Can Humans See Bodiless Angels? Answer from St Thomas Aquinas

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Yesterday my students were asking about the apparitions of angels in the visible world and how that could happen since angels did not have physical bodies. No doubt, the apparition of Saint Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation was miraculous. However, how did it happen? Angels don't have bodies, eyes, mouths, wings, or anything physical that we typically imagine. 

How then can people see angels?

Saint Thomas Aquinas addresses the question directly atSumma theologiae I, q. 51, a. 2.

Some have maintained, Thomas explains, that the angels appeared only in the imagination of the human mind perceiving them. Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas reject this theory. Saint Gabriel wasnot a phenomenon of Mary's imagination incited by God or Gabriel himself. No. Somehow Gabriel was "out there" and being perceived by Mary's physical eyes and ears.

Saint Thomas goes on to explain:

Yet Divine Scripture from time to time introduces angels so apparent as to be seen commonly by all; just as the angels who appeared to Abraham were seen by him and by his whole family, by Lot, and by the citizens of Sodom; in like manner the angel who appeared to Tobias was seen by all present. From all this it is clearly shown that such apparitions were beheld by bodily vision, whereby the object seen exists outside the person beholding it, and can accordingly be seen by all. Now by such a vision only a body can be beheld. Consequently, since the angels are not bodies, nor have they bodies naturally united with them, as is clear from what has been said (1; 50, 1), it follows that they sometimes assume bodies.

Does this entail that angels become incarnate? No. Do they assume human nature? No.

Thomas teaches that the angels take surrounding matter and arrange it so as to look like a human that talks and moves. Thomas explains how he thinks this works: "Although air as long as it is in a state of rarefaction has neither shape nor color, yet when condensed it can both be shaped and colored as appears in the clouds. Even so the angels assume bodies of air, condensing it by the Divine power in so far as is needful for forming the assumed body."

One might even speculate that an angel could use little pieces of green grass to make for itself green eyes or arrange dust or dirt to make hair. Perhaps even bend light to make a brilliant breast plate of armor like the one Saint Michael is seen to be wearing. All this is an illusion. Angels do not have bodies. Angels do not really hold swords or spears. Still, it is very interesting to consider and contemplate how we humans perceive them and honor them.

Isn't God awesome?

Question: When the Blessed Virgin Mary appears, it's for real. She has her glorified body. But not so with the saints. That is when Saint Peter or Saint John appear, it's not really their bodies. Would it be accomplished the same way? Please leave a comment about this or any other question.

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Understanding the Book of Revelation; Also known as the Apocalypse.

Here we offer an "interview" with Pope Benedict (taken from his writings) to learn from his wisdom on this book.

