Desperate Prayer for Unity

I currently attend both Mass at 8am and then an Assembly of God church at 10:45am on Sundays. I attend the AG church because my wife identifies with that Church as do two of my four kids. Well a third kid likes the friends and fun there too even though she is baptized Catholic, attends CCE and can't wait for First Communion this year. Anyhow, today during praise and worship, at the AG church I just clasped my RSV New Testament with my rosary inside dangling out and cried out quietly from my heart for mercy, repeatedly, mercy for myself but also for the church. Mercy for those around me.

I realize that I have no hope of bringing people to unity in God's church. Minds are closed and unmotivated to care or even understand. Unless Christ by the Holy Spirit brings down people guarded minds to come back to Catholic faith, we are powerless. We must cry out for mercy, repeatedly. To suffer and do penance for a response. Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison! Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.

Will you join in prayer, say a rosary, vocalize or contemplate silently the wounded divided body of Christ, the Church? Cry out for mercy. I cry out for mercy. We are hopeless to bring people to Catholic faith unless God does it. Will you pray? 500 years of division in the Church is enough.

Dufflepuds and Sola Scriptura

The Dufflepuds are servants of the wizard Coriakin in the C.S. Lewis book Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Coriakin is actually a benevolent teacher, but out of fear they rebel against him. They later read an invisibility spell over themselves because they hate their own appearance. 

I couldn't help but to see a parrallel in these characters with certain types of Christians.  As the Dufflepuds view their master as an evil tyrant, many Christians view the Pope similarly. No matter how much Pope Francis tries to reach out in kindness, these Protestant Christians will not be convinced. After centuries of Catholic misinformation, distrust of the Pope is deep seated. Also, the Dufflepuds have only one foot to stand on. This reminds me of the practice of Sola Scriptura, Bible-Alone. Whereas Catholics stand on Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture as protected by the Magisterium, many Christians stand only on the Bible. This practice leads many Christians to differing interpretations of Scripture and church splits. 

Will Bible-Only Christians who distrust the Pope ever stop fearing the bishop of Rome as the Dufflepuds feared the good wizard Coriakin in Prince Caspian, or will they continue to hop with one foot.

500 Years is Enough

As we approach the 500 year anniversary of Luther posting his 95 thesis on the doors of Wittenberg Church there are some things we should consider. Isn't 500 years enough protest? Has the protest worked? Is the church stronger now that it has been splintered and divided into thousands of denominations?

Personally, I think the witness of Christian truth suffers when the churches are speaking contradictory things to our world. When the church is divided the enemy wins.

I want to invite my Charismatic brothers and sisters who are not Catholic to intensely consider coming home. Most Charismatic Christians I know do not think they are protesting the Catholic church and believe themselves to just be Christian. I would venture to say that a Christianity not rooted in Catholic past is wildly tainted by the modern spirit and philosophy. It is nearly impossible to figure out what is American culture, and what is Holy Spirit truth.

Put aside the conspiracy theories and misinformation you have heard about the Catholic Church. You know what I'm talking about, things like, the Pope is the Anti-christ, the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon, mother of Harlots, etc. These lies are unashamedly taught by other denominations when you study their theology. Enough is enough, the heart of Christ for unity demands you stop being complacent and accepting of division. Christ established the Catholic Church on the Apostles in the Upper room in 33 AD. Study your misconceptions away.

Where do you start? One place is this lady's blog journey investigating Catholic teaching. At the end of her study she didn't choose to become Catholic, but nobody's perfect, right? Just kidding.

Another place is Catholic Answers. Just type in your wildest accusation about the Catholic Church and read the answer/rebuttal.

I believe what Cardinal Newman, a convert from Anglicanism said:

 I also believe what Bishop Fulton Sheen said:

Why stay out of the Catholic Church my Charismatic Christian friends? The Catholic Church embraces Charismatic phenomenon like tongues, praise and worship, etc. It also respects the Latin Mass. It is a universal church that has scholars, educated, uneducated, laborers, rich, and poor from every culture, the contemplative and quiet to the boisterous. They all find a home in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is also full of signs and wonders. Never have signs and wonders stopped in the Catholic Church. Some see Pentecostalism as a new beginning to Supernatural ministry after the spirit of the Enlightenment quenched the supernatural teaching in churches, but the Catholic Church never gave in to Enlightenment thinking like Protestant churches did. The Catholic Church is supernatural and yet also full of reason and respect for science. Stop the protest and come home. Don't be complacent. Desire unity, study, pray and come home. 500 years is enough. You won't be sorry you did. Wait until you encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, the blessed Sacrament. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

I sometimes consider if Christ allowed the Protestant splintering to happen much as he allowed the division of Israel in to the Northern and Southern kingdoms due to the sin of David and Solomon. Northern Israel split away and created their two golden calves to worship so that they wouldn't have to follow the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Judah had committed sins and perhaps God allowed the splintering, but the Northern kingdom then entered into graver sin with its calves once they broke away from the true worship in the Southern kingdom God had established. Perhaps more harm, heresy and confusion has come from the Reformation than good even though there were issues in the Catholic Church that needed correcting. Come home and help reform the Church, don't leave Peter because of Judas.