Alfie:
You stated that Saint Margaret of Cortona was notorious for her relapses into sinful ways and yet she achieved sainthood. How is this possible when Catholics on this forum condemn Protestants for their beliefs concerning “once saved always saved”? Catholics will ask “how can a Protestant be saved if he commits a serious sin”?
I would suggest that you read
this link to get the context of this saints life. Your lack of effort to even understand what the Catholic Church teaches while at the same time attempting to indict them is really pretty sad.
Most human beings struggle with some aspect of sin, with more or less success. St Margaret’s “notoriety” was other people’s gossip, but had you bothered to actually learn about her you wouldn’t attempt to use her to attack teh Catholic faith.
Catholics have the Sacrament of Reconcilliation which not only offers us absolution for confessed sins but also counseling on how to overcome those weakness, which in this saint’s case is no doubt what helped facilitate her moral life.
"Farmer’s daughter. Her mother died when Margaret was seven years old, and her stepmother considered her a nuisance. She eloped with a young nobleman from Montepulciano, bore him a son, and lived as his mistress for nine years. In 1274 he was murdered by brigands, and his body dumped in a shallow grave.
Code:
Margaret saw the incident as a sign from God. She publicly confessed to the affair, and tried to return to her father's house; he would not accept her. She and her son took shelter with the Friars Minor at Cortona. Still young and attractive, Margaret sometimes had trouble resisting temptation, but each incident was followed by periods of deep self-loathing. To make herself unappealing to local young men, she once tried to mutilate herself, but was stopped by a Friar named Giunta.
She earned her keep by tending to sick women. She later began caring for the sick poor, living on alms, asking nothing for her services. Became a Franciscan tertiary in 1277. Margaret developed an deep and intense prayer life, and was given to ecstacies during which she received messages from heaven.
In 1286 she received charter to work with the sick poor. She gathered others of like mind, and formed them into tertiaries. They were later given the status of a congregation, and called the Poverelle (Poor Ones). Founded a hospital at Cortona. Preached against vice to any who would listen. Developed a great devotion to the Eucharist and Passion. Prophesied the date of her own death.
Though she worked for those in need, and though the poor sought her help and advice, the calumny of her earlier life followed her the rest of her days, and she was forever the target of local gossips.
Born: 1247 at Loviano, Tuscany, Italy
Died: 22 February 1297 at Cortona, Italy of natural causes"
Protestantism’s OSAS works out as nothing more than a vehicle for rationalizing sin in a person’s life without worthwhile accountability or contrition, since they don’t have to actually face another believer to confess their sins and risk those sins being retained if the confessor senses a lack of real contrition and purpose to amend their life.
That’s why the passage in John 20:21-23 is so important.
“21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
Pax tecum,
P.S. MamaSusie…it’s a process. Like life.
I want to counter point here.
Perhaps I could blame it on tiredness. Truly I don’t believe in going to Confession expecting to mortally sin again, whitehorse. I would feel that I was at best treating the sacrament without due respect if I did think that way.
