Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
I was recently in a conversation with someone about the Latin Mass. He said he did not like it, yet he also said he never attended a Latin Mass. What came to my mind was an event about two years ago, We[family] went to Saturday Vigil and got there early for confession. We were sitting in the pew waiting for Mass to begin. For some reason, people have conversions in the church like they are in their kitchen, but I digress. Anyway, near me I heard a conversation where this man was spitting out nonsense about there’s going to be a Catholic Church of North America and such. What my wife heard that he started to talk about a certain priest(pastor of another parish) who is asking our bishop if he can have a Latin Mass every Sunday. Here’s the part my wife heard, that I did not, he said this priest was a Lefebvreist priest. If I would have heard this I would have challenged him on that statement. Sometimes I think God does not allow me to hear such things b/c He knows I’ll go off. He also said the he supports Vatican II, whatever that means.
Point is that this guy, ignorant as he is, believes the Latin Mass and SSPX are basically synonymous, and one is disobedient as SSPX by accepting the Latin Mass. Maybe this is conjecture, but I don’t think so. I believe b/c of the SSPX some faithful Catholics are not open to the Latin Mass. There’s a subconscious association there that people think the Latin Mass is a SSPX thing, which is a sad consequence of Lefebvre’s and SSPX’s disobedience b/c the Latin Mass is so beautiful.
Boys serve at the altar partly as a way to introduce youths to the priesthood, which is for males only. Currently, the vast majority of altar servers do not become priests. However, this trend can and should change. Boys should be encouraged to consider the priesthood from an early age. And they should be encouraged to become altar servers as a good first introduction to the priesthood. But if girls serve along side boys, the role of altar server will not be viewed by the children or their parents as an introduction to the role of a priest. One might say that the role of altar girl can be an introduction for the girls to the religious life, so that boys would see serving at the altar as a precursor to the role of a priest, and girls would see it as a precursor to the role of a religious sister. This view is incorrect. It is not the role of women religious to serve at the altar. Nuns are called to the consecrated life for prayer, self-sacrifice, and works of mercy. Nuns are not called to take those roles which are most fitting only for the ordained, but which do not absolutely require ordination. There are certain roles in the Church which require ordination, and other roles which, while not absolutely requiring ordination, are most fitting only for the ordained.
The altar servers assist a male-only priesthood. As a group, even though most do not become priests, the altar boys are a foreshadowing and a reflection of the male-only priesthood. By example, the altar boys teach that only men can and should be priests and Bishops. People may want to view the role of altar server as separate from the priesthood, since altar servers are not ordained. But those who serve at the altar serve along side ordained priests, assisting them closely throughout the holy Mass. The reduction of male-only roles to nothing other than those roles absolutely requiring ordination erodes the teaching of the Church on the male-only priesthood. Following this erroneous path would lead to a reduction in the role of the priest to nothing other than a dispenser of Sacraments. Such is not the will of God.
God intends men and women to have different roles in the Church, the family, and society. This teaching of Tradition and Scripture is not restricted, within the Church, only to the role of priests and Bishops, but to many other roles as well. In the family, the husband is the head of the family, not the wife; nor does the family have two heads, husband and wife. In society, it is not the will of God to have all roles filled by both men and women without regard to gender. Some differences in roles makes for a wise and orderly society. When girls serve along side boys at the altar, the teaching of the Church that men and women are intended by God to have different roles is contradicted by example. Children learn the incorrect idea that boys and girls, men and women, can and should have the same roles in everything. When only boys serve, children learn the correct teaching that some roles are for males only. The choice of males only as altar servers wisely reflects the wider teaching that not all roles are for persons of either gender. The use of both girls and boys at the altar contradicts by example this understanding of different roles based on gender.
The Church must not be overly influenced by sinful secular society. The Church has teachings which come from Divine Revelation. But secular society also has its teachings, some of which are irreconcilable with Church teaching. One such contrary teaching is the idea that there should be no distinctions, no differences in roles, based on gender. The widespread and very recent innovation of having altar girls is not a reflection of the teachings of Tradition and Scripture, but is a reflection of the teachings of secular society. Although the Church does not absolutely forbid girls to serve at the altar, the choice of boys only as altar servers better reflects the teachings and traditions of the Church. This wise choice also undermines the false teaching of secular society that male and females must have the same roles in everything.
