Irish Examiner: Catholic liberals are facing some hard choices

WHAT a surprise... it wasn’t a surprise. God’s Rottweiler has become God’s German Shepherd. The man who went in as Pope has come out as Pope.

Benedict is the only Pope who was wanted by believers and non-believers alike.

Believers wanted him because he would maintain ultra-conservative traditional family values and give those liberals a well deserved kicking. Non-believers wanted him for the exact same reason in the hope that he will scare the daylights out of moderates, make them leave the church in disgust and add to the growing numbers of non-believers.

The only people who didn’t want Cardinal Ratzinger were those wishy-washy Catholic liberals who were vainly hoping that somehow the next Pope would be a bit more flexible.

It is hard to fathom how Catholic liberals can be so ignorant of their own religion as to believe that the Vatican would allow what it sees as the moral deviance of women priests, divorce, homosexuality and contraception to become part of Catholic doctrine.

Catholic liberals delude themselves that their church is an inclusive democracy with beliefs that can be changed to suit whatever fad is currently in vogue.

If that were true, Catholicism would become nothing more than a fluffy pseudo religion, where everything was permitted and nothing prohibited. Liberals don’t want a proper religion. What they want is a non-judgemental, airy-fairy folk religion which has as much substance as a hot-air balloon.

Catholic liberals have prayed to their God for a liberal Pope, and their God gave them a conservative. Perhaps their God is telling them something. Perhaps they should listen and obey, or just go away.

Catholic liberals are an oxymoron, like environmentalists in favour of nuclear power, socialists in favour of privatisation or monarchists in favour of a republic. They claim to be Catholics and yet publicly disagree with every single one of the church’s moral teachings.

Jason FitzHarris
Rivervalley
Swords
Co Dublin

Your Conscience and Mine

One of the special qualities about a human being is that we were all born with a conscience. This conscience enables us to know a right from a wrong and it is this which seperates us from other beasts of the animal kingdom. St. Paul calls the conscience, "the law (which was) written on (our) hearts" by none other than God Himself. For example: in most (if not all) countries, to kill another fellow human is a crime - notice this commonality shared by people worldwide despite the diferences in terms of culture and geographic locations. This shows that we have a common conscience given to us by the same God.

But since Sin came into the world through our first parents (i.e. Adam & Eve) our conscience was never the same. According to Titus "both ... minds and consciences are corrupted" Which was why we are now more inclined to sin. Do you remember who was the one who taught you to steal? Or the last time you took lessons on "how to lie"? No one taught us any of these but we did it anyway because of our inclination to sin due to a corrupted conscience. Therefore "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and "(if) we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves..."

We can all agree that crime calls for punishment and so does sin. The sin I am talking about covers from abortion to lying. One thing everyone should know about sin is that we can never atone for the sins we have done. There is no amount of good one can do to "balance off" sin, it just does not work that way. For the "...wages of sin is death". Can a death row prisoner get off the hook just by doing good deeds? By all means, no. We are all "prisoners on death row". That presents us a problem for "(nothing) impure will ever enter (heaven)", are we all doomed to Hell without a slightest chance to go to Heaven?

Fortunately not and thank God for that. Someone has already paid the price of sin. That someone was Jesus (fully Man and fully God), He "(gave) his life as a ransom for many" for the sake of our salvation. He died not just for mankind as a whole but also individually - for you and for me.

Say this prayer if you would like to take the first step towards receiving the gift of salvation Jesus won for you,

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

If you have said this prayer, Congratulations! I would like to invite you to participate in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) to learn more about the Catholic Christian faith as well as to be on your way to be a full-fledged baptised Catholic Christian by Easter 2006. For more information on this please email me.

And for those who have yet to make your decision, please feel free to email me if you have any questions regarding the Faith. I promise I will do my best in answering your questions. :) Last but not least my all time favourite quote by Jesus...

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"

Amen.

The End of the World

Recently I have been receiving more hits than usual because of the post I made two days ago on the Prophecy of St. Malachy. So I would like to address this issue on the End Times (i.e. end of the world) in greater detail from the Catholic perspective.

For the Church the Prophecy of St. Malachy is categorize as a private revelation; which role is not to "...improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully in a certain period of history." (CCC 67) In other words, "(w)hen the Church approves private revelations, she declares only that there is nothing in them contrary faith or good morals, and that they may be read without danger or even with profit; no obligation is thereby imposed on the faithful to believe them."

[Note: the CCC refers to the "Cathechism of the Catholic Church", which is an official exposition of the Catholic faith]

The fact that the Prophecy of St. Malachy is related to and approved by the Catholic Church (as a private revelation) is what makes it interesting. As most know, Catholics are not known for preaching the End Times (i.e. the Second Coming of Christ). But recently there has been more and more buzz among the Catholic faithful regarding the topic of St. Malachy's Prophecy, which goes to show that the topic of End Times is no longer a topic to be ignored rather it is a topic which should be addressed urgently.

