10 Witty Quotes from Saint Jerome {reblogged} from Philip Kosloski

 

10 Witty quotes from Saint Jerome

His cranky sense of humor cut to the quick and made him enemies wherever he went

Philip Kosloski

September 30, 2016

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September 30 is the feast day of Saint Jerome, priest and Doctor of the Church. Most widely known for his translation of the Bible into the form of Latin most commonly read at the time (the Vulgate), Jerome started out his priestly ministry as a hermit leading a life of asceticism outside of Antioch.

Jerome later traveled to Constantinople, where he developed a friendship with St. Gregory of Nazianzus, with whom he studied sacred scripture. After a few years in Constantinople, Jerome lived in Rome and was asked by Pope Damasus I to translate the Bible from a collection of Old Latin texts.

He is also “well-known as one of our crankier saints,” speaking his mind freely and making many enemies wherever he went. Jerome’s asceticism was what saved him, as one bishop said about him while looking at a painting that had Jerome striking his breast with a stone, “You do well to carry that stone, for without it the Church would never have canonized you” (Butler’s Lives of the Saints).

Here are 10 quotes from Saint Jerome to help us appreciate the life of the man who gave us the Vulgate:

1) “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

2) “Begin now to be what you will be hereafter.”

3) “The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart.”

4) “A friend is long sought, hardly found, and with difficulty kept.”

5) “It is idle to play the lyre for an ass.”

6) “Everything must have in it a sharp seasoning of truth.”

7) “Do not let your deeds belie your words, lest when you speak in church someone may say to himself, ‘Why do you not practice what you preach?’”

8) “A clergyman who engages in business, and who rises from poverty to wealth, and from obscurity to a high position, avoid as you would the plague.”

9) “It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance.”

10) “When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.”

Philip Kosloski

Philip Kosloski is a husband and father of five, and staff writer at Aleteia. He also writes for The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer), and blogs at the National Catholic Register.

– See more at: http://aleteia.org/2016/09/30/10-witty-quotes-from-saint-jerome/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en#sthash.WhzzH0zW.dpuf

For REAL? One Saved always, Saved reblogged דוד חֵן (David)

Shalom,

Read John 15:1-6, now look at the following verses:
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vintner. 2 He cuts off every branch that does not produce fruit in me, and he cuts back every branch that does produce fruit, so that it might produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of what I’ve spoken to you.

4 Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a pruned branch and dries up. People gather such branches, throw them into a fire, and they are burned up.

Now, read Romans 11:17-22 then think about the following:

17 Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast about being better than the other branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.

22 Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off.

In John’s gospel, the plant is a vine plant and we are branches and Yeshua is the vine. In Romans the plant is a fig tree and it is speaking of Israel as a body and implies that it is Yeshua. In both parables, we are the branches and in both parables we are in the Messiah and partake of the life of the plant which is THE HOLY SPIRIT. In both parables, the branches that have no fruit are cut off.

This implies quite clearly and without contradiction that a saved person with the SPIRIT OF GOD can be cut off.

Now, read Revelation 3:5 and ask yourself why Yeshua mentions not being blotted out of the book of life. Because it is possible to be blotted out.

5 The person who overcomes in this way will wear white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and his angels.

The question we must now ask ourselves is:
Do we still believe that we cannot lose our salvation after being given THE SPIRIT OF GOD? If so, what does the above verses mean if not what it says?

“God Delights in You” re- blogged from A Safe Harbor in Jesus

 

