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2. Founded upon the Apostles

In Chapter IV the saint moves to speaking of the “easy proof for faith in a short summary of the truth.” He rests this proof upon Christ’s charge to St. Peter and the Apostles. Here a watershed issue enters between Catholic and Protestant thought. For protestantism to consider itself legitimate â€" not a schismatic heresy â€" it must interpret all these apostolic charges as general proclamations from to Christ to any believer at any time; therefore, any person who so deems could start a new “church” just as the Apostles founded the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

It should be sufficient to point out that Christianity believed in no such thing until the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s; thus, the concept is and was little more than rewriting biblical doctrine to serve and legitimate rebellious actions. Along with the biblical evidence and historical confirmation of Christ founding a structured apostolic Church, the protestant view hinges upon the idea that perfect faith and love can exist in disunity and dissent. Again, trying to navigate the incompatibility of love and faith with disunity, protestantism has â€" through centuries of in-fighting, splintering groups and cultural conformity â€" both boiled down the Christian faith to a fraction of apostolic and biblical existence and adopted the quasi-platonic stance that although all physical “ecclesiastical groups”4 exist in both hierarchical and doctrinal chaos they are unified by “Christ” in a mystical manner. In this scenario, Christ stops being a historical and divine person and become a malleable concept and/or term.

Upon This Rock

“There is easy proof for faith in a short summary of the truth. The Lord speaks to Peter, saying, “I say unto thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” And again to the same He says, after His resurrection, “Feed my sheep.”

Apostolic Authority

“And although to all the apostles, after His resurrection, He gives an equal power, and says, “As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they shall be remitted unto him; and whose soever sins ye retain, they shall be retained;” yet, that He might set forth unity, He arranged by His authority the origin of that unity, as beginning from one. Assuredly the rest of the apostles were also the same as was Peter, endowed with a like partnership both of honour and power; but the beginning proceeds from unity.”

For St. Cyprian, the presence of St. Peter among the twelve provides a mark of ecclesial unity that safeguards the entire unity of the Church â€" where there is Peter, there is the Church. What schismatic groups fail to comprehend is that Christ founded a living breath physical Church. A study of Christ of the Son of David, the Old Testament motif of awaiting the New Davidic Kingdom, the Vicar role in the Kingdom of David and the Vicar of Christ as seen in St. Peter and other biblical realities help form the very core of understanding the Holy Catholic Church as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the will of Christ Jesus.

1. The New Voice of Satan

Pulling from Chapter III of St. Cyprian’s text, the saint teaches that those who call themselves “Christians” but leave the Catholic Church for a Christian sect are following the voice of Satan. Paganism was crumbling under the growth of the Church; thus, Satan started a “new way” to deceive.

The New Way of Satan

“He [Satan] has invented heresies and schisms, whereby he might subvert the faith, might corrupt the truth, might divide the unity. Those whom he cannot keep in the darkness of the old way2, he circumvents and deceives by the error of a new way3. He snatches men from the Church itself; and while they seem to themselves to have already approached to the light, and to have escaped the night of the world, he pours over them again, in their unconsciousness, new darkness.”

Still Call Themselves Christian

“So that, although they do not stand firm with the Gospel of Christ, and with the observation and law of Christ, they still call themselves Christians, and, walking in darkness, they think that they have the light, while the adversary is flattering and deceiving, who, according to the apostle’s word, transforms himself into an angel of light, and equips his ministers as if they were the ministers of righteousness, who maintain night instead of day, death for salvation, despair under the offer of hope, perfidy under the pretext of faith, antichrist under the name of Christ; so that, while they feign things like the truth, they make void the truth by their subtlety. This happens, beloved brethren, so long as we do not return to the source of truth, as we do not seek the head nor keep the teaching of the heavenly Master.”

This “new way” of Satan is the modus operandi that extends back to the garden. Satan does not tempt Adam and Eve with rebellion, but with being “like God.” Satan’s “new way” is to sell an incomplete and heretical faith to those seeking God.

Dear Protestant Readers

I ask you to consider the following a call to dialogue. St. Cyprian’s text is not a Catholic apologetic tract or a work from the Counter-Reformation, but an epistle from the Early Church. Growing up protestant there are simply certain questions that are never asked concerning the Christian faith, because those questions are outside the deeply rooted assumptions that support protestantism. Amongst those questions are ones concerning Christ and his Church. Protestants wonder how does one discern whether they are called to start a church? but rarely ask by what biblical authority does one start a church? Again, a distinction can be seen in asking what kind of church should we start? and the Catholic question of what type of Church did Christ intend to start? Asking biblical questions regarding Christ and his intention for his Spouse, the Church is the beginning of wisdom in discerning how God intended his charity and his salvation to be communicated to the world.