According to CCC 680-682:

Christ the Lord already reigns through the Church, but all the things of this world are not yet subjected to him. The triumph of Christ's kingdom will not come about without one last assault by the powers of evil.

On Judgment Day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil which, like the wheat and the tares, have grown up together in the course of history.

When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.

Finally to quote St. Paul in his 1st Letter to the Thessalonians (5:1-3, NLT):

"I really don't need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape."

Pope Benedict XVI

"Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me — a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord... The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers... I entrust myself to your prayers."

- Pope Benedict XVI, first public speech (19 April 2005)

The Prophecy of St. Malachy

The Prophecy of St. Malachy is not a very popular one due to it's end times nature.

St. Malachy (Maelmhaedhoc O’Morgair 1094 - Nov. 2, 1148) was the appointed Archbishop of Armagh, who was attributed several miracles and of having a vision with the identity of the last ten Popes in the Vatican. He was canonized by Pope Clement III, on 6 July 1199.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia.com)

The prophecy is also known as the Prophecy of the Popes which "is a list of 112 short Latin phrases purported to describe each of the Roman Catholic popes..., beginning with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with a future pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman," whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome and the Last Judgment." (Wikipedia.com) All of which came true including the latest one which was Pope John Paul II's reign.

According to the list, Pope John Paul II was the 110th pope (i.e. 3rd last pope of the list) and now that he is dead, apparently we are left with 2 more popes before the coming of Christ (although there might be many popes in between these 2 popes as the prophecy merely says that "Peter the Roman" is to be the last pope). So who will be the next pope? No one knows. Because prophecies being prophecies are not explicit and one can only see in hindsight. But we do have a clue, the next pope will fulfill the prophecy of "Gloria olivæ" (which means the "glory of the olive") What does this prophecy mean? ... I am not sure.

But there is one thing which I am sure of that is, Christ's coming is very - very near.

Our Beautiful Letdown

As I reflect on the topic of pain and suffering. I have come to realised that the reason we feel suffering and pain is simply because God built us this way. [OK, I am not finish yet.] Not to torture us, but as a reminder to all of us that we do not belong in this world but in the world that is to come. Just as how your body rejects food that is not compatible to your system, the world gives us pain and suffering simply because we do not belong here! :D

Anyway I think Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown, sums it best. (Psst... it's available on my radio.blog! ;))

The Beautiful Letdown

It was a beautiful letdown
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful letdown
The day I knew,
That all the riches this world had to offer me will never do.

In a world full of bitter pain,
and bitter doubts,
I was trying so hard to fit in,
Fit in, until I found out

I don't belong here (I don't belong)
I don't belong here (I don't belong)
I will carry a cross and a song
Where I don't belong
I don't belong

It was a beautiful letdown
When you found me here
Yeah, for once in a rare blue moon
I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful letdown
That's what I'll forever be
And though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free

We're still chasing our tails
In the rising sun
In our dark water planet still spinning
In a direction no one wins
No one's won.

See, I don't belong here (I don't belong)
Well, I don't belong here, I don't belong
I will carry a cross
With a song where I don't belong
I don't belong
I don't belong here (I don't belong)
No, I don't belong here, I don't belong
I'm gonna set side
And set sail
For the kingdom come, kingdom come
Your kingdom come
Won't you let me down, yeah
Let my foolish pride forever let me down

Ah, Easy living, you're not much like the name
Easy dying, you look just about the same
Would you please take me off your list
Easy living please c'mon and let me down

We are a beautiful letdown
Painfully uncool
The church of the dropouts
The losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools
What a beautiful letdown
Are we salt in the wound
Hey, let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here (I don't belong)
It feels like I don't belong here, yeah
It goes like I don't belong here
I don't belong (I don't belong)
Won't you let me down (I don't belong)
C'mon and let me down (I don't belong)
You always let me down (I don't belong)
So glad that I'm let down (I don't belong)
C'mon and let me down (I don't belong)
Cuz I don't belong here
Won't you let me down!

(c) Switchfoot, The Beautiful Letdown (2003)

A Surprise for Me, A "Thank You" for You.

Oh my! I was doing my usual browsing and I discovered that I was in the Top 3 of Best Blogs in Asia. This. Is. Crazy! Haha! Although there were no prizes for being in Top 3 (or even No. 1, for that matter) I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to those who voted for me. I appreciated it very much. :)

The Evangelist of our Century: Pope John Paul the Great

Pope John Paul the Great was the most travelled pope in history. He visited over 120 countries and was the first pope to visit the White House, a synagogue, a mosque and communist Cuba. From the secular point of view, one might see his travels as efforts for establishing diplomatic relations. But from a Christian point of view I see the Pope's travels as efforts for evangelization, in other words: making Jesus known to the world.

