Common Sense Passed Away

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Common Sense Passed Away

Peter and Paul Ministries

**Today we mourn the passing of an old friend and devout Catholic named Common Sense. Common Sense lived a long and productive life but died yesterday from a broken heart. He devoted his life to keeping this world sane and moral without fanfare. He was credited with producing such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, the early bird catches the worm, don’t spend more than you earn, and life isn’t always fair. **

**Common Sense’s health began to declined when he became infected with the “If it feels good do it” virus during the sexual revolution. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of radical feminism, the pill, abortion on demand, and no fault divorce. Common Sense lost his will to live and was admitted to the hospital when people said all religions are the same, the Ten Commandments were discarded, mothers were ridiculed for staying home to raise their children, fatherhood was seen as irrelevant, having more than three children was considered insane, living together became fashionable, vulgar and immodest entertainment became commonplace, and criminals had more rights than their victims. As the end drew near, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments, regarding partial birth abortion and euthanasia. Finally, when he was told that homosexuality was a healthy and natural alternative lifestyle, he breathed his last. ****Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Justice; his wife, Responsibility; his sisters, Modesty, Chastity, and Honesty; and his brothers, Reason, Manners, Respect, and Character. He is survived by three cousins: Tolerance, Moral Relativism, and Political Correctness. Not many attended his funeral at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church because so few realized he was gone. **

 

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Do Catholics Have A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

Peter and Paul Ministries

**Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? How many times have Catholics heard this question from Fundamentalists and never known what to say? The response to this question is quite simple: As a Catholic, I have the most personal relationship possible with our Lord. Would you like to know how? **

*** A Catholic’s personal relationship with God begins when they are “Born Again” through the sacrament of baptism. In this sacrament, the Lord forgives mortal, venial, and original sin as well as permanently marking the soul with a sign of His grace. One must remember Christ words, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.” (Jn 3:5) **

*** When a Catholic does good works for their neighbor they are meeting Christ face to face. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matt 25:35-36) **

*** The sacrament of confession is a personal encounter with Jesus. Christ established this beautiful sacrament to free us from our sins when He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23) **

*** When a Catholic reads or hears Scripture they are experiencing the Lord in a profound and intimate way. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17) **

*** Personal Prayer is a one on one conversation with God which takes many forms such as, a novena, praying a rosary, or a simple petition from the heart. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matt. 6:6 ) **

*** The worthy reception of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is the most personal experience one can have with our Savior. One truly receives the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” (John 6:55-56) **

*** Catholics encounter Jesus in very special way in the sacrament of anointing of the sick or commonly call the last rites. In this sacrament bestowed through and only through a Catholic priest, Christ forgives sin, heals the body if it is His will, and strengthens the soul for the journey home. “Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he is in sin, they shall be forgiven him.” (Jm 5:14) **Note: Catholics are not alone on the road to salvation, but are assisted and strengthened by the Communion of Saints, which is the spiritual solidarity of the faithful Church upon the earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven

 

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Judge Not?

Peter and Paul Ministries

**Tolerance has become the ultimate virtue in our society. This is made evident by the Bible verse one hears quoted most often “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” (Matt 7:1) Even those who indulge in sin and debauchery use this quote repeatedly to deflect any criticism by any well meaning Christian. The question arises, does this verse really mean that one can not condemn sinful behavior? The answer to this question is a resounding NO. The purpose of this verse is to caution one not to be self righteous and never to determine the ultimate guilt that someone incurs before God. ****The Catholic Church has always taught that one of the spiritual works of mercy is to admonish the sinner. We are to judge the moral worth of human actions. The Ten Commandments and all the moral teachings of the Bible are judgments of behavior, and it is the responsibility of believers to make these divine judgments known to themselves and to the world at large. The New Testament declares, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph. 5:11) So faithful Catholics must correct their neighbors in love and kindness in order to help them from the wickedness and snares of the Devil because the Word of God also states, “When a man knows the right thing to do and does not do it, he sins.” (James 4:17) **

 

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Vatican II Said What?
Peter and Paul Ministries

1) No New Doctrines:

• Vatican II was a pastoral council which never defined any doctrines, did away with any doctrines, or ever proclaimed any change in doctrine. The idea that the Council changed what the Church believes in is a myth.

*(Pope John XXIII ) “The greatest concern of the Ecumenical Council is this: that the sacred deposit of Christian doctrine should be guarded and taught more efficaciously. … The salient point of this Council is not, therefore, a discussion of one article or another of the fundamental doctrine of the Church.”

*(Pope Paul VI) “it was one of the programmed items of the Council not to give solemn dogmatic definitions.”

*(Pope Paul VI ) speaking about the Council, “had avoided proclaiming in an extraordinary manner dogmas affected by the mark of infallibility.”

*(Pope Paul VI) “Under no circumstances can we conceive of the possibility of change, of evolution, or of any modification in matters of faith.” *(Pope John Paul II ) “Nothing ever changes in the eternal Catholic doctrine.”

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