St. Michaels Catholic Church at Corner of W. High St. and Antwerp Dr., Hicksville, OH 43526 US - Learning How to Defend our Faith

Defending The Faith

Why Did Christ Choose Apostles? A very good non-Catholic friend of mine always signs his letters..."In Christ Alone." He started ending his messages that way when I was trying to explain why Catholics see the importance of the Church. Why do some non-Catholics believe giving importance to the Church, the Blessed Mother, the Saints, the Sacraments, etc. somehow lesson our love for Christ? No Protestant has ever given me an answer other than..."All we need is Christ." All Catholics know that Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life but why can’t we be even more blessed with the other graces Christ left us? Did Christ leave us nothing but himself? If you stop and think about the 3 years of Christ’s ministry what did he really leave us? Why did Christ choose apostles? Why did Christ found a Church? Christ knew he was going to leave this world very soon and did he make preparations for his departure? The two most important institutions Christ left us was the Holy Eucharist and the Church. Did Christ intend for his ministry to end with the last apostle? Did Christ intend for people to listen to his teachings and then go off and interpret them any way they believed? Before our current U.S. Constitution was developed those founding Fathers came up with what they called the "Articles of Confederation." It did not take very long for the writers of those "Articles" to realize they had created the Divided States of America instead of the United States of America. The most important lesson those writers learned was that their has to be a final authority. For our present Constitution the final authority is the Supreme Court. All of our institutions have a final authority. Our workplaces and businesses all have a final authority. Did Christ leave us a final authority? He sure did...."the Church!" The Protestant Reformation did exactly what the Articles of Confederation did. The Reformation took the authority away from the Church and put it into the hands of anyone who wanted it! Why do you think we have almost 28,000 different authorities in the Protestant world today? They will all tell you that they have the true message of Christ and yet they can’t agree on what it is! The only Church that has the original deposit of Christ’s teachings is the Catholic Church. That deposit of faith has not changed in almost 2000 years. No Pope or council of the Church can tamper with or change that original deposit of faith! The dogmas of our Church are the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and Christ gave his promise that he would protect the Church till the end of time. Now do you know why Christ chose apostles? A Letter to My Baptist Friend What is Christ’s one true message? When I investigated Protestantism I came to a stumbling block. Protestants believe the "Bible Alone" is the sole source of faith. On the surface and for most of my adult life I believed strongly that the Bible was all we needed. I knew scripture was inspired and it contained God’s message to me. But I asked myself this question. If the Bible is all we need why doesn’t it say that somewhere in the Bible? In II Timothy 3:16-17 it says scripture is profitable and useful but not that it should be the sole source of reference. That puzzled me! If the Bible is God’s only authoritative source, shouldn’t the Bible indicate which and how many books it should contain? Except for the book of Revelation none of the others state they were inspired. Who decided they were inspired? There were other gospels written but they weren’t included. Why wasn’t the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Nicodemus included? I found the Bible Alone theory self-refuting. Do you know who declared authoritatively the Holy Scriptures to be inspired? The Catholic Church did! Most Protestants don’t believe in traditions being a part of your faith. Yet, it was the tradition of the Church which decided through the Holy Spirit that the contents canonized were inspired. Do you see my confusion? I also couldn’t understand why the Protestant denominations interpreted many of the scripture passages in many different ways. Does God’s word contradict itself? Of course it doesn’t. Why then can’t Protestant theology agree on their doctrines? Which denomination should I trust, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Methodists? How can they all be right when they don’t agree on what the Bible teaches? They all claim they have the true message of Christ on baptism, salvation, justification but they all differ. Do I choose the one I agree with the most and join that Church? Do you see my confusion? In John 3:5 we read these words..."Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Most Protestant denominations can’t even agree on what that means and how to carry it out! In Luke 16:18 we read these words..."Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery." Today most if not all Protestants allow divorce. Why? Did they buckle under to pressure from their members? When did God’s word change? Where in the Bible does it now say divorce is acceptable? What about homosexuality? Many Protestant denominations are marrying and allowing homosexuals to preach in their churches. The Bible very clearly indicates that "a man should not lay with another man." (See Romans 1:24-27 and I Corinthians 6) Some Protestants claim these subjects are "nonessential." Where is that in the Bible? Do you see my confusion? In Galatians 1:9 we read..."As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed." I don’t read anything about "nonessentials" there, do you? Who has that Gospel that was given and received? Where can we find it today? Certainly not in the Protestant Churches. They can’t agree on most if not all the teachings in the Bible. But St. Paul said there is a Gospel that they gave to the Galatians. What happened to it? They didn’t have the Bible yet so where did it go? Do you see my confusion? I asked myself this question..."What Church kept these teachings, whether they be written or oral, true, safe and unified?" It couldn’t be any of the Protestant Churches because they weren’t even around until the 16th century. All they accomplished with the Reformation was ecclesiastical chaos. Their only authority seems to be their own subjective self opinion! Is that who I want teaching me the truths of Christ? If they can’t agree on their "nonessentials" how can I trust them with the "essentials." But aren’t all of God’s teachings essential? Do you see my confusion? What Church did Christ found on Peter the Rock? Did he give them the authority to bind and loose? What Church did St. Paul mean when he wrote in II Timothy 3:15 that it was the pillar and foundation of truth? What Church can trace its heritage back historically through every Pope, bishop and apostle? What Church has the dogmas of Christ that have never been changed? What Church follows the salvation advice of Jesus Christ when our Lord spoke these words in John 6:54..."Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." What Church believes in the real presence in the Holy Eucharist? Do you see my logic? There is only one true message from Christ and only one Church that teaches it...the One, Holy, Catholic Apostolic Church. What did the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century really accomplish? The Bible gives us the answer in II Timothy 4:3-4 where we read..."For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths." Isn’t that tragic? Written by David Grimes A few months ago I happened upon a website over the internet entitled The History and Falsehoods of Romanism. There was a fairly long list of topics so I chose one called Rome’s Monopoly on Salvation. My curiosity got the best of me and I thought it might be fun to read what our critics were saying about Roman Catholics. On the page was a profession of faith that all those not born Catholic had to profess to before they could join the Church. I read down through the paragraphs and wasn’t really surprised at what I had read until I got to this sentence..."This is the promise and solemn oath which all who would join the Roman Church are required to take. It is an oath to deny Jesus Christ as Savior and trust the destiny of the soul to a mortal man and a false church." I couldn’t believe what I had just read. After my anger subsided I thought about my own conversion and what I had to do to become a member of the Catholic Church. I attended classes and read the Catechism of the Catholic Church but at no time did I ever read an oath and at no time was I ever asked to deny Jesus Christ as Savior. Everything I read in the Catechism and all the discussions we held during the RCIA classes centered around the sacraments of the Church and Jesus Christ as my savior! Why would someone put such outrageous statements on a website? It brought back to my memory a question a lady asked me after I had spoken to our Mission service in 1998. A lady came up to me and asked me why they hate us so much. I told her I thought it was more of a misunderstanding than hate. I did decide that night to begin my own investigation into why some do hate Catholics. I didn’t want to think there were those out there who actually hated Roman Catholics but since that night the sad reality is that there are those who do hate us. The website went on to list four observations the author noted in this oath converts had to swear to. The first stated that "there is not one verse of Scripture in this entire confession on what they base their demands." The second stated..."the convert is to subject himself to a mortal man, the Pope, for his destiny." It didn’t get any better when I read number three where it stated..."the convert is made to confess that there is no salvation outside the Roman Church." And finally, the fourth statement was the most absurd. It stated that..."the convert swears to worship images, for the confession clearly states that these images are to be given due honor and veneration." I was stunned. I have always been a little naive but having gone through the RCIA classes and knowing what I did wasn’t even close to these absurd claims . My naiveté became anger. I wanted to write a letter and yes even strangle the truth into these people. After much contemplation I realized that would serve no purpose. One thing I’ve learned from life is that some people are going to believe whatever they want to believe. There are some out there who don’t want the truth. Sometimes the truth can upset