I Miss You Today, Daddy

You know Daddy, I was watching the cattle graze in the pasture you left us, today.  They are looking good.  We have had lot’s of rain, and it won’t be long, and they will be ready to sell.

It made me think of years long past.   When you and I would cut cattle on “Ole Dunn.”  How you would say, “Just give him his head, he will do the rest.”   

Never has there been a better “cuttin” horse.

How when we would ride down the road, and you would say, “Listen to him saddle.”  He did Daddy, Dunn had one of the most beautiful “saddle gaits” I have ever heard.  In fact, I have never heard it from another horse.  He was like riding in a Cadillac.

It made me think today when ten guys were trying to pen cattle, and you told them to go on.  How you got out of the pickup and slowly walked every single cow in the pen.   All those young men on their horses, stood in amazement of how you did it.  Walked a little bit, stand a little bit.  

It made me think when you were teaching me to ride barrels, on Shorty.  First time in the shoot with him, and he rared up, and penned my legs against the shoot.  But once that shoot was opened, he was gone!   The only horse that ever beat “Corky” in this county.

I thought about Nubbins and Tinkerbell, my show calves.  How each year at the fair, Brother and I would be there.  Me in front, and him behind me, in case I got in trouble.

The fish we caught in the tank and the many swims we took in that tank as well.

Made me think about Gorilla our dog, Daddy.  When we went bird hunting, I can still see Gorilla running in the pasture, right along side of Brother.

You taught us to shoot Daddy,  but you also taught us when we had a gun in our hands, a lot of responsibility came with it.  You taught us that responsibility as well.

Daddy, the things you gave to us in life, we have never strayed from.   We still love the things you and Mama instilled in us, so do our kids, and so do their kids.

I thank you for teaching us how to work, think for ourselves, and stand up for ourselves.   I also thank you for always teaching us, never to worry about what somebody else thought.  To live our lives for ourselves and not the way someone thought we should.

One of the best things you ever said to us was, “When you think you are too big for your britches, get out here and battle mother nature, then tell me how big you are.”

Thank you for never letting us “sass” Mom, we knew that was our death warrant.  In doing so, we never “sassed” any other adult either.

Thank you for always making us say, “Mam,” and “Sir.”  That has taken us further in our careers and life then any other thing, you ever taught us.

Daddy, thank you for never moving us on concrete.   We love the land Daddy and all it brings forth.

Well Daddy, I am going to let you go.  Watch over the cattle and the horses for us.  Ask God to keep the rain coming for the pasture, that we can have a good hay season.  

I love you Daddy, Sister

 

My Memorial Day Thoughts

As I was thinking about this day, and those who have fought and died for this country.   Those who came home injured, some never to recover from this injuries, first let me say:

I THANK YOU, EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!   IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU, THAT I HAVE THE FREEDOM I DO TODAY, THAT SO MANY ARE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY FROM ME.  MAKING THE VERY LIFE YOU GAVE FOR ME, AND THE INJURIES YOU HAVE HAD TO LIVE WITH, SEEM AS NOTHING.

I was thinking today about my grandfather for one.  As some of you know we were/are cattle people.  We had one of the top ten dairies in the nation, in the 1960’s, and the top ten breeding bulls.  This was due to my grandfather, who died when I was nine years old.

During his lifetime the government began to inspect the dairies.   Now let me tell you, people who live on dairies, work hard, from the days before they start school.  They eat and drink the same things you do.   Which means everything is done, as well as it can be done.  

Anyways, the first time this “government inspector” came out, my grandfather beat him to a pulp!  This was taking away my grandfather’s freedom, which he was willing to go to jail for.

Now we have more regulations on everything, that people can barely make a living anymore.   From plumbers to truck drivers, to electricians, to house builders, to dairy farmers, to growers in the fields!  You name it the government have their hands in every single job there is.

This made me think about something my uncle said, which I have posted before.  He was in WWII.  He was in a fox hole and a German tank pulled on top of him.  Dead of winter and his feet froze.  He could see the German feet walking around him.  Actually this tank is what saved his life.

He always said, “What this country needs is one week of WWII, then everybody would shut up and go home!”   

Dear Uncle E.,

I am so glad you are not alive today, to see what is happening to this country.  Many are crying socialism to take away the freedom you laid in that fox hole for.  I love you and I miss you.”

God Bless, SR

 

Church History – What Have We Done to God?

I found this interesting, sad, and thought maybe some would like to know when their Church came into being, by whom, and where.

As I read this all I could think was, “What have we done to God?”

Catholic – 33, Jesus, Jerusalem

Orthodox – 1054, Certain Catholic Bishops, Constantinople

Lutheran – 1517, Martin Luther, Germany

Anabaptist – 1521, Nicholas Storch and Thomas Munzer , Germany

Anglican – 1534, Henry VIII, England

Mennonites – 1536, Menno Simons, Switzerland

Calvinist – 1555, John Calvin, Switzerland

Presbyterian -1560, John Knox , Scotland

Congregational- 1582, Robert Brown, Holland

Baptist – 1609, John Smyth, Amsterdam

Dutch Reformed – 1628, Michaelis Jones, New York

Congregationalist – 1648 Pilgrims and Puritans, Massachusetts

Quakers – 1649, George Fox, England

Amish – 1693, Jacob Amman, France

Freemasons – 1717, Masons from four lodges, London

Methodist – 1739, John and Charles Wesley, England

Unitarian – 1774, Theophilus Lindley, London

Methodist Episcopal – 1784, sixty preachers, Baltimore, MD.

Episcopalian – 1789, Samuel Seabury, American Colonies

United Brethren – 1800, Philip Qtterbein and Martin Boehn, Maryland

Disciples of Christ – 1827, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Kentucky

Mormon – 1830, Joseph Smith, New York

Methodist Protestant – 1830, Methodist, United States

Churches of Christ – 1836, Warren Stone and Alexander Campbell, Kentuky

Seventh Day Adventist – 1844, Ellen White, Washington, NH

Christadelphian (Brethren of Christ) – 1844, John Thomas, Richmond, Va.

Salvation Army – 1865, William Booth, London

Holiness – 1867, Methodists, United States

Jehovah’s Witness – 1874, Charles Taze Russell, Pennsylvania

Christian Science – 1879, Mary Baker Eddy, Boston

Church of God in Christ – 1895, Various Churches of God, Arkansas

Church of Nazarene – 1850-1900, Various Religious Bodies, Pilot Point, Tx

Pentecostal – 1901, Charles F. Parkham, Topeka, Ks.

Aglipayan – 1902, Gregorio Aglipay, Philippines

Assemblies of God – 1914, Pentecostals, Hot Springs, AZ.

Iglesia ni Christo – 1914, Felix Manalo, Philippines

Four-Square Gospel – 1917, Aimee Semple McPherson, Los Angeles, CA.

United Church of Christ – 1961, Reformed and Congregationalist, Philadelphia, PA.

Calvary Chapel – 1965, Chuck Smith, Costa Mesa, CA.

United Methodist – 1968, Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches, Dallas, TX.

Born – again – 1970’s, Various Religious Bodies, United States

Harvest Christian – 1972, Greg Laurie, Riverside CA.

Saddleback – 1982, Rick Warren, California

Non-Denominational – 1990’s, Various, United States

There is no way all of these Churches with different beliefs, can be what God wanted. 

 Jesus prayed to God before His death, “I do not pray for these only, (Apostles) but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may be all one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me.”

Now we have almost 40,000 different denominations, the last I heard.  40,000 different beliefs, that have divided God’s children since the 1500’s.  This is where they all came from.

All Jesus prayed for is that we would be united in Him and God.  Having one belief, faith, and baptism.  United together as well as God’s children.  This will never be.

This is some of the reasons atheist have said to me, “How can I believe in God with so many different Churches.? Who is right?” 

I pray Lord, that You forgive us, for hurting You. +

God Bless, SR

Source: The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith by John Salza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Abercius and Pectorius – Let’s go to Rome – Symbolic Language of the Early Church Fathers

Each time I read about the early Church Father’s it takes me right back to the “truth of Scripture, and the Catholic Church.”  Nothing explains that to me, any better than these writings, here.

“The “discipline of the secret” was the respectful silence early Christians observed in regard to the mysteries of faith.  When alluding to the Sacraments in their homilies and commentaries, bishops and teachers would usually shift to a sort of code – a symbolic language dense with Scriptural illusions, understandable only to someone living a deeply Christian life.”

“The code extended beyond literary work and preaching, to paintings, sculpture, epitaphs, and even graffiti.  In the catacombs of St. Callixtus in Rome, carvings evoke the Sacraments through symbols.  Christ was the fish, because the initials of the name, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior,” spelled “ichthos,” the Greek word for fish.  Pictorial symbols of the Eucharist were many:  a bird pecking at grapes symbolized the soul drawing nourishment from the Sacrament; a banquet of fish, bread, and wine suggested at once the Eucharistic liturgy and Jesus’ multiplication of loaves and fish.”

“The inscription of Abercius dates to 216 or earlier.  The Bishop of Hieropolis in Phrygia (now part of Turkey), Abercius made a pilgrimage to Rome during a period of relative peace for Christians.  While there, he wrote his own epitaph.  While clear to Abercius’ fellow believers, the twenty-two lines of metered Greek surely baffled the uninitiated.  Christ appears as the fish and shepherd; the Church of Rome is represented as queen dressed in gold; the Blessed Virgin Mary is the “chaste virgin,” the mass of believers are a “people marked with a sign – the sign of the Cross.”

“The test of the epitaph was published widely in the biographies of Abercius and was adopted by later Christians who merely substituted their own names for that of Abercius.  Abercius’ original burial marker now stand in the Lateran Museum in Rome.”

“A Latin inscription of Pectorius was unearthed in Autun, France.  It’s age is uncertain but its style corresponds to that of Abercius, using similarly cryptic language to describe the Eucharist.”

The Inscription of Abercius

‘A citizen of the chosen city, I made this (tomb) in my lifetime, so that I might have a resting place for my body.  My name is Abercius, and I am a disciple of the chaste shepherd, who feeds his flock of sheep, on the mountains and in the meadows.  His eyes are large, seeing everywhere.  He taught me from the faithful writings.”

“He sent me to Rome, to contemplate His Kingdom and to see a queen with golden robe and golden sandals.  There I saw a renowned people marked by a splendid sign.  And I saw all the plains and cities of Syria, even Nisibis.  Having crossed the Euphrates.  I traveled everywhere with Paul as a companion. “

“Faith then was my guide, and set before me as nourishment the fish from the deep; very large, very pure fish that the chaste virgin held in her arms; that she gave to its friends to eat everywhere, having excellent wine, giving it as a drink mixed with water, together with bread.”

The Inscription of Pectorius

“O divine race of the heavenly fish, with a respectful heart receive immortal life among mortals.  Rejuvenate your soul, my friend, in divine waters, by wisdom’s eternal streams, which give true riches.  Receive the delicious nourishment of the Savior of the saints.  Eat, drink, taking the fish with both hands.”

My Note:

What really amazed me on this, were the inscriptions and pictorials in the catacombs, regarding the Sacraments.  The love for the Blessed Mother.  Explaining every single thing the early Christians did and believed.  Tracing it right back to Scripture as it always does, that:

“We are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God, (The Catholic Church).  Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into the holy temple of the Lord, in whom you ALSO are built into a it for dwelling place of God in Spirit.” 

See there are two Churches here:  The Household of God – The Catholic Church – Which we are members of and us.  Look at the word ALSO.

God Bless, SR

 

Source: Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

 

 

St. Hippolytus – Let’s Go to Rome -We Are So Blessed As Catholics

We are back in Rome today, and this I found so fascinating with this Saint.  This really helped me understand our Liturgy and why we do it.

“Early history tells us St. Hippolytus was a disciple of St. Irenaeus.”  (St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp, whom I absolutely love!   St. Polycarp was a disciple of John, to refresh.)

“St. Hippolytus was a Greek speaking priest, perhaps from Egypt serving in Rome, during the late second and early third centuries.”  

“An early manual of Church regulations, the “Apostolic Traditions” of St. Hippolytus, offer us perhaps the most complex liturgy that has survived for the first two centuries.  The great problem is that the full text of the Apostolic Tradition has not survived.  It was written in 215.”

“The Apostolic Tradition is valuable because it contains a complete Eucharistic prayer, as well as the introductory dialogue that still remains in the Western Liturgy:  “The Lord be with you.  And with your spirit.  Lift up our hearts.  We lift them up to the Lord.”

“The Apostolic Tradition provides an important early witness to the enduring real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Hippolytus counsels his readers to take special care with the reserved Sacrament, for it is the Body of Christ to be consumed by those who believe and not to be treated lightly.”

“He urges Christians not to spill even a drop from the Chalice of Christ’s Blood.  This idea is implicit in earlier texts that speak of the deacons taking the Sacrament to the sick who are homebound, (which is still done today)  but Hippolytus’ discussion shows, perhaps the Church’s growing pastoral concern for reverence toward the Eucharist.”

“St. Hippolytus acknowledges the discipline of the secret and exhorts Christians to “let not unbelievers know (these teachings) until they are baptized.  This is the white stone of which John said, “I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives the stone.”  Rev. 2:17  (Which I discussed on my post on the Churches in Revelations)

“The Apostolic Tradition was influential in the Church’s liturgical movement throughout the twentieth century.  Catholics will recognize Hippolytus’s Eucharistic prayer as the foundation for Eucharistic Prayer 11.”

“In his works of Scripture scholarship, Hippolytus discerned that the Eucharist was the early participation in the heavenly banquet foreshadowed even in the Old Testament:  “And she has furnished her table.”  (Prov. 9:1)  This denotes the promised knowledge of the Holy Trinity; it also refers to (Christ’s) honored and undefiled body and blood, which day by day are administered and offered sacrificially at the spiritual divine table, as a memorial of that first and ever-memorable table of the spiritual divine supper.”

My Notes:

You know when I get into the teachings and writings of the early Church Father’s, my soul somehow begins to live in that period of time.  

Then I think, “Here we are two-thousand years later still doing the same thing.”  

All of this started with Jesus, went to John, then to St. Polycarp, then to St. Irenaeus, then to St. Hippolytus.  

I feel so blessed to have all of these teachings, which occurred so long ago.  I feel so blessed to be able to go into the Catholic Church, and still see all of this going on today, and adhering to the best of my ability, to these teachings as well.  

I love following the early Church Father’s, as I can go back and find all of it in the Bible.  It makes me feel as if I am truly worshiping God, as He intended it to be.  

I do not have thousands and thousands of different doctrines to follow.

It is Jesus in the Eucharist.  The center of every single Mass I go to, in whatever Catholic Church that may be, wherever that Church may be.

I thank God every single day of my life, that He called me to it.

God Bless, SR

Source:  Mass of the Early Christians, by John Salza

 

 

 

 

 

Do We Take What Jesus Said, Literally? “Absolutely!”

Jesus spoke in parables a whole lot.  Jesus used a lot of examples, such as vines, branches, roots, fig trees, sheep, goats etc…  He also said to “cut off our hands, pluck our eyes out,” etc…  He also said, “He was in the Bread and Wine.”  

One has to take the parables and examples Jesus used literally. 

I mean I am not a true “sheep,” I am human.  To make sense out of when He calls me a “sheep,” I am to believe He is the Shepherd which I follow.  I am not a goat, but to make sense out of what He said, I know come the day of judgment, if my works are judged and not deemed good enough, this “goat” is going to hell. 

So He tells me to “cut my hand off,” and “pluck my eye out,” if they cause  me to sin.  Do I take this, literally?  Absolutely! 

Jesus is trying to show me here, that extreme measures are needed, by me, when it comes to overcoming sin.  If I do not take the measures He is calling for, then I am going to hell.

Now is He saying to get the knife out and cut my hand off?   Get an ice pick and pluck my eye out?  Do I take this literally?   In every sense of the word, yes!

What Jesus is actually saying here, “Is to avoid sin at all cost to myself.  To stand against temptation even if it requires me to sweat blood.  Even if it would mean my death, by say, a heretical ruler, if I did not obey him.  For it would be better for me to lose my life than to sin.”

 To stay away from sin, to pay the price, whatever it cost me,  will be nothing compared to the eternal damnation of hell.  He is trying to show me how serious sin is!

He said,  “He is in the concentrated Host.”  Do I take this literally?  Absolutely.  

Why?

One thing He used the words, truly, Amen or So be it, whichever translation of the Bible one uses.  That is a promise.  

Another thing he said, “Do this.”  When Jesus says “do this,” one better take it literally.

Just like with the “eyes” and the “hand,” He tells me “do this.”  Again, “to avoid sin at all cost to myself.”

He said, “If I had the faith the size of a mustard seed, I could move mountains.”  Do I take this literally?  Absolutely.

I believe if I can muster up the faith the size of this small seed, and if it is God’s will, Mount Everest will crumble before me!

We cannot take the parables and examples Jesus used, in order to justify us not believing in what He spoke without them.  

Jesus meant every single word He said, be it was in a parable, example, or had neither of these two things in his statements at all.

Many would tell Him in the New Testament, “I don’t understand, I don’t understand.” 

Then there were those, who understood it all.  Every single word He spoke.  They believed it and for many it caused their death, by the unbelievers.

It is up to us to become the same as the above mentioned, the believers.  

No matter how Jesus said it, He meant it! 

If we do not get this in our heads, and figure out how He meant it, then Scripture will be no more to us, then a complete book of contradictions.  

For those in Scripture who did not ask for the help they needed to understand, Jesus always let them turn and walk away. 

For those who wanted understanding of what He said, He gave it.

For He knew, every single word out of His mouth was truth.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

  

Did Jesus Deny Mary in the Bible – Let’s Go to Scripture

In Matthew 12:46-50 it says, “While he was still speaking the people behold, his mother and brethren stood outside, asking to speak to him.  But he (Jesus) replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother and who are my brethren?”  And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister and mother.”

A lot of people think Jesus denied Mary at this point.  Let’s look at things a little closer.

