The 'New Evangelization' for Catholics ... why not join with the Protestant Evangelicals ?

[Bonnie]

They do, it is the “altar call”. People publicly identify themselves by raising their hand, or by going forward to say they are a sinner in need of a saviour.

I was referring to confession - listing one’s sins & receiving absolution. Responding to an altar call (which I did multiple times as an emotional teen) is a simple acknowledgement that one is a sinner.

 

[Bonnie]

Baptist are taught to frequently reflect on their lives and ‘walk’ with the Lord … and to ‘repent and rededicate’ their lives to Christ — when the Lord’s HS directs them to. They are encouraged to come before the church body, up to the altar, and to make publicaly known their intentions. First shared with the pastor … who then tactfully summarizes their intentions to the general assembly !!

If you think about it … it almost the equivalent of the Catholic Priestly Confession we do. Indeed, IMO … it can be more ‘contrite’ and sincere … than what we do as Catholics. And, it is definately ‘efficacious’ … for ones soul.

That depends on the particular Baptist church. We attended 2 Baptist chuches up to the time I was about 16. In neither church were these things practiced or taught. I was never even baptized!

When we started attending a Pentacostal church, something similar was more common. But a general statement that one was sorrry for one’s sins was sufficiant. No deep examination of conscience was encouraged.

 

[guanophore]

Indeed that's true. But does a scripted "sinner's prayer" that you get someone to pray necessarily involve the spiritual reality that Paul described--believing in the heart? For that matter, why is it even so necessary to have people pray a sinner's prayer? Don't you think that if they are truly sorry for their sins and want to repent, they will have plenty of prayers of their own to pray, rather than having to use a scripted one?

There are many people who are never taught how to pray. Reading scripted prayers can help them get started. The sinners prayer is intended to be the “confess with your mouth” part.

You make it sound as if Paul actually used the sinner’s prayer. He did not. It has its roots in the ministry of Charles Finney, and he came very late in church history. One has to wonder how people ever became Christians throughout all the centuries of church history that the sinner’s prayer was unheard of … ?

Paul used the baptismal creedal confessions that we still use today. When a person came for baptism, they recited a creed/prayer.

Acts 22:15-16
16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’

The Apostles taught that all sins, both original and personal, were washed away in baptism. Each candidate recited a creedal prayer in which they “call upon His name”.

 

[brb3]

I’m sorry but you cannot equate that with a sacramental confession. A Baptist minister has no capacity to bind or loose and I know for a fact that he does not hear specific sins and then offer any absolution, which is only found in sacramental confession where “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Nor will any Baptist minister even claim to.

CM …

Christ has said in Sacred Scripture that we will be judged on ‘what we have received’ !
We know Christ alone has the ‘Omniscience’ to be judge of us … and that Christ alone is a fair judge, knowing our complete lives … like no one else. Christ alone … knows what grace and inspiration he has sent us.
Christ alone knows what handicaps the Protestants grow up with, and what misinformation they have received in life. They will be judged with an easier standard, than a cradle Catholic will … who has been taught the fuller truths and had all the Sacraments in this life.

JP2 understood the Protestant dilemma. He was wonderful at emphasizing with them and their ‘state’. But for him … 100’s of thousands of Protestants would not of discovered the CC ! But for him and his Evangelization zeal … Ecumenism would be no where near where it is today. But for him I would not be Catholic. Christ alone sees … the ‘big picture’ … and works among all the children of world to bring them into the Kingdom, in ways that he alone sees and directs the HS to indwell.

Do you believe in Ecumenism ? Why must I even ask ? Except you seem to militantly believe there is ‘no salvation outside the CC’ ? We know today how our Church defines that statement of the ECF’s … and it indeed allows for us to engage with Protestants, co-ordinating our efforts to evangelize the world. We can even have joint services with the Protestants … when our Priests deem them appropriate and helpful to Ecumenism & spreading the Gospel of Christ to the lost !

And, regarding a Baptist minister and his role to his flock. He can Baptize, he can ask the Lord to forgive the sinner … just as we [venials … right ?]. He can shepherd his flock … under direction of HS. He can encourage private and public confession & repentance. He can lay hands on the believer … and ask the Lord to bless that one.

Does he have the same authority as CC priest/bishop ? NO. But, again … he doesn’t claim so …in most cases. He asks the Lord to weld the Authority over his flock … and give them the necessary faith and grace unto salvation !! Would Christ decline to do so ? Does Christ every turn his back on a repentant, contrite sinner … who belives, claims and prays Romans 10:9 … asking the Lord to heal them and let them become his disciple ?

