[no subject]
The Hail Mary of a Protestant (A true story) A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companions reciting the prayer "Hail Mary." He like it so much that he copied it,memorized it and would recite it every day. "Look, Mommy, what a beautiful prayer," he said to his mother one day. "Never again say it," answered the mother. "It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think Mary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do." From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily "Hail Mary" and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead. One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: "Mommy, I have found the 'Hail Mary' in the Bible which says: 'Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.' Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?" On another occasion he found that beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that "the generations would call her blessed."He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the "Hail Mary" every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior. When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them,saying: "Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin.No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed and you are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation of the Christian religion." So deep was the impression which the boy's talk had made that his mother many times cried out sorrowfully: "Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine will one day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!" And indeed, not very long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism and Catholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embraced it and became one of its most ardent apostles. Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebuked him and said indignantly: "You little know how much I love my children. Should any one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heart with a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!" Her anger and temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However, she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It so happened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hope of recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately, saying: "My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Very well, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one 'Hail Mary' and promise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously study the Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicism is the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrifices may be." His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wished for her son's recovery, she accepted her brother's proposal and recited the"Hail Mary" together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After long preparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking her brother for being an apostle to her. The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell. "Brethren," he said, "The boy who became a Catholic and converted his sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He is the priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too, my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a day pass without saying the beautiful prayer, 'Hail Mary',and your Rosary. Ask her to enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church of Christ founded on the Rock (Peter) and 'against whom the gates of hell shall never prevail.'" _ Click below to visit monsterindia.com and review jobs in India or Abroad http://monsterindia.rediff.com/jobs
[JOYnet] GOD vs Science (Worth reading)
>Subject: GOD vs Science (Worth reading) >"LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with Jesus >Christ." The atheist > >professor of philosophy pauses before his class and >then asks one of his >new > >students to stand. > >"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?" > >"Yes, sir." > >"So you believe in God?" > >"Absolutely." > >"Is God good?" > >"Sure! God's good." > >"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?" > >"Yes." > >"Are you good or evil?" > >"The Bible says I'm evil." > >The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE BIBLE!" He >considers for a >moment. > >"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person >over here and you can > >cure > >him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you >try?" "Yes, sir, I > >would." > >"So you're good...!" > >"I wouldn't say that." > >"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed >person if you >could...in > >fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't." >[No answer.] > >"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who >died of cancer even > >though > >he prayed to Jesus to help him. How is this Jesus >good? Hmmm? Can you >answer > >that one?" > >[No answer.] > >The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can >you?" He takes a sip of > >water >from a glass on his desk to give the student >time to relax. In > >philosophy, > >you have to go easy with the new ones. "Let's start >again, young fella." > >"Is God good?" > >"Er... Yes." > >"Is Satan good?" > >"No." > >"Where does Satan come from?" > >The student falters. "From... God..." > >"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?" The >elderly man runs his bony > >fingers > >through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, >student audience. "I > >think > >we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, >ladies and gentlemen." He > >turns > >back to the Christian. "Tell me, son. Is there evil >in this world?" > >"Yes, sir." > >"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make >everything?" > >"Yes." > >"Who created evil?" > >[No answer.] > >"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? >Hatred? Ugliness? All the > >terrible > >things - do they exist in this world?" > >The student squirms on his feet. "Yes." > >"Who created them?" > >[No answer.] > >The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO >CREATED THEM? TELL ME, > >PLEASE!" > >The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into >the Christian's face. > >In a still small voice: "God created all evil, >didn't He, son?" > >[No answer.] > >The student tries to hold the steady, experienced >gaze and fails. Suddenly > >the > >lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the >classroom like an aging > >panther. > >The class is