Or should I say "Mary Christ's Mass?"
Just wanted to tell everyone we appreciate your involvement with Deo Omnis Gloria and enjoy interacting with you all. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and keeps Jesus front and center!
God bless,
Jay
December 2006 Archives
From a homily by Pope Benedict XVI:
However, despite its contradictions, anxieties and dramas, and perhaps because of them, today's humanity seeks a way of renewal, of salvation, a Savior and awaits, sometimes unconsciously, the coming of the Lord who renews the world and our lives; the coming of Christ, the only true Redeemer of man and of all men. It is true, false prophets continue to propose a "cheap" salvation, which always ends by causing harsh deceptions. In fact, the history of the last 50 years shows the search for a "cheap" Savior and manifests all the disillusions that have derived from it.We Christians have the task to spread, with the testimony of life, the truth of Christmas, which Christ brings to all men and women of good will. On being born in the poverty of the stable, Jesus comes to offer to all the only joy and peace that can satisfy the expectations of the human spirit.
But, how can we prepare ourselves to open our hearts to the Lord who comes? The spiritual attitude of vigilant and prayerful waiting continues to be the Christian's fundamental characteristic during this time of Advent. It is the attitude that characterizes the protagonists of the time: Zechariah and Elizabeth, the shepherds, the Wise Men, the simple and humble people, but, above all, Mary's and Joseph's waiting! The latter, more than any other, experienced in the first person the emotion and trepidation for the Child about to be born. It is not difficult to imagine how they spent the last days, waiting to take the newborn in their arms.
God bless,
Jay
Sola Fides, Martin Luther’s famous doctrine of “faith alone,” has rung through the centuries to give us our modern difference between protestant and Catholic understanding of salvation. On this blog, we focus on Scripture and what it tells us; so what does Scripture tell us about how we will be judged?
First, it’s important to note that the words “faith alone” are never used in Scripture with one exception: James tells us that we are not saved by “faith alone” in James 2:17. Adding that with the fact that sola fides was first invented 1,500 years after the Crucifixion by a man of questionable Scriptural understanding and you can understand why I have my doubts.
However a recent book by Dave Armstrong called The Catholic Verses underlined this by pointing out all of the Biblical quotes that refer to salvation. Let’s start with Matthew:
Matthew 16:27. For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.
This is a direct quote from Jesus. Note that he won’t pay us for what we have believed, but for what we have done. I know what you’re thinking, “But Paul said . . .” First, Paul never says “faith alone” save us. Again, Martin Luther added the phrase “alone” to that verse. Catholics do believe that faith saves us, but works are necessary to salvation as well. And the Bible supports it – including Paul:
2 Corinthians 5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.
In case “what he has done” isn’t clear enough, Paul specifies “in the body” to clarify it means what we have actually done (works) while on earth before death. That seems supremely clear. And it keeps going:
1 Peter 1:17. And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.
This clarifies that each of us will be judged according to our deeds, rather than our faith. This is the first Pope, St. Peter, teaching us that we should be afraid for our salvation and work towards holiness. Not convinced? Back to Jesus
Matthew 25:31-46. “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Not once in this statement is faith mentioned. Every focus is on what they actually did, rather than what they believed. Faith drives these actions, but salvation is not for those who believe, but do not do.
This Advent season, work out your salvation with fear and trembling as St. Paul did, by feeding the hungry, giving to the poor, housing the homeless, and working towards holiness while on earth.
James 2:18. But some will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren?
God bless,
Jay
PS – Dave Armstrong’s The Catholic Verses shows many more Scripture that supports this notion and even shows how Scripture should have been written if sola fides was correct. I’ll write a review of it when I’m done, but I would recommend it at this point. The subtitle is “95 Bible Passages that Confound Protestants.”
I am currently reading A History of Apologetics by Avery Cardinal Dulles. He includes this prayer of C.S. Lewis adjacent to the title page, I thought it appropriate for all of us who engage in apologetics. It's witty but oh so true :-)
The Apologist's Evening Prayer
From all my lame defeats and oh! much more
From all the victories that I seemed to score;
From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf
At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;
From all my proofs of Thy divinity,
Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead
Of Thee, their thin-wore image of Thy head.
From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee,
O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.
Lord of the narrow gate and the needle's eye,
Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.- C.S. Lewis
May God grant all of us His peace, love, and mercy during this Advent season.
In Christ,
Joe
Don't miss this week's Catholic Carnival. As always, it's a great collection of Catholic posts from throughout the blogosphere. You're sure to find something interesting.
God bless,
Jay
Good news: NBC has stopped removing God from the Veggie Tales episodes they air. Chalk one up for the good guys, since apparently it was public pressure in the form of letters that convinced NBC to leave Veggie Tales alone.
If you haven't seen Veggie Tales, they are excellent cartoons with very good moral lessons and a focus on the Christian God. My children have enjoyed them for years. When NBC first started airing Veggie Tales episodes, they censored any talk of God or the Bible. But thankfully it sounds like they have reversed this position and will now air episodes without the censorship.
Prayer can achieve amazing things. Thanks to NBC for taking the high road on this one.
God bless,
Jay
