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The Written Word Of God

December 26, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Written Word Of God

By DON FIER In previous installments of this series, it was established that “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred Deposit of the Word of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 97), and that “the task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church” (CCC, n. 100). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that these three elements (as italicized above) depend one upon the other and, in fact, are inseparable if God’s Revelation is to be truthfully and accurately made manifest to mankind. This installment will focus in particular on the written word of God, that is, Sacred Scripture, and its faithful interpretation. For, as we are candidly told…Continue Reading

And There Were Shepherds…

December 25, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on And There Were Shepherds…

By MARK AMOROSE Luke 2:8-14 A living beam of light fell from the sky as if some searchlight worker on the ground had heaved his apparatus up on high to scour the earth for aircraft that were downed. And there the angel was. And there great fear that strafed each soul and laid each conscience bare until a siren sounded in each ear, and of the angel’s words they were aware: Fear not — behold — great joy — this day is born — And then bright fire flowered all around as if incendiary bombs had torn the earth, or napalm grown out of the ground. But suddenly the fear of heaven’s might gave way to heaven’s peace: the airborne…Continue Reading

Mary: Pondering The Prophecies

December 24, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Mary: Pondering The Prophecies

By JOHN YOUNG All parents wonder about their child’s future, but that future is for them a closed book. The Blessed Virgin is an exception, for she had a book in which to read her Child’s future: the Old Testament. She and St. Joseph must have closely studied the prophecies about the longed-for Messiah: those enigmatic words sprinkled through the pages of God’s Revelation to the Jewish people. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to her he would have told her who he was — as he had told Zechariah when announcing the coming birth of John the Baptist. Our Lady, on hearing the angel’s name, must have recalled the passages in the Book of Daniel where that same Angel Gabriel…Continue Reading

Why Jesus Was Born

December 23, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Why Jesus Was Born

BY FR. ROBERT ALTIER Fourth Sunday of Advent (YR A) Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matt. 1:18-24 In the second reading today St. Paul speaks of Jesus as being descended from David according to the flesh. While professing Him also to be God, a point proven by the Resurrection, St. Paul wants to put his focus on the promises God had made to the people of Israel. There are a number of those promises which establish the human lineage of the Messiah. The first promise is in the Book of Genesis immediately after our first parents had sinned. So this demonstrates merely that the Messiah will be of the human race as the offspring of Adam and Eve. Then there…Continue Reading

A Leaven In The World . . . The Infinite And Divine Gift Of Grace

December 22, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on A Leaven In The World . . . The Infinite And Divine Gift Of Grace

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK Dear single Mom, You wrote to me, sadly, informing me that you had decided to withdraw your daughter from Confirmation faith formation classes as you had reached a conclusion that she is not “prepared” to receive Confirmation this year. You are right. But here is why I am recommending that we go forward with it anyway. No one can ever adequately prepare for the infinite and divine gift of grace because we are all human. Human beings merit nothing except in Christ who has alone “merited” it for us by reason of His sacred humanity and divinity through His Passion, death, and Resurrection. Grace is never given because it is deserved but because of the…Continue Reading

Catholic Replies

December 21, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Catholic Replies

“That’s Why There’s a Christmas Day”: There is a popular song at this time of year that is based on the letters in the word “Christmas.” Here are some thoughts on the lines in this song to meditate upon during this holy season. C is for the Christ Child, born on Christmas day: The importance of this Child is indicated by the word “Christ,” which is a Greek translation (Christos) of the Hebrew word Messiah, a title meaning “anointed one.” Throughout the Bible the anointing of a person with oil signified that the person was dedicated to God. A well-known example would be Samuel’s anointing of the youthful David to be the future king of Israel, “and from that day…Continue Reading

The Journey Of The Magi

December 20, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on The Journey Of The Magi

By JUDE P. DOUGHERTY The narrator toward the end of T.S. Eliot’s Journey of the Magi reflects, “Were we led all that way for Birth or Death. There was Birth certainly. We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, but thought they were different.” The birth, of course, was that of Christ, and the introduction of a new order. The death was that of the pagan way of life. This is conveyed in the closing lines of the poem when the narrator continues, “We returned to our places, these kingdoms. But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation with an alien people clutching their gods.” (1) This reference to the Birth of Christ is…Continue Reading

Some Speculations About The First Christmas

December 19, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on Some Speculations About The First Christmas

By JOHN YOUNG Matthew and Luke tell us all we need to know about the coming of Christ into the world, but it is fascinating to speculate about things left unsaid — and a vast amount is omitted from their accounts. It is similar regarding our Savior’s life as a whole: St. John emphasizes this with his hyperbolical statement that the world couldn’t contain all the books that would be needed to record all the facts. We don’t know exactly when Jesus was born, but it is certain that the traditional date is too late. Herod died in 4 BC, so that is the latest possible date; 6 BC is probably about right. The crucifixion was most probably in the…Continue Reading

All Ye Crawling Things, Praise The Lord!

December 18, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on All Ye Crawling Things, Praise The Lord!

By FR. MICHAEL P. ORSI It was late in August 1982 when I received a call from the diocesan superintendent of schools. Msgr. James Tracey told me that Bishop George Guilfoyle wanted me to teach at Wildwood Catholic High School. In prior years I dodged similar requests by the bishop, pleading love for parish work. But, this time it was different. I had lived for almost a year with a very difficult pastor. I was so disillusioned and spiritually drained by the experience that this latest invitation came like a reprieve from hell. I readily accepted the offer to become part of the Camden Diocese’s teaching apostolate. I arrived in Lower Cape May County on Labor Day Weekend. School was…Continue Reading

What Can We Truly Give To God?

December 17, 2013 Our Catholic Faith Comments Off on What Can We Truly Give To God?

By CAROLE BRESLIN Gifts, gifts, and more gifts — that is the essence of the secular “Holiday” season. Christmas gifts — now that is an entirely different story. All things in our lives should be considered from a Catholic perspective. What is the ultimate gift that God has given to us? What is the only gift that we can give to God? What is a gift? What is it that makes a gift worthwhile? Even when it is past the time of giving gifts for Christmas Day, it is not past the time for considering the gifts we may yet give on a continuing basis. A gift involves an “alienation or giving up of the first owner’s right, and acceptance…Continue Reading