mesmerized. > >"Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is >good if He created all > >evil > >through all time?" The professor swishes his arms >around to encompass the > >wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the >brutality, all the pain, all > >the > >torture, all the death and ugliness and all the >suffering created by this > >good > >God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?" [No >answer.] > >"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" > >Pause. > >"Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's >face again and >whispers, > >"Is God good?" > >[No answer.] > >"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?" > >The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, >professor. I do." The old > >man > >shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five >senses you use to > >identify > >and observe the world around you. Have you?" "No, >sir. I've never seen >Him." > >"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?" > >"No, sir. I have not." > >"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or >smelt your Jesus... in > >fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God >whatsoever?" > >[No answer.] > >"Answer me, please." > >"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't." > >"You're AFRAID... you haven't?" > >"No, sir." > >"Yet you still believe in him?" > >"...yes..." > >"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at >the underling. > >"According to the rules of empirical, testable, >demonstrable protocol, > >science > >says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to >that, son? Where is your >God > >now?" > >[The student doesn't answer.] > >"Sit down, please." > >The Christian sits...Defeated. > >Another Christian raises his hand. "Professor, may I >address the class?" > >The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another >Christian in the vanguard! > >Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to >the gathering." The > >Christian > >looks around the room. "Some interesting points you >are making, sir. Now > >I've > >got a question for you. Is there such thing as >heat?" "Yes," the professor > >replies. "There's heat." > >"Is there such a thing as cold?" > >"Yes, son, there's cold too." > >"No, sir, there isn't." > >The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes >very cold. The second > >Christian continues. "You can have lots of heat, >even more heat, >super-heat, > >mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but >w
[no subject]
INTRODUCTORY RITES
SIGN OF THE CROSS
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
["
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"
(Mt28:19.]
People: Amen.
[Let all the people say, Amen! (1 Chr 16:36)]
GREETING
The priest expresses the presence of the Lord to the community.
A: Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
People: And also with you.
[The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with all of you. (2 Cor 13:13)]
B: Priest: The grace and peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with
you.
People: And also with you. or Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Pt 1:3)]
C: Priest: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
[The Lord be with you! (Ruth 2:4)]
PENITENTIAL RITE
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned
through my own fault.
[Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. (Jas 5:16)]
In my thoughts and in my words,
[
do not be haughty
wise in your own estimation
.(Rom 12:16)]
[The tongue
exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole
body
(Jas 3:6)]
In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do;
[So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin. (Jas
4:17)]
and I ask Blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers
and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
[Brothers, pray for us [too]. (1 Thes 5:25)]
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting
life.
[if we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 Jn 1:9)]
Amen.
[(1 Chr 16:36)]
Lord, have mercy.
[Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and
(Tb 8:4)]
Christ, have mercy.
[
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. (1 Tm 1:2)]
Lord, we have sinned against you.
[Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. (Ps 51:6)]
Lord, show us your mercy and love.
[Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. (Dn
3:42)]
And grant us your salvation.
[Show us, O Lord, your kindness, and grant us your salvation. (Ps 85:8)]
GLORIA
Glory to God in the Highest, and peace to his people on earth.
["Glory to God in the highest / and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
(Lk 2:14)]
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
["Alleluia! The Lord has established his reign, our God, the almighty!" (Rv 19:6)]
we worship you,
["Worship God" (Rv 22:9)]
we give you thanks,
[
giving thanks always and in everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God
the Father. Eph 5:20)]
we praise you for your glory.
[Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, / honor, power and might / be to
our God forever and ever. Amen! (Rv 7:12)]
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
[Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,
the fathers Son in truth and love. (2 Jn 3)]
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world/ have mercy on us;
["Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," (Jn 1:29)]
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer.
[It is Christ {Jesus} who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of
God, who indeed intercedes for us. (Rm 8:34)]
you alone are the Lord,
[Who will not fear you, Lord, / or glorify your name? / For you alone are holy. All
the nations will come and worship before you
.(Rv 15:4)]
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ.
["He will be great and will be called the son of the most high." (Lk 1:32)]
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
["The advocate, the holy Spirit that the father w
"(Jn 14:26)]
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Here Scripture texts are read. At Sunday Mass, there are four readings. The first
reading is taken from the Old Testament. The next reading is a Psalm. The third
reading is taken from the New Testament. The last reading is a passage taken from one
of the four Gospels.
PROFESSION OF FAITH
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
[
God most High, the creator of heaven and earth. (Gn 14:19)]
of all that is seen and unseen.