 

[guanophore]

I was referring to confession - listing one’s sins & receiving absolution. Responding to an altar call (which I did multiple times as an emotional teen) is a simple acknowledgement that one is a sinner.

Yes, it is a form of “public confession”. But I agree with you, I don’t think this exists in evangelical communities.

 

[guanophore]

 We know today how our Church ... indeed allows for us to engage with Protestants, co-ordinating our efforts to evangelize the world.

Can you post the document you are referencing here?

Would Christ decline to do so ? Does Christ every turn his back on a repentant, contrite sinner … who belives, claims and prays Romans 10:9 … asking the Lord to heal them and let them become his disciple ?

No one is saying there is anything wrong with these things.

The problem lies in how the Gospel is presented, and how the disciples are formed. We are not at liberty to encourage any heresies.

 

[Koineman]

Paul used the baptismal creedal confessions that we still use today.

Just curious: How do you know that?

 

[brb3]

CM …

Christ has said in Sacred Scripture that we will be judged on ‘what we have received’ !
We know Christ alone has the ‘Omniscience’ to be judge of us … and that Christ alone is a fair judge, knowing our complete lives … like no one else. Christ alone … knows what grace and inspiration he has sent us.
Christ alone knows what handicaps the Protestants grow up with, and what misinformation they have received in life. They will be judged with an easier standard, than a cradle Catholic will … who has been taught the fuller truths and had all the Sacraments in this life.

JP2 understood the Protestant dilemma. He was wonderful at empathizing with them and their ‘state’. But for him … 100’s of thousands of Protestants would not of discovered the CC ! But for him and his Evangelization zeal … Ecumenism would be no where near where it is today. But for him I would not be Catholic. Christ alone sees … the ‘big picture’ … and works among all the children of world to bring them into the Kingdom, in ways that he alone sees and directs the HS to indwell.

Do you believe in Ecumenism ? Why must I even ask ? Except you seem to militantly believe there is ‘no salvation outside the CC’ ? We know today how our Church defines that statement of the ECF’s … and it indeed allows for us to engage with Protestants, co-ordinating our efforts to evangelize the world. We can even have joint services with the Protestants … when our Priests deem them appropriate and helpful to Ecumenism & spreading the Gospel of Christ to the lost !

And, regarding a Baptist minister and his role to his flock. He can Baptize, he can ask the Lord to forgive the sinner … just as we [venials … right ?]. He can shepherd his flock … under direction of HS. He can encourage private and public confession & repentance. He can lay hands on the believer … and ask the Lord to bless that one.

Does he have the same authority as CC priest/bishop ? NO. But, again … he doesn’t claim so …in most cases. He asks the Lord to weld the Authority over his flock … and give them the necessary faith and grace unto salvation !! Would Christ decline to do so ? Does Christ every turn his back on a repentant, contrite sinner … who belives, claims and prays Romans 10:9 … asking the Lord to heal them and let them become his disciple ?

 

[brb3]

There are many people who are never taught how to pray. Reading scripted prayers can help them get started. The sinners prayer is intended to be the “confess with your mouth” part.

Paul used the baptismal creedal confessions that we still use today. When a person came for baptism, they recited a creed/prayer.

Acts 22:15-16
16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’

The Apostles taught that all sins, both original and personal, were washed away in baptism. Each candidate recited a creedal prayer in which they “call upon His name”

Yes !! This is ‘old school’ stuff. But, as it was in the beginning, it still is, and evermore shall be !! I paraphrase here.

Whatever the Apostle did … that was straight from Christ … and will always be ‘the best school’ teaching/practice.

G-4 … you know your bible, church history, and everything in between !!!

 

[guanophore]

Just curious: How do you know that?

We can see the seeds of the creedal statements in the NT.

1 Tim 1:15
5 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

2 Tim 2:10-13
11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful —
for he cannot deny himself.

Titus 3:6-8
This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is sure.

The history of the development of the Creeds is a fascinating study.

But one of the primary ways we know this is through their preservation in the Divine Liturgy through the centuries. One of the parts of the unwritten Word of God is Liturgical practice and prayer. Nowadays, there is nothing contained in it that has not been written, but for the first millenia of the Church, this portion of Apostolic Teaching was preseved through action, rather than writing.

 

[Koineman]

We can see the seeds of the creedal statements in the NT.

1 Tim 1:15
5 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

2 Tim 2:10-13
11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful —
for he cannot deny himself.

Titus 3:6-8
This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is sure.

These don’t indicate that Paul used them as baptismal creedal statements, as you originally said. In fact, Paul himself said that he didn’t baptize people. I’m not sure how you’re drawing your conclusion.

