"I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel (not that there is another)." - Galatians 1: 6-12
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How easy it is to be led away by new teachings - not only in our times, but in the days of the apostles as well.
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"There are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ."
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Sound familiar? You know how in our times the scriptures have been manipulated to seemingly condone immoral behavior...
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"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that one be accursed. As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed."
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Though addressing a different set of circumstances, I love what St. John has to say: "Anyone who is so 'progressive' that he does not remain rooted in the teaching of Christ does not possess God, while anyone who remains rooted in the teaching possesses both the Father and the Son." - 2 John 9
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Works for me.
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“…the Lord gave me, and gives me still, such faith in priests who live according to the rite of the holy Roman Church because of their orders that, were they to persecute me, I would still want to have recourse to them…..And I act in this way because, in this world, I see nothing physically of the most high Son of God except His most holy Body and Blood which they receive and they alone administer to others. I want to have these most holy mysteries honoured and venerated above all things and I want to reserve them in precious places.” - St. Francis of Assisi
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that one be accursed. As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed."
ReplyDeleteI always think of this line in relation to Muhammad, Joseph Smith, etc. These were really men to whom an "angel of light" appeared and preached a distortion of the Gospel.
Especially in regard to Islam, it's amazing how many Catholics accept Islam as a 'great faith of the same Abrahamic tree', but in reality people only think that cause it's so big. Scripturally speaking it's no different than Mormonism, Montanism, Moonie-ism, etc. Always an angel or "God" appearing to some dude and saying he had a new truth.
At least Mormons are nice ...
Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteTer: Great posts lately. However, I can't believe you've gone this long without picking on me? What's wrong? Are you ok?
ReplyDelete:-D
Cath
Thanks be to God!!
ReplyDeleteI received a very substantial raise at work today!! Totally unexpected!! Especially considering the state of the economy..
Thanks to everyone for their prayers concerning me and my employment.
Thanks also to Our Blessed Mother....it seems that whenever I promote Her Devotion, I am blessed tenfold.
(See--I'm expressing my gratitude.. :)
Sara
Cath - I'm scared to because of V.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you chose the word Discernment for the title of this post.
ReplyDeleteLast Saturday morning I became and expert on why we should not be using that word when referring to reflections and actions taken in pursuit of what God is calling us to do, particularly with respect to religious vocations.
Discern, in my Webster's New International Dictionary (Unabridged - 1921) means the following: 1. To discriminate or set apart, as in discrimination; 2. To see and identify by noting a difference or differences; to note the distinctive character of; to discriminate; to distinguish; 3. To see by the eye or by the understanding; to perceive and recognize; to distinguish, as, to discern a difference. Synonyms for discern: distinguish, discover, discriminate, espy, descry, detect. See PERCEIVE
Discernment; 1. Act of discerning; 2. Power or faculty of the mind by which it distinguishes one thing from another; power of discerning differences in objects, and their relations and tendencies; penetrative and discriminative mental vision; acuteness; sagacity; insight; as, the errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment
Well, now, did anybody think that discern or discernment are good words to use when considering a possible religious vocation?
Father Bill Baer, former rector of the St. John Vianney college seminary here in his homily at Transfiguration parish in Oakdale on Saturday discussed vocations.
He said that in his 12 years of experience at SJV he found that discernment" seemed to do nothing but destroy vocations. The pressures of family, of friends, of the world, of teachers and others serve to dissuade seminarians and those who have entered religious life from making the choice for God.
Father Baer, now the chaplain of the St. Croix Valley Serra Club, a group whose primary function is the support of priests and vocations to the priesthood, said that in place of discernment and discern, we should be using the words perseverance and persevere.
Persevere in my WNID means: 1. to persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily anny project or course begun; to maintain a purpose in spite of counter influence, opposition or discouragement; 2. To continue in a state of grace; 3. To remain in a place or position.
Perseverance, similarly, means: 1. Act of persevering; persistence in anything undertaken; continued pursuit or prosecution of any business or enterprise begun; 2. continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory.
Does anybody have any objections to banning the use of discern and discernment with respect to religious vocations?
Did anybody see that 10 10 climate change video? Well, I have a copy and I'll use it on objectors to the change.
I wasn't referring to vocations in this post Ray, but rather doctrine... more on the order of discernment of spirits. But thanks for that vocation information - I'm sure others will find it helpful.
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad though - not that many seem to stick to the topic I post about anyway - in fact I'm not sure they even read the posts.
... personally, I think more & proper "discernment of the spirits" is needed these days ... a lot more.
ReplyDeleteRay ... I saw the 10 10 advertising campaign and it is a bit frightening ... noted too how many campaigns with this over the top violent/threatening approach has been produced lately ... don't know what that is reflecting ... but it can't be good.
I kinda figured that, Terry, but it was kinda like being pitched a "gopher ball." I had that post a-brewing in my head so I just decided to start it out here. If you want to delete it, go ahead. I have posted it on Stella, too.
ReplyDeleteI figured your readers might be interested.
That is good Ray - thanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the use of perseverance over discernment. They are two different things; both are necessary. In fact, I think one will have greater cause and maybe even obligation to persevere if one takes discernment seriously from the start.
ReplyDeleteDiscernment can be abused such that the various factors you mention serve to dissuade some from making the choice for God, but that begs the question: is it necessarily God's choice for such a one to be a seminarian or religious in the first place? I don't grant the assumptions behind that idea.
Further, perhaps it's good for one to face squarely the various factors that may stand to serve as temptations away from a particular calling so as to strengthen it; if one does make the choice for God, so to speak, in the midst of other real possibilities, it make help one to realize more deeply that the choice being made is precisely for God.