Readings for Tuesday, December 15, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Tuesday, December 15, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Lectionary: 188

Reading 1

ZEP 3:1-2, 9-13

Thus says the LORD:

Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,

to the tyrannical city!

She hears no voice,

accepts no correction;

In the LORD she has not trusted,

to her God she has not drawn near.

For then I will change and purify

the lips of the peoples,

That they all may call upon the name of the LORD,

to serve him with one accord;

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia

and as far as the recesses of the North,

they shall bring me offerings.

On that day

You need not be ashamed 

of all your deeds,

your rebellious actions against me;

For then will I remove from your midst

the proud braggarts,

And you shall no longer exalt yourself

on my holy mountain.

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst

a people humble and lowly,

Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:

the remnant of Israel.

They shall do no wrong

and speak no lies;

Nor shall there be found in their mouths

a deceitful tongue;

They shall pasture and couch their flocks

with none to disturb them..

Responsorial Psalm

PS 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 AND 23

R. (7a)  The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,

and your faces may not blush with shame.

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,

and from all his distress he saved him.

R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,

to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,

and from all their distress he rescues them.

R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;

no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

 

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come, O Lord, do not delay;

forgive the sins of your people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

“What is your opinion? 

A man had two sons. 

He came to the first and said,

‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 

The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’

but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 

The man came to the other son and gave the same order. 

He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. 

Which of the two did his father’s will?” 

They answered, “The first.” 

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,

tax collectors and prostitutes

are entering the Kingdom of God before you. 

When John came to you in the way of righteousness,

you did not believe him;

but tax collectors and prostitutes did. 

Yet even when you saw that,

you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

How Daily Mass & Rosary Have Helped Me

At the time of writing this on December 11, 2020, I have been attending Mass on a daily basis for a few weeks. I am fortunate to have a schedule which allows me to go to church from around 8:30am to 9:40am to participate in the Rosary followed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Usually I pick up my friend on the way and we go together.

I think I have received many graces from God by attending daily. I have never done this before. My friend told me one day that he was completing a 9-day novena of Mass attendance and invited me on the 9th day. I noticed there were people saying the Rosary when I arrived. I determined that the Rosary started around 8:30, so from that point onward I arrived a little before 8:30 to participate.

Because of Covid restrictions, Mass attendance has been limited in our massive cathedral to only up to 100 people. However, there is plenty of space for those who attend the daily service and so pre-registration is not required like it on Sundays. Having said that, there is a significant number of people who actually attend Mass this frequently. Also, there is a committed group of people who come every day to participate in the Rosary followed by Mass.

Personally I have found that this has helped me in many ways. I am able to spend time with Our Lord each day as he is present with us in the Eucharist. It is a true blessing. Beyond this, this regular attendance offers many other benefits.

I feel it has an overall good effect on my life. Because I do not have a regular 9 to 5 job at the moment, the Rosary and Mass give structure to my day and gets me up in the morning. Although I am usually up anyway, I must rise at around 7:30 or earlier each and every day regardless of when I go to bed the day before. I find this routine to be very helpful. It gets me going and sets me on the right track throughout the day. I won't get into a lot of detail here, but I have certain issues which sometimes slow me down in the morning. Because of my commitment to the Mass and Rosary, I pull through. It has had a good impact.

I feel another great impact is the special grace I receive from Our Lord when I receive him body, blood, soul, and divinity each day. I believe it moves me away from sin and towards a life of Grace, all thanks to God Almighty. I have been saying the Rosary each day for quite some time but doing this every morning makes it much easier and it also seems more fruitful.

I am a big believer in making things routine in order to ensure they are carried out. By making daily Mass and Rosary part of my life, it remains consistent, and I have a special time in the day devoted to God.

Out of a duty to Justice, we are asked to spend time with God each day. Many theologians place the amount of time at a minimum of around 15 minutes daily. However, spending more than that can be part of the virtue of Charity, which goes above and beyond Justice.