our routines of life. If things are going along well and someone comes along with some bit of truth that upsets our carefree lifestyle many don’t care. Until it affects us where it hurts many tend to buck change, even truthful change. It’s one of those facts of life that’s sad but true. The website ends with a paragraph urging readers to study very carefully the oath before they sign their name. That was the last straw! No one ever made me sign any oath. I was wrong when I thought this was the last straw. The last straw was the final sentence which stated..."It is Christ or the Pope." This was the last straw! I was so upset I just printed the two page oath and put it in a folder. There was no way I could write anything until I had calmed down. I finally did and now I’m sitting here writing instead of shouting or blowing off steam. I realize now that this was only one small section of this particular website. There were pages and pages of false and misleading information. What must people think who know little or nothing about the Roman Catholic Church? What if I had come across this before I even thought of becoming Catholic? Would I have believed this? It scares me to admit this but as naive as I can be sometimes perhaps I would have! What could I do to correct such blatant statements? If I wrote a letter and answered each of their accusations I know what they would do. It would be put in some waste basket or taken out of context and used to strengthen their position. My next solution was to do what I’m doing now. Write down the truth and give it to those who know the Roman Catholic Church just doesn’t operate that way. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and our children. If we know the truth then we can explain it to those who ask. Your children can go to college or to their first job and explain, when they are confronted, the truth about Catholicism. I am so tired of reading statements that Roman Catholics don’t rely on God’s Holy Scripture. I remember reading a study that discovered that Roman Catholics spend more of their worship time on reading the scriptures than any other denomination. From beginning to end Roman Catholics are engulfed in scripture. I know because I have been both Protestant and Catholic. One of the many things I love about my faith is our system of readings from, yes, Holy Scripture. Any non-Catholic who attended just one mass would know how we use the scriptures. Much of our music is right from the Bible. We may not carry Bibles around in fancy leather holders but we do read the scriptures. In fact over a three year period anyone attending daily mass listens to 99% of the Bible! The second inaccuracy from that website was that we subject ourselves to a mortal man for our salvation. Of course they’re referring to the Holy Father. I don’t really know what they mean by subjecting ourselves to the Pope. I do know they are not using the term in a positive way. The last sentence in that website is a blatant lie. I was never told or taught that I had to choose between Christ or the Pope. What I do know is what Christ himself said to Peter. In John 21:15-17 our Lord called Peter to be the chief shepherd of his Church. In Luke 22:31-32 Christ gave Peter the task of strengthening the other apostles in their faith and in making sure they taught only what was true. Most importantly in Matthew 16:19 Christ gave Peter the " keys of the kingdom" and promised him that his decisions would be binding in heaven! In Matthew 18:18 Christ gave the other apostles similar power but not the Keys of the Kingdom! Jesus knew he would not be on earth to protect his church so he chose those in whom he entrusted his kingdom. If Christ trusted Peter he certainly would entrust him to pass on this authority when Peter died. It makes no sense to think that when Peter died so would God’s authority. That’s why Christ started his Church. If the authority wasn’t going to be passed on what good would the Church serve? If you have no "papa" or pope what would happen to the Church Christ entrusted to Peter? If there isn’t a final authority in matters of faith and morals what would happen to the Church? In all walks of life there is a final authority. There has to be a place where the proverbial "buck stops, right?" Whether it’s the parent or parents, the governor, the President, the Board Chairman, or the dreaded Tax man, there is a final authority. Jesus knew that so why can’t most Protestants? They claim the final authority is the Bible. If you study the Reformation and it’s subsequent results you get something that I don’t want with my faith. Do you realize that there are over 26,000 different Christian denominations in the world today and growing every day? Which one of those denominations has the correct interpretation of Holy Scripture? Christ knew that St. Peter would have to protect his teachings in order for his Church to survive. That’s why his decisions would be binding in heaven. If you give someone final authority you expect them to make decisions that are binding. Was St. Peter to do all of the decision making on his own? Of course not. That is why Christ chose the other apostles. But there has to be someone who gives the final approval and for Roman Catholics its the Pope. When it comes to my faith and morals Christ entrusted Peter and