1.  Jesus was a Jew, and this would have been one of the most blasphemous things he could of done, according to Jewish Tradition.

2.  He would have broken a commandment of God, His Father, stating, “Honor thy father and mother.”  Jesus would have never of broken a commandment.

So let’s see what this Scripture says and does not say.

In this Scripture Jesus never says, “The woman standing outside “is not” my mother.”  So He never denied Mary as his Mother in this conversation.

What He did say was, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister and mother.”

1.  Jesus is doing a “teaching” here, and letting the people there know, if they would do the will of God,  they would be considered these things to him.  That they would enter into the family of God, God being His Father, and their’s as well.

2.  Who did the will of God anymore than Mary, with her “Yes,” and bringing Jesus forth into the World.? Answer:  NOBODY!  We only wish we could be as obedient as Mary was. 

3.  The very last thing Jesus did on the Cross was to make sure His Mother, Mary, was taken care of.   Remember women did not have a lot of rights back then, and when a husband/ Son died, under Jewish Tradition, another family member “male” would have to take care of them.  Since Mary had no other children, Jesus gave her to John. 

Jesus was doing no more than “teaching” here.  The word’s, “I deny Mary as My Mother,” never came out of His mouth. 

Actually Jesus used Mary and the others outside as an example, for what He was teaching.

These two suffered more than any two people on this earth, on the Day of the Cross.  Mary told St. Bridget, “His heart is my heart, His pain was my pain.”   When she entered into heaven He crowned her, per Scripture. 

Again, Jesus being a Jew for one, this would have never happened, and being that He loved her, this would have never of happened.

 Above everyone else, Mary knew He was the Son of God, and He knew she knew it.  

Jesus never denied anything to anyone.  He never denied anyone.  On the Cross He cried, “Father forgive them, as they know not what they do.”

I don’t think one can believe that His Mother was the one person, who this love and grace was not extended to.

God Bless, SR

Jesus said, “They Called Me a Liar Because of My Doctrine.”

St. Bridget of Sweden is one of my favorite Saints, and I read her writings often.  She was one that defended “Catholic Doctrine” to the core.  From the lowliest to the Pope.  Nothing held her back!

This is about how the devil tried to make her believe, Christ is not in the Eucharist.  (For length sake I am taking excerpts.) 

“A monstrous creature appeared to the bride, (St. Bridget) at the elevation of the Body of Christ and said, “Do you really believe silly woman, that this wafer of bread is God?  None of the “wise Jews,” to whom God has given wisdom believes this.”  

Right then a good angel appeared and said, “O, daughter, answer not a fool according to his folly!  It is the father of lies who has appeared to  you. “

Jesus appeared and said, “Tell me devil, whether the staff was made into a serpent because Moses accomplished it or was it because God commanded it?  Was it because Moses was holy or was it because God’s word said so?”

The devil said to Him, “What was Moses but a human being weak in himself whom God had made righteous?  At his word, God commanded and allowed it, the staff became a serpent, inasmuch as God truly commanded it and Moses was his compliant servant.  Prior to God’s command and word, the staff remained a staff.  When the true God ordered it; the staff truly became a serpent, so much so that even Moses was frightened.”

The Lord said, “Scripture says that, when the people were perishing, a bronze serpent was raised up and everyone who had been bitten was cured upon looking at it.  Tell me whether this curative force came from the power of the bronze or the kind of snake or the virtue of Moses or was it a divine and hidden force?” 

The devil answered, “The curative force came from nothing other than God’s own power and from the faith of a believing and obedient people who believed God; having made all things out of nothing, was also able to do all sorts of things that had never been done before.”

My Notes:

In another visit with St. Bridget, Jesus told her, “They called me a liar because of my doctrine.”

One of the places Jesus was called a liar, was when He was implementing the Eucharist.  Some of his disciples left Him, and the Jews said, “How can this be?”  

We need to always remember,  Jesus let every single one of them go in “their disbelief.”

What amazed me with this conversation between Jesus and the devil was…. the devil knew Jesus was in the Eucharist and going back to the Old Testament, he knew how it came to be, why it came to be, and by Whom it came to be.  

But what he has done since the division of God’s children in the 1500’s? He whispered in everybody’s ears, “Do you really believe silly woman/man, that this wafer of  bread is God?”

Most all of the followers of these people have said, “NO!  How can a Priest turn a “wafer” into the Body and Blood of Jesus?” 

To which Catholics reply:  “It is not the Priest, it is the Holy Spirit.”

The same thing the devil said.  “It was not Moses, it was God’s own power!”  Like I always say, “The devil knows us better than we know ourselves.”

Satan always will try and turn us from the truth of God’s Word, but don’t think he does not know what that truth is.  (Don’t believe me go to Eve.)

By one not believing the word’s of Jesus, “This “IS” My Body, “This “IS” My Blood,”  one is saying, “What Jesus said is a lie.”  

Jesus left no room for interpretation, in those words.   We do not even have to think it over, try and analyze it to death.

What we do need to do is quit listening to the devil, because even he knows it is true!  But the liar he is, he is going to twist it, and call one “silly!”

God Bless, SR

Source:  The Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Books 1-5, (1303-1373)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Dare Join in With a Catholic to “Stop Abortion!”

I actually read this post and said to Jesus, “I am so sorry for all of your sufferings You went through, that this is where human beings have brought it to.  Please remember your sufferings and have mercy on us all.”

A Protestant had posted a prayer by a Catholic for the end of abortion.  A comment was made regarding this post and I am only taking one paragraph from it, though I could not believe this one nor the others?????

“I don’t understand how partnering with people (Catholics) who are in willing and direct conflict with God’s Word is going to help win the fight to end abortion.  I am very against legalized slaughter of the unborn, but I don’t believe that saving lives is the end of the mission.  Saving souls is the primary goal, a goal which must, in this case, be preceded with saving the life.  I don’t see how we are doing the unborn any good by joining ranks with those who endanger their souls.”

Can you believe anyone who claims to love God, obey God, could say such a thing?

Now I have a story to tell.  There was an abortion clinic near where I live.  Many from my Church (Catholic) as well as Protestants went to pray.  Also offering help to those who were going into the clinic.  

See this abortion clinic is now closed.  The movie that is out about it is “Unplanned.”

People stood out from all denominations, for days, months, and years praying this clinic would be closed.  That the murdering of these innocent babies would be stopped.  God listened and did it.  

I guess He has a vase for Protestant prayers and a trash can for Catholic prayers???

How in the world can a Catholic endanger the soul of an unborn baby, that is being sucked out of the womb by the hands of hell?  How do we endanger the soul of another, by praying with them for these babies?

Also I guess St. Paul endangered the souls of the Gentiles when he taught and prayed with and for them.  Of course if he had not of done that, we would have never of been adopted into the Abraham Covenant!!!!!!!!!

Talk about taking Scripture which was given, many of them in this comment, and making it fit what one wants to believe!

I guess when Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman in the Bible, all He said/did there went into the trash can, also!   

Many Protestants point out to me, “That we all worship the same God.”  I am sorry, but I do not worship a “god” like this!

A god who hears the prayers of some, and not the prayers of other.  To be honest, I do not know many Protestants who do either.

What is mankind doing to God, with these sort of beliefs?   

Abortion is pure evil.  God sees it daily, millions of little ones, suffering, in pain, being killed by the devil!

Our prayers, and God answering them, is the only hope these babies have. 

All I know is this, an abortion clinic is no longer open, because of Protestant and CATHOLIC prayers from my Church were offered to God.  I do not believe for one moment God took the prayers of anyone over the other.  I truly believe He listened to them all.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

Message to Sardis -“My Way or the Highway”

“Sardis is thirty miles southeast of Thyatira.  Sardis was once a wealthy and powerful city struggling to recover its former glory.  Though a fortified city, it was twice conquered by surprise nighttime attacks.  Christ may allude to this history when he warns readers to stay awake lest he come like a thief and the Church fare as badly as the unprepared city.”

Jesus said, “I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead.  Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God.  Remember then what you received and heard: keep that, and repent.  If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.  Yet you have still a few names is Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  He who conquers shall be clothed like them in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, I will confess his name before the Father and before his angels.  He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Rev.  3:1-6

Commentary:

“The white garments worn by angels and saints, symbolize both purity and victory, and were used in the ancient Church to clad the newly baptized.  Some in Sardis had stained their robes by reverting to sinful ways and renewing their friendship with the world.”

The Book of Life:  “A heavenly register of the saints.  To be erased from this book is to lose the inheritance of eternal life.”  Ex. 32:32, Ps. 69:28

My Notes:

I believe this may be one of my most favorite teachings right now to the Catholic Churches in Revelations.  This may be because I can see myself in it, a lot.  

At times I have been alive, then dead.  Remembering the Word of God, then forgetting.  Having good and perfect works, then not so good and imperfect works.  Awake then asleep. (Which I call in my spiritual life, my yo-yo syndrome.)

Jesus said, “If this Church did not stop this, He would come like a thief.”  (As I have stated before He did actually do that, and these Churches are no longer in Turkey, according to my sources.)

Inconsistency in the matters which Jesus has spoken about, is going to result in them, getting their names, blotted out of the Book of Life.

I love where He says, “For I have not found your works perfect, in the sight of My God.”

Now do I believe Jesus is speaking about true perfection in regarding works.  No.  What I feel he is saying is, “For every good thing you do, you are doing three bad things.”  (I could be wrong, that is just the way I see that.)

Again He tells them how to stop it, “Remember what you received and heard; keep that, and repent.”

You know in this life of busy we have created for ourselves, God’s Word and teachings of the Apostles, are the last thing on our minds, when they should be the first.  In all circumstances and situations in our lives, the first things we should remember is what we have “received and heard.”  Put it into action.  Then walk away and let God have it.  

Let God’s Words become alive in us, instead of always keeping them in a coffin. 

You know Jesus has made it pretty clear to all of these Churches I have posted on so far. 

“My way or the highway.” 

I don’t know about you, but, His way is going to be a lot better in the end, then where that highway is going to end up.  

We need to listen to Him and His messages to these Churches, so our names will be in the Book of Life.

God Bless, SR

Source:  Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Commentaries, and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

 

 

 

What is the Difference in us Forgiving Sins Verses the Sacrament of Confession?

A statement was made to me by a dear friend,  “We can all tell someone they are forgiven, and this truth is in the Lord’s prayer.” Jesus said, “If we do not forgive sins we are not forgiven.”

No truer words were ever spoken.  Let’s go to the Lord’s prayer and see what it actually says regarding this.

“Lord, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

We are asking God to forgive us, as we forgive those who trespass “against us.”  

Let’s say someone has made us mad, which is not necessarily a sin against God, they just pushed “our” button.    Someone hurt “our” feelings, which again is not necessarily a sin against God.  Maybe they told us the truth about ourselves, and we did not want to hear it.  

But because we have this anger and hurt feelings, we look upon them as having sinned.  

Well the same thing holds true about “ourselves” when “we do unto others as they have done unto us.” 

There are stronger sins such as murder and these kind of things we have to forgive.  We also murder souls with our tongues. 

Payback for payback.  This is why we ask the Lord to forgive us, as we forgive others as well.  We are all in the same boat as far as sin.  

Yes, we will not be forgiven until we forgive others.  The reason for this is, is because one is no better than the other when it comes to not sinning/sinning.  

The same holds true for the Apostles and those in Apostolic succession as they have to go to Confession as well.  So what is the difference?

The difference is, is what Jesus told the Apostles and what He told us.

He told the Apostles:  “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

See we do not have the right to retain someone’s sins, the Apostles did.  They could actually retain someone’s sins, and not have to be forgiven for it.  

Now what on earth do I mean by that?  

When we go to Confession, we are actually reconciling ourselves back to God.  The only way we can do this is when the Priest says, “I absolve you of your sins.”  They are no longer retained in heaven, according to Scripture.

Now, what about those let’s say that go in there day after day, week after week, month after month, with the same sin.  Never stopping it.

Somewhere the Priest is going to have to say, “You are not absolved.”  We as laity cannot do that.  Jesus did not give that right to us.

This person to be reconciled back to God, is going to have to stop that sin, go back to Confession, and the Priest is going to have to absolve him/her.  In doing this, those sins are no longer “retained” in heaven.

Jesus distributes divine forgiveness to the world through the successors of the apostles (bishops) and their assistants in the presbyterate (Priest).  CCC 974, 1441, 1461)

The one thing we must always see in Scripture, is who Jesus is talking to, what responsibilities He gave to them, and see the difference between them and us.   

Hebrew 13:17, says it best, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give an account.”

There are things we are commanded to do, and there are things “our leaders” are commanded to do, by Jesus Himself.

We are not going to have to give an “account” for our leaders, but they are for “us.”  Another difference.

Jesus never gave me the right to retain someone’s sins, but He did give that to the Apostles and those in that line.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did the Keys Jesus Gave to Peter, Go To?

After reading this how anyone can deny that Peter was indeed the Pope/Father of the Biblical Church, later to be called “Catholic” one just has to have blinders on their eyes.

We all know Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my Church.”  Do we as Catholics, take it far enough???

What else did Jesus say?  

“I will give “YOU (PETER) THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.”

Peter was actually given “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

Let’s go to the Commentary:

The keys: “A symbol of teaching authority (Lk. 11:52).  Jesus consecrates Peter as the Church’s chief teacher, whose office will continue on through successors.  The plural use of keys may imply a connection with the “gates” in Mt. 16:18 and mean that Peter’s position includes, among other things, the authority to release the righteous souls who are detained in Hades but destined to heaven. ” (Hades is the place of the dead where souls descend through the gates in the OT)  (I can give scripture if you want.)

“The OT Davidic empire, the king appointed a cabinet of ministers for specific tasks in the kingdom (1 Kings 4:1-6; 2 Kings 18:37)  Of these, a prime minister was elevated to unique status, of authority, ranking second only to the king.  This government structure was common among kingdoms in the ancient Near East.  (Gen. 41:39-43, Esther 3:1-2).  Jesus here evokes Is. 22:15-25, where the prime minister’s office is handed on to a successor by the symbolic act of handing on the “key of the house” (i.e. kingdom) of David, (Is. 22:22) “

“In Matthew, Jesus is the new Davidic king, who appoints Peter the prime minister over the Kingdom of Heaven in the Church.  As in Mt. 22, Peter’s position is designed for him and his successors; the office is “MEANT” to endure as long as the kingdom itself.”  

“Entrusted with the keys, Peter wields Christ’s own royal authority (Rev. 1:18, 3:7).  

Whatever you bind…loose – “Familiar language in early Jewish literature.  The metaphor carries several connotations: 1.  “It signifies teaching authority and the ability to render binding decisions.  Rabbis were said to make “binding” interpretations of the Law.  2. It denotes authority to include or exclude members of a religious community.  3. It signals forgiveness of sins (Gen. 4:7).  The verb loose is used this way in Rev. 1:5 (translated “freed”) and by the early Church Fathers (John 20:23).  Peter is thus invested with Christ’s authority as the kingdom’s chief teacher and administrator, through him heaven governs the Church (Catholic) on earth.  (John 21:15-17, 1 Tim. 3:15; CCC 553, 1445)  (In John 20:23 Jesus is giving the disciples the power to forgive sins saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”)  (This kind of clears up for me the problem people have with the Sacrament of Confession.  How can anyone be forgiven a sin, if they have not confessed it???????)  (This is also the authority of Christ, handed to the Apostles, handed to our Priest.)

The one thing I am so thankful to the Catholic Church for is teaching me how to go back to the Old Testament and bring it into the New Testament.  When I was given the ability to do this, the whole of Scripture opened up for me.  I know most of what is in the New Testament, I can go and find the start of it in the Old Testament.  

Then when I bring it forth, I not only understand the end, but the beginning also.  This has shown me how (as I have stated before) God never changes His ways of doing things.

When Jesus handed those keys to Peter, Peter became “second in authority” only to Christ.  (I know Christ called him Satan, and Paul corrected him, I  know all of this.)

Jesus NEVER took those “KEYS” away from Peter.  

People can say it was Paul as he did write many books in the NT, and taught a lot.  What people are not realizing it was Peter he studied under and who taught him, as proven in Acts.  It was Peter Jesus gave the keys to, to do so.

How anyone after reading this can ever say, that Peter was not the first Pope/Father of the Biblical Church, to me: one is either not wanting to believe it, or just not understanding.

God Bless, SR

Source: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Comments, and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

 

Message to Thyatira – Things that Bring God’s Blessings (Part 2)

In my last post on Thyatira, we saw what brought God’s judgment, now let’s see what brought forth His blessings, to the Church in Thyatira.

“But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold these teachings, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden; only hold fast what you have, until I come.  He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from the Father, and I will give him the morning star.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.”  (Rev. 2: 24-29)

Commentary:

“The deep things of Satan:  May suggest that the followers of Jezebel dabbled in sorcery and astrology, occult arts that lead practitioners to spiritual ruin.  (Rev. :18)”

Rod of Iron:  “Conquerors will possess in full what they already possess in part: a share in Christ’s reign over the world, Rev. 5:10, 22:5, The iron rod calls to mind Ps. 2:8-9, where David’s royal heir is offered dominion over all nations.  Solomon’s empire though the largest of any Davidic king in the OT, was only a faint approximation, of the worldwide kingdom ruled by Christ (Mt. 28:18-19, Rom. 1:3-5) A rod or scepter figures in other messianic prophesies, as well (Gen. 49:10, Num. 24:17)”

Morning star:  “A name for the planet Venus, visible just before daybreak.  It was a symbol of victory in pagan antiquity that later became a symbol of Christ Resurrection and victory over death.  (Rev. 22:16,  Pet. 2: 1-19) The promise here is a bodily resurrection and may also allude to the believer’s triumph over the dark forces at work in pagan astrological practices.”

My Notes:

“The deep things of Satan.”  Do we really realize how much this fool, influences our lives?  I really do not think we do.  You know most people think he is like a roaring lion.  I have always pictured him as the most suave, whisperer, knows exactly how to hit us, entity, that there is.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  When we fall into the “deepness of sin,” he’s got us.

