Two questions about Mary...

[robwar]

Rob, I wonder if you might be overreacting a bit here, rare for you. I too thought the OP’s early posts were a bit snarky but it strikes me that his tone has ameliorated considerably and he does have some valid points about the overzealousness of some Catholics in their devotion to Mary IMHO.

I appreciate your comment. Whether in anyone opinion if someone is “overzealous” in devotion to Mary is one thing but that doesn’t take away from Catholic Church’s teaching and dogma about Mary. Overzealous is a judgement call and I prefer not to go there or even try to judge that about another. Understanding and defending what the Church really does teach, the roots of them in the Bible is another. I think the over zealous non-reaction by a number of Protestants is the better focus. Have a blessed Christmas.

 

[felsguy]

I appreciate your comment. Whether in anyone opinion if someone is “overzealous” in devotion to Mary is one thing but that doesn’t take away from Catholic Church’s teaching and dogma about Mary. Overzealous is a judgement call and I prefer not to go there or even try to judge that about another. Understanding and defending what the Church really does teach, the roots of them in the Bible is another. I think the over zealous non-reaction by a number of Protestants is the better focus. Have a blessed Christmas.

Thank you and may your Christmas likewise be blessed.

At this point I think that everyone on this thread would agree that worshipping Mary is contrary to the authentic Marian theology of the Church. Perhaps we all would agree also that individuals can be found at the opposite extremes of devotion to Mary, both among Catholics and Protestants.

 

[Mark121359]

I rarely post on “Mary” threads anymore because there is always claims of Catholics showing “excessive” devotion to Mary. Now when non-Catholics make this claim, I tend to shrug it off as someone who is for lack of a better term, “ignorant” of what Catholics truly believe. But when other Catholics make this claim, my question to them would be; what is your evidence for making such a comment? What have you observed to make these bold assertions? And I never get an answer. I would ask you, what would you say to those who made the following statements with regards to the Virgin?..

“With reason did the Most Holy Virgin predict that all generations would call her blessed, for all the Elect obtain eternal salvation through the means of Mary."
~St. Ildephonsus~

”It is impossible to save one’s soul without devotion to Mary and without her protection.”
~Saint Anselm, Doctor of the Church~

”Woe to those who despise devotion to Mary! . . . The soul cannot live without having recourse to Mary and recommending itself to her. He falls and is lost who does not have recourse to Mary.”
***~Saint Alphonsus Maria Liguori, Doctor of the Church~ ***

"I do not believe that anyone can acquire intimate union with our Lord and perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without a very close union with the most Blessed Virgin and an absolute dependence on her support.”
~Saint Louis Marie de Montfort~

I guess if you heard anyone of your acquaintances say any of the above, they would be labeled bonafide heretics…huh? In a letter to her Cousin Marie Guerin, St Therese of Lisieux wrote the following; Have no fear of loving the Blessed Virgin too much, you will never love her enough, and Jesus will be pleased since the Blessed Virgin is His Mother.

"You will never love her enough." Amen Little Therese!..A-m-e-n!

Peace, Mark

 

[robwar]

I rarely post on “Mary” threads anymore because there is always claims of Catholics showing “excessive” devotion to Mary. Now when non-Catholics make this claim, I tend to shrug it off as someone who is for lack of a better term, “ignorant” of what Catholics truly believe. But when other Catholics make this claim, my question to them would be; what is your evidence for making such a comment? What have you observed to make these bold assertions? And I never get an answer. I would ask you, what would you say to those who made the following statements with regards to the Virgin?..

I guess if you heard anyone of your acquaintances say any of the above, they would be labeled bonafide heretics…huh? In a letter to her Cousin Marie Guerin, St Therese of Lisieux wrote the following; Have no fear of loving the Blessed Virgin too much, you will never love her enough, and Jesus will be pleased since the Blessed Virgin is His Mother.

"You will never love her enough." Amen Little Therese!..A-m-e-n!

