 | You scored as Augustine. You have a big view of God and also take human sin and depravity very seriously. Predestination is important for you.
Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com |
Sounds familiar? *grin* It's a cute parody of a verse from the Bible: "[T]he LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away..." (Job 1:21, KJV) Cool eh? ;)
What bliss! Need I say more? :D Thank you so much for the chocolate! (you know who you are) ;)"Here's a tune that is a bit different than anything we've done before. ... It ended up being one of my favorite songs on the record. ... I can't wait to play this song live- it feels like it needs to be sung outdoors, against the backdrop of a dark night."
The Shadow Proves The Sunshine reminds us that on every cloud there is a silver lining. That the fact that we are able to identify what is suffering shows that deep within us (conscious or not) we know that there is an ultimate good out there. And that really we are never on our own... because God is with us."...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose."
(Romans 8:28)
Why do people pray to saints? Do each patron saint have their own prayer? Is it better to pray to saints then to God himself?-Centerpide
Definition for the word "pray" (according to Dictionary.com)
- To utter or address a prayer or prayers to God, a god, or another object of worship.
- To make a fervent request or entreaty.
- To utter or say a prayer or prayers to; address by prayer.
- To ask (someone) imploringly; beseech. Now often used elliptically for I pray you to introduce a request or entreaty: Pray be careful.
- To make a devout or earnest request for: I pray your permission to speak.
- To move or bring by prayer or entreaty
Based on the definition above, Catholics do pray to the saints to request/implore/beseech the intercession of these people of God but never as worship. "Praying to the saints" come from the the understanding that we are part of the body of Christ (i.e. His Church) and that we pray for one another (James 5:13-18). And saints too are part of the body of Christ, therefore they are also able to pray for us. The only difference is that saints are already united with the Lord (which is a bonus point for those they are praying for; as Scripture says: [the] prayer of a righteous person is effective; James 5:16)! If we know of certain Christian on earth who seem to have special power because of their great faith/holiness, imagine how much more powerful and effective are the prayers of those who are already in heaven!What is a patron saint?I am not sure whether each patron saints have prayers of their own but I know well known ones like St. Jude do. :)
Patron saints are chosen as special protectors or guardians over areas of life. These areas can include occupations, illnesses, churches, countries, causes -- anything that is important to us. The earliest records show that people and churches were named after apostles and martyrs as early as the fourth century. Recently, the popes have named patron saints but patrons can be chosen by other individuals or groups as well. Patron saints are often chosen today because an interest, talent, or event in their lives overlaps with the special area. For example, Francis of Assisi loved nature and so he is patron of ecologists. Francis de Sales was a writer and so he is patron of journalists and writers. Clare of Assisi was named patron of television because one Christmas when she was too ill to leave her bed she saw and heard Christmas Mass -- even though it was taking place miles away. Angels can also be named as patron saints. A patron saint can help us when we follow the example of that saint's life and when we ask for that saint's intercessory prayers to God.
Cinderella Man is a wholesome slice of old-fashioned Americana, offering welcomed relief from the shallowness of many summer blockbusters. In dramatizing the legendary Depression-era comeback of impoverished boxer Jim Braddock, director Ron Howard benefits from another superb collaboration with his A Beautiful Mind star Russell Crowe, whose portrayal of Braddock is simultaneously warm, noble, and tenacious without resorting to even the slightest hint of sentimental melodrama. The desperate struggle of the Depression is more keenly felt here than it was in Seabiscuit, and Howard shows its economic impact in ways that strengthen the bonds between Braddock, his supportive wife (Renée Zellweger) and three young children, and his loyal manager (Paul Giamatti); all are forced to make sacrifices leading up to Braddock's title bout against heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko) in one of greatest boxing matches in the history of the sport. Boasting the finest production design, cinematography and editing that Hollywood can offer, this is a feel-good film that never begs for your affection; it's just good, classical American filmmaking, brimming with qualities of decency and fortitude that have grown all too rare in the big-studio mainstream
Dear friends,The Catholic sacrament of penance and reconciliation is the method given by Christ to the Catholic Church by which individual men may confess sins committed after baptism and have them absolved by a priest. This sacrament is known by many names, including penance, reconciliation, and confession (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sections 1423-1442). However, because confession is only one aspect of the sacrament, it is no longer officially called "confession." Official Church publications always refer to the sacrament as "Penance and Reconciliation," or shorten it to "penance" or "reconciliation."