So what can we do to protect ourselves?

Jesus says, “Conquer” the devil, and keep the “work’s” of Jesus to the end.”

 By obeying God, and no matter what we keep persevering in faith, good works, and cooperating with the grace God gives to each of us to do so.  These things here are going to make for a great end, for us all.

When we do, we are going to “reign with Christ in the world, and one day over the world.”

Not only those two things, Jesus says “we are going to have victory over death.”  Who would not want that?

I don’t think we really think about that enough, as to most of us death seems so far away, and yet could come to us all this very moment.  

As I think about it, if we would keep “that” always before us, it would enable us to indeed be “conquerors,” and “obedient children.”  I think it would even make us more willing to be these things, and give to us more strength to persevere.”

We can all change for the better, if we would just take the chances God gives to us, to do so.

God Bless, SR

Source: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Comments and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

Message to Thyatira- Things Which Bring God’s Judgment (Part 1)

On this Church in Revelations I think I am going to do in two post.  There is a lot of info here for us, for the sake of not making it a book, thought it would be better to do in two parts.  We begin with Revelations 2:19-23

Commentary:

“Thyatira is forty miles southeast of Pergamum.  Thyatira was originally a military outpost that evolved into a commercial city famous for its trade guilds (Acts 16:14).  These guilds had patron deities that its members were expected to honor in idolatrous ways.  Failure to do so could mean both social disgrace and financial disaster for the conscientious Christian objector. “

Scripture:

“I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.  But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez’ eble, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality.  Behold I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her doings, and I will strike her children dead.  And “ALL” the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.”

Commentary:

Jezebel:  “A false prophetess leading believers astray into religious idolatry and sexual impurity.  These sins are a direct violations of the pastoral decree issued by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:29).  The “Jezebel” of Revelations harkens back to Jezebel, the Sidonian wife of Ahab, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31), and the chief adversary of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).  Jezebel ruthlessly slaughtered the innocent (1 kings 21:1-16) and was infamous for her harlotries and sorcery (2 Kings 9:22).”

As far as your works deserve:  “Christ will judge the Churches for their deeds, rewarding the righteous with eternal life and repaying the wicked with everlasting death. (Rev. 20:12)  The doctrine of judgment according to works is also taught by Paul (Rom. 2:6-8) and the OT (Ps. 62:12,)  (CCC 679).”

My Notes: 

Jesus warns those regarding false prophets/prophetess and their teachings,  not to get entrapped in these things.  Believe it or not there are many doing this today.  Many are sending them a bag full of money, and believing in teachings which truly boggle my mind. One being, “There is no devil.”

Jesus says, He is going to “throw Jezebel on her sickbed and those that commit adultery with her, He will throw into great tribulation.”

He says something else here,”Unless they repent.”

Repentance is such a gift to us, from God.  As any gift given to us by God though, He expects us to use it.  

There is something else Jesus refers to in this Church, “works.”  This is taught to us by Paul in Romans 2:6-8.  

Commentary on Romans 2:6-8

“Paul is looking ahead to the Last Day, when the life of every person is unrolled before God, and every thought, (1 Cor. 4:5), word, (Mt. 12:36), and deed (2 Cor. 5:10) is weighed in the balance of divine justice.  That God will determine his verdict on the basis of human works is a teaching that originates in the OT (Ps. 62:12, Prov. 24:12).  It is later confirmed by Jesus (Mt. 16:27) and reiterated by the apostles (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17).  Paul also stresses that Jews and Gentiles will be held to the same standard of judgment.  (CCC 682)

So okay, we have, not to follow false teachings, and told to repent.  Then here comes that word “again” by Jesus, “works.”  Jesus states,  “He is going to repay these people for their “bad works.”  (In the next post we are going to see how He repays those for their “good works.)

These people here, are going to be “repaid as their works “deserve.”

You know I wish our entry into heaven, was a straight slide, requiring only our faith.  It was not for those in Thyatira, and it is not for us either.  See Jesus had already died and risen when Revelations was written.

We need to be careful of the teachings we follow,  always repent, and watch out for the works we do.  

When Jesus searches our minds and hearts, we need to be careful about what He finds in that search.  

God Bless, SR

Source:  Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by:

Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Message to Pergamum – “Satan’s Court” or “God’s Court”

Today in Revelations we are going to the Church in Pergamum.  Let’s go and see what Jesus tells them.

“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is, you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.  But I have a few things against you, you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality.  So you also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans, (Go see post on Ephesus) Repent then.  If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.  He who has ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.” Rev. 2:13-17

Commentary:

“Antipas is an early Christian martyr which of whom nothing is known.”

Teaching of Balaam:  “Certain troublemakers were permitting what the Jerusalem Council had prohibited, the consumption of idol food and the practice of sexual immorality.  (Acts 15:29)  Balaam appears in Num. 22-24 as a Mesopotamian magician who counseled Moabite women to seduce the men of Israel into sexual and idolatrous sin (Num. 25:1-3; 31:16).  The warning that perpetrators of sin will face Christ’s word of judgment, symbolized as a sword,  (Rev. 2:16) recalls how Balaam was eventually slain with the sword.  (Num. 31:8)

The Hidden Manna:  “Refers to Christ Himself, whose glory is concealed in heaven, but whose coming in history, (Incarnation) and liturgy (Eucharist) was foreshadowed in the gift of the manna given to Israel.  Manna was the bread that Yahweh gave to the pilgrims of the Exodus a sample which is hidden away in the Ark of the Covenant.  (Ex. 16:31, Heb. 9:4)  

A White Stone:  “Used in the ancient world to cast a vote of acquittal or carried as a pass to give entrance into a invitation only assemblies.  The believers thus to be shown to be righteous or innocent, as well as invited to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. (Rev. 19;7-9) 

A New Name: “A new identity in Christ (Rev. 19:12) that admits believers into the heavenly presence of the Lord and the Lamb.  (Rev. 22:3-4, Is. 62:2, CCC2159)

My Notes:

As I was reading this and combining the post I have done on the other Churches, my thought was, “How easy it is for us to be pulled away from the teachings of the Apostles, Oral Traditions, and Scripture.”  

Jesus actually refers to this as the  “Dwelling of Satan’s Throne.”  How Satan invites us to his banquet in his court.  Eating of “foods” which take us away from God.  Things in life, worry, despair, hopelessness, fear, busy, and anxiety.  When we begin to recognize these things and many more in our lives, we need to recognize whose “court” we are in.  How Satan and his ways have become our “idol.”  How we are offering all of these “foods” to him.

Jesus tells us there is a way out of all of it.  Repentance.  After this we are acquitted and given an invitation, using the Biblical term, “white stone,”  to the Eucharist.  The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”

Through this, we come into the “Throne of God,” with a new name.

All God wants is for us to obey and love Him.  He said regarding Israel, “If only they would heed my commandments.”  I hear such frustration, from God, in this sentence.

There are consequences for dwelling within the wrong “court” in our life.  Most of all, who we are letting set on the throne of said court? 

One court has the foods misery and death.

The other court has the food and drink of joy and everlasting life.

We have to be the one’s who decide which court we wish to live in.

God will not make this decision for us.

God Bless, SR

Source:  Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Synagogue of Satan

“Smyrna in Revelations was, “Thirty miles north of Ephesus.  Smyrna was loyal to Rome, a supporter of emperor worship, and home to a large Jewish community openly hostile to Christianity.   Destroyed in 600 B.C. and refounded in 300 B.C. the city is addressed by Him who truly died and came to life again.”

To the Church of Smyrna  Jesus says this.

“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.”  Rev.  2:9-11.  

This is the reason Jesus is saying these things:

“The perpetrators of Christian persecution in Smyrna are Jewish.  Because Jews were the only ones in the Roman Empire legally exempt from worshiping the emperor and participation in the imperial cult, they could easily betray Christians to the Roman authorities for confessing Jesus as the Lord, (instead of Caesar) and practicing what was still an unauthorized religion in the eyes of Rome.  (Acts 14:2, 17:5-8)  For Paul’s estimate of what constitutes a true Jew see Rom. 2:17-9

Why the ten days?

” It could possibly be “an illusion to the pagan rites of Niobe, practiced in Smyrna, whose devotees underwent ten days of mourning.  Daniel and his friends were also tested for ten days, lest they compromise their faith by eating foods contaminated by idolatry.”  (Dan. 1:8-14)  

What is meant by the second death?

“The eternal death of hell, described as a “lake of fire.”  Rev.  20:14, 21:8

My Notes:

We see a lot going on in one paragraph regarding the Church in Smyrna.  Persecution going on, Jesus calling the Jews, “a synagogue of Satan.”  Christians about to be tested by the devil, by being thrown into prison. Jesus telling them to be faithful until their death, and he would give them a crown of life.  Telling them when they die, they will not go to hell.

Now I don’t know about you, all of this would make me want to run, and catch the next camel out of there!

Being a Christian we suffer a lot of persecution.  Sometimes it is by those in our own Church. 

They will sit and judge us maybe because our dress is not up to par, our hair is not fixed right, they don’t think we are worshiping and living the Christian life as we should be, maybe they heard us say a cuss word in the grocery store that slipped out,   a hundred different things we are judged for by those we sit beside in Church, sometimes. 

Maybe they run to your Pastor or Priest and tell them something they think they saw you do.  Like St. Padre Pio when he was talking to a woman in the Church, and another woman saw them and went and told the Priest, “They are having an affair.”  (Which just caused all kinds of suffering for him. Catholic Saints went through this all the time, but today they are called “SAINTS!”)

  When this comes from those in our own Church community, it hurts.  

Jesus said something, “They say they are Jews, but are not, they are the synagogue of Satan.”

When we as Christians do this, He says, “They say they are Christians, but are not, they are the Synagogue of Satan.”

What comes out of our mouths can either kill a soul or give light to it.  From experience I am here to tell you the only ONE who can heal an injured soul is, God!  When a soul is placed in darkness because of a “tongue” God is the only light for it.  The Dark Night of the Soul, is the “devil throwing it in prison.”

Jesus gives us hope saying, “That if we endure we will receive the crown of life, and not be sent to hell.”

Before we open our mouths we need to think, “Is this God or the devil?”  Until we figure it out, just HUSH!

God Bless, SR

Source: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

 

 

 

 

The Message to Ephesus

I have been reading on the Churches in Revelations.  What they actually did and what it meant to Christ.  I think we need to reflect on this.

Beginning with Chapter 2 in Revelations Verses 1-6

“John is addressing seven churches in Asia Minor, (Modern day Turkey) and spiritually these Churches are losing their zeal, with Ephesus in the best shape and Laodicea is the worst.”

“Ephesus, is the most prestigious, culture, commercial, and religious center in the Roman province of Asia.  Paul established this Catholic Church in (Acts 19:1-10,) and commissioned Timothy to build on his foundation.”  (1Tim. 1:3)

What upset Jesus so badly about this Church was: “They abandoned their love.”  

“The Ephesians had turned their hearts away from Christ and let their enthusiasm for Christian living die down.  (Mt. 24:12)  According to Jesus, this constitutes a spiritual fall, from which they must recover.”  (Rev. 2) 

“The price of this was His divine judgment.”

Jesus told them, “Yet the one thing you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

“Early tradition links these heretics with Nicolaus, one of the seven ordained in Acts. 6:5.   The Nicolaitans are said to have had a dangerously casual attitude toward idolatry and sexual immorality.  Their corruptive influence was already at work among believers in Pergamum.”

Jesus says something at the end, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.  To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

What Jesus is saying is, “The one whose commitment to Jesus triumphs over every temptation to compromise or lose faith.  The seven letters (in Revelations) reveal the eternal rewards that await the the saints who persevere.  The “tree of life,” signifies everlasting life and communion with Christ.  Perhaps the strike is at the Greek fertility goddess, Artemis, whose temple was located in Ephesus and who was sometimes depicted as a “fruitful tree.”  Humanity was barred from the tree of life after the rebellion in Eden, but access has been regained through Christ, who gives a foretaste of its blessings in the Eucharist.”  John 6:58

My Note:

Everything I have read these Churches were taken out of Turkey.  (I am just telling you what I have read.)

The biggest problem this Church had, it had abandoned love for Christ,  and became complacent about living a Christian life.

I would also assume, being not sure, but this also included not going to Mass and not going to the Sacrament of Confession.  (Those are usually the first two things to go in our “complacency.”

Once one begins becoming “complacent” regarding our Christian life, everything goes down hill.  Sometimes it is hard to keep the “zeal” for it, when one is tired, over burdened, sick, taking care of the sick, etc…. 

I know when I was taking care of Mom and Dad, Mass became for me at times, a place to get away from it all.  I really had to work on getting out of that. It is very easy to make our Christian life become about us instead of God.

Often in these moments it is also hard to “love.” 

We also see what was happening in Ephesus regarding the Nicolaitans was spreading to Pergamum.  (Rev. 2:15)

So it does not take long for heresy to spread.  Often in early Church history as well as today, heresy for some reason takes off like a rocket.  (If someone would like to explain that to me, please do so.  I have read about Christians becoming witches, thinking they can have it both.  That is our biggest problem the “both.”)

The things we have to learn from this are: we cannot lose our love, we cannot fall to heretical teachings, and we have to persevere if we want Jesus to grant to us, “The Tree of Life.”

Most of all, we cannot lose “love.”

God Bless, SR

Source: The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, New Testament

Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch   

One of the best study Bibles I have ever gotten a hold of.  I urge you all to get it.

 

 

 

 

 

Does Goodness and Good Works Naturally Flow From Me Because of My Faith?

I was pondering this when I realized something in Scripture.  The believers in the Bible  had to be taught what to do and what not to do in Scripture.  So if faith gives to me  natural flowing goodness, then why did I need to be taught the difference between good and evil?  

I am giving excerpts please go read Chapters 7 and 8 of Romans for the whole thing.

 I went to St. Paul, “I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”  Rm. 7:15  (On my own I am not able to rise above my fallen nature.)  

“So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”  Rm. 7:25  (This tells me I will always struggle with sin, throughout my life. The one thing that flows out of me naturally, is sin.)

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.”  Rm. 8:12  (St. Paul says, “I” have to put to death the “deeds” of my body.”  I, by the Spirit, have to make the decision, not to submit to my flesh.  So goodness does not just flow out of me, without a decision by me.)

I want you to keep this image inside of you as you read this, the Crucifixion.

Three crucified.  One was good.  One  was evil.  Jesus was in the middle.  (I do not think it was set up that way accidentally.)

It is the same with me.   One side of me is good.  One side is evil.  Here I stand in the middle of both with Jesus inside of me.  He is waiting for me to decide which direction I am going to take.

“Conscious decision” is such an important part of my spiritual life.  I have such a struggle with sin verses good, I do not always make the right decisions.  Sin flows out of me because of it. 

So let’s go to Scripture for a few examples.

1. Satan in the garden saying, “Surely God did not tell you….”  Eve’s decision was to partake of the fruit.

2.  Gabriel goes to Mary says, “You will conceive in the womb…”  Satan says, “Surely God did not tell you, you are going to have a child, since you have no husband.”  So Mary ponders it, and her decision was to tell God, “Yes.”

3.  History records Peter leaving Rome out of fear.  He meets Jesus.  Peter ask Him, “Lord where are you going?”  Jesus:  “I am going to Rome to be crucified again, because you will not die for Me.”  Jesus did not tell Peter, “You have to go back.”  Peter made that decision on his own.

4.  Jesus did not want to go to the Cross.  I mean He was sweating Blood against temptation, of the devil.  He asked God, “Take this cup from me?”  In the end, His decision was, “Your will, not mine be done.”

All of these people had faith, but in the end, the “decision” was their’s. 

No matter what, be it good works, bad works, goodness or evil, the “choice,” and “decision” is mine. This is so because God gives to me “free will.”

My faith, usually sets in me, the biggest battle of my life.

For example:

God can call me to do something which is going to call me into great suffering.  I will tell you now, I do not jump into that lake with a pair of jet skis,  ready for the take off.

Satan as always is saying, “Surely, God did not call you to suffer like this?”

What my faith enables me to do is eventually get to the point where I can say, “Your will be done, not mine.”  (Sometimes I do not say that with a happy face.)

Faith, along with God’s grace, will eventually get me to the “decision,” where God’s natural goodness, and good works, not mine, will prevail.  He never forces this upon me, nor is it natural within me.

What helps me the most with this, is seeing Jesus on the Cross, in the middle, with good and evil on each side, and knowing I have to make a “decision” on which one I am going to choose.

Everything with God depends on my free will and the decisions I make because of it.

God Bless, SR

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Work’s of the Thief on the Cross

Many people tell me all the thief on the Cross had was faith.  So I went and read the verses in the Bible and asked the Holy Spirit to show me what was truly in that part of the Bible.  It is only a few lines.  What He showed me was amazing, even for me.

Fist off, we know nothing about this man.  We do not know how he came to believe in Christ?  Did he listen to a teaching of Jesus, see Him do a miracle, hear Him in a prayer?  We just do not know.  

We do know these things though about him.  On the cross, He knew Jesus was “innocent,” and he knew Jesus could give to him, “forgiveness and  life eternal.” 

Whether he knew more than that, the Bible does not say.

So let’s begin with the Scripture and take it from there.

One of the criminals who were hanged raided at him (Jesus) saying, “Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds.  But this man has done nothing wrong.”  And he said, “Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power.”  And he (Jesus) said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (John 23:39-43)

The very first thing this man did was “rebuke” the sins uttered by the criminal on the other cross.  

The next thing he did was “confess” that their punishment was “just” due to their “deeds.”   Right there the thief confessed that he had sinned.   

The next thing he did was “confess” the “innocence of Jesus. ”  In doing this, he “confessed” his belief in Him.

The next thing he did was have the works of “compassion” and “love” for Jesus, as he knew Jesus was being condemned for crimes He did not commit.

The next thing he did was have the works of “desire” to be with Jesus.

The next thing he did was offer a “prayer” to Jesus, “That He would remember him, in His kingly power.”

