If a man of God anoints someone and the person is healed, it's not the minister who healed the person; he was just God's instrument.
Every Christian understands this.
But many non-Catholics cannot comprehend the idea of receiving forgiveness of sins from a priest.
They CAN believe in restoring sight, cleansing leprosy, or raising the dead at the hands of a minister -- but NO WAY the invisible forgiveness of sin (because only God can do that!).
Yet it was the resurrected Jesus who delegated his apostles with this authority:
* * * * *
Jesus said to them again, βPeace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.β And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, βReceive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.β (John 20:21-23)
The Church celebrates feast days that highlight plainly the realities of salvation in Christ, which could only be foreshadowed by the feasts of pre-Christian Israel in hidden, shadowy figures.
Christ has come! Christ is here!
Jesus is the Lamb of God. He is the Bread from Heaven. He has begun the harvest of souls. He is the Judge. He is our High Priest and atonement. He tabernacles with us yet today.
Celebrate like a believer, not as one still waiting for the Messiah!
#COG
#Hell includes, but is not merely, the absence of perfect happiness in God.
It is a place of despair and hopelessness, reserved for those who reject God's love even in his last breath.
But some people (many?) genuinely don't want the beatific vision in the next life. They insist they'd be happy enough without it.
That's a good reason God also provides, for good measure, the fires of hell -- external flames that cause forever-pain in both soul and body.
And even then you're getting off easier than you deserve, considering you're offending your literal Creator, who is infinitely good.
While you're still drawing breath, choose wisely.
About three nights ago I received a phone call lasting 2-1/2 hours from someone with whom I grew up in the quasi-Christian, anti-Catholic Worldwide Church of God.
Of course it's going to be a long conversation when the person begins with, "I'm running out of reasons not to become Catholic."
I talked to him again last evening. He says he's starting OCIA next Wednesday.
Praise God for his mercy.
I would like to ask the Catholic bishops who desire to shut down the traditional Latin Mass a question:
Is there anything about the prayers or rubriks of the TLM that is either
(1) contrary to the historic Catholic Faith or its Tradition, or
(2) inherently misleading -- drawing Catholics away from the beliefs or practices of the Church's greatest saints?
And if so, get specific. Let's address it openly through dialogue.
