1. Sis. Alyn Parages
2. Sis. Anna Mae Tan
3. Sis. Christine Joy Martinez
4. Sis. Gerverlyn Mila
5. Sis. Vanessa Delicano
6. Sis. Phoebe Albon
7. Sis. Katarina Lacson
8. Sis. Juvy Villarubia
9. Sis. Jasmine Cabugao
10. Sis. Charmaine Ammong
11. Sis. Kareen Kay Eliaca
12. Sis. Ricklyn Onggay
13. Sis. Valerie Lambo***
14. Sis. Jasmyn Bajo***
15. Sis. Ericka Albacete***
16. Sis. Vienna Austria***
17. Sis. Karen Cubresis ***
18. Sis. Yannie Rose Nisnisan***
19. Bro. Ronald Cadungog
20. Bro. James Anito
21. Sis. Venus Tamayo ***(no interview yet)
22. Bro.Justin Cadungog
Note: *** means under probation may be deleted any time and may not be able to join the srs due to absences in Bible studies, Flock Assembly and other CHSG Major Activities
GOD BLESS BRETHREN MAY YOU CROSS THE BRIDGE AND REACH CHRIST JESUS IN SPITE OF STORMS AND DRYNESS... JESUS IS WAITING FOR YOU.
IN ADVANCE WE WELCOME YOU TO BE A FULL PLEDGE MEMBER OF THE CHSG.
SRS BATCH 1 APRIL 2-4, 2009
OMI RETREAT HOUSE, TAMONTAKA, DOS, Maguindanao
SPEAKERS
1. Fr. David Procalla, DCC ( CHSG Director)
2. Fr. Richard, OMI ( OMI Retreat House Chaplain)
3. Bro. Johnny Gabe ( from Manila)
4. Bro. Bong Lozano ( CHSG Sheperd)
5. Bro. Ramon Villanueva ( CHSG Teaching Ministry Head)
6. Bro. Bernard Carmelo ( CHSG External Affairs Minister Head)
7. Bro. Joel Cadelina ( Internal Affairs Minister)
8. Sis. Alma Rodriguez ( Co- founder CHSG)
9. Sis. Jean Makilang ( member CHSG )
CHSG...GO AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE...
WE ARE PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL SEMINAR BATCH 3, APRIL 20-22, 2012
The BEATITUDES...Bro. David Henz Mejia, Bro. Butch Pascual, Sis. Kareen Ann Rodriguez, Sis. Roxane Sumaya, Sis. Frecian May Suyom, Sis. Shalyn Pascual, Sis. Shiela Hornido(not in the picture)
SILVER ANNIVERSARY
jULY 14, 2011
SPIRITUAL RENEWAL SEMINAR BATCH 2 April 9-11,2010
NEWLY COMMISSIONED Full pledge Members for Life...Bro. Justin Cadungog, Sis. Alma Urgel, Sis. Ophelia Cortez, Sis. Grace Kandog, Sis. Haynee Baya, Sis. Graziella Cajeta, Sis. Emelyn Castillon, Sis. Yannie Rose Nisnisan, Sis. Joanna Etic
SRS FIRST BATCH APRIL 2-4,2009 FULLPLEDGE MEMBERS
Ready to Make a Difference...
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
PSALM 23 OR CHANNEL 23
PSALM 23 OR CHANNEL 23
In these times of technological advancement,it's always good to be reminded of God's words in scriptures.One of my favorite Psalms is the 23rd chapter.But the world has its own version,its Channel 23:
The TV is my shepherd,I shall not want
It made me lie down in the sofa
It leads me away from my faith
It destroys my soul
It guides me in path of sex and violence for the sponsors' sake
Yeah,even though I walk through the valley of christian responsibilities
There will be no interruptions
For the TV is with me
Its cable and remote control,they comfort me
It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my worldliness
It anoints my head with consumerism and materialism
My coveting runneth over
Surely ignorance and laziness will follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.
In these times of technological advancement,it's always good to be reminded of God's words in scriptures.One of my favorite Psalms is the 23rd chapter.But the world has its own version,its Channel 23:
The TV is my shepherd,I shall not want
It made me lie down in the sofa
It leads me away from my faith
It destroys my soul
It guides me in path of sex and violence for the sponsors' sake
Yeah,even though I walk through the valley of christian responsibilities
There will be no interruptions
For the TV is with me
Its cable and remote control,they comfort me
It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my worldliness
It anoints my head with consumerism and materialism
My coveting runneth over
Surely ignorance and laziness will follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.
Does the Catholic Church Prohibit Bible Reading
DOES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROHIBIT BIBLE READING?
Bro.Alejandro "Ale" Aguspina
A sampling of what the Catholic Church has taught about reading the Bible from the fourth century when it was put into one collected work until the present century.
St. John Chrysostom(344/354 -407 AD) Doctor of the Church."To become adult.Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures"...quote taken from...On the Letter to the Ephesians-Education of Children."But what is the answer to these charges?‘I am not,’you will say,‘one of the monks,but I have both a wife and children,and the care of a household.’This is what has ruined everything,your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only,when you need it more than they do.Those who are placed in the world,and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine.So,far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous.Such things were invented by the devil." …….quote taken from St. John’s Second Homily on Matthew section 10(which is sometimes labeled as section 5).Pope St. Gregory I(died 604 AD),"The Emperor of heaven,the Lord of men and of angels,has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly.Study them,I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator.Learn the heart of God in the words of God,that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal,that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys."Letters,5,46(EnchBibl 31).St. Isidore (560-636 AD)Bishop and Doctor of the Church,"Prayer purifies us,reading instructs us...If a man wants to be always in God's company,he must pray regularly and read regularly.When we pray,we talk to God;when we read,God talks to us.All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection.By reading we learn what we did not know;by reflection we retain what we have learned.Reading the holy Scriptures(the Bible) confers two benefits.It trains the mind to understand them;it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.Two kinds of study are called for here.We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood,and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them.A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned.The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it...Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears;it never reaches the heart.It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose.But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding,his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart."....quote found in Office of Readings,April 4...(Lib.3,8-10:PL 83,679-682).St. Venerable Bede(died 735 AD).He is the first person known to translate the Gospel into Old English(Anglo-Saxon).St.Bernard of Clairvaux(1090-1153 AD).Doctor and Father of the Church.
"The person who thirsts for God eagerly studies and meditates on the inspired Word, knowing that there, he is certain to find the One for whom he thirsts."...quote taken from his Commentary on the Song of Songs,Sermon 23:3.St.Bonaventure(1221-1274 AD).In his day,there where no public schools and only the wealthy could afford private tutors.Therefore,most people could not read or write.St. Bonaventure had composed a copy of "Biblia Pauperum" which means the "Bible of the poor."It contained a collection of pictures illustrating the important events of the Old Testament.It also contained parallel scenes in the New Testament and it showed how the Old Testament prefigured and was fulfilled in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.This helped the people to learn God's Word by showing them the important stories of both the Old and New Testament.He was canonized a Saint by Pope Sixtus IV in1482 AD.He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 AD.Decree of the Council of Trent.Session 4,April 8,1546.
"[The holy synod] following the examples of the orthodox fathers,receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament-seeing that one God is the Author of both..."Saint Teresa of Avila(1515 -1582 AD).The Catholic Church strongly recommends the reading of the writings of those who are canonized as Saints.Saint Teresa was canonized in 1622 AD by Pope Gregory XV.She was also declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.In her autobiography,The Book of Her Life (La Vida),she writes: "Within this majesty I was given knowledge of a truth that is the fulfillment of all truths.I don't know how to explain this because I didn't see anything.I was told without seeing anyone,but I clearly understood that it was Truth telling me:‘This is no small thing I do for you,because it is one of the things for which you owe Me a great deal,for all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth;not one iota of Scripture will fall short.’To me it seemed I had always believed this,and that all the faithful believed it.He told me:‘Alas,daughter,how few there are who truthfully love me!For if they loved me,I would reveal to them my secrets.Do you know what it is to love Me truthfully?It is to understand that everything that is displeasing to me is a lie.By the beneficial effects this understanding will cause in your soul you shall see
clearly what you now do not understand.’"La Vida,ch.40,#1.Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD)"The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation(the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ"."...For sacred Scripture is not like other books.Dictated by the Holy Ghost,it contains things of the deepest importance,which in many instances are most difficult and obscure.To understand and explain such things there is always required the 'coming' of the same Holy Ghost;that is to say,His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred...and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration,that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error,but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself,the supreme Truth,can utter that which is not true."Providentissimus Deus( Nov. 18, 1893)He also encouraged the reading of Holy Scripture by granting an indulgence to those who read it for at least 25 minutes. Pope St.Pius X (1903-1914 AD),"Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels-not merely from time to time,but every day."Pope Benedict XV(1914-1922 AD).He repeated St.Jerome's statement: Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."He expressed his desire that,"... all the children of the Church,especially clerics,to reverence the Holy Scriptures, to read it piously and meditate on it constantly."He reminded them that,"...in these pages is to be sought that food, by which the spiritual life is nourished unto perfection...".Pope Pius XII.In 1943 he wrote,"Divino Afflante Spiritu" in which we read:"Our predecessors,when the opportunity occurred,recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures.This author of salvation,Christ,will men more fully know,more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament..."He also granted indulgences(a blessing of God's grace) to those who read Scripture.(1 Cor. 4:1)
Bro.Alejandro "Ale" Aguspina
A sampling of what the Catholic Church has taught about reading the Bible from the fourth century when it was put into one collected work until the present century.