After all of this was done Jesus promised him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

This man was hanging on a cross.  He did not have the ability to do any type of “physical works.”  The “works” he did included with his faith in Christ, were extremely “spiritual works.”

Let’s just list them, faith, rebuking sin/sinner, confession he had sinned and deserved what he was getting, confessing and believing in the innocence of Jesus, showing compassion and love for Jesus and what He was going through, desiring to being with Jesus for all of eternity, and humbly asking Jesus after all of these things,  to “remember him after he died.”  

This man shows to us that the spiritual works which were done on his cross, along with his faith, are the very “spiritual works”  to which Jesus is going to respond to, in us.

This man did in five minutes, what it takes most of us a lifetime to do.  Hopefully we will not wait until we are on our death beds.

He trusted in the mercy and forgiveness of Christ.  In return, received it.

Have a great Mother’s Day!  See you Monday!

Love you all and God Bless, SR

Source:  The Bible

Do We Receive Justification Through Faith Alone – Let’s Go to Scripture

I was reading the book of James and ran across this Scripture.  “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” James 2:24 

I am going to tie in what he said about faith, as well as justification in this post.

James said in 2:17,  “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”  In 2:20 He said, “Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is “barren.”  

Now on justification James said, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteous.”  James 2:21-23  

Then he goes on to to say, the Scripture I gave at the beginning, where we are not justified by “faith alone.”

I kind of had to piece all of this together.  

My Notes:

“Faith by itself is dead, barren and alone it has no power to save anyone.  In the NT the expression of “faith alone,” occurs only in James, referring to how this one thing will never justify us.  If one believes that “faith alone” will bring forth justification/salvation James actually rejects it as false teaching, calling one who believes this a “foolish fellow.”  

Paul often stresses the importance of “justification by faith,” but nowhere does he ever speak of “faith alone.”  (Rm. 3:28, Gal. 2:15-16)

“We need to understand that James is teaching that good works are summed up in “loving your neighbor.”  James 2:8

“If we do not respond to a person’s needs, then faith by itself cannot save us.”

Concerning faith.  James never says, “One’s faith demonstrates that he is already saved.”  

” Scripture never says that works qualify faith into saving faith, , or demonstrates that a person is already saved.  Faith is faith, and works are works.  (James 2:18)  They are separate and distinct entities, and yet must act together in order to receive justification.” 

“Faith and works of love are Never separated in Scripture.  Paul says, “We need faith working through love,”  Gal. 5:6  Paul also says that if our faith moves mountains, but we have not love, we are nothing.  1 Cor. 13:2

“Faith in Christ gives access to grace and puts us on the road to justification, but once we are in the system of grace, we must add works to our faith to be justified.  “Faith alone,” never obtains justification.”

“Scripture never says that works qualify faith, or are a by-product of faith, or only sanctify a person who already has saving faith.  

In the Book of James he warns saved Christian believers to , “avoid anger, slander, and worldly things.  To have patients , humility, and endure to achieve salvation.  Not to engage in sins of commission such as murder and adultery.  Not to fall in the sin of omission by failing to help the poor man in shabby clothing, or the person lacking daily food.” (Now these were people who were already saved and had faith.  But their faith was not going to save them from these sins,  they had to make the decision not to do them.)

 

James specifically says in 4:17, “Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”  Clarifying for us, that if we do not make a decision to do good works we are in “sin.”

In saying “if we fail to do what is right,” James is making it obvious “that good works are not just flowing naturally out of believers, ” because of our faith.  We actually have to make a conscious decision to do so.

Another note,  I know Paul said, “works will not save us.”  But if one will read the “works” Paul is speaking about they are “works under the law,” which he stresses in his teachings.    

James is not speaking about “works under the law.”  He is speaking of works, under the “system of grace.”

A lot of the time it is not so much what the Bible says, as what it does not say.  If we are not careful we can very easily make Scripture contradict itself.  The case being with Paul and James.  We need to see the Bible never says, “faith alone,” ever does one thing for us.

God Bless, SR

Sources: Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith, by John Salza

The Bible

 

  

The Three Types of Priesthood in the Bible

I have been reading Hebrews and I came across chapter 5: 1-4.   This post is about misunderstanding/understanding of the Priest.

“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.  Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.  And one does not take the honor upon himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.”

Now to me this is self explanatory, regarding the Priesthood.

So let’s begin with where all of this started.

It started with Moses. He laid hands on Joshua to be his successor.  Deut. 34:9  Moses ordained Aaron.  Then from that time on only those ordained by Aaron and his descendants had the authority to burn incense before the Lord.  Num. 16:40

In the New Testament, the sacramental priesthood of God is described in the same way. 

The words authority, laying on of hands, anointed, and office are all used in both the Old and New Testament, concerning Priest.  

They were the ones in both Old and New Testaments, who offered Sacrifices to God.  The new Testament being the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Jesus teaches us when we accept those whom He sends through Holy Orders , we accept Him.  Mark 10:40, John 13:20, Luke 10:16

Let’s see what Paul says.

Priest are called by God and commissioned by him.  2Cor. 1:21-22

They are ambassadors for Christ and exercise Christ’s authority. 2 Cor. 5:20, 10:8, Titus 1:5, Luke 10:1

Paul instructs the faithful to have respect for those who have authority over their souls. 1 Thess 5:12-13, 1Tim. 5:17, Heb. 13:7, 13:17.

In fact it is their faith we are commanded to imitate.

Peter and Jude charge the members of the Biblical Church, to be subject to their elders, and Peter warns the faithful about despising priestly authority.  1 Peter 5:5, Jude 8:1, 1 Peter 2:8,

My Notes:

Now Hebrew  1-4 tells us, “Priest are called by God just as Aaron was.”  Because of this, a Priest is “bound to offer sacrifice for his sins, and for those of the people.”  The “people” being the members of the Church.

There are three types of Priesthood taught to us in Scripture.

1. Jesus: Our High Priest

2. Ordained Bishops and Priests:  Who serve as our ministerial priesthood.  Offering the Sacrifice of the Eucharist for themselves and us.  Baptizing, hearing confession and absolving sins.  Anointing the sick.  Who confirm those into the Church.  The New Testament tells us, “God calls them”  to do all of this.   

3.  And all of us who are baptized:  Serving as universal priest, taking Jesus to others.  Through our works, prayers, kindness and most of all love.  

This is the way God set it up in the Old Testament, and carried it forth in the New Testament.  

To see those in authority, leading God’s people in any other way, is “not” God’s way.  

Again this is something man took and changed because all they want to see in the Bible is “everybody is a priest.”  Which in one sense is true, but not “everyone” is an ordained Priest.

As we can see, “the baptized” are not the only priest in the Bible.

That is not Scripture truth.  The early Church Father’s did not teach this either.  

No one can offer the Sacrifice’s of the Eucharist, (Body and Blood of Jesus) and the many gifts of Mass, to God, for their sins or ours, but those who are ordained by God to do so.  The Bread and Wine do not become the Body and Blood of Jesus, unless it is consecrated by the Priest.  The Priest/Bishops of the Biblical Church, which became known as the Catholic Church, through the Early Church Fathers.

Ordained priest are co- mediators, with Christ, between God and man, by the offering of the Eucharist for sin.  They are united with man, and called by God.

God Bless, SR

 

Sources are “Biblical Basis for the Catholic Faith by John Salza  

The Bible

 

 

 

 

Beware of “Evil Means”

Before you read this post, I ask that you, get yourself out of it, and get God into it.  

St. Paul said, “But if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?  And why not do evil that good may come, as some people slanderously charge us with saying?  Their condemnation is just.”  Romans 3:6-8

Someone had accused Paul of teaching that the end justify the means.  He denies this holding, “evil actions can never be done in the hope that something good will come of them.  Both the act, (means) and the intention (end) must be pure for our deeds to be morally acceptable.” ( CCC 1789)

Let’s go to a few things in Scripture to justify Paul’s teaching on this.

Eve, partook of the fruit.  She and Adam became full of knowledge of good and evil.  They had just signed their death warrant.

Abraham would not wait on God for Isaac.  So he had Ishmael.  Abraham finally had a son.   Wrong son.

David, had an affair, killed her husband, and had a son out of the affair. This son God took.  Again wrong son. Solomon was going to build the temple of God.  So God had His heavy hand on David and David’s household, forever!  

Pharisees wanted One Man to die instead of their whole nation perishing.  Hung Jesus on the Cross.  

My note:

I am writing this because “evil actions can never be done in the hope that something good will come out of them.”

Christianity is not about us! It is about God.  We as His children must be very careful regarding those we follow.

I am going to give a few warning signs of  “evil means.”   I don’t care what Church one is in, if this is going on, do not follow these teachings.

1.  If someone you are following tries to edit Scripture in any form or fashion, by taking books out, adding books, or adding words.

2.  If someone tries to deny the fact that Oral Tradition existed in the Bible and carries through to today.  That one, does not need them both.

3.  If someone tries to convince you that the Holy Spirit will help you with the interpretation of Scripture, and it goes against the Bible or the teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church Fathers, leading one into 10,000 different directions.

4.  If someone desires to kill the Jewish people, or is actually trying to kill them, God’s CHOSEN people, so the good outcome is a “world without Jews.”  (See my post on Martin Luther Writings influencing the Extermination of 6,000,000 Jews)

5.  If someone is teaching that repentance, confession and baptism are not included in the plan of salvation.

6.  If someone is trying to teach you that one is saved by “faith alone.”  The Bible does not teach that and those two words never appear in Scripture together, regarding salvation.  We have to have faith, but it requires more than that, as Scripture proves.

7.  That Jesus is not in the “consecrated Host.”

8.  That any evil in your church is trying to be covered up.

9. That works are to no avail as Jesus said, “We will be judged by our works.”  They are going to be the determining factor if we go to heaven or hell.

These are just a few.  These are “evil means in hope for a good outcome.”  Anyone who follows these kind of teachings, hoping for a good outcome, St. Paul said, “Their condemnation is just.”  (Not their praise and glory)

If one does not know what Oral Tradition taught, go find out, it is there.  If one does not know what the early Church Father’s taught, go find out it is there.

Then tie it all in with Scripture, and God’s way not ours will come forth from each and every single one of us!  We will be divided NO MORE!

Most people that want to edit God’s Word and stray away from true Apostolic Teachings, have a deep seeded hidden agenda for themselves.

Be it wealth, extermination of a race,  self glorification, and most of all sin in general.

I wish and pray that the pit falls of humanity could get out of God’s way and do it His way.

For when we do, it will become about Him, and not us!

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did Martin Luther’s Writings Influence the Extermination of Six-Million Jews?

In 1923 Hitler praised Luther calling him, “The greatest German genius, who saw the Jews as we today are starting to see them.”

I am writing this because of a statement I made to a friend. “The only person I know of that hated the Jews worse than Luther, was Hitler.”

A bomb exploded in my head, and I had to go find out, if indeed the writings and beliefs of Martin Luther, regarding the Jews, influenced the Nazi Regime, mainly Adolph Hitler?

Luther said, “One should get rid of the Jews by killing them.” His objective was a “world without Jews,” urging rulers to persecute them.

He is not innocent of his co-responsibility and the criminal history of Antisemitism.  What Hitler did, Luther advised except for the gas chambers.

His 8 point program to get rid of the Jews are what the Nazi’s followed.

Sitting fire to the synagogues and schools.  To bury and cover with dirt that which will not burn so that no man will ever see a stone of them again, Luther wrote.  Destroy their homes.  Take away their holy books.  Kill the rabbis, and disallow Jews on the streets.  Take all their money and jewelry, and to impose force labor on the strong and young Jews, by giving axes, shovels, etc…..   (Remind you of anything, maybe WWII?)

Luther called the Jews, “stinking scum, blinded, cursed, evil, seducers of people, liars, bloodhounds, brood of serpents, children of the devil, and many other things.”

Hitler’s top advisors quoted Luther. 

Julius Streicher, arrested for war crimes said, “Dr. Martin Luther would very probably sit in my place in the defendants dock today, if this book, (On the Jews and Their Lies) written by Martin Luther, had been taken into consideration by the Prosecution.”  

Streicher believed Luther was as guilty as himself.

Luther’s writings and beliefs inspired the major events of the Third Reich.  

It has been historically said, “We must also say that the great religious reformer did unwittingly pave the way for Hitler.”  by Robert Waite (Unwittingly?  I doubt that!)

I am stopping here.

My Note:

Luther’s hatred for the Jews was a deep seeded evil.  This “Holy Man of God” by his own writings influenced the extermination of six million Jews!  Hitler did every single thing Luther said to do them, except for the gas chambers.  

Luther, took books out of the Bible, wanted to take more.  Wanted to add words to the Bible that were not in there, for his own theology! Not God’s!

Wanted to have peasants “strangled, stabbed, just as one would slay a mad dog!”  

“Witches and the handicapped should be persecuted and killed because they are devilish.”

In fact he wanted a “handicapped child drowned.”

Oh, let’s praise him, because we have the Bible to read!

Before you do I want you to think about my Uncle who laid in a fox hole for two weeks in the dead of winter in Germany, with a German tank pulled over him, and his feet froze! That German tank over him, is what saved his life!

I want you to think about lice infested people, teeth rotting, twins being sewn together back to back, and a nurse finally gave them a lethal injection.  Dye injected in the eyeballs of the Jews.  Starving, being thrown into dug ditches when they died, like animals.  Being stripped and sent into the gas chambers.

I want you to think about the children who never saw their parents again, and the parents who never saw their children again!  

Those Jews  still living today with an identification number still tattooed on them.  The horror of the memories of these people.

St. Paul always taught, that evil means will never justify the good outcome of anything!

Never doubt for one minute that God did not know what Martin Luther taught, believed, and did was not going to lead to the extermination of six million Jews, 100’s of years later.

Never think God did not know, Luther was going to divide His children forever.

Martin Luther appeared as an angel of light to many.  Many still see him that way today.

I have only given a tablespoon of the story.

After knowing this, how anyone can see him as anything but the “spawn of the devil,” I will never know????  He makes me want to vomit!

His beliefs and writings were the FOUNDATION, of what ADOLPH HITLER, did!

God Bless, SR

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Why is it so Hard for People to Accept Apostolic Tradition – My Musings

I was thinking, “Why is it so hard for people to accept Apostolic Tradition, when the Bible is full of it?” 

Then one can go from the Bible and actually read the writings of all the early Church Father’s.  Most all of the early Church father’s if not all of them, always wrote about Mass, the preservation of Church teachings, and the Eucharist.  

I cannot wrap my head around, with so much evidence surviving over 2,000 years, how people can just ignore it?

I mean I was not around when George Washington was here, but there is enough evidence that he was the 1st President of the United States.  Same goes for Lincoln and all he did.  I do not doubt these things to be true.

The meaning of the word “Tradition” in the Greek, is to “hand on.”

How in the world did the Church determine which writings were inspired and which writings were not inspired, when they were giving us the Bible?

It was through “Apostolic Tradition.”

The Bishops had the writings that were given to them, by the early Church Fathers.  The Holy Spirit guided them, and what came forth was the Bible.  Just that simple, quit making it hard!

Oral tradition is what kept Christianity and God’s Word alive for over 400 years.

Let’s go to the Old Testament and get our Gentile selves out of it for a moment.

The way the Jewish Nation knew the Old Testament was the inspired Word of God, was through Oral Tradition and the authority of those to which it was handed to.

Now let’s go to the New Testament and get our Gentile selves out of it again, because we have not been adopted into the New Covenant yet.

The way the Jewish Nation knew the New Testament was the inspired Word of God, was through Oral Tradition and the authority of those to which it was handed to.

God was not going to change the way He did things for Israel.  If one believes that, one is only fooling themselves.

Now we can get adopted into this.

How did the Gentiles know the New Testament was the inspired Word of God?  Through Apostolic Teachings.

Then writings came in, they were passed on up to four generations, the Church collected these writings and we have the Bible.

You know it is the same with the belief of Peter and the Popes.  All one has to do is go and google it, and in Wikipedia you can find every single Pope there was, and the years they became Pope and how long they were a Pope. 

It’s all there!  If not you can find it in the Catholic Church writings.

One more thing I want to add, as in the Old Testament when they taught the Jews, by Oral Tradition, their teachings were infallible.  If you say it was not, then you do not believe one word in the Old Testament. 

Same way in the New Testament.  These teachings were infallible. 

See people do not believe in the infallible teachings of “man,” yet, who do they think wrote the Bible?  “MAN!”

So how can you believe these “men” gave infallible teachings/writings that you read daily, yet, do not believe those in the Apostolic Line,  had the same infallible grace given to them by God,  in the matters of morals and faith?

Kind of riding on both sides of the fence on that one aren’t you?

God does not need “man” to do one thing for Him.  God chooses man to carry out His will and His teachings.  

His teachings never were and never have been, with almost 40,000 different Churches, with 40,000 different beliefs, and with 40,000 ways of worship.

That is not God.

From the beginning God called those to teach and to lead His people.  Nothing about that ever changed.  Methods, beliefs, nor worship ever changed.  It never went in 40,000 different directions.

That is why I will say it over and over.  If one does not understand God and Israel, then one will never understand the Bible.

For in the beginning it was for Israel, that God did every single thing.

Now why would God take a nation that for generations had been up and down every mountain and then say, “Oh, by the way, all the things I taught you from the beginning of Abraham has been done away with?”  

Never think when Christ instituted the Eucharist, that the Jews did not know what He was doing.  He was making Himself the Sacrificial Atonement for them, to be offered to God, by them.  

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Happened When I Finally Got Back to Mass

Yes, I was blessed to be able to finally go to Mass last Friday!  Though there were only four of us and the Priest, I felt like I had finally come home, again!  What happened afterwards though……  Well maybe you can explain it to me, because I just don’t know.

Got there, and all I could say was, “Jesus I am so happy to be here.”  I said it over and over until Mass started.  I could not even pray, outside of saying that!

Made it through Mass fine.  Was able to say prayers and the like.  Then the Eucharist came.

As I was walking up there to receive Jesus, I kept saying, “Jesus thank You, thank You, thank You.”