There is a tendency in the parishes and dioceses today to over-hire women. Perhaps partly because women cannot be ordained, there is a tendency to permit or encourage women to be in the majority in every non-ordained role. This is seen in many parishes where most extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are female, where most lectors are female, where most parish council members are female, etc. It is also seen in parishes where the proportion and number of altar girls increases and that of boys decreases. The end result of this tendency is for women to dominate every role other than that of ordained deacons, priests, and Bishops. There is no teaching in Tradition or Scripture which supports this tendency; it is not the work of the Holy Spirit. This over use of women in various non-ordained roles presents religious service as if it were primarily the domain of females. The result is that males tend not to see religion as a possible vocation, despite the fact that only men are priests. The use of altar girls further extends the roles of females in religion, also further undermining the view that men are called by God to be leaders of the Church.
The Church has the authority to forbid females to serve at the altar and to choose to have only males as servers. For such has been the traditional practice of the Church. But the Church does not have the authority to forbid males to serve at the altar, and to have only female altar servers. Those who serve at the altar serve a male-only priesthood. Thus male altar servers are the norm, and female altar servers are the exception. If every diocese and parish were to permit female altar servers, then this practice would teach by example that female altar servers are a norm, not an exception. How can a practice be understood as an exception if it is found in every diocese and parish without exception? Also, such a practice of permitting female altar servers, if it were found in every diocese, would teach by example that it is wrong to have only male altar servers. The exception would then become the rule, and the norm would become prohibited. Such a disorder contradicts the tradition of the Church from the beginning and is therefore contrary to the will of God.
I love medieval/gothic cathedrals. My favorite is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres[Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres] in Chartres, France. It was built between 1193 and 1250. My wife and I watched a documentary on this cathedral and we both we astounded by the theology in its architecture.
Someone e-mailed me this a while ago. The Catholic Church is not a denomination... all the rest of the Christain church's are a denomination[spin-off] of the Catholic Church. This is the reason I do not use an uppercase 'c' for thier church.
Assemblies of God – 1901 AD. Founded by a man, Charles Parham, in Topeka Kansas. They believe in the Baptism of the Spirit, miracle healings, and speaking in tongues. The Christian Scientists – 1879 AD. Founded by a woman, Mary Baker Eddy in Massachusetts. They also refuse blood transfusions and medical care, in spite of the fact that the gospel writer Luke was a physician.
Jehovah's Witnesses – 1872 AD. Founded by a man, Charles Taze Russell, as the "Millennial Dawnists." In 1931, Judge Rutherford, his successor, decided that henceforth they would be called, Witnesses of Jehovah, or Jehovah's Witness. The JWs deny the divinity of Christ, the resurrection of the body, and refuse to take blood transfusions.
The Seventh Day Adventists – 1831 AD. Founded by a man, William Miller in New York. Based on his study of the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, Miller calculated that Jesus would return to earth sometime between 1843 and 1844. This prediction is in spite of the fact that the bible says that no one will be able to predict when the Second Coming of Jesus will be (Matthew 24:36).
The Mormon church – 1829 AD. Also call themselves "Latter Day Saints", were founded by a man, Joseph Smith in Palmyra, New York, in 1829. They are polythesists who someday hope to become a god of their own planet. after death. They believe that God the Father was a good mormon on another planet and was so great that he became the god of our planet. They also believe that Jesus and lucifer were brothers on that former planet.
The Evangelical church – 1803 AD. Founded by a man, Jacob Albright, originally a Methodist, who broke away and founded his own church.
The Methodist church – 1739 AD. Founded by men, John and Charles Wesley, in England. The Wesley brothers were originally Anglican ministers who started a revival movement that eventually became Methodism. Yet another reformation of the reformation.
The Quakers – 1647 AD. Founded by a man, George Fox, in England. Also called The Society of Friends, although they originally called themselves "Children of Light". They acknowledge absolutely no authority higher than what Fox called the "inner light" of personal revelation.
The Episcopalian church – 1784 AD. Founded by a man, Samuel Seabury in the American Colonies & is an offshoot of the Church of England. They believe in women priests and bishops, artificial birth control, and they accept homosexuality as being normal and good in spite of Romans 1:26-27. The Episcopalian Church is currently undergoing a 21rst Century reformation of itself, with individual congregations breaking away from their own hierarchy over the question of scriptural inerrancy concerning homosexuality. Another proof that the doctrine of "scripture alone" without an infallible Magesterium to interpret it based on sacred Tradition is false. It seems that the Episcopal Church is more concerned with going along with the current trend of society than it is in being true to what scripture actually says about homosexuality.
The Unitarian church – 1568 AD. Started in Poland, but died out. It was soon replaced by a man, John Biddle, in 1645 AD. The Unitarians do not believe in the Trinitarian God.
