tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55423692595132481522024-03-08T16:04:35.152-05:00Learning the FaithThis blog will serve as an outlet for all of the many wonderful things that I am learning regarding Faith and Religion.Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-57173711039749125032012-10-18T22:14:00.001-04:002012-10-18T22:14:35.070-04:00Jesus is the pilotMy wife just shared a quote from the book that she is reading, and I found it so profound and it paints such a beautiful picture in my mind on how much we need to trust in God, that I had to share it. I hope it touches you as much as it has touched me.<br />
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"He is the pilot. The oarsman turn their backs to the goal while rowing; the pilot sees. He is the one who steers the boat. Let us row with all of our strength and let Jesus guide us into port."<br />
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Fr. Jean C.J. d'Elbee - <u>I Believe in Love</u><br />
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God blessCarlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-29182108438513196292011-12-24T17:25:00.005-05:002011-12-24T17:25:46.310-05:00Merry Christmas!!!Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-40121088699681124492011-10-20T15:10:00.002-04:002011-10-20T15:10:20.439-04:00Fighting Abortion :- 40 Days for LifeLast night, myself and two of my Catholic brothers took a stand against Abortion. From 1 to 2 am we stood outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic here in Downtown Grand Rapids and prayed. It was cold, windy, and raining - yet this did not cause us to forget why we were there. We prayed for an end to abortion in our city, in our state, in the world. <div>
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This was all part of the <a href="http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/">40 Days for Life</a> campaign. If you have never heard about this before, I encourage you to learn more about it at their site. 40 Days for Life will be continuing until November 6. If you have a chance to join "the stand" please do. Go onto their site, click the "Locations" menu item at the top, find your state and see if there is a vigil in your area. If you can't, please take a moment to pray for those volunteers that are, but especially for the end to abortion.</div>
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God bless...</div>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-47601978391645480082011-09-15T07:12:00.002-04:002011-09-15T07:12:39.253-04:00Insincere Protestant ApologistsI have listened to a number of Protestant/Catholic Dialogue Debates over the past few years, and I am starting to come to the conclusion that many of the Protestant Apologists that I have heard, are not being entirely sincere. I don't think that they are being completely honest with themselves, at best, and with their followers / supporters at worst.<br />
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The Protestant Apologists that are truly ignorant of the Catholic faith, are not the ones that I am referring to. I am talking about those who are very familiar with the faith, and are knowingly perpetuating the lies and misconceptions about the Catholic faith.<br />
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I do not want to call them out by name. That is not the purpose of this blog. Instead, I want to ask for prayers. Please pray that they will be honest with themselves and their supporters. Ask God that they will move past the completely explainable misconceptions about Catholicism, and move towards reconciling the Body of Christ, which is His Church. We should all be striving for unity - not compromise, but unity.<br />
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God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-25061067960109489412011-08-15T17:47:00.000-04:002011-08-15T17:47:02.259-04:00Are Holy Days of Obligation Man Made Religious Traditions?Today is August 15th 2011. For us Catholics, it is also the Solemnity of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary">Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary</a> - one of the many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Day_of_Obligation">Holy Days of Obligation</a>. Granted, there are few Protestants these days who carry a high regard for Mary (unlike their "Fathers of the Faith" including <a href="http://www.catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/general/mary.htm">Martin Luther and John Calvin</a>) let alone believe that she was <b>assumed</b> into Heaven like Elijah, but that is not really the topic of this post.<br />
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During a conversation that my wife was having with her friends regarding the "abrogation" of this Holy Day of Obligation, a Non-Catholic friend of ours who was also part of the conversation made the following comment (paraphrasing):</div>
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<i>"I don't follow any man-made religion. Every day is a holy day for me".</i></div>
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Obviously, he makes a very good point. We should treat every day as a gift from our Creator, and therefore should regard it as Holy. However, the comment regarding a man-made religion made me question if, in fact, Holy Days of Obligation are a man-made tradition. So....are they part of a man-made tradition? Before I answer that question I think we have to first understand what a man-made traditions are. </div>
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If you have been a Catholic for more than ten minutes and if you have engaged in any kind of religious conversation with Protestants, sooner or later, they are going to bring up this concept of a man-made tradition. What are man-made traditions? Or better known as traditions of men? It is a direct reference to Scripture. In Mark 7:1-13 we witness an exchange between the Pharisees and Jesus Christ where Jesus ultimately tells the Pharisees:</div>
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<b>Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men </b>(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207:8&version=NASB">Mark 7:8</a>).<br />