I highly recommend daily Mass to anyone reading this, if it is possible for you. I really think it will help you become a holier person and move you closer to Jesus Christ. It brings great grace and reminds you of God's love. I hope to continue attending Mass each day as much as possible.

Who's the Patron Saint of Shopping?

 

Feast Day of St. John of the Cross in the Catholic Church December 14

 

Information from: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=65

Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. His father was employed by wealthy family members as an accountant, but they disowned him when he married a poor woman from the lower class. As a result of his family's poverty, John's family suffered greatly.

His father died when he was three, and his older brother, Luis died two years after that, likely because of malnutrition. John's mother eventually found work weaving which helped her to feed her family.

As a child, John was sent to a boarding school for poor and orphaned children. He was given a religious education from a young age and chose to follow a religious path, even as a child. He served as an acolyte at an Augustinian monastery. As he grew older, he went to work in a hospital while attending a Jesuit school.

In 1563, he was able to join the Carmelite Order and took the name, "John of St. Matthias." He made vows the following year, and was sent to the university in Salamanca to study theology and philosophy. He became an expert in the Bible and dared to translate the Song of Songs into Spanish, an act which was controversial since the Church forbade the translation of the Bible from Latin -a measure to protect the original meanings in the scripture.

John became a priest in 1567 and considered joining the Carthusian Order where monks lived cloistered in individual cells. He was attracted by the simple and quiet life. However, he encountered Theresa of Avila, a charismatic Carmelite nun. Theresa asked John to follow her.

John was attracted by the strict routine followed by Theresa, a routine she hoped to reintroduce to her order, as well as her devotion to prayer and simplicity. Her followers went barefoot, and were therefore known as the discalced Carmelites.

On Nov. 28, 1568, Theresa founded a new monastery. The same day, John changed his name again to John of the Cross. Within a couple years, John and his fellow friars, relocated to a larger site for their monastery. He remained at this location until 1572.

In 1572, John traveled to Avila at the invitation of Theresa to become her confessor and spiritual guide. He remained in Avila until 1577. While there, he had a vision of Christ and made a drawing that remains to this day called, "Christ from Above." The little drawing shows Christ on the cross, looking down on him from above. The image has been preserved for centuries.

Around 1575, a rift within the Carmelite order began to grow and create controversy between various monastic houses. There was disagreement between the Discalced Carmelites and the ordinary Carmelites, over reform.

The Discalced Carmelites sought to restore the original, strict routine and regimen that the order had when it was founded. In 1432, the strict rules of the order were "mitigated" relieving the Carmelites of some of their most strict rules. Some Carmelites, such as Theresa of Avila, felt this liberalization of their rule had interfered with their order and practice. Theresa, along with John, sought to restore the original rule.

The Carmelites had been undergoing reform since 1566, under the direction of two Canonical Visitors from the Dominican Order, sent by the Vatican. The intervention of the Holy See as well as the political machinations of King Phillip II and his court, led to dramatic, even violent disagreement between the Carmelites.

In late 1577, John was ordered to leave the monastery in Avila and to return to his original house. However, John's work to reform the order had already been approved by the Papal Nuncio, who was a higher authority. Based on that, John chose to ignore the lower order and stay.

On December 2, 1577, a group of Carmelites broke into John's residence and kidnapped him. He was taken by force to the order's main house in Toledo. He was brought before a court and placed on trial for disobedience. He was punished by imprisonment.

A cell was made for him in the monastery that was so small he could barely lie on the floor. He was fed only bread and water, and occasional scraps of salt fish. Each week he was taken into public and lashed, then returned to his cell. His only luxuries were a prayer book and an oil lamp to read it by. To pass the time he wrote poems on paper that was smuggled to him by the friar charged with guarding his cell.

John became known as a remarkable and influential poet, especially following his death. He has been cited as an influence to many poets, mystics, and artists, even Salvador Dali.

After nine months, John managed to pry his cell door from its hinges and escape.

He joined Teresa's nuns in Toledo, and spent six weeks in the hospital to recover. In 1579, he was sent to the town of Baeza to be rector of a new college and to support the Discalced Carmelites in Andalusia.

