Category Archives: Catholic Church

by | November 27, 2015 · 12:26 pm

They call these things Eucharistic Miracles

In reality, every Eucharist is a Miracle!

A Catholic parish in Salt Lake City has possibly been gifted with a Eucharistic Miracle in the form of a bleeding host. The news crew explains the circumstances. Video embedded @

http://kutv.com/news/local/bleeding-host-under-investigation-by-sl-catholic-diocese

Note: It is standard practice for a soiled host to be dissolved in water for a period of time before being disposed of respectfully.

Consecration

The Bread of Life Discourse: Gospel of John, Chapter 6 [excerpted for clarity]

Jesus said to them, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”

Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

Jesus said to them, “Does this shock you? The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

The Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires – 1996

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: “Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.”

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm

Something to meditate on …

Tests of the blood on the Shroud of Turin and of the blood in the Eucharistic Miracles of Lanciano and Buenos Aires all show that Jesus had blood type AB-positive. About 3% of the human population has this blood type.

AB+ is the universal receptor for whole blood transfusions. Whole blood is that which is drawn directly from the body and from which none of the components, such as plasma or red blood cells, have been removed. A person with AB+ blood can safely receive whole blood transfusions from any and all blood types.

“He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24 [NABRE]

AB+ is the universal donor for blood plasma transfusions. Blood plasma is the pale yellow liquid component of blood that normally holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension. It makes up about 55% of the body’s total blood volume. AB+ plasma can be safely given to any and all blood types.

Alan Jackson – Are You Washed In The Blood

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by | November 21, 2015 · 5:27 pm

Pondering the pope’s words

A Lutheran woman, married to a Roman Catholic, asked Pope Francis if she could receive Holy Eucharist with her husband. The pope’s answer has sparked quite a number of headlines.

2015_11 15 Pope on intercommunion

The very best analysis I have seen is by Jimmy Akin.

I really appreciate Akin’s efforts to help us understand the pontiff’s words in the full context of RCC teaching, because far too many who speak and write about Pope Francis appear to be more interested in using or abusing him to serve their political agendas.

Although I don’t speak Italian, I found it helpful to watch the video, if only to make it clear that Pope Francis was answering a question. He ponders, speaks slowly, rambles a bit; in other words, he is speaking pastorally, not pontifically. Akin takes this into account with his analysis.

AKIN EXCERPT:

Because of the cautions Pope Francis makes during the course of his answer, I don’t view it as the earthquake that some took it for.

Is the pope giving permission to Lutheran spouses to take Communion at Mass? No. He expressly says he’s not.

Is this a portent of an imminent shift in Catholic doctrine or sacramental practice? No.

Is it possible that the current rules regarding when Communion can be given to other Christians could one day be tweaked? Yes. It’s imaginable that a pope might one day decide that any baptized Christians who share the Church’s faith respect to Communion, confession, and anointing could receive those sacraments on the same basis that Orthodox Christians can.

Are the pope’s remarks a sign that this—or anything like it—is going to happen any time in the foreseeable future? No.

Could the pope have answered more clearly? Yes. One might argue that, if the pope were going to struggle with the question as much as he did, he would have been better advised not to take it. But these things happen, and there is no reason to see this as a sign of an impending doctrinal or sacramental earthquake.

Akin’s full article @ http://jimmyakin.com/2015/11/pope-francis-on-intercommunion-with-lutherans.html

English translation of the pope’s words @ http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-tells-lutheran-to-talk-to-the-lord-about-receiving-eucharist/

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by | November 20, 2015 · 11:00 pm

Catholics are Christians

2015_11 20 Stop the HATE

I really believe we need to do everything we can to restore unity among all Christians in this time of great evil throughout the world. One place that needs a ton of prayer and work is the chasm between Catholic-Christians and non-Catholic-Christians.

To be honest, it makes me both sad and furious when I am exposed to anti-Catholic lies and slander perpetrated by my own sisters and brothers in Christ. I get it that the Left-wing atheists hate us. But why any of Jesus’ own children help spread their filth is a puzzlement.

If nothing else, the fact that the Left is so virulently anti-Catholic should make Conservative non-Catholic Christians wake up. Satan doesn’t attack his own.

I was led to a personal relationship with Jesus by a Baptist classmate and have always had many devout non-Catholic friends. While I definitely believe Catholic doctrine and am certain it is the Holy Spirit’s will for me to stay Catholic, I’m not prejudiced.