New post on A Safe Harbor is Jesus God Takes Delight in you! by Jesus is a safe harbor Do you believe God is watching over you, smiling and delighting in the fact that as a born-again believer you are HIS child? Close your eyes and picture God watching over you at this moment. No matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God’s love reaches down to hold you in His arms. Bow your head and tilt your heart to listen to Him whisper, “You are precious in my sight and I love you.” (Isaiah. 43:4,) Now rest in the promise that He loves you, He knows your needs, and He’s constantly by your side. Have a wonderful as you remind yourself of this promise from God. Love you all. “The LORD your+ God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 My friends, our heavenly Father, is watching over you. He calls you His treasured possession, the apple of His eye. There have been times when I have felt as if His hand is upon my head, letting me know that He is watching over me. To be in the loving arms of my ABBA Father is safest place of all. He takes great delight in you, just because you are His son/daughter. When you feel afraid or even a little scared, He will quiet you with His love. He says to you, “Everything is going to be alright. Your ABBA Father is here just for you.” His words are so soothing to me. They bring me peace. He rejoices over us by singing songs of His never-ending love for us. You know, God loves to be with us and watch over us. It’s not because we are doing anything for Him, but simply because we are His. We might have even disappointed Him that day, but it doesn’t change how He feels about us. I sense God wants you to know today that He delights greatly in you my friends. And with His love, He is there today to quiet your fears, concerns, insecurities and doubts. I have a feeling the joy-filled songs He sings over you are written just for you, describing the beautiful person He’s created you to be, while gently leading your heart to know and rely on His love more and more each day. What a great reminder for times when nothing’s going right; when we feel like the whole world is against us and nobody understands what we’re going through. I hope the next time you have one of those days you’ll imagine Your Heavenly Father loves and delights in you even more then you can imagine! Jesus is a safe harbor | September 22, 2016 at 10:47 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/p3mVVp-Rv

Why to Catholics Have A Crucifix {reblogged} from Fr. David J. Dohogne

Why Catholics have crucifix rather than cross

A question often posed by non-Catholics is, “Why do Catholics have a crucifix in your churches?” This is a very good question to ask! As Catholics, the crucifix plays a special role in the liturgical tradition of the Church. In most of our parish churches, the crucifix is given a place of honor and prominence, usually located centrally above the altar or tabernacle. When you walk through the doors of the church, the crucifix is one of the first things to grab your attention: The open arms of our Savior gladly welcomes and receives us into His Presence.

In many non-Catholic churches, a simple cross is often used to adorn the “altar” area. There is a growing trend in many churches not to have any type of religious Christian symbol visible on the interior or exterior of the church, especially the cross. So why is the crucifix (a cross which holds an image of the crucified or suffering Jesus) so important in our Catholic tradition? Why not a simple plain cross, as is the custom in other Christian traditions?

The Church requires that a crucifix be visible during the celebration of Mass to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus on the altar of the cross, which is made present for us each time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist. A simple cross doesn’t have the same visual or spiritual impact. Many non-Catholics will state that “my Savior is risen” and that “having an image of the suffering Jesus on the cross takes away from the power of the Resurrection.” Catholics also believe that our Lord is risen, but we also need to be reminded of what Christ had to endure before the Resurrection could take place, namely his Passion and Death on the cross. The crucifix helps us better understand and appreciate our “theology of redemption.”

For some non-Catholics, the image of the crucifix is somewhat “offensive” and perhaps a source of “discomfort.” Spiritually speaking, the crucifix can help us better accept and live the words of Christ to “deny yourselves, take up your cross daily, and follow Me” (Mt 16:24). When some type of suffering comes our way, the image of the crucifix can give us spiritual strength and inspiration. We know that the Crucifixion of Jesus is a one-time event that can never occur again in history. But it is an event which should never be forgotten. The image of the crucifix, whether it be placed in our homes, our churches, our schools, or our hospitals, makes sure that this sacrifice of our Lord for us is not forgotten. Sometimes key moments and events in history which can never be repeated are memorialized forever through a piece of artwork. One such image which comes to mind is the Iwo Jima statue located on the outskirts of Washington DC. This beautiful and inspiring sculpture memorializes the courage and bravery of the Marines who fought so gallantly in this important battle of World War II. As Christians, when we gaze lovingly upon the image of our suffering Lord on the cross, we are reminded of the depth of Christ’s redeeming love for us. A plain cross just doesn’t have the same impact. The crucifix is a visual reminder of Christ’s battle over sin, a battle in which He is the Victor!

While Christ’s Death is memorialized forever in the image of the crucifix, we believe that our Risen Lord is with us, especially in His Sacramental Presence in the Holy Eucharist reserved in the tabernacle. As we gaze upon the crucifix, we see what Mary saw when she stood at the foot of the cross. What thoughts go through your mind when you look at the image of the crucifix? We know what Christ was thinking about when He hung upon the cross. He was thinking about us!

10 Quotes from Saint John Chrysostom

 

10 Quotes from Saint John (Golden-Mouthed) Chrysostom

What set him apart from others in his time period was his ability to apply scripture to everyday circumstances

Philip Kosloski

September 13, 2016

September 13 is the feast day (in the Roman Catholic Church) of Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and Doctor of the Church. An Early Church Father best known for his preaching and public speaking, Saint John was given the name Chrysostomos, meaning “golden mouthed,” after death.