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Jesus is saying that instead of following God, they are following the teachings of men. The Pharisees are holding their own practices and beliefs higher than God's. This is ultimately the same accusation that Protestants make against the Catholic Church They are basically saying that we are holding to the traditions of man instead of the Teachings of God. While many Protestants may not realize it, this is a complete insult against the Catholic Faith.<br />
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Do you not think so? Maybe you think I am taking this statement too much to heart. If you think so, then I welcome you to try a little experiment. Next time you are in a conversation with a Protestant friend, and they mention to you something along the lines of their church has asked every member to fast on a certain day, or devote themselves to prayer for a certain hour of the week, just respond to them in the same fashion. Say something along the lines of, "I am not going to follow any man-made tradition. Every day should be dedicated for prayer". Do you think that they will be offended? I am sure they would.<br />
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Are Holy Days of Obligation a man-made tradition? Of course not. How do I know this? Because Jesus Christ told me Himself that he was going to create a Church, and of that Church, the Gates of Hell would never prevail. Jesus also said that he was going to give that Church the Holy Spirit to lead into all areas of truth. Since the Catholic Church is the only Church that I have been able to recognize that has existed since the Apostles, and I am utterly convinced that the Gates of Hell has attempted to prevail against it and yet it still has not succeeded (nor will it ever), I have to believe that the traditions / teachings of this Church are exactly what Jesus Christ said that they would be:<br />
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<b>I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. </b>(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2016:19&version=NASB">Matt 16:18</a>)<br />
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If the Church asks the faithful to gather together, celebrate, and pray during certain days of the year, Holy Days of Obligation (including Sunday, I might add), how can it be man-made traditions?<br />
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Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-44485742094919710072011-07-14T16:08:00.002-04:002011-07-14T16:08:49.683-04:00Catholic and GayHere is a blog post from a Homosexual Catholic that was forwarded to me recently. It is a very brief post and in it the author shares his experience as a Homosexual Catholic as it relates to the Catholic Church and as it relates to society in general.<br />
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<a href="http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2011/07/gay-catholic-and-doing-fine.html?m=1">Gay Catholic and Doing Fine...</a><br />
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God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-89031429957383122642011-05-23T08:12:00.000-04:002011-05-23T08:12:32.018-04:005 Words That Confuse Catholic and Protestant DialgoueEver since I started my interest in the Catholic Church, I have found one of the most confusing aspects to be terminology. Catholics use some words that I have never even heard of before, and at times, we use words that mean one thing in Catholicism, and something different in Protestant churches. I ran into this so much when I was learning about Catholicism, that I even came up with an acronym for it (B.C.W. - Big Catholic Words). Now that I have been Catholic for a little over two years, I am finding that recently, I have been forgetting this fact when talking to my Protestant brothers and sisters.<br />
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Here are some terms that I can think of, off of the top of my head, that may cause confusion in conversations between Catholics and Protestants, as well as what I believe to be the Protestant equivalent. If you can think of some other terms, please feel free to add them in the comments.<br />
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<b>Homily</b><br />
In the Catholic Church you will typically hear this word to describe what most Protestants would refer to as the <i>sermon</i>. This is what the minister will preach on.<br />
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<b>Priest</b><br />
In the Catholic Church, this is the person who is authorized by the Church to administer all of the Sacraments. While it is true, the Deacons in the Catholic Church can also effect some of the Sacrements, they are not authorized to do them all. For Protestants, this is the minister.<br />
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<b>Church</b><br />
Out of all of the terms, this is probably the most loaded one. In the Catholic Church, when referring to the term Church, we typically mean the institution created by Jesus Christ founded on Peter mentioned in <a href="http://new.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2016:18&version=NIV">Matt 16:18</a>. For Protestants, this typically means the place where they gather to worship. It can also mean the invisible institution that all believers belong to.<br />
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<b>Sacred Tradition</b><br />
In Catholic theology, this refers to the teachings of God that is not written down as part of the Bible. Examples of this would include the Trinity, Hypostatic Union (Jesus was both Man and God), as well as the actual Books of the Bible. Typically, when most Protestants hear the term <i>tradition</i> they immediately think of <a href="http://new.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%207:1-30&version=NIV">Mark 7:1-30</a>, and believe that all <i>traditions </i>are human traditions and elevated higher than God's commands.<br />
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<b>Communion of Saints</b><br />
When Catholics refer to the Communion of Saints, we are referring to the people on Earth, Purgatory, and Heaven that make up Christ's Church. Through this communion, we believe that it is perfectly acceptable to pray to God, for one another - regardless if they are alive here on Earth, or perfected in Heaven. Protestants typically shun the idea of asking anyone that is not physically alive here on Earth to pray for them. Some of them may even consider this a form of idolatry.<br />
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<b>Prayer</b><br />