In 1580, Pope Gregory formally authorized the split between the Discalced Carmelites and the rest of the order. This ended the rift within the order. At that time, there were about 500 members in the order living in 22 houses.

During the last few years of his life, John traveled and established new houses across Spain.

In 1591, John became ill with a skin condition that resulted in an infection. He died on December 14, 1591, John of the Cross died.

Shortly following his burial, there was a dispute over where he should be buried. The dispute was resolved by removing his legs and arms. Over the years, parts of his body were placed on display or buried across several places.

Saint John of the Cross was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675, and Canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

He is the patron of Contemplatives, mystics and Spanish poets and his feast day is celebrated on December 14.

Readings for Monday, December 14, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Monday, December 14, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 187

Reading 1

NM 24:2-7, 15-17A

When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,

the spirit of God came upon him,

and he gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,

the utterance of a man whose eye is true,

The utterance of one who hears what God says,

and knows what the Most High knows,

Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,

enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:

How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;

your encampments, O Israel!

They are like gardens beside a stream,

like the cedars planted by the LORD.

His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,

he shall have the sea within reach;

His king shall rise higher,

and his royalty shall be exalted.

Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,

the utterance of the man whose eye is true,

The utterance of one who hears what God says,

and knows what the Most High knows,

Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,

enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.

I see him, though not now;

I behold him, though not near:

A star shall advance from Jacob,

and a staff shall rise from Israel.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9

R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my savior.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,

and your kindness are from of old.

In your kindness remember me,

because of your goodness, O LORD.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;

thus he shows sinners the way.

He guides the humble to justice,

he teaches the humble his way.

R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

PS 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Show us, LORD, your love,

and grant us your salvation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

MT 21:23-27

When Jesus had come into the temple area,

the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him

as he was teaching and said,

“By what authority are you doing these things? 

And who gave you this authority?” 

Jesus said to them in reply,

“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,

then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 

Where was John’s baptism from?

Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” 

They discussed this among themselves and said,

“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,

‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 

But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,

for they all regard John as a prophet.” 

So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” 

He himself said to them,

“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Happy Gaudete Sunday - third Sunday of Advent! Joy!

 

Catholic Binding Prayer + Information

A Binding Prayer followed by Questions and Answers

A Binding Prayer:

Spirit of N., I bind you in the Name of Jesus, by the power of the most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Michael the Archangel, the blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul and all of the saints, and I command you to leave N. (Name of person or object) and go to the foot of the Holy Cross to receive your sentence, in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Q&A Information Regarding Binding Prayer:

Binding Prayer is a subject area that is gaining more notice of late. I will look into what binding prayer is and some further information which I was able to acquire.

What is Binding Prayer:

Binding prayer is a form of prayer in which we bind demons. We command them to behave a certain way such as to leave a particular person. We can use binding prayers on ourselves and on those who are under our authority, such as a husband employing a binding prayer on his wife or a woman using binding prayer on her children. We bind evil spirits in the name of Jesus Christ.

Binding prayer is related to prayers of deliverance and exorcisms. The precise distinction of the three I am not sure.

Fr. Chad Ripperger points out that Jesus sets an example for us when he speaks to St. Peter saying "Get behind me Satan." He was commanding the evil spirit to get behind him. We can do something similar. It is considered a type of adjuration or command. Also, Fr. Ripperger says you can say "I bind you" to the demon or I exorcise you. However, a non-exorcist should not specifically name or seek the name of a demon (more on that below).

Do Binding Prayers show up in the Bible?

Yes, binding prayer is present in the Bible in several places. Fr. Ripperger lists 4 locations in the Bible: Tobit in the Old Testament, Gospel according to St. Mark, 2nd Letter of Peter, and the Book of Revelation.

Can we name a demon during a binding prayer?

Lay people are not permitted to directly name a demon or attempt to ascertain the name of the demon which is causing issues. However, a Catholic is allowed to name the effects of a particular demon.

