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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - December, 2009
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of December: Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
* Catholic Trivia
* Liturgical Feasts in December
* Reflections From Popes, Saints, Scripture... For Each Day of December
* Necessity of Belief in Jesus: A Brief Refresher
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Jesus' Divinity
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Dear Friend,
"This is the month which brings all manner of joy; it is the freedom of the bondsmen, the pride of the free, the crown of the gates, the soothing of the body, that also in its love put purple upon us as upon kings. This is the month that brings all manner of victories; it frees the spirit; it subdues the body; it brings forth life among mortals; it caused, in its love, Godhead, to dwell in Manhood." (St. Ephraim the Syrian)
We send our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a holy Advent & Christmas, followed by a blessed new year.
Rather than duplicate last month's newsletter, please allow us to point you to the archived version of that newsletter at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/newsletters/mcs_newsletter_11-09.htm for links to the following items which may still be applicable throughout Advent...
* Make Your Own Advent Calendar
* Advent / Christmas Prayers, Practices & Activities
* Reflections, Biblical Prophecies & Scriptural References
We thank you for being a subscriber to the MyCatholicSource.com mailing list.
May God bless you always,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
"May we receive Thy mercy, O Lord, in the midst of Thy temple: that we may with becoming honor prepare for the approaching solemnities of our redemption. Through our Lord." (Postcommunion, First Sunday of Advent)
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MCS News & Notes
* Don't miss our handy new 'quick guide' to the wealth of information on MyCatholicSource.com Go to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/guide.htm to view this helpful new resource
* For your free 2010 liturgical calendar-flier, go to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm (see links to free fliers "Sundays of the Year / Moveable Feasts: 2000 A.D. - 2050 A.D." and "Moveable Feasts: 2000 A.D. - 2050 A.D.") [Note: Fliers are based on the traditional calendar]
* Looking for a no-cost gift? Why not give a spiritual bouquet. You can print a free 'spiritual bouquet' card at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/spiritual_bouquet_card.pdf . Note: Print card on colored paper and/or color in images, fold to form 4.25" x 5.5 card (note that "A Special Gift..." should appear in front).
* Some new user-submitted articles have been added to the site. To view, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_articles_index.htm . To submit your own article, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/article_submission.htm
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* The 'post of the month' page has been updated for 11/09. This month it was chosen from the Catholic Life Section and it is titled "Choosing friends". To view the 'post of the month' page, please go to: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/post_of_the_month.htm . To submit a post in your choice of hundreds of categories, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fa/share_your_thoughts.htm
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The Month of December: Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception
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"Thou, O Lord, and thy Mother are the only ones who are perfectly beautiful in every respect, for in thee, O Lord, there is no blemish, and in thy Mother there is no stain." (St. Ephraem the Syrian, Doctor of the Church)
"The commemoration of the mystery of the Most Holy Virgin, conceived immaculate and immune from all stain of original sin, should, in the first place, urge us to that innocence and integrity of life which flees from and abhors even the slightest stain of sin." (Pope Pius XII, "Fulgens Corona", 1953)
"[The Church] did not hesitate to present for the public devotion and veneration of the faithful the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin. By this most significant fact, the Church made it clear indeed that the conception of Mary is to be venerated as something extraordinary, wonderful, eminently holy, and different from the conception of all other human beings" (Pope Pius IX, "Ineffabilis Deus", 1854)
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Definition: "The doctrine that our Lady 'in the first instant of her conception was, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of the human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.' It must be noticed that, contrary to a common error, this doctrine has nothing to do with the virgin-birth of Christ; nor does it involve a virgin-birth of Mary... But her soul at the first moment of its creation and infusion into her body was clothed in sanctifying grace...the stain of original sin was not removed but excluded from her soul." (Catholic Dictionary)
Resources:
* Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/ineffabilis_deus.htm
* Immaculate Conception / Sinlessness Reflections (quotes from popes, saints) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_sinlessness.htm
* Marian Prayers - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Marian.htm
* Marian Scriptural References - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_scriptural_references.htm
* Marian Encyclicals (click on "The Blessed Virgin Mary") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* Some Reasons to Honor the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/reasons_to_honor_mary.htm
* Some Thoughts on the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/thoughts_on_mary.htm
* Marian Facts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/facts.htm
* Praise of Mary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_praise.htm
* Mary's Virtues (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_virtues.htm
* Devotion to Mary / Devotion to Mary is Recommended (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_recommended_devotion.htm
* More 'Mary, Our Mother' Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections.htm
* Marian Coloring Pages - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Marian Apologetics - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
* Mary, Our Mother Section - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm
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Catholic Trivia
1. According to Tradition, what are the names of the Magi who visited the infant Jesus?
2. Besides the Gospel of St. Luke, what other book of the bible is the angel Gabriel mentioned?
3. What does the Incarnation refer to?
4. Which two days in December are traditionally days of fasting & abstinence?
5. What is the Immaculate Conception and when was it proclaimed?
6. To which saint may the nativity scene be attributed to?
7. What do the following words have in common? O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Radix Jesse, O Clavis David, O Oriens, O Rex Gentium, O Emmanuel
8. When was Jesus' coming first foretold?
9. Scripture says the name Emmanuel means what?
10. What is scriptural passage is typically cited in reference to nativity scenes which include an ox and an a-ss?
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Answers:
1. St. Caspar, St. Melchior, and St. Balthasar
2. The Book of Daniel
3. "The assumption of human nature [both body and soul] by the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God the Son." (Catholic Dictionary) This feast is traditionally celebrated on March 25, nine months before Christmas
4. The Vigil of the Immaculate Conception (12/7) and the Vigil of Christmas (12/24)
5. The Immaculate Conception refers to the preservation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the stain of Original Sin from the first moment of her conception. It was infallibly proclaimed by Bl. Pope Pius IX in 1854 in "Ineffabilis Deus". Before that it had been commonly held by the faithful from the early ages of the Church. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8 and is a holy day of obligation
6. St. Francis of Assisi
7. They are the opening words (in Latin) of the Greater Antiphons / O Antiphons, which are traditionally recited from 12/17-12/23
8. In Genesis 3:15
9. "God is with us"
10. Isa. 1:3: "An ox knows its owner, and an a-ss, its master's manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood." [Please Note: We modified a word above to avoid having e-mail flagged as spam]
For more information concerning the topics above, try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
Like trivia? You might enjoy our crossword puzzles located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_crossword_puzzles.htm
You might also be interested in the Q & A and historical information which may be found each day on the MCS Daily Digest page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Liturgical Feasts in December
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for December as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
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December 2 - St. Bibiana (T)
December 3 - St. Francis Xavier (T)
December 3 - St. Francis Xavier (N)
December 4 - St. Barbara (T)
December 4 - St. Peter Chrysologus (T)
December 4 - St. John Damascene (N)
December 5 - St. Sabbas (T)
December 6 - St. Nicholas of Myra (or Bari) (T)
December 6 - St. Nicholas of Myra (or Bari) (N)
December 7 - St. Ambrose (T)
December 7 - Vigil of the Immaculate Conception (T)
December 7 - St. Ambrose (N)
December 8 - The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
December 8 - The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
December 9 - St. Juan Diego (N)
December 10 - St. Melchiades, pope (T)
December 11 - St. Damasus I, pope (T)
December 11 - St. Damasus I, pope (N)
December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe (T)
December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe (N)
December 13 - St. Lucy of Syracuse (T)
December 13 - St. Lucy (N)
December 14 - St. John of the Cross (N)
December 16 - St. Eusebius of Vercelli (T)
December 21 - St. Thomas, apostle (T)
December 21 - St. Peter Canisius (N)
December 22 - St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (T)
December 23 - St. John of Kanty (John Cantius) (N)
December 24 - Vigil of the Nativity (Christmas Eve) (T)
December 25 - Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas) (T)
December 25 - St. Anastasia (T)
December 25 - The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) (N)
December 26 - St. Stephen the First Martyr (T)
December 26 - St. Stephen, First Martyr (N)
December 27 - St. John, apostle & evangelist (T)
December 27 - St. John, apostle & evangelist (N)
December 28 - The Holy Innocents (T)
December 28 - The Holy Innocents (N)
December 29 - St. Thomas of Canterbury (T)
December 29 - St. Thomas Becket (N)
December 31 - St. Sylvester I, pope (T)
December 31 - St. Sylvester I, pope (N)
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Reflections From Popes, Saints, Scripture... For Each Day of December
We hope you will find the following 31 reflections useful for meditation during the month of December.
Note: Please also visit the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp each day for reflections & other items for each day of the month.