The Congregationalist church (The Puritans) – 1583 AD. Founded by a man, Robert Brown, in Holland. Broke away from the Church of England. Brown rejected, among other things, the authority of bishops. One Puritan, named Oliver Cromwell, got involved in the English Civil War, and overthrew Charles I in 1646. Cromwell and the British government were also responsible for the subjugation and killing of hundreds of thousands of Irish Catholics, who were also forbidden to say Mass, wear green, and sing patriotic songs.
The Presbyterian church – 1560 AD. Founded by a man, John Knox, in Scotland. Based on the personal beliefs of a man, John Calvin, which include predestination, no free will in humans, & total depravity in mankind.
The Anglican Church – 1534 AD. Founded by a man, King Henry VIII, as a direct result of the Pope not granting him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Many a Catholic priest was tortured and killed as a result of the very aroused Henry trying to find another young maiden for his pleasure. The Queen of England is the current head of the Anglican Church.
The Amish church – 1693 AD. Founded by a man, Jacob Amman, a Swiss Bishop. Also a breakaway from the Mennonite church. His followers were called the "Amish." While similar to the Mennonites, they differ in language, dress, and interpretation of the Bible.
The Baptist church – 1606 AD. Founded by a man, John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam, as an offshoot of the Mennonites. Baptists reject infant baptism as contrary to the Scriptures, and accept immersion as the sole valid mode of baptism.
The Mennonite church – 1525 AD. Founded by men, Grebel, Mantz, and Blaurock, in Switzerland, as an offshoot of the Anabaptists. It derived its name from Menno Simons, a former Catholic priest.
The Anabaptist church – 1520 AD. Founded by a man, Nicholas Storch, and Thomas Münzer, former Lutherans. The Anabaptists rejected infant baptism and were denounced by Martin Luther. This "reformation of the reformation" is proof positive that the doctrine of "scripture alone" is false. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been more than one interpretation of scripture and no need for an anabaptist church that totally ignores Luke 18:15-17.
The Lutheran church – 1517 AD. Founded by a man, Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Roman Catholic Church, who violated his sacred vows of both obedience and celibacy. Luther created a brand new protestant bible by throwing out 7 books of the bible he personally didn't agree with, and added the word "alone" after the word "faith", in Romans 3:28, in order to make the verse agree with his view of what it should have said (faith alone). This alteration of sacred scripture directly contradicts James 2:24. Luther also called the Catholic Church "the whore of Babylon", and he said that the Pope was the antichrist (someone who denies that Jesus is God).
I always wondered what exactly is a “Bible Church”. How many times have you driven in the country and seen a small protestant church with that sign on it? I see bunch of them on my way to Myrtle Beach. I think the term “bible church” is perhaps backwards. The term "Church Bible" I see more fitting. Does the term an "Engineer CalTech" mean anything, or is it better to say an "CalTech engineer"? After all, CalTech produces engineers, not the other way around. The phrase “Bible Church” is supposed to tell the passer-by that the church is in accord with everything that is in the Bible[King James Version probably]. Is it that the church has to conform to the bible, or did the bible come to us from the church?
The Bible proceeded from the Church, which, according to the Bible, is the pillar and bulwark of truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Back in 382 AD, Pope Damasus I sent a list of the canon of the New Testament to his bishops. At the councils of Rome (382 AD), Hippo (393 AD), and Carthage (397 AD), this list was approved by the Holy Catholic Church as being the official canon of the New Testament.
The early Church Fathers did a great job[and I am thankful] handing on the faith orally for the first 400 years, before there even was an official New Testament proclaimed by The Church. Protestants still adhere to this Tradition by including all of the New Testament books in their sixteenth century Bible that the Catholic Church had in their fourth century Bible, although there are numerous text changes.
With Advent the ecclesiastical year begins in the Western churches. During this time the faithful are admonished 1) to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love and mercy, 2) thus to make their souls fitting dwellings for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and 3) thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world.
Here some links to some good Advent stuff:
Catholic Education Resource Center Advent Catholic Traditions for Avent & ChristmasUSCCB Advent Resources
The Our Sunday Visitor’s “Definitive Guide to Advent”
DomesticChurch.com “Fridge Art” Advent activities (good for kids)
Catholic.org Advent Resources
EWTN Advent Resources
Catholic Fire’s 12 Tips to a Holier Advent
Thank God for the outstanding and courageous leadership of Archbishop Chaput. As Catholics we all need to faithfully witness the truth of the Gospel and never be afraid to do so when challenged. Our world is certainlly in a secular/relativism chaos and the Church needs to stand tall as a pillar of truth, as well as Charity and Social Justice (in that order.) Let us all pray that God will abundantly bless those who fiercely fight for and to protect the great Gift of Life - from conception to natural death.