Peace, Mark

I also second that as well. You mentions St. Louis de Monfort and his book “True devotion to Mary” is a very incredible read. His book greatly influenced St. John Paul II and his devotion to Mary. I look at both men and how they lived their lives which was all about others and giving of oneself to others. I also look at another favorite Saint, St. Maximillan Kolbe. His devotion probably would look extreme but look at how he lived his life and how his life ended which was stepping forward to be starved to death for another man which was a two week process. He willingly did this and offered all his other sufferings in the camp to Mary. He lead all the men he was with in the cell to Christ, and he actually survived the two weeks only to be killed by carbolic acid injection. I also like what Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta said, “no Mary, no Jesus”. True devotion to Mary lead straight to Jesus because Mary is all about Jesus. The lives of those who would have on the surface an extreme devotion to Mary were some of the most selfless giving people.

 

[HelenRose]

About loving Mary:

My mother was a wonderful mother and a wonderful woman.
I love it when people tell me how much they had loved her.
I certainly don’t say to them, “No you must come to me instead. You must not go to my mother. You must not love my mother.”

I believe that Jesus has, with Mary’s love, given us to His Mother to love us with a precious maternal care.

Instead of spurning His wonderful gift, I thank Jesus for bringing this wonderful person, His own Mother, into my life to comfort me when I need the maternal care that only a mother can give.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Merry Christmas !

Kenneth Miller! Professor of Biology!
I have prayed to God to see you here at CAF for YEARS.
Christmas Miracle my friends.

Well then Ken. You can tell us all about how you reconcile a literal Adam and Eve? I mean, Mary is not a topic of concern for us unless you can tell us what kind of intervention God had to go through for Mary to become pregnant without sex?
You are the Biology guy!

 

[Dorothy]

About loving Mary:

My mother was a wonderful mother and a wonderful woman.
I love it when people tell me how much they had loved her.
I certainly don’t say to them, “No you must come to me instead. You must not go to my mother. You must not love my mother.”

I believe that Jesus has, with Mary’s love, given us to His Mother to love us with a precious maternal care.

Instead of spurning His wonderful gift, I thank Jesus for bringing this wonderful person, His own Mother, into my life to comfort me when I need the maternal care that only a mother can give.

I agree! And another wonderful thing about Mary is that the devils hate her because she is a human creature, lower than the angels, and is full of much grace.

 

[HelenRose]

I rarely post on “Mary” threads anymore because there is always claims of Catholics showing “excessive” devotion to Mary. Now when non-Catholics make this claim, I tend to shrug it off as someone who is for lack of a better term, “ignorant” of what Catholics truly believe. But when other Catholics make this claim, my question to them would be; what is your evidence for making such a comment? What have you observed to make these bold assertions? And I never get an answer. I would ask you, what would you say to those who made the following statements with regards to the Virgin?..

I guess if you heard anyone of your acquaintances say any of the above, they would be labeled bonafide heretics…huh? In a letter to her Cousin Marie Guerin, St Therese of Lisieux wrote the following; Have no fear of loving the Blessed Virgin too much, you will never love her enough, and Jesus will be pleased since the Blessed Virgin is His Mother.

"You will never love her enough." Amen Little Therese!..A-m-e-n!

Peace, Mark

 

[Thomas_White]

I just have a lot of stumbling blocks mainly Mary and the Pope. I was raised protestant so I learned many anti-catholic teachings.
such as:
The Petra/Petros dilemma
The Pope claims to be God!
The catholic Mary is actually ishtar the godess
Idol worship
Mary worship
The catholic blond hair blue eyed Jesus is actually satan

Just a whole bunch of junk the Protestant spew out and Im just trying to find out the truth.

Well, you are correct in regarding what you list as “a bunch of junk”. It is that. I have not yet seen a blue-eyed, blond-haired image of Jesus. Though I imagine such images probably exist, it certainly does not represent definitive Catholic belief concerning what Jesus of Nazareth might have looked like. The remainder of your list has been well addressed in comments above.

So–why are Mary and the Pope “stumbling blocks” for you? What does this mean? The two issues will remain Catholic belief. With that understood, why are these two issues “stumbling blocks” for you? “Stumbling blocks” relative to what? Is it perhaps converting to Catholicism?

 

[jacobthompson16]

Well, you are correct in regarding what you list as “a bunch of junk”. It is that. I have not yet seen a blue-eyed, blond-haired image of Jesus. Though I imagine such images probably exist, it certainly does not represent definitive Catholic belief concerning what Jesus of Nazareth might have looked like. The remainder of your list has been well addressed in comments above.

So–why are Mary and the Pope “stumbling blocks” for you? What does this mean? The two issues will remain Catholic belief. With that understood, why are these two issues “stumbling blocks” for you? “Stumbling blocks” relative to what? Is it perhaps converting to Catholicism?

