Featured My Journey Into The Catholic Church

You got it wrong! Christ is not to 'implore Mary' or Christ is not asking Mary for assistance. Mary has no super-natural powers. She can only even hear our request for intercession by way of God. Catholics don't make Mary a god but you really want to believe that, don't you? Regardless of how many times Catholics tell you that we know who and what we worship, you refuse to believe us. Sad

This is absolutely not a problem for the Church. Why should it matter if a pope retires anymore than if any other bishop retires? When a bishop retires in a diocese and another takes his place, is there a problem? He will simply cease to carry out papal duties. No biggy!

 

I'll try to explain. When I went phrase by phrase examining John 6:52-59 (though I had done this many times before) I examined it from the Catholic position and even looked at the Lutheran position on this passage. I was struck by the force of Jesus' words as he says over & over that His body and blood are to be eaten and even chewed and drunk to receive His life.

I used to think Jesus was teaching about faith based on verse 63, 'the flesh is of no avail.' But then I read the rest of the verse. 'It is the Spirit that gives life.' In other words, Jesus was not saying 'come on up and get a toe or a finger, He was directing our attention to time after His death, Resurrection and Ascension when the Spirit would give the disciples His glorified body so that His flesh would be life-giving for the world.

Besides, why would it have offended the Jews so much if Jesus was speaking about faith and a symbolic sacrifice of His body and blood? Why did Jesus allow most of His followers to take off under a basic misunderstanding when it would have been very simple to clarify at least for his closest disciples? But nowhere in Scripture to we find Him explaining that they had mis-understood Him.

Now, how could our Lord, in His humanity, give His actual body and blood to His disciple in the Last Supper? (I've seen this challenged over and over on this board) and if He didn't do it there, why should we say it is more than a symbol in our re-presentation of this act? Well, I bring your attention back to the miracle of the loaves and fishes. This multiplication of food was to point the way of Jesus miraculous multiplication of His body and blood for all who would receive Him. How? Of course in His humanity alone He could not have separated His body and blood in the Upper Room to give to His disciples. But then He never was just human. He was also fully Divine and He could have sat there in His body and blood and at the same time turned the bread and wine into His body and blood. In fact, He did!

Many people don't know why Catholics bow or genuflect in the direction of the altar in Catholic churches. They think they are bowing to objects when in fact they are bowing to Jesus whose presence remains in the reserved sacrament that is kept in a tabernacle to take to the sick and distribute during Holy Communion when what is being consecrated on the altar is not sufficient to give everyone communion. Now, IF Jesus is not present then what Catholics are doing IS idolatry. But if Catholics are right (and they are) then they are giving the correct response. If you should kneel before a king today, how much more should you kneel before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? This is all foreshadowed in the OT. But as a Baptist, I had precious little use for the typology of the OT. Most Protestants do not.

 

Asking her intercession before a statue or picture is NOT worship. You believe all prayer is worship. I do not. The man kissing the cross before the statue, what do you think that expression means. Do you know or are you making an assumption because you look at these pictures through your Protestant lens? BTW, the pope standing there with his hands raised. I suspect you and whoever runs the webpage this is off of, thinks he has raised hands in praise of Mary. Actually, he has just placed the crown on her head. Mary's title as Queen of Heaven did not come from being married to God (as I was taught Catholics believe in my Baptist college) but was based on the honor of being the Queen Mother of Jesus (btw, look back at the OT and see who always had the Kings ear, it was the Queen Mother!) In the Old Testament, King Solomon, the son of David, elevated his mother, Bathsheba, to a throne at his right hand, paying her homage in his court as the queen mother. Jesus has done the same with His mother and I have no problem paying her homage (but NOT worship) as the Queen Mother of Heaven. Mary's mission was to point beyond herself to Jesus, saying 'do whatever He says.'

 

I realize that certain examples of Marian piety that focus on Mary to the point of neglecting Jesus are not faithful to Catholic teaching on her. I'm sure these souls do not realize it, but they are offending the Blessed Mother even by their attempts to honor her, if in fact, they are neglecting Mary's primary purpose and that is to bring us to Jesus.

 

How? She is in God's presence. She is only able (or any soul who has entered into God's presence) hear us ask for her intercession by the will of God Himself. Nothing is too difficult for God!

"Hail, Mary!" (inscription at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth [A.D. 200]) Honoring Mary has been part of the Christian Faith for a long, long time.

 

One of the duties that Pope Benedict believes a pope should be able carry out is attend the World Youth Day. This event is huge and his presence there is a very big draw. The World Youth Day is in Rio. The Pope can no longer travel. So this alone is reason enough for him to retire. By resigning he positively impacts the perception of the Catholic Church in our day. He has shown great humility and servant leadership by reminding the Catholic Church and all Christians that the office should be more important than any man’s ego in holding the office past his ability to function effectively and to guard the faith. The Bishop of Rome has become increasingly relevant in the modern world and his resignation, I think, underscores that relevancy as well as fosters it further.

May God bless him and grant him a much deserved rest in retirement.


You said that 'in the popes prayer he ask mary for guidance'. I'm interested in reading that prayer but could not find where you posted it. Could you give me the link?

As far as apostolic succession. Every bishop on earth would need to die or resign for it to be broken. Of course that has never nor will ever happen. The Church has survived since Jesus founded it for over 2,000 years. Popes die in office and new ones are elected and that does not break Apostolic Succession.

 

Necromancy:
The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future.
Black magic; sorcery.
Magic qualities
Asking the intercession of saints does not meet the meaning of Necromancy IMHO.
If I might bring out something once again; asking the saints to intercede isn't praying to the dead but asking living saints to pray for the living. Catholicism does not make a distinction, essentially, between a person living in heaven and a person living on earth. They are both living people. As the 'Church' is also the place or way that Christians gather together to pray, 'where two or more of you are gathered etc.', the prayers of those Christians are also, when necessary, for each other, and for each others intentions, as well as prayers of worship to God.
So gathering together with the Christians on earth, the church, and the saints in heaven together, all pray to God in worship of God and also for the intentions of Christians in need.
A prayer to a saint in heaven is at once asking the living saint in heaven for their prayers and also it is both those people, the person in heaven and the person on earth, praying together to God for whatever intention or help is required; 'give us this day our daily bread.... etc.' We were instructed by Christ to both pray for what we need and also to pray together and He will be there amongst us.