Listers, our Lord Jesus Christ is not returning to our world for a harem of “churches.” There is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and it was founded by Christ and charged by him to St. Peter and the Apostles. However, there are now and always have been those groups that attempt to rend Christ from his Church â€" to recreate that which God gave us, the Church. In AD 250, St. Cyprian wrote an outstanding work entitled On the Unity of the Church. The epistle focuses especially on the topic of schism and those who would set themselves up as Church leaders and/or start their own “churches.” Without question, these groups are proto-protestant groups and the saint’s arguments apply just as much to our modern schismatic and heretical groups as they did to his ancient schismatic groups.1

Those Who Start Their Own Church Follow the Voice of Satan: 11 Teachings from St. Cyprian AD 250

Listers, the following photos were sent in by SPL’s John Henry of the Pontifical Mass of the Most Reverend Monsignor Athanasius Schneider Auxiliary Bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James during his January 2013 visit to New York City. Bishop Athanasius Schneider (born Anton Schneider on 7 April 1961) is a Roman Catholic bishop who is the auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan and titular bishop of Celerina. He is a member of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra.

Cyprus

St. Epiphanius, Archbishop of Salamis (385)

Holy men are therefore called the temple of God, because the Holy Spirit dwells in them; as that Chief of the Apostles testifies, he that was found to be blessed by the Lord, because the Father had revealed unto him. To him then did the Father reveal His true Son; and the same (Peter) furthermore reveals the Holy Spirit. This was befitting in the First of the Apostles, that firm Rock upon which the Church of God is built, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The gates of hell are heretics and heresiarchs. For in every way was the faith confirmed in him who received the keys of heaven; who looses on earth and binds in heaven. For in him are found all subtle questions of faith. He was aided by the Father so as to be (or lay) the Foundation of the security (firmness) of the faith. He (Peter) heard from the same God, ‘feed my lambs’; to him He entrusted the flock; he leads the way admirably in the power of his own Master. (Epiphanius, T. ii. in Anchor).



Sergius, Metropolitain of Cyprus (649)
Writing to Pope Theodore:

O Holy Head, Christ our God hath destined thy Apostolic See to be an immovable foundation and a pillar of the Faith. For thou art, as the Divine Word truly saith, Peter, and on thee as a foundation-stone have the pillars of the Church been fixed. (Sergius Ep. ad Theod. lecta in Sess. ii. Concil. Lat. anno 649)

Antioch

Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus in Syria (450)
A native of Antioch, Theodoret ruled under the Antiochean Patriarch.

The great foundation of the Church was shaken, and confirmed by the Divine grace. And the Lord commanded him to apply that same care to the brethren. ‘And thou,’ He says, ‘converted, confirm thy brethren.’ (Theodoret, Tom. iv. Haeret. Fab. lib. v.c. 28)

‘For as I,’ He says, ‘did not despise thee when tossed, so be thou a support to thy brethren in trouble, and the help by which thou was saved do thou thyself impart to others, and exhort them not while they are tottering, but raise them up in their peril. For this reason I suffer thee also to slip, but do not permit thee to fall, thus through thee gaining steadfastness for those who are tossed.’ So this great pillar supported the tossing and sinking world, and permitted it not to fall entirely and gave it back stability, having been ordered to feed God’s sheep. (Theodoret, Oratio de Caritate in J. P. Minge, ed., Partrologiae Curses Completus: Series Graeca).

I therefore beseech your holiness to persuade the most holy and blessed bishop (Pope Leo) to use his Apostolic power, and to order me to hasten to your Council. For that most holy throne (Rome) has the sovereignty over the churches throughout the universe on many grounds. (Theodoret, Tom. iv. Epist. cxvi. Renato, p. 1197).

If Paul, the herald of the truth, the trumpet of the Holy Spirit, hastened to the great Peter, to convey from him the solution to those in Antioch, who were at issue about living under the law, how much more do we, poor and humble, run to the Apostolic Throne (Rome) to receive from you (Pope Leo) healing for wounds of the the Churches. For it pertains to you to have primacy in all things; for your throne is adorned with many prerogatives. (Theodoret Ibid, Epistle Leoni)

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 424)

He suffers him no longer to be called Simon, exercising authority and rule over him already having become His own. By a title suitable to the thing, He changed his name into Peter, from the word ‘petra’ (rock); for on him He was afterwards to found His Church. (Cyril, T. iv. Comm. in Joan., p. 131

He (Christ) promises to found the Church, assigning immovableness to it, as He is the Lord of strength, and over this He sets Peter as shepherd. (Cyril, Comm. on Matt., ad loc.)