Yes that would be conversion!
I don’t know I was raised on anti-catholic theology and many things about Mary and the Pope are “hard to swallow” for me. Web sites like CARM and questions.org keep pushing me away from the Catholic church. such as:
The whole Pope is christ on earth.
I learned that the catholic Mary was ishtar and other goddesses.
The assumption of her and her immaculate conception…
And a little bit about the Eucharist.
I am just scared and confused about whats right because both have Biblical support… I feel like i’m all alone in this journey and its really hurting my relationship with God because I feel like he’s not giving me any answers…

 

[cena]

Yes that would be conversion!
I don’t know I was raised on anti-catholic theology and many things about Mary and the Pope are “hard to swallow” for me. Web sites like CARM and questions.org keep pushing me away from the Catholic church. such as:
The whole Pope is christ on earth.
I learned that the catholic Mary was ishtar and other goddesses.
The assumption of her and her immaculate conception…
And a little bit about the Eucharist.
I am just scared and confused about whats right because both have Biblical support… I feel like i’m all alone in this journey and its really hurting my relationship with God because I feel like he’s not giving me any answers…

The pope is the representation of Christ (I think)… He’s not actually Christ or the anti Christ

I’ve heard the old “Catholics worship Mary” myth but I’ve never even heard of ishtar
Her assumption-God brought her body and soul to heaven. He also did this with Elijah and Enoch in the Old Testament.
Immaculate conception-she was conceived without original sin. Jesus is the new Adam (look at Paul’s letters he alludes to this) and Mary is the new Eve.

Eucharist is Jesus’ body and blood literally (John 6…notice Jesus didn’t correct them or say it was a metaphor after the crowd went away outraged)

 

[felsguy]

I rarely post on “Mary” threads anymore because there is always claims of Catholics showing “excessive” devotion to Mary. Now when non-Catholics make this claim, I tend to shrug it off as someone who is for lack of a better term, “ignorant” of what Catholics truly believe. But when other Catholics make this claim, my question to them would be; what is your evidence for making such a comment? What have you observed to make these bold assertions? And I never get an answer. I would ask you, what would you say to those who made the following statements with regards to the Virgin?..

I guess if you heard anyone of your acquaintances say any of the above, they would be labeled bonafide heretics…huh? In a letter to her Cousin Marie Guerin, St Therese of Lisieux wrote the following; Have no fear of loving the Blessed Virgin too much, you will never love her enough, and Jesus will be pleased since the Blessed Virgin is His Mother.

"You will never love her enough." Amen Little Therese!..A-m-e-n!

Peace, Mark

As a Catholic who makes this claim, and perhaps the one who prompted your post, I can only say that over the years I have encountered individuals personally, including a couple in my current circle of acquaintenances, whose approach to Marian devotion at least as they express it is contary to the position of the Church.

And with regard to statements by various saints, canonization identifies individuals as role models and intercessors worthy of veneration because of their virtuous and/or heroic lives but not necessarily as great theologians.

 

[HelenRose]

Well, you are correct in regarding what you list as “a bunch of junk”. It is that. I have not yet seen a blue-eyed, blond-haired image of Jesus. Though I imagine such images probably exist, it certainly does not represent definitive Catholic belief concerning what Jesus of Nazareth might have looked like. The remainder of your list has been well addressed in comments above.

So–why are Mary and the Pope “stumbling blocks” for you? What does this mean? The two issues will remain Catholic belief. With that understood, why are these two issues “stumbling blocks” for you? “Stumbling blocks” relative to what? Is it perhaps converting to Catholicism?

I have seen paintings and pictures of Jesus from many countries. He is often depicted as a person form the country in which He was painted. It is only human nature that we see Jesus in the faces of the people who surround us.

 

[Dorothy]

Yes that would be conversion!
I don’t know I was raised on anti-catholic theology and many things about Mary and the Pope are “hard to swallow” for me. Web sites like CARM and questions.org keep pushing me away from the Catholic church. such as:
The whole Pope is christ on earth.
I learned that the catholic Mary was ishtar and other goddesses.
The assumption of her and her immaculate conception…
And a little bit about the Eucharist.
I am just scared and confused about whats right because both have Biblical support… I feel like i’m all alone in this journey and its really hurting my relationship with God because I feel like he’s not giving me any answers…

The pope is the “servant of the servants of God”.