	Your Holiness, the book of Revelation is often attributed to one of Jesus' first disciples: John, the son of Zebedee. He is also the traditional author of the Gospel of John and the three epistles of John. Interestingly, none of those works expressly say that they were written by a man named John, but Revelation does--four times! (1:1, 4, 9, 22:8). Was it written by this John--the son of Zebedee--or by another? The Gospel never directly identifies [its author/the beloved disciple] by name. In connection with the calling of Peter, as well as of other disciples, it points toward John, the son of Zebedee, but it never explicitly identifies the two figures. The intention is evidently to leave the matter shrouded in mystery. The Book of Revelation does, admittedly, specify John as its author (cf. Rev 1:1, 4), but despite the close connection between this book and the Gospel and Letters of John, it remains an open question whether the author is one and the same person. It is obvious, on the one hand, that the author had no reason not to mention his own name, and on the other, that he knew his first readers would be able to precisely identify him. We know, moreover, that in the third century, scholars were already disputing the true, factual identity of John of the "Apocalypse". For the sake of convenience we could also call him "the Seer of Patmos" because he is linked to the name of this island in the Aegean Sea where, according to his own autobiographical account, he was, as it were, deported "on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rv 1: 9).
	Many in our own day have seen the book of Revelation as a vision almost exclusively concerned with the future. How should we understand it? The Book should be understood against the backdrop of the dramatic experiences of the seven Churches of Asia (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea) which had to face serious difficulties at the end of the first century - persecutions and also inner tensions--in their witness to Christ. John addresses them, showing acute pastoral sensitivity to the persecuted Christians, whom he exhorts to be steadfast in the faith and not to identify with the pagan world. His purpose is constituted once and for all by the revelation, starting with the death and Resurrection of Christ, of the meaning of human history.
	There are many compelling images in the book of Revelation, but if you had to boil it down to just one, central symbol, what would it be? The first and fundamental vision of John, in fact, concerns the figure of the Lamb who is slain yet standing (cf. Rv 5: 6), and is placed before the throne on which God himself is already seated. By saying this, John wants first of all to tell us two things: the first is that although Jesus was killed with an act of violence, instead of falling heavily to the ground, he paradoxically stands very firmly on his own feet because, with the Resurrection, he overcame death once and for all. The other thing is that Jesus himself, precisely because he died and was raised, henceforth fully shares in the kingship and saving power of the Father. This is the fundamental vision. On this earth, Jesus, the Son of God, is a defenceless, wounded and dead Lamb. Yet he stands up straight, on his feet, before God's throne and shares in the divine power. He has the history of the world in his hands. Thus, the Seer wants to tell us: trust in Jesus, do not be afraid of the opposing powers, of persecution! The wounded and dead Lamb is victorious! Follow the Lamb Jesus, entrust yourselves to Jesus, take his path! Even if in this world he is only a Lamb who appears weak, it is he who triumphs!
	One of the most mysterious images in the book is that of a scroll which the Lamb--Jesus--opens in heaven. How can we understand this image? The subject of one of the most important visions of the Book of Revelation is this Lamb in the act of opening a scroll, previously closed with seven seals that no one had been able to break open. John is even shown in tears, for he finds no one worthy of opening the scroll or reading it (cf. Rv 5: 4). History remains indecipherable, incomprehensible. No one can read it. Perhaps John's weeping before the mystery of a history so obscure expresses the Asian Churches' dismay at God's silence in the face of the persecutions to which they were exposed at that time. It is a dismay that can clearly mirror our consternation in the face of the serious difficulties, misunderstandings and hostility that the Church also suffers today in various parts of the world. These are trials that the Church does not of course deserve, just as Jesus himself did not deserve his torture. However, they reveal both the wickedness of man, when he abandons himself to the promptings of evil, and also the superior ordering of events on God's part. Well then, only the sacrificed Lamb can open the sealed scroll and reveal its content, give meaning to this history that so often seems senseless. He alone can draw from it instructions and teachings for the life of Christians, to whom his victory over death brings the message and guarantee of victory that they too will undoubtedly obtain. The whole of the vividly imaginative language that John uses aims to offer this consolation.
	Another compelling image is that of the Woman in chapter 12, who is clothed with the sun, who stands on the moon, and who has twelve stars as a crown on her head--imagery that is based on Joseph's dream in the Old Testament (Gen. 37:9-10). Many understand this Woman as Mary, but others see her as an image of the Church. What is the truth? This Woman represents Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer, but at the same time she also represents the whole Church, the People of God of all times, the Church which in all ages, with great suffering, brings forth Christ ever anew. And she is always threatened by the dragon's power. She appears defenceless and weak. But while she is threatened, persecuted by the dragon, she is also protected by God's comfort. And in the end this Woman wins. The dragon does not win. This is the great prophecy of this Book that inspires confidence in us! The Woman who suffers in history, the Church which is persecuted, appears in the end as the radiant Bride, the figure of the new Jerusalem where there will be no more mourning or weeping, an image of the world transformed, of the new world whose light is God himself, whose lamp is the Lamb. In the vision of the Book of Revelation there is a further detail: upon the head of the woman clothed with the sun there is "a crown of twelve stars". This sign symbolizes the 12 tribes of Israel and means that the Virgin Mary is at the center of the People of God, of the entire communion of saints. And thus this image of the crown of 12 stars ushers us into the second great interpretation of the heavenly portent of the "woman clothed with the sun": as well as representing Our Lady, this sign personifies the Church, the Christian community of all time. She is with child, in the sense that she is carrying Christ in her womb and must give birth to him in the world. This is the travail of the pilgrim Church on earth which, amidst the consolations of God and the persecution of the world, must bring Jesus to men and women.
	After the woman gives birth, she is persecuted by the dragon. What does this mean? This dragon sought in vain to devour Jesus--the "male child", destined to rule all the nations" (12:5)--because Jesus, through his death and resurrection, ascended to God and is seated on his throne. Therefore the dragon, defeated once and for all in Heaven, directly attacks the woman--the Church--in the wilderness of the world. However in every epoch the Church is sustained by the light and strength of God who nourishes her in the desert with the bread of his Word and of the Holy Eucharist. And so it is that in every tribulation, in all the trials she meets over time and in the different parts of the world the Church suffers persecution but turns out to be victorious. And in this very way the Christian community is her presence, the guarantee of God's love against all the ideologies of hatred and selfishness.
	Many people feel frightened reading the book of Revelation. Should they be? Although John's Book of Revelation is pervaded by continuous references to suffering, tribulation and tears--the dark face of history--it is likewise permeated by frequent songs of praise that symbolize, as it were, the luminous face of history. So it is, for example, that we read in it of a great multitude that is singing, almost shouting: "Alleluia! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready" (Rv 19: 6-7). Here we face the typical Christian paradox, according to which suffering is never seen as the last word but rather, as a transition towards happiness; indeed, suffering itself is already mysteriously mingled with the joy that flows from hope. For this very reason John, the Seer of Patmos, can close his Book with a final aspiration, trembling with fearful expectation. He invokes the definitive coming of the Lord: "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rv 22: 20). This was one of the central prayers of the nascent Christianity, also translated by St Paul into its Aramaic form: "Marana tha". And this prayer, "Our Lord, come!" (I Cor 16: 22) has many dimensions. It is, naturally, first and foremost an expectation of the definitive victory of the Lord, of the new Jerusalem, of the Lord who comes and transforms the world. But at the same time, it is also a Eucharistic prayer: "Come Jesus, now!". And Jesus comes; he anticipates his definitive coming. So it is that we say joyfully at the same time: "Come now and come for ever!". This prayer also has a third meaning: "You have already come, Lord! We are sure of your presence among us. It is our joyous experience. But come definitively!". And thus, let us too pray with St Paul, with the Seer of Patmos, with the newborn Christianity: "Come, Jesus! Come and transform the world! Come today already and may peace triumph!". Amen! Thank you, Your Holiness. When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836