Is Binding Prayer Catholic:

Yes, binding prayer has been part of the Catholic Church for centuries.

Are there any videos on this subject:

Yes, check out the following video on this subject:

Please let me know if you have any questions on this subject and I will do my best to answer them.

Who loves Mother Angelica?

 

Happy Feast Day of St. Lucy in the Catholic Church December 13

Information from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75:

Lucy's history has been lost and all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life during the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith.

Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends began to crop up. The one that has passed the test of time tells the story of a young Christian woman who vowed to live her life in service of Christ. Her mother tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan and Lucy knew her mother could not be swayed by a young girl's vow, so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was the better partner for life.

After several prayers at the tomb of Saint Agatha, Lucy saw the saint in a dream. St. Agatha told Lucy her mother's illness would be cured through faith, which Lucy used to persuade her mother to give the dowry money to the poor and allow her to commit her life to God.

While Lucy and her mother were grateful to God, the rejected bridegroom was deeply angered and betrayed Lucy's faith to the governor Paschasius. The governor attempted to force her into defilement at a brothel, but the guards who came to take her away were unable to move her, even after hitching her to a team of oxen.

The guards heaped bundles of wood around her but it wouldn't burn so they finally resorted to their swords, and Lucy met her death.

Though details of her life remain unknown, it is widely known that during her lifetime Christians were persecuted for their faith. They were forced to endure horrific torture and often met painful ends during Diocletian's reign. Though the details surrounding her death remain only as legends, it is all modern-day Christians can rely on.

Lucy's legend did not end with her death. According to later accounts, Lucy warned Paschasius he would be punished. When the governor heard this he ordered the guards to gouge out her eyes; however, in another telling, it was Lucy who removed her eyes in an attempt to discourage a persistent suitor who greatly admired them.

When her body was being prepared for burial, they discovered her eyes had been restored.

Sigebert (1030-1112), a monk of Gembloux, wrote sermo de Sancta Lucia, in which he described Lucy's body as remaining undisturbed in Sicily for 400 years until Faroald II, Duke of Spoleto, seized the island and transferred Lucy's remains to Abruzzo, Italy. It was later removed by Emperor Otho I in 972 to Metz and left in the church of St. Vincent. There is much confusion about what happened to her body after its stay at St. Vincent's, but it is believed that several pieces of her body can be found in Rome, Naples, Verona, Lisbon, Milan, Germany, France and Sweden.

In 1981, thieves stole all but her head but police were able to recover them on her feast day.

Lucy, whose name can mean "light" or "lucid," is the patron saint of the blind. She is often seen with the emblem of eyes on a cup or plate. In paintings, she is often depicted with a golden plate holding her eyes and often holds a palm branch, which is a symbol of victory over evil.

Saint Lucy's Prayer:

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day. Amen

Readings for Sunday, December 13, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Saturday, December 13, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Third Sunday of Advent

Lectionary: 8

Reading 1

IS 61:1-2A, 10-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,

to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives

and release to the prisoners,

to announce a year of favor from the LORD

and a day of vindication by our God.

I rejoice heartily in the LORD,

in my God is the joy of my soul;

for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation

and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,

like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,

like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

As the earth brings forth its plants,

and a garden makes its growth spring up,

so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise

spring up before all the nations.

 

Responsorial Psalm

LK 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.

R. (Is 61:10b) My soul rejoices in my God.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

R. My soul rejoices in my God.

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

R. My soul rejoices in my God.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

R. My soul rejoices in my God.

Reading 2

1 THES 5:16-24

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.

In all circumstances give thanks,

for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not quench the Spirit.

Do not despise prophetic utterances.

Test everything; retain what is good.

Refrain from every kind of evil.

May the God of peace make you perfectly holy

and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body,

be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The one who calls you is faithful,

and he will also accomplish it.

 

Alleluia

IS 61:1 (cited in LK 4:18)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

JN 1:6-8, 19-28

A man named John was sent from God.

He came for testimony, to testify to the light,

so that all might believe through him.

He was not the light,

but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John.

