In the Fall of 2017, I returned to the fullness of my Christian Faith. I returned to the Catholic Church. Believe me, it's the last place I thought I would ever be. I was really hostile to the idea because in mind, the Catholic Church was a dead religion at best with a history of corruption at worst. However, I was introduced to an apostolate (ministry) that specialized in the defense of the Catholic Faith in the Summer of 2017. The more I listened and the more I looked into Scripture and Church History, I discovered that I could no longer identify myself as what I call a PPP (Proud, Pentecostal, Protestant). I thought, "Lord, what's happening here?" The last thing I wanted was to fall back into the horrendous cesspool of deception I came out of prior to living my life as a follower of Christ.
Well, in the Summer of 2018, the headlines broke regarding now former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick whose vocational history was flooded with active homosexual predation. I thought again, "Lord, this is very interesting. Why would you bring me back to the Church now with all this filth coming out?" I still don't know for sure but trusting completely in His wisdom is the best I can discern at the moment. One thing I do know for sure: the Fullness of the Christian Faith is the Catholic Faith. With regard to the current crisis in the Catholic Church, I have to say like St. Peter did when Jesus asked him and the rest of the apostles if they wanted to leave when He told them He literally was 'the bread of life.' I have to answer like Peter did, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)
For any one who is reading or will read this blog post, I hope the following commentary will encourage you.
Many in the hierarchy of the Church have given themselves entirely over to secular humanism and it’s sub-ideologies of rationalism and relativism. What this means is that they’ve become human-centered and not God-centered. They regard themselves and their own ideas greater than they honor God. Their belief system has literally rendered them cognitively defective (that is, with a darkened mind). This is why they blatantly manipulate language. They can no longer reason correctly and they’ve lost their ability to discern truth from error. They’ve exchanged the truth of God for a lie—the lie that they themselves have ultimate authority in the Church simply because they sit in the ‘seat of the apostles.’ They’ve believed the original lie of Satan, “…you shall be like God knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)
The Church as a whole (which includes the laity) has authority because it’s Christ’s authority living in and through her. Those delegated with ‘magisterial’ authority have a specific role in the Body of Christ while those with different gifts serve the Body in other capacities. This is the true heart of the Vatican II Council. The Church as a whole is guided and taught to come under the headship of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The visible structure of the Church is meant to be functionally hierarchical. That is, all parts of the Body of Christ come under Christ’s headship. However, the primary role of the Magisterium (the divine teaching office of the Church) is to authentically interpret the Word of God (in its written form or in the form of Sacred Tradition), guard the Deposit of Faith and pass it on--not contaminate it or usurp it in any way.
Be encouraged by the passages below:
[Italics on passages below are for emphasis only]
From Holy Scripture (from the New Revised Standard Catholic Edition):
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me [Christ]. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
"The gifts he [Christ] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Magisterium (the teaching authority) of the Church
85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.
86 "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."
87 Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: "He who hears you, hears me", the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.
The supernatural sense of faith
91 All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them and guides them into all truth.
92 "The whole body of the faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals."
93 "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."
We are required to obey God, not the opinions of human beings.
This is our time to learn our faith to the fullest and be solidly grounded in it so we can stand against all adversity. We have our Lord’s promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.
Well, in the Summer of 2018, the headlines broke regarding now former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick whose vocational history was flooded with active homosexual predation. I thought again, "Lord, this is very interesting. Why would you bring me back to the Church now with all this filth coming out?" I still don't know for sure but trusting completely in His wisdom is the best I can discern at the moment. One thing I do know for sure: the Fullness of the Christian Faith is the Catholic Faith. With regard to the current crisis in the Catholic Church, I have to say like St. Peter did when Jesus asked him and the rest of the apostles if they wanted to leave when He told them He literally was 'the bread of life.' I have to answer like Peter did, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)
For any one who is reading or will read this blog post, I hope the following commentary will encourage you.
Many in the hierarchy of the Church have given themselves entirely over to secular humanism and it’s sub-ideologies of rationalism and relativism. What this means is that they’ve become human-centered and not God-centered. They regard themselves and their own ideas greater than they honor God. Their belief system has literally rendered them cognitively defective (that is, with a darkened mind). This is why they blatantly manipulate language. They can no longer reason correctly and they’ve lost their ability to discern truth from error. They’ve exchanged the truth of God for a lie—the lie that they themselves have ultimate authority in the Church simply because they sit in the ‘seat of the apostles.’ They’ve believed the original lie of Satan, “…you shall be like God knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)
The Church as a whole (which includes the laity) has authority because it’s Christ’s authority living in and through her. Those delegated with ‘magisterial’ authority have a specific role in the Body of Christ while those with different gifts serve the Body in other capacities. This is the true heart of the Vatican II Council. The Church as a whole is guided and taught to come under the headship of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The visible structure of the Church is meant to be functionally hierarchical. That is, all parts of the Body of Christ come under Christ’s headship. However, the primary role of the Magisterium (the divine teaching office of the Church) is to authentically interpret the Word of God (in its written form or in the form of Sacred Tradition), guard the Deposit of Faith and pass it on--not contaminate it or usurp it in any way.
Be encouraged by the passages below:
[Italics on passages below are for emphasis only]
From Holy Scripture (from the New Revised Standard Catholic Edition):
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me [Christ]. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
"The gifts he [Christ] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The Magisterium (the teaching authority) of the Church
85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ." This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.
86 "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully. All that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is drawn from this single deposit of faith."
87 Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: "He who hears you, hears me", the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.
The supernatural sense of faith
91 All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them and guides them into all truth.
92 "The whole body of the faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals."
93 "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."
We are required to obey God, not the opinions of human beings.
This is our time to learn our faith to the fullest and be solidly grounded in it so we can stand against all adversity. We have our Lord’s promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against us.