Therefore, when the Lord had hinted at the disciple’s denial in the words that He used, ‘I have prayed for thee that thy faith not fail,’ He at once introduced a word of consolation, and said (to Peter): ‘And do thou, when once thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.’ That is, ‘Be thou a support and a teacher of those who through faith come to me.’ Again, marvel also at the insight of that saying and at the completeness of the Divine gentleness of spirit. For so that He should not reduce the disciple to despair at the thought that after his denial he would have to be debarred from the glorious distinction of being an Apostle, He fills him with good hope, that he will attain the good things promised. …O loving kindness! The sin was not yet committed, and He already extends His pardon and sets him (Peter) again in his Apostolic office. (Cyril Comm. on Luke’s Gospel)

For the wonderous Peter, overcome by uncontrollable fear, denied the Lord three times. Christ heals the error done, and demands in various ways the threefold confession … For although all the holy disciples fled, …still Peter’s fault in the threefold denial was in addition, special and peculiar to himself. Therefore, by the threefold confession of blessed Peter, the fault of the triple denial was done away. Further, by the Lord’s saying, Feed my lambs, we must understand a renewal as it were of the Apostleship already given to him, washing away the intervening disgrace of his fall, and the littleness of human infirmity. (Cyril, Comm. on John’s Gospel).

They (the Apostles) strove to learn through one, that preeminent one, Peter. (Cyril, Ib. 1. ix. p. 736).

And even blessed Peter, though set over the holy disciples, says ‘Lord, be it far from Thee, this shall be done to Thee. (Cyril, Ibid. 924).

If Peter himself, that prince of the holy disciples, was, upon an occassion, scandalized, so as suddenly to exclaim, ‘Lord, be it far from Thee,’ what wonder that the tender mind of woman should be carried away? (Cyril, Ibid, p. 1064)

That the Spirit is God we shall also learn hence. That the prince of the Apostles, to whom ‘flesh and blood,’ as the Savior says, ‘did not reveal’ the Divine mystery, says to Ananias, ‘Why hath Satan tempted thy heart, (Cyril, T. v. Par. 1. Thesaur. p. 340)

Besides all these, let there come forward that leader of the holy disciples, Peter, who, when the Lord, on a certain occassion, asked him, ‘Whom do men say that the Son of man is?’ instantly cried out, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ (Cyril, T. v. P.2, Hom. viii. De Fest. Pasch. p. 105)

‘If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me.’ When the Coryphaeus (Peter) had heard these words, he began to change. (Cyril, Ib. Hom.)

This bold man (Julian), besides all this, cavils at Peter, the chosen one of the holy Apostles. (Cyril, T. vi.l. ix. Contr. Julian. p. 325).

Alexandria

St. Peter, Bishop of Alexandria (306-311)
Head of the catechetical school in Alexandria, he became bishop around A.D. 300, reigning for about eleven years, and dying a martyr’s death.

Peter, set above the Apostles. (Peter of Alexandria, Canon. ix, Galland, iv. p. 98)



St. Anthony of Egypt (330)

Peter, the Prince of the Apostles (Anthony, Epist. xvii. Galland, iv p. 687)



St. Athanasius (362)

Rome is called the Apostolic throne. (Athanasius, Hist. Arian, ad Monach. n. 35)

The Chief, Peter. (Athan, In Ps. xv. 8, tom. iii. p. 106, Migne)



St. Macarius of Egypt (371)

The Chief, Peter. (Macarius, De Patientia, n. 3, p. 180)

Moses was succeeded by Peter, who had committed to his hands the new Church of Christ, and the true priesthood. (Macarius, Hom. xxvi. n. 23, p. 101)

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us.



Listers, in cataloguing the quotes from Alexandria, Antioch, and Cyprus we conclude our theme of Early Eastern Church Fathers that supported the Petrine Ministry. Though these quotes have been posted in several places, SPL would like to again give credit to the quality Catholic resource Fisheaters for compiling the list. The quotes focus on imagery distinct to the Petrine Ministry, e.g., the Keys of the Kingdom, Prince of the Apostles, Apostolic Throne, etc., and those unfamiliar with these themes from Sacred Tradition and the Bible should consult the SPL lists below.

In his arguments against iconoclasm, the Damascene made clear that it the veneration of icons, and the use of sacred images in architecture and worship was not idolatry, but rather a recognition that God uses the physical to make known the intelligible. Just as God the Son took to himself a human form, in order to make the truth of the Father known to man in a way most proper to him, so also does iconography serve to raise the mind to spiritual realities by means of the physical. Far from being a peripheral concern, therefore, sacred images are part and parcel of the authentic Christian worldview; their use and function within the life of the Church is bound up with the mystery of the Incarnation, in which the invisible Word of God became visible, and the incomprehensible Logos of the Father took to Himself a human nature.