I really love being able to prayerfully dialogue with others about doctrinal differences; I make no effort to proselytize or convert anyone, because I think the church you go to is the Holy Spirit’s business, not mine.

My one prayer today is that all y’all will make an effort to understand the Catholic side of things. Contact me or run a search of the Catholic Catechism. Read stuff at pro-Catholic sites to balance whatever you read at anti-Catholic sites. Nobody is asking you to agree or convert, only to stop spreading lies and slander.

God is Truth. You really don’t want to have to explain to Him at judgment why you kept on talking trash about Catholics, because you were too lazy to google.

You can buy a paperback copy of The Catechism of the Catholic Church at Amazon for less than $6.  There is a free, searchable copy on-line @ http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm.

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by | November 16, 2015 · 9:42 pm

MYTHBUSTERS: Jesus did not teach pacifism

Jesus did not say we should be doormats for every bully that comes along.

When He said, “Turn the other cheek”, he was using a common rabbinical teaching tool known as ‘hyperbole’ in order to accentuate an important point.  Other examples of hyperbole from the Sermon on the Mount include:

  • “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away” (Matt 5:29).
  • “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matt 5:30).

To correctly interpret Jesus’ words, we must consider everything we know about what He said and did. Consider John 18:22-23 for example, where Jesus does not meekly turn the other cheek when someone smacks Him.

One of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”

WWJD turning tables

And far from condemning military service, Jesus praised the faith of the Roman centurion (Matt 8:8ff) and told the apostles to “take up a sword” for self-defense (Luke 22:36-38).

Pope's army false meme

To correctly interpret Jesus’ words, we also need to ensure we have them translated properly.

Thou shalt not kill

Ecclesiastes 3:1,3,7,8 says,“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Jesus whipped the money changers, then rebuked Peter for using violence to try and stop His arrest.  He talked back to the temple guard, then quietly submitted to His undeserved torture and death. Given such conflicting examples, the only way we can be sure we are making good choices in our daily lives is to be in constant communication with the One who knows everything.

In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:6-7

Source:

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by | November 7, 2015 · 9:38 am

Why are any devout Catholics still aligned with the Democrat brand?

At the beginning of the 20th c., the GOP was very hostile to Catholicism and to the flood of largely Irish and Italian immigrants, many of whom were Catholic. When Democrats nominated the first Catholic presidential candidate in 1928, the GOP responded with anti-Catholic ads like this one.

Al Smith GOP anti-RCC ad

The hostility of the GOP to Catholics started a multi-generational devotion to the Democrat brand that reached its peak with our only Catholic president, JFK.

Kennedy quote

All of this predates the Democratic Party jumping on board the abortion and same sex marriage band wagons, but brand loyalty is a tough nut to crack.

Having been raised in an all-Democrat environment, I experienced this difficulty personally.  I worked on Jimmy Carter’s campaign, but felt compelled to leave the party after the DNC abandoned the unborn. For years, I hunkered down in the Right to Life party, voting Republican only because they were the most pro-life candidates, but never, ever identifying myself with “those people.”

When Right to Life folded in New York, I got a letter advising me to register Republican. (NY primaries are open only to registered party members.) As I read it, my stomach heaved like I was car sick. I realized it was a visceral reaction to the IDEA of registering Republican.  Until this happened, I had NO IDEA I harbored this powerful prejudice!

Add this inherited revulsion for the GOP brand to the fact that lots of people are just too busy to research political issues beyond what the MSM and Democrat Catholics like Pelosi and Biden tell them.  And why should they when they get so much support for the “Democrats are the goodies, Republicans are the baddies” reality they were raised with?  I pray for them every day.

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by | October 25, 2015 · 12:23 am

WOOHOO!! The Holy Spirit has again protected God’s truth!

Pope Francis Bible

With a two-thirds majority vote, the more than 200 bishops gathered for the Vatican’s synod on the family (Oct. 4-25, 2015) upheld Church teaching.

This year’s discussion tended to be reduced in Western secular media to two issues: communion for divorced-and-civilly remarried, and Church teaching and pastoral care regarding homosexuality.

Actual topics were much broader, with synod fathers touching on themes such as domestic violence, violence against women, incest and abuse within families, marriage preparation and pornography.

