Mary is the Mother of God

  I can hear your collective groans.  "That would mean she's God's origin"!  Nope.  Put down your torches and pitchforks.  Think about this logically.  Jesus is God.  (John 20:28, Phil 2:6, John 1:1-14, amongst others).  Mary is his mother. (Luke 1:31).  Therefore, since Jesus is God, and Mary is his mother, Mary is the Mother of God. See how easy that is?
I bring this up because I know a priest that doesn't care for this phrase.  I think it's not precise enough, but it's completely accurate. I agree with him that Theotokos (God-bearer) is a better description, but I think he's making the same mistake Nestorius did with the term "Theotokos".  God does have a mother, as God choose to be born as a boy to a humble Jewish woman.  God was brought up a good Jewish boy, by a good Jewish mother, and died a very painful death.  If God died (which orthodox theologians agree to), then what in the world is wrong with saying Mary is the Mother of God?  Okay, I'll end right here, through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us.

Is Jesus a Zombie?

  No.  Let's clear up a few misconceptions: zombie does not mean "one that is dead but is still alive", what we might call "undead".  Zombie has to do with the voodoo religion and mind control, what you're thinking of is a ghoul.  So, is Jesus a ghoul?  Nope.  So, why am I talking about Jesus's death and resurrection at the beginning of advent?  Because I can.  So, we know from the Bible that Jesus came back from the dead, and that half a thousand people say the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:5).  We also know, that, since Jesus was born and grew (Luke 2), so we know that he was truly human, and John 1 tells us he was truly God.  So, did Jesus die?  This is another question that we must ask before we answer why Jesus is not a ghoul.  Indeed, he did. (Mark 15:37)  So, why is Jesus not a ghoul?  Well, let me ask you this, do ghouls have intellect?  No.  Jesus, having an intellect, wouldn't be a ghoul, much less a "zombie".  I would argue those claiming that Jesus is a "zombie" are more of one than Jesus will ever be.

Did Jesus think the end of the world was imminent?

Okay, let's talk about biblical interpretation.  As many of y'all know, I am adamantly against private interpretation, though this does not mean that you can’t have a bible verse mean something to you a certain way. 

I was reading the Bible this morning, (Douay-Rheims version), and was reading the Gospel of Mark.  I came across a verse that was familiar, but out of place.  Not because of what it said, but because I usually read the Revised Standard Version Catholic edition of the Bible (Though, not solely so).  It says (in Mark 8:39 in the DR, I’m not sure other versions of the Bible have it) “Amen I say to you, that there are some here, who shall not taste death, till they see the power of God coming in”.

Now, this could be chopped up to a marginal gloss, and it parallels Matthew 16:28 and Luke 9:27.  Now, the thing is, that pretty much all Bibles have Mt 16:28 and Lk 9:27, so we can infer that Jesus did say something to this effect.  Now, did Jesus incorrectly predict the end of the world?  Nope.  Let’s talk about this.  In Lk 9:27, in the RSVCE, the word used is “power” (just as in Mark 8:39 DR), The word used in Mt 16:28 in the RSVCE says “there are some here who will not taste death before the see the Son of man coming into his kingdom”.  (DR says something similar).

Now, what are we to make of this?  Did Jesus think the end was near?  In a way, yes.  But, not in the way modern film would think.  Jesus was predicting the coming of the glory of the Kingdom of God with the establishment of the Church age and the power of God with the destruction of the temple in 70 ad.  Thus, contrary to what some skeptical biblical scholars believe, Jesus did not fail his own prediction.  Jesus’s earthly ministry was about three years, so it’s very reasonable that some of the younger people he was addressing would have lived to see that. 

            Jesus told people the truth (for he is the truth, John 14:6), and, just as today, people misunderstood him.  In Jesus’s time, the Pharisees would often twist scripture (especially the Books of Moses), to support their claims.  When a skeptic argues that Jesus’s prediction failed, they’re doing one of two things: Dismissing all evidence to the contrary, or nihilistically denying the evidence existed to begin with.  I don’t expect everyone to accept the gospel as truth (although it is true), but I at least expect people to be honest, and when skeptical scholars act like spoiled brats, they do no one favours.