St. John Chrysostom(344/354 -407 AD) Doctor of the Church."To become adult.Christians you must learn familiarity with the scriptures"...quote taken from...On the Letter to the Ephesians-Education of Children."But what is the answer to these charges?‘I am not,’you will say,‘one of the monks,but I have both a wife and children,and the care of a household.’This is what has ruined everything,your thinking that the reading of scripture is for monks only,when you need it more than they do.Those who are placed in the world,and who receive wounds every day have the most need of medicine.So,far worse even than not reading the scriptures is the idea that they are superfluous.Such things were invented by the devil." …….quote taken from St. John’s Second Homily on Matthew section 10(which is sometimes labeled as section 5).Pope St. Gregory I(died 604 AD),"The Emperor of heaven,the Lord of men and of angels,has sent you His epistles for your life’s advantage—and yet you neglect to read them eagerly.Study them,I beg you, and meditate daily on the words of your Creator.Learn the heart of God in the words of God,that you may sigh more eagerly for things eternal,that your soul may be kindled with greater longings for heavenly joys."Letters,5,46(EnchBibl 31).St. Isidore (560-636 AD)Bishop and Doctor of the Church,"Prayer purifies us,reading instructs us...If a man wants to be always in God's company,he must pray regularly and read regularly.When we pray,we talk to God;when we read,God talks to us.All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection.By reading we learn what we did not know;by reflection we retain what we have learned.Reading the holy Scriptures(the Bible) confers two benefits.It trains the mind to understand them;it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.Two kinds of study are called for here.We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood,and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them.A man must first be eager to understand what he is reading before he is fit to proclaim what he has learned.The conscientious reader will be more concerned to carry out what he has read than merely to acquire knowledge of it...Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears;it never reaches the heart.It makes a great noise outside but serves no inner purpose.But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding,his word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart."....quote found in Office of Readings,April 4...(Lib.3,8-10:PL 83,679-682).St. Venerable Bede(died 735 AD).He is the first person known to translate the Gospel into Old English(Anglo-Saxon).St.Bernard of Clairvaux(1090-1153 AD).Doctor and Father of the Church.
"The person who thirsts for God eagerly studies and meditates on the inspired Word, knowing that there, he is certain to find the One for whom he thirsts."...quote taken from his Commentary on the Song of Songs,Sermon 23:3.St.Bonaventure(1221-1274 AD).In his day,there where no public schools and only the wealthy could afford private tutors.Therefore,most people could not read or write.St. Bonaventure had composed a copy of "Biblia Pauperum" which means the "Bible of the poor."It contained a collection of pictures illustrating the important events of the Old Testament.It also contained parallel scenes in the New Testament and it showed how the Old Testament prefigured and was fulfilled in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.This helped the people to learn God's Word by showing them the important stories of both the Old and New Testament.He was canonized a Saint by Pope Sixtus IV in1482 AD.He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 AD.Decree of the Council of Trent.Session 4,April 8,1546.
"[The holy synod] following the examples of the orthodox fathers,receives and venerates with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament-seeing that one God is the Author of both..."Saint Teresa of Avila(1515 -1582 AD).The Catholic Church strongly recommends the reading of the writings of those who are canonized as Saints.Saint Teresa was canonized in 1622 AD by Pope Gregory XV.She was also declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.In her autobiography,The Book of Her Life (La Vida),she writes: "Within this majesty I was given knowledge of a truth that is the fulfillment of all truths.I don't know how to explain this because I didn't see anything.I was told without seeing anyone,but I clearly understood that it was Truth telling me:‘This is no small thing I do for you,because it is one of the things for which you owe Me a great deal,for all the harm that comes to the world comes from its not knowing the truths of Scripture in clarity and truth;not one iota of Scripture will fall short.’To me it seemed I had always believed this,and that all the faithful believed it.He told me:‘Alas,daughter,how few there are who truthfully love me!For if they loved me,I would reveal to them my secrets.Do you know what it is to love Me truthfully?It is to understand that everything that is displeasing to me is a lie.By the beneficial effects this understanding will cause in your soul you shall see
clearly what you now do not understand.’"La Vida,ch.40,#1.Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903 AD)"The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges and even compels us…to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation(the Bible) should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ"."...For sacred Scripture is not like other books.Dictated by the Holy Ghost,it contains things of the deepest importance,which in many instances are most difficult and obscure.To understand and explain such things there is always required the 'coming' of the same Holy Ghost;that is to say,His light and His grace...It is absolutely wrong and forbidden either to narrow inspiration to certain parts only of holy Scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred...and so far is it from being possible that any error can co-exist with inspiration,that inspiration is not only essentially incompatible with error,but excludes and rejects it as absolutely and necessarily as it is impossible that God Himself,the supreme Truth,can utter that which is not true."Providentissimus Deus( Nov. 18, 1893)He also encouraged the reading of Holy Scripture by granting an indulgence to those who read it for at least 25 minutes. Pope St.Pius X (1903-1914 AD),"Nothing would please us more than to see our beloved children form the habit of reading the Gospels-not merely from time to time,but every day."Pope Benedict XV(1914-1922 AD).He repeated St.Jerome's statement: Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."He expressed his desire that,"... all the children of the Church,especially clerics,to reverence the Holy Scriptures, to read it piously and meditate on it constantly."He reminded them that,"...in these pages is to be sought that food, by which the spiritual life is nourished unto perfection...".Pope Pius XII.In 1943 he wrote,"Divino Afflante Spiritu" in which we read:"Our predecessors,when the opportunity occurred,recommended the study or preaching or in fine the pious reading and meditation of the sacred Scriptures.This author of salvation,Christ,will men more fully know,more ardently love and more faithfully imitate in proportion as they are more assiduously urged to know and meditate the Sacred Letters, especially the New Testament..."He also granted indulgences(a blessing of God's grace) to those who read Scripture.(1 Cor. 4:1)
Monday, February 16, 2009
THE VOICE 5
THE VOICE
CATHOLIC HOLY SCRIPTURE GROUP
COTABATO CITY
“COME…Let us make a Difference”
Matthew 16:21-28
Bro. Bong Lozano
August 30, 2008
Here Jesus predicts His death and He is telling the apostles and disciples about His suffering, death, and resurrection, His Paschal Mystery.
After Jesus spoke to the disciples Peter human as Jesus, “That must not happen to you and Jesus said, Peter,” rebukes himGet away from me Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don’t come from God but from human nature”.
Let us scrutinized the words of Jesus in verse 22, “get away from me Satan…you are an obstacle in my way…the thoughts of yours do not come from God…” Here Jesus rebukes Satan the prince of darkness the angel who rebelled against God. Satan is always and will be forever an obstacle, a hindrance, barrier, block, obstruction, stumbling block, an interruption in our daily life.
Let me name some of the blocks or obstruction to Gods will: Sin, unforgiveness, lack of sacraments, lack of reparation and occult practices. The block called sin there are Seven Deadly Sins according to the church magisterium. They are Pride an exaggerated opinion of ones own worth. Avarice an immoderate desire for earthly goods. Lust a desire for impure pleasure. Anger an inordinate feeling or expression of displeasure. Gluttony intemperate use of food or drink. Envy jealousy over the good fortune of our neighbor. Sloth laziness or carelessness in doing right and in practicing virtue, because of the necessary efforts attached to it. (Outlines of the Catholic Faith page 35)
As Jesus called Satan, the obstacle in His ways these Seven Deadly Sins are not from God but of human nature. What this human nature is as stated in the Holy Scripture? The letter of Paul to Galatians 5:19-21 described human nature as immoral acts, Filthy and Indecent actions, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Feuds, Jealousy, Anger, Quarrels, Ambitious, Factions, Envy, Drunkenness, Orgies. Those who DO these things WILL NOT POSSESS the KINGDOM OF GOD.
Page 2
Jesus tells us that in following Him there will be obstacles that the disciples will experience. The Second Letter of Paul to Corinthians 11:23-29 says that he suffered a lot as an apostle of Jesus. He experienced: imprisonment, whipped, lashed, stoned, shipwrecks, drowned in water, danger in water, danger in floods, danger in wild, danger in the sea, danger from falls friends, toils, sleepless, hunger, thirsty, without enough food, without shelter, without clothing, under pressure, weakness, distress.
As a disciple, a follower of Jesus we are open to experience all of these sufferings in our day-to-day lives.
Matthew 8:18-22, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest and Jesus said “Follow Me” and “Let the dead bury their own dead” In Luke 14:33, “None of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have”
It is not easy to be a follower of Jesus. It is not easy to be a disciple of Jesus. There are conditions in following the master: 1.)Dying of self, Mt. 19:29”And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters of father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life” “You must FORGET YOURSELF” 2.) Carrying of ones crosses in life, “If any of you must forget yourself, Carry your cross and Follow me”Mt.16:24. 3) Follow Jesus. As we follow, we become disciple of Jesus. In addition, as we become disciples of Jesus we have to: 1) Be wherever Jesus is. Mk.3:13-14, Mt.15:30, 32, Mt.12:15, Mk.1:17-18. 2) Hear and Listen to Him, Mt.15:10, Jn.8:47. 3) Be Obedient to Him, Mt.7:24, Mt.28:20, Lk.11:28.