When Catholics refer to prayer, we primarily mean <i>making a request of</i>. For this reason, we can ask for the intercession of saints in Heaven. Since Protestants reserve prayer to the Trinity, they typically consider prayer to be worship. Because of this, things that Catholics say can sound idolatrous in Protestant ears, such as <i>praying to Mary, praying to the Angels, and praying to saints. </i>Since Protestants consider prayer as worship, they think that we actually worship Mary, Angels and Saints.<br />
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I hope that this can serve as a help to Catholics and Protestants alike. Some Catholic and Protestant friends of mine truly believe that many of the challenges in ecumenical dialogue is a difference in terminology. Combine this with the fact that we use the same words but mean completely different things, makes it very difficult to have productive conversations.<br />
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God bless.Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-26734059733475212062010-12-21T09:06:00.000-05:002010-12-21T09:06:14.987-05:00Contemplating Religious LifeHere is another inspiring video that I just came across reading <a href="http://www.catholic-convert.com/2010/12/19/im-a-married-man-but-for-those-who-are-not/">Steve Ray's</a> Blog.<br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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<object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dEIQ0beeJQ0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dEIQ0beeJQ0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-63902453544546570412010-11-16T08:12:00.000-05:002010-11-16T08:12:20.099-05:00My Pilgrimmage to the Holy LandsIt has been a long time since I last posted, but it has not been without good reason.<br />
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I have just returned from my 10 day pilgrimmage to the Holy Lands. It was an awesome experience.....hmmm....I can do better than that. It was an<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">AWESOME Experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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When I first heard about this plan to go to Israel, I was not that excited about going. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving my family for that amount of time, and I thought that it was too much to ask of them. If it were not for my God-fearing wife, family and friends encouragement, I would not have gone. They encouraged me because it would be a unique time to go since it would not just be with a random touring company, it was specifically with my parish family and priest.<br />
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Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing photos and experiences with you from my journey. Fr. Troy said that a pilgrimage is not a personal endeavor, but one that should be shared with those that you return home to. With that in mind, I feel that it is my obligation to share with you some what I experienced and what I saw, and what I learned - about myself and our Lord.<br />
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The overall unescapable feeling that I had was this stuff is for real. Now as a practicing Christian for all of my life, that may sound weird. It may sound like I didn't have a real faith in Christ or the Scriptures. I don't think that is the case. I do not doubt the faith that I had before my trip. Instead, I think there is a big difference in reading the Scriptures and actually seeing the places where these things took place. It has solidified my faith even more than before. I know that these places exist. I have seen them. I have touched them. I have walked the same city that Our Lord Jesus Christ have walked, breathed the same air, wept in the same places that He wept. And I do believe that I am changed because of it.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre">Church of the Holy Sepulchre :- Stone of Anointing</a><br />
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God bless....Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-88643062796367229682010-10-07T11:09:00.000-04:002010-10-07T11:09:58.318-04:00Heard any good Catholic Jokes Lately....In case you haven't....here is one:<br />
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The Pope goes to New York. He is picked up at the airport by a limousine. He looks at the beautiful car and says to the driver, "You know, I hardly ever get to drive. Would you please let me?" <br />
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The driver is understandably hesistant and says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to do that." <br />
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But the Pope persists, "Please?" The driver finally lets up. "Oh, all right, I can't really say no to the Pope." <br />
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So the Pope takes the wheel, and boy, is he a speed demon! He hits the gas and goes around 100 mph in a 45 zone. A policeman notices and pulls him over. <br />
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The cop walks up and asks the Pope to roll down the window. Startled and surprised, the young officer asks the Pope to wait a minute. He goes back to his patrol car and radios the chief. <br />
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Cop: Chief, I have a problem. <br />
Chief: What sort of problem?<br />
Cop: Well, you see, I pulled over this guy for driving way over the speed limit but it's someone really important. <br />
Chief: Important like the mayor?<br />
Cop: No, no, much more important than that. <br />
Chief: Important like the governor?<br />
Cop: Wayyyyyy more important than that. <br />
Chief: Like the president?<br />
Cop: More. <br />
Chief: Who's more important than the president?<br />
Cop: I don't know, but he's got the Pope driving for him!<br />
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Find this joke an more at the <a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/jokes.html">Fish Eaters :- Jokes</a>....<br />
