Quote From Bishop Sheridan

"Any Catholic politicians who advocate for abortion, for illicit stem cell research or for any form of euthanasia ipso facto place themselves outside of full communion with the church and so jeopardize their salvation."

Bishop Michael Sheridan Colorado Springs

Did the Catholic Church "Change the Sabbath"?

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-the-catholic-church-change-the-sabbath

JimmyAkin

Did the Catholic Church "Change the Sabbath"?

BY JIMMY AKIN Thursday, October 11, 2012 9:17 PM Comments (3)

Did the Catholic Church "Change the Sabbath"?

You sometimes encounter the charge that the Catholic Church wrongly "changed the sabbath" from Saturday to Sunday. This claim is often made by Seventh-Day Adventists, for example. But even if one isn't accusing the Church of wrongdoing, the question can still arise: Why do Catholics worship on Sunday rather than Saturday? Here's the story . . .

What Day the Sabbath Is

First, let's clear away a potential source of confusion. While it's true that people sometimes speak of Sunday as "the Christian sabbath," this is a loose way of speaking. Strictly speaking, the sabbath is the day it always was--Saturday--though it should be noted that traditionally Jewish people have celebrated the sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Sunday is a distinct day, which follows the sabbath. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ.

Why We Celebrate Sunday

That same paragraph explains why we celebrate on Sunday. For Christians the ceremonial observance of Sunday replaces that of the sabbath. Properly speaking, we're not celebrating the sabbath on Sunday. We're celebrating something else, but it's something that the sabbath points toward. As the Catechism says, the Jewish sabbath announces man's eternal rest in God and prefigures some aspects of Christ. Sunday thus fulfills what the sabbath pointed toward.

The Lord's Day

What we are celebrating instead of the sabbath is "the Lord's day." That's something Christians have celebrated since the first century. In fact, in the very first chapter of Revelation, we read that John experienced the inaugural vision of the book on "the Lord's day." He writes:

I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet [Revelation 1:9-10].

And he goes on to describe the vision of Jesus Christ he received. For our purposes, the important thing to note is that he speaks of the Lord's day as an already-established thing. He expects his readers to know what it is. So, when is it?

 

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-the-catholic-church-change-the-sabbath#ixzz295mwrVDc

Christian Bashing....

Unity III: The Theory of Everything

The Bearable Lightness of Being

Employing a crude and wildly cliche Bunyonesque metaphor, I was just talking to hubbie about our Christian burdens. Let's face it, either by our rotten, immature or culturally-driven bad decisions or by being a victim of another's rotten, immature and culturally-driven bad decisions we all carry around burdens. Even when something happens to us like genetic-related health problems that had nothing to do with decisions at all, we carry burdens around.

And the older we become the heavier they get. Why do you think we have a culture of Peter Pan wannabes? Everyone wants the freedom to fly and its hardly possible when you have a couple hundred pounds of troubles on your back. We have all we can carry and with the extreme stresses of today's America, we are all stressed out and looking for someone else we can unload on. And as the Body of Christ we should expect others to help us.

[L]ove one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Rom. 12: 10-15

So, with everyone carrying more than they can possible carry (or at least it feels that way) how can we help others? Who isn't carrying enough and is calling out to us that they are able to carry some of our burdens? Any volunteers?

I want to volunteer but I'm telling you, it gets hard when I see so many and I am so weak. I might be able to handle a half-ounce more. Yeah, that's hardly helpful.

So what to do?

Get rid of your burden. Not all of us can, of course, but most of us can. How does one get rid of troubles and worries and expectations, etc? Well, the only way one can do it is through Christ. Get to confession. Get to mass and receive Christ, take advantage of the sacraments and sacramentals and live life close to Christ. He will carry your burdens for you so that you can then go out to those who have not yet been close enough to Christ to trust Him with their burdens.

As a Protestant, I learned to give my burdens to Christ, but when others needed help I pointed them to Christ. But, you know, often these people's burdens were SO enormous they blocked their vision and they couldn't see that far. They even tried, but it didn't work.

Sometimes we must be Christ to others. Sometimes some people are not close enough to Christ to trust Him and so we must be the go-between. We need to be Christ and pick up those burdens for them and then they will be able to see and more freely come to Him. (See-- the Unbearable Lightness of Being and realize that is really, for mankind, the Unbearable Heaviness of Being! Yes, yes--mixing of epistemological metaphors.)

We can't be Christ if we aren't close to Him ourselves.

If you are a Christian don't give your burdens to those who don't know Him. They are probably too overwhelmed to handle it. Seek to be so close to Christ that you can take other's burdens on yourself. Learn to lift up your troubles in such trusting sacrifice to Him, that you can, more and more, feel that peace and joy and lightness of being!

For Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11: 28.

Time for all who are believers to be like Bunyan's Christian and leave our burden's at the foot of the cross and go and serve others. Get close to Jesus so that we can feel His Eternal Lightness of Being... 

Unity Vs. Conscience

Unity Part 2 from Arthur Beem on Vimeo.

"No Faithful Catholic Can Vote For President Obama"

This program is from ChurchMilitant.TV

Jimmy Aiken and Mark Shea

Does anyone get these two mixed up? I suggest that one of them shave their beard or die their hair black. The Catholic Blogosphere is confusing enough! (smile...)