Let us remember, Jesus said, “…and then He will Reward each one according to His Deeds”Mt.16:27. As we follow Jesus, let us LISTEN to Him and OBEY Him. He will reward us. We will inherit the kingdom of God, 2Pt.1:11, Lk.12:32. In James 1:17, “So it is with Faith; if it is alone and includes NO ACTIONS, then it is DEAD”. The letter of James 3:24 say, “…it is our actions that we are put right with God and NOT by our FAITH ALONE”. In addition, in James 2:26, “So then as the body with out the spirit is dead, also Faith without Actions is dead”. Give to others and God will give to you. In deed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping poured into your hands all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you” Lk.6:38.
In following Jesus, we have to Listen and Obey Him. “Go through out the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” Mark 16:15. The disciples where COMMISSIONED to PREACH and HEAL. “Believers will be given the POWER to PERFORM MIRACLES…they will Place their hands on sick people and these will GET WELL” Mk.16:17-18. The disciples where given the AUTHORITY and POWER OVER EVERY CREATURE in the world.
“In following Jesus it costs nothing, but it means everything. Loosing the world, but gaining the kingdom, God has promised”.
Jesus said, “COME, FOLLOW ME” and I say to you, “COME LET US MAKE A DIFFERENCE”.
Bro. Bong Lozano
CATHOLIC HOLY SCRIPTURE GROUP
COTABATO CITY
“COME…Let us make a Difference”
Matthew 16:21-28
Bro. Bong Lozano
August 30, 2008
Here Jesus predicts His death and He is telling the apostles and disciples about His suffering, death, and resurrection, His Paschal Mystery.
After Jesus spoke to the disciples Peter human as Jesus, “That must not happen to you and Jesus said, Peter,” rebukes himGet away from me Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don’t come from God but from human nature”.
Let us scrutinized the words of Jesus in verse 22, “get away from me Satan…you are an obstacle in my way…the thoughts of yours do not come from God…” Here Jesus rebukes Satan the prince of darkness the angel who rebelled against God. Satan is always and will be forever an obstacle, a hindrance, barrier, block, obstruction, stumbling block, an interruption in our daily life.
Let me name some of the blocks or obstruction to Gods will: Sin, unforgiveness, lack of sacraments, lack of reparation and occult practices. The block called sin there are Seven Deadly Sins according to the church magisterium. They are Pride an exaggerated opinion of ones own worth. Avarice an immoderate desire for earthly goods. Lust a desire for impure pleasure. Anger an inordinate feeling or expression of displeasure. Gluttony intemperate use of food or drink. Envy jealousy over the good fortune of our neighbor. Sloth laziness or carelessness in doing right and in practicing virtue, because of the necessary efforts attached to it. (Outlines of the Catholic Faith page 35)
As Jesus called Satan, the obstacle in His ways these Seven Deadly Sins are not from God but of human nature. What this human nature is as stated in the Holy Scripture? The letter of Paul to Galatians 5:19-21 described human nature as immoral acts, Filthy and Indecent actions, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Feuds, Jealousy, Anger, Quarrels, Ambitious, Factions, Envy, Drunkenness, Orgies. Those who DO these things WILL NOT POSSESS the KINGDOM OF GOD.
Page 2
Jesus tells us that in following Him there will be obstacles that the disciples will experience. The Second Letter of Paul to Corinthians 11:23-29 says that he suffered a lot as an apostle of Jesus. He experienced: imprisonment, whipped, lashed, stoned, shipwrecks, drowned in water, danger in water, danger in floods, danger in wild, danger in the sea, danger from falls friends, toils, sleepless, hunger, thirsty, without enough food, without shelter, without clothing, under pressure, weakness, distress.
As a disciple, a follower of Jesus we are open to experience all of these sufferings in our day-to-day lives.
Matthew 8:18-22, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest and Jesus said “Follow Me” and “Let the dead bury their own dead” In Luke 14:33, “None of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have”
It is not easy to be a follower of Jesus. It is not easy to be a disciple of Jesus. There are conditions in following the master: 1.)Dying of self, Mt. 19:29”And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters of father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life” “You must FORGET YOURSELF” 2.) Carrying of ones crosses in life, “If any of you must forget yourself, Carry your cross and Follow me”Mt.16:24. 3) Follow Jesus. As we follow, we become disciple of Jesus. In addition, as we become disciples of Jesus we have to: 1) Be wherever Jesus is. Mk.3:13-14, Mt.15:30, 32, Mt.12:15, Mk.1:17-18. 2) Hear and Listen to Him, Mt.15:10, Jn.8:47. 3) Be Obedient to Him, Mt.7:24, Mt.28:20, Lk.11:28.
Let us remember, Jesus said, “…and then He will Reward each one according to His Deeds”Mt.16:27. As we follow Jesus, let us LISTEN to Him and OBEY Him. He will reward us. We will inherit the kingdom of God, 2Pt.1:11, Lk.12:32. In James 1:17, “So it is with Faith; if it is alone and includes NO ACTIONS, then it is DEAD”. The letter of James 3:24 say, “…it is our actions that we are put right with God and NOT by our FAITH ALONE”. In addition, in James 2:26, “So then as the body with out the spirit is dead, also Faith without Actions is dead”. Give to others and God will give to you. In deed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping poured into your hands all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you” Lk.6:38.
In following Jesus, we have to Listen and Obey Him. “Go through out the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” Mark 16:15. The disciples where COMMISSIONED to PREACH and HEAL. “Believers will be given the POWER to PERFORM MIRACLES…they will Place their hands on sick people and these will GET WELL” Mk.16:17-18. The disciples where given the AUTHORITY and POWER OVER EVERY CREATURE in the world.
“In following Jesus it costs nothing, but it means everything. Loosing the world, but gaining the kingdom, God has promised”.
Jesus said, “COME, FOLLOW ME” and I say to you, “COME LET US MAKE A DIFFERENCE”.
Bro. Bong Lozano
THE VOICE
THE VOICE
CATHOLIC HOLY SCRIPTURE GROUP
COTABATO CITY
”The Paralyzed Man”
Luke 5:17-26
Bro. Bong Lozano
June 5, 2008
Here in this passage projects that the message of Jesus is for all. People from all occupations are thirsty and hungry of the good news. During the time of Jesus, there are no other ways of communication as we have today. No television, radio, computers and cell phones. They are communicating person to person. It shows that in order to have fresh news or stories one should meet somebody to know what’s happening around. Moreover, by using the senses they will be able to learn or to get something. The Lord is communicating to us person to person. He has lot of things to tell us personally without discriminations. He wanted us to listen, and in listening we will be able to get the message,”…everyone must quick to listen, but slow to speak…”James 1:19. Listening is a part of communication. By listening, we will gain wisdom. We will learn something. In listening to God, healing takes place. Peace of mind, heart and soul. For Gods message is love.
His Love Heals! Jesus came to the world, knocking on our door, the door of our hearts, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them and they will eat with me.” Rev.3:20. To heal us of whatever sickness or disease we have. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. What we see and what we always expect is the physical healing that can be seen by our naked eyes. Nevertheless, great miracle of healing is “Metanoia” the change and healing of our hearts, our soul where Jesus is in control. The humanness of our being is still projected and seen.
Human being is living in a material world. His mind, heart, and spirit are focused on material possessions. We do not mind our spirit where the Lord Jesus is concern. Our hearts, the center of Jesus’ healing power, His Love.
The paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing. In medicine, the damage of brain cells or tissues of the nervous system particularly in the brain cause paralization. The brain controls almost all the organ systems in the body. If the brain is damaged one may experience paralization. Almost all parts of the body depend on the brain. The body cannot function well if the brain is damaged.
Page 2
In our spiritual life, God is our brain if we do not have a direct relationship with God we cannot do anything, “…for you can do nothing without me.” Jn15:5. We cannot function well. We are just parts of our body, and without God in our lives, we are paralyzed. We need God in our lives, so that we as parts can function well and we have to function well for Gods greater glory. Paralyzed man needs Jesus. He was brought to Jesus because he needs healing.
We need Jesus in our lives not just for healing but also for deliverance from the bondage of sin. We need Jesus in order to be saved. The crowd finds a way in order to bring the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. They brought the man on the roof, the tiles and other things and let the paralyzed brought down for Jesus to see him and hear him. It tells us that we have to remove the baggages, the blocks, the hindrances of our lives in order for us to reach Jesus. Baggage’s would mean material bondages, sin, pride etc. that would block us in seeing Jesus and receive healing. What Jesus is concerned of us is our Faith.
He is looking on us on how much faith do we have for Him. If we have faith in Him, we should trust Him. We entrust to Him our life even the very core of our humanness. We have to surrender everything like the paralyzed man, for he cannot do anything without God. Moreover, if we do so, our faith will heal us because Jesus was given the authority by the Father to forgive our sinfulness. Sin is the cause of our paralyzation, physically and spiritually. Sin has greatest effect in the paralyzation of our soul but because our soul cannot be separated from the body when somebody is still alive, the spirit is deeply affected. Our body also suffers if our soul is suffering.