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Thanks and God bless....Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-11102116620025471182010-06-10T10:15:00.000-04:002010-06-10T10:15:56.737-04:00Dissension Amongst Protestant Theologians :- New Perspective on PaulTwo years ago, in my post titled <a href="http://learningthefaith.blogspot.com/2008/12/protestant-theologians-re-examining-st.html">Protestant Theologians Re-Examining St. Paul and Justification</a>, I commented on what is now being commonly referred to as the New Perspective on Paul. I have recently come to learn that this New Perspective on Paul is causing much more controversy in Protestant circles than I could have anticipated.<br />
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Every month, me and some Protestant and Catholic friends get together to discuss theology. The last time we met, we spent a little bit of time discussing the <a href="http://www.thepaulpage.com/">New Perspective on Paul</a>, which is currently being promoted by many renowned Protestant theologians (Angilcan Bishop of Durham N.T. Wright, James G. Dunn, E.P. Sanders, Krister Stendahl). I had recently read about the conversion of Dr. A. David Anders, to the Catholic Church in the May 2010 issue of the <a href="http://www.chnetwork.org/">Coming Home Network</a> Newsletter, and he mentioned that the New Perspective on Paul played a role in his conversion.<br />
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He writes,<br />
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<i>According to Stendhal and others, justification by faith is primarily about Jew and Gentile relations, not about the role of morality as a condition of eternal life...My discovery of this “New Perspective” was a watershed in my understanding of Scripture. I saw, to begin with, that the “New Perspective” was the “Old Perspective” of the earliest Church Fathers. I began testing it against my own reading of Paul and found that it made sense. It also resolved the long-standing tension that I had always felt between Paul and the rest of the Bible. Even Luther had had difficulty in reconciling his reading of Paul with the Sermon on the Mount, the Epistle of St. James, and the Old Testament. Once I tried on the “New Perspective” this difficulty vanished. Reluctantly, I had to accept that the Reformers were wrong about justification. </i>[1]<br />
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During the meeting with my friends, I asked them if they have ever heard about the New Perspective on Paul and what do they think about it. One of my Protestant friends, who is a chaplain, had heard of it, and mentioned that it is causing a stir in the Evangelical Protestant community as a whole. This, of course furthered my curiosity in the matter. I decided to see what exactly my Evangelical Protestant brothers and sisters were having a hard time with, in regard to this New Perspective.<br />
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I happened upon a letter written by Dr. Bryan Chappell, who is the President and Professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, titled <a href="http://worldwidefreeresources.com/upload/Chapell_NewPerspective.pdf">An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul</a>. In it, he has many positive things to say about the New Perspective including [2]:<br />
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<ul><li><i>We are not saved alone</i></li>
<li><i>Saving faith is not alone</i></li>
<li><i>The sacraments are not signs alone</i></li>
<li><i>The Bible is not propositions alone</i></li>
</ul><div>However, as a Christian in the Presbyterian tradition, he does have some concerns about this New Perspective. Namely [2]:</div><div><ul><li><i>An unnecessary and dangerous ambiguity regarding the nature of justification</i></li>
<li><i>An unnecessary and dangerous lack of clarity regarding what the sacraments accomplish</i></li>
<li><i>An unnecessary and dangerous eagerness to critique historic understanding rather than enrich it</i></li>
</ul><div>There are so many reactions that I am having to this subject that unfortunately, I do not have the time now to get into all of them. Instead, I am going to save those reactions for different posts.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Overall, I find this ground swell occurring in Protestant circles very interesting and the impact will hopefully be felt by many. Think about it. The New Perspective is causing Protestants to consider the possibility that the Reformers were not right in how they were interpreting Paul. Can you imagine the impact that may have one someone's faith? If not, just ask Dr. A. David Anders....</div><div><br />
</div><div>God bless...</div><br />
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[<a href="http://www.chnetwork.org/newsletters/may10.pdf">1</a>] - Coming Home Network May 2010 Newsletter - Dr. A David Anders<br />
[<a href="http://worldwidefreeresources.com/upload/Chapell_NewPerspective.pdf">2</a>] - An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul - Dr. Bryan ChapellCarlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-61128936326154615632010-06-03T08:06:00.000-04:002010-06-03T08:06:19.110-04:00Recommended Read: How John Calvin Made Me a CatholicLiving in a predominantly Calvinistic city, I found the article, <a href="http://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/06/how-john-calvin-made-me-a-catholic/">How John Calvin Made Me a Catholic</a> by Dr. David Anders, a very interesting read. Here are some quotes that struck me:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><i>I discovered that Calvin upset my Evangelical view of history. I had always assumed a perfect continuity between the Early Church, the Reformation and my Church. The more I studied Calvin, however, the more foreign he seemed, the less like Protestants today. This, in turn, caused me to question the whole Evangelical storyline: Early Church – Reformation – Evangelical Christianity, with one seamless thread running straight from one to the other. But what if Evangelicals really weren’t faithful to Calvin and the Reformation? The seamless thread breaks. And if it could break once, between the Reformation and today, why not sooner, between the Early Church and the Reformation? </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><i>Calvin shocked me by rejecting </i><em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">key elements</em><i> of my Evangelical tradition. Born-again spirituality, private interpretation of Scripture, a broad-minded approach to denominations – Calvin opposed them all. I discovered that his concerns were vastly different, more institutional, even more Catholic. Although he rejected the authority of Rome, there were things about the Catholic faith he never thought about leaving. He took for granted that the Church should have an interpretive authority, a sacramental liturgy and a single, unified faith.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><i><br />