Did Mary die?

  The short story is "yes".  But some of you are saying "but she was conceived without sin"!  Good point, but Jesus was sinless and still died.  Now, why people think Mary didn't die is beyond me.  She did.  THAT being said, after the time of her death, she was assumed, body and soul into Heaven.  How do we know this?  Because, we know where her tomb is.  Remember, John WAS the Bishop of Ephesus.  We have pretty well documented sources of this.  It would have made since for Mary to be where John's diocese was (John 19:25-27).  Why is it important Mary died?  Remember, Mary was conceived without sin (Luke 1:28).  Jesus called her "woman".  Think about whom held the title of "woman" (Genesis 2:23).  Now, Mary dying does make her any less important.  She, is, after all, the Theotokos, the God bearer.  She is called "woman" because she is in many ways the most human person to have ever lived.  God gave us the perfect woman, who brought forth the perfect sacrifice. Since, Jesus undid what Adam did, it would make sense that Mary would be involved in salvific history.  Jesus is God and man.  Mary is a highly exalted woman, but still a woman.  Mary is the most important woman to have ever lived, and her dying is important, because it shows that she is not less human than we are because of our sinfulness and her sinlessness, but more.  Mary is who we should all strive to be like. 

Damned lies

I made a video about false representations of Christ's Church and her teaching with regards to salvation.  I stick by the claims made in the video.  It's God's judgement to make whether someone is saved or not, not mine (thank goodness).  There's only one person that can send you to Hell, and that is you.  YOU will go to Hell IF you reject God, intentionally.  Here's the thing.  If you don't know Christ died for your sins, but you still know the moral and natural law written on the hearts of all men, why would God punish you for something you had no control over?  Now, please note, I am not, have never been, and will never be a universalist.  I hope everyone DOES go to Heaven, but I know that's unlikely.  Just because someone might not go to Hell if they don't know the gospel, doesn't mean you don't have to tell them about it.  Jesus Christ is God.  He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the the name of the Father, and of the Son, and Of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20 RSVCE).  So, we Christians are REQUIRED to preach and live the gospel.  This is how we avoid Hell. On 16 April, 1997, my father died.  He had been suffering for a few years with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease, also called Motor Neurone disease).  My father was a Lutheran.  Did he know the truth of the Catholic Church?  Yes, he did.  But, when he died, he was probably still a Lutheran.  However, as the Church has always taught baptism of desire (not to mention Baptism by blood), there may very well be a chance my father was saved. My father could not control if he never became a formal member of the Church.  He was in a hospital.  Now, my father already had a valid baptism (I have his baptismal certificate), and I continue to pray for the repose of his soul.  But, going through that, as a child, and seeing someone say "Protestants are damned", well, it frustrates me.  The truth is, some of the holiest people I've ever met are Baptist and Methodist church ladies.  What this person said was not Catholic, no matter how much they want to portray it as such.

No greater love

  Yesterday, I visited an old friend of mine's grave.  I was upset, I was crying out to God, and I told him that I missed him.  As providence would have it, I was reading Augustine of Hippo's "Confessions", and I came across the part of the book where Augustine was speaking of how he felt when his friend had died.  But what is a friend?  A homie?  A buddy?  A comrade?  Well, let's talk about it.  "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).  So, what does this mean?  Well, Jesus laid down his life so that you may live in him, and we are supposed to be imitators of Christ (1 Peter 2:21).  This means, even dying for our friends, because we love them.  Reading Augustine's word, even though he was not yet an orthodox Christian (remember, this was pre-schism, Orthodox and Catholic were pretty much interchangeable), I think he would have gladly died in his friend's place.  I would take a bullet for my worst enemy (assuming they weren't the one pulling the trigger).  In my culture, friends are an extension of family, and I do believe this is an extension of the natural order.  I'm not saying you need to be nice to everyone (there are times when being brash is called for), but I'm saying, that if someone is your friend, than they are also your brother and sister, and since everyone is your brother and sister, we are all friends, or at least should be.  There are many people that put this aspect of Jesus as absurd, but Jesus himself said he was our friend, most people do not doubt that Jesus is our brother if they call themselves Christian, so why would he not be our friend?  This is why we're saved as part of a community, or at least that's my theological opinion. 