[For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the
invisible
(Col 1:16)]
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the
Father,
["Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Lk 1:35)]
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in
Being w
[JOYnet] Fwd: FW: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
> > Dear Friends: > > As you all may be aware, the Holy Father Pope John > > Paul II is suffering from a painful arthritic knee. He > > s adamant not to let go as long as he can. Hence, > > when you get this email, > > Please say one Our Father, One Hail Mary and one Glory > > Be, for our Pope that God will grant him the strength > > to carry on his mission. > > Please forward this email to all your friends to pray > > for our Holy Father. Remember "God > > governs the world, but prayer governs God" > > Thanks and God bless This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Most Holy Sepelchure
Subject: Most Holy Sepelchure Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 02:51:17 -0800 (PST) A beautiful Link to the Most Holy Sepelchure http://198.62.75.1/www1/jhs/TSspintr.html This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] Apostolic Tradition
Apostolic Tradition Is Scripture the sole rule of faith for Christians? Not according to the Bible. While we must guard against merely human tradition, the Bible contains numerous references to the necessity of clinging to apostolic tradition. Thus Paul tells the Corinthians, "I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2), and he commands the Thessalonians, "So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15). He even goes so far as to order, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us" (2 Thess. 3:6). To make sure that the apostolic tradition would be passed down after the deaths of the apostles, Paul told Timothy, "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of apostolic successionhis own generation, Timothys generation, the generation Timothy will teach, and the generation they in turn will teach. The early Church Fathers, who were links in that chain of succession, recognized the necessity of the traditions that had been handed down from the apostles and guarded them scrupulously, as the following quotations show. Pope Clement I "Then the reverence of the law is chanted, and the grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the Gospels is established, and the tradition of the apostles is preserved, and the grace of the Church exults" (Letter to the Corinthians 11 [A.D. 80]). Papias "Papias [A.D. 120], who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he, moreover, asserts that he heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John. Accordingly, he mentions them f y by name, and in his writings gives their traditions [concerning Jesus]. . . . [There are] other passages of his in which he relates some miraculous deeds, stating that he acquired the knowledge of them from tradition" (fragment in Eusebius, Church History 3:39 [A.D. 312]). Eusebius of Caesarea "At that time [A.D. 150] there flourished in the Church Hegesippus, whom we know from what has gone before, and Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, and another bishop, Pinytus of Crete, and besides these, Philip, and Apollinarius, and Melito, and Musanus, and Modestus, and, finally, Irenaeus. From them has come down to us in writing, the sound and orthodox faith received from tradition" (Church History 4:21). Irenaeus "As I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims them and teaches them and hands them down, as if she possessed but one mouth. For, while the languages of the world are diverse, nevertheless, the authority of the tradition is one and the same" (Against Heresies 1:10:2 [A.D. 189]). "That is why it is surely necessary to avoid them [heretics], while cherishing with the utmost diligence the things pertaining to the Church, and to lay hold of the tradition of truth. . . . What if the apostles had not in fact left writings to us? Would it not be necessary to follow the order of tradition, which was handed down to those to whom they entrusted the churches?" (ibid., 3:4:1). ... "It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors to our own timesmen who neither knew nor taught anything like these heretics "But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. "With this church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agreethat is, all the faithful in the whole worldand it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition" (ibid., 3:3:12). Clement of Al
[JOYnet] "What's Your Authority?"