The bane of iconoclasm was so tempting to the Imperial court that there were two separate persecutions carried out under official auspices. The first was ended under the patronage of the Empress Irene at the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicæa in 787, and the second under the reign of Empress Theodora at the Synod of Constantinople in 842, which dealt the final blow to iconoclasm in the East. To this day, both Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox churches commemorate this event on the First Sunday of the Great Fast, proclaiming the triumph of the Church against the heresies which had plagued it during the first millennium. Let us therefore celebrate the incarnational nature of our Catholic faith, treasuring her art, and through it lift our minds and hearts upwards to Christ, His Holy Mother, and the Saints and Angels in heaven; for indeed, Christ is in our midst: he is now, and ever shall be!

Although this work is worth reading in its entirety, in celebration of the Triumph of Holy Images, here are eight pearls of wisdom from St. John Damascene in defense of sacred images:



1) ”It is the custom of the wicked and primordially evil serpent (I mean the devil), to fight in many ways against mankind, formed in the image of God; and, through this opposition, to bring about his death.” [2]

2) ”Certain men have arisen, saying that it is not necessary [or forbidden] to make images of the saving miracles and sufferings of Christ, and the brave deeds of the Saints against the devil, setting them up to be gazed upon, so that we might glorify God and be filled with wonder and zeal.” [3]

3) ”Does any one who has divine knowledge and spiritual understanding not recognize that [iconoclasm] is a ruse of the devil? For he does not want his defeat and shame to be spread abroad, nor the glory of God and his saints to be recorded.” [4]

4) ”If we make an image of God who in His ineffable goodness became incarnate and was seen upon earth in the flesh, and dwelt among men, assuming the nature, density, form, and color of flesh, we do not go astray. For we long to see His form, but as the divine Apostle says, ‘now we through a mirror, dimly.’ … For the intellect, greatly fatigued, is unable to pass beyond physical things.” [5]

5) ”I am emboldened to depict the invisible God, not as invisible, but as he became visible for our sake, by participation in flesh and blood. I do not depict the invisible divinity, but I depict God made visible in the flesh.” [6]

6) ”When you see the Bodiless become man for your sake, then you may depict the figure of a human form; when the Invisible becomes visible in the flesh, then you may depict the likeness of something seen.” [7]

7) ”Of old, Israel neither set up temples in the name of men, nor celebrated their memorialâ€"for human nature was still under the curse, and death was condemnation, therefore they were enjoined that one who even touched the body of a dead man was to be reckoned uncleanâ€"but now, since the divinity has been united without confusion to our nature, as a kind of life-giving and saving medicine, our nature has been truly glorified and its very elements changed into incorruption. Therefore, temples are raised for [the Saints] and images engraved.” [8]

8 ) ”Since our being is twofold [that is, composite], fashioned of soul and body…just as [through] words perceived by the senses we hear with bodily ears, and understand what is spiritual, so through bodily vision we arrive at spiritual contemplation. For this reason, Christ assumed body and soul, since mankind consists of body and soul; therefore baptism is likewise twofold, of water and the Spirit; as well as communion and prayer and psalmody, all of them twofold, bodily and spiritual, and offerings of light and incense.” [9]

St. John Damascene was a monk from Damascus, and from his monastery of Mar Saba near Jerusalem, he wrote in defense of the veneration of images. Because iconoclasm, or the destruction of icons, had become official imperial policy since the edict of Emperor Leo III in 726, any cleric, monastic, or layman who refused to abide by the edict was punished severely. Imprisonment, exile, and even martyrdom was the fate of those who defended the Church’s longstanding tradition of sacred images. Seeing the travail of the Church in Constantinople and Asia Minor, the humble monk from Damascus wrote three treatises in defense of holy icons and their veneration. Because he was outside the borders of the Empire, he was able to criticize imperial policy, and speak on behalf of those who were unable or unwilling to do so.

Late 14th-early 15th century icon illustrating the "Triumph of Orthodoxy" under the Byzantine empress Theodora over iconoclasm in 843. (National Icon Collection 18, British Museum).

Listers, in the Eastern churches, the First Sunday of the Great Fast celebrates the triumph of holy images. It commemorates the end of two separate periods of iconoclasm, which took place within the space a nearly hundred years. During the iconoclastic period of Byzantine history, images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Angels, and the Saints were consigned to the fire on the charge that they led to idolatry. Known as the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Byzantine liturgy boldly proclaims the triumph of the Church against every false doctrine, and a celebration of the proclamation of faith on the veneration of holy images at the Synod of Constantinople in 842.