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I would highly recommend reading this article.Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-61841684101983017662010-04-20T09:20:00.000-04:002010-04-20T09:20:39.743-04:00Fr. John Riccardo :- Abuse ScandalI am sure that many of you are aware of the abuse scandal that has been circulating over media lately. Honestly, I have been pretty much out of the loop on these stories, and I have only recently started to give them some attention. Child abuse is a horrible sin, and those who have committed those sins should be brought to justice and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.<br />
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You all know how big of a fan I am of Fr. John Riccardo. He is articulate, funny and just an all around great pastor. Earlier this month, he held a <b>Catholicism for Cradle Catholics</b> talk devoted to the topic of the abuse scandal. In it, like many of his talks, he invites the audience to come and ask their questions and then after they have been asked, he spends time on each, answering them to the best of his ability and also interjecting personal experiences and perspectives on the matter. He addresses how the Catholic Church reacts to abuse allegations at a Diocesean level, as well as the popular allegation that the reason why abuse is committed by priests is due to their vow of celibacy.<br />
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If you are interested in listening to this talk, you can find it here:<br />
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<a href="http://frjohnriccardo.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=605298">Catholicism for Cradle Catholics :- Abuse Scandal</a><br />
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If you are interested in the other talks from Fr. John Riccardo, you can find them here:<br />
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<a href="http://frjohnriccardo.libsyn.com/">Fr. John Riccardo Talks</a> <br />
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Thanks and God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-74322682431815951632010-04-04T11:28:00.002-04:002010-04-04T11:28:24.277-04:00Jesus has Risen from the Dead...Happy Easter Everyone....Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-71059795610840414992010-04-03T12:00:00.001-04:002010-04-03T12:02:55.017-04:00Chrism Mass :- WOW!!!!This past week, I was fortunate enough to have a ticket to attend the Chrism Mass at the Catehedral. For those of you who don't know what the Chrism Mass is, it is when the oils that are used for many of the sacraments - including Baptism, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation - are blessed by the Bishop in the Diocese. These oils are then transported to every parish within the Diocese. It was easily the most amazing Mass that I have ever been to - second only to the Easter Vigil where I was welcomed into the Church.<br /><br />It wasn't the humongous choir and orchestra that made it so amazing for me, although that was awesome. It wasn't the pounds of incense that was used, although I love incense during Mass. It wasn't the fact that we had readings in both Spanish, Vietnamese and English, although that was amazing (I mean what else would you expect from the Universal Church that encompasses all languages and nationalities).<br /><br />During this Mass, I was most taken back by another realization of a different facet of my Church. My parish is but one of the parishes in Grand Rapids, MI. My parish is not the Church, it is but a part of it. Every priest from all of the different parishes were in attendance and during the procession, all of those priests and deacons processed in. It was the most beautiful sight. My parish is united with all of these other parishes under one Bishop. I know that this is Catholicism 101, but when you see it live, it really takes you back. We are truly One, Holy, Catholic Church.<br /><br />Bishop Hurley stressed that every parish's altar is but an extension of the altar of the Cathedral. The Cathedral is the Parish where the Bishop resides. Since the Bishop is in control of the Diocese and we are not separate individual institutions, we are all united under the Bishop and our altar's are truly extensions of the Bishop altar.<br /><br />Now let's take it to the next level. There are many Dioceses around the world. Every inch of soil on this earth falls under the jurisdiction of a Bishop. There is one Cathedral in each Diocese. Each of the parishes in their respective Diocese are but an extension of the Cathedral. Each Cathedral is but an extension of the Church in Rome. We are truly One Church united under the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.<br /><br />When I came back home to tell my wife about the Mass, and even as I reflect on these things now, all I can say is...<br /><br />"My Church is sweet!!!!!"<br /><br />God bless...<br /><br />P.S. If you want to see the Chrism Mass Homily, click <a href="http://www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org/our_diocese/Pages/ChrismMass_2010.aspx">here</a>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-61341755785356463022010-03-21T22:24:00.004-04:002010-03-21T22:37:36.596-04:00Peter Kreeft Event :- Favorite QuoteSo, shame on me. One of my heroes in theology came to Grand Rapids to speak, and I have not found the time to share one iota of knowledge that I gained. Well, in light of that, I thought that I at least have enough time to share with you my favorite quote of his that night.<br /><br />"I am an Evangelical Catholic....I evangelize Catholics and catholicize Evangelicals"<br /><br />That was great, and it got a great laugh from the audience.<br /><br />If you are interested in hearing Peter Kreefts entire talk that night, it is now available on <a href="http://ihmparish.com/">Immaculate Heart of Mary's</a> website.<br /><br /><a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/index.php?id=74">Wisdom of Jesus - Part 1</a><br /><a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/index.php?id=76">Wisdom of Jesus - Part 2</a><br /><a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/index.php?id=77">Wisdom of Jesus - Part 3</a><br /><a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/index.php?id=78">Wisdom of Jesus - Part 4</a><br /><a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/index.php?id=79">Wisdom of Jesus - Q/A</a><br /><br />If you are interested in more podcasts from Immaculate Heart of Mary, consider becoming a subscriber to the <a href="http://podcast.ihmparish.com/">Podcast Site</a> (also available on iTunes).<br /><br />Thanks and God bless....Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-50307993286716679742010-02-07T17:11:00.000-05:002010-02-07T17:11:48.143-05:00Protestant Myth Busters :- They believe in Sacred TraditionI am making a huge assertion with the title of this post, I know, but I sincerely believe it to be true. I believe that Non-Catholics, Protestants, and Anglicans (hehehe) all believe in Sacred Tradition. Before continuing, let us define what Sacred Tradition is:<br />
