"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
Evagrius said that there was a brother who had no possessions except a Gospel book and he sold it in order to feed the poor. He said something worth remembering: “I have sold even the word that commands me to sell all and give to the poor”
– De vitis Patrum, Sive Verba Seniorum, Liber V
I’ve started reading “Rediscovering Catholicism” by Matthew Kelly and I wanted to share a one quotations from the opening pages:
“Every single day the Catholic Church feeds, houses, and clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to…
The Catholic education system alone saves American taxpayers eighteen billion dollars a year…
This year, catholic charities will provide 2.2 million free meals to the hungry and the needy of Chicago. We don’t ask them if they are Catholic – we just ask them if they are hungry”
– Matthew Kelly, Rediscovering Catholicism
When there is a scandal in the Catholic Church it is blasted from every media outlet so that the whole world gets to hear about it. Yet how is it that the continued good works of the Church so often go unreported?
Aside from the fact that it’s not as sensational, it’s not news! This is the same service which the Church has offered the world every day for two thousand years. It ceased being news a long time ago…
The following question is asked by the artist on the YouTube video “Why I hate religion but love Jesus”:
“What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion?”
Hmmm…well, I guess I’d probably tut and then roll my eyes.
Next, I think I’d open my Bible to Matthew’s Gospel:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” – Matthew 5:16-18
I think I then might flip over to the Epistle of St. James:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world – James 1:27
For the next three weeks in the JP2 Group we’re going to be looking at the worship in the Early Church.
The following text is an extract from the writing of Justin Martyr (c AD 100 – 165). The document is known as his First Apology, which was written to the Emperor Antionius Pius around AD 150-155. Various English translations were used in the rendering of this extract.
We will be studying this text as a group tomorrow. At the weekend I’ll do another post about this text, together with a little bit of commentary…
After we have washed someone who has been convinced and has accepted our teaching, we bring him to the place where those who are called “brethren” are assembled. Together, then, we offer hearty prayers: for ourselves, for the illuminated person, and for all others in every place. We pray that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation.
Having ended the prayers, we greet one another with a kiss. Then bread and a cup of wine mixed with water are brought to the president of the brethren. Taking them, he gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and he offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things.
And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying “Amen”, the Hebrew for “so be it”. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called “deacons” give to each person present a portion of the bread and the wine mixed with water, over which the thanksgiving was pronounced. To those who are absent, they carry away a portion.
You know what really grinds my gears? :-/
The other day I overheard a conversation during which some of my Catholic friends were speaking particularly brutally about non-Catholics and the non-Catholic churches. There was little gentleness, respect or love. There were a few cheap shots and some statements that were just plain wrong. Ironically, what I heard was reminiscent of some of the anti-Catholic tirades I’ve heard in the past…
I spent several years in Protestant circles and was greatly blessed there. During that time my love for Scripture was nurtured and I was surrounded by many, many inspiring people who lived out lives of deep prayer and courageous virtue. For this I will forever be grateful.
Ultimately, I found certain issues within Protestantism to be troublesome and some fundamental questions which Protestantism itself is unable to answer. This is why I’m Catholic. Even on this blog, I occasionally post entries in which I critique some of my former Protestant positions. However, I do hope that I always do this with respect, gentleness and love.
I still have a great affection for our separated brothers and sisters in Christ. Virtually every conversion story that I’ve heard of those who left Protestantism for the Catholic Church have expressed similar sentiments. Although they ultimately came into conflict with Protestant doctrines, they speak very warmly of their former denominations and express gratitude for the Christian witness they received there.
So, when speaking about non-Catholics and non-Catholic churches, please do so with charity. Otherwise, I may have to shout at you for a while…with respect, gentleness and love, of course 😀