those who would follow. I trust the Holy Father because he is backed up by Jesus Christ not the Bible. The Bible as we know it today wasn’t even around when the Church began. None of the New Testament writings even circulated until around 150 CE. (Christian Era). The Holy Scriptures are God inspired and have their place in, by and through the Church. For almost 2,000 years the teachings of Christ have been preserved, protected and defended by the Roman Catholic Church and that’s the way I want my faith to continue. I love the Bible and have never been disappointed when I opened it’s pages for inspiration or comfort. As far as it’s interpretation, though, I’ll trust my Church. That’s why I’m Roman Catholic. A third inaccuracy was that I had to swear to worship images in the Church. Perhaps the webwriter doesn’t understand the difference between worship and veneration. I worship and give adoration to Christ and him alone. The fact that I venerate the Blessed Mother and the Saints doesn’t mean I have taken anything away from my worship and adoration of Christ. I have pictures (images) of my nieces and nephews in my house. I don’t worship them. I’m proud because they are my family. If I want to place their image on my living room wall or in my billfold that doesn’t mean they’re being worshipped. We remember and honor those who fought and died for our country but their statues weren’t carved and placed on display to be worshipped. We put up headstones, often with the image of the deceased on them, in our cemeteries so we can honor their memories. Why then do Catholics get accused of worshipping images if we honor the Blessed Mother or the Saints with a statue? The Blessed Mother brought salvation into this world when she agreed to carry our Lord in her womb. She not only gave him life she nurtured him and followed him right to the cross. She was there at the inception and there at the crucifixion. She was and is the most important mother that ever lived. I had a Baptist friend of mine tell me that Mary was dead and of no importance. He evidently hasn’t gotten to the book of Revelations in Holy Scripture. Even the men who began the Reformation saw the importance of the Blessed Mother. Why oh why can’t many of today’s Protestants? When I kneel and bow before my Lord I certainly don’t want him to ask me why I ignored his Mother! He’ll know. What if we are right? Does that mean all others will go to Hell? That is something I can’t judge. All I know is that my Church teaches me the importance of honoring the Blessed Mother and all the Saints who down through the ages have all preserved, protected and defended the teachings of Christ. The last inaccuracy in the website claims that Roman Catholics confess there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. This statement was asked me the same night I spoke at my Church’s Mission service last fall. A friend of mine asked me about a family member who didn’t believe that Roman Catholics were the only ones who would obtain salvation. I did not know the answer. I did reassure her that I would look into the question and give her an answer. Two questions came to mind when I started my research. I wondered if the Catholic Church had ever said there was no salvation outside the Church. If they had said it was that all they stated or was there more to it than just a blanket statement? I found some very interesting information. Of all the things Jesus said no where is it written that Jesus ever said..."say a little prayer in your own heart and you will achieve salvation." If that is what our Protestant brothers and sisters want to believe then Jesus sure went about it in a much different way. Fathers Rumble and Carty in their book Radio Replies state that "a Protestant, so long as he really thinks his Protestantism to be correct, is entitled and obliged to remain a Protestant. But should he discover the truth of Catholicism, he is certainly no longer entitled to remain a Protestant." (volume 2, p. 60, question 202) This would be true of Jews today. If they firmly believe Judaism is the true religion and they died truly repentant of all serious violations of conscience during their life they would find salvation. It must have been very difficult for the early Church Fathers to keep the Church Christ left them unified in faith and purpose. Thank God the Holy Spirit guided them. Since there was no Bible until the later part of the 4th century we must look at the writings of the early Church Fathers for the traditions of the early Church. I found some very interesting information. I discovered that yes indeed the Church did teach that there was no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church. Origen (185-253 C.E) wrote that..."Outside the Church, no one will be saved." Cyprian (200? C.E. - 258 C.E. Cyprian was beheaded on September 14, 258 and the first African bishop to die a Martyr’s death: The Faith of the Early Fathers, vol. 1. p. 217) wrote that.."He who does not have the Church as his mother cannot have God for his Father." Pope Boniface VIII taught that "outside this Church there is no salvation and no remission of sins." Pope Pius IX declared that..."it must, of course, be held as a matter of faith that outside the apostolic Roman Church no one can be saved." Our Popes weren’t the only ones writing on this topic. The Fourth Lateran Council declared that..."there is but one universal Church of the faithful outside which no one at all is saved."(Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia, P.M.J. Stravinskas, p. 862) So the Church had taught there was no salvation outside the Catholic Church. One part of the question was now answered. Was this a blanket statement or was there more to it? From this it seems that the conclusion can be drawn that there is no salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church. Father Leonard Feeney, an American Jesuit at Boston College came to this same conclusion. He concluded that without Baptism in the Roman Catholic Church you were condemned to Hell. Make sense? Why then was Feeney expelled from the Society of Jesus and then excommunicated in the 1940’s for his conclusion?(ibid. p. 862) When the smoke cleared from that incident the Holy Office in a letter dated August 8, 1949 clarified the Church’s position. In the letter the Holy Office stated..."the Church, as Christ’s Mystical Body, is the sole ark of salvation, but direct membership in her through the sacraments is only the ordinary means of salvation."(ibid. p. 863) What does that mean? In layman’s term it means a person must have knowledge of the Church and its Founder, Jesus Christ. One must recognize the Catholic Church as the one true Church. I think of my own situation. When I belonged to the Nazarene Church I understood that Jesus was my Savior. What I didn’t know or realize was that the Catholic Church was the true Church. Would I have gone to Hell because of my innocent ignorance? The Second Vatican Council determined that a person who seeks God with true heart and obeys their own moral conscience, even though it is done in ignorance, can find salvation outside the Church. I learned that there is a Normal Law of Salvation and the Good Faith Position. Let me explain. The Normal Law of Salvation states that a baptized person who knows the Catholic Church as the one true Church must join and be in full communion with it to find salvation. That I personally did not know as a Nazarene. The Good Faith Position would apply to a person who through their own innocent ignorance dies outside the Church without violations of moral conscience. That part would apply to me as a Nazarene. I might have had some problem with the moral conscience part but then I would have to rely on the mercy of God. But don’t we all? In summary I think we can draw comfort in knowing non-Catholics can find salvation outside the Catholic Church. Of course we Catholics pray for the return of those separated for whatever reason. Many times I’ve heard Catholics discuss family members who have left the Church and their concern about their souls. Salvation through the mercy of God is possible for those who have never heard about the truth of Christ and his Church. It’s possible for those baptized and in full communion with the true Church and its teaching authority. It’s possible for those who consciously and honestly don’t believe the Catholic Church is the one true faith. And finally, salvation through the mercy of God is possible for those who consciously seek the truth and spirit of God. I would never leave the Catholic faith. If I did I’d be putting my salvation in jeopardy. You see I know with all my heart that the Catholic Church is the one true faith. It is my obligation to be in full communion with the Church. I know that the Church on earth is the mystical body of Christ and through mother church we receive the greatest grace of all the Eucharist. The Eucharist like all the graces bestowed through the Church is one of the sacraments. The sacraments transform our lives from natural to supernatural. It is through the Church that we become Holy and pure so that we can live with our God Forever! I think of my own family members who are not Catholic. My nephew and his wife and children continue to attend the Nazarene Church. My nephew and his family love and seek Jesus on a daily basis. They take up their cross daily and follow Jesus. Their lives center around Christ. They just recently began talking to me about my faith. Why now? One reason actually. They have had recent encounters with some of my Catholic brothers and sisters. I remember my nephew saying to me..."they really love Jesus don’t they?" I said..."yes, Rick they love Jesus just like you." My nephew and I have begun talking about faith and they even wrote an e-mail to me recently and stated that they weren’t worried about my soul anymore. That was the best e-mail I ever received. As Catholics we must learn how to defend our faith but we must also witness and show love to all people. I trust my Lord to show mercy to my family as I think he will all Catholics and non-Catholics. The last word on this particular topic has to come from the Holy Father. I’ll let him have the last word. In his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II said that..."it is therefore a revealed truth that there is salvation only and exclusively in Christ. The Church, inasmuch as it is the Body of Christ, is simply an instrument of salvation...people are saved through the Church, they are saved in the Church, but they are always saved by the Grace of Jesus Christ." We have learned that the Church is an instrument