Gloria Sancta Mater Ecclesia!

    Following several months of prayerful discernment, the majority of members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Catonsville, Maryland, have decided to enter the Catholic Church as part of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

    Two other churches in the Baltimore area, Christ the King Anglican in Towson, and Mount Calvary Episcopal in Baltimore, became Catholic through the Ordinariate in 2012.

    Members voted on Feb. 10 whether to leave The Episcopal Church and whether to enter the Ordinariate. Eighty of 100 parishioners were present; 55 were voting members. Of the voting members, six people abstained; 83 percent elected to leave The Episcopal Church and 76 percent to enter the Ordinariate. The vote was held in the presence of the Rev. Scott Slater, canon to the ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, and Rev. Scott Hurd, vicar general for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

    “This has been a long process of discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit,” said the Rev. Terry Sweeney, rector. He added, “I am grateful for the gift of faith nurtured within the Episcopal Church and for the opportunity for those members who have been called to continue their journey of faith within the Catholic Church to be able to do so without losing the beauty of Anglican traditions.”

    Sweeney will retire as an Episcopal priest on April 1, 2013.

    Slater stated, “This has been a thoughtful, prayerful and respectful process. While the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is saddened when any of its members leaves one of its parishes, we rejoice that several members of St. Timothy’s have found a new spiritual home and we wish God’s blessing on them.”

    The parish property, 200 Ingleside Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, is held in trust for the Episcopal diocese. The new Catholic community will identify its new home immediately after Easter. In the meantime, two worship services will be held on Sundays: 9 a.m. for those who wish to remain in The Episcopal Church and 10:30 a.m. for those entering the Ordinariate.

    “We welcome the members of St. Timothy who are making this faith journey, and thank the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland for being open to the to working with the community during this transition,” said Hurd.

    The Ordinariate (www.usordinariate.org) includes 36 communities, 30 priests and more than 1,600 people in the United States and Canada. It was established on January 1, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2009, the Pope issued an apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum coetibus, permitting the creation of ordinariates, which are similar to dioceses, for former Anglicans who were seeking to enter the Catholic Church in a “corporate manner”; that is, in groups. While fully Catholic, these communities retain many aspects of their Anglican traditions and heritage. Ordinariates also exist in the United Kingdom and Australia.

by Andrew P. Napolitano



When Jesus established the papacy, the gospels report that he told St. Peter: "Amen I say to you: You are Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." These words are emblazoned in Latin across the front of St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Peter’s successors have incorporated his name to describe their work, the Petrine ministry, and refer to themselves as Papa Petrus.

But the Petrine ministry is more than work. And being Papa Petrus is not a job; it is a calling in which a man has been chosen by the direct descendants of the 12 apostles as agents of God to be the Vicar of Christ on Earth. One becomes the pope not as one becomes the president, but as one becomes a Catholic priest or the father of a child. The papacy, like ordination and fatherhood, is a life-changing and irreversible imprint â€" and hence, my sadness at the abdication of Benedict XVI. It shook my soul to the core.

The present pope is cognizant of the burdens of office and the needs of his enormous flock. The present pope is also a brilliant theologian whose pre-papal and papal published works have instructed the faithful and others in a manner and with a level of confidence and erudition that surpass his modern predecessors. Surely, no modern pope, not even the rock star who preceded him, who opened the eyes of millions to the Catholic Church’s salvific mission, has written as many books, monographs and essays with the level of timeliness, encyclopedic knowledge, clarity and authority as Benedict.

When Benedict was elected to the papacy in 2005, I wept with joy that such a faithful custodian of the Church’s teachings and traditions and such a worthy bridge to Christ in heaven had been chosen by the cardinals. But it was not always so. Like many of us, the youthful Benedict evolved with the passage of the generations. Fifty years ago, as a young priest and scholar, he preferred wearing civilian clothes in public to a Roman collar â€" truly a statement in the mid-1960s â€" and he relished his role as an adviser to the less orthodox members of the Catholic hierarchy at Vatican II. He has said recently that at that time he was filled with hope, enthusiasm and good will.

But his papacy has been spent attempting to return to the level of Catholic orthodoxy that the somewhat misguided and largely misunderstood teachings of Vatican II have been used to assault. At some point in his career, the future pope recognized that Vatican II made the Church worse, not better, and that the Catholic teachings, traditions and liturgy that the world believed Vatican II had watered down needed to be restored. He knew that his public mission was to reverse the trivialization of the liturgy, the lax clerical discipline and the weakened sacramental safeguards from which the Church has been suffering since Vatican II. And he knew that Vatican II divided, rather than united, Christendom.