He was laid in my hand and I took Him up to my lips, to my mouth.

The minute upon receiving Him in my mouth, the tears flowed like a over flooding river.  By the time I got back to my seat, my blouse was totally wet in the front, there were so many tears.  

Now, I was not crying or sobbing with noises and the like, it was just unstoppable tears.

I don’t really know why they came like that.  The only other time that has ever happened to me, is when I received Him on the night of my confirmation.  

I do know this, the uncontrollable love I felt for Jesus at my confirmation, was the way I felt Friday.  It was like, we had finally became one, once again.

Him living in me, and I in Him.  The greatest mystery to me that there is. 

All I am saying is this.  Since this quarantine,  receiving Jesus again for me, was different.  In fact as I said, “It felt like the first time.”

I don’t know how it will be for you, when the Church opens again.  I know for me it was different.  

I pray this prayer for us all, “Lord Jesus, help us that we will never again take for granted that Mass will be there tomorrow.  Help us never to forget our longing for you, during this isolation.  Lord, never let this longing leave us.  Help us Lord, to understand when the Church doors open, You are always there waiting for us.” +  Amen.

God Bless, SR

The “Jesus Wafer” – Really, Is that what Jesus Called it?

Can you get any more blasphemous  then to call the “Holy Communion” Bread, the “Jesus Wafer?”  Think about what you are doing with a statement like that!  I am seeing this used more and more.

I am a Catholic, yes, I believe Jesus is present in the Bread and Wine, as He said He was.  However……….. that does not mean when I have to go to a Protestant Church, with the belief He is not there, that I would EVER call your “cracker,” the “Jesus Cracker.”  I would NEVER call your “grape juice,” Welch’s.

Why?

For one I know your belief is that you are doing it in “Remembrance of His Death.”  For another, to disrespect something as precious as “Holy Communion,” has to hurt God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit so much.

For another, I love Jesus more than I love myself!

Holy Communion is a very Sacramental and Spiritual gift, given to us by the Lord Himself.  For those who do not believe in His true presence, it is still a gift to recall His suffering and death for the forgiveness of our sins. 

To prove your points though, regarding “your” belief,  you have the unmitigated gall, to call something as precious, as Holy Communion/The Eucharist, “the Jesus Wafer??” 

You are not just hurting Catholics, you are hurting Protestants also.

You know Jesus said, “Do not give that which is holy to the dogs!”  You can’t get anymore “holy” than “Holy Communion.”  Hence, it’s name.

I wonder if that is what the Apostles called it?  Maybe when Peter was hanging upside down he said, “I am doing this for the “Jesus Wafer.”  

When Jesus was being beaten, spit upon, flesh torn to where His veins and tendons showing through His skin, eyes, ears, nose and mouth full of blood, six inch thorns going through His head, and the blunt nails going through this hands and feet, did He say, “It is okay I gave you the “Jesus Wafer.”  

No!  He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

You are not disrespecting me nor my Church with this term.  You are however, being the most prideful and disrespectful human beings, to Christ.  

Someone who loves you so much, that He suffered for you, so you would not have to.

Yet, you take one of His most precious gifts, mock and defame it, for the self satisfaction of you being “right.”

If this is what the reformation led to, you can have it!  

Then you say, “Oh we tell you this because we love you.”  Puh-lease.!

I do not need that kind of love, and you know why?  It is not about ME!  It is not about “YOU!”  

Before you use the “Jesus Wafer” term again, think about Who it is really about.

It is about Jesus.  You think He is really proud of you, for blaspheming one of the most precious gift’s which He died for?

I don’t think when He was implementing the Lord’s Supper, He said, “Take this “Jesus Wafer.”

Jesus called your “Jesus Wafer,” “The Bread of Life.”

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

Martin Luther Making the Bible fit His Theology

Who in the heck did this man think he was, to tear  books out of the Bible?  They have been part of the Catholic canon for over two thousand years.  

He also attempted to take out the Books of Hebrews, James, Jude, the First Letter of John, and Revelations because they did not fit with “HIS” faith alone without works, theology. (This should tell you something right there, about this man! Thank God, he was met with resistance and had to put them back in.)

He also wanted to place the word “alone” in Romans 3:28, again to verify “HIS” theology,

His theology was more important than the “TRUTH,” of God’s Word!

Let’s discuss the Books that he did away with.

1. “All Christians accept the Catholic Church’s New Testament canon.  Protestant and Catholic Bibles have the same twenty – seven books.  God directed those in the Catholic Church to determine the New Testament in the Bible.”

2. ” Jesus, Mary, Elizabeth, James, Peter, and Paul quote from these books.”  (I can give a few Scriptures if you want them, but you have to have a Catholic Bible to confirm it.)

3.  “The Apostles and Jesus used these books in their teachings.”

4.  “Of about 350 Old Testament quotes in the New Testament, about 300 come from these books.”

5.  “The Jews held the Deuterocanonical books to be divinely revealed before the time of Christ, which is why Jesus and the Apostles used them when preaching the Gospel.”

6.  “Some say the Jews removed these books from their canon at the Council of Jamnia, about a century after Christ’s Ascension.  Being that said though, they also rejected the Church’s New Testament canon, as well as the claim that Jesus was the Messiah!”

So who was Martin Luther to tear them out?

I never even knew these books existed until I converted.  Most Protestant’s do not know these books existed, and do not know what Martin Luther did. 

This is sad to me, because they think this man is the greatest thing, since chocolate!

Let an anniversary come and this man is revered, honored, and praised more than Catholics do with the Saints!  (Oh but that is right, only Catholics give honor to man, well actually the phrase is, “we worship them.” ) 

Martin Luther took God’s Word, and tried to become the sole determining factor of what one would read and what one would not. 

He took books out, that Jesus Himself used.  Martin Luther knew this. 

He also could not stand the Jewish nation.  In fact he loathed them.  God’s own children!

I had to ask myself these questions, and I pray you do the same.

1.  Do I have the right if I do not agree with the Book of John, to rip it out of the Bible?

2.  Do I have the right if I do not agree with the writings of Moses to rip those out of the Bible?

3.  Do I have the right to create my own Bible taking Books out of it, maybe even adding a few books/words,then handing it to you.  Claiming as well, this is the “true Word of God?”

No I do not, neither did he, and nor do you.  

In fact, I think God said, “We can’t do it!”

Why people would want to follow the teachings of this man is beyond me?  Without at least knowing what he truly believed, tried to do, and taught. 

This “faith alone” business, is not all Martin Luther wanted and did.

Jesus created a Church in the New Testament.  It became known as the Catholic Church.  

Scripture came and validated everything the early Church Father’s taught.  As well as Jesus and the Apostles.  

It is the Catholic Church and Scripture together, that gives to us what we need to believe and why.

How Martin Luther disrespected God’s Word like he did, I will never know?

I would rather cut both  my hands off, than tear one word, out of the Bible.  If I tear a page it almost kills me!

Please, if you are following the teachings of this man, think about what/who you are actually following.  

For me, I follow the one’s who taught it all at the very beginning.

God Bless, SR

All excerpts came from Biblical Reasons for the Catholic Faith by John Salza

Published 2005 by Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division

 

 

 

 

To Me the Biggest Lie People are Telling Themselves and Others

The biggest lie people are telling themselves as far as I am concerned, is that the Blessed Mother had other children, and Jesus had a “blood brother.”

1. Where in the Bible does it ever say, “Mary had another child?”  (Now if one is sola scriptura, and you believe that, you have to prove it to me in the Bible.  So please show me where it is written the Blessed Mother had another child.)

2. When Jesus rose in Matthew 28 what did He tell the women to do?  “Go tell my “brethren” to go to Galilee, and they will see me.”  In Matthew 28:16 we see who those “brethren” are.  “Now the “eleven disciples” went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.”

3. At the foot of the Cross Mary, the Mother of Jesus was given to John.  This would have never of happened under Jewish tradition/law.  She would have went to Jesus’ so called “brother.”  Also, if He had a “blood brother,” why would He give her to John?

4.  Where was this “brother” at the foot of the Cross?  It would stand to reason “he” would be there seeing his Brother getting Crucified, taking care of his mother!  Instead it was John.

5. In Acts 1:15 “In those days Peter stood up among the “brethren” (the company of persons was in all about a (hundred and twenty….)  All I can say is, “Peter’s mother was one busy woman having a 120 kids.”  Peter also called them “brethren.”

I can go many places in the Bible where the words, “brother,”  and “brethren” are used.  This does not mean they are a “blood brother” to anyone!

Most of the time it means a “spiritual brother.”  However in those days, they also called cousins and the like, “brother.”

Really, I never heard that until about the last ten -fifteen years, and somebody took it and ran with it.  Others came to believe it, without going to Scripture and seeing how many times these words are actually used, and the reason.  

So some may say, “Yes, but it says, “James is His brother.”  I urge you all to go read Scripture and go see who the mother of James is.  It is not the Blessed Mother!

So when I say that, this is the excuse I get then.  “Well it is “probably” another James.”  

Then I say to those who believe in Sola-Scriptura, “Okay show me that one, then????”  “Where does it say that Mary and Joseph had a child named James?”

That is usually when I get the stare and silence, because what I am asking for, cannot be shown to me in the Bible.  

This again is someone taking their own belief, and running with it.  With nothing backing up that there was ever another child in the home of Mary and Joseph, but Jesus.

Where are the Scriptures where they took this other “brother” to the Temple, which they would have done, being Jewish?

Where was this “brother” when Jesus was lost in the Temple?  Scripture tells us only Joseph and Mary hunted for him.  When they found Him, they were the only ones He talked to.  Nothing is ever mentioned about this “brother,” there either.

Mary having another child is all presumption.  That is very dangerous for ourselves and the others we tell it to, when it concerns Scripture.

Mary was born for one reason.  To have one child, Jesus.  To take that away from God, Jesus, the Holy  Spirit, Joseph and the Blessed Mother, to me, is absolutely awful!

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

“The Home of God is Among Mortals” Rev. 21:3

This has to be my favorite “Against Heresies” which St. Irenaeus wrote.  It also goes back to my post of those calling the “Church just a building.”  He said it perfectly, and it needs to stop!   It also goes into our “works” and why we do them.  (I ask you to read it to the end)

Eucharist and Resurrection by St. Irenaeus of Lyons – Against Heresies

“Moreover, how can they (the Gnostics)  say that flesh, which is nourished with the body of the Lord and with His blood, goes to corruption, and does not partake of life?  Let them either change their opinion or stop offering the things just mentioned.”

“But our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist confirms our way of thinking.  For we offer to Him, “HIS OWN,” announcing consistently the fellowship and union of the flesh and Spirit.  For the bread, once it has received invocation of God; it is then the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly.  So also our bodies when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but have the hope of of the resurrection to eternity.”

“We sacrifice to Him, not as though He needed it, but giving thanks for His gift, and thus sanctifying what has been created.  For even though God does not need our possessions, we do need to offer something to God.  As Solomon said, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.”  (Prov. 19:17)  God, who stands in need of nothing, takes our good works to Himself for this purpose; that He may reward us with good things.  As our Lord said, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”  (Mt. 25:34-36)  He does not stand in need of theses services, yet he wants us to render them for our own benefit, lest we be unfruitful.”

“That is why the Word (Jesus) gave people that very precept regarding the making of oblations, although He stood in no need of them, that they might learn to serve God.  It is His will that we, too, should offer a gift at the altar, frequently and without intermission.  The altar, then, is heaven, for toward that place are our prayers and oblations directed.  The temple, too, is there.  As John said in the Book of Revelation, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened” (Rev. 11:19) along with the Tabernacle: “Behold, ” He says, “the Tabernacle of God, in which He will dwell with men.” (Rev. 21:3)  Against Heresies 4.17.5-4.18.6

I am going to give what Revelations 21:3 says:

“See the home of God is among mortals,

He will dwell with them,

they will be His peoples,

and God Himself will be with them.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

My notes:

The Greek word for home is “Tabernacle.” (In KJV it actually uses the word “Tabernacle.”) And where do we find a “Tabernacle” at?

Another thing we need to realize, St. Irenaeus quotes from the Book of Revelations, even though that was not put in Scriptures at the time.  Of course being a disciple of St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of John, explains to me how he got this passage.  Just like St. Justin Martyr quoted John in Revelations. 

God has a “home among mortals.”  This home is the “Tabernacle of the Catholic Church.”  It has been for thousands of years.  

God always “dwelt” with His people in the Old Testament.  He was always among them.  This did not change!  WE need to quit changing God, by picking and choosing what WE think is right to believe.

The God in the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament.  If we do not get that, “WE ARE WRONG!”  If we do not get that “GOD NEVER CHANGES HIS WAYS,” then “WE ARE WRONG!”   

These are the things the Early Church Father’s knew, and they taught it, preserved it, and gave up their lives for it.  

The Catholic Church is His Bride.

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Auilina

 

 

My Musings – “Lord I Want to Be a Bird!”

The other day I was sitting on the back porch, with my glass of tea.  Looking at God’s beautiful earth and admiring what a great artist He really is.

All colors matching, even to the spring flowers coming in, against the green in the pasture grass.  All the shapes of things how each tree tree had their own set of branches, which belong to that tree only.  Each with it’s different set of leaves.

Then I noticed the black birds.  Out there in the pasture eating, and when they wanted water they would come to the trough of my dogs.  Ever so often stopping by a dog bowl to grab a kibble, that was left.

Not a care in the world.  No fear about tomorrow.  Just grabbing those insects off the ground, the worms out of it, walking around in such peace and happiness.  

Then they would get full, fly off, but return a little later, and the process would start over.

I was sitting there with my musings about all of this, and begin to see, those birds did not have a care in the world!  It is getting hot here in Texas and many of them are on the northern path, with a few stops every now and then.  

They were living exactly like God had created them to live!  To be a bird, and follow what all He had placed in them to do.

They were happily chirping.

I looked up at God and said, “Lord I wish I was a bird! Not following my own paths and desires, but Yours.  Not living in fear and worry, but knowing You will provide for me.  Singing Your praises with my “chirps” instead of complaining.  Then flying off without a care in the world, to the next place you will lead me, out of the heat or cold, whichever it may be.”

If we would only look at nature and see how they live and act in the world, we would soon realize it is not them who do not have faith and trust, it is us.

God Bless, SR

 

Let’s go to Turkey, France and Rome – St. Irenaeus of Lyons (How far Has the Reformation Gone?)

  Through this we are going to see what St. Irenaeus deemed heresy and schism, as he wrote the “Against Heresies.”  I will be giving some of my thoughts through this also.

We have been to Rome, Turkey and now France as well.  Christianity is spreading, through Apostolic Succession.

“St. Irenaeus was born in Smyrna, (Izmir in modern Turkey.)  He was a disciple of St. Polycarp, who in his own youth received the Gospel from St. John the Apostle.”

“From Smyrna, he went to Lyons in Gaul, (modern France) where he served as bishop.  His writings show that he had a keen awareness of his privileged training – his nearness to the apostle John.  Yet with Irenaeus’s privilege came with the duty of preserving and protecting what he had received.  And so he wrote voluminously in defense of  “true doctrine” and against the various heresies and schisms that were cropping up in the Church.  “

“His greatest work is the massive Against the Heresies, a refutation of the polymorphous doctrines of Gnosticism.  The most prevalent heresy of the day.  Gnostic sects preached a dizzying variety of myths and rituals, drawing selectively from the elements of Christian doctrine.  Most of these sects emphasized a pseudo-mystical “knowledge” intended for the spiritual elite.  Most also believed that “all” matter was evil.  Indeed, according to Gnostic myths, the world was created by a wicked demigod, some said it was Yahweh, the God of Israel in order to imprison the spirits of light, with whom the Gnostic’s identified themselves.”  

“For the Gnostic, there could be no redemption of matter.”

“In responding to Gnostics, Irenaeus became perhaps the first churchman to compose a comprehensive, systematic theological reflection of Christian doctrine. “

“For Irenaeus, the sacrifice of the Church (the Eucharist) is the fulfillment of all the sacrifices of ancient Israel.  Finally, for Irenaeus, the Mass is the earthly participation of the liturgy of heaven, which in unveiled in the Book of Revelation. The altar of the Church and the altar in heaven are one.”

I am stopping here, as I was reading this I had some thoughts.

St. Irenaeus, is estimated to have been born between 120 – 140.  We do know he went to Rome with a letter to Pope Eleutherius, regarding Montanism, in 177.

What got me as I was reading this, there were already those causing schism for God’s children.  Trying to reform Christian doctrine and basically calling the Apostles and those they taught said doctrine to, “liars.”   

Is this what happened with the almost 40,000 different religions and interpretations that we have today? 

It was not good enough for the Gnostics, what the Apostles taught, and the teachings, to those they handed it to.  They went out and twisted it. 

Even John Calvin at the end, did not agree with Luther on some things.  Knox took Calvin’s views, what happened to Luther’s?

Honestly and truly, it makes me dizzy!

Does a rock have to fall on our heads?  

It is so clear what the early Church Father’s taught, and who handed it to them, by this trail they left for us.  Namely, Mass and the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. 

Why as Christians can we not admit, that what Jesus said was true?  What the Apostles taught was true?  Is that too easy for us?

Yet just like in Irenaeus’ day, it is not good enough.  The need for “man” to place his own twist on it, as the Gnostics did, still prevails.  We follow after our own minds and our own wills.

I heard a youth say one time regarding another ministry, “We are here to show you we are not doing it your way, we are doing it ours?”

Pathetic isn’t it that this is where it has all led to with our youth!  Way to go adults!

Jesus said concerning self deception: “Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?  And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me you evil doers.”

“The Father’s will.”   Now we have kids wanting their will, their way!

I think we need to see how far this “reformation” has actually gone.

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

Will be given some excerpts regarding what he wrote in “Against Heresies.”

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Musings – “The Church is Just a Building” – Really, What did Jesus say?

As I search around the blog sphere, I see this “phrase” written all the time.  For what reason I do not know????  I was never taught that as a child, in fact when we went to Church it was called, “God’s House.”  