When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests

and Levites to him

to ask him, “Who are you?”

He admitted and did not deny it,

but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”

So they asked him,

“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”

And he said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

So they said to him,

“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?

What do you have to say for yourself?”

He said:

“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,

‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”

as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Some Pharisees were also sent. 

They asked him,

“Why then do you baptize

if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”

John answered them,

“I baptize with water;

but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,

the one who is coming after me,

whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”

This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,

where John was baptizing.

Where did Our Lady of Guadalupe Appear?

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego at Tepeyac or the Hill of Tepeyac, historically known by the names Tepeyacac and Tepeaquilla, which is located inside Gustavo A. Madero, the northernmost delegación or borough of Mexico City.

Near the site of her apparition is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Right next to the new basilica is the Old Basilica. Her feast day is December 12.

Trump's Beautiful Christmas Message for 2020

I saw this originally from Dr. Taylor Marshall. It's Donald Trump's Christmas message. I will admit, I was very inspired by the words of the President. He didn't beat around the bush or talk in euphemisms and vagueness. He clearly gave a beautiful, profound, biblical message about Christmas. That Jesus Christ was born into the world to redeem the world by his death. Amazing. I can't remember a politician talking this clearly on the subject of Christmas. Truly beautiful and inspiring!

Our Lady of Guadalupe - my personal thoughts

I don't currently have a strong devotion as such to Our Lady of Guadalupe, but I heard a great sermon today at Mass and wanted to share some of what the priest told me. This may not be everything he said, but it's some of the things I remember. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a very beautiful one, and also very miraculous.

Juan Diego, who was recently canonized, was one of the few Catholics in Mexico. Our Lady appeared to him in an apparition while he was out in the desert. He went to tell the bishop from Spain about what he had witnessed. I believe the bishop had asked for some kind of proof. So he went back to the site of the apparition to tell the Blessed Virgin that he would need "proof". So she made appear a beautiful rose bush. This was a great miracle in that it was in the middle of the desert where very little grows. Also, little did St. Juan Diego know but this type of rose didn't even grow natively in Mexico, but was in fact native to Spain.

As proof of what had happened he either collected or Our Lady placed many roses in the tilma of this saint and he brought them back to the bishop. He told the bishop what had happened. When St. Juan let the roses drop from his tilma that he had been carrying, there was revealed a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As the priest mentioned, this image of Our Lady is unique in that God himself placed it there and it was not the work of human hands.

There are many miracles which I recall from elsewhere concerning this image. The tilma was only meant to last a few years, but has now been preserved from decay for almost 500 years. That in itself is a miracle. Tests of the tilma reveal it is not painted by any methods available to human beings. From what I recall, the image was placed there with intense radiation. There are many striking details. For example, I believe an image of what transpired in that room with the bishop is actually visible under microscope in the eye of the Blessed Virgin on the tilma. What an astonishing fact.

But the greatest miracle of all was the conversion of so many people. The priest today mentioned that the Catholic faith had not taken hold in Mexico, but after this apparition, within a decade or so, there were 9 million baptisms. People entering into the sacraments and the life of Christ is the greatest of all miracles, far more than the roses or tilma. In fact, these material miracles only serve to highlight the spiritual reality.

Happy feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe today. We'll see you all next time.

New Vatican Creche or Nativity Scenes are Horrifying.

Can anyone tell me what is up with the Vatican Nativity Scenes???

These. Are. Real.

It may be hard to believe but these are legitimate, unedited photos of Nativity Scenes found in the Vatican and approved by Vatican officials. What is going on here?

Look at the first one up there. What is going on? Is it a space alien landing on Planet Earth to learn about our species? Maybe it's a random sculpture featured on Ancient Aliens which they insist was an ancient culture's representation of people from another galaxy.

Given that these are nativity scenes, it seems the artist is doing some kind of portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But come on! This isn't beautiful. If you want to try some kind of strange, experimental art form, go ahead, but don't do it for the Vatican's Nativity scene!