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1 - "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Mt. 3:2)
2 - "For what greater thing is there than that God should become man?" (St. John of Damascus, Doctor of the Church)
3 - "The knowledge and love of our Divine Redeemer, of which we were the object from the first moment of his Incarnation, exceed all the human intellect can hope to grasp." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
4 - "When the faithful have placed these things before their eyes, let them also reflect that God condescended to assume the lowliness and frailty of our flesh in order to exalt man to the highest degree of dignity. This single reflection, that He who is true and perfect God became man, supplies sufficient proof of the exalted dignity conferred on the human race by the divine bounty; since we may now glory that the Son of God is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, a privilege not given to Angels, for nowhere, says the Apostle, doth he take hold of the Angels: but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold (Heb. 2:16)." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
5 - "Let us contemplate our divine Savior in the womb of His most holy Mother Mary. Let us, together with the holy angels, adore Him in this state of profound humiliation, to which His love for us has brought Him. See Him there offering Himself to His Father for the redemption of mankind, and commencing at once to fulfil the office of our Mediator, which He has taken upon Himself. What an excess of love is this of our Jesus, that He is not satisfied with having humbled Himself in assuming our nature, though that alone would have sufficed to redeem a million worlds! The eternal Son of God wills to remain, as other children, nine months in His Mother's womb: after that, to be born in poverty, to live a life of labor and suffering, and to be obedient to death, even to the death of the cross. O Jesus! Mayst Thou be praised and loved by all creatures for this Thy immense love of us!" (Dom Gueranger)
6 - "There he is feeding the holy Angels with joy: here he is in hunger and thirst from his cradle. There he holds all things in subjection: here he is in subjection to a Mother. There he commands: here he obeys his Handmaid. There he is seated on the throne of highest majesty: here he is lying swathed and weeping in a manger. Think on this, O man! And to thy memory recall these stupendous works of God's mercy." (From ancient Roman-French Missal)
7 - "...not simply flesh and blood...but rather Lord and God clothed in our likeness" (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church)
8 - "O Virgin Mother of God, he whom the whole world is unable to contain, being made man, enclosed himself in thy womb. Alleluia." (Gradual)
9 - "The Crib of Bethlehem, even had there never been the Sacrifice of Calvary, would of itself be sufficient to convince us of [the Love of God]. God comes down from heaven for the sake of his creature, man; he himself becomes Man, nay, a Child, and is laid in a manger! Such miracles of love would have sufficed to save the guilty world; how then shall they not have power to prompt men to give their whole heart to their loving God?" (Gueranger)
10 - "The holy Fathers, true witnesses of the divinely revealed doctrine, wonderfully understood what St. Paul the Apostle had quite clearly declared; namely, that the mystery of love was, as it were, both the foundation and the culmination of the Incarnation and the Redemption. For frequently and clearly we can read in their writings that Jesus Christ took a perfect human nature and our weak and perishable human body with the object of providing for our eternal salvation, and of revealing to us in the clearest possible manner that His infinite love for us could express itself in human terms." (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)
11 - "Weakness is assumed by strength, lowliness by majesty, mortality by eternity, in order that one and the same Mediator of God and men might die in one and rise in the other - for this was our fitting remedy. Unless He was God, He would not have brought a remedy; and unless He was man, He would not have set an example." (Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church)
12 - "For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1:20-21)
13 - "[I]n spite of all our wretchedness and sin, [He] humbled Himself so low as to become one of us, on order that He might exalt us even to union with Himself." (Dom Gueranger)
14 - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." (Isa. 7:14)
15 - "And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Lk. 1:28-33)
16 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (Jn. 1:14)
17 - "O Wisdom, who camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come and teach us the way of prudence." ('O Antiphon', 12/17)
18 - "O Adonai, and Leader of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in the flame of the burning bush, and didst give unto him the law on Sinai: come and with an outstretched arm redeem us." ('O Antiphon', 12/18)
19 - "O Root of Jesse, who standest for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence, and unto whom the Gentiles shall make their supplication: come to deliver us, and tarry not." ('O Antiphon', 12/19)
20 - "O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, who openest and no man shutteth, who shuttest and no man openeth: come and bring forth from his prison-house, the captive that sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death." ('O Antiphon', 12/20)
21 - "O Dawn of the East, brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of Justice, come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." ('O Antiphon', 12/21)
