Was anyone bothered by the homily on EWTN's mass today?

[SueKrum]

I was listening to the mass on the radio and part of the homily trubled me a little bit. maybe I misunderstood what he was saying. but the priest (I cannot remember his name, but he does LIfe on the Rock) was talking about how salvation was for all peoples. he said it’s fur buddusts, muslums, masons, athiests etc etc. he was quoting from Phillipians “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” and he made it sound as though he was saying, “as long as you are working towards salvation (doesn’t matter who you want to save you) God won’t punnish you. you are saved” that’s how it sounded to me. did anyone else listen? I get it on AM radio, so parts of it would fuzz out, so maybe I missed something?

I love this priest and found it shocking that he would say something like that. he’s usually very truth filled.

I would appriciate any clarification on this subject. thanks

 

[Beaver]

SueKrum:

I would appriciate any clarification on this subject. thanks

This is true as long as the individual does not know of Christ and the Church. You can not hold someone culpable who knows nothing about the church.

 

[Della]

From the CCC:

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church:

Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

It is possible for the persons described here to be saved, but it is still through Christ and not on their own. The reason is that Christ’s redemptive death on the cross redeemed all of mankind. Because of this the doors of salvation have been opened to all those who act on the knowledge and grace given to them by God.

This is not a “get out of hell free” card by any means. When we consider how difficult it is to lead a perfect life of love in grace as Catholics who have the fullness of the truth, how much harder must it be for the sincere Buddhist, Hindu, or Muslim?

The commission by Christ to go into the world and make disciples, baptizing them, etc. is still very much in place. The kinds of people among non-Christian religions who would respond to the Gospel, if they heard it and understood it, are these people who desire to love and serve God and their neighbor as they have the light to see. God rewards such pure intentions out of his great mercy and love.

 

[StubbleSpark]

He may have been saying that the Universal Church keeps her doors open to anyone! That would be the best way for those people mentioned to get saved. (My type of ecumenism!)

 

[tomaskovarik]

Beaver:

This is true as long as the individual does not know of Christ and the Church. You can not hold someone culpable who knows nothing about the church.

one can start at certain point and the Holy Spirit can “gently” lead him/her to the fullness of the truth.
For example, I started as a Jehova’s Witness and I felt that God was there with me. As the time progressed, the Holy Spirit was revealing to me more and more the falsity of JW and I was “gently” led on a long journey toward Catholic Church, and I hope to stay here (I feel pretty happy here).
So, it might be a gradual process. Someone could be a Buddhist, but as he/she honestly seeks the truth, the Holy Spirit will guide that person (quickly or slowly) to the ultimate fullness of revelation, which is in Jesus and His church.
If that person (on that journey) dies without achieving the point of knowing Jesus, say he/she is still convinced that Allah is the God, that person will be given another chance to respond to the gospel and could be saved.
But I don’t believe that one can say that “there are many roads to the truth”, that Islam leads to the same point as Christianity does.
So yes, evangelization is necessary (as someone here said), and thats one of the reasons why we have our Church here.
Tomas

 

[Jaypeeto3]

Interesting post, Tomas !!
How long were you a Jehovah’s Witness?
I was only a BAPTIZED JW for a couple of years,
but I was in the Watchtower’s mental-hold for 30 years.
God bless,
Jaypeeto3

 

[tomaskovarik]

Jaypeeto3:

Interesting post, Tomas !!
How long were you a Jehovah’s Witness?
I was only a BAPTIZED JW for a couple of years,
but I was in the Watchtower’s mental-hold for 30 years.
God bless,
Jaypeeto3

Thanks Jaypee,
I was a baptized JW for about 7 years, I was always troubled by the “organization’s” claims of being the only “discrete and faithful servant” and all the rest of christianity basically coming from satan. It took me a long time to de-program myself, I had good help from two great catholic friends.
Even after one whole year of my separation from JW, I was still “witnessing” to people, just to make fully sure that other people had the chance to know and decide for themselves. For example, I gave a full witness to my wife, completely full and orthodox witness account. And yes, even now I am “marked”, we will always be ex-Jehova’s witnesses, even after years in the Catholic (or other) church.
In fact, it must have been difficult for you (as it was for me) to accept basic christian teachings, like the Trinity, Jesus being God, there is hell and heaven, all those things that JW so effectively repudiate by appeal on simplistic reasoning. I really would love to hear your story, how did you manage to break away (as it is very difficult, there is this mental hold), if you could share, it would be great!!!
God bless you too!
Tomas

 

[Ahimsa]

From an orthodox Catholic perspective, it is correct to say that “There are indeed many ways to Truth.”

If Christ is Truth, then are there not many ways to get to Him? One could have been a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Jew, a Hindu, an atheist, or whatever; and one could follow any of those ways for a number of years, or for your whole life.

If eventually, such a one finds Christ, then the finding of Christ took place in the context of practicing any of those paths. So, one could say that those ways led one to Christ: thus, “there are many ways to Truth.”

 

[tomaskovarik]

Ahimsa:

From an orthodox Catholic perspective, it is correct to say that “There are indeed many ways to Truth.”

If Christ is Truth, then are there not many ways to get to Him? One could have been a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Jew, a Hindu, an atheist, or whatever; and one could follow any of those ways for a number of years, or for your whole life.

If eventually, such a one finds Christ, then the finding of Christ took place in the context of practicing any of those paths. So, one could say that those ways led one to Christ: thus, “there are many ways to Truth.”

Yes, if you put it that way. This agrees with what I said (wrote) earlier. You start somewhere outside of Jesus and the you are led by the Holy Spirt to Jesus, and so, there are many ways to Jesus…that is true.

But then, once you reach Jesus, then thats it, you cannot “derail” and say that Jesus and Allah are two ways leading to salvation, just like you cannot sit on two chairs.
While you are a Moslim, it is OK to say that Allah is the way to salvation (and my thesis is that sooner or later you might be led to Jesus) but for a christian, once you reache that point, there is only one way, Jesus.

By the way, I would like to learn more about Orthodox Catholicism, maybe you can open another thread and discuss?
Tomas

 

[Ahimsa]

tomaskovarik:

By the way, I would like to learn more about Orthodox Catholicism, maybe you can open another thread and discuss?
Tomas

By “orthodox Catholicism”, I meant the standard, traditional teachings of the Catholic Church, not Eastern Orthodoxy or anything like that.

 

[tomaskovarik]

Ahimsa:

By “orthodox Catholicism”, I meant the standard, traditional teachings of the Catholic Church, not Eastern Orthodoxy or anything like that.

Oh, I see. Well, that totally changes the way I replied, I thought you were Eastern Orthodox. Anyway, do you agree with my response to you?
Tomas