Jesus’ words “Get up, pick up your bed and go home” Lk.5:24. Jesus never condemns a sinner. He always forgives. He forgives man whenever we approached Him and ask for forgiveness, “If they pray to me and Repent and Turn away from the evil they have been doing, I will hear them in heaven forgive their sins and make their land prosperous again” 2Chron.7:14.
He is telling us to stand up fixed ourselves for God have forgiven us. We are Healed. Go back home to our heavenly Father for His love heals. His love is eternal. He loves you. He tells us to fix ourselves, meaning whatever mess our sins have brought us we have to wipe and clean ourselves forget the sins we have done and Go back home. Go back to God and He will fix and arrange our lives according to His plans and His will for our happiness and for His greater glory.
The paralyzed man, when God healed him he experienced the happiness. His strength and very self was restored by God not only his physical body but his soul as well. If we return back home to God, we will be restored, our lives will be fixed and we will live happily with our Heavenly Father in our Final Destination, our Home. HEAVEN…FOREVER!
Bro. Bong Lozano
CATHOLIC HOLY SCRIPTURE GROUP
COTABATO CITY
”The Paralyzed Man”
Luke 5:17-26
Bro. Bong Lozano
June 5, 2008
Here in this passage projects that the message of Jesus is for all. People from all occupations are thirsty and hungry of the good news. During the time of Jesus, there are no other ways of communication as we have today. No television, radio, computers and cell phones. They are communicating person to person. It shows that in order to have fresh news or stories one should meet somebody to know what’s happening around. Moreover, by using the senses they will be able to learn or to get something. The Lord is communicating to us person to person. He has lot of things to tell us personally without discriminations. He wanted us to listen, and in listening we will be able to get the message,”…everyone must quick to listen, but slow to speak…”James 1:19. Listening is a part of communication. By listening, we will gain wisdom. We will learn something. In listening to God, healing takes place. Peace of mind, heart and soul. For Gods message is love.
His Love Heals! Jesus came to the world, knocking on our door, the door of our hearts, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If any hear my voice and open the door, I will come into their house and eat with them and they will eat with me.” Rev.3:20. To heal us of whatever sickness or disease we have. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. What we see and what we always expect is the physical healing that can be seen by our naked eyes. Nevertheless, great miracle of healing is “Metanoia” the change and healing of our hearts, our soul where Jesus is in control. The humanness of our being is still projected and seen.
Human being is living in a material world. His mind, heart, and spirit are focused on material possessions. We do not mind our spirit where the Lord Jesus is concern. Our hearts, the center of Jesus’ healing power, His Love.
The paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing. In medicine, the damage of brain cells or tissues of the nervous system particularly in the brain cause paralization. The brain controls almost all the organ systems in the body. If the brain is damaged one may experience paralization. Almost all parts of the body depend on the brain. The body cannot function well if the brain is damaged.
Page 2
In our spiritual life, God is our brain if we do not have a direct relationship with God we cannot do anything, “…for you can do nothing without me.” Jn15:5. We cannot function well. We are just parts of our body, and without God in our lives, we are paralyzed. We need God in our lives, so that we as parts can function well and we have to function well for Gods greater glory. Paralyzed man needs Jesus. He was brought to Jesus because he needs healing.
We need Jesus in our lives not just for healing but also for deliverance from the bondage of sin. We need Jesus in order to be saved. The crowd finds a way in order to bring the paralyzed man in front of Jesus. They brought the man on the roof, the tiles and other things and let the paralyzed brought down for Jesus to see him and hear him. It tells us that we have to remove the baggages, the blocks, the hindrances of our lives in order for us to reach Jesus. Baggage’s would mean material bondages, sin, pride etc. that would block us in seeing Jesus and receive healing. What Jesus is concerned of us is our Faith.
He is looking on us on how much faith do we have for Him. If we have faith in Him, we should trust Him. We entrust to Him our life even the very core of our humanness. We have to surrender everything like the paralyzed man, for he cannot do anything without God. Moreover, if we do so, our faith will heal us because Jesus was given the authority by the Father to forgive our sinfulness. Sin is the cause of our paralyzation, physically and spiritually. Sin has greatest effect in the paralyzation of our soul but because our soul cannot be separated from the body when somebody is still alive, the spirit is deeply affected. Our body also suffers if our soul is suffering.
Jesus’ words “Get up, pick up your bed and go home” Lk.5:24. Jesus never condemns a sinner. He always forgives. He forgives man whenever we approached Him and ask for forgiveness, “If they pray to me and Repent and Turn away from the evil they have been doing, I will hear them in heaven forgive their sins and make their land prosperous again” 2Chron.7:14.
He is telling us to stand up fixed ourselves for God have forgiven us. We are Healed. Go back home to our heavenly Father for His love heals. His love is eternal. He loves you. He tells us to fix ourselves, meaning whatever mess our sins have brought us we have to wipe and clean ourselves forget the sins we have done and Go back home. Go back to God and He will fix and arrange our lives according to His plans and His will for our happiness and for His greater glory.
The paralyzed man, when God healed him he experienced the happiness. His strength and very self was restored by God not only his physical body but his soul as well. If we return back home to God, we will be restored, our lives will be fixed and we will live happily with our Heavenly Father in our Final Destination, our Home. HEAVEN…FOREVER!
Bro. Bong Lozano
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap
SUMMARY: The Baptism in the Spirit is not a sacrament, but it is related to several sacraments. The Baptism in the Spirit makes real and in a way renews Christian initiation. At the beginning of the Church, Baptism was administered to adults who converted from paganism and who, made on the occasion of Baptism, an act of faith and a free and mature choice. Today it is substituted instead by intermediary parents or godparents. In this situation, rarely, or never, does the baptized person ever reach the stage of proclaiming in the Holy Spirit "Jesus is Lord". And until one reaches this point, everything else in the Christian life remains out of focus and immature. Miracles no longer happen and we experience what Jesus did in
Before talking about the Baptism in the Spirit, it is important to try and understand what the Renewal in the Spirit is all about. After the Second Vatican Council, many things in the Church's life were renewed - the liturgy, pastoral care, canon law, the constitutions of the religious orders and their dress. Although all these things are important, they are only external things and woe to us if we stop there and think the task is finished, because it is not structures but souls that are important to God. "It is in men's souls that the Church is beautiful," writes St. Ambrose, and therefore it is in men's souls that she must make herself beautiful.
God Is Author and Power
The Renewal is a renewal in which God, not man, is the principle author. "I, not you," says God, "make all things new" (Rev 21:5); "My Spirit -- and He alone -- may renew the face of the earth" (see Psalm 104:30). From the religious point of view, we tend to view things from a ptolemaic perspective: at the foundation there are our efforts -- organization, efficiency, reforms, goodwill -- with the earth here as the center which God comes to strengthen and crown, by His grace and our effort.
We must -- at this point the Word of God cries out -- "give the power back to God" (Psalm 68:35) because "the power belongs to God" (Psalm 62:12). For too long we have usurped this power of His from God, by managing it as if it were ours, as if it was up to us to govern the power of God. We have to totally change our perspective. That is, to acknowledge simply that without the Holy Spirit, we cannot do anything, not even say, "Jesus is Lord!" (I Cor 12:3).
Baptism in the Spirit and the
Sacrament of Baptism
The Baptism in the Spirit is not a sacrament, but it is related to a sacrament, to several sacraments in fact -- to the sacraments of Christian initiation. The Baptism in the Spirit makes real and in a way renews Christian initiation. The primary relationship is with the Sacrament of Baptism. In fact, this experience is called the Baptism in the Spirit by English-speaking people.
We believe that the Baptism in the Spirit makes real and revitalizes our baptism. To understand how a sacrament which was received so many years ago, usually immediately after our birth, could suddenly come back to life and emanate so much energy, as often happens through the Baptism in the Spirit, it is important to look at our understanding of sacramental theology.
Catholic theology recognizes the concept of a valid but "tied" sacrament. A sacrament is called tied if the fruit that should accompany it remains bound because of certain blocks that prevent its effectiveness. An extreme example of this is the Sacrament of Matrimony or Holy Orders received in the state of mortal sin. In such circumstances these sacraments cannot grant any grace to people until the obstacle of sin is removed through penance. Once this happens the sacrament is said to live again thanks to the indelible character and irrevocability of the gift of God: God remains faithful even if we are unfaithful because He cannot deny Himself (see Timothy 2:13).
In the case of baptism what is it that causes the fruit of the sacrament to stay tied? The sacraments are not magical rituals that act mechanically, without the person's knowledge or disregarding any response on his part. Their effectiveness is the fruit of a synergy or cooperation between divine omnipotence -- in reality the grace of Christ or the Holy Spirit -- and human freedom, because as
The opus operatum of baptism, namely, God's part or grace, has several aspects -- forgiveness of sins, the gift of the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity (these, however, only as a seed), and divine sonship -- all of which are operated through the effective action of the Holy Spirit. But what does the opus operantis in baptism -- namely, man's part, consist of? It consists of faith! Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16). At the side of baptism, therefore, there is another element: the faith of man. "To all who received Him He gave the power to become children of God: to those who believe in His name" (John 1:13).