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The teachings of Tradition are not written down, but are lived and are handed on by the lives of those who lived according to its teachings, according to the example of Christ and the Apostles (1 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:15). This perpetual handing on of the teachings of Tradition is called a living Tradition; it is the transmission of the teachings of Tradition from one generation to the next. [1]<br />
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In other words, Non-Catholics do not <b>really </b>believe in Sola Scriptura, or Scripture Alone. They can't. It is completely impossible for them to believe that. I am sure by now you are wondering how I came to this conclusion, so let me tell you...<br />
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All Non-Catholic believers say that their authority is in Scripture and in Scripture Alone. They all believe that the Bible is the inerrant inspired Word of God. If they really believe that....then someone must have told them. As far as I know, there is not one infant born into this world that inherently knows that the Holy Bible is the inspired Word of God and the Book of Mormon is not. No. Instead, they have had an encounter with someone that they know and trust, and that someone had to tell them that Scripture was the inspired Word of God. Someone had to "instruct" them that the Bible was the inerrant, God breathed Word of God. Isn't that instruction the same as Sacred Tradition? Doesn't that instruction make up part of the Sacred Tradition that has been passed on down through the centuries (about 20 to be exact)? How is that really any different than Sacred Tradition? My assertion is that it is not.<br />
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Therefore, Non-Catholics do in fact believe in Sacred Tradition and not in Scripture Alone. What do you think? Am I on to something, or am I completely off base? Is my logic sound or no?<br />
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God bless...<br />
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[1] - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Tradition">Wikipedia :- Sacred Tradition</a>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-48267202872620980972010-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:002010-01-22T08:00:29.833-05:00Am I my brother's keeper?<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezekiel%2033:7-9&version=NLT"><b>Ezekiel 33:7-9</b></a><br />
<b>Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and <i>I will hold you responsible for their deaths</i>. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.</b><br />
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YES, I AM!!!!<b> </b>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-19974763844459932102010-01-18T11:00:00.000-05:002010-01-18T11:00:00.410-05:00Peter Kreeft coming to Grand Rapids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WcrmiByrduA/S1DBUsGK74I/AAAAAAAAAkA/s9rZAiubQ38/s1600-h/Kreeft.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 41px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WcrmiByrduA/S1DBUsGK74I/AAAAAAAAAkA/s9rZAiubQ38/s320/Kreeft.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427050112160034690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It is with great pleasure that I share with you that <a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/home.htm">Peter Kreeft</a>, one of my favorite theologians / philosophers, is coming to Grand Rapids Michigan on January 28th 7:30p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary. His talk titled Wisdom of Jesus, is sure to inspire and challenge us all. To learn more about his talk and this event, please visit our <a href="http://ihmparish.com/faith-formation/peter-kreeft">website</a>.<br /><br />I was first introduced to Peter Kreeft by way of C.S. Lewis. After looking online for more information on C.S. Lewis, I happened upon a couple of Peter Kreeft's talks where he comments on many of C.S. Lewis writings. While looking through all of the talks that are available on the <a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio.htm">Featured Audio</a> section of his website, I noticed a talk on ecumenism. Since ecumenism is one of my passions, I listened to his talk <a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/03_ecumenism.htm">Ecumenism without Compromise</a>, and I have been hooked ever since.<br /><br />Here is a couple of other talks of his that I have enjoyed:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/05_relativism.htm">A Refutation of Moral Relativism</a></li><li><a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/07_suffering.htm">Making Sense out of Suffering</a></li><li><a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/14_cslewis-mere-christianity.htm">Mere Christianity</a></li><li><a href="http://www.peterkreeft.com/audio/32_prayer-beginners.htm">Prayer for Beginners</a></li><li><a href="http://catholicmentoday.org/2009/02/11/seven-reasons-to-be-catholic-by-dr-peter-kreeft.aspx">Seven Reasons to be a Catholic</a></li></ul>Needless to say, I am very excited to see him live, and I hope that I get an opportunity to meet him face to face.<br /><br />God bless you all...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-91750019147318979812010-01-14T08:57:00.000-05:002010-01-14T08:57:58.349-05:00Catholic Answers :- Open Forum for Non CatholicsI remember the time when I was not a Catholic, but I was taking steps (okay not steps, but leaps) learning more and more about the Catholic faith. I had plenty of questions (still do), and I had a group of friends that had a lot of answers. Some of the answers were perfect, others I found still wanting.<br />