I know one thing for sure, if I would have said that in front of one of my grandmother’s, my nose today would still be sitting on the other side of my face!  We also did not take five bags of Cheetos, coloring books and everything else under the sun to make us behave.  We just knew, because we were taught! 

I was thinking today about this, and when Moses was on the mountain with our Lord, He commanded Moses to “take off his shoes, as he was standing on “holy ground.”   We can say the “mountain” was just a “mountain,” but when the presence of God came upon it, it became “Holy Ground.”

Another, you touched the Ark of the Covenant, you died!   Only the priests in the Old Testament could go anywhere near it.

Let’s see what Jesus called it.

When He was lost and Mary and Joseph found Him at 12 years old He said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in “My Father’s House.”  Even at 12 He knew, which is more than I can say for most adults today! Luke 2: 41-52

When He turned the tables over He said, “My house” will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a “den of thieves.”  Matthew 21:12-13

I think it is pretty clear the Temple, Synagogue, Church whatever one wants to call it, was revered as the “House of God.”

My Note:  We have to realize when we gather together Jesus said, “He would be among us.”  The Church is also a place where we go to worship God, give Him thanks for His Son, ask Him to help us, and ask Him to forgive us.  It is where we go to pray.  It is where we go to honor Him, as God.  It is where He, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwells among us and in us.

The reverence and respect for God in “His House,” as Jesus called it, should not be ignored.

You know if I go visit a friend, I pay respect to them, their home, and the rules they have set in place for their home.  I don’t call their home “just a building!”  

It is a place where they love, share their lives, respect one another, and become a family.

I think we need to quit calling “God’s House,” just a building!

It is a place where we love God, share our lives with Him, respect Him, and become a family with Him.

So let’s remember when He is there, where we are standing or sitting, it becomes “Holy Ground.”

Honestly, our shoes should be off and we should be bowed before Him!

Then we wonder why all this stuff is happening?  Maybe it is because we have just hurt Him????

I know statements like that, would hurt me, regarding my home.

Have a great weekend, God Bless, see you Monday!

SR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Go to Rome – St. Justin Martyr

We have to remember our early Church Father’s were in a very pagan nation.  Rome had a god for everything.  They could not wrap their head’s around the Christians “eating their God,” which I will be doing a post on.  Their faith in Christ,  Mass and the Eucharist would eventually cost almost all of them their lives.

As Jesus told St. Bridget of Sweden which she relayed to the Pope: “The streets of Rome are paved with gold, and reddened with the blood of saints.”  They actually are!

“Justin wrote from Rome, but he was a Samaritan by birth, pagan by upbringing, and a philosopher by vocation.  Our most complete description of the early Church’s Mass, as it was celebrated in the West, comes from St. Justin, who set it down for the Roman Emperor Antoninus.”

“Consistent with the Didache, the Book of Revelations, and the report of Pliny, (who I call the Roman snitch) Justin informs his readers that Sunday is the normal day of Christian worship.”

“Justin always pursued wisdom, while walking on a beach, he encountered an old man who told him about the prophets of Israel.  That set him on a course that he called, “the philosophy of Jesus Christ.”

“The Mass occupies a crucial place in the Dialogue, for Justin holds the sacrifices of ancient Israel were Old Testament “types” foreshadowing the New Testament fulfillment in the sacrifice of the Mass. The offering of fine flour prescribed as an offering on behalf of those purified from leprosy (Lev. 14:10) was a “type” of the bread of the Eucharist.”  (Dialogue 41)

“Again like the Didache and St. Ignatius Justin goes on to quote Malachi, who foretold of the offering of the perfect sacrifice, which would be offered continuously everywhere on earth.”  (The Eucharist)

Below are excerpts taken from the 1892 Edinburgh edition of the Fathers

“The food we call the Eucharist, and no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that our doctrines are true, who has been washed with the bath of remission of sins and rebirth, and who is living as Christ commanded.”  

“We have been taught that the food blessed by the prayer of his word – and from which our own blood and flesh are nourished and changed – is the flesh and blood of Jesus who was made flesh.”  

“The Apostles, in the memoirs they composed called “Gospels,” have passed on to us what was given to them.”  (These are excerpts for Mass after Baptism first Apology 65-66)

“On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or countryside gather in one place, and the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.”  

“Sunday is when we hold our assembly because it is the first day, on which God brought forth the world from darkness and matter.  On the same day, Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead. For he was crucified on the day before Saturn’s day. (Saturday); and on the day, which is the day of the sun, (Sunday) he appeared to his apostles and disciples and taught them these things; which we have submitted to you for your consideration.”  (These are excerpts from Sunday Mass in Rome First Apology 67)

“Our Lord Jesus Christ prescribed this celebration in memory of the suffering he endured for those whose souls are purified from evil.”  (He then goes to quote Mal. 1:10-12)

“He speaks here of those Gentiles, namely us, who everywhere offer him sacrifices -that is, the Eucharist and the cup of the Eucharist, affirming both that we glorify his name and that you profane it..)   (Dialogue 41 On the glimpse of the Old Testament)

“We are the true high-priestly family of God.  God Himself bears witness to this, when he says that, everywhere among the Gentiles, sacrifices are offered to him well pleasing and pure.  Now God receives sacrifices from no one except through the priest”

“We offer through His name the sacrifices Jesus Christ enjoyed us to offer in the Eucharist the bread and cup – the sacrifices now offered by Christians everywhere throughout the world.”  (The Perfect and Acceptable Sacrifice Dialogue 117)

“St. Justin’s own sacrifice was completed when he died for the faith, beheaded by Roman authorities in 165.”

St. Justin pray for us.

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, let’s go to Turkey and then Back to Rome :) -St. Ignatius of Antioch

We have finally made it!  Thank you God!  In this post regarding St. Ignatius I am going to show what he said/did, why Peter is the Pope, and what he said as a disciple of John, according to the Book of Revelations.

St. Ignatius was the Bishop of Syria and he was condemned to die in Rome.  He cherished the Eucharist.  Wrote many letters and some of those were to the Churches in modern day Turkey.  As I have stated before, “he was the first to call the Church, “Catholic.”

According to the early Church Father’s he was appointed Bishop by Peter.  This is what makes Peter, the Pope.  This is what is meant of him being given the keys, (authority) over the Church, and those in it.

One of his quotes is: “Wherever the Bishop appears there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.”

Another was: “Those therefore, who speak against this gift from God, (the Eucharist) incur death in the midst of their disputes.”  (Going back to what Paul taught at Corinth)

Also, “See that you follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ, follows the Father.  Follow Priest as you would follow the Apostles.  And reverence the deacons as you would reverence the command of God”

The Church and Jesus were just so inseparable, to the early Church Fathers, and for those of us today. 

(The notion of the Church, as found in his letters was greatly emphasized by Roman Catholics, and harshly criticized by Protestants.  John Calvin being the main one.)

The Roman Emperor at the time, Trajan, was not going to tolerate St. Ignatius.  So he sent his soldiers to Syria to arrest him and bring him back to Rome.  This was done because St. Ignatius refused to acknowledge the official god’s of Rome.

Ten soldiers were sent to arrest him, and of course he was placed in chains and led back.

As I have stated, it is noted in history that St. Ignatius was a disciple of John.  When they arrested him this is the statement he made.

“From Syria to Rome I fight with beast both by land and by sea, both by night and day, being bound to ten leopards, I mean a band of soldiers.”

When I read “beast both by land and by sea,” immediately I went to Revelations Chapter 13!!!!  Those are the words which are recorded, meaning the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.  

Did he get those words from John, which were later recorded in the Book of Revelations!  Fascinating is it not???

That is one thing I have learned, Revelations is a book which much of what is written is in regards to the Roman Empire.

St. Ignatius supposedly was sent to the Amphitheater in Rome, and was fed to the lions.

Rather to compromise his faith, and betray the teachings of Jesus, Peter, and John, he chose to die.  

He left the Church of Rome with this metaphor for the self-sacrifice of martyrdom:

“I am the wheat of God.  Let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”

He died in 107.

St. Ignatius, pray for us.

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians, by Mike Aquilina

Others taken just from years of study.

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Go to Rome – Didache (Part 2)

I am going to give information here on what the Didache actually taught, using chapters 7-14.  I have googled the Didache and if you want more info it is there.

Chapters 7-8 deal mainly with the rituals.  “Baptism repentance. “

“The Didache lays special emphasis on baptism and repentance as prerequisites for Communion.”

“Chapters 9,10,14 considered together, make clear that, even to this early date, the Church reserved Holy Communion only for those who were baptized and free of any grave sin.  If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not so, let him repent.”

These two things were important.

The Eucharistic Prayer:  “Chapter 9 of the Didache seems to record a very early Eucharistic prayer, with blessings over the cup and the bread. ”  (They always gave thanks to God for Jesus, yet they had this rule in the Eucharistic prayer.) “But let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist unless they have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord said, “Give not that which is holy to the dogs.”

So we can see here and in the previous writings, one was not going to receive the Eucharist without meeting certain requirements.  It was the holiest part of the Mass to them, and they took Jesus at his word regarding “holy things being given to those who were not going to hold to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

Thanksgiving Prayer:  Chapter 10 is “a post-communion prayer.”  Part of this prayer said: “Almighty Master, you created all things for your name’s sake; you gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to you; but to us you freely gave spiritual food and drink and life eternal through your servant.  Before all things we thank you that you are mighty; to you be the glory forever.”

This is basically what they taught and is still being taught today, that the “Eucharist is our spiritual food and drink, which gives us life eternal through Jesus.”  After all Jesus did say, “Unless we eat His flesh and drink His Blood, there is no life in us.”  The Church taught this, but it was Jesus who said it!  John 6:53  Does it get any clearer than this?????  Jesus leaves no room for our own interpretation in this!

The Confession of sin:  “Chapter 14 records a valuable early witness to the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist.  The word sacrifice appears three times in a short space, and the author quotes the prophet Malachi, whose passages on Temple sacrifice were seen by the early Christian Fathers as foreshadowing the Eucharist, the always and everywhere sacrifice of Christ.”  (Which we will see when I get into the early Church Fathers which are coming up after this.)

“Every Lord’s day gather yourselves together and break bread, and give thanks after confessing your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.  But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.  For this is that which was spoken by the Lord:

“In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is to be feared among nations.”  Mal. 1:11

The early Church Father’s got it!  They knew what was in the Old Testament was brought forward, and Jesus fulfilled it in the New.  Jesus was the “new.”  

St. Ignatius of Antioch said, “Diversion is the beginning of all evil.”  God’s people are so divided on the Eucharist, it is unbelievable!

Jesus said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.”   Jesus said this and leaves no room for us to flip-flop it around!

So let’s go to what we do believe.

We believe:

The Nile turned to blood, staff of God turned into a snake, a sea parted, bread literally rained down from the sky, water flowed from a rock, Moses’ hand was turned to leprosy, Jesus raised people from the dead, God turned dust into man, and Jesus turned water into wine.  

To “eat” means to “literally” chew or gnaw.  To “drink” means for us to take a sip and swallow it down!

All of this foreshadowed the Eucharist.

The one thing some people refuse to believe is that God can change wine and bread into the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Why?  

I was thinking this morning about how Satan tempted Eve, telling her “Surely God did not tell you, you should not eat of any tree of the garden.”

It is the same thing for us today, except with the turn around.  See Satan knew they were going to die when they partook of it’s fruit.  

Satan also knows, we have life when we eat and drink “the Body and Blood of Jesus.”

Satan, knows Scripture better than we do!  He proved that in the Temptation of Christ!  How he tickles our ears with it!

How many times does he whisper in our ears, “Surely Jesus did not tell you to eat of His Body and drink His blood?”

 He can twist it to us like he did with Eve, which he did 1500 years later, and the “diversion” of God’s children began.

Next post we are beginning with the early Church fathers and who they were.

God Bless, SR

All excerpts taken for Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

 

 

Let’s Go to Rome – The Didache (Part 1)

Didache, what in the world is that??

When I came upon this, there was no longer denying the Catholic Church was the Biblical Church.  

The Didache was known, “As the Lord’s teaching through the twelve Apostles, to the nations.”  

In this was included the teachings of the Lord to the Gentiles.  That is why it is so important for us to remember we were adopted into all of this.

It was, “Cited often by early Christian writers, the Didache disappeared from view for many centuries and was known only through secondary citations and a few fragments of parchment.  In 1875, a complete eleventh century Greek manuscript surfaced in a library in Constantinople.”

“The Didache represents the earliest of genre of Christian orders.”

It has three main sections dealing with ethics, rituals, such as Baptism and the Eucharist, and Church organization.

Church organization was at it’s early stage of development.  The Apostles and prophets were important serving as chief priest.  Celebrating the Eucharist, the local Bishops and deacons were also given authority.

The Didache also reveals how Jewish Christians saw themselves and how they adapted their practice for Gentile Christians.

It describes the same ritual as the one that took place in Corinth.  As Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, the Didache confirms that the Lord’s Supper was literally a meal.

It is considered  part of the group of second generation Christians, whose writings are known as the Apostolic Fathers.  

It was considered the first example of Church orders, what we know as the Catholic Church today.  

We have to remember when this was written, the Church was brand new.  Of course, we all have to go back to Jesus, as He was the one Who started it.

They had to have some sort of guide for the ethics, rituals and organization for the Church.

 This is the earliest Christian writings known to man.  This surfaced years before the Bible.

The Eucharist prayers are included in this.  Instructions for the Christians on their personal prayers.  It also has significant similarities between with the Gospel of Matthew, as the writings of the Didache and the Book of Matthew share words and phrases.  

The Book of Matthew was not in Scripture then, however, some seem to feel the Book of Matthew and the Didache were written around the same time.

In my next post I am going into some of the chapters of Didache, what they actually taught.

God Bless, SR

All excerpts taken from the Mass of the Early Christians, by Mike Aquilina

 

 

 

Let’s Go to Rome – The New Testament

“The New Testament provided the foundation for all the Eucharistic preaching, doctrine, and theology of the early Church. There is hardly a chapter of the Gospels that the Fathers did not relate to the Mass in some way. Jesus referred to himself as “the living bread come down from heaven,” and it was “bread” that He blessed and called His body.”

I am going to give some Scriptures references here and some excerpts regarding how the New Testament provided for all which the early Church father’s taught, even though they did not have it at the time.  Please go read them and tie it in.

The Last Supper: Luke 22:14-20

“Luke’s Gospel provides the most detailed account of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.”

The Road to Emmaus: Luke 24:25-35

“Unaware that their travelling companion is the risen Jesus, tracing the course of the Mass, Jesus opens the Scriptures for them and gives them his real presence in the “breaking of bread.”

The Bread of Life:  John 6:1-14, 22, 25-69

“By his (Jesus’) own miracle and by the words of  his sermon, Jesus demonstrates that the ancient manna, the bread that fell miraculously from heaven to free the Isralites, prefigured the greater miracle of the Eucharist, the heavenly bread that will feed the New Israel, the Church.”

The Eucharist at Corinth: 1 Cor. 10: 1-22, 11:17-34

“Paul expresses horror at what he hears about their agape Eucharists.  These actions have dire consequences.  (These people were not discerning the Body and Blood of Christ) Paul’s account of the Last Supper was likely to be the first to be set in writing: it corresponds closely to that of Luke, who was Paul’s disciple.  Note, too, the recurring images of Israel’s exodus and Passover, and the contrast of pagan sacrifice with the Christian sacrifice of the Mass.”  (Here again we see,  how the New Testament was passed on by Oral Tradition, Paul was the one who taught Luke, and that is why we have that Gospel.”

The Breaking of Bread: Act 2:41-47

“Here we find Luke’s description of the Church in the wake of the first Christians Pentecost.”

The Heavenly Jerusalem: Hebrews 12:18-29

“The Letter to the Hebrews describes Christian worship as an awesome communion of heaven and earth.  The imagery of angels and the heavenly liturgy recurred frequently in the Church’s early liturgy.”  

The Liturgy in Heaven: Rev. 4:6-11

“John’s Apocalypse describes heavenly worship in terms of the earthly worship most familiar to Christians: the hidden manna, the chalices, the vestments, and the incense of the Mass.  John’s description of heaven’s court, for example, mirrored the arrangements of the bishop and priest around the Church’s altar in the early liturgy.  John’s hymns and chants reappear in many ancient liturgies.  Almost all the early liturgical commentaries cite the Book of Revelations.”  (I have always said in the Catholic Church you get three things, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Revelations.)

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: Rev: 19:4-9

We can see from the Last Supper to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the New Testament verified every single thing as I have said, “What the early Church father’s were not only handed, but taught.”

These things did not come out of a book.  They came from Jesus and from those who were with Him.  Who were persecuted and died for every single word He spoke and for all He had set up for Israel, the Church, to be carried into the world.

Do we understand it?  Not completely, but we can understand what Jesus was saying.  He gave us four Gospels to prove it, and the rest of the New Testament. 

Mass is heaven on earth.  

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina 

Next post Didache

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s go to Rome – Reverence for the Eucharist

“The early Church took him (Jesus) at His word and always spoke of the Eucharist with the same flesh-and -blood realism.  Belief in Jesus’ real presence was essential to a Christian’s profession of faith.”

“For Ignatius, the distinguishing mark of heretics was their denial of the real presence: “They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savoir Jesus Christ, which the Father, in His goodness, raised up again.”

In Paul’s teaching on why those who were suffering and dying, many think this is because they are not discerning their own bodies, corrupted with sin.  Which I am not saying we should not do this.  But…to the early Church father’s they correlated these Scriptures in Corinthians, with them not “discerning it is the body and blood of Christ they were receiving.”  (Now we have to remember these people come up through the Apostolic succession, and were taught these things through Oral Tradition, by the Apostles and Paul, etc…)

To the early Church father’s the Eucharist was “more precious than gold.”  St. Cyril of Jerusalem said in the fourth century, “Will you not take greater care not to lose a crumb of what is more precious than gold or jewels?”  

