed to take any of them seriously enough to consider the case for or against. Instead I was like a child, “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14).
I think we can look at religious indifference in just that way: the failure to 1) think seriously about religion and 2) to give God his due. One failure is intellectual and the other is practical. But, since will follows reason, most people won’t give God his due if they’re not even thinking seriously about him. What we choose follows what we know. Thus, the intellectual component is primary.
Since our minds are naturally ordered toward truth, to be indifferent to the most persistent human questions about reality is an unnatural way to live. Whether we like it or not, it matters whether God exists—and it matters what kind of God exists. It matters whether we are free or not. It matters whether heaven and hell really await our choosing. Many of our ordinary assumptions—like the existence of free will or of objective morality—hinge on how these questions are answered. “All our actions and thoughts,” reflects Pascal in his Pensées, “must follow such different paths, according to whether there is hope of eternal blessings or not.”
Catholic philosopher Robert Sokolowski contends that it is at the core of man’s nature to desire the truth of things. This desire, he says, “is very deep in us, more basic than any particular desire or emotion. We are made human by it, and it is there in us to be developed well or badly.” Our appetite for truth, then, is not optional—it makes us what we are.
That is why religious indifference is so crippling. It is like ignoring your hunger for food and not eating because you “don’t feel like it.” Ignore it long enough and it may become numbed, but such desensitization will not prevent the ensuing weakness, sickness, and death—it will only mask their approach.
How did we become so indifferent towards humanity’s most persistent questions? Surely there are many reasons, but a big one may be the rise of “smart” technology and its impact on how we see ourselves and others. Psychology professor Jean Twenge notes that the generation born in the mid-1990s and after—what she calls the iGen—has never known a time before the internet and smartphone. According to her research, not only is this generation the most digitally connected; it is also the least religious generation in U.S. history.
Given all that modern technology does for us, it should be no surprise that people are becoming more and more convinced of their own self-sufficiency. Such radicalized autonomy makes it easy to accept the illusion that we are masters of our own world. We rely on others—and the authority of others—less than ever before. The temptation to “be as gods” has been around since Eden, but no culture has ever made a sense of omnipotence easier to attain. Who needs God and his rules when we can be gods and make up our own?
“The most deadly poison of our times is indifference,” wrote St. Maximilian Kolbe. But although the problem is urgent, it is not insurmountable. For one thing, the Catholic Church is a seasoned veteran when it comes to facing cultural resistance to its mission: it always finds a way to persevere against the odds and get the job done. And of course, the Church’s mission of making disciples has the almighty power of Christ behind it, and it will until the end of the age.
We must remember, too, that even the most hopeless indifferentist is never a total write-off. His nature can never totally shed its thirst for truth and, more importantly God never ceases to draw him into all truth (John 16:13). As the Second Vatican Council declared in Gaudium et Spes:
Man is continually being aroused by the Spirit of God and he will never be utterly indifferent to religion—a fact proved by the experiences of ages past and plentiful evidence at the present day. For man will ever be anxious to know, if only in a vague way, what is the meaning of his life, his activity, and his death. The very presence of the Church recalls these problems to his mind. The most perfect answer to these questionings is to be found in God alone, who created man in his own image and redeemed him from sin (41).
This is all good news, but it’s not the only reason for hope. There are practical things that we can do in our witness to others that will help them respond to God’s prompting and bravely seek the answers they long to know. By leading with open questions, open ears, and a patient tongue, and by challenging them to face with seriousness the true costs of their apathy over life’s Biggest Questions, you can engage the indifferent effectively. After all, they’re not dead—they’re just asleep. With the right tools, you can awaken them from their spiritual slumber.
NOTE: Matt’s new book, JUST WHATEVER is available by clicking here: JUST WHATEVER
The Great Cross marks the spot where the Spanish first landed in St. Augustine, Florida on September 8, 1565. The statue of Father Francisco Lopez marks the spot where the first THANKSGIVING mass was celebrated.
We always think that the first Thanksgiving happened in 1621 with the Pilgrims who settled in Massachusetts. In this Thanksgiving the local Indians came to the Pilgrims and brought them native food. There is no doubt that this really happened, but was it really the first Thanksgiving in the Americas? History says no. The first Thanksgiving occurred about 56 years before that in 1565. This one, like the Pilgrim Thanksgiving also involved European settlers and American Indians.
On September 8th, 1565 (the day the Church celebrates the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Spanish settlers landed at what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The first person to come on land was Father Francisco Lopez, the chaplain of the expedition. He came on land holding a cross. The leader of the exposition, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, then came on land while Father Francisco was holding the cross. The leader then kneeled down in front of the cross and kissed it. The rest of the exposition came on land and did some preliminary set up and then gathered to celebrate mass in thanksgiving for the safe passage they had been given. Catholic’s know the mass as the celebration of the Eucharist. Eucharist in Greek means Thanksgiving.
Immediately following the mass, Father Francisco, now the first pastor of the first settlement in the Americas, declared that they would celebrate a fraternal meal by inviting the Timucua Indians to dine with the settlers. The landing site of the Spanish was right next to a large Timucua village. The two peoples celebrated a Thanksgiving feast together. This was certainly the first Thanksgiving meal celebrated in the Americas.
Our traditional Thanksgiving dinner usually consists of roasted turkey, potatoes and vegetables that were probably used at the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving in Massachusetts. The Indians provided these foods to be shared with the settlers. The Spanish Thanksgiving in St. Augustine, Florida was quite different. Historical records show that it consisted of food brought by the Spanish settlers. This food was salted pork, garbanzo beans, ship’s bread and red wine. It also, most likely, consisted of some foods gathered by the Spanish settlers when they stopped in the Caribbean Islands. The Timucua Indians probably provided corn, fresh fish, berries, or beans.
