The reason we must evangelize with both creative yet charitable strategies is because of the biblical concepts of being “in Christ” and “abiding in Christ.”
IN CHRIST: Our Lord told his disciples that, after his death and resurrection, “In that day you will know that I am in the Father, you in me and I in you” (Jn 14:20).
Marcus Grodi was a former Protestant Minister striving for holiness and deeply concerned with leading his flock to truth. Troubled by the lack of unity in teachings among the variety of Christian denominations, he began an extensive study of the early Church. Watch this video to see what he found. Thanks to ComeUnityInTruth.com for this great video interview.
Mother Teresa once said, “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of Himself.” This reflects a favorite verse of St. Teresa of Avila: “I will
Last week I posted The Separated Children, and have received many fine kind and challenging comments, all confirming my assumption that I would need to follow up with some further explanation. I do this with a bit of trepidation, because, as I press this button to post, I fully realize that I will probably draw even more heated critiques, but I do so precisely because I want your feedback.
When our Lord told the story about a father who had two sons, he didn’t mean to imply that these were the father’s only children. Rather he condensed the story
Ignatius of Antioch & Polycarp of Smyrna and the newly released Clement of Rome & the Didache are two new translations and theological commentaries by linguist Kenneth J. Howell Ph.D. of the Coming Home Network International.
In this article I attempt to explain three different frameworks for interpreting the Church Fathers (patristic literature) and the consequences for adopting one over the others.
Clement of Rome & the Didache: A New Translation and Theological Commentary by CHN resident linguist Kenneth Howell Ph.D. now available at CHResources. The Letter to the Corinthians by Clement of Rome and the Didache are two of the most important documents from the earliest days of Christianity, revealing the way in which Christians were implementing and living out the Faith taught by Jesus and passed on by the Twelve Apostles.
In my 16 years as a Catholic, I have come to understand these words with an increasing appreciation of their wisdom and truth. Often wise priests console their penitents in the confessional to commit the past to God’s mercy, knowing that we cannot change what has already taken place. When we muse over our past sins or failures, such wise confessors encourage us to let go of our past and place it into the merciful hands of God.
The process of conversion to the Faith may be compared to the ascent to Jerusalem of the ancient Israelite pilgrims, who as they came nearer to the Temple uttered that cry of joy recorded in Psalm 122, “I rejoiced when they said to me, we will go into the house of the Lord.” This psalm expresses the gladness of heart experienced by so many converts as they embrace the Catholic Faith, sometimes after even a lifetime of study or wandering or doubt. But after our conversion, after we become members in fullness of His Church — what then? What is our next step?
“Most clergy converts remember and cherish the moment of their ordination, but, now as Catholics and no longer non-Catholic ministers, they sometimes wonder what, if anything, that ‘laying on of hands’ meant? Those who ordained us may not have had any sacramental apostolic authority to do so, yet the vows of our own hearts to serve Him were authentic and real.” Former Presbyterian pastor Marcus Grodi reflects on the way in which clergy converts must “seek ways to support their families through non-Church employment, and yet never give up their ‘call to ministry.’”
Before I was a Catholic, I had no place for suffering in my personal or preached theology, and I admittedly avoided the many Scriptures that speak of suffering. After becoming a Catholic — actually it took several years after becoming an informed Catholic — I not only began to understand the meaning and importance of, but more significantly, the necessity of suffering.
Help us share the truth and beauty of the Church.