The pope is the visible head of the Church.

Those are the expressions I have heard since being a child.

All the other statements are not true either. They are craftily put together to make the Church look ridiculous. The evil one inspires the haters of the Catholic Church to speak that way.

Is his name John MacArthur? He needs prayers along with all those who attempt to defame the Church.

And we all need prayers to be patient and love our enemies; pray for them.

Carm is notorious for twisting, ridiculing, and obfuscating the Truth that our Lord Jesus Christ taught.

 

[Thomas_White]

Yes that would be conversion!
I don’t know I was raised on anti-catholic theology and many things about Mary and the Pope are “hard to swallow” for me. Web sites like CARM and questions.org keep pushing me away from the Catholic church. such as:
The whole Pope is christ on earth.
I learned that the catholic Mary was ishtar and other goddesses.
The assumption of her and her immaculate conception…
And a little bit about the Eucharist.
I am just scared and confused about whats right because both have Biblical support… I feel like i’m all alone in this journey and its really hurting my relationship with God because I feel like he’s not giving me any answers…

Thanks for your reply. I understand you are scared and confused. I will try my best to help.

Ishtar was a mythical Assyrian and Babalonian goddess in ancient times. That there could be any association with Mary, a human being, is utter nonsense. It is simply a complete fabrication. In Catholicism the Pope is absolutely not regarded as Christ. The Pope is a human being, just like you and me and everyone else on this thread.

The Immaculate Conception is a Catholic belief. What it means has at times also been a bit confusing for me. While in school, we were taught that the Immaculate Conception concerned the conception of Jesus by the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus. Much later, I read that the Immaculate Conception concerned Mary’s own conception and birth without Original Sin, essential since she would become the Mother of Jesus. This was confusing. The former–the conception of Jesus–is the correct interpretation, and I think the explanation is that two Immaculate Conceptions occurred and that they have different meanings. It is the Immaculate Conception of Jesus that is observed as a Holy Day. While neither is understood by science, they are both Catholic beliefs. It is a matter of faith and not science, and science and religion are often in fundamental disagreement.

There is also the question of the transsubstantiation of the Eucharist. Catholic belief is that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Science surely differs in its understanding. Saint Augustine, a fourth century Father of the Catholic Church, also thought the Eucharist was only a symbol of the body and blood of Christ. Augustine is a Catholic Saint and a major philosopher/theologian in the history of the Church. It would be nearly eight-hundred years before Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, would maintain that the Eucharist was literally the body and blood of Christ. Neverthess, it remains a question of faith and belief. My own belief is that the Eucharist is transsubstantiated in a spiritual way.

In the earliest days of Christianity, there was a Eucharistic celebration, but there was not yet even a priesthood and consequently no Catholic priests. So the Eucharist was reasonably thought to be symbolic since it was not Consecrated by a Catholic priest. The belief that the Eucharist was literally the Body and Blood of Christ only evoled over a period of centuries. And it remains a matter of belief. The teachings of Saint Augustine should be understood in the context of an evolving faith.

As Christians, do we not all believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? Growing up Catholic, with religion class daily from kindergarten through high school, I too encountered many questions and many doubts. Most of us did. Even then-Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict, says in the Prologue to his book “God in the World”, that he almost daily experiences doubt. He of course daily overcomes it. But it is a continuing struggle, he says. I believe many Catholics–not all, but some–at times have doubts. This is essentially normal and natural, I think, and particularly so in this modern era. Consequently, that you might have a few doubts at this time should not greatly trouble you. We are imperfect in our intellectual understanding. Faith is necessary.

The Catholic Church begins with Saint Peter. There is thus a very long and deep tradition, of majesty and beauty, in Catholicism. The Church has no parallel in the Christian world. So, that you are scared and confused is really a normal experience. I think most of us endure it at least periodically and particularly at the time in our lives when we approach and first attain adulthood. This is normal. It can take some spiritual growth, maturity and time to resolve this crisis in faith, but know you are not alone. Despite your few doubts, I encourage you to pursue a potential conversion to Catholicism. Your questions and doubts are not so unusual or as serious as they must seem to you right now. What you are experiencing is a period of spiritual growth. I hope this helps.