The Holy Spirit must have recognized all of this, as well, as He sent us Pope John Paul II, the rock star, to blaze a path where no pope had gone before â€" touching millions of youths with language they understood â€" and then He sent us Pope Benedict XVI, the lion of orthodoxy, to lay down the intellectual mechanisms for travels along that path. The path is the bridge to heaven. The way to travel upon it is personal sanctity. The first traveler is the Holy Father.

But some, like Benedict, are called to more than just personal sanctity. Benedict was called to carry a cross of personal sacrifice, as well. That cross consists of the weight of the world and the power with which to endure that weight. Jesus Himself carried that weight and possessed that power. Surely, as the Son of God, He could have stopped His executioners with the tiniest exercise of His divine will, but He freely chose not to exercise that will, no matter His personal gain. In a similar way, Benedict has freely chosen to surrender his power and forgo his temporal glory so one stronger than he can exercise it, no matter his personal loss.

The essence of Jesus’s suffering was His decision to eschew the exercise of power and submit to His Father’s will. The greatest restraint in human history was His conscious decision to permit His own crucifixion, knowing as He did that it would involve the termination of His temporal ministry, extreme human torment and certain human death. Even as His human body was suffering egregiously and as He was approaching the hour of death, Our Lord proclaimed that He would have preferred to live. Yet He submitted to the will â€" the plan â€" of His Father. This most unique act in human history represented both the affirmation of an informed conscience and the free submission to divine will.

When Benedict decided that the mystical body of Christ needed another bridge to heaven, he, too, gave up power and glory that he, too, could easily have exercised and retained. He, too, searched his conscience in a supreme effort to elevate submission to divine will above personal preference.

This is the essence of Benedict’s gift to us: He used his very existence on Earth near the end of his days to teach others to reach and correspond to a personal relationship with God, driven by conscience and consistent with Church teachings, via the sacraments and personal sacrifice, no matter what the world thought.

Such a quiet, personal, Christ-like submission of the will is not the essence of a rock star; it is the essence of a Rock. Human salvation has been advanced immeasurably because the Church had both popes at its helm â€" each to complement the other in ways we could not have imagined.

Reprinted with the author's permission.

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.”
― Charlotte Brontë

“Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I am dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I â€" could I â€" would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to â€" do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.”


― C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

“Self-sufficiency is the enemy of salvation. If you are self-sufficient, you have no need of God. If you have no need of God, you do not seek Him. If you do not seek Him, you will not find Him.”
― William Nicholson, Shadowlands

“Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our own land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit him. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, and confusion all
over the earth. One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the president of the United States; it is
not Hitler; it is not Mussolini; it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan
himself.”
― Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation

“Jesus can you show me
Just how far the east is from the west,
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Rising up in me again.
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the east is from the west---
From one scarred hand to the other.”
― Casting Crowns, Casting Crowns: The Altar and the Door

“the work of salvation, in its full sense, is (1) about whole human beings, not merely souls; (2) about the present, not simply the future; and (3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us.”
― N.T. Wright

“There is nothing more important than your eternal salvation.”
― Kirk Cameron

“How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?”
― Oscar Wilde

A day in the life of a civil engineer...

A day in the life of a 1st year law intern:

A day in the life of a geriatrics nurse.

A day in the life of a Ph.D student:

Thank You , Votives. I needed this.

Is immortality attainable in this life?

Can you really experience anything objectively?

he he he, higop higopon ni sa mga Bol-anon.  

This is my dad's favorite food.

kuyawa oy!

Wow! that looks really good.

Quote from: chicogon on February 14, 2013, 04:11:01 AM
Mao lagi jud diay... mao tong sayon ra na control niya ang Germany! People could not defend themselves. The world will always have fools and nutcases who will go overboard or run amock (sakto ba spelling?)... and criminals will always have ways/means to possess these dreaded weapons of destruction. Mga filthy rich pod and politicos/trapos nga hilig ug goons. Ang makalolooy ang mga tawo sama ni Juan Manggagawa ug Pedro Magsasaka ug mga Inday Badidays of this world. Sus! Kung makagunit pog pusil si "way training" ug si "way edukasyon" sa proper use of firearms si Tampolano/a (because wala lagi silay right mogunit in the first place)... mogara na nuon kay "feel hawod!" pod kung maka tsamba ug gunit hehehe. But most Americans I know - in fact the general mass - sakto kaayo panabot sa ilang right ug sa significance (when and when) sa pag gamit ani nga katungod. Years of proper undertandin and education 'ika nga. Pero kung ignoy ka aning katungora ug wa kay edukasyon... aw, you can expect bad things or say, "dumb and dumber" and God forbid... you know what I mean! Crazy Americans - usahay bitaw ngana sila - but right is right - and they go out of their way to protect/maintain that right... maski usahay to a point nga dili na maayo. Diha ko bilib nila...