"What's Your Authority?" This is nothing fancy, just a little script you might learn from. In Catholic Answers seminars we try to emphasize the point that you should always demand that a missionary who comes to your door first establish his authority for what he is going to tell you, and only then proceed to discuss the particular issues he has in mind. By "authority," we dont mean his personal or academic credentials. We mean his authority to claim he can rightly interpret the Bible. The missionary (unless he is a Mormon, of course, in which case his authority is the Book of Mormon) will always claim to fall back on the authority of Scripture. "Scripture says this" or "Scripture proves that," he will tell you. So before you turn to the verses he brings up, and thus to the topic he brings up, demand that he demonstrate a few things. First, ask him to prove from the Bible that the Bible is the only rule of faith (if hes an Evangelical or Fundamentalist Protestant he holds to the Reformation theory of sola scripturathe Bible alone). Second, have him tell you how he knows which books belong in the Bible in the first place. And third, require that he prove to you both that he has the authority to interpret the Bible for you (remember that his doctrines will almost always be drawn from interpretations of the sacred text rather than the words themselves) and that his interpretations will always be accurate. Imagine the conversation goes something like this: "Good afternoon, neighbor. May I share a few words of Christian truth with you?" "Sure," you say. "Where do you get this truth?" "From the Bible, of course." "Thats your authority? The Bible?" "Yes, its the only authority for Christians." "Can you prove that from the Bible?" "What do you mean?" "I mean I dont believe the Bible claims to be the sole rule of faith. I mean the doctrine of sola scriptura is itself unbiblical. Please show me where the Bible claims such a status for itself." A Sufficient Rule of Faith? At this po one of several verses. The passage most commonly brought up by Evangelicals and Fundamentalists is 2 Timothy 3:1617. In the King James Version, the verse reads this way: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- ness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Many claim that 2 Timothy 3:1617 claims Scripture is sufficient as a rule of faith. But an examination of the verse in context shows that it doesnt claim that at all; it only claims Scripture is "profitable" (Greek: ophelimos) that is, helpful. Many things can be profitable for moving one toward a goal, without being sufficient in getting one to the goal. Notice that the passage nowhere even hints that Scripture is "sufficient"which is, of course, exactly what Protestants think the passage means. Point out that the context of 2 Timothy 3:1617 is Paul laying down a guideline for Timothy to make use of Scripture and tradition in his ministry as a bishop. Paul says, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (Greek: theopneustos = "God-breathed"), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:1417). In verse 14, Timothy is initially exhorted to hold to the oral teachingsthe traditionsthat he received from the apostle Paul. This echoes Pauls reminder of the value of oral tradition in 1:1314, "Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in t! he faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us" (RSV), and ". . . what before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2:2). Here Paul refers exclusively to oral teaching and reminds Timothy to follow that as the "pattern" for his own teaching (1:13). Only after this is Scripture mentioned as "profitable" for Timothys ministry. The few other verses that might be brought up to "prove" the sufficiency of Scripture can be handled the same way. Not one uses the word "sufficient"each one implies profitability or usefulness, and many are given at the same time as an exhortation to hold fast to the oral teaching of our Lord and the apostles. The thing to keep in mind is that nowhere does the Bible say, "Scripture alone is sufficient," and nowhere does the Bible imply it. Understanding the Bibles Role After you have demonstrated that the verses the missionary brings u
[JOYnet] Scripture and Tradition