22 - "O King of the Gentiles and the desired of them, Thou cornerstone that makest both one, come and deliver man, whom Thou didst form out of the dust of the earth." ('O Antiphon', 12/22)
23 - "O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior, come to save us, O Lord our God." ('O Antiphon', 12/23)
24 - "Come, let us adore the King our Lord, who is to come! (Regem venturum Dominum, venite, adoremus.)" (Office of Matins) [English / Latin]
25 - "And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For, this day, is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will" (Lk. 2:6-14)
26 - "Yesterday the holy Angels exultingly sang, Glory be to God in the Highest; today they joyously received [St.] Stephen [the first martyr] into their company... Yesterday Jesus was wrapped, for our sakes, in swaddling-clothes; today Stephen was clothed with the robe of immortal glory. Yesterday a narrow crib contained the Infant Jesus: today the immensity of the heavenly court received the triumphant Stephen." (St. Fulgentius)
27 - "How astonished I am that there is laid before me a Child who is older than all things!" (St. Ephraem the Syrian, Doctor of the Church)
28 - "When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi." (Mt. 2:16)
29 - "Nothing was so necessary for raising our hope as to show us how deeply God loved us. And what could afford us a stronger proof of this than that the Son of God should become a partner with us of human nature?" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
30 - "After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Mt. 2:9-11)
31 - "[W]e pour out our humble prayers unto thee, O God the Father! That whereas thou hast consecrated the present portion of the year by the Birth of this same thy Son, thou mayest vouchsafe to make this year a happy one unto us, and to give us to spend it in thy service. Fill, too, the earth with its fruits, and deliver our souls and bodies from sickness and sin. Take away scandal, defeat our enemy, keep down famine, and drive far from our country all such events as would bring evil upon her. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." (Preface)
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Necessity of Belief in Jesus: A Brief Refresher
In our pluralistic society, the necessity of belief in Jesus sometimes seems forgotten. The following is a brief scriptural refresher concerning the need to believe in and obey Jesus.
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==> Reminder: Although faith in Jesus is critical, it is not sufficient by itself for salvation. It is also necessary to obey God's commands. As Scripture says, "See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone...For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead" (Jms. 2:24, 26) and "...whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." (Jn. 3:36)
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"[W]hoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." (Lk. 10:16)
"Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." (Jn. 5:23)
"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Mt. 12:30, Lk. 11:23)
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (Jn. 14:6)
"Jesus said to them, '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." (Jn. 6:53)
"He said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" (Mk. 16:15-16)
"Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (Jn. 3:18)
"There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." (Jn. 3:36)
"Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." (Mt. 10:32-33)
"I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God." (Lk. 12:8-9)
"This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us." (2 Tm. 2:11-12)
"Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me." (Jn. 12:48-50)
"If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life." (1 Jn. 5:9-12)
Ref. http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/who_jesus_is_and_why_you_should_believe.htm
"Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him: Dost thou believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him: Thou hast both seen him; and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him." (Jn. 9:35-38)
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Jesus' Divinity
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Divinity_of_Christ.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Wonder If (or Doubt That) Jesus Is Really God? (Note: Topic is are directed at Protestants)
Consider:
* Scripture says that Jesus is "Emmanuel", meaning "God is with us" (see Mt. 1:23)
* Scripture says that the Word (that is, Jesus) was God (see Jn. 1:1)
* Jesus said that if you knew Him, you would know His Father (that is, God) also (see Jn. 8:19)
* Jesus said "I AM" (Jn. 8:58, Jn. 18:5, Jn. 18:8), a clear reference to God (see Ex. 3:14)
* Jesus said that "The Father and I are one" (Jn. 10:30)
* Jesus said that "The Father is in me and I am in the Father" (Jn. 10:38)
* Jesus says that "whoever sees me sees the one who sent me" (Jn. 12:45)
* Jesus says that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (Jn. 14:8-12)
* The Apostle St. Thomas proclaims: "My Lord and my God!" and is not rebuked by Jesus (Jn. 20:28)
* Scripture says that in Jesus "dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily" (Col. 2:9)
* Christ instructs the Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19). This would not make sense unless the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are God.
* Christ demonstrated His divine power countless times in the ability to forgive sin and through His miracles.