That's right, Father.

Quote from: islander on February 21, 2013, 01:20:30 AM
with all this, including conspiracy theories like seeing nur misuari's hand in the sudden "vacation" of the sulu sutanate's royal army in sabah, we can bet that there won't be a squeak of an official claim or disclaim from the office of the president.  we have enough problems with the spratlys and scarborough/panatag shoal.

One thing is for sure tho, the Philippines stands up to those who would challenge those who threaten the nation's territorial integrity. If she can stand up to a rising super power like China and have the galls to take her to the UN for international tribunal, then, pressing a national directive like the ownership of Sabah would just as worthy.

The government seems to stay quiet right now so as to make this peace in the south work. However, the philippines shouldn't feel it owes anything to malaysia for its role in the peace process. If the malaysians think that this is cause for the nation to drop our claim to Sabah, that would be a fool's gambit.

He he, that was my choice, dude...

The Philippines is a large nation and must expand to accommodate our growing population. It is our manifest destiny. Sabah must be reclaimed and must join the fold. These malaysians are nothing but squatters occupying Filipino soil. They must be removed from our soil.

Quote from: islander on February 21, 2013, 01:21:40 AM
and, oh, one more conspiracy theory: the aborted 'operation merkeda' that led to the jabidah massacre may have happened when it became clear that the quixotic quest to annex sabah to the philippines did not have u.s. backing.  in case we have gone to war with malaysia, that country will be backed up by britain and the u.s. would have expectedly taken britain's side and not the philippines's.

interesting. during the time of Marcos, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was the strongest military power in South East Asia. even without american backing, the Army, Navy and Air Force could have eliminated any opposing Malaysian military units.
As during the time of marcos, the Philippine Air Force ruled the skies in the region, we boasted fleets of F-8 Phantom air superiority fighters.

the philippines should have coordinated with Indonesia during the Konfrontasi back in the 1950's in destroying malaysia. Philippines should have sent its air force, navy, and battle-hardened army to coordinate a pincer move with indonesia's armed forces to pulverize malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak could have gone to us, and the Indonesians could have taken peninsular malaysia.

if the malaysian special forces wipe out these "armed terrorists", it might lead to further clashes between  forces loyal to the Sulu Sultanate. The Philippine government would be placed in a predicament because it would have the choose between maintaining bilateral relations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur or protecting the muslim Filipinos.

Sabah would become a battle ground.

in fairness tho, Sabah does belong to the Philippines. unfortunately, the Philippines does not have the firepower to reclaim the state by force.

Heresy! Utter damnable heresy! His accusations are an affront to Holy Mother Church. May the writer be forgiven of the heresies he has committed.

In defense of the Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the revival of the Tridentine Mass has done good than harm. It has led to the awakening , a re-evangelization and an understanding of the beauty of the orthodoxy of Roman Catholicism.

In my opinion, the works of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in fostering greater communication between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church is a historic bridge. We pray that some day, our Anglican Brothers and Sisters shall rejoin into the fold of the One, Holy, Roman Catholic Church. Thereby, rectifying the hurt that was caused by the heresy committed by Henry VIII.

His Holiness' Petrine ministry and his encyclicals are profound. He is the living Vicar of Jesus Christ, and represents the infallibility of the Papacy. He claims authority that is given to him , directly from GOD.

May God Preserve our Pope. And may the Church be victorious in this Age as She always has been since the foundation of the Church.

Bohol is safe. Thank God.

Quote from: islander on February 21, 2013, 01:33:43 AM


kanta na lang pod kog "my tears are falling/ 'cause you've taken her awaaayyy/ and though it really hurts me sooo/ there's something that i've got to saaayyy...

(morag intro man tingali ni sa kanta nga "take good care of my baby" ni gary lewis and the playboys, before gary lewis was done in by drugs(?), when lorenz was still a formless alien and fr chic was still crawling in diapers, hahaha!)  ikatawa ko na lang ang kaguol over a dog's pain, he or she or it that cannot fight back.  thanks for your posts.  they made me feel better.

gotta hit the sack na lang in a while and shut this racket out, hoping i won't have nightmares.

guten nacht to you both and the rest out there. 

ha ha ha, a swimming tadpole pa diay ko adtong panahona.

Nice video, nice looking girl.

Quote from: chicogon on February 21, 2013, 03:36:11 AM

hahahaha! cute sila tanan!