Baptism is like a divine seal put on the faith of man: having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and having believed in it, you have received (of course, in baptism) the seal of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13)
Baptism and Confirmation of Faith
At the beginning of the Church, Baptism was such a powerful event and so rich in grace that there was no need normally of a new effusion of the Spirit like we have today. Baptism was ministered to adults who converted from paganism and who, properly instructed, were in the position to make, on the occasion of baptism, an act of faith and a free and mature choice. It is sufficient to read the mistagogic catechesis on baptism attributed to Cyril of Jerusalem to become aware of the depth of faith to which those waiting for baptism were led. In substance, they arrived at baptism through a true and real conversion, and thus for them baptism was a real washing, a personal renewal, and a rebirth in the Holy Spirit.
The favorable circumstances that allowed baptism, at the origins of the Church, to operate with so much power was that the grace of God and man's response met at the same time, and there was a perfect synchronization
Infant Baptism in Non-Christian Environments
But now this synchronization has been broken, as we are baptized as infants, and little by little this aspect of the free and personal act of faith no longer happens. It was substituted instead by a decision by intermediary parents or godparents. When a child grew up in a totally Christian environment, this faith still could flourish, even though at a slower rate. Now, however, this is no longer the case and our spiritual environment is even worse than the one at the time of the Middle Ages. Not that there is no normal Christian life, but this is now the exception rather than the rule.
In this situation, rarely, or never, does the baptized person ever reach the stage of proclaiming in the Holy Spirit, "Jesus is Lord." And until one reaches this point, everything else in the Christian life remains out of focus and immature. Miracles no longer happen, and we experience what Jesus did in
God's Will
Here, then, is what I feel is the significance of the Baptism in the Spirit. It is God's answer to this malfunctioning that has grown up in the Christian life in the Sacrament of Baptism.
It is an accepted fact that over the last few years there has been some concern on the part of the Church, among the bishops, that the Christian sacraments, especially baptism, are being administered to people who will not make any use of them in life. As a result, it has even been suggested that baptism should not be administered unless there are some minimum guarantees that it will be cultivated and valued by the child in question. For one should not throw pearls to dogs, as Jesus said, and baptism is a pearl, because it is the fruit of the blood of Christ.
But it seems that God was concerned about this situation even before the Church was, and raised up here and there in the Church movements aimed at renewing Christian initiation in adults. The Charismatic Renewal is one of these movements and in it the principle grace is, without doubt, linked to the Baptism of the Spirit and to what comes before it.
Release and Confirmation of Faith
It's effectiveness in reactivating baptism consists in this: finally man contributes his part -- namely, he makes a choice of faith, prepared in repentance that allows the work of God to set itself free and to emanate all its strength. It is as if the plug is pulled and the light is switched on. The gift of God is finally "untied" and the Spirit is allowed to flow like a fragrance in the Christian life.
In addition to the renewal of the grace of baptism, the Baptism in the Spirit is also a confirmation of one's own baptism, a deliberate "yes" to it, to its fruit and its commitments, and as such it is also similar to Confirmation too. Confirmation being the sacrament that develops, confirms, and brings to completion the work of baptism. From it, too, comes that desire for greater involvement in the apostolic and missionary dimension of the Church that is usually noted in those who receive the Baptism in the Spirit. They feel more inclined to cooperate with the building up of the Church, to put themselves at her service in various ministries both clerical and lay, to witness for Christ -- to do all those things that recall the happening of Pentecost and which are actuated in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The Baptism of the Spirit is not the only occasion known within the Church for this reviving of the sacraments of initiation. There is, for example, the renewal of the baptismal promises in the Easter vigil, and there are the spiritual exercises, and the religious professions, sometimes called a "second baptism." and at the sacrament level there is Confirmation.
It is also not difficult to discover in the lives of the saints, the presence of a spontaneous effusion, especially on the occasion of their conversion. The difference with the Baptism in the Spirit, however, is that it is open to all the people of God, small and great, and not only to those privileged ones who do the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises or make a religious profession.
The Will of God in History
Where does this extraordinary force that we experienced when we were Baptized in the Spirit come from? What we are talking about is not just some theory, but something that we ourselves have experienced and therefore can say with John, "What we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what our hands have touched, this we also announce to you, so that you too be in communion with us." (see l John 1:1-11). The explanation of this force is in the will of God -- because God was pleased to renew the Church today by this means -- and this is enough.
There are certainly some biblical precedents, like the one told in Acts 8:14-17, when Peter and John, having heard that
The explanation therefore is in God's plan. We could say, by paraphrasing a famous saying of the Apostle Paul: Because Christians, with all their organization, were not able to transmit the power of the Spirit, God was pleased to renew the believers through the foolishness of the Baptism in the Spirit. In fact theologians look for an explanation and responsible people for moderation, but simple souls touch with their hands the power of Christ in the Baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:1-24).
We men, and in particular we men of the Church, tend to limit God in His freedom: we tend to insist that He follows a compulsory pattern (the so called channels of grace) and we forget that God is a torrent that breaks loose and creates its own path and that the Spirit blows where and how he wants (notwithstanding the role of the teaching of the Church to discern what actually comes from the Spirit and what does not come from Him). What does the Baptism of the Spirit consist of and how does it work? In the Baptism of the Spirit there is a secret, mysterious move of God that is His way of becoming present, in a way that is different for each one because only He knows us in our inner part and how to act upon our unique personality. There is also the external community part which is the same for everyone and consists mainly of three things: brotherly love, laying on of hands, and prayer. These are non-sacramental but simply ecclesiastic elements.
Holy Spirit Proceeding from the
Father and the Son
Where does the grace we experience in the Baptism of the Spirit come from? From those around us? No! From the person who receives it? No! It comes from God! We can only say that such grace is related to baptism, because God acts always with coherence and faithfulness and He does not do and undo. He honors the commitments and institutions of Christ. One thing is certain -- that it is not the brothers who impart the Holy Spirit, but they do invoke the Holy Spirit on the person. The Spirit cannot be given by any man, not even the Pope or a bishop, because no man possesses by himself the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus may give the Holy Spirit; all the others do not possess the Holy Spirit, but rather are possessed by Him. As to the manner of this grace, we may speak of a new coming of the Holy Spirit, of a new mission by the Father through Jesus Christ, or a new anointing corresponding to a new degree of grace.
Fr. Cantalamessa has been the Papal preacher to Pope John Paul II's Pontifical household since 1980. Originally from the (ICCRS) newsletter, this article is apparently based on a talk given to a gathering of religious men.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Prayer Assembly!!
God's day..
We will be having our monthly FLOCK PRAYER ASSEMBLY on February 28, 2009 at ICC Smith Hall from 1pm-5-pm. Bring ur friends with you and let us hear God's voice!!
God bless!!
We will be having our monthly FLOCK PRAYER ASSEMBLY on February 28, 2009 at ICC Smith Hall from 1pm-5-pm. Bring ur friends with you and let us hear God's voice!!
God bless!!
This college professor
obtained consecrated Hosts
obtained consecrated Hosts
. . . pierced them with a rusty nail . . . and then
threw them into a garbage can with coffee grounds
and a banana peel!
Click here to donate now
threw them into a garbage can with coffee grounds
and a banana peel!
Click here to donate now
Dear Friend of Catholic Answers,
I don’t like using the phrase “make your blood boil.” But the story I’m about to tell you will probably do just that.
It’s about a Minnesota college professor named P. Z. Myers who is an outspoken atheist and a member of a loose-knit group of writers called the “New Atheists.”
One day last year, Myers heard about a college student in Florida who got into trouble for desecrating a consecrated Host. The student went to Mass . . . took Holy Communion . . . and then carried the Host home with him even after the faithful present at Mass saw what he was doing and begged him not to.
When Myers heard about this incident, he decided that he too should desecrate some Hosts in order to show his utter contempt for the Catholic faith and our core sacrament.
So he advertised on the Internet that he would like people to send him consecrated Hosts that he would then proceed to desecrate. He promised to treat the Hosts “with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse.”
He received multiple Hosts in the mail. Then he proceeded to take the Hosts . . . pierce them with a rusty nail . . .
And Then He Threw the Hosts into His Garbage Can
with Coffee Grounds and a Banana Peel!
with Coffee Grounds and a Banana Peel!
Not only that, but he took pictures of the whole travesty and posted them on the Internet for all the world to see.
He made headlines, which is exactly what he was after.
Now he’s a hero among the small but smug group of angry atheists who are attacking the Catholic faith like never before.
As I mentioned, they’re called the “New Atheists”—even though there’s really nothing new about their atheism nor their arguments against the existence of God.
The only thing remotely new about them is their deliberately offensive, hateful, and disrespectful method of attacking the faith and the faithful. (All in the name of science and reason, of course.)
Normally I wouldn’t give these rabble-rousers the time of day.
Trouble is, they’re making headlines and getting people by the millions to listen to their screed.
And that’s why I’m writing to you today.
To put it simply, the New Atheists are growing in their influence.