In the third century Origen wrote: “You who accustomed to attending the divine mysteries know how, when you receive the body of the Lord, you guard it with all care and reverence lest any small part should fall from it, lest any piece of the consecrated gift be lost.”

We can see the early Church father’s handled the Eucharist with the greatest of care and reverence.  They did not even want a crumb to fall to the floor. Over two thousand years this has gone on.  Amazing isn’t it???

I know in any Catholic Church I have ever been in, this has carried forth to today.  Such care is taken nothing ever drops or is spilled to the floor.  

“Indeed, for the early Christians, the Mass was the source of life itself, and life was unthinkable without it.”  

Said a North African who faced martyrdom during the reign of Emperor Diocletian: “Without fear of any kind we have celebrated the Mass, because it cannot be missed….We cannot live without Mass.”

I do not know of any Catholic who does not feel this way.  In fact  I have said these same words to my husband, more times than I can count.

Not only did the early Church father’s and those in the Church have great reverence for Mass, this also extended to the “trappings of the liturgy as well.”  

This same respect was given to, “The altar, the plates, and the chalices which were always made of the finest materials the local Church could afford. ”  

This is what really got me.

“Justin describes deacons taking Communion to the sick who were home bound.”  

This is still going on today, and for me is one of the beautiful things the Church does.  I have had many friends who have had surgery, sick, etc… Yet, they never have to go a week without receiving the Eucharist.

St. Hippolytus wrote: “Take care to reserve the Body of Christ where no mouse could nibble at it, for it is the body of Christ and not to be treated lightly.”

I thought I would start this part of the series off with how much the early Church revered Mass.  How much they revered the Eucharist.  

I also wanted to show what we do today, has been carried on from the “days in Rome.”

“Mass had it roots in the worship of Israel, Christ had clearly established something new.”

“For Christians who bound themselves to Christ could no longer worship the emperor as a god or follow the traditional, state sponsored religion.  At the liturgy, the Christians were easy targets for their persecutors.”

They chose to attend Mass anyways, “not only for the promise of heaven in the future, but for the reality of heaven in the Eucharist.”

“In the Mass, Christians already lived within the messianic age foreshadowed in the Old Testament, the todah, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.   To go to Mass was to live in heaven already.”

I am ending this part here.  I  thought it was important to to show how much Mass was cherished.  Cherished so much, that many of the people I am going to write about in future post, were burned alive, beheaded, and thrown to lions.  

I pray if I ever have to make that choice, my answer will be the same as their’s.

God Bless, SR

All excerpts taken from “The Mass of the Early Christians, by Mike Aquilina

 

 

 

 

What I Believe has Separated God’s Children

I have done a week’s worth of post, showing in Scripture that there was a Church in the Bible, and Jesus is in the Eucharist, through Scripture.  

What the Bible actually did,  was validate everything the early Church fathers had been teaching for over 300 years, without it.  “Oral Tradition.”

Here are some of examples to me that people say to justify their beliefs, without tying it in with the others.

Faith alone saves us:

Do we ignore the fact that “faith alone” never appears in Scripture together?  Do we ignore that Scripture says that hope, grace, the power of God, endurance, belief, and baptism save us, along with our faith. What do we do with these Scriptures?

Jesus died for all sins, past, present and future:

Do we ignore the fact that statement never appears in Scripture?  In fact what Scripture does say is, “Jesus died for all “past” sins.”  Rm. 3:25  Why?  When we come to Christ, repent, and are baptized our slate is clean.  Then we begin to sin, but see there is something we have to do according to the “plan” of salvation Christ opened for us.  We have to confess those sins and repent.  Then we are forgiven.  Christ died for all sin, but we also have a part to play before we can be forgiven.  How are we going to repent for future sins, that we have not committed and He took away those in the past?  It is today’s sins we need to worry about.

The Bible is the pillar of the truth:

That is not what the Bible says, it says, “the church is.” Do we ignore this?

We are the only Church in the Bible:

Do we ignore Paul’s letter to Timothy saying, “Therefore I sent you, Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as “I”  teach them, everywhere “in every” Church.”  So if he taught  “in every”  Church, and we are the “only” Church, what did Paul do, just jump “in” everybody’s body????  (1Cor. 4:17)  I urge you to read the whole thing regarding Paul being a father, to the Corinth’s, etc…

The Eucharist (Holy Communion) is symbolic:

The word “symbolic” NEVER appears in Scripture when speaking of the Eucharist.  So do we ignore the fact that Jesus did indeed say His Body and Blood are in the Bread and Wine?  To not believe it, is like saying Jesus lied about it????  We know that did not happen!

Martin Luther ripped books out of the Bible because they were just not Biblical:

So do we ignore the fact that Jesus actually quoted out of those books?  So if they were non-Biblical as Martin Luther assumed, why would Jesus quote out of them, many times, I might add!

Everything we need to know is in the Bible:

Do we ignore the fact that is not in the Bible?  The Bible teaches us that the living Word of  God is both written and oral.  Oral Tradition is as much a part of the Bible as the written part is.  The thing of it is, the Biblical Church (Catholic) were the one’s handed these oral traditions, not these other thousands and thousands.

Our salvation is locked up and done:

Do we ignore that St. Paul said, “To work out our own salvation with fear and trembling?”

Peter was not the Pope:

Do we ignore the fact Peter was the one Jesus gave the “keys” to?  Meaning Peter was given the authority over the entire Church, being the “father” of it.  The actual Church in and of itself, that offered the Eucharist to God,  and the people in it? (See Isaiah 22:22 if you want to know what this really means.)

Well the Catholic Church was selling indulgences:

My lands what do you think these 100’s of pastor’s preaching this “prosperity gospel” are doing?

I am stopping here though I could write a book on it.  

What caused all of this?

People began to pick and choose what they wanted to believe.  Quoting Scripture to fit what they want to believe.  What parts of it they do not want to believe is totally ignored.    We are not a cafeteria!

Churches spring up, then begin to break off over and over and over.  There is no way the division of God’s children pleases Him.  Never did in Israel.

As Mike Aquilina said, “The early Church father’s left us a trail to follow.”  We need to do it.

My next series is going to show how Jesus made everything new.  Who the early Church Father’s were and what they actually did.  And a post on the Didache which are the earliest writings on/in the Church.  That came before Scripture did.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

Whose Interpretation is Right – The Seder Meal (B)

In our last post we see the importance of the “Seder Meal,” and what it actually meant and how it was instituted by Christ.  

So now we are going to finish it up.

After the Death and Resurrection of  Jesus just as it was on the night of the Lord’s Supper, “once again he wasted no time before repeating the Lord’s Supper.”

“Encountering two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he prevented them from recognizing him.  Only when they sat at the table were their eyes opened, and they knew him, “in the breaking of bread.”  (Luke 24:35)

“For the first Christians, all of whom were Jews, the Eucharist of Jesus Christ was inseparable from the mystery of the Passover.  Paul states that Christ is now, “our paschal lamb.”  1 Cor. 5:8)  He is, therefore, the sacrifice and the price of redemption, as the lamb was for the firstborn sons of Israel at the Exodus.  Paul goes onto say, “Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  (1 Cor. 5:8)

“All the worship of ancient Israel the sacrifices, the assemblies, the commemorations, the blessings, and the prayers had, “LED GOD’S PEOPLE TO THIS MOMENT.”  When the first Christians knew him, “in the breaking of bread” they saw that all the rites they had known before were now fulfilled, transformed, and glorified.  This celebration of the Eucharist, which Christ had commanded them to “do,” in his memory, was clearly continuous with the liturgy of Israel.  Yet, it was also something strikingly new, a new covenant in His Blood.”  

“Nonetheless, the disciples still belonged to Israel, for Israel too, had been fulfilled, transformed and glorified in the Church.  The first Christians still continued to think of themselves as Jews.  As one scholar wrote, “There was never any brutal rupture between the Church and Mosaic religion.”

They still shared many things.

“Recent archaeological excavations show that Christian and rabbinic synagogues coexisted from across the street from one another, the Christians maintaing  a synagogue on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.”  

“With the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, in the year 70, relations between Christians and other Jews became complicated.  Whereas the Jews in Judea had tolerated a widely diverse range of religious expression, in the dispersion the piety of the Pharisees prevailed.  At a council held in Jamnia in 100, the rabbis decreed that “the Nazarenes,”  the followers of Jesus, should be excommunicated from the synagogues and cursed in the synagogue service. “

It is believed though Christians and Jews did enjoy some degree of mutual influence well into the fifth century.

To sum all of this up including the other posts.

Every thing Jesus did at the Lord’s Supper was foreshadowed in the Old Testament, brought forth into the new.  That is how Scripture works.  God’s complete story, not a Scripture here and there.

The first Christians as well as those who chose not to believe still had the understanding of what Jesus was doing.   Some chose to believe it, and some did not.

That is why they were so divided in the way of worship and beliefs.  That is why “WE” are so divided today.  

Many refused/refuse to believe Jesus began a Biblical Church, with the Lord’s Supper.  Many do not understand the Priest is the one who has to consecrate the Host.  That is the way Jesus set it up.  

For instance, I cannot go and get bread and wine, bring it home, and it become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.  This has to be done by those within the Apostolic succession.  In saying this though many do not believe this happens anyways, which this belief is contrary to everything Jesus and the Apostles taught. (As has been shown in these post using Scripture to show it.)

But, the early Christian Jews believed it.  They no longer worshiped in the Rabbinic Synagogues.  

They went and the Host of Bread and Wine was consecrated to God.  They offered up the “cup of salvation” as seen in Psalms 116.  They shared this meal with Jesus for the rest of their lives, recognizing Jesus, by having their eyes opened, each time they did.

It has carried on into today, in the Catholic Church.  All things were made new.  Which is coming up.

This is the end of this part.  I am going to give my thoughts on all of it in the next post.

God Bless, SR 

All excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

 

 

Whose Interpretation is Right? – The Seder Meal (A)

We left off  with Jesus instituting the Eucharist as a Jew.  Also seeing reference was given to it in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Now we are going to dig a little deeper into it.

“All these details of the seder meal correspond closely with the Gospel narratives of the Last Supper in Matthew, Mark,  and Luke, as well as Paul’s account in is First Letter to the Corinthians.  John’s Gospel presents a different but complementary account of the events of that particular Passover meal.”

“From the Seder, Jesus proceeded to his trial and death, then to His resurrection and glorification.  The events would be forever stamped with the character of Passover.  The Church calls them, collectively, the Paschal Mystery, from Pesach, the Hebrew word for Passover.”

“In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus describes Himself as impelled toward his last seder with his Apostles, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you that I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. ” Luke 22:15

“Luke continues with the New Testament’s fullest account of the institution of the Eucharist, repeating almost verbatim the words Paul wrote to the Corinthians.”  (Luke 22:19-20)

“These are the words that set THIS seder meal apart from any other. “

Jesus proclaimed the bread as his body, and the wine as his blood.  

“The todah, the chaburah, and the seder had all included blessings of bread and wine, but never had anyone made such a claim for the efficacy of the prayers of blessing, that they should become the flesh and blood of God-made-man.”  

“After the supper, Jesus and the apostles sang the Hallel Psalms and he went out to give up his body and shed his blood.”  Matthew 26:30

I am going to stop here and finish the rest of this tomorrow, to give some thought.

Jesus did everything he did, bringing forth all traditions and rituals of the Jews, in this meal.  As I have stated before , the difference was His claim that He was in the consecrated Host, the Bread and Wine.

With this He brought forth a new way of worship and a new Church.  

The Jews knew this and they killed Him for it.  Their reason was, “Better one man die, than a whole nation perish.”

Something happened though.  Jesus had handed these keys to Peter, and he taught it and he practiced it, and it cost him, his life also. 

A Church had begun with the Lord’s Supper.  A Church whose worship was based solely on the Lord’s Supper.

In 107 A.D. St Ignatius gave to that Church, the name “Catholic.”  The Universal Church of God. 

God Bless, SR

Excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians, by Mike Aquilina 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whose Interpretation is Correct – Jesus was a Jew

We can see in the previous post Mass is beginning to take off from Israel to Rome.  Although the Apostles took it to other countries as well.  

Before I go any further, I want to go back to Jesus and Israel.  I know it is hard not to jump right in today, but without all of this we will not understand today.

“What was “this” that Jesus commanded his apostles to “do” in His remembrance?  To understand his action, and the action of the Mass, requires knowledge of the worship of the Jews in Jesus’ time. For the early Christians believed Jesus’ Last Supper and, in turn the Mass, to be the culmination of all the worship of ancient Israel.”

We must always remember Jesus was a Jew.  He conducted his life as one, worshiped as one, following all patterns in the law and tradition of Israel.  This is why the Eucharist is set up the way it is.

Jesus was not going to change the way they did anything as far as the Passover Meal.  The only thing that changed was the “sacrifice” in itself.

“A form of sacrifice which Jesus was familiar with was the todah or “thanksgiving.”  The todah was an offering of praise in gratitude for deliverance from some dire circumstance.  Many of the Psalms record todah prayers.  (Psalms 22 and 116 are two)  Along with the prayer the person who had received deliverance was to offer a sacrificial meal of bread and wine, and shared with friends.  The Talmud records the rabbinic teaching that, with the coming of Israel’s anointed deliverer, the Messiah, “all sacrifices will cease except the  “todah sacrifice.”  This will never cease in all eternity.”  

Which we know today as the Eucharist.

“The pious Qumran sect, a community of Israelite monks that flourished during the time of Jesus’ time, left a record of that hope in the Dead Sea Scrolls:  “And when they shall gather for the common table, to eat and drink new wine… let no man extend his hand over the first-fruits of bread and wine before the priest; for it is he who shall bless the first-fruits of bread and wine and shall be the first to extend his hand over the bread.  Thereafter, the Messiah of Israel shall extend His hand over the bread, and all the congregation of the community shall utter a blessing, each man in order of his dignity.”

This is Mass.

“The chaburah, berakoth, and todah were important elements in the culture of Jesus.  However, he uttered his command to “do this,” in the context of the Passover meal, the “seder.” This single most important event in the Jewish year.”

Mass and the Eucharist were even in the Dead Sea Scrolls!

The thing we have to remember is, we as Gentiles were adopted into this race of Jewish people.  In the New Testament, our forefather’s are the “Christian Jews.”

Here Jesus is, a Jew, following everything which is Jewish, is about to change something for them.  The “seder meal,”  the “Passover Meal.”  He did not do away with it, as many think, “it is over and done with.”  

It is distributed the same way as in the Old Testament.  Has the same meaning as in the Old Testament.  Is the beginning of His saving works.

The only thing different is, He becomes the Sacrifice in the Passover Meal.  This is what the Jewish people could not understand. To eat flesh and drink blood???  This would make them a cannibal! 

That is why they left Him.  That is why He let them go.  

Those who understood stayed.  Those who came to believe in this, worshiped God in this way, in the Biblical Church.

We as the adopted children of God,  were given the grace to participate in the Passover Meal, with the Jewish Christians of that day, and today.

God Bless, SR

All excerpts taken from Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whose Interpretation is Correct ?- Mass is All Over the Place (Part 2)

We left off where we see that Mass was the way of worship in the Bible and the Early Christian Fathers.

Now what has happened?

“Christianity spread rapidly through the Roman Empire.  One modern sociologist estimates that, in the centuries that concern us here, the Church grew at a rate of forty percent per decade.  By the middle of the fourth century, there were thirty-three million Christians in an empire of sixty million people.  That meant Mass was everywhere.  Justin commented that by his day (150) “There is not a single race of men among whom prayers and Eucharist are not offered through the name of the Crucified Christ.”  The Fathers commonly applied the Old Testament prophecy of Malachi to the Mass.”  Mal 1:11  (Please go get your Bible and read)

Mass was being offered everywhere at this point as it “the Church had spread to the eastern and western horizon of the empire.”

“The early Christians did not call it Mass.  It was commonly known as the “breaking of bread.”  Supplemented by Sacrifice, the offering, the oblation; for the Mass was understood to be the Church’s participation in the once-for-all sacrifice of the New Covenant.  Some called the new rite the liturgy.  The Latins the sacrament and the Greeks the mysteries.  Some the Lord’s Supper, the chalice, the altar.  The Passion of the Lord, the presence, the communion.  Overwhelmingly though the title that won the day was the Eucharist meaning in Greek giving “thanksgiving.”

“As the Gospel spread from place to place, the converted people found new and local ways of expressing worship, though Always within the form that remained constant in Christian tradition.”

“We see the care with which ritual form was passed from culture to culture in the first letter of Paul who was  Jew, to the Corinthians who were Greek.”  (1 Cor. 11:23-25)  (Please read)

“They celebrated the Mass because the Lord Jesus had commanded them to do so.”

“Twice in Paul’s account of the Last Supper, Jesus instructs His apostles, “do this.”  Moreover he emphasizes this action will be at the center of the new order he is establishing with His death and resurrection.  The “cup” is the new covenant in my blood.”  Thus the apostles, and subsequent generations, would meticulously preserve the Lord’s words and actions as something precious and even divine.”

The way to worship God began at the Lord’s Supper brought forth from the Old Testament.  God had instituted the way He wanted to be worshiped in the Old Testament and brought it forth into the New.  We as Gentiles were adopted into this.  We were adopted into the nation of Israel and their form of worship as God had set it up.  

I am going to show how this was done in the next post, and why.

We can see this is what the Apostles along with the early Church Father’s taught.  This is exactly what Christians did, on the handing down of oral traditions.  Man, not God changed it 1500 years later.

 

All excerpts taken from “The Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina

God Bless, SR

 

 

So Whose Interpretation is Correct? (Part 1)

Before I begin, I want to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Easter.  It is wonderful to contemplate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The title of this post is a question I was asked by someone very dear to me, regarding Scripture.   When I went to the Lord for the answer this is what I know He said.

“Mine, the Apostles, and the early Church Fathers.”

So I decided to go back to Scripture and the first 300 or so years of the Church, and those in it.   Note: At this time I am not calling it Catholic or Protestant.  At this time in history it is called “The Church.”