 

[Jerurussia]

You have a problem with Jesus? “You are “Peter” and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it…”

Or we could have Luther’s “every person their own Peter” as each person reinvents the wheel and the teachings of Christ to their understanding and liking…Christ gave Peter power and authority. It is a grant of unity, understanding and clarity.

I suggest you haven’t seen the adoration given to Christ in the Eucharist or you’d be bowled over with people showing up 24 hours a day at Eucharistic Adoration chapels to “watch and pray one hour.”

Read Genesis 3:15, the pre-Gospel or Proto-Evangelium; and Revelation/Apocalypse 12 about the role of the Woman, the title used by Jesus of the Virgin Mary. Nobody worships any but God, and the Virgin Mary is no god. So if this is all biblical, what are you waiting for?

Ishtar and Zeus etc and all the other godlets were based on Noah & Mrs. Noah if you follow the art. These are real humans, orthodox, who were corrupted into godlets. And the assertion that there was no early priesthood and the Eucharist was symbolic? Not ever. Grab any early Church Father. It took 1,000 years for any assertion that the Eucharist was symbolic, and this again is per Christ letting the rabble leave after saying SIX TIMES you must eat My Body and drink My Blood to have eternal life. He didn’t say “symbolically.” There was no symbolic Passover lamb. You didn’t eat, you died. There is no symbolic Eucharist.

 

[kenmiller]

We love ,honor and venerate Mary as the Mother of Our Lord and. Savior,Jesus Christ.
We also love and honor her as our spiritual mother.I don’t know about you,but I feel very blessed to have her!
Having said that,I really don’t understand why Protestants are so afraid of loving our Mama Mary,Christ was generous enough to share her will all of mankind.

Understand 100% about love for Mary , But as other Catholics on here have experienced sometimes this becomes adoration of Mary and far too much emphasis - the conflict needs to be avoided by being cognizant of the potential problem

 

[Dorothy]

Thanks for your reply. I understand you are scared and confused. I will try my best to help.

Ishtar was a mythical Assyrian and Babalonian goddess in ancient times. That there could be any association with Mary, a human being, is utter nonsense. It is simply a complete fabrication. In Catholicism the Pope is absolutely not regarded as Christ. The Pope is a human being, just like you and me and everyone else on this thread.

The Immaculate Conception is a Catholic belief. What it means has at times also been a bit confusing for me. While in school, we were taught that the Immaculate Conception concerned the conception of Jesus by the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus. Much later, I read that the Immaculate Conception concerned Mary’s own conception and birth without Original Sin, essential since she would become the Mother of Jesus. This was confusing. The former–the conception of Jesus–is the correct interpretation, and I think the explanation is that two Immaculate Conceptions occurred and that they have different meanings. It is the Immaculate Conception of Jesus that is observed as a Holy Day. While neither is understood by science, they are both Catholic beliefs. It is a matter of faith and not science, and science and religion are often in fundamental disagreement.

There is also the question of the transsubstantiation of the Eucharist. Catholic belief is that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. Science surely differs in its understanding. Saint Augustine, a fourth century Father of the Catholic Church, also thought the Eucharist was only a symbol of the body and blood of Christ. Augustine is a Catholic Saint and a major philosopher/theologian in the history of the Church. It would be nearly eight-hundred years before Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, would maintain that the Eucharist was literally the body and blood of Christ. Neverthess, it remains a question of faith and belief. My own belief is that the Eucharist is transsubstantiated in a spiritual way.

In the earliest days of Christianity, there was a Eucharistic celebration, but there was not yet even a priesthood and consequently no Catholic priests. So the Eucharist was reasonably thought to be symbolic since it was not Consecrated by a Catholic priest. The belief that the Eucharist was literally the Body and Blood of Christ only evoled over a period of centuries. And it remains a matter of belief. The teachings of Saint Augustine should be understood in the context of an evolving faith.

As Christians, do we not all believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? Growing up Catholic, with religion class daily from kindergarten through high school, I too encountered many questions and many doubts. Most of us did. Even then-Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict, says in the Prologue to his book “God in the World”, that he almost daily experiences doubt. He of course daily overcomes it. But it is a continuing struggle, he says. I believe many Catholics–not all, but some–at times have doubts. This is essentially normal and natural, I think, and particularly so in this modern era. Consequently, that you might have a few doubts at this time should not greatly trouble you. We are imperfect in our intellectual understanding. Faith is necessary.