No longer are they merely preaching to their own choir of angry atheists.
Now they have a worldwide pulpit—thanks to publicity stunts like P. Z. Myers desecrating the Blessed Sacrament.
Furthermore, these New Atheists are using their scientific credentials and university platforms to write books that the liberal media can’t praise highly enough. The New York Times fell all over itself when it recommended the books that these New Atheists have written.
For example, the #1 New Atheist book comes from a biology professor at Oxford University named Richard Dawkins. It’s titled The God Delusion.
Because of the sycophantic promotion given to this book by the media, this book has sold nearly 2 million copies.
To make matters worse . . . Catholics are reading this book and being taken in by the author’s deceptive arguments.
To counter this, our staff recently prepared a concise but hard-hitting special report that tackles the New Atheists head-on.
As we customarily do, we want to get this special report distributed as widely as possible to Catholics who need this information.
Our report is titled “An Antidote to Atheism”—and it could be exactly what the average Catholic needs so that he won’t fall prey to the arguments of the “New Atheists.”
Charlatans Who Haven’t Done Their Homework
When you read this report, you’ll see that the New Atheists are charlatans. They purport to be experts on the subjects of philosophy and theology, but it’s obvious that they haven’t bothered to do their homework.
For instance, they attack St. Thomas Aquinas and his proofs for the existence of God, which are briefly stated in one article in the Summa Theologaie.
Yet it’s clear that the New Atheists didn’t bother to read Aquinas’s in-depth treatment of the subject in his other important work, the Summa Contra Gentiles, where he blows atheism completely out of the water!
This kind of selective argumentation—as well as deliberate misrepresentation of Catholic philosophy and theology—is a hallmark of the New Atheists.
Not only that, but they’re claiming to be experts in areas that are far out of their fields.
Richard Dawkins, for example, is an evolutionary biologist. So is P. Z. Myers.
Another leading New Atheist author, Christopher Hitchens, is a journalist and literary critic.
A fourth, Sam Harris, is an author and pop psychologist.
Not one of them has a doctorate in philosophy or theology.
To a Trained Philosopher or Theologian,
These New Atheists Are a Sad Joke
These New Atheists Are a Sad Joke
Their books and Internet rants proudly display their ignorance, but few people have the education necessary to detect the errors.
And since the New York Times, CNN, and NPR can’t stop gushing over these “brilliant” New Atheists, the average person takes the bait . . . reads the books . . . and may lose his faith.
Well, were not going to stand by and let that happen.
Our mission at Catholic Answers is to defend the Catholic faith at all times and from all threats.
Therefore, we are now committing resources to fighting the New Atheists—and we need your help to do it.
To print and widely distribute our new report, An Antidote to Atheism, will be quite expensive. We’re estimating anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000.
Unfortunately, we simply don’t have on hand the money to launch this new project.
And so, I must turn to you once again and seek your generosity.
Therefore, I’m hoping you’ll be able to say “yes” to my plea and send us a sacrificial gift of $50 or $100 right away. Click here to donate now!
That’s what it will take to get the ball rolling.
Otherwise, this powerful report will be forced to sit idly on a shelf, waiting for enough funding to come along and send it into the battle where it’s so urgently needed.
Won’t you help us send this report out there—and get it into the hands and minds of our fellow Catholics?
For your gift of $35 or more, we will send you a copy of An Antidote to Atheism. If your gift is $50 or more, we will send you 5 copies of the report to distribute to family and friends!
Click here to make your donation to this very important project.
Thank you, and may God bless your holy desire to defend the faith.
Sincerely yours,
Karl Keating
On Fri, 1/30/09, Larry Duffy
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: For Bong Fr Larry.
To: "Bong Lozano"
Date: Friday, January 30, 2009, 1:03 AM
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: For Bong Fr Larry.
To: "Bong Lozano"
Date: Friday, January 30, 2009, 1:03 AM
Dear Bong,
Lovely to receive your email and I can catch your enthusiasm - the enthusiasm that you had a young student 22 yeas ago and now as a mature adult Christian many years later. YOU have done great good,and you will do much more. It is an inspiration to me indeed, and indeed someday I hope we can meet and share face to face. It brings me joy to know too of the activities of the CHSG and from time to time I hope to look at the website.
I would love to begin the same in Peru but perhaps at the present it is not quite possible as I have to travel quite a bit and there are already well established groups. The Holy Spirit may have this time.
I read the letter from the member of the sect and i hope with time there will be no reason at all to be confused.
To answer in any full way would be a long long letter - maybe a book, which you could write someday perhaps. Unfortunately there are many Christians out there -often very good people and sincere, and they are our brothers whom we love, but unfortunately they were either born into heretical groups or joined them and have not yet found the full truth of God's message in the Church.
Let me explain something a little. The explain it well would require good courses in theology and also a solid course of catholic apologetics which is the theological study that defends the true faith again false understandings of the message of Christ.
From the beginning the Church had to deal with different interpretations of Christ and the Scriptures (by the way the scriptures for the very early church was only theo old testament as the new testament was not yet complete or recognized as such). Some were true and some were false. The letters of Paul and especially the 3 letters of John illustrate this well. The authorative teachers were the apostles and their successors (cf. too the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, and the post-NT writings of Clement of Rome and St Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian and Irenaeus).
In fact the faith of the Church founded by Jesus come from himself and the Apostles and the Tradition passed on by them (e.g. praying for the dead etc) and only gradually was recognized by that One Church, the Catholic Church to be in those 27 books of the New Testament which were approved by the Church and affirmed by the Church to be inspired by the Spirit. The Catholic Church recognized her faith in the Scriptures, but nobody ever said that it was all in the Scriptures, in fact the faith is prior to the NT. The one truth (which like all living things- develops and is understood better over the centuries) is contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in the One Church guided by the Holy Spirit and accompanied by Christ until the end of time. In the early centuries of the Church after the books of the New Testament were accepted by the Church some teachers (often moved by pride and arrogance, and lacking humility) began to teach a different doctrine than that of the Church - in fact hundreds of sects began to appear all with different doctrines all claiming to base them on the Scriptures. 3 examples: the Gnostics (who believed there was a good and bad God, that the Old testament was written by the bad God and most of the NT by the good God, but they rejected some of the books of the NT), the Arians: followers of the priest Arius who tried to prove from the Holy Scriptures that Jesus was not God. One sect even believed that Mary was God. God raised up saints in his Church to combat these and other errors. St Irenaeus of Lyons, a great bishop, refuted the Gnostics in the 3rd century. St Athanasius and the first Council of the Church, Nicea in 325, proclaimed the full divinity of Christ. etc. The sects of those times are long dead now but of course, but God's Church, the Catholic Church, continued and will continue until the end of the World. In the 16th century a new doctrine appeared for the first time - propagated by a priest, Martin Luther, that everyone could interpret the Scriptures for themselves. This erroneous teaching this has lead to now about 24,000 Protestant sects each one teaching a different doctrine based on the pastor's interpretation of the Scriptures. The basic mistake is to separate the Scriptures from the Church and to interpret them outside the Holy Tradition and the authoratative teachers of the faith - the successors of the apostles, the bishops united with the bishop of Rome (whom we call the Pope) who continues withthe authority of St Peter and Paul. (cf. Mt 16,16-18, mt 28, 16-20).
If you study Church history you will notice few things. First the Church has never changed her doctrine but the understanding of it does develop with the centuries - after all the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures is the soul of the Church and he is not a dead holy sprit but teaches all truth (Read about eh work of the Holy Spirit in the Church in the gospel of John Chs 14 to 16) The great Cardinal John Henry Newman who began life as Protestant after years of prayer and study saw this clearly and even had to lose his job to become a Catholic (as do many Anglican ministers do today in England who become Catholics, and quite a few protestant pastors in the USAwho have become Catholics when they see the truth. through prayer and study, if they are searchers of truth in humility). Second the Church is often weak and corrupt in its members, even priest and bishops. The Church itself is Holy, but its members may not respond and so damage the Church, but even bad popes have never taught false doctrine as the faith. This alone is an amazing miracle. When heresies (false doctrines) attach the Christian people God raises up saints to deal with this. Hundreds of saints appeared after those who attacked the church in the false doctrine of the protestant sects appeared for the first time in the 16 century - perhaps the most famous is Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
That brings me to the heart of the matter. To follow Jesus our Saviour is to be humble, to be ever ready to learn from God's Church, never to think that one can interpret the Scriptures better. You surely notice by now how difficult it can be reconcile some scriptures texts with one another. One of the greatest minds of all history, Saint Augustine, who studies the questions said you interpret the more difficult ones by means of the easier ones to understand, but in the end you submit to the judgment of the Church - because the Scriptures are the Word of God, infinitely mysterious and the Church is the Church of God, also infinitely mysterious. You see, truth is one - so there is one true church and has been since Christ. Error is multiple and so there are thousands of smaller churches and sects - all contradicting one another but the only thing they have in common.. what is that?.. guess... they all are against the Catholic Church. By means these errors (heresies) the Church is purified and over the centuries clarifies the Word of God and is still dong so. The Blessed Virgin, purification after death (purgatory), the authority of the bishop of Rome, the intercession of the saints, are all truth revealed by God in his Holy Church, which is his Bride and His Body, and it sad to see people who are sincere, but so mistaken, attacking them. For such people we pray. LIke St Paul who in sincerity persecuted the Church thinking he was doing good - he had a zeal but it was not enlightened (Ramans 10,2). o many of our sincere brothers in the sects.
