Tag: featured

When there’s nobody around to hear

Leave a comment

So, another day, another meme. A few days ago, this came across my Facebook newsfeed:

whoknew

So, how might one respond to a meme like this?

Is it accurate?

The first thing to ask is, does this meme accurately represent what Christians believe? After all, if someone’s religion is wrong, it shouldn’t need to be misrepresented to be shown to be false, right?

So, what do Christians believe about the Trinity? Well, we believe that there is only one God, but that within the Godhead that there are three persons: the Father, the Son and the Spirit. So, when the Son was praying, He wasn’t praying to “Himself”, but to the Father.

This meme already isn’t looking that promising…

I wasn’t there…

The meme appears to suggest that, unless you were present at an event, then you couldn’t possibly know what happened.

However, I’m sure there are many events you know much about, but for which you were not present. These events range from the great events in history to the story of how your parents met. The reader will know about these events because those who were there have either told them directly, or because they have read descriptions found in diaries and letters.

The same is true for the life of Jesus. St. Luke didn’t witness Jesus’ ministry, yet he can tell us what happened by reporting the testimony of those who were present at the time. Luke speaks about his sources in the opening of his Gospel:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you… that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.

Luke 1:1-4

No witnesses

Okay, so it’s possible for me to know about an even if I was not there to witness it… but what about the situations where, say, Jesus was alone and there was nobody to hear what He said and see what He did?

For example, all the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13) record Jesus going out into the desert alone for forty days. Despite Jesus doing this alone, Mark tells us that He was tempted by the devil, and Matthew and Luke go into detail about these temptations, even going so far as to narrate the exchanges between Jesus and Satan. How did they know what was said?

The answer to this is, I think, rather obvious. Many of my friends know how I felt when I watched the sunrise each morning as I was walking across Spain. They know this because I told them. Likewise, the events in the desert could easily have been passed onto the Apostles by Jesus Himself. Perhaps one night around the fire, after casting out an unclean spirit in a Synagogue earlier in the day, Jesus told them what had taken place during His time in the wilderness.

Roman Catholic All Day

2 comments

Today I wanted to advertise Roman Catholic All Day, a Catholic clothing website which was recently started by two of my friends here in San Diego:

Not only do they have some great products, but 10% of the value of each order is donated to a Catholic organization. So, buying one of their t-shirts practically means you’re performing a spiritual or corporal work of mercy! 🙂

Their clothing line will be expanding soon through a Kickstarter Project. In the meantime, take a look at heir Facebook page and give them some feedback on their upcoming products.

Christmas is only a couple of months away now, so why not buy a t-shirt or two for the favourite Catholic in your life? Oh, and just in case you were wondering, my size is a “medium”… 😉

Intercession

One comment

A while ago in our Young Adult group we were talking about praying before the Eucharist (“Adoration”) and I had asked the question “What do you actually do during Adoration?”

Some of the group spoke about reading Scripture.

Others spoke about praying the rosary.

One girl beautifully described it as “…just having quality Father/Daughter time”.

One word which was absent from the discussion was “Intercession”. It got me to thinking. How often do I regularly pray for those in my life? My family? My friends? My co-workers? What about the employees of the shops where I purchase my morning coffee or lunchtime sandwich? How often do I intercede for these people? Almost certainly not as much as I should…

My friend Art went to Lourdes and took with him prayer requests from his friends here in California…

So, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is this: this week, especially during Adoration, I’d invite you to spend a little bit of time interceding for those people you know – friends, family, country…favourite bloggers.

Sunday Lectionary: September 11, 2011

2 comments

There’s not too much technical stuff to focus on in this week’s Mass Readings. My suggestion is to use the readings as a springboard to invite people in the study group to talk about their struggles, successes and failures in relation to that tough subject of forgiveness.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Last week’s Mass Readings concerned themselves with the restoration of brothers and sisters who have fallen into sin. This week’s Readings build on those of last week, focussing upon forgiveness, its centrality to the Gospel and its necessity in God’s covenant community.

“There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest. Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 982

 

Reading I: Sirach 27:30-28:7

Our First Reading comes from the book of Sirach. This book is one of the books which was removed from the Bible by non-Catholics at the time of the Reformation in the 16th Century. Non-Catholics refer to this collection of books as the Apocrypha, whereas Catholics refer to them as the Deuterocanonical books. Other books in this collection include Tobit, Wisdom and 1 & 2 Maccabees.

The link between this First Reading and the Gospel passage is clear: if you would like the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy, you should treat others with forgiveness and mercy.

“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.

Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?

Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults”

Possible Questions:

  • How does the author describe the sinner’s relationship to wrath and anger? What can we learn from this?
  • Practically speaking, what does this forgiveness look like?
  • There are several rhetorical questions in this passage. What point do they make?
  • What are the reasons the author gives for putting aside “wrath and anger” and “enmity”?

Read more

Some more “life verses”…

One comment

Yesterday I wrote a post in which I suggested some possible life verses. Today I thought I’d do a quick follow-up with a few more…

Lazy Students

Most people choose life verses which are inspiring, which call them forth to greatness and holiness…but what if that’s not what you really want? What about if you’re happy and comfortable with failure and laziness? Well, in that case, this is the life verse for you…

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
– Ecclesiastes 12:12

The recently-shaved

I go bearded from time-to-time. After I shave it off, I always think of this passage:

When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”  – 2 Samuel 10:5

Housemates

I live in a house with three other guys. I’m going to recommend one of them in particular to adopt the following passage as his life verse:

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.  – Proverbs 27:14

Garlic Lovers

If you overindulge in smelly foods, then this is the life verse for you..

“My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers. – Job 19:17

Read more

Memes and Heresy

Leave a comment

1 … 89 90 91 92 93 … 137