Then on to the second one. No, they did not get these from the Egypt section of the museum. Nope, these are recently-created art pieces representing Mary and Joseph. You probably thought it was an Egyptian sarcophagus. Wrong again.

Who are these for? Devout Catholics will be shocked to see these. Non-Catholics will wonder what on Earth is going on. It definitely does not bolster the image of the Catholic Church in the minds of non-Catholics. To depict Our Blessed Mother, Joseph, and Jesus Christ in this way is almost scandalous.

Things seem to have gone off the rails since last year. Check out this video of Nativity Scenes at the Vatican which came from 30 countries. Some are a little different, various artistic styles, but none compare to the strange scenes above for 2020:

Is there any point in debating Protestants online?

No.

Thanks for visiting the blog once again, see you next time.

Okay, not so fast. I'm assuming you would like a longer explanation to this question. I just wanted to offer some of my own personal experience and thoughts concerning debating Protestants. Also, if you are absolutely required to debate, I wanted to provide some pointers as to perhaps better ways to deal with such situations.

Just today I noticed there was a post from the Vatican on Twitter. I believe the post was related to a plenary indulgence being granted by the Church. In response to the Vatican tweet, a Protestant was throwing out disparaging comments regarding indulgences and temporal punishment due to sin. I popped in and asked what his purpose was for coming onto a Catholic twitter account just to say he doesn't agree with a point of Catholic teaching.

I gave a brief explanation of Catholic beliefs regarding indulgences but also said I was not interested in debating him any further. Here's why:

I don't really think in 99% of the cases, there is any point in debating non-Catholic Christians regarding the Catholic Church. It does very little good, and probably only entrenches the other side more than they currently are. I applaud people and groups who have gone out there to do apologetics work for the Church such as Catholic Answers. In fact, Catholic Answers has been huge in my Christian life. But for the most part, I find there is little if any value in debating with Protestants. Let's get more specific.

First of all, when debating there are a few things I've noticed.

The burden of proof is always on Catholics. The format is always the Protestant grilling the Catholic on every point of doctrine and the Catholic being in a position where they must justify and defend every Catholic teaching perfectly. The Catholic is always on the defensive. The Protestant on the other hand is rarely questioned. He takes the role of questioner and the Catholic assumes the role of "answerer". It's an unfair and biased format to begin with.

If the Catholic who is forced to respond to these accusations is well-versed and able to handle himself well, the Protestant employs his next tactic: rapid-fire questions. If he accuses the Catholic of worshipping the Virgin Mary and the Catholic successfully refutes him on that, he immediately jumps to indulgences and how they are not Biblical. Having responded to that line of attack, the Protestant yet again jumps to one of a dozen topics he has ready.

Clearly the opponent is not at all interested in clarification or understanding. Rather, he is simply seeking to destroy the other side. He is not asking questions in good faith. He is trying to find rhetorical victories. There are many things wrong with this approach. One thing I've seen is some Protestants insisting that Catholics hold a certain belief despite the fact that they don't actually believe it. They copy-and-paste documents and quotes from anti-catholic sources to "prove" that Catholics do in fact believe certain things.

I find this very strange. To me, it would make sense to find something Catholics actually believed and then attempt to disprove it rather than trying to find something they don't actually believe and try to prove that they do. How does that make any sense? I suppose it is like what Bishop Fulton J. Sheen once said:

“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”

If your strategy is to "prove" to the Catholic that he is wrong about something he doesn't actually believe, you have a terrible strategy.

I mentioned copying-and-pasting. This is another popular strategy employed by non-Catholics. I have in the past attempted to debate someone on a particular topic. I will personally write up my reaction to whatever they are saying and expect a reasonable response. Instead what I get is a very long copied-and-pasted text from some other source usually filled with dozens of errors. The person who sends it probably hasn't even bothered to read what I've written, but just proceeds to paste something from some random source that he thinks will cover what I said.

Do you really think someone doing this has any interest in coming to the truth on a particular topic? Often they don't even wait for a response and will post 2, 3, or 4 more multi-paragraph attacks. Do they think whoever posts the most words is the winner?

