The Antichrist

Pope

“….throughout the short history of Protestant-styled Christianity, Evangelicals have identified the single antichrist as many entities: Queen Mary, Ronald Reagan, Adolph Hitler, Islam, Henry Kissinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Saddam Hussein, Barrack Obama, George Soros, even the Visa Corporation, and many others.

“When false teachings and imaginary enemies are revealed as simple Evangelical speculation, the system is rebooted and the title of antichrist defaults to the pope. It is expected; Jesus was accused of being demon-possessed. It is fitting for the Vicar of Christ to share some labels”

– Patrick Vanderpool

The Testament of St. Francis

One of the books I read on sabbatical was St. Francis and the Cross by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. In the book they reflected on “The Testament of St. Francis”, a work which the great Saint dictated to a scribe shortly before his death.

I have, on occasion, met Anglican Franciscans, but after having read Francis’ Testament, I don’t really understand how one could wish to embrace Franciscan in spirituality and yet not become part of the Catholic Church. Below is the document in its entirety.

St. Francis

Read more

Pope Francis on the Bible

On the occasion of the publication of the new Bible for youth, Pope Francis has written a very personal account of his own relationship with Scripture.

Writing the prologue to the new German edition of the Youcat Bible, which will be published Oct. 21, Pope Francis speaks lovingly of an old, worn-out Bible he has carried around for half his life.

He counsels young people on the best approach to reading the Bible so it brings the Light of the World into their lives and doesn’t end up on a shelf. It is, he reminds readers, a “dangerous” book in certain parts of the world: owning one can lead to jail or torture.

And he quotes Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “You Christians have in your hands a book containing enough dynamite to shatter all civilization.”

Here is the Pope’s prologue…

Pope-Francis

Read more

Music Monday: Requiem

We’re taking a little break from Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) this week. Today’s video is of Eliza Gilkyson from her album “Paradise Hotel”:

Mother Mary, full of grace, awaken.
All our homes are gone, our loved ones taken.
Taken by the sea –
Mother Mary, calm our fears, have mercy.
Drowning in a sea of tears, have mercy.
Hear our mournful plea.
Our world has been shaken,
we wander our homelands, forsaken.

In the dark night of the soul,
bring some comfort to us all –
Oh, Mother Mary, come and carry us in your embrace;
that our sorrows may be faced.

Mary, fill the glass to overflowing.
Illuminate the path where we are going.
Have mercy on us all.
In funeral fires burning,
each flame to your mystery, returning.

In the dark night of the soul,
your shattered dreamers, make them whole –
Oh, Mother Mary, find us where we’ve fallen out of grace;
lead us to a higher place

As I was listening to this in YouTube, I found an arranged version of this song which is delightful…

1 248 249 250 251 252 551