"The miracles which Christ worked were a sufficient proof of His Godhead in three respects. First, as to the very nature of the works, which surpassed the entire capability of created power, and therefore could not be done save by Divine power. For this reason the blind man, after his sight had been restored, said (John 9:32,33): 'From the beginning of the world it has not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything.' Secondly, as to the way in which He worked miracles - namely, because He worked miracles as though of His own power, and not by praying, as others do. Wherefore it is written (Luke 6:19) that 'virtue went out from Him and healed all.' Whereby it is proved, as Cyril says (Commentarium in Lucam) that 'He did not receive power from another, but, being God by nature, He showed His own power over the sick. And this is how He worked countless miracles.' Hence on Matthew 8:16: 'He cast out spirits with His word, and all that were sick He healed,' Chrysostom says: 'Mark how great a multitude of persons healed, the Evangelists pass quickly over, not mentioning one by one... but in one word traversing an unspeakable sea of miracles.' And thus it was shown that His power was co-equal with that of God the Father, according to John 5:19: 'What things soever' the Father 'doth, these the Son doth also in like manner'; and, again (John 5:21): 'As the Father raiseth up the dead and giveth life, so the Son also giveth life to whom He will.' Thirdly, from the very fact that He taught that He was God; for unless this were true it would not be confirmed by miracles worked by Divine power. Hence it was said (Mark 1:27): 'What is this new doctrine? For with power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.'" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
* Christ's death was sought for the very reason that He "made Himself equal to God" (cf. Jn. 5:18, Mt. 26:63-66, Jn. 19:7).
* Christ could not be our Savior if He was not God. "Neither could a portion of creation, while itself in need of salvation, become creation's salvation... A man would not have been deified if joined to a creature, nor if the Son were not true God; neither would a man have been brought into the Father's presence if He had not been the Father's natural and true Word who had put on a body. Since we could have had nothing in common with what is foreign, we would not have been delivered from sin and from the curse if that which the Word put on had not been natural human flesh; so also, the man would not have been deified if the Word which became flesh and not been by nature from the Father and true and proper to Him." (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church, 4th century A.D.)
* God the Father in Heaven testified that Christ is His Son. For example, consider the events of the Transfiguration where God said "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mt. 17:5).
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Please Note: This topic will be continued next month with answers to the questions: How Can Jesus be God Since Jesus Said the Father is Greater Than He Is and Since Christ Admitted to Not Knowing Something? What About the Other Indications That Christ Was Human or That He Had a Separate Will Than God?
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"Christ says, 'If anyone sees Me, he sees the Father,' If He were of another essence He would not say this. But if I may make use of an argument of the crasser sort, no one who is ignorant of gold is able to discover the essence of gold in silver. For the nature of one thing is not manifested in another." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, c. 391 A.D.)
For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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Closing Quotations...
"Let us be glad in the LORD, dearly-beloved, and rejoice with spiritual joy that there has dawned for us the day of ever-new redemption. of ancient preparation, of eternal bliss. For as the year rolls round, there recurs for us the commemoration of our salvation, which promised from the beginning, accomplished in the fullness of time will endure for ever; on which we are bound with hearts up-lifted to adore the divine mystery: so that what is the effect of God's great gift may be celebrated by the Church's great rejoicings." (Pope St. Leo the Great)
"I adore Thee, O incarnate Word, the true Son of God from all eternity, and the true Son of Mary in the fullness of time. As I adore Thy divine Person and the sacred Humanity thereto united, I feel myself drawn to venerate likewise the poor Crib that welcomed Thee, when Thou wast a little Child, and which was, in very truth, the first throne of Thy love. Would that I could fall prostrate before it with the simplicity of the shepherds, with the faith of Joseph, and the love of Mary! Would that I too could bend low to venerate this precious memorial of our salvation with the spirit of mortification, poverty and humility, with which Thou, the Lord of heaven and earth, didst choose a manger to be the resting place of Thy dear limbs! And do Thou, O Lord, who didst deign in Thine infancy to be laid in this manger, pour into my heart a drop of that joy which must have been experienced at the sight of Thy lovely infancy and of the wonders that accompanied Thy birth; by virtue of this Thy holy birth, I implore Thee to give peace and good-will to all the world, and, in the name of all mankind, to render perfect thanksgiving and infinite glory to Thine eternal Father, with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, Thou livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen." (Raccolta)
"'Twas on this grand night that Angels' voices intoned the sweet Gloria. A dazzling light shone at midnight on the Shepherds. They are tending their flocks, when suddenly they hear the divine announcement: 'Glory infinite in the heavens - and on earth Peace: 'He that is eternal is born of the glorious Virgin!' Then let the heavenly host give forth excessive jubilee, And earth, from pole to pole, thrill with the loud melodious song. The enemy's intolerable cruelty is crushed. Let the whole race of men sing praise to the God now born upon the earth. Peace is restored to the world; let all things rejoice at the birth of the Child." (Sequence, Roman-French Missal)
"Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!" (Ps. 150:6)
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