Quote from: chicogon on February 21, 2013, 12:16:22 AM
In solidarity, mokanta na lang kog dirge, "O iro (irog) ko, nganong gibiyaan mo ako..."

Should the Philippines press its claim to Sabah?

i'm sorry to hear that, isles.

"For the mountains shall be moved, and the hills shall tremble; but my mercy shall not depart from thee, and the covenant of my peace shall not be moved: said the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”

Isaiah 54:10

Beautiful ! and True !

“Be not deceived: God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit of the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith."

Galatians 6.7-10

“Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. “

James 4.7

"Remember not former things, and look not on things of old. Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Isaiah 43.18-19

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. “

Joshua 1.8

“Be ye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater judgment. For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. He is able also with a bridle to lead about the whole body. For if we put bits into the mouths of horses, that they may obey us: and we turn about their whole body. Behold also ships, whereas they are great and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth. Even so the tongue is indeed a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire kindleth a great wood. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.”

James 3.1-6

Beautiful...

“Be nothing solicitous: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. “

Philippians 4.6-7

“As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God. My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? “

Psalm 42.2-3

“But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. “

Matthew 12.36-37

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pavyebcYs7Q#ws

This is what I'm listening to right now. Feeling really blessed and want to remind everyone here this:

When you're feeling surrounded, don't think you're by yourself. God is there with you. When you feel that everything is coming down on you, don't think you're all by yourself, the Good Lord who is Merciful WILL make a way for you. No matter what, The Good Lord WILL make a way for you....

May The Lord God Bless You All. In the Name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Have a Blessed Day, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.



Enjoy this song, as well. Recognize the light in you. Show the light in you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pavyebcYs7Q#ws

Today, as I prepare for another day, I ponder on the words of Mother Teresa.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”

― Mother Teresa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBpWdwXzpMk#ws

Nice

Getting ready to attend a seminar.

Metacognition is defined as the higher order thinking that involves active control over the thinking processes involved in learning. Such activities that are associated with meta-cognition include planning how to approach a given learning task, monitoring comprehension and evaluating progress towards the completion of a particular task are natural examples of meta-cognition.

Meta-cognitive knowledge involves executive monitoring processes that address the following aspects in learning: identification of the task that one is working on, observing the progression of said work, the evaluation of that progress , and the prediction of what the outcome of said progression will be. Metacognition is quite important for doctoral learners because the use of meta-cognition allows us to not only develop a plan of action, but allows us to maintain and monitor that said plan and evaluating that said plan.

Metacognition is important because it is utilized in selecting a research proposal, meta-cognition is the very driving force in one’s predilection for what to research, what to focus one’s energy on in terms of qualitative and/or quantitative analytical research. One employs meta-cognition during the writing of the introduction of the paper, the development of the hypothesis, the methodology, and the data analysis part. In fact, one could say that without meta-cognition, one would be unable to complete research.

What is meta-cognition? How is meta-cognition useful in doctoral research?

I think that being the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, must be a truly humbling and tantamount position to hold. Waking up every morning that you are the Representative of Jesus Christ in the world, chosen and elected by the Will of God. Wow. That's intense. imho.

Chinese iconography is noticeable in Chinese pagoda as well as other East Asian pagoda architectures. The image of the Shakyamuni Buddha in the abhaya mudra is also noticeable in some Pagodas. Buddhist iconography can be observed throughout the pagoda symbolism.

In an article on Buddhist elements in Han art, Wu Hung suggests that in these tombs, Buddhist iconography was so well incorporated into native Chinese traditions that a unique system of symbolism had been developed.


source: wikipedia

keep on studying, ondoy, kaya na nimo!

Quote from: Lollapalooza on February 19, 2013, 02:02:39 PM
wow... Great achievements Bran!!! May God continue to bless you more.. Take care ^___^

he he he, Jenneth, hard work truly leads to a bountiful harvest. May God bless you, too! God bless all of us.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on February 19, 2013, 02:02:39 PM
wow... Great achievements Bran!!! May God continue to bless you more.. Take care ^___^

Quote from: chicogon on February 19, 2013, 02:03:34 PM
You're young life is just getting more exciting... enjoy every bit of it.

Thank You Fr. Roel and Sister Jenneth. Today, when i was called to the office of the president, the dean of academic affairs sat me down in front of them.

The president said to me, "Lorenzo, i see a leader in you. You will one day lead hospitals. Will you help us lead this college?"

I was apparently recommended by the former Director of Allied Health and General Education and by the Dean of Academic Affairs. So, i accepted my ascendancy.

Thanks God for these blessings. he he he.

An aspiring student.

He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 7:13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZEY8clFcm2E