Often these travels result in inter-faith dialogues (with leaders of various faiths), which John Paul the Great use as effective means for mutual understanding, justice and peace. Although he strove hard for these three, John Paul the Great was not afraid to take stands. He did not compromise on the Truth, that salvation is through Jesus alone. Nor did he compromise or agree on controversial issues such as abortion, artificial contraception and women priests; despite pressures from so-called "liberal Catholics".

One may wonder, what was the reason behind his zeal? If you were to ask me, I would tell you it was the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which is also the main reason why we are Christians, as St. Paul says "...if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins."

Although during his lifetime Pope John Paul the Great had never witness the Resurrection, still he was convicted because of various testimonies from Scripture as well as his own personal experiences with God. His faith in God gave him the strength he needed to carry on his pontificate despite his ailments (one of which was Parkinson's disease) and the hope he had acquired from this faith, enabled him to look beyond his sufferings and to look forward to the world that is to come. Where pain and suffering would be no more (Revelation 21:4)

Pope John Paul the Great, understood that evangelization was never an option for Christians. Rather it is a lifestyle, which he led by example. He lived his commitment as a duty just as St. Paul did,

"Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)

To further stress the importance of evangelization, he quoted Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi:

"Neither ... the complexity of the questions raised is an invitation to the Church to withhold from these non-Christians the proclamation of Jesus Christ. On the contrary the Church holds that these multitudes have the right to know the riches of the mystery of Christ riches in which we believe that the whole of humanity can find, in unsuspected fullness, everything that it is gropingly searching for concerning God, man and his destiny, life and death, and truth"

Truly if we believed in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and our own coming resurrection, not only in our heads but also in our hearts. We would be as zealous and as unwavering as John Paul the Great in making Jesus known to the world.

Pope John Paul II

"I came for you. Now you have come to me. And I thank you."
- Pope John Paul II, to the youths of the world. (2 April 2005)


I'll miss you, Papa.

What About Forgiveness?

I was early for class yesterday and decided to head for the library to do some reading up (since the semester will be ending soon) As I was scouting for a place to study, I found a desk located at a relatively cosy area of the library. On closer observation, it was covered with scribbles (in various handwritings) It was a "scribbled" debate. And it's... you might have guessed it - Christianity. One of the scribbled arguments caught my eye:

"If just by saying sorry to God is enough for you to be forgiven of your sins (even the most terrible ones) Wouldn't that contradict the idea of heaven & hell?"

I smiled to myself.

I know of many people who feel that God will not accept a simple apology. They feel that they need to atone or make up for their sins. I know this because... I was one of them. Not too long ago, I too kept an invisible check-and-balance book of sins & good deeds. Whenever I sin, I make a point to do a good deed (i.e. pray the Rosary) to "clear my sins". I developed this concept because I misunderstood the Sacrament of Confession (or Reconcialiation) You see, after Confession the priest will give penance and these were suppose to help me repent of my sins, not clear my sins. But at that time, I believed that these penance (usually a few Our Fathers and Hail Marys) were some sort of punishment so that I could atone for my sins. So I figured praying the Rosary was more than enough to clear me off my sins (FYI: the Rosary has 6 Our Fathers and 53 Hail Marys)

---

But my perception of the forgiveness of sins soon changed, when I first came up to KL for my studies. A Catholic friend of mine whom I met in church told me about the Four Spiritual Laws. Basically this was what she said:

1. GOD CREATED MAN
   ...and has a wonderful plan in our lives.
   
   
   "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly"
   - Jesus (John 10:10)
   
   
   
   Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because...
   
   
2. MAN SINNED
   ...and is separated from God. Therefore, s/he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
   
   
   "The wages of sin is death" [i.e. spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23)
   

   
   

   God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. But man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.
   
   Although Man is sinful still...
   
   
3. GOD LOVES MAN
   ...and Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
   

   He Died in Our Place
   

   "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
   
   

   He Rose From the Dead
   

   "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
   
   

   He Is the Only Way to God
   

   "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 4:16).
   

   
   

   God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

   
   
   
   - It is not enough to know these 3 laws...
   
   
4. MAN MUST RESPOND
   ...which means we must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
   
   

   We Must Receive Christ
   

   "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
   
   

   We Receive Christ Through Faith
   

   "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
   
   

   When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
   

   (Read John 3:1-8.)
   
   

   We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
   

   "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" - Jesus (Romans 5:8).
   
   

   Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

- The Four Spiritual Laws was written by Dr. Bill Bright -

---


After I heard what she had said. I finally realize that it is not what I do, rather it was what GOD did which enables me to experience the true joy of forgiveness and to be with Him in heaven. God did the biggest part, which was bridging the gap between Mankind and Himself. All we have to do to be forgiven is to acknowledge our sinfulness (by repentance) and to accept God's gift of forgiveness.

"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."

Amen.