Born in Antioch in 349, John studied under a pagan teacher of rhetoric who taught him many skills of oratory and instilled in him a love of language and literature. After being ordained a priest and bishop, John used these skills artfully in his homilies and catechesis.

What set him apart from others in his time period was his ability to apply scripture to everyday circumstances, teaching people how to incorporate the Gospel in all that they did. His practical sensibility has given his words an enduring quality, inspiring men and women across the world more than a thousand years after his death.

To give you a sense of his “golden mouth” and ability to apply the Gospel to everyday life, here are 10 inspiring quotes from Saint John Chrysostom:

1) “If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.”

2) “So let the name of the saints enter our homes through the naming of our children, to train not only the child but the father, when he reflects that he is the father of John or Elijah or James; for, if the name be given with forethought to pay honor to those that have departed, and we grasp at our kinship with the righteous rather than with our forebears, this too will greatly help us and our children. Do not because it is a small thing regard it as small; its purpose is to succor us.”

3) “No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger.”

4) “Do not be ashamed to enter again into the Church. Be ashamed when you sin. Do not be ashamed when you repent. Pay attention to what the devil did to you. These are two things: sin and repentance. Sin is a wound; repentance is a medicine. Just as there are for the body wounds and medicines, so for the soul are sins and repentance. However, sin has the shame and repentance possesses the courage.”

5) “To destroy the fetus ‘is something worse than murder.’ The one who does this ‘does not take away life that has already been born, but prevents it from being born.’”

6) “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. Men will take up arms and even sacrifice their lives for the sake of this love….when harmony prevails, the children are raised well, the household is kept in order, and neighbors, friends, and relatives praise the result. Great benefits, both of families and states, are thus produced. When it is otherwise, however, everything is thrown into confusion and turned upside-down.”

7) “The saints are exceedingly loving and gentle to mankind, and even to brute beasts…Surely we ought to show them (animals) great kindness and gentleness for many reasons, but, above all, because they are of the same origin as ourselves.”

8) “Have you sinned? Come to Church. Tell God, ‘I have sinned.’ I do not demand anything else of you than this. Holy Scripture states, ‘Be the first one to tell of your transgressions, so you may be justified.’ Admit the sin to annul it. This requires neither labor nor a circuit of words, nor monetary expenditure, nor anything else whatsoever such as these. Say one word, think carefully about the sin and say, ‘I have sinned.’”

9) “For Christians above all men are forbidden to correct the stumblings of sinners by force…it is necessary to make a man better not by force but by persuasion. We neither have authority granted us by law to restrain sinners, nor, if it were, should we know how to use it, since God gives the crown to those who are kept from evil, not by force, but by choice.”

10) “Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God’s mercy and His love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved.”

Philip Kosloski

Philip Kosloski is a husband and father of five, and staff writer at Aleteia. He also writes for The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer), and blogs at the National Catholic Register.

– See more at: http://aleteia.org/2016/09/13/10-quotes-from-saint-john-golden-mouthed-chrysostom/?utm_campaign=NL_en&utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=NL_en#sthash.MJGWRsx0.dpuf

Love is a Many Splendid Thing by Patrick Miron

 

“Love Is a Many Splendid Thing!”

Another I AM a Catholic Lesson

By Patrick Miron

 

My fear friends in Christ,

Allow me to begin this discourse with two definitions:

Definition of like

To enjoy (something) : to get pleasure from (something)

To regard (something) in a favorable way

To feel affection for (someone) : to enjoy being with (someone)

Definition of love

1a (1):  strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties <maternallove for a child> (2):  attraction based on sexual desire:  affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) :  affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests<love for his old schoolmates>b :  an assurance of affection <give her my love>

2:  warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion <love of the sea>

3a:  the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration <baseball was his first love>b (1):  a beloved person:  darling —often used as a term of endearment (2) British—used as an informal term of address

4a:  unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as (1):  the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2):  brotherly concern for others b:  a person’s adoration of God

 Matthew 5: 43-48

[43] “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 
[44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
[45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
[46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
[47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
[48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 1 John 2: 7-8 [7] Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.[8] Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining”

The precise reason for humanities existence can be described in six-letters, and in two words. “TO LOVE”

In these two words, in the very fullness of their meaning and possibility is encased the totality of human existence. Indeed, in the entire Universe with its Billions of planets, stars and galaxies only one thing; only MAN, is able to love and, or hate, and only man can rationalize.  That dear friend is a thought worth pondering.