But one of the primary ways we know this is through their preservation in the Divine Liturgy through the centuries.

So you’re saying that you can trace baptismal creeds all the way back to Paul and thus show that he actually used them?

The thing is that in the records we have of Paul’s sermons, no mention is ever made of his using a sinner’s prayer–or anything like it–after preaching the gospel.

But if Paul did have people recite such things during their baptism, it’s a far cry from the modern practice that brb is supporting. Unless I’m mistaken, in the early church, as today in the CC, there was a considerably long period of instruction and catechism that had to precede baptism, contrasted with the quick sinner’s prayer method used today: fast presentation, then convince the person to say a sinner’s prayer, and bang! they’re now saved for sure and on their way to heaven. That approach would never even think for a second about having a person go through some 8 months of instruction before saying such a prayer.

Brb, you might want to do some research on the roots and origins of the sinner’s prayer. Theology drives practice, and so it is in this case, and you’ll find that the theology driving the contemporary sinner’s prayer method is anything but Catholic.

 

[april32010]

Now, 50 years isn’t so long … but, 500 yr of Protestantism is quite a time.

500 years of wrong is wrong

you seem to militantly believe there is ‘no salvation outside the CC’ ?

as do i .and the Church

cru.org/about-us/statement-of-faith/index.htm will i have to agree to this

Statement of Faith
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God’s infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks.

We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our movement, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to which God has

 

[bsroufek]

When you bring someone into Believing, you should also welcome them to a Church home.
If we were joined with Protestants, we would conflict on that point.

Also, the Sinner’s Prayer doesn’t bring a person into a church, it only talks about belief outside of Church, without the Church. It is protestant in nature. Not just protestant in
practice, but in exclusion of the Church from the Sinner’s Desire.

 

[april32010]

or this

The salvation of man is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight

or this

At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.

It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.

 

[brb3]

These don’t indicate that Paul used them as baptismal creedal statements, as you originally said. In fact, Paul himself said that he didn’t baptize people. I’m not sure how you’re drawing your conclusion.

So you’re saying that you can trace baptismal creeds all the way back to Paul and thus show that he actually used them?

The thing is that in the records we have of Paul’s sermons, no mention is ever made of his using a sinner’s prayer–or anything like it–after preaching the gospel.

But if Paul did have people recite such things during their baptism, it’s a far cry from the modern practice that brb is supporting. Unless I’m mistaken, in the early church, as today in the CC, there was a considerably long period of instruction and catechism that had to precede baptism, contrasted with the quick sinner’s prayer method used today: fast presentation, then convince the person to say a sinner’s prayer, and bang! they’re now saved for sure and on their way to heaven. That approach would never even think for a second about having a person go through some 8 months of instruction before saying such a prayer.

Brb, you might want to do some research on the roots and origins of the sinner’s prayer. Theology drives practice, and so it is in this case, and you’ll find that the theology driving the contemporary sinner’s prayer method is anything but Catholic.

Why do so many folks get hives over a Sinner’s Prayer? Are we allergic to making prayer ‘Confession’ ? It is so Biblical …straight from Paul & Christ !!

Romans 10:9 …gives the key ingredients we need to pray to the Lord about.

Think about it …
What is Romans 10:9 …but our humble repentance, verbal attestation that Christ is Risen Lord, and our pledge to lifelong discipleship. All servants / subjects give an oath to their Kings …ours is to our Lord & King !!

 

[jmcrae]

Why do so many folks get hives over a Sinner’s Prayer? Are we allergic to making prayer ‘Confession’ ? It is so Biblical …straight from Paul & Christ !!

Romans 10:9 …gives the key ingredients we need to pray to the Lord about.

Think about it …
What is Romans 10:9 …but our humble repentance, verbal attestation that Christ is Risen Lord, and our pledge to lifelong discipleship. All servants / subjects give an oath to their Kings …ours is to our Lord & King !!

The only Sinner’s Prayer anyone needs is the Act of Contrition, recited right after one’s detailed confession of sins to a priest.

 

[Church_Militant]

CM …

Christ has said in Sacred Scripture that we will be judged on ‘what we have received’ !
We know Christ alone has the ‘Omniscience’ to be judge of us … and that Christ alone is a fair judge, knowing our complete lives … like no one else. Christ alone … knows what grace and inspiration he has sent us.
Christ alone knows what handicaps the Protestants grow up with, and what misinformation they have received in life. They will be judged with an easier standard, than a cradle Catholic will … who has been taught the fuller truths and had all the Sacraments in this life.