I have two practical suggestions for you. First. Get your hands on and read the Document of Vatican II on Revelation, it is called Dei Verbum. It is not very long and its treats of the nature of revelation, how it is transmitted in the Church by Scripture and Tradition etc.... Read it and meditate on it, look up the scripture references in it. It is beautiful, and teaches the basis of our faith.
Second I would suggest you don't get into controversy with this man who wrote to you. That is what they do - they try to get Catholics and confuse them, but simple arguments that have no real foundation but often Catholics are do not know enough. They themselves have very limited knowledge and even his short letter to contains basic errors that I could refute in a fee minutes if I were talking with him. Better nor argue. Just tell him that he is your brother and you believe he is in error and that it is good to seek the whole truth. One the other hand first, study some good Catholic authors who have moved from the errors of sects into the Church. Look up Scott Hahn on the internet. He has wonderful things to say, is very clear and it took him some years of study to find the truth, but he was humble, prayerful and was LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH. By God's grace you were baptised into God's wonderful TRUTH as a child. May you ever deepen your knowledge of it, and with time as well as the Holy Scriptures, which are inspired by the God and totally out on their own, also read some of the great Catholic Doctors of the Church such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, and the doctor mystics: St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila. There is an intellectual and spiritual challenge to you do go deeper, to learn more in humility, in holiness and especially great love for our Creator and the Lord Jesus, for the Church and for the Blessed Virgin who is able to crush the serpents hear when he tries to lead the faithful astray by false doctrine.
This email is much longer than I intended, but to write of the things of God is a joy. I hope you find it useful - love the scriptures, love the church, pray, study, proclaim - all in love and unity. You will shine like a star in the heavens... onthat day... Blessed be God forever.
With fond memories,
Fr Larry Duffy s.m.
Lovely to receive your email and I can catch your enthusiasm - the enthusiasm that you had a young student 22 yeas ago and now as a mature adult Christian many years later. YOU have done great good,and you will do much more. It is an inspiration to me indeed, and indeed someday I hope we can meet and share face to face. It brings me joy to know too of the activities of the CHSG and from time to time I hope to look at the website.
I would love to begin the same in Peru but perhaps at the present it is not quite possible as I have to travel quite a bit and there are already well established groups. The Holy Spirit may have this time.
I read the letter from the member of the sect and i hope with time there will be no reason at all to be confused.
To answer in any full way would be a long long letter - maybe a book, which you could write someday perhaps. Unfortunately there are many Christians out there -often very good people and sincere, and they are our brothers whom we love, but unfortunately they were either born into heretical groups or joined them and have not yet found the full truth of God's message in the Church.
Let me explain something a little. The explain it well would require good courses in theology and also a solid course of catholic apologetics which is the theological study that defends the true faith again false understandings of the message of Christ.
From the beginning the Church had to deal with different interpretations of Christ and the Scriptures (by the way the scriptures for the very early church was only theo old testament as the new testament was not yet complete or recognized as such). Some were true and some were false. The letters of Paul and especially the 3 letters of John illustrate this well. The authorative teachers were the apostles and their successors (cf. too the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, and the post-NT writings of Clement of Rome and St Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian and Irenaeus).
In fact the faith of the Church founded by Jesus come from himself and the Apostles and the Tradition passed on by them (e.g. praying for the dead etc) and only gradually was recognized by that One Church, the Catholic Church to be in those 27 books of the New Testament which were approved by the Church and affirmed by the Church to be inspired by the Spirit. The Catholic Church recognized her faith in the Scriptures, but nobody ever said that it was all in the Scriptures, in fact the faith is prior to the NT. The one truth (which like all living things- develops and is understood better over the centuries) is contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in the One Church guided by the Holy Spirit and accompanied by Christ until the end of time. In the early centuries of the Church after the books of the New Testament were accepted by the Church some teachers (often moved by pride and arrogance, and lacking humility) began to teach a different doctrine than that of the Church - in fact hundreds of sects began to appear all with different doctrines all claiming to base them on the Scriptures. 3 examples: the Gnostics (who believed there was a good and bad God, that the Old testament was written by the bad God and most of the NT by the good God, but they rejected some of the books of the NT), the Arians: followers of the priest Arius who tried to prove from the Holy Scriptures that Jesus was not God. One sect even believed that Mary was God. God raised up saints in his Church to combat these and other errors. St Irenaeus of Lyons, a great bishop, refuted the Gnostics in the 3rd century. St Athanasius and the first Council of the Church, Nicea in 325, proclaimed the full divinity of Christ. etc. The sects of those times are long dead now but of course, but God's Church, the Catholic Church, continued and will continue until the end of the World. In the 16th century a new doctrine appeared for the first time - propagated by a priest, Martin Luther, that everyone could interpret the Scriptures for themselves. This erroneous teaching this has lead to now about 24,000 Protestant sects each one teaching a different doctrine based on the pastor's interpretation of the Scriptures. The basic mistake is to separate the Scriptures from the Church and to interpret them outside the Holy Tradition and the authoratative teachers of the faith - the successors of the apostles, the bishops united with the bishop of Rome (whom we call the Pope) who continues withthe authority of St Peter and Paul. (cf. Mt 16,16-18, mt 28, 16-20).
If you study Church history you will notice few things. First the Church has never changed her doctrine but the understanding of it does develop with the centuries - after all the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures is the soul of the Church and he is not a dead holy sprit but teaches all truth (Read about eh work of the Holy Spirit in the Church in the gospel of John Chs 14 to 16) The great Cardinal John Henry Newman who began life as Protestant after years of prayer and study saw this clearly and even had to lose his job to become a Catholic (as do many Anglican ministers do today in England who become Catholics, and quite a few protestant pastors in the USAwho have become Catholics when they see the truth. through prayer and study, if they are searchers of truth in humility). Second the Church is often weak and corrupt in its members, even priest and bishops. The Church itself is Holy, but its members may not respond and so damage the Church, but even bad popes have never taught false doctrine as the faith. This alone is an amazing miracle. When heresies (false doctrines) attach the Christian people God raises up saints to deal with this. Hundreds of saints appeared after those who attacked the church in the false doctrine of the protestant sects appeared for the first time in the 16 century - perhaps the most famous is Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
That brings me to the heart of the matter. To follow Jesus our Saviour is to be humble, to be ever ready to learn from God's Church, never to think that one can interpret the Scriptures better. You surely notice by now how difficult it can be reconcile some scriptures texts with one another. One of the greatest minds of all history, Saint Augustine, who studies the questions said you interpret the more difficult ones by means of the easier ones to understand, but in the end you submit to the judgment of the Church - because the Scriptures are the Word of God, infinitely mysterious and the Church is the Church of God, also infinitely mysterious. You see, truth is one - so there is one true church and has been since Christ. Error is multiple and so there are thousands of smaller churches and sects - all contradicting one another but the only thing they have in common.. what is that?.. guess... they all are against the Catholic Church. By means these errors (heresies) the Church is purified and over the centuries clarifies the Word of God and is still dong so. The Blessed Virgin, purification after death (purgatory), the authority of the bishop of Rome, the intercession of the saints, are all truth revealed by God in his Holy Church, which is his Bride and His Body, and it sad to see people who are sincere, but so mistaken, attacking them. For such people we pray. LIke St Paul who in sincerity persecuted the Church thinking he was doing good - he had a zeal but it was not enlightened (Ramans 10,2). o many of our sincere brothers in the sects.
I have two practical suggestions for you. First. Get your hands on and read the Document of Vatican II on Revelation, it is called Dei Verbum. It is not very long and its treats of the nature of revelation, how it is transmitted in the Church by Scripture and Tradition etc.... Read it and meditate on it, look up the scripture references in it. It is beautiful, and teaches the basis of our faith.
Second I would suggest you don't get into controversy with this man who wrote to you. That is what they do - they try to get Catholics and confuse them, but simple arguments that have no real foundation but often Catholics are do not know enough. They themselves have very limited knowledge and even his short letter to contains basic errors that I could refute in a fee minutes if I were talking with him. Better nor argue. Just tell him that he is your brother and you believe he is in error and that it is good to seek the whole truth. One the other hand first, study some good Catholic authors who have moved from the errors of sects into the Church. Look up Scott Hahn on the internet. He has wonderful things to say, is very clear and it took him some years of study to find the truth, but he was humble, prayerful and was LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH. By God's grace you were baptised into God's wonderful TRUTH as a child. May you ever deepen your knowledge of it, and with time as well as the Holy Scriptures, which are inspired by the God and totally out on their own, also read some of the great Catholic Doctors of the Church such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, and the doctor mystics: St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila. There is an intellectual and spiritual challenge to you do go deeper, to learn more in humility, in holiness and especially great love for our Creator and the Lord Jesus, for the Church and for the Blessed Virgin who is able to crush the serpents hear when he tries to lead the faithful astray by false doctrine.
