Monday, November 30, 2015

First Monday of Advent - Daily Reflections - Pope Francis



2015 Advent Reflections by Pope Francis and Henri J.M. Nouwe as read by sajman.  God Bless us all during this Advent.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Did Pope Francis really say Lutherans can take the Holy Eucharist at Catholic Mass?

It will certainly be a great day when our separated brothers and sisters can join us at the banquet of the Holy Eucharist! I do certainly pray for that! "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give is my flesh for the life of the world." "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day" Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" As a result of this many returned to their former way of life. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Paul told the Corinthians ~ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. 

Pope Francis certainly was NOT suggesting in anyway that a person not in full communion with the Catholic church take the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. He specifically said that he could not "give permission" to do so! He certainly would not give permission to anyone who was not only in communion with the Catholic Church, but also anyone who is not in a state of sanctifying grace, without mortal sin on his soul to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Both cases would be eating and drinking judgement on himself, as St. Paul said. Pope Francis gave very good advice to everyone who is not Catholic: Speak with the Lord (pray) and go forward (join the one true church that Jesus founded on the Rock). He was not just saying pray, and then take the Holy Eucharist because you think it is OK in your own conscience. We must, of course, discern on our own with the help of the Holy Spirit, and make sure we are in a state of grace prior to receiving if we are in full communion with Christ's Church.  

We must remember that our Holy Father was speaking to a large gathering of those of the Lutheran tradition. He followed his normal way of communication by speaking to the audience present, and not coming right out and telling them that they must be Catholic to receive. If he did that, they would not hear his teaching most certainly. Similar to when he was speaking to the United Nations. He did not reference Catholic doctrine or even Jesus, because of the room being full of non believers and/or believers of many different persuasions. 

If one truly believes that the bread and wine on the altar during a Catholic Mass is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, then how can that person NOT join the only church that Jesus Christ founded. My prayers for all and for the wishes of Jesus about his church to be fulfilled. "And I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it" He founded ONE church. Pope Francis even told those in the Lutheran gathering "there is one baptism". There is truly one baptism, because in the end, there will be one church, as it was in the beginning. God Bless all his people. So...faithful Catholics need not worry that Pope Francis is changing Christ's teaching on the Eucharist, and our Lutheran brothers, as always are truly welcome to come into full communion, and re-join the true church that a mortal man, Martin Luther, decided to break from.

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Great Whitbee's Candy Bash [5] - Final Weekend



It's the final weekend of the Great Whitbee's Candy Bash!  You can collect candy until early Monday morning...and you have until November 15 to turn in your candy for your prize or prizes!  Good Luck!