of salvation. That is why we are Catholic and not Protestant. For many Protestants Acts 16:31 is their door to salvation. In that verse it states..."And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." I guess that’s it then, right? The word saved is found over 50 times in the New Testament. Do they all have to do with believing? Let’s take a look. Don’t worry I’m not going to list each one. My point is simple: Is believing all we need to be saved. When I’m finished we’ll evaluate what scripture says. In Matthew 10:22 we read these words..."You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved." Jesus is clearly warning his apostles that when they go to preach they will face persecution. Until the end! From the time of the apostles to the second coming. In his book Not by Faith Alone, Robert Sungenis looks back at the book of Ezekiel where there is a similar warning. In Ezekiel 18:24 we read..."But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he had done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die." My friends one moment in time won’t secure your salvation. Holy Scripture doesn’t teach that doctrine. Mark gives the same warning when he writes in Mark 13:13..."You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." Holy Scripture also teaches us that we must endure suffering. If Christ suffered on the Cross for salvation how can we expect anything different. In Matthew 10:38 we read..."and whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Luke wrote about the same thing in Luke 9:23..."If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Christ could have come to this earth and opened salvation to us without suffering. Believe and you are saved? I don’t think so. Scripture here clearly doesn’t teach that doctrine. The Bible also teaches us about the saving power of water. In the book of Mark we read in chapter 16 verse 16 these words: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned." Is believing all that’s needed? In the New Testament book of Titus we read these interesting words: "But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7) The most important two words in those verses happen to be "in hope". There is nothing in those two words which secure salvation by just believing! In I Peter 3:19-21 we read these words: "In it he (Jesus) went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now." Enough said! The importance of prayer in our salvation is clearly outlined in scripture in the book of James chapter 5. In verses 13-15 we read these words: "Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven." I never realized how lucky we Catholics are to have the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. How could anyone deny this sacrament isn’t biblical? Prayer, praising, anointing all lead to one thing: salvation. It’s a lot more than just believing. It seems like everytime I read the Bible I learn something new. In the book of acts, chapter 11 one of the most interesting verses jumped out at me and truly touched my heart. It not only touched my heart but it convinced me more than ever that we Catholics are so fortunate to have our sacraments. In verses 13-14 we read these amazing words: "He related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, saying, Send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved." What powerful words! Who could deny Peter’s importance as the safeguard of Christ’s teachings? An angel of God told them to summon Peter! How could anyone deny that Peter was the first Pope? My faith was reinforced even further when I read those words. Matthew has some beautiful things to say about our salvation. In Matthew 5:19-20 we can read these words about the commandments: "Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches theses commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Yes, the Ten Commandments should be alive and active in each one of us if we are to inherit the Kingdom of God. Matthew goes on and in Chapter 7 verse 21 states that..."Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." Believing just won’t be enough will it? The main reason I’m Catholic is found in the book of John. This more than any other is why the Church is an instrument of salvation. In John 6:51-58 we read these very powerful words: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. The Jews quarreled among themselves saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus said to them, Amen, amen I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. (1) Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. (2) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. (3) Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. (4) The numbers in ( ) number the times Jesus said we must eat his flesh and drink his blood. Notice something else as well. What are the benefits of the Eucharist? We will have life within us. We will be raised up on the last day. Christ will remain in us and we will remain in him. Pretty good fringe benefits if you ask me. Not only will we be grace filled we will have our Lord inside us! Many people misinterpret when we call the Church the Mystical Body of Christ. Look in I Corinthians and perhaps you can explain it to non-Catholics this way. In verses 16-17 of Chapter 10 we read these words: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." Who