JP2 understood the Protestant dilemma. He was wonderful at emphasizing with them and their ‘state’. But for him … 100’s of thousands of Protestants would not of discovered the CC ! But for him and his Evangelization zeal … Ecumenism would be no where near where it is today. But for him I would not be Catholic. Christ alone sees … the ‘big picture’ … and works among all the children of world to bring them into the Kingdom, in ways that he alone sees and directs the HS to indwell.

Do you believe in Ecumenism ? Why must I even ask ? Except you seem to militantly believe there is ‘no salvation outside the CC’ ? We know today how our Church defines that statement of the ECF’s … and it indeed allows for us to engage with Protestants, co-ordinating our efforts to evangelize the world. We can even have joint services with the Protestants … when our Priests deem them appropriate and helpful to Ecumenism & spreading the Gospel of Christ to the lost !

You have yet to offer a link to any such writings of HH JPII and Dr. Scott Hahn so that context can insure proper understanding of what they said. Please produce that ASAP.

And, regarding a Baptist minister and his role to his flock. He can Baptize, he can ask the Lord to forgive the sinner … just as we [venials … right ?]. He can shepherd his flock … under direction of HS. He can encourage private and public confession & repentance. He can lay hands on the believer … and ask the Lord to bless that one.

You may think so, but he has no link to the apostles, and his claimed authority is based upon his adherence to an unscriptural man made doctrine of Sola Scriptura. N-C faith communities can do whatever they want, but that by no means makes them equal, or (most times) even close to authentic New Testament Christianity that has links to the early church. Read this and see what I mean. What Was Authentic Early Christian Worship Really Like?

Does he have the same authority as CC priest/bishop ? NO. But, again … he doesn’t claim so …in most cases. He asks the Lord to weld the Authority over his flock … and give them the necessary faith and grace unto salvation !! Would Christ decline to do so ? Does Christ every turn his back on a repentant, contrite sinner … who belives, claims and prays Romans 10:9 … asking the Lord to heal them and let them become his disciple ?

That is not the issue here. The issue here is that you are advocating a grossly errant “ecumenical” evangelistic effort which is a terribly bad idea for all the reasons we’ve already set forth for you. If you’re going to do faith sharing/evangelism, you need to “carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” and make very sure that you are clear as to why we bother. We evangelize because we are convinced that [3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. and that you agree with the Church when she states that

830 The word “catholic” means “universal,” in the sense of “according to the totality” or “in keeping with the whole.” The Church is catholic in a double sense: First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church."307 In her subsists the fullness of Christ’s body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation"308 which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost309 and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.
831 Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race:310

All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God’s will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.311

 

[Church_Militant]

If we agree with the above then the only logical conclusion is that God wants everyone to be Catholic and that is the best reason to share our faith. I refuse to offer anything less than this. John Martignoni covers this much better HERE. By the way, I suggest that you carefully check out April’s link to Campus Crusade’s statement and notice her notes on it.

They will not allow a faithful Catholic to join them and they make that plain in their statement. They demand allegiance to the error of Sola Scriptura and make it plain that they deny us Catholics equal status as Christians in sharing the Gospel.

Are you willing to give false witness to them in order to follow out this misguided interpretation of ecumenism and evangelization? I can not and will not ever do so.

As I’ve said before, we already have the best materials and the fullness of the Gospel and God forbid we should ever settle for less because souls are at stake and truth is what they need to come to our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, (and as St. Paul says, not to brag) I’m a more consistent witness for the Gospel by tract and sharing, than most of the n-Cs I have ever known. (See My Testimony) Not everyone need be like me, but everyone does indeed need to be a faithful Catholic who makes it a point to prayerfully and charitably share our most holy faith every time the Holy Spirit opens a door.

 

[guanophore]

These don't indicate that Paul used them as baptismal creedal statements, as you originally said.

Baptism was always offered only in response to a profession of faith. These are the seeds of the creeds that have developed over the history of the Church. If you look at the creeds, you find these concepts contained in them. Some additions were made later to combat heresies that did not exist in the NT era, such as Gnosticism and Arianism.

In fact, Paul himself said that he didn’t baptize people. I’m not sure how you’re drawing your conclusion.

He never said anything of the sort! He said that his main gift/vocation was preaching the gospel. Who do you think baptized all the converts? He had helpers, but that did not mean he didn’t baptize people. After he was preaching and teaching, he probably had to eat, sleep, and prepare his next sermon, so he left his helpers to do the baptizing.

So you’re saying that you can trace baptismal creeds all the way back to Paul and thus show that he actually used them?

Not just Paul. All the Churches founded by Apostles use them the same way, from that day, until this.

The thing is that in the records we have of Paul’s sermons, no mention is ever made of his using a sinner’s prayer–or anything like it–after preaching the gospel.