These are some of the strategical ways in which debating is pointless in this context. But there are other reasons why there are inherent pitfalls to Catholics attempting to debate Protestants.

One issue is the Protestant oversimplification of doctrines. Correct doctrine isn't about being simpler or more complex as such. Rather, it's about coming to the Truth. But during the Protestant reformation, when the Protestant movement came into being (about 500 years ago), they stripped away anything which prevented them from having a one-on-one religion with God. Anything that did not comply with this was wiped out. Priests, sacraments, the visible Church, all taken away. It became very individualistic. Because the Protestant religion is so simple, they often go into debates with bumper-sticker slogans rather than defined doctrine such as that found in the Catholic Church that has taken centuries to develop.

As an example, when discussing temporal vs. eternal punishment due to sin, a Protestant simply explained how simple it all is: "Jesus forgives everything!" and goes on to say no such thing as temporal punishment, etc. All so simple. Do something bad, God forgives, badabing badaboom! Do Catholics believe God forgives sin? Yes, of course we do! But we just haven't simplified every single aspect of every doctrine into 3 words. Somehow there is a belief out there that the simpler a belief, the more true it must be, which is obviously false.

Another issue when discussing any particular topic is that the Catholic Church has a two-thousand year history. During this time there have been great saints in the Church including Doctors of the Church who have written extensively on hundreds of topics. St. Thomas Aquinas, who is one of the main theologians of our faith, wrote many more words than the Bible. For example, his Summa Theologiae contains 3x more words than the entire Bible. On top of these writings, we have papal encyclicals, bulls, and other letters. Plus there are thousands of writings by saints throughout the centuries. These all make up our Catholic heritage and it is wonderful. However, when it comes to discussing any particular thing, it just means Protestants have millions of pages to distort and use as "proof" for their purposes. Things are distorted, not contextualized, etc. Often, writings are outright misquoted. Catholics are then forced to give an account for every word that has been written and defend it.

On the other hand, Protestants get off easy here once again. We cannot just bring up something a random Protestant once said about a topic and use it for a "gotcha" moment. The person to whom we are speaking can simply dismiss anything they can't explain or that they disagree with. They just say oh he doesn't represent real Christianity or I don't have to listen to him or her, he's not the Bible, etc. For example, I could say the prosperity gospel preached by Joel Osteen is wrong and a Protestant will simply say oh yeah doesn't matter, I don't listen to Osteen. On the other hand, when a non-Catholic brings up something a particular pope said or wrote, a Catholic can't simply dismiss it. They are once again forced to defend, perfectly, whatever that particular pope may have said.

Can Catholics win a debate with Protestants?
The answer to this question is clearly yes. We've seen great success from the likes of Jimmy Akin and Tim Staples in this area. I think in order to be successful in this area, you must be aware of some tips and strategies.

Be Ready and Be on Offense
Don't always put yourself in a defensive position trying to prove all Catholic doctrines. As much as possible, take the offense. For example, if a Protestant is asking about where something is found in the Bible, perhaps turn the tables by asking where the Bible says everything must be found in the Bible. I'll talk more about this in a moment. You should probably have a few major topics to bring up along these lines. Think about where the conversation could lead and be prepared. Have pointed questions ready that you can grill your opponent with.

Bible Alone
One major thing that must be corrected immediately is the Bible Alone proposition. Do not accept it at face value. Unequivocally, when entering into a debate with a Protestant, there will be an immediate underlying assumption that all correct Christian beliefs must be clearly stated in the Bible, otherwise they are false. Dispute this proposition immediately. You can ask rhetorically how we know the books that belong in the Bible. Who compiled the Bible? If the Bible doesn't have a table of contents, how do we know what belongs? Protestants will present parts of the Bible which refer to the Scriptures as being of great value, as well as verses saying no one should alter the Bible in any way, etc. But there is no list of books that belong in the Bible actually found in the Bible. Don't give in on this point. Otherwise you just go on the defensive. Tell them that Jesus Christ did not give us a Bible, he gave us a Church and that Church is the bulwark of the Truth. It's important to note that no teaching in the Bible, properly understood, contradicts Catholic teaching. The Bible is a Catholic book and there are many verses which prove the Catholic faith. All I am saying is to not accept the initial premise of Bible-Alone.