Read the rest @ http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/final-synod-document-strongly-backs-church-teaching-beauty-of-family-life-37584/

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by | October 21, 2015 · 6:34 pm

Catholic Teaching on Conscience

In The Catechism of the Catholic Church, CONSCIENCE is defined as “a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act.” (CCC 1796)*

It may seem odd, but the Catholic Church actually teaches that the conscience of an individual takes precedence over the teachings of the Catholic Church!

This may sound like “if it feels good, do it”, but it’s not. There are important caveats.

Catholic Catechism on Conscience

The way I understand it is this:

  • God will judge me BOTH for what I did or failed to do AND for what I believed about what I did or failed to do.
  • “I was just following orders [Catholic teaching]” won’t cut it at judgment, but neither will “I didn’t know.”

If my conscience is warped as a result of my own actions, then I am culpable for the evil I did or did not do.

If my conscience is ignorant as a result of circumstances beyond my control, then I am not culpable for the evil that results.

EXAMPLE:

If I, having been exposed to the facts of fetal development, procure an abortion anyway, I will be guilty of murder.

But if I have had no opportunity to learn that the “products of conception” are alive and human, I will not be guilty of murder if I procure an abortion.

In both cases, the evil that results (a dead baby) will be the same. What differs is only the degree to which God will hold me responsible for that death.

All of this supposes the individual is free to act on his or her conscience. Incapacity and/or coercion change the equation completely.

*CCC numbers are references to specific paragraphs in The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
** Invincible: too powerful to be defeated or overcome.

Source:

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by | October 9, 2015 · 6:30 am

Synod News

Synod on the Family graphic

The African bishops leveled heavy criticism at the West for what Pope Francis has termed “ideological colonization,” in which Western nations have made the acceptance of legislation favoring “gay rights” and “same-sex marriage” contingent on receiving financial aid. Ugandan Archbishop John Baptist Odama called it “criminal.”

Read the rest @
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/african-bishops-pull-no-punches-striking-back-at-ideological-colonization/

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia said the working documents harbor a “subtle hopelessness” that could lead to “a spirit of compromise with certain sinful patterns of life and the reduction of Christian truths about marriage and sexuality. … This synod needs to show much more confidence in the Word of God, the transformative power of grace, and the ability of people to actually live what the Church believes.”

Read the rest @

Marriage as a witness to hope

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by | October 7, 2015 · 7:27 am

A Timely History Lesson

Click to embiggen.  Better yet, print it out.  It’s easier to read on paper and it is worth reading.

King of France from 1285-1314

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by | October 7, 2015 · 4:43 am

Pray for the Synod on the Family

The Synod of Bishops, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an advisory body for the Pope.

“The synod of bishops is a group of bishops who have been chosen from different regions of the world and meet together at fixed times to foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel in the preservation and growth of faith and morals and in the observance and strengthening of ecclesiastical discipline, and to consider questions pertaining to the activity of the Church in the world.” – Catholic Code of Canon Law: Canon 342

Pope Francis has asked us to pray this prayer daily from now until the Synod closes.

Synod prayer - Oct 4 to 25

Below is an excerpt from Pope Francis’ address to the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Monday, October 6, 2015.

“The Synod is neither a convention, nor a parlor, nor a parliament or senate, where people make deals and reach compromises. The Synod is rather an Ecclesial expression, i.e., the Church that journeys together to read reality with the eyes of faith and with the heart of God; it is the Church that interrogates herself with regard to her fidelity to the deposit of faith, which does not represent for the Church a museum to view, nor even something merely to safeguard, but is a living source from which the Church shall drink, to satisfy the thirst of, and illuminate, the deposit of life.

“The Synod moves necessarily within the bosom of the Church and of the holy people of God, to which we belong in the quality of shepherds – which is to say, as servants. The Synod also is a protected space in which the Church experiences the action of the Holy Spirit. In the Synod, the Spirit speaks by means of every person’s tongue, who lets himself be guided by the God who always surprises, the God who reveals himself to little ones, who hides from the knowing and intelligent; the God who created the law and the Sabbath for man and not vice versa; by the God, who leaves the 99 sheep to look for the one lost sheep; the God who is always greater than our logic and our calculations.

“Let us remember, however, that the Synod will be a space for the action of the Holy Spirit only if we participants vest ourselves with apostolic courage, evangelical humility and trusting prayer.”

Sources:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P18.HTM
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-full-text-of-remarks-at-synod-opening

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