can deny the mass isn’t biblical. Our priest blesses the cup and loaf and we partake in the body and blood of Christ. It is there in very simple English. In I Corinthians 11:23--29 the mass is celebrated in all its heavenly glory. I’m not going to write it because it is the mass. It is the reason we gather in celebration. We do it in remembrance of the one who grants our salvation. It was his promise to us. As beautiful as the mass is there is also a warning! In verses 27-29 we must do one thing. We must examine ourselves very carefully. Why? It is simple. If we don’t and feast unworthily we bring judgment on ourselves. Can we lose our salvation? You bet we can. Examine yourself very carefully. I wonder how many of us are so busy with other things that we forget to look at ourselves? My friends in Christ, we certainly have our work cut out for us don’t we? Nothing in this world is guaranteed, especially our salvation. Jesus Christ opened the way for salvation but it is our cross now! There will be no more Easter mornings. If Christ taught us anything it was that the way to salvation is through suffering and persecution. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Those who believe their salvation is secure had better examine themselves very carefully. How Ya Gonna Get There? Perseverance, suffering, persecution, prayer, and the Grace of God! If you like this article read the rest of the story in my Book.....It's Your Cross Now available from St. Michael Parish at 419-258-8202. All proceeds go to St. Michael Parish. I got this from a friend who asked if I would put it on the web site to inform the public of the attack on "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS". "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS UNDER ATTACK" You and I have been targeted in a "constitutional war" over the Ten Commandments, and the American Center needs your help to fight against the anti-freedom movement that is zeroed in on removing all public Ten Commandments displays! The ACLU and other anti-freedom groups are moving all across the country, attempting to strip the Ten Commandments from our schools, courthouses, and any other public buildings. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has said they are going after the Ten Commandments in every context. Their executive director recently declared the battle a "constitutional war." The ACLU has joined the "war," claiming that the public displays VIOLATE the First Amendment. Others are saying that the displays are nothing short of tyranny! I know how unbelievable this must sound to you: the Ten Commandments, tyrannical?! But it's all too true. And now this outrageous campaign is bringing the American Center to the SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES ...... to be involved in one of the most crucial Ten Commandments cases in the country - Books v. Elkhart. In this case, two men sued the city because they were offended by a monument displaying the Ten Commandments outside a municipal building in Indiana. There are other monuments in and around the building but this is one that bothered the two local residents. A U.S. District judge agreed months ago that the Ten Commandments monument was acceptable and dismissed the lawsuit. But amazingly, on appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit said that the monument does "intrude" into the lives of the townspeople – and it's UNCONSTITUTIONAL! You and I cannot allow this to continue. If there was ever a case that needed to go to the Supreme Court of the United States, this is it! Just think of what is at stake: If the very groundwork of our national morality can be outlawed, WHAT WILL BE NEXT? For the constitutional liberties of our children and grandchildren, we must fight. Here's our strategy: 1. I'll serve as lead counsel as we petition to take this case to the SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, arguing for free display of the Ten Commandments. 2. We will go to CONGRESS of the United States directly, urging our Senators and Representatives to take the necessary action to protect our freedom of speech -and the public display of the Ten Commandments - from such an outrageous threat.(Please make your voice heard - by signing our Open Letter to your members of Congress.) 3. We'll mount a NATIONWIDE PRAYER EFFORT to undergird our efforts in defense of the Ten Commandments. I urge you to join us in all these efforts to protect our constitutional liberties. Please also send a generous tax-deductible gift of support through our website.Our first major deadline in this case is this month so please let me hear from you quickly. Your signature on the Open Letters is important. Your prayer support is vital. And your gift is urgently needed. Please stand with me against the relentless attacks of the ACLU and others! To Ask Jay a question, or to REQUEST HELP click on the respective link. Books By David Grimes: 1) A Letter To My Family: How I Found Christ In The Catholic Church 2)The Good, the Bad, and the Holy 3)It's Your Cross Now 4)A Seminar on the First Century Church 5)Catholicism for Dummies: A Survival Guide for Catholics 6)Only When It's Open 7)Doctrinal Concordance

For information about David's Books: David'S MAIL BOX

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