Stick to One Topic
I can't stress this enough. As alluded to earlier, the rapid-fire or machine-gun-fire questions are a favorite tactic employed by anti-Catholic debaters. They may simply present a laundry-list of issues they have with the Church to create a sort-of slam dunk moment because it's so overwhelming. Or they may bring up a subject they think is pretty solid, but when an informed Catholic begins to respond effectively, they simply switch to another topic. Don't worry, they think, they have dozens of these topics from which to choose. They keep switching from one to another until inevitably the Catholic opponent admits ignorance on a subject and they declare victory.

Force your interlocutor to stick to one topic until you are done discussing it. If they bring up a new topic, ignore it and just keep talking about the initial one.

Is there any point to debating Protestants?
Is there any point to debating with Protestants? 99% of the time I would say there is no point. For the most part, Protestant debaters are only interested in overwhelming you with massive amounts of text and when you don't respond to each and every objection, they simply declare victory. It's a pointless exercise. It's perhaps best to just wish them well and let them know you are not interested in debating.

There is however the 1% of the time when a person's main priority is not to debate as such, but to acquire information for their genuine curiosity. They want further information and want to truly discuss your faith. If an honest Protestant just wants to discuss, I don't have a problem with that. But that is rarely the case. Recently I posted a Youtube comment asking if anyone would like to discuss the Catholic faith and someone expressed interest. So I opened the dialogue. He asked me what I thought were the main differences between Catholics and Protestants. I answered. But then he responded clearly looking to debate me on the subject. I was a little let down that he approached me under false pretenses, but as mentioned, people not simply looking for the mic-drop moment are rare.

Conclusion:
I would say for the vast majority of the time, it is best not to engage in debate with anyone on the topic of your Catholic faith. Answer questions charitably but if it devolves into walls of anti-Catholic text, it's best to leave it at that, wish that person well and not return to that conversation.

Let me know what you thought about this article and your own experience in debating. Have a great day!

Which do you say: Amen or Amen?

 

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12

Information from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/our-lady-of-guadalupe:

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the 16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.

A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower, and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.

Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Eventually the bishop told Juan to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Juan to try to avoid the lady. Nevertheless the lady found Juan, assured him that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.

On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground, and the bishop sank to his knees. On the tilma where the roses had been appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.

---

Reflection

Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary—and the God who sent her—accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for the indigenous population. While a number of them had converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God’s preferential option for the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God’s love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself.

Readings for Saturday, December 12, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Readings for Saturday, December 12, 2020 in the Catholic Church

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Lectionary: 690A

Reading 1

ZEC 2:14-17

Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! 

See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.

Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,

and they shall be his people,

and he will dwell among you,

and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,

and he will again choose Jerusalem.

Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!

For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

or

Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

God’s temple in heaven was opened,

and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,

with the moon under her feet,

and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in the sky;

it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,

and on its heads were seven diadems.

Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky

and hurled them down to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,

to devour her child when she gave birth.  

She gave birth to a son, a male child,

destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.

Her child was caught up to God and his throne.

The woman herself fled into the desert

where she had a place prepared by God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have salvation and power come,

and the Kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Anointed.”

Responsorial Psalm

JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19

R. (15:9d)  You are the highest honor of our race.

Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,

above all the women on earth;

and blessed be the LORD God, 

the creator of heaven and earth.

R. You are the highest honor of our race.

Your deed of hope will never be forgotten

by those who tell of the might of God.

R. You are the highest honor of our race.

 

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;

from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,

of the house of David,

and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said

and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary,

for you have found favor with God.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,

and you shall name him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,

and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,

and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be,

since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,

has also conceived a son in her old age,

and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.”

Then the angel departed from her.

or

Lk 1:39-47

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”