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In search of Truth, I found a radio program called <a href="http://www.catholic.com/">Catholic Answers Live</a>. It is a radio program where they bring in priests and lay apologists onto the show and they talk about various topics. Every month, they do one show where the discriminate against their Catholic audience called Open Forum for Non Catholics. They ask all of the Catholics not to call in and they devote a whole hour to fielding questions from Non-Catholics. I have to admit, this is my favorite show of the month and I look forward to it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.catholic.com/seminars/staples.asp">Tim Staples</a>, renowned Catholic Apologist and fellow convert to the faith, was the guest for January's Open Forum for Non Catholics. His conversion story can be found in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0964261081">Surprised by the Truth</a>, but more than that, he is someone that loves God and loves His Church.<br />
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If you are interested in listening to this month's episode, where Tim talks about the biblical precedence for Purgatory and the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, amongst other things, you can find it <a href="http://www.catholic.com/audio/2010/mp3/ca100111b.mp3">here</a>. If you are interested in listening to more Open Forum for Non Catholics, then feel free to use the search functionality on their website, which you will find <a href="http://www.catholic.com/radio/calendar_search.php?calendar=1&category=">here</a>. (Search for "non catholic" in the title if you are interested in more Open Forum for Non Catholics / Tough Questions from Non-Catholics)<br />
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Thanks and God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-56379742841383872422010-01-11T22:52:00.000-05:002010-01-11T22:52:22.543-05:00Does the Bible teach abstinence from alcohol?I had one of the best weekends. A friend of mine that I grew up with, came to stay with my family this weekend. I was very glad to hear that he is growing more and more in his faith. It was very inspiring.<br />
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As a new Christian, he has a lot of questions. One of his friends had told him that the Bible is against drinking alcohol. His friend also told him that every reference in scripture where it talks about wine, is not fermented and pretty much amounts to grape juice. For this reason, he abstains from alcohol altogether.<br />
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If someone believes that abstaining from alcohol brings them closer to God, I am all for it. I think that sacrifice / fasting is one of the ways that we grow in our faith and get closer to God. However, with that being said, I do not think that it is necessary to misinterpret scripture in order to support this practice.<br />
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In order to debunk this false interpretation of Scripture, we discussed many different verses - however, the most important verse that we found together was the following:<br />
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%207:33-34&version=NIV"><b>Luke 7:33-34</b></a><br />
<i>For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The <b>Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard</b>, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." '</i><br />
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There are a couple of obvious things that we can gain from this verse. Wine is alcoholic in scripture. It is not just grape juice. It must be, since they slandered Jesus saying that he was a drunkard. Which of course leads us to our next fact. Jesus drank wine. Jesus drank alcohol.<br />
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There is plenty of support in scripture that we are not to drink alcohol in order to get drunk. We should never let drinking get out of hand to where it impairs our judgement. But it is completely in line with Scripture to drink alcohol.<br />
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God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-17008902711876703862009-12-27T10:08:00.000-05:002009-12-27T10:08:11.105-05:00Woman knocks down PopeDuring our family's Christmas celebration, I was shocked to hear that someone had knocked down the Pope during Christmas Eve Mass. Evidently, during the procession, when the priest and altar servers begin the Mass celebration by walking down the center aisle with the crowd joining the beginning of the Mass by standing, someone hopped over the pew, and knocked down the Pope. The Pope is fine and was able to celebrate Mass. <br />
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At the same time, this whole incident got me thinking. Here we have the Leader of the Church, arguably the man in the most influential office in the world, about to share the Good News of the Birth of our Savior with his congregation / family. Just before he gets a chance to do so, someone attacks him - attempting to disrupt the gospel. How many times has that happened to all of us? Just when you are about to share the Gospel with someone, the enemy attacks, disrupts, causes confusion? How many times has that happened to me, when I try to share the Gospel, the enemy tries to take me down - if not through an external threat but an internal one? "You don't know enough about your faith to share it......Only a fool would believe in God....How and Why would God, the all powerful God come down and suffer the most horrendous death for you.....you who have sinned against Him so many times....". How many times have I allowed the enemy's attacks to succeed....?<br />
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Please pray for me and I will pray for you - that we will not allow the enemy's empty threats disrupt our conviction in the Gospel. That in 2010, we will all share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and His Church, no matter who comes up against us, no matter what form the enemy's attack may take.<br />