The Catholic Church begins with Saint Peter. There is thus a very long and deep tradition, of majesty and beauty, in Catholicism. The Church has no parallel in the Christian world. So, that you are scared and confused is really a normal experience. I think most of us endure it at least periodically and particularly at the time in our lives when we approach and first attain adulthood. This is normal. It can take some spiritual growth, maturity and time to resolve this crisis in faith, but know you are not alone. Despite your few doubts, I encourage you to pursue a potential conversion to Catholicism. Your questions and doubts are not so unusual or as serious as they must seem to you right now. What you are experiencing is a period of spiritual growth. I hope this helps.

Thomas White,

It was hard for me to understand that you were taught at Catholic School that the Virgin Birth was also an Immaculate Conception. Either you misunderstood, or the teacher did not know her faith, or she/he did know the faith but did not know how to articulate it properly. Such things can happen very easily.

That is one reason why we have the Catechism of the Catholic Church, to CLEARLY explain the tenets of the faith.

Also, …Our Lord Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, ordained the first priests when He said “Do this in memory of me.” In John 6, which is about the Eucharist, Jesus explains that we need to eat His Body and drink His blood in order to have life in us. This happened before the last supper, and the LIVING MEMORIAL of our Lord’s presence, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ began at the last supper! It is His risen body we receive. There were foreshadowings of this awesome event in the life of our Lord when he, on two occasions miraculously multiplied food for the crowds. In one instance there were 12 baskets left over, and in the other there were 7 baskets left over. Both are perfect numbers. (Of course the food was just food for the body, not the Eucharist.)

The laying on of hands is what conferred the priesthood. It is all explained in the CCC.

Theologians explained about the Eucharist using the word transubstantiation.

All of this is clearly explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which can be found on line.

Of course, to be sure that I correctly articulated what I wrote above, please consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Peace,

Dorothy

 

[Thomas_White]

You have a problem with Jesus? “You are “Peter” and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it…”

Or we could have Luther’s “every person their own Peter” as each person reinvents the wheel and the teachings of Christ to their understanding and liking…Christ gave Peter power and authority. It is a grant of unity, understanding and clarity.

I suggest you haven’t seen the adoration given to Christ in the Eucharist or you’d be bowled over with people showing up 24 hours a day at Eucharistic Adoration chapels to “watch and pray one hour.”

Read Genesis 3:15, the pre-Gospel or Proto-Evangelium; and Revelation/Apocalypse 12 about the role of the Woman, the title used by Jesus of the Virgin Mary. Nobody worships any but God, and the Virgin Mary is no god. So if this is all biblical, what are you waiting for?

Ishtar and Zeus etc and all the other godlets were based on Noah & Mrs. Noah if you follow the art. These are real humans, orthodox, who were corrupted into godlets. And the assertion that there was no early priesthood and the Eucharist was symbolic? Not ever. Grab any early Church Father. It took 1,000 years for any assertion that the Eucharist was symbolic, and this again is per Christ letting the rabble leave after saying SIX TIMES you must eat My Body and drink My Blood to have eternal life. He didn’t say “symbolically.” There was no symbolic Passover lamb. You didn’t eat, you died. There is no symbolic Eucharist.

You might want to consult the Letter to the Hebrews which was composed in elegant Greek around the year 65 A.D. and was only later accepted into the Canon of Scripture.

The ministry of Jesus was in direct opposition to the established priesthood, and a Christian priesthood is nowhere mentioned in the Gospels. During the time of Paul there was no Christian priesthood. This is a plain and simple historical fact.

 

[cena]

You might want to consult the Letter to the Hebrews which was composed in elegant Greek around the year 65 A.D. and was only later accepted into the Canon of Scripture.

The ministry of Jesus was in direct opposition to the established priesthood, and a Christian priesthood is nowhere mentioned in the Gospels. During the time of Paul there was no Christian priesthood. This is a plain and simple historical fact.

Priests (presbuteroi) are also known as “presbyters” or “elders.” In fact, the English term “priest” is simply a contraction of the Greek word presbuteros. They have the responsibility of teaching, governing, and providing the sacraments in a given congregation (1 Tim. 5:17; Jas. 5:14–15).

catholic.com/tracts/bishop-priest-and-deacon