Why patriotic hymns do not belong at Mass

Today, 27 May 2018, is Trinity Sunday.  Mass was, to put in mildly, beautiful.  All except the closing hymn.  The jingoistic "America the beautiful".  Please relax, I am not bashing the song, America (I am, after all, American), or soldiers.  In fact, the Bible exhorts us the be soldiers for Christ (2 Tim 2), and both my maternal and paternal grandfathers served in the military (my maternal grandfather largely raised me),  I guess my problem is, is that we're not there for patriotism and honouring our soldiers, though those are good things in and of themselves,  This is an example of putting man before God.  The song was sung to honour, not God, but America.  I know hymns don't have to be about God (National anthems can also be called hymns).  Something about it, seems, out of place.  Again, I mean no disrespect toward veterans (although I am very critical when someone automatically assumes a veteran is heroic, that is usually true, but the inverse is too often true).  Another thing is this, if the song was to honour the veterans, why didn't they play it TOMORROW at Mass, instead of the closing hymn today?  To me, that kind of cheapens not only the song, but is really disrespectful to why we're there.  It is the CATHOLIC Church, not the American church, not the veterans church, but a church for all people, in all places, at all times.  Today was supposed to be about God, not veterans.  Honour our veterans, honour them everyday, but not at the expense of why we're at church.

God's love for us

  Hey y'all, it's been a while.  I thought I would do something a little different today, but still apologetic in nature.  I wanted to talk about God's love.  See, you may love your Grandma or your spouse, but that's only an iota of how much God loves you.  All throughout scripture, we read about about God's love and mercy, Psalm 86 (85):15, for example: "But you, O Lord, are a God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and faithfulness". (RSVCE 2nd Edition).  So, what does this mean?  Well, a few weeks ago, I made a video about how the universe could not possibly be infinite (if something's growing, it can't go on forever, if it has room to grow, than it's finite), but how God's love is.  Apparently, people love changing definitions of words.  Anyway, when Jesus died on the cross, that was God showing his love to us.  "Greater love than this, no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends".  (John 15:13 Douay-Rheims version).  Of course, Jesus did just that.  Jesus could do that, because Jesus is God, and God is not limited by what we think is impossible.  God loves us, not only because he is our friend (although I'm beginning to think some apologists ignore that verse), but because a Father loves his children.  (I'm not getting into the heresy of modalism, relax).  God isn't selfish because he demands our obedience and worship, we're selfish because we're arrogant enough to think he doesn't deserve it.  So many people think that they can magically prove God doesn't exist just by willing that he doesn't (and yes, "magical" is the correct term, psychologists call it "magical thinking"), because someone would have to be pretty ill to thoroughly rage against an allegedly nonexistent God he doesn't believe  Pretty irrational to me.  So does God love those people?  You bet he does, in fact, he even gives them time to repent.  But if you spend your life rebelling against the law, then you only have yourself to blame when you end up in prison.  God does love you, and he sends no one to Hell.  Hell is a choice, and the choice is yours.  Either you can choose to deny that God exists, or you can serve him and be with him for all eternity.  (Keep in mind, that in the New Testament, a  word often translated to love "agape" is charitable love.  God has so much charity for you.  Think about how important that is).  That is LOVE.  Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am NOT saying that atheists automatically go to Hell, I don't pretend to be able to judge someone's eternal destiny, but I think an atheist would do well to learn about God.  God not only loves you, but God IS love (1 John 4:8)