Here 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.
Gay Catholic and Doing Fine...
God bless...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
5 Words That Confuse Catholic and Protestant Dialgoue
Ever 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.
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.
Homily
In the Catholic Church you will typically hear this word to describe what most Protestants would refer to as the sermon. This is what the minister will preach on.
Priest
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.
Church
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 Matt 16:18. For Protestants, this typically means the place where they gather to worship. It can also mean the invisible institution that all believers belong to.
Sacred Tradition
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 tradition they immediately think of Mark 7:1-30, and believe that all traditions are human traditions and elevated higher than God's commands.
Communion of Saints
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.
Prayer
When Catholics refer to prayer, we primarily mean making a request of. 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 praying to Mary, praying to the Angels, and praying to saints. Since Protestants consider prayer as worship, they think that we actually worship Mary, Angels and Saints.
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.
God bless.
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.
Homily
In the Catholic Church you will typically hear this word to describe what most Protestants would refer to as the sermon. This is what the minister will preach on.
Priest
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.
Church
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 Matt 16:18. For Protestants, this typically means the place where they gather to worship. It can also mean the invisible institution that all believers belong to.
Sacred Tradition
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 tradition they immediately think of Mark 7:1-30, and believe that all traditions are human traditions and elevated higher than God's commands.
Communion of Saints
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.
Prayer
When Catholics refer to prayer, we primarily mean making a request of. 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 praying to Mary, praying to the Angels, and praying to saints. Since Protestants consider prayer as worship, they think that we actually worship Mary, Angels and Saints.
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.
God bless.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My Pilgrimmage to the Holy Lands
It has been a long time since I last posted, but it has not been without good reason.
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
AWESOME Experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
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.
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.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre :- Stone of Anointing
God bless....
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
AWESOME Experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
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.
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.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre :- Stone of Anointing
God bless....
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Heard any good Catholic Jokes Lately....
In case you haven't....here is one:
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?"
The driver is understandably hesistant and says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to do that."
But the Pope persists, "Please?" The driver finally lets up. "Oh, all right, I can't really say no to the Pope."
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.
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.
Cop: Chief, I have a problem.
Chief: What sort of problem?
Cop: Well, you see, I pulled over this guy for driving way over the speed limit but it's someone really important.
Chief: Important like the mayor?
Cop: No, no, much more important than that.
Chief: Important like the governor?
Cop: Wayyyyyy more important than that.
Chief: Like the president?
Cop: More.
Chief: Who's more important than the president?
Cop: I don't know, but he's got the Pope driving for him!
Find this joke an more at the Fish Eaters :- Jokes....
Thanks and God bless....
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?"
The driver is understandably hesistant and says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to do that."
But the Pope persists, "Please?" The driver finally lets up. "Oh, all right, I can't really say no to the Pope."
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.
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.
Cop: Chief, I have a problem.
Chief: What sort of problem?
Cop: Well, you see, I pulled over this guy for driving way over the speed limit but it's someone really important.
Chief: Important like the mayor?
Cop: No, no, much more important than that.
Chief: Important like the governor?
Cop: Wayyyyyy more important than that.
Chief: Like the president?
Cop: More.
Chief: Who's more important than the president?
Cop: I don't know, but he's got the Pope driving for him!
Find this joke an more at the Fish Eaters :- Jokes....
Thanks and God bless....
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Dissension Amongst Protestant Theologians :- New Perspective on Paul
Two years ago, in my post titled Protestant Theologians Re-Examining St. Paul and Justification, 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.
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 New Perspective on Paul, 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 Coming Home Network Newsletter, and he mentioned that the New Perspective on Paul played a role in his conversion.
He writes,
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. [1]
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.
I happened upon a letter written by Dr. Bryan Chappell, who is the President and Professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, titled An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul. In it, he has many positive things to say about the New Perspective including [2]:
[1] - Coming Home Network May 2010 Newsletter - Dr. A David Anders
[2] - An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul - Dr. Bryan Chapell
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 New Perspective on Paul, 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 Coming Home Network Newsletter, and he mentioned that the New Perspective on Paul played a role in his conversion.
He writes,
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. [1]
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.
I happened upon a letter written by Dr. Bryan Chappell, who is the President and Professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, titled An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul. In it, he has many positive things to say about the New Perspective including [2]:
- We are not saved alone
- Saving faith is not alone
- The sacraments are not signs alone
- The Bible is not propositions alone
However, as a Christian in the Presbyterian tradition, he does have some concerns about this New Perspective. Namely [2]:
- An unnecessary and dangerous ambiguity regarding the nature of justification
- An unnecessary and dangerous lack of clarity regarding what the sacraments accomplish
- An unnecessary and dangerous eagerness to critique historic understanding rather than enrich it
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.
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....
God bless...
[1] - Coming Home Network May 2010 Newsletter - Dr. A David Anders
[2] - An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul - Dr. Bryan Chapell
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Recommended Read: How John Calvin Made Me a Catholic
Living in a predominantly Calvinistic city, I found the article, How John Calvin Made Me a Catholic by Dr. David Anders, a very interesting read. Here are some quotes that struck me:
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?
Calvin shocked me by rejecting key elements 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 would highly recommend reading this article.
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?
Calvin shocked me by rejecting key elements 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 would highly recommend reading this article.
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