Scripture and Tradition Protestants claim the Bible is the only rule of faith, meaning that it contains all of the material one needs for theology and that this material is sufficiently clear that one does not need apostolic tradition or the Churchs magisterium (teaching authority) to help one understand it. In the Protestant view, the whole of Christian truth is found within the Bibles pages. Anything extraneous to the Bible is simply non-authoritative, unnecessary, or wrongand may well hinder one in coming to God. Catholics, on the other hand, recognize that the Bible does not endorse this view and that, in fact, it is repudiated in Scripture. The true "rule of faith"as expressed in the Bible itselfis Scripture plus apostolic tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly. In the Second Vatican Councils document on divine revelation, Dei Verbum (Latin: "The Word of God"), the relationship between Tradition and Scripture is explained: "Hence there exists a close connection and communication between sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit. To the successors of the apostles, sacred Tradition hands on in its full purity Gods word, which was entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. "Thus, by the light of the Spirit of truth, these successors can in their preaching preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same devotion But Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestants, who place their confidence in Martin Luthers theory of sola scriptura (Latin: "Scripture alone"), will usually argue for their position by citing a couple of key verses. The first is this: "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). The other is this: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be equipped, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:1617). According to these Protestants, these verses demonstrate the reality of sola scriptura (the "Bible only" theory). Not so, reply Catholics. First, the verse from John refers to the things written in that book (read it with John 20:30, the verse immediately before it to see the context of the statement in question). If this verse proved anything, it would not prove the theory of sola scriptura but that the Gospel of John is sufficient. Second, the verse from Johns Gospel tells us only that the Bible was composed so we can be helped to believe Jesus is the Messiah. It does not say the Bible is all we need for salvation, much less that the Bible is all we need for theology; nor does it say the Bible is even necessary to believe in Christ. After all, the earliest Christians had no New Testament to which they could appeal; they learned from oral, rather than written, instruction. Until relatively recent times, the Bible was inaccessible to most people, either because they could not read or because the printing press had not been invented. All these people learned from oral instruction, passed down, generation to generation, by the Church. Much the same can be said about 2 Timothy 3:16-17. To say that all inspired writing "has its uses" is one thing; to say that such a remark means that only inspired writing need be followed is something else. Besides, there is a telling argument against claims of Evan Protestants. It is the contradiction that arises out of their own interpretation of this verse. John Henry Newman explained it in an 1884 essay entitled "Inspiration in its Relation to Revelation." Newmans argument He wrote: "It is quite evident that this passage furnishes no argument whatever that the sacred Scripture, without Tradition, is the sole rule of faith; for, although sacred Scripture is profitable for these four ends, still it is not said to be sufficient. The Apostle [Paul] requires the aid of Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15). Moreover, the Apostle here refers to the scriptures which Timothy was taught in his infancy. "Now, a good part of the New Testament was not written in his boyhood: Some of the Catholic epistles were not written even when Paul wrote this, and none of the books of the New Testament were then placed on
[JOYnet] St. Therese
Therese Martin was the last of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon France. However, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood. Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything. At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in his merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love You!" The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, Story of a Soul. She described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakeable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." She lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love. Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title "little flower" remained with St. Therese. Her ins aven touched many people very quickly. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Had she lived, she would have been only 52 years old when she was declared a Saint. "My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said. "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Roses have been described and experienced as Saint Therese's signature. Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." She has been acclaimed "the greatest saint of modern times." In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Therese a Doctor of the Church - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world. The message of St. Therese is beautiful, inspiring and simple. This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[JOYnet] The List of Popes