I am pleased to present you the Universalis; a Catholic site packed with liturgical AND devotional resources. My personal faves are Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer! Ah... perfect during dry spells of prayer life. ;) Simply wonderful!
Earlier this evening I was at The Starhill Gallery attending Gillian Tan's talk on Recognizing Angels, organized by The Photographers' Gallery. One of the photos featured was entitled "He Rescued Me" (i.e. the photo attached to this entry), which has a story behind it: about how God saved a man who called out to Him in his time of desperation.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near, this sense of nostalgia came upon me and I started to feel quite homesick... *sigh* I miss my parents.This feast was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but then had fallen into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. The precious relic was recovered and returned to Jersualem by Emperor Heralius in 629. The Breviary lessons tells us that Emperor Heraclius carried the Cross back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey.
This day is also called the Exaltation of the Cross, Elevation of the Cross, Holy Cross Day, Holy Rood Day, or Roodmas. The liturgy of the Cross is a triumphant liturgy. When Moses lifted up the bronze serpent over the people, it was a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when he was lifted up on the Cross. Our Mother Church sings of the triumph of the Cross, the instrument of our redemption. To follow Christ we must take up his cross, follow him and become obedient until death, even if it means death on the cross. We identify with Christ on the Cross and become co-redeemers, sharing in His cross.
The Sign of the Cross we make over ourselves before prayer helps to fix our minds and hearts to God. After prayer we make it to keep close to God. During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ. Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.
O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus.
The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following September 14 marks one of the Ember Days of the Church. See Ember Days for more information.
Interesting bit:
I've added "Building One World"; the 2oth World Youth Day Compilation to my radio.blog as a treat to all of you: faithful readers! :) Hehe. If you like the album, please lend your support by purchasing the CD. In the mean time, enjoy! :D"... Christ's Catholic Church alone, ... is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained"
- Second Vatican Council, Decree on Ecumenism
JOY! I was at the Youth Centre this afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised when Brother Alberto gave me these memorabilia from the 2005 World Youth Day! Thanks Brother! :) Just in case you were wondering: the badge says "We Are Pope's" (in German) and the wristband has the words "20th World Youth Day Cologne 2005" embossed on it. Ah... more stuff to add to my Catholic collection. :DAs promised I will reply to questions that were posted as comments on my previous entry.
"Suppose there are two guys. One's nice old Mr Lim. Mr Lim has been a devout Buddhist all his life. He works as a maths teacher in primary school and loves nurturing young minds. He is a vegetarian, he is a devout husband to his wife and a caring father to his children. He also helps other less fortunate people through charities in his free time.
Now supposed that the other guy is Adolf Hitler. He murdered millions of innocent people and he allowed his army to rape and pillage at will. However, let's say that on his death bed, Hitler suddenly and truly saw the errors in his way and repented for all his sins and embraced God, Jesus Christ, and Christianity with all his heart. And I don't mean some desperate bid for salvation, I mean he REALLY and TRULY believed in Jesus and God.
Now my question is, based on Christianity, who goes to heaven and who to hell when both of them dies here? According to my religious Protestant friend, it's gonna be Hitler. All is forgiven. Disbelievers are condemned to hell, no matter what their other attributes and past actions were.
And I definately cannot see the fairness in this."
Have you heard of Crab Mentality. It means to pull people down. We don’t like people to be up there—something like misery seeks company. (You know when you’re miserable…you don’t want others to feel good). We like it when people are like us… down here. Today we should be happy because we are to meet one such person: Peter—who is weak like us. It is true that God used him and therefore can use weak individuals like us for his glory but to focus on “Peter being weak like us” is to miss an important fact today.