No, and I did not claim there was. I am not opposed to the prayer itself, because I don’t think there is any harm in it. My beef is with the theology behind it, and what happens to “converts” after saying the prayer. It was a big deal on my college campus and Cru really helped a lot of people to live a Christian life instead of falling into debauchery.

But if Paul did have people recite such things during their baptism, it's a far cry from the modern practice that brb is supporting.

Perhaps so, yes. Let me ask you this…what do you think Ananias meant by this:

Acts 22:15-16
16 And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’

I have always understood that there was a certain verbal expression made at baptism.

Unless I’m mistaken, in the early church, as today in the CC, there was a considerably long period of instruction and catechism that had to precede baptism, contrasted with the quick sinner’s prayer method used today: fast presentation, then convince the person to say a sinner’s prayer, and bang! they’re now saved for sure and on their way to heaven. That approach would never even think for a second about having a person go through some 8 months of instruction before saying such a prayer.

Not in the NT times, certainly, but yes, as the faith spread, and the Church grew, it was important for those seeking to join the Church to know that such a decision might be fatal under persecution, and what the long term consequences might be of their choice. When the Lord did not return as immediately as the Apostles expected, they looked more toward the type of formation they received under Jesus for three years before they received the HS.

Brb, you might want to do some research on the roots and origins of the sinner’s prayer. Theology drives practice, and so it is in this case, and you’ll find that the theology driving the contemporary sinner’s prayer method is anything but Catholic.

Very true.

 

[brb3]

A— In fact, Paul himself said that he didn’t baptize people.

B–Unless I’m mistaken, in the early church, as today in the CC, there was a considerably long period of instruction and catechism that had to precede baptism, contrasted with the quick sinner’s prayer method used today: fast presentation, then convince the person to say a sinner’s prayer, and bang! they’re now saved for sure and on their way to heaven.

C-- Brb, you might want to do some research on the roots and origins of the sinner’s prayer. Theology drives practice, and so it is in this case, and you’ll find that the theology driving the contemporary sinner’s prayer method is anything but Catholic

A – Wrong on this. 1 Cor. 1:14 “I thank God I baptized none of you [disputers … implied here] except Crispus and Gaius.”
Paul baptized many of his converts … just not many of these disputers he was addressing in letter to Corinth Church.

B – Nope … The Church began with a big bang on Pentecost, 3000 families quickly brought in and baptized on a single day. Also, we know Peter quickly accepted Cornelius and family, in a single day, and baptized them pronto !!! Same with the Eunuch, who Phillip promptly baptized at first opportunity.

In those first days … the emphasis was on prompt Baptism/Confirmation … formation of Baby Christians. Then, the young Christians were catechized over time, by learning at the feet of the Apostles and their mature disciples. Just as Christ had done for them. Choosing his 12 quickly … and then letting them learn at his feet. Same with Saul … converted in very short order … Confirmed and Baptized at once !! Then, Paul takes years to learn from Christ/HS and from the Apostles about the ‘fuller’ truths. Recall also how quickly Christ accepted confession and request of Thief on Cross ! Scripture is clear on this, saying “today is the day of salvation”. When the HS convicts one … Christ is not wishing to wait … for their full understanding of the faith. He will adopt them at once !!!

That is the beauty of the 4 Laws and Sinner’s Prayer. It is in the form of Peter’s Pentecostal Sermon … it convicts the soul of the sinner, and demands prompt confession and baptism in both water and spirit. If you give a long delay … often satan swoops in and sows his thistles, and steals the good intentions of the convicted sinner. Thats why Protestants have Altar Calls. When the person has true conviction/contrition … that is when Christ and HS perform the miracle, the justification of that soul, and breathe an indwelling ‘fire’ into the heart/mind. Recall also how Christ called the Good / Righteous Son who inquired of Jesus what he must do … to give up all ‘then and there’ … and to immediately follow Christ in discipleship. But, the young man would not … and walked away. Did Christ tell him to go study & pray for a fortnight … and then return, then ready to be his follower ? No … when Christ calls … we must immediately drop all and follow !!

C – I do, I will. Yes, I know it is more prevalent today with the Protestant evangelicals … but, in the beginning … it was very Catholic. Everything had its origin in the Catholic Church !! But, we still have our Jesus Prayer, or Act of Contrition prayers, or Our Father Prayers, our ‘personal’ prayer … based on all of scripture. Christ teaching us to go into a quiet, private location … and petition him and the Father in personal prayer, daily … just as he did with the Father.

It is only in later times that we started reversing the order. Long catechism before entry into the Church.