I urge you to get your Bibles out to follow it. I will be giving Scripture reference.  It is going to be a long study.  All Excerpts are taken from the “Mass of the Early Christians” by Mike Aquilina (A book I urge you all to get as I cannot write everything that is in it.)

 Let’s begin with 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul states, “If I am delayed you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”  

Right here, we see there is a Church in the Bible and it is not just us.  It is one that has rules on how to behave in it, and it supports the edifice (building) of gospel truth, with it’s teachings.

“The first Christians experiences Mass as a Sacrament, a sacrifice, the new Passover, the re-presentation of the Paschal Mystery, the communion of God with man, the revelation of heavenly worship, and the source and summit of the Church’s life and unity.”

Mike goes on to say, not direct quote for space, we know generally what they said and did when they went to Mass, and we know the faith they believed when they draw near to the altar.  We know this because they left us a trail.  

“The Mass was, after all the act that defined them as Christians.”

Luke’s description of the Church is seen in Acts 2:42

What was done there, was in the “newborn Church and so it would continue in every generation afterwards.”

“Wherever Christianity spread, the Church immediately established the liturgy- “the breaking of bread and prayers.”  

“Some twenty years after Pentecost St. Paul gave the Church of Corinth detailed instructions on how to conduct the Mass and how to understand it. (1 Cor. 10:11-22)

“From the next generation (60-100), the Church of Antioch in Syria, left us the Didache, (you can google it) a manual that contains liturgical prayers that are still in use today.  As the century turned Pope Clement quoted from the the Roman liturgy, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might!” – in his own letter to the Corinthians.  St. Ignatius of Antioch, in 107, wrote to the Christians of Asia Minor, setting forth the Church’s Eucharistic teaching in clear and forceful terms, “confess(ing) the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ.”  Around 112, a pagan governor, Pliny the Younger, sent Emperor Trajan a report describing how Christian worship included, “food of an ordinary and innocent kind.”  At the middle century, Justin Martyr recorded a remarkably detailed description of the Mass as it was celebrated in Rome.”

We are about to enter into, “glimpses of the Mass as it was from the first Christian Pentecost to the year 350.”

During this study I urge you all to look at the dates, the people, Scripture and the nations.  

You have to remember there was no Bible then, only oral teachings.  The people doing these teachings were the Apostles, those they taught, and those they taught.

This study is how Christian worship was set up to be, how Jesus set it up, and how it was taken forward.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

Two Things the Devil Makes Us – Bad or Busy (The End)

This post is about two things.  The Sabbath and when God asked me, “Where is your Eden?”  I am going to begin with the Sabbath.

Many feel as if Jesus did away with the Sabbath, or should I say “Sabbath Rest.”  

I live in a farming community.  Trust me, all week long there are tractors going, mowers going, tractors going down the highway… You name it,  the shredder and mower blades are turning!

I have got to say this, on Sunday you hear nothing.  Outside of being a farming community, it is also a God believing community.  The Sabbath, unless their is an emergency, is very much observed. 

Now if one has to get out and help their neighbor with something, we will do that.

I do not believe Jesus did away with this day at all! 

God knew we needed a day of rest during the week.  A day to relax our bodies, minds, and souls.   A day without the hustles and bustles of life.  

You know the funny thing about it is, if we would truly use this day to “rest” as He said, we could actually rest with Him.  

Not doing anything major, just know He is there in our rest, like He is in our work.

My grandmother always said, “We worked from four in the morning until night every day.  Saturday was our shopping day as you only went to town once a week.  On Sunday, nobody worked.”

I think as hard as it might be for us, we need to get this back in our lives. 

One suggestion I have and I did stop it, was shopping on Sunday.  I know the stores are open and crowded most of the time.  I chose to stop it because I needed that day, and so did my family. 

Believe it or not, you will have no idea how fresh you feel on Monday, and are actually ready to go back to work. 

Now the “Eden.”

Years ago I was about in the same shape I am in today.  What really changed everything for me is when Mom and Dad got sick.  I am having trouble getting adjusted back to getting the “busy” out.

Back in that time, God asked me, “Where is your Eden?”  My reply, “What God?”  Again, “Where is your Eden, remember I walked every evening with Adam and Eve in the garden?”

I knew then more than anything, God just wanted to take a stroll with me.  A stroll as I would take with a friend.  To talk with Him, as I would a friend.  

I had/have a pasture and every evening I would go and walk and talk with God.  Our conversations were really about nothing.  

It was not like I was being convicted of anything, or complaining to Him about anything.  It was some of the most most peaceful times I ever spent with God.  

God reminded me of that, Friday.  Asked me the same question, “Where is your, Eden?”

Make time for God, not on a God, servant basis or a Father, child bases.  Make time for God as one friend to another sharing thoughts, laughter, love and most of all, being in a peaceful moment with Him.  

I hope my stories have helped you.  Either we stop to smell the roses, or the bush is going to become nothing but a thorn bush.

As usual with these post I am giving a story about what one can do to serve God or a prayer.  This is a story about one of my friends.

She and her children bake cookies, not every week but at least once a month, and take to the residence in the nursing homes.  She ties them up in plastic with a ribbon.  

She told me she does it not only for the residence but to teach her children they have a responsibility to help take care of people like this.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

Two Things the Devil Makes Us – Bad or Busy (Part 2)

What kind of scales are we creating in our life?  One that weighs heavy on the left, one that weighs heavy on the right, or one that is totally in balance.  Let us see what God has to say about that.

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1

This is actually speaking about when people brought their grain in to be weighed, and were cheated out of their money because they were adjusting the weights.  

When I read it I applied it to my life.  My weight between God and life are no where accurate.  

I had to ask myself, “Is this an abomination to God?”

Of course my answer was, “Always was with Israel!” “Pretty sure it is with me!”

See I have lots of idols.  Cell phone, computer, work, my own desires, time management, television,  myself, etc…  Really I do not have the space to list them all.  They all keep me pretty “busy.”

When I listed these things out, not a one of them included the “idols” God wanted me to have.

So I had to go to some of the Saints and their busy days, and this is what I came up with.

Mother Teresa – Busiest woman who ever lived!  Let’s see… Her busy day consisted of maggot infested people, fed over 36,000 hungry people a week, babies who were abandoned, so many of them she would have to turn them, to make space.  Orphans, pulling dying people out of gutters, cleaning them, with maggots in them I might add.  Placing clean clothes on them so they could die with some sort of dignity.  She did not go to bed until midnight, and got up at 4 a.m.  She did this until the day she died.  Which was in her 80’s!  Hmmm… Wonder if she ever got tired?  She always said, “I have the rest of eternity to rest!”   Yet Mother Teresa always was with God and in God.  I think without a doubt all of us can say, “He was always with and in her.”  She never placed God second to anything in her life!   See, her “busy” was God focused.

St. Charbel – This man, I don’t have the words for.  Very seldom ever spoke.  Worked from sun up to sun down, praying always throughout it.  Humility is not a strong enough word for him.  When he was off work he stayed continuously before the Blessed Sacrament.  They said, When he died and they exhumed his body this liquid kept running out of it until the 1950’s.  After that his body begin to decay. 

St. Charbel never let go of prayer and humility.  One of the things he said was, “We cannot use the weapons of Satan to fight against evil,  less we become as him.”   

I knew then, when I let my “busy” be on things that are not of God, control my life, that was the very thing I was doing, no matter my good intentions!  (That I will be doing a post on later.)

The devil can place things in my life,  that are so pleasing and enjoyable to me.   Things I can actually use for good, until they become my “idol,” and call me away from everything God is truly wanting me to do.  Then they are no more than the weapons of the devil.

St. Benedict and his rule – This man got it!  The pendulum has to swing in the middle, concerning life and God.  Everything I have I must realize is given to me by God and I take care of it.   My work I offer up to God in prayer always beginning each task with, “Lord come to my assistance, Lord, make haste to help me.”   Ending with, “I thank you Lord and I bless You, for you have helped and strengthened me.”  Thereby, calling God into every single thing I do.  When I do that, it all becomes an offering and prayer to God.

Moses was a man who God called, “My friend.”  I do not believe there was anyone as “busy” as Moses!  But Moses knew God had made him promises and God would keep them.  His “busy” was what God called him to do.  Nothing ever, took  Moses from it!

I am going to leave this with this prayer.  I have one more post to do on this.  I want you to think about this prayer because I think about it each time I say it.  Hopefully when God disposes what we possess according to His will and not ours, our pendulum will swing in the middle again.

‘Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.  All that I am and all that I possess You have given me.  I surrender all to You to be disposed of according to Your will.  Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough and desire nothing more.’  Amen +

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Things the Devil Makes Us -Bad or Busy (Part 1)

I am writing this series because the Holy Spirit convicted me so heavily this morning regarding this “busy” in my life all I could do was repent.  I am doing this in hopes to help myself and others.  

I am so “busy” days go by that I do not take the time to discern, if it is God speaking to me or the devil.  This is very dangerous for my soul, my life and those in my life. 

My thoughts went to St. Ignatius of Loyola and a movie I watched about him.

He was a great soldier who became injured and bedridden.  This changed his life and he decided to live it for God.  Of course our worst enemy showed up to him.

Satan was trying to get him to commit suicide and throw himself off of a cliff.  St. Ignatius was crawling to the edge, then the devil said something to him. 

“Step forth life of the morning star, and meet your destiny!”

Saint Ignatius said, “Morning star? Morning star? Lucifer!!!!!!”

He came up with a sword and said, “You wretched creature!  Now I know your voice!  You cannot promise me one hour of life!  I will not take the life I have sworn to Him!  Now voice of the fallen one, be silent and be gone!”

The next scene he was bathing in a stream and Jesus showed up and said, “You know we were both called that don’t you?  The morning star?  But now, you know my voice.”

The number one thing I know I have to do, is stop this insane busy in my life and discern, is this You God, or is it the devil?  Then not make another move until I am sure which it is!

I am going to relay a story here, on something I do and what happened because of it.

My cell phone!  That thing was a major problem in my life of  “busy!”  Text coming in, calls coming in.  Lots of hours in a day spent on that thing.

Nothing irks me more then not being able to get down a grocery aisle, because someone is in the middle stopped, talking on that phone!

I got tired of seeing parents eating out with their children, and the first thing they pull out is that phone!  The parents not the kids!  Really Mom and Dad, is that all you got to give your kids in the hour it takes to eat a meal????  It is so sad to me!

The things are going off in Church and I see adults as well as the kids texting before Mass begins!  Really????

So I decided to cut mine off when I shop, eat out, etc…  

This is what happened because of it.  I am not saying this to toot my horn, because trust me there is not a horn loud enough to toot for me.

A mother and her daughter were shopping.  I heard the child say, “I want this blouse.”  Mom said, “I don’t have the money for it.”  

I saw the child on another aisle by herself and I had a twenty dollar bill.  I gave it to her and told her she could spend it on anything she wanted.  

I was an aisle over and I heard her tell her Mom, “Mom this lady gave me twenty dollars and now I can buy my blouse!”  Nothing but thrill and happiness in her voice.

One of things in our lives Jesus said to do, is to take Him to others in the world.

If I had been on that cell phone, none of this would have ever happened.

You see when we are continously on that thing, we do not have the ears to hear because we are focused on that phone!  We do not have the eyes to see, because we are looking down at that thing texting!  We do not have the hands to help because we are holding that thing in them all the time!

Oh yes, the devil’s voice made me think for a very long time, I could not live without it.

How many times have I been on that thing, and missed an elderly person needing help putting groceries in their car?  Someone needing help to get out of it!  Someone needing help getting something off the shelf?  

A child needing help for a twenty dollar blouse?  More times then I care to admit!

See “busy” makes us bad, if it is not the right kind of “busy!”

On Friday night I send a group text out telling family and friends, phone going off until Monday.  If you need something text me, I will check it.

I love it!  It gives me time for God, my husband, myself and living our lives together.

I welcome your comments here, on what you are doing to get out of the things in the world and back to the things which truly matter in your life.  We need to help each other.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Mowing Musings – The Two Things the Devil Makes Us

Today was mow day.  Beautiful sunshine and I love to be outdoors in it.  Dogs barking, cattle grazing, cat’s coming in heat and the males going crazy, (ha, ha), and just being in God’s beautiful and wonderful nature always places joy in my soul and a smile on my face.

As I was mowing I was thinking about something a Priest said on EWTN, “If the devil does not make you bad, he will make you busy.”

As I pondered on that, I begin to realize how true of a statement that really is.

How many times in today’s society when you ask someone how they are doing the reply is always, “busy?”  Maybe if you need help and call a family member or friend the reply is, “will be there as soon as I can, I am busy right now.”

I can go to the grocery store and ask 10 people, “How are you doing?”  Almost all ten of them the word “busy” comes flying out.  (I am not asking what you are doing I am asking how you are doing.)

All of this made me reflect on when I was a child.  We owned a dairy so of course we were “busy.”  If you weren’t planting and plowing, you were milking.  If you were not feeding your animals you were making steaks out of them.  Yes, we were busy.

But…we always had time to go fishing, ride horses, take our show calf to the country fair, and go swimming in the tank.  We went to the movies and had lots of barbecues.

We had time to go hunting, visit our grandparents, help our neighbors, and most of all every Sunday go to Church.  Then we gathered with friends/family for Sunday dinner.  The kids would play outside all day, as the adults sat on the front porch and made homemade ice cream. 

I remember if you wanted to buy something on Sunday, you were just out of luck!  You might have a hamburger place open and maybe a gas station.  That was it.

You know it does not get much busier than owning a diary and having acres and acres of land to care for.  A home and kids to take care of with no dryer for your clothes, just a clothes line. 

Taking care of milk and range cattle.  

Yeah, we were “busy.”  Not so much that we did not have the time to enjoy every single thing God gave to us.  

We knew how to get away from it, and have a life.

Today, not so.  

I think we all need to look around and see how much is in our lives, that is actually taking our lives from us.  Get rid of it, or at least get it in some sort of balance.

Get our focus back on how life is really supposed to be.

This is the order, though the devil makes it seem so differently.

God first, husband and wife second, kids third, and then friends.

The only time the world needs to enter our lives, is never!  Yes, we have to live in it, but we do not have to be a part of the things of it.  Especially those things, which have no part of God in it.

Being too busy will eventually make us bad stressed out people.  Then the devil has gotten his way, by us becoming both.

God Bless, SR

 

 

What it Cost Me to do God’s Will

You know I am seeing a lot of people complaining.  Complaining about being quarantined.  Having to cook because they cannot go out to eat.  Complaining because the streets/towns/cities are quiet.  The list just keeps growing.

I really want to share what I have been through in the last ten years, because I want you to think, “Do I really have it that bad?”  If you do not have the corona-virus, no you do not, nor do I.

It began in 2009.  My mother broke her hip and got Alzheimer’s.   Six years of falls, gashed open head, calls at three in the morning.  Nursing home as it became where she could not stay at home, as it was not safe.  In that was another nightmare, as nursing homes are not the greatest.  Mom passed in 2015.

During helping Dad take care of Mom, he had gallbladder surgery and torn tendons in his knees.  He was in a wheelchair.  All the while Dad was having mini-strokes.

Then a guy texting hit my sister, head on.  Broke her leg, arm, pelvic bone, and paralyzed the left side of her face.

Then my brother got cancer.  He is the love of my life.  When he called, I was sitting on the bed.  I slid off of the bed, and asked God to take me, because I could not bury him.

Then Dad had a brain stem stroke, and my husband and I had to sell everything we owned, and move in with him.  We took care of him for two years, and he died in November of 2019.

It cost all of us to serve God.  In my case, it was everything my husband and I worked and paid for, for years.  Truly, it was our life, our neighbors who were wonderful and we loved, every stick of furniture, not being able to come and go as we pleased, because it all depended on Dad.

I really mean, we sold all we had and followed Jesus.  We are just now getting our life back.  

Even that is hard, because we can’t remember what is like not to take care of someone.  What is like to sleep all night?  What it is like not to get up in the morning and find someone laying in the middle of the floor?

If you are not sick, hush!  Go do something for someone who is.  Help a caregiver, now that is a thought!

There is no one in the Bible, who God called, that did not have to move, suffer hardships, persecution, or sickness. 

There have been many  martyrs being burned alive or beheaded.  Torture is not even a strong enough word for it.

The one thing God always does, is stay with US.   His grace is so precious, the thing is we refuse it, because we cannot let go of  ME AND I!

So before you start complaining because your tired, quarantined, have to cook, your with your kids all day, or just plain bored think……

Would I rather be sick or live ten years of my life as SR did?

Then turn and thank God for always being there.  Being faithful to His children and loving us in spite of ourselves.

God Bless, SR

 

 

 

Maybe We Thought We Were Too Big for Our Britches!

I thought for my first post after two years, I would start out with this one.

Maybe some of you remember this post and maybe you do not.  This may serve as a reminder.

I read a lot regarding all that is going on all over the world.  Everyone has an opinion, a wonder, a thought.  Most all of us have some kind of fear, be it however big or small. 

When I was a child my Dad taught us a very great lesson. 

He said, “When you think you are too big for your britches, get out here and battle mother nature.  Then see how big you are.”

Maybe we can sum it all up that maybe God is thinking, “They have become too big for their britches.”

We are learning how helpless we really are, aren’t we?  Left on our own we are squat.

A tornado comes, a hurricane, a flood, a virus, a disease etc… Not much we can do, can we?  Hard to do something about what we do not see coming, isn’t it?

We need to get the right size britches to fit our rear ends, don’t we? 

We are nothing without the love, mercy and grace of God, are we? We are as helpless now as those 60,000,000 babies aborted every year in this world.  We kind of know how they feel now don’t we?

Another thing Dad always said was, “When you think you can control everything, go look at the ocean and control it.”

I think God maybe has had enough of our “Quarter Horse,” and maybe we need to get back to being a “donkey.” 

Humble, willing to do whatever He wants us to do, let Him lead the bit in our mouths and hush.  Most of all know, He is in control of everything.

God Bless, SR