I have a story to tell. But before that, I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I am a 20 year old guy whose been a somewhat lapse Catholic for most of my life. I didn’t read the Bible and didn’t really pray that often either. On November 1, 1950, Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption. Thus he solemnly proclaimed that the belief whereby the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the close of her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, definitively forms part of the deposit of faith, received from the Apostles. To avoid all that is uncertain the Pope did not state either the manner or the circumstances of time and place in which the Assumption took place — only the fact of the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, is the matter of the definition.
The Assumption is the oldest feast day of Our Lady, but we don't know how it first came to be celebrated.
Its origin is lost in those days when Jerusalem was restored as a sacred city, at the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (c. 285-337). By then it had been a pagan city for two centuries, ever since Emperor Hadrian (76-138) had leveled it around the year 135 and rebuilt it as Aelia Capitolina in honor of Jupiter.
For 200 years, every memory of Jesus was obliterated from the city, and the sites made holy by His life, death and Resurrection became pagan temples.
After the building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 336, the sacred sites began to be restored and memories of the life of Our Lord began to be celebrated by the people of Jerusalem. One of the memories about his mother centered around the "Tomb of Mary," close to Mount Zion, where the early Christian community had lived.
On the hill itself was the "Place of Dormition," the spot of Mary's "falling asleep," where she had died. The "Tomb of Mary" was where she was buried.
At this time, the "Memory of Mary" was being celebrated. Later it was to become our feast of the Assumption.
For a time, the "Memory of Mary" was marked only in Palestine, but then it was extended by the emperor to all the churches of the East. In the seventh century, it began to be celebrated in Rome under the title of the "Falling Asleep" ("Dormitio") of the Mother of God.
Soon the name was changed to the "Assumption of Mary," since there was more to the feast than her dying. It also proclaimed that she had been taken up, body and soul, into heaven.
That belief was ancient, dating back to the apostles themselves. What was clear from the beginning was that there were no relics of Mary to be venerated, and that an empty tomb stood on the edge of Jerusalem near the site of her death. That location also soon became a place of pilgrimage. (Today, the Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition of Mary stands on the spot.)
At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, when bishops from throughout the Mediterranean world gathered in Constantinople, Emperor Marcian asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics of Mary to Constantinople to be enshrined in the capitol. The patriarch explained to the emperor that there were no relics of Mary in Jerusalem, that "Mary had died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later . . . was found empty and so the apostles concluded that the body was taken up into heaven."
In the eighth century, St. John Damascene was known for giving sermons at the holy places in Jerusalem. At the Tomb of Mary, he expressed the belief of the Church on the meaning of the feast: "Although the body was duly buried, it did not remain in the state of death, neither was it dissolved by decay. . . . You were transferred to your heavenly home, O Lady, Queen and Mother of God in truth."
All the feast days of Mary mark the great mysteries of her life and her part in the work of redemption. The central mystery of her life and person is her divine motherhood, celebrated both at Christmas and a week later (Jan. 1) on the feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) marks the preparation for that motherhood, so that she had the fullness of grace from the first moment of her existence, completely untouched by sin. Her whole being throbbed with divine life from the very beginning, readying her for the exalted role of mother of the Savior.
The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, where we will follow when our earthly life is over.
The feast days of the Church are not just the commemoration of historical events; they do not look only to the past. They look to the present and to the future and give us an insight into our own relationship with God. The Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended.
In 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church in these words: "The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heaven."
With that, an ancient belief became Catholic doctrine and the Assumption was declared a truth revealed by God.
"We can't judge which religion is superior than the others. None of us can judge that."
Gravity
The pull of gravity affects EVERYONE regardless of their belief in its existence.
Christianity subscribes to the idea of absolute truth; as Christians believe that Jesus is our only hope for our salvation for "[s]alvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) and this applies to everyone not only Christians.
"Hey, there is no such truth that can be applied to everyone regardless of what they believe in it! (i.e. there is no such thing as absolute truth)"
Thank you people for your honest comments in my previous post! And the conclusion is: almost 66% of the voters are DO NOT agree that all religions lead to God, whereas almost 28% agree that all religions lead to God.which is the belief that ALL religions are simply different pathways to the SAME ultimate reality.