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God bless you all.....Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-7638260046615680552009-12-16T13:29:00.002-05:002009-12-16T13:30:50.536-05:00Long time no blogging....Some of you may be wondering where I have been all of this time. Truth be told, I have not been feeling that much inspiration to blog as of late. Instead, during this Advent, I am focusing more on my own spiritual growth as oppose to the apologetics nature that this blog has undertaken.<br /><br />With that being said, I am definitely interested in the following topics. You can expect to hear more about them later...most likely after Christmas and New Year.....<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fulfillment-All-Desire-Ralph-Martin/dp/1931018367">Fulfullment of All Desire - Ralph Martin</a></li><li><a href="http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-27268">Personal Ordinates for the Anglican Church</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism">Great Schism</a></li></ul><div>If I do not write again before 2010....<br /></div><div>Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....God bless<br /></div>Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-74756871621173329872009-11-25T11:02:00.001-05:002009-11-25T11:04:53.152-05:00Standing Ovation for Bishop Tobin of Rhode Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WcrmiByrduA/Sw1Vn3GaB-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/Nx05TKbjg9s/s1600/tobinKennedy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WcrmiByrduA/Sw1Vn3GaB-I/AAAAAAAAAi0/Nx05TKbjg9s/s320/tobinKennedy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408072870835914722" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Bishop Tobin of Rhode Island has banned Congressman Patrick Kennedy from receiving Communion. The media is having a field day with this one. (The fact that the media is having a field day with this is very unfortunate because that means that they are not used to the Catholic Bishops exercising their authority to ban pro-choice politicians from the Communion Table. It is common knowledge that there are plenty of outspoken pro-choice Catholic politicians that should be banned from receiving Communion)<br /><br />I have the utmost respect for Bishop Tobin and his decision against Congressman Kennedy. This action of the Church is not dissimilar to St. Paul's actions regarding the Church in Corinth where an openly sinful man was expelled from the community due to his actions <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%205:1-13&version=NIV">1 Cor 5:1-13</a>. Congressman Kennedy has been put outside of the Grace received from the Lord's Supper. More than anything, this is an act of love of the Church.<br /><br />The Church, by expelling him from the Eucharistic Table, is showing the world and all faithful Catholics the difference between right and wrong. Congressman Kennedy has a very poor view of Catholic Teaching regarding life. As a politician, he causes confusion (scandal) amongst the faithful because he is a publicly pro-choice Catholic. Some may get the impression that it is legitmate to be Catholic and Pro-Choice. Bishop Tobin has made it perfectly clear that this is not permisable.<br /><br />My hope and prayer is that more Bishops would follow Bishop Tobin's lead and start sending clear messages to pro-choice Catholic politicians and the rest of the world, that to be pro-choice and Catholic is ridiculous. My prayer is also for my pro-choice Catholic brothers and sisters, that they would reconsider the teachings of Christ as it relates to the sanctity of life.<br /><br />God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5542369259513248152.post-65335771807146770792009-11-03T12:40:00.005-05:002009-11-03T13:03:43.627-05:00Reformation Sunday :- One Protestant Minister's PerspectiveBelieve it or not, I have spent most of my life as a Protestant, and I had no idea that there was a such thing as Reformation Day, until now. Reformation Day is the annual celebration commemorating the day when Martin Luther posted his 95 Thesis, which most believe was the beginning of the Protestant Reformation (or Protestant Revolt...depending on your view).<br /><br />A friend of mine recently sent me an article that a Protestant pastor published regarding his thoughts on Reformation Day. <a href="http://www.divinity.duke.edu/portal_memberdata/shauerwas?section=links#info">Stanley Hauerwas</a> is a Duke Divinity School professor and Protestant Minister. Some of his thoughts are below:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Reformation names the disunity in which we currently stand. We who remain in the Protestant tradition want to say that Reformation was a success. But when we make Reformation a success, it only ends up killing us. After all, the very name ‘Protestantism’ is meant to denote a reform movement of protest within the Church Catholic. When Protestantism becomes an end in itself, which it certainly has through the mainstream denominations in America, it becomes anathema. If we no longer have broken hearts at the church’s division, then we cannot help but unfaithfully celebrate Reformation Sunday.</span><br /><br />...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I often point out that at least Catholics have the magisterial office of the Bishop of Rome to remind them that disunity is a sin. You should not overlook the significance that in several important documents of late, John Paul II has confessed the Catholic sin for the Reformation. Where are the Protestants capable of doing likewise? We Protestants feel no sin for the disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to confess our sin for the continuing disunity of the Reformation. We would not know how to do that because we have no experience of unity.</span><br /><br />You can read the whole sermon at <a href="http://www.calledtocommunion.com/2009/10/stanley-hauerwas-on-reformation-sunday/">Stanley Hauerwas on Reformation Sunday</a>.<br /><br />So what do you think? Is Stanley Hauerwas position regarding Refomation Sunday an accurate one? Is Reformation Sunday something that should be celebrated, or is it something that all Christians should look back on with shame? Are you still broken-hearted over the disunity within the Body of Christ - the Church? If not, why not? Is there still hope for reunification of the Church?<br /><br />God bless...Carlus Henryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118327352251205251noreply@blogger.com9