The two Thanksgiving dinners had much in common. They both included the European Settlers and the Native Americans. They both were done in Thanksgiving to God for all that He had done. They both included food that was shared by all. They both had a sense of Thanksgiving to God as well as a sense of fraternal gathering. The main difference is that the Catholic Thanksgiving began with a Thanksgiving meal that goes all the way back to the Apostles and the early Church and has been celebrated every day since then by the Church.
The Pilgrims came to the America to escape from governmental persecution of their Puritan religion. The Spanish came to America with direction from their government and with a twofold mission; first to bring the message of Jesus’ salvation, and second to gain new lands for Spain. It is interesting that the first thing done is to have the Chaplain of the exposition bring a cross on to the new land and then, almost immediately after, to celebrate the Eucharist. The fraternal dinner with the Native Americans was to follow the mass. This is very much like the early Church which first had the celebration of the Eucharist followed by the Agape fraternal meal. Even today, in many families, we go first to mass on Sunday and then have a family Sunday dinner. The real first Thanksgiving gets the order right: first give thanks to God and then celebrate our fraternal love with each other. This is something we should do every day, not just once per year.
Many Catholics have heard the initials RCIA used within their church but often do not fully understand what this program is. It is important for all Catholics to know about this program since all Catholics have a place within the program. I would like to take some time to briefly talk about what the program is and then give some reflections on it. I came in to the Church through the RCIA program about 44 years ago and today, as a Deacon, I run our parish RCIA program. I see it as a source of real life to me and to so many others. RCIA simply stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. The program is the way that adult members learn about Jesus and His Church and then come in to it.
One of the principal ways that all Catholics are involved in RCIA is through their witness. Hopefully the life we lead and the faith we share make others interested in our Lord Jesus and in His Church. When we touch others through our own lived out faith it makes them want to learn more about the faith. RCIA is a way that they can do that. We often have people that were never baptized and never lived out the Christian faith. We also have people who have been baptized and have lived out the faith in a Protestant Church. Some of our RCIA people were baptized Catholic but never received Confirmation and Holy Communion. Some have received all the sacraments and have left the Church but have now returned. RCIA is for all of them.
It is impossible to put a time limit on the RCIA process. How much time we need is based upon the needs of each member in the group. For some, several years may be involved. For others it may be less than one year. We divide the RCIA program in to four distinct groups. Let us take a look at these four groups:
1 – INQUIRER: This is often known as the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate. Here we preach the basic Christian message and explain the role of the Church in living out the Christian life. We use this time to try to teach and inspire. We also use this time to discern whether the person is ready to make the formal step of becoming a full Catechumen.
2 – CATECHUMEN: When the RCIA team discerns that the inquirer is ready to make a faith commitment, we have a ceremony in front of the Church community at a Sunday mass where the inquirers make a decision to become a full Catechumen. The inquirer declares their intentions to the community and the community welcomes them. The process of further teaching continues by the RCIA team and the Church community continues to pray for them.
3 – ELECT: On the first Sunday of Lent, the Catechumens attend a special diocesan celebration where the Catechumens publically express their desire for baptism to the diocesan bishop. Their names are recorded in the Book of the Elect. Instructions continue during the days of Lent. There is usually additional prayer and spiritual direction given to the Elect leading them up to the Easter Vigil service. At the Easter Vigil the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist are given to the Elect in front of the Church community. The Elect are now fully initiated in to the Catholic Church. However, their training continues.
4 – NEOPHYTES: The newly initiated Catholics continue their training with RCIA during the Easter season. This is known as a time of MYSTAGOGY. It continues to the Feast of Pentecost. The neophytes share their experiences of the Easter Vigil and continue to learn more about the Catholic faith.
As I mentioned earlier, some people come in to the program already baptized and with different levels of faith experience. Some need Confirmation and Holy Eucharist; some need just confession and a profession of faith. Depending upon the circumstances, these people can also receive these at the Easter Vigil or at a later date. Pentecost is often used.
The RCIA program tries to deal with each individual’s needs. Some people may need more time than others and some may need to straighten out difficulties like previous marriages. The good RCIA leader and team learn to deal with the various needs of the person apart from the training within the program. It is a program that calls people to follow Jesus within His Church community. The Church community has to realize that they too are part of this process. They help the Inquirer, the Catechumen, the Elect and the Neophyte through prayer and example. I have seen that the community itself grows in a positive direction due to their contact with the RCIA people. It is truly a program that brings life, not only to the individual, but also to the community.
When I did my RCIA process, it was quite different from ours today. I (my wife came also), and another candidate, met weekly with our parish pastor and he taught us. It was good for me, and I became very close to the pastor through it. Today we have a team of several individuals and during our sessions we take turn doing the instructions and we emphasize group discussions. We also spend time reflecting on the Sunday reading. One thing that we added is to discuss where we have seen the Lord working in our lives during this last week. This has proved quite fruitful. RCIA must help its people come in to a relationship with Jesus, as well as His Church.
As a person who has taught in the RCIA program for many years, I can tell you that the program continues to help me grow in my own faith. It is very heartwarming to see people grow in their faith and in their love for Jesus and His Church. Please make sure that you pray for all those who are part of the RCIA program. It is a real blessing to the Church.