Love is an emotion, and emotions are the passageway for Satan to gain entry into our lives. The key to emotions in not only the outside influences that prompt them; but our ability to embrace or reject that prompting.

For example: the Catholic Church has long taught that we {all of us} are to “Love the sinner BUT hate the sin.”

“To be a member of God’s family is to live in {full} accord with God’s values” from the Little Black book: 02/20/2016

To live according to God’s values requires firstly that we know what those “values” are and what they embrace. Charity; another word for “love” begins at home and ends at home. “Home” meaning here our inner-most-selves.” So the “Golden Rule”, found in Matthew 7: 12 “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”  … & Luke 6:31“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Sum up in a broad sense how each of us is to define for ourselves, what we are obligated to do in order to actually be members of God’s families.

Because the only bible that most people read is how we live our life’s as testimony to being obviously; members of God’s family.

This then demands that we know God’s Commandments, and God’s Moral teachings and Laws as taught by His Catholic Church, embrace them, accept and support them, and then demonstrate them consistency through our life choices.

1Pet.1 Verses 15 to 16 “[15] but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Matt.5 Verses 43 to 48 “[43] “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as you’re heavenly Father is perfect.”

One of my personal obligations as a Marian Catechist is to among other pious practices; to pray the Stations of the Cross every day. I do this with the help of Father John Hardon’s Catholic Prayer book. Here, from that book is the Fifth Station…”Simon the Cyrenian” is conscripted {forced} to help Jesus carry his Cross.

“Jesus is order to teach us that the cross ought to be carried both by the Redeemer and the redeemed, wished to share His cross with Simon the Cyrenian.

I wish to constrain Jesus to carry my cross with me, directing all of my efforts that I may be united with Him: united in intellect by making all of His decisions mine; united in will and action, by allowing Jesus to work in and through me. May Jesus become the soul of my soul, the life of my life, since He is the head, I, the member; since He is the vine, and I, the branch. The consummation of this union takes place every day at the Communion of the Mass.”

Man’s exclusivity as the only thing in existence in the Created Universe and on Planet Earth with the ability to love, or hate and to rationalize, need to understand that with authority comes obligations. God will, because God must judge us not on our choices alone; but on what God makes possible for us to know as His right choices; make willingly and correctly.

Forgiveness begins with forgiving ourselves. There is no time like the present to begin striving to be a “perfect lover.” That my friend is our lives’ goal. 

We exist for a precise reason: to Discover God in our livers and then to permit that God to act in, with and through us. This takes humility. It takes courage and it takes Faith. Love is not truly LOVE if we don’t share it.

LOVE much my friends, pray much and have Faith, have Hope and have Charity. Amen!

 Continued Blessings,

Patrick

 

STOP Relying on yourself {reblogged}

 

 

Stop Relying on Yourself and Learn to Rely only on God! by Jesus is a safe harbor Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus sometimes lonely? Was He tempted to be discouraged? Was He misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly? Of course! None of us are exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or unjust criticism, because God is developing within us the character of Christ, and, in order to do this, He must take us through all of the circumstances in life through which he took Christ. Does this mean God causes tragedies? No. God is good, and He will not cause evil or do evil. But God can use dark and stressful times for good. He’ll use them to teach us to trust Him to show us how to help others and to draw us closer to other believers. Have a wonderful day in His presence. Love you all. “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) This is perhaps one of the clearest indications in the Bible as to why we may experience difficulties. In this incident, Paul and his companions experienced difficulties so they would rely on God and his resources. It is a hard lesson to learn because often we think we are resourceful enough not to need help from God or others. The world would tell us we can achieve anything we want, if we try hard enough. But the truth is we are so dependent on God we cannot even take our next breath unless he allows us to do so. Somehow it is in the hard times we realize we are not as competent and self-sufficient as we would like to think. Sometimes God allows difficult circumstances so we trust in God alone. So often it is the sorrows and hardships of our lives which bring us to a point of seeking God, either for the first time or a subsequent time. C.S. Lewis explains it this way, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world”. So, what should you do when you’re going through difficult times? Refuse to be discouraged. Remember God is with you. Rely on God’s protection and guidance. Jesus is a safe harbor | September 8, 2016 at 3:37 pm | Categori