'That they may all be one': Real Ecumenism

God Desires all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4) Christ also bestowed on his Church the unity for which he prayed (John 17:21). It is his will to embrace all people in that unity. The Catholic Church is the One True Church, established by Christ, to which all men are called. It is the Sacrament of Salvation (CCC 776)

Ecumenism comes from the word ecumenical which means universal. The purpose of Ecumenism is that we might work to bring all men to the fullness of faith in the Church (Pius XI’s Mortalium Animos)

There seems to be sense of ‘false ecumenism’ saturating the minds of many Catholics these days. Now it seems like we say "Well . . . this is one way to salvation but all religions are pretty much the same and their all have their way to God” This is simply NOT what the Church teaches.

If all the protestant churches, quasi Christian Churches, Eastern religions, etc. would be ALL added up and became one huge mega church, they still wouldnt compare to the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is the ONE CHURCH founded by Christ. Period. Thats the Truth.

The goal of REAL Catholic ecumenism then is to restore unity to the separated traditions by bringing them within the unity of the Catholic Church (UR 24). Its is true that non catholic churches have retained some elements of Salvation, however we must never forget that “It is through Christ’s Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help towards salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained” (UR 3). It is our duty as Catholics to strive for and pray that non Christians and non Catholic Christians alike come to fullness of Truth.

John 17:21; 1 Tim 2:4;

CCC 776; Mortalium Animos; Ut Unum Sint 3 & 11;
Unitatis Redintegratio 3 & 24

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. Papal Emblem


'You are Priest forever in the line of Melchizedek': The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Ministerial Priesthood

The word priest comes from the greek word presbuteros. That word was transliterated into Latin as presbyter, which then in English became shortened further to 'priest'.

Though many might translate this word only to mean ‘elder’ we see in scripture that it is very often tied to the context of priestly functions. Thus certain translations of passages, like the douay rheims version, render passages like Titus 1:5, and James 5:14-15 to actually say 'priest' when referring to presbuteros. In this Bible Study we will look at the Biblical basis for the Royal priesthood of all the baptized, the High Priesthood of Christ and the Catholic ministerial priesthood.

CCC 1141, CCC 1547

1 Pet 2:9; Exodus 19:6, Lev 8 & 9; Heb 5:1-10; Ex 19:21 – 25; Numbers 11:16-17; Numbers 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 34:9; John 20:22; Lev 16:32-33; 1 Tim. 5:19-22; Hosea 14:2; Hebrews 13:15-16; Rom 15:15-16; 2 Cor 5:20; James 5:14ff; 1 Corinthians 11:24

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. Holy Orders
:
1922, Appleton, Wisconsin


Mary Most Holy: Mother of God & Ark of the New Covenant

Our devotion to the Blessed Mother is one of the greatest treasures that God has given the Church. Not only is Mary, as Mother of God, the one who literally gave birth to 'Salvation' she is also, as our Mother, one of the greatest advocates that we have interceding for us at the Throne of God.

St Bernard of Clairvaux once said: "De Maria Numquam Satis" (Of Mary there is never enough) It is true that beauty and high honor given to the Blessed Mother can not be contained within the context of one single Bible Study.

I was invited to speak at the Our Lady of Good Counsel's Youth Ministry bible study last week and the topic was 'The Blessed Mother'. With just one hour I had to narrow the topic down to just one aspect of rich tradition of faith we have regarding Mary. In this study we chose to focus of the biblical basis of Mary as 'Mother of God' and our understanding of Mary as the 'Ark of the New Covenant'.


CCC 509, 975, 129, 2676


Psalm 68:4,19-20; Luke 1:41-43; John 20:28; Revelation 12:17; John 19:26-27;

Revelation 11:19-12:1; Luke 1:35; Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-11;

2 Sam 6:2 & Luke 1:39; 2 Sam 6:12 & Luke 1:47; 2 Sam 6:9 & Luke 1:43; 2 Sam 6:15 & Luke 1:42; 2 Sam 6:10 & Luke 1:40; 2 Sam 6:16 & Luke 1:41; 2 Sam 6:11 & Luke 1:56

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. The Annuciation by
Svenska: Bebådelsen

Speaker's Board: "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Led by Eulerson Pajimula

The Catechism makes it very clear that the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." (CCC 1324) We also know, with faith, that the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ are TRULY present in the Blessed Sacrament. (CCC 1374)

It is ESSENTIAL for us then to continually be working toward deepening our devotion and our understanding of the Eucharist. Our Catholic faith in the Real Presence is strongly rooted in Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. In this brief and effective Bible Study Eulerson Pajimula, The youth minister at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish, displays some of the clear biblical roots of the Real Presence and shows us that what we believe truly is what Jesus taught and what the Apostles themselves believed.


1 Cor 11:27; John 6:53ff

image from the 'Public domain' via wikimedia commons. By Melchior2008
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)