This email is much longer than I intended, but to write of the things of God is a joy. I hope you find it useful - love the scriptures, love the church, pray, study, proclaim - all in love and unity. You will shine like a star in the heavens... onthat day... Blessed be God forever.
With fond memories,
Fr Larry Duffy s.m.
On Wed, 1/28/09, Larry Duffy
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: RE: Fr Larry Duffy
To: "Bong Lozano"
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 1:28 AM
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: RE: Fr Larry Duffy
To: "Bong Lozano"
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 1:28 AM
Dear Bong,
How happy to I was to receive your email with so much good news, apart from the sudden death of your father which was a great sadness for you and the family. I offer your my condolences.
Well you know I had no idea that the CHSG was still going strong, and clearly much stronger and of wider scope. I was able to look up the site on the Internet and to see the photo. Give my regards to Alma and Ramón whom I remember so well too, and to all the other members.
Your own dedication and enthusiasm, Bong, has been a great source of light for the group and it does my heart good to see that you have absorbed so much of the Holy Scriptures and are a fervent Catholic living in the infinite love of our great God and Father revealed in Jesus in the Church by the Spirit. To know Jesus Christ and live in his love in his Holy Church is the best possible thing in life and to be able to awaken others to reality by reaching out to them with the Word of God is a great service for which they will be eternally grateful. i pray that your own journey into greater holiness may bear fruit for the lives of many who otherwise might be lost and confused.
It is good to know too that you are a happily married man for quite some years now and I'm sure you hove a very full life between the family, your work at the school, giving retreats and also the CHSG.
My work here in Peru for these years his been very interesting. Even though a lot of it is administration, I do quite a bit of pastoral work, visiting the sick, Masses and also giving scripture courses.
Unfortunately there is no marist father in the Cotabato City these times. We have a mission way up in Timanan, but sometime Fr. Aliki langi who is the parish priest comes to the city. He knows a lot about he Old Testament and also knows some Hebrew and he could teach you too some Hebrew hymns. If you ever come across him you can ask him and if he has a few spare moments he could help you.
I shall follow with interest the activities of the CHSG and if I ever have the chance to return to the Philippines I would certainly love to visit you there, but I don't know when that will be, if ever. But maybe someday.
May the Lord, bless, you, your family and the CHSG members.,
With prayers,
Fr Larry Duffy s.m.
How happy to I was to receive your email with so much good news, apart from the sudden death of your father which was a great sadness for you and the family. I offer your my condolences.
Well you know I had no idea that the CHSG was still going strong, and clearly much stronger and of wider scope. I was able to look up the site on the Internet and to see the photo. Give my regards to Alma and Ramón whom I remember so well too, and to all the other members.
Your own dedication and enthusiasm, Bong, has been a great source of light for the group and it does my heart good to see that you have absorbed so much of the Holy Scriptures and are a fervent Catholic living in the infinite love of our great God and Father revealed in Jesus in the Church by the Spirit. To know Jesus Christ and live in his love in his Holy Church is the best possible thing in life and to be able to awaken others to reality by reaching out to them with the Word of God is a great service for which they will be eternally grateful. i pray that your own journey into greater holiness may bear fruit for the lives of many who otherwise might be lost and confused.
It is good to know too that you are a happily married man for quite some years now and I'm sure you hove a very full life between the family, your work at the school, giving retreats and also the CHSG.
My work here in Peru for these years his been very interesting. Even though a lot of it is administration, I do quite a bit of pastoral work, visiting the sick, Masses and also giving scripture courses.
Unfortunately there is no marist father in the Cotabato City these times. We have a mission way up in Timanan, but sometime Fr. Aliki langi who is the parish priest comes to the city. He knows a lot about he Old Testament and also knows some Hebrew and he could teach you too some Hebrew hymns. If you ever come across him you can ask him and if he has a few spare moments he could help you.
I shall follow with interest the activities of the CHSG and if I ever have the chance to return to the Philippines I would certainly love to visit you there, but I don't know when that will be, if ever. But maybe someday.
May the Lord, bless, you, your family and the CHSG members.,
With prayers,
Fr Larry Duffy s.m.
On Wed, 1/21/09, Larry Duffy
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: Fr Larry Duffy
To: stevenstormwaterworld@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 12:52 AM
From: Larry Duffy
Subject: Fr Larry Duffy
To: stevenstormwaterworld@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 12:52 AM
Dear Bong,
What a wonderful surprise to get an email that eventually traces back to you. Thank you for contacting me - after such along time. Indeed I have not forgotten you all there in Cotabato and all the good times we had sharing the word of the Lord. i wonder could you tell me about he members -where they are, that they are doing and how they are.
I have been in Peru for the past two years as the district superior and I miss the Philippines. I went to Cotabto first in 1984 and then was in the Philippines until 1993. From 1993 until 2002 I was in Rome and then came back to Davao. To years ago I came to Peru as district superior and am a bit used to here now. I still miss the Philippines.
My recent news is that I just lost my only brother-in-law, Alan, of my only sibling, Patricia, In fact they visited Cotabato in about 21 years ago. The whole event of Alan’s sickness and death has left a big mark on all the family. He was ill for so long, and the belief that much of his illness (perhaps almost everything) was caused by the medical profession, and in the end including his death, makes it all the harder to take. I am concerned about Patricia as she was so totally engaged in looking after him day and night for the past years, there will be a big void in her life now. But so far so good, after the first days of many tears she seems to has some peace and is well supported by the ‘children’ and good friends. A meeting in Rome in February gives the happy chance to pass some quality days with her and we can also go through our mother’s things – something we never had a chance to do, even though she is almost two years gone.
Anyhow enough of all sad writing. Life for each one has enough troubles. The is not many dull moments in the district house these days as it is summer here, a time when our Marist bishop comes down from Ayacucho for a few weeks to do what he has to do in the capital, and the men come to renew their residence permits etc. So I am playing the host a lot. Today one of the young men who is going to study Scripture in Brazil arrives with his mother and aunt who have come to wave him of on Thursday.
I am also looking after the chapel when Fr Valerio is away and that gets me involved in Masses, sick calls, blessing fire-engines and houses and anything in range! Is it the year of St Paul , and every Wednesday I give a lecture on Paul for a motley group of faithful and they raise all sorts of interesting questions to keep me on my toes and preparing well.
So you can see I am still working with Holy Scripture groups as I did in Cotabato and also in Davao.
I ma looking forward very much to hearing about yourself and the other,
Blessings and thanks for the prayers,
Fr. Larry D
Mr. Lozano, I have read the Apostle's Creed. I've even recited it. I've studied the history of the church and the teachings found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The fact is, Mr. Lozano, that the Roman Catholic Church bears little resemblance to the Christian Church founded by Jesus Christ. Jesus did not establish a position of pope - the papal office is a spurious one developed centuries after Christ returned to heaven. Jesus did not develop an intercessory priesthood apart from Himself and the body of believers. We need no mediator except for Jesus Christ (read 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 7, 1 Peter 2:5-10). Jesus did not teach spurious doctrines such as purgatory and praying to dead people. That is NOT the Church founded by Jesus. That is a church that was developed through centuries of false doctrines slowly invading and taking root. My faith is based on the Scriptures. Luke documented that the Berean people checked the Scriptures to determine if Paul's teachings were from God or not (Acts 17:11). He praised them for this. If we apply the Berean standard to the Roman Catholic Church, we find reason to reject their teachings and claims of divine inspiration due to the fact that many of their teachings are opposed by the Word of God. I hope and pray you will see the truth and cling to the real Jesus of Scripture rather than a religion of men.
In Christ,
Ben Rast
Contender Ministries
-------- Original Message --------
TOPIC: General
SENDER: chsg1986@yahoo.com
IP: 119.95.83.106
SUBJECT: catholic faith
I thank God for reading some of the mailbags.I come accross with your wrong information bout the catholic faith. Please read the APOSTLES CREEED what the catholic believes. These are the doctrines being thought by the ONLY CHURCH FOUNDED BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. PLease do not mislead the readers of your web. Before publishing it please study the whole history, faith, beliefs, teachings, dogmas,and the Holy traditions of the church there you will find out whose teachings are from Jesus through the apostles to His church. Ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit for you to KNOW THE TRUTH. One more thing When was your organization started? The RCC started during the time of Jesus and the apostles.
Thanks
Bro.Bong Lozano
CHSG Sheperd
Contender Ministries
http://contenderministries.org
In Christ,
Ben Rast
Contender Ministries
-------- Original Message --------
TOPIC: General
SENDER: chsg1986@yahoo.com
IP: 119.95.83.106
SUBJECT: catholic faith
I thank God for reading some of the mailbags.I come accross with your wrong information bout the catholic faith. Please read the APOSTLES CREEED what the catholic believes. These are the doctrines being thought by the ONLY CHURCH FOUNDED BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. PLease do not mislead the readers of your web. Before publishing it please study the whole history, faith, beliefs, teachings, dogmas,and the Holy traditions of the church there you will find out whose teachings are from Jesus through the apostles to His church. Ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit for you to KNOW THE TRUTH. One more thing When was your organization started? The RCC started during the time of Jesus and the apostles.
Thanks
Bro.Bong Lozano
CHSG Sheperd
http://contenderministries.org
Jude 1:17-23 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
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