Q: Catholics- Why erect statues of Mary and saints, which are less important than Father Son Holy Spirit?

A: Every one of the saints is in heaven, so every one of the saints serves as an inspiration to current day Christians.

And since all of the saints got to heaven by means of cooperating with God’s grace, and by that grace alone, every saint gives glory to God, the one who created him/her.

The saints also prove that Jesus did not die in vain, that God keeps his promises, and that his promises apply to every Christian, in every age.

And since the lives of the saints were typically not easy ones, Christians are suitably inspired to persevere in their faith and in God’s grace, until the end, no matter what.

That is the message of the whole Bible … for every man or woman of God … salvation according to the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ … our Lord and Savior … the one on whom all Catholic worship and all Catholic living is centered.

“The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!”

From the start the Joker pulls back the curtain on true evil, showing the world to be horrifying place when morality is thrown out the window and replaced with chaos, lawlessness and an ends-justify-the means mentality.

Other villains have come and gone, but the Joker should remain imprinted on people because he is evil with all the glamor and ambiguity stripped away. He lies about everything, he relishes in goading good people to break rules, he destroys things and people for fun and he does it all for evil’s sake.

“See, I’m not a monster…I’m just ahead of the curve.”

“What is truth?” “What is good?” “Why do the good guys have to play by the rules?” are all questions that flesh out this movie into something far more serious than your typical action movie.

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Reuter’s photo

Catholic and cool in Sydney

World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney was a triumph for the Catholic Church and its 81-year-old head, Pope Benedict XVI. About 400,000 people attended a final Mass on Sunday (July 20), briefly making the pilgrims’ destination bigger than the nation’s capital, Canberra. Some baffled journalists described it as a Catholic Woodstock – the 1969 orgy of, drugs and sex and rock ‘n roll which became an iconic moment for baby-boomers. But 40 years later, the world has moved in an unexpected direction. WYD, the biggest youth event in history, is an anti-Woodstock, a repudiation of the materialism and secularism of the baby-boomers.

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Submitted by Doria2

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI AND THE GREAT PARDON
KNOWN AS THE PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE                        

by Susan Tassone

The Portiuncula (small portion) refers to the land in Assisi, Italy, that belonged to the Benedictines.  On this land  was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God but abandoned. 

The great St. Francis had great devotion to the queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly and repair it.  He heard that the angels often visited it, so that it was called St. Mary of the Angels. 

The Benedictines wanted to give Francis the church but in order to remain faithful to Lady Poverty, Francis rented it from them with the annual compensation of a basket of fish from the Tescio river. 

Here is where Francis began his service to Christ and His Church.

Here Francis founded his Order, received Clare as his spiritual daughter, and where he died commending this spot above all others to the friars. 

St. Francis had great love and compassion for everyone.

On a night of July, 1216, Francis was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula devoured by love for God and a thirst to save souls. He prayed for the forgiveness of sins of mankind.

Suddenly a brilliant light shone all around. In great splendor Jesus and Mary appeared in the midst of a dazzling cloud surrounded by a multitude of radiant angels. 

Out of fear and reverence, St. Francis adored Our Lord prostrate upon the ground.

Then Jesus said to him: Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation. St. Francis was rapt in ecstasy before Jesus.

When he regained his courage he said: 

“Lord, I a miserable sinner beg You to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, your Mother, intercessor of man, that she intercede on behalf of this grace.”

Our Lady at once began to beseech her son on behalf of Francis. Jesus answered:

“It is a very great thing that which you ask Me; but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to my Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on my behalf for this indulgence.”

With one of his companions, Francis hastened to Pope Honorius III and prostrate implored him to proclaim that every one visiting the church and confessing their sins with a contrite heart would be as pure from all
sin and punishments as he was immediately after baptism. The Pope granted this petition. This indulgence has been extended to all parish churches throughout the world.

The date was set from vespers of the first of August until sundown on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is said that St. Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the
Chains of St. Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and his chains removed.

This is an extraordinary demonstration of God?s mercy in removing the chains of sin from those who
devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements. 

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi is (for oneself or for a departed soul) as follows:

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to miss not only for yourself but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.

–    Sacramental Confession to be in God?s grace (during eight days before or after.)

–    Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist

–    Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father and a prayer for the Pope’s Intention.

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2.

Tell everyone of the magnitude of this gift. Once again, we see the unfathomable Divine Mercy of God.

In the words of St. Francis: O my Brothers and Sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!

Links - http://www.spiritdaily.com/portiunculaindulkgence.htm

http://www.franciscanfriarstor.com/stfrancis/stf_devotions_to_mary.htm

Submitted by Doria2

A quote from a great saint as shown in the EWTN Q&A section:

Quotation: “While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder [i.e., destroying other people’s faith in God by their terrible example], those who take scandal, who allow scandals to destroy their faith are guilty of spiritual suicide.”

St Francis De Sales

Submitted by Bob Stanley

Q: Did you know the Roman Catholic Church is rooted in paganism?

A: Sounds like somebody has been reading the fictional “Two Babylons” again!

The Catholic Church is rooted ONLY in Jesus Christ, since it was Jesus who founded, authorized, empowered, and eternally guaranteed the Catholic Church, while he still walked the earth.

The whole world, except for a few Jews, was pagan, from the beginning.

The Catholic Church converted much of the pagan and Jewish world for Christ, a thousand years before the first protestant ever thumped a Bible.

Jesus remains the founder and head of the Catholic Church, while the Holy Spirit remains the Church’s arbiter of all divine truth.

Who started your little group?

Could it be S A T A N ?

Q: I’m Catholic, but I have religious beliefs that differ so I’d like advice from Unitarians, Humanists, Christians, Catholics?

A: People have the right to do what’s best for themselves … or not.

That’s why there’s a heaven, and that’s why there’s a hell.

That’s also why there’s the authentic Church … the Catholic Church … and all the rest.

There’s Catholics who follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and therefore the Church … and there’s people like yourself.

Make up your mind, already!

The Catholic Church long ago explained all that’s explainable about the Christian faith, and only a few unsolvable mysteries remain.

Study authentic Catholic theology, and you can’t miss.

Try to reason things out in your own head, without the guidance of the Catholic Church, and you play right into the hands of the devil.

Q: If Jesus died for our sins, then why does one have to be Christian?

A: Thanks to the poor choice of our original parents, the default condition of fallen mankind is eternal enslavement to Satan, sin, and death.

To be “saved” from that decrepit end, one must typically exercise his own free will, reject Satan and all his works, and swear faithful allegiance to Jesus Christ, through Christian baptism*.

The rules have been clearly taught and in force for some 2000 years now, and in this age of information, there’s no excuse for anyone to remain ignorant of the truth.

Now that you know the truth, what do you plan to do about it?

*Some exceptions may apply.

Q: What makes the teaching of Koran more authoritative than the Bible, or vice versa?

A: Fact is … regardless of their true origin … both books require interpretation by people … and that invariably leads to the types of grievous errors that are so prevalent in the world today.

The Koran has much more in common with the Old Testament of the Bible than anything else, with its’ emphasis on the need to keep various laws, and its’ habit of keeping God obscure, full of wrath, and very, very far away.

In that, the Koran is merely a rehash of an old system of things that was made obsolete by Jesus Christ, some 600 years before Mohammed, when Jesus gave us the New Covenant … based not on law, but on grace … something that is also largely ignored and little understood, by devotees of the Koran.

The lesson of history (and of the Bible) is that people who attempt to please God merely by keeping his laws are doomed to fail … while those who make a serious, faithful, and lifelong effort to know and love God, and who act on that love, are never forsaken by him.

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