Tag: featured

Living life like the Max

Leave a comment

Today is the feast day of one of my favourite Saints, the great St. Maximilian Kolbe.

I’m not really sure why, but I can’t recall hearing stories of the lives of the Saints whilst I was growing up, despite being in Catholic education for most of my schooling.  I actually first heard the story of Maximilian Kolbe whilst visiting a Protestant church.  For me, this was an often-repeated irony, having actually been introduced as an adult to the Saints by a Baptist Pastor!

When I first heard his story in that Protestant church, Maximilian was quite-rightly held up as a model of Christ-like behaviour.  Unfortunately, I also remember it was in a sermon where he was contrasted with another figure who was specifically identified as Catholic, whereas Maximilian’s background was not mentioned.

It was only when I started to read more about him and his story that I discovered that he was not only Catholic, but a priest and at that time, to my horror, someone with a very strong Marian devotion.

Read more

Out There: The Prosperity Gospel

2 comments

I’ve decided to write a few blog posts concerning certain doctrines which are out there in the Christian world at the moment.  Now, my entries are going to be rather critical of these teachings, but I think it needs to be done.  Today I would like to begin by looking at the “Prosperity Gospel”.

This doctrine particularly frustrates me.  This is because, if for no other reason, it presents a new Gospel, one that has been taken and reshaped by the world’s standards.

The “Prosperity Gospel” is rooted in the idea that “Jesus came to make you healthy, wealthy and happy…”.  It will rarely ever be presented under the name “Prosperity Gospel”, instead being presented as integral and central to “The Gospel” itself.

The Prosperity Gospel is a very attractive teaching since it promises comfort and material wealth in this life if you just have faith. Sometimes associated with this is the idea that you must “seed your miracle” by giving your money to a particular preacher, certainly a lucrative market for the less-than-honest…

Now, there are certainly shades of opinion and variations in how literally the concept of Prosperity Gospel is understood – not every pastor or church will give an identical message (the nuttier end of the spectrum you find on YouTube is downright scary).  However, all focus around the idea that God will always materially prosper you and keep you healthy in this world.  I would suggest, however, that God’s plan is a little bigger than that…

Read more

Out There: Eternal Security/Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS)

42 comments

Today I’d like to look at another doctrine that is out there in the Christian world.  It is usually called either the doctrine of “Eternal Security” or “Once Saved, Always Saved” (“OSAS”).

In case you haven’t heard of it, this doctrine basically says that once you have been “saved” (however one understands that to happen) you can never lose your salvation – it’s absolutely impossible.  No amount of sin can change that.  Your card has been stamped, the credit card paid off and your name added to the guest list….

Read more

St. Basil’s Priorities

Leave a comment

The Gospel this week (Luke 13:25-33) was all about what it means to follow Christ and to have Him as Lord over your life, in first place before anything or anyone.  Doing this, as hard as it is, is also immensely freeing since it results in the things of life being put back into their proper order.

As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of the story of St. Basil.  Now here was a man with his priorities straight!  Basil is known as the father of Oriental monasticism and a forerunner of St. Benedict. Though his ascetic training Basil had very clear ideas about what was truly important in life. This clarity would be needed the day a representative from the Emperor came to visit…

The Emperor Valens was a resolute supporter of the Arians, those who said Jesus was created by and inferior to God the Father. The Emperor Valens had plantedArianism in other provinces of Asia Minor and came to Cappadocia withthe same aim. He sent the Prefect Modestus to Bishop Basil in order to convince him to join the Arians.  Modestus threatened Basil with ruin, exile, torture and even death if he didn’t fall in line.  Basil’s response was priceless:

Read more

Know your Rites

8 comments

The other week I resumed a former “hobby” of mine.  When I was living back in London I would often go and visit Eastern Rite Catholic churches…

What’s Rite?

A “Rite” in this context generally refers to a group within the wider Catholic Church which is associated with a particular liturgical tradition.  The main Rite with which most people will be familiar is the “Latin Rite”.  This is what is followed in most Catholic churches in Western Europe and the United States.  However, what most people don’t know is that there are six other Rites in the Catholic Church. The Catechism in paragraph #1203 lists these other Rites as Byzantine, Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite and Chaldean. The majority of married Catholic priests (yes, you heard me right) will be found in these Eastern Rite Catholic churches where the discipline of celibacy is not exercised in the same way.

I love visiting Eastern Rite churches – I get to explore an unfamiliar liturgy, but unlike when I visit Protestant churches, I also am able to receive communion because the churches which I visit are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome.  So far, I have participated in Maronite and Byzantine (Melkite & Ukrainian) liturgies.

Read more

Sunday Lectionary: Jesus Number One!

Leave a comment

I hadn’t planned to write about last weekend’s Gospel reading, but it has kept coming up in conversation and I’ve spoken to some people who have been really troubled by Jesus’ words, perhaps rightly so:

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them,

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?  Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Masochism or poor linguistics?

What did Jesus mean when he said we must “hate” our family and even “hate” our own lives? That sounds rather masochistic!

Is this just a bad translation?  Actually, no, it’s not.  The Greek word being used here is “miseo”, which, according to Strong’s Greek Lexicon means “to hate, pursue with hatred, detest”.

Read more

1 2 3 4 5 … 171