The List of Popes St. Peter (32-67) St. Linus (67-76) St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88) St. Clement I (88-97) St. Evaristus (97-105) St. Alexander I (105-115) St. Sixtus I (115-125) -- also called Xystus I St. Telesphorus (125-136) St. Hyginus (136-140) St. Pius I (140-155) St. Anicetus (155-166) St. Soter (166-175) St. Eleutherius (175-189) St. Victor I (189-199) St. Zephyrinus (199-217) St. Callistus I (217-22) St. Urban I (222-30) St. Pontain (230-35) St. Anterus (235-36) St. Fabian (236-50) St. Cornelius (251-53) St. Lucius I (253-54) St. Stephen I (254-257) St. Sixtus II (257-258) St. Dionysius (260-268) St. Felix I (269-274) St. Eutychian (275-283) St. Caius (283-296) -- also called Gaius St. Marcellinus (296-304) St. Marcellus I (308-309) St. Eusebius (309 or 310) St. Miltiades (311-14) St. Sylvester I (314-35) St. Marcus (336) St. Julius I (337-52) Liberius (352-66) St. Damasus I (366-83) St. Siricius (384-99) St. Anastasius I (399-401) St. Innocent I (401-17) St. Zosimus (417-18) St. Boniface I (418-22) St. Celestine I (422-32) St. Sixtus III (432-40) St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61) St. Hilarius (461-68) St. Simplicius (468-83) St. Felix III (II) (483-92) St. Gelasius I (492-96) Anastasius II (496-98) St. Symmachus (498-514) St. Hormisdas (514-23) St. John I (523-26) St. Felix IV (III) (526-30) Boniface II (530-32) John II (533-35) St. Agapetus I (535-36) -- also called Agapitus I St. Silverius (536-37) Vigilius (537-55) Pelagius I (556-61) John III (561-74) Benedict I (575-79) Pelagius II (579-90) St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604) Sabinian (604-606) Boniface III (607) St. Boniface IV (608-15) St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18) Boniface V (619-25) Honorius I (625-38) Severinus (640) John IV (640-42) Theodore I (642-49) St. Martin I (649-55) St. Eugene I (655-57) St. Vitalian (657-72) Adeodatus (II) (672-76) Donus (676-78) St. Agatho (678-81) St. Leo II (682-83) St. Benedict II (684-85) John V (685-86) Conon (686-87) S rgius I (687-701) John VI (701-05) John VII (705-07) Sisinnius (708) Constantine (708-15) St. Gregory II (715-31) St. Gregory III (731-41) St. Zachary (741-52) Stephen II (752) Stephen III (752-57) St. Paul I (757-67) Stephen IV (767-72) Adrian I (772-95) St. Leo III (795-816) Stephen V (816-17) St. Paschal I (817-24) Eugene II (824-27) Valentine (827) Gregory IV (827-44) Sergius II (844-47) St. Leo IV (847-55) Benedict III (855-58) St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67) Adrian II (867-72) John VIII (872-82) Marinus I (882-84) St. Adrian III (884-85) Stephen VI (885-91) Formosus (891-96) Boniface VI (896) Stephen VII (896-97) Romanus (897) Theodore II (897) John IX (898-900) Benedict IV (900-03) Leo V (903) Sergius III (904-11) Anastasius III (911-13) Lando (913-14) John X (914-28) Leo VI (928) Stephen VIII (929-31) John XI (931-35) Leo VII (936-39) Stephen IX (939-42) Marinus II (942-46) Agapetus II (946-55) John XII (955-63) Leo VIII (963-64) Benedict V (964) John XIII (965-72) Benedict VI (973-74) Benedict VII (974-83) John XIV (983-84) John XV (985-96) Gregory V (996-99) Sylvester II (999-1003) John XVII (1003) John XVIII (1003-09) Sergius IV (1009-12) Benedict VIII (1012-24) John XIX (1024-32) Benedict IX (1032-45) Sylvester III (1045) Benedict IX (1045) Gregory VI (1045-46) Clement II (1046-47) Benedict IX (1047-48) Damasus II (1048) St. Leo IX (1049-54) Victor II (1055-57) Stephen X (1057-58) Nicholas II (1058-61) Alexander II (1061-73) St. Gregory VII (1073-85) Blessed Victor III (1086-87) Blessed Urban II (1088-99) Paschal II (1099-1118) Gelasius II (1118-19) Callistus II (1119-24) Honorius II (1124-30) Innocent II (1130-43) Celestine II (1143-44) Lucius II (1144-45) Blessed Eugene III (1145-53) Anastasius IV (1153-54) Adrian IV (1154-59) Alexander III (1159-81) Lucius III (1181-85) Urban III (1185-87) Gregory VIII (1187) Clement III (1187-91) Celestine III (1191-98) Innocent III (1198-1216) Honorius III (1216-27) 241) Innocent IV (1243-54) Alexander IV (1254-61) Urban IV (1261-64) Clement IV (1265-68) Blessed Gregory X (1271-76) Blessed Innocent V (1276) Adrian V (1276) John XXI (1276-77) Nicholas III (1277-80) Martin IV (1281-85) Honorius IV (1285-87) Nicholas IV (1288-92) St. Celestine V (1294) Boniface VIII (1294-1303) Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04) Clement V (1305-14) John XXII (1316-34) Benedict XII (1334-42) Clement VI (1342-52) Innocent VI (1352-62) Blessed Urban V (1362-70) Gregory XI (1370-78) Urban VI (1378-89) Boniface IX (1389-1404) Innocent VII (1406-06) Gregory XII (1406-15) Martin V (1417-31) Eugene IV (1431-47) Nicholas V (1447-55) Callistus III (1455-58) Pius II (1458-64) Paul II (1464-71) Sixtus IV (1471-84) Innocent VIII (1484-92) Alexander VI (1492-1503) Pius III (1503) Julius II (1503-13) Leo X (1513-21) Adrian VI (1522-23) Clement VII (1523-