7 clues tell us *precisely* when Jesus died (the year, month, day, and hour revealed)

by Jimmy Akin 
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 

If we put the clues together, can we figure out precisely when Jesus died? Yes, we can!

We recently celebrated Good Friday and Easter, the annual celebrations of Jesus' death and resurrection.

We all know that this happened in Jerusalem in the first century.

That separates Jesus from mythical pagan deities, who were supposed to live in places or times that none could specify.

Just how specific can we be with the death of Jesus?

Can we determine the exact day?

We can.

And here's how . . .

Clue #1: The High Priesthood of Caiaphas

The gospels indicate that Jesus was crucified at the instigation of the first century high priest named Caiaphas (Matthew 26:3-4, John 11:49-53).

We know from other sources that he served as high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, so that puts Jesus' death in that time frame.

But we can get more specific. Much more.

Clue #2: The Governorship of Pontius Pilate

All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on the orders of Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:24-26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24, John 19:15-16).

We know from other sources when he served as governor of Judea--A.D. 26 to A.D. 36--so we can narrow down the range by several years.

But how are we going to get it down to a specific day and year?

Clue #3: After "the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Caesar"

The Gospel of Luke tells us when the ministry of John the Baptist began:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar . . . the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness [Luke 3:1-2].

This picks out a specific year: A.D. 29.

Since all four gospels depict the ministry of Christ beginning after that of John the Baptist had begun (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1), this means that we can shave a few more years off our range.

The death of Christ had to be in a range of seven years: between A.D. 29 and 36.

Clue #4: Crucified on a Friday

All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Matt. 27:62, Mark 15:42; Luke23:54;  John 19:42), just before a Sabbath, which was just before the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1).

We know that it was a Friday because it is referred to as "the day of preparation"--that is, the day on which Jews made the preparations they needed for the Sabbath, since they could not do any work on that day. Thus cooked food in advance and made other necessary preparations.

The Jewish Encyclopedia states:

Friday, as the forerunner of Shabbat, is called "'Ereb Shabbat" (The Eve of Sabbath). The term "'ereb" admits of two meanings: "evening" and "admixture" (Ex. xii. 38); and "'Ereb Shabbat" accordingly denotes the day on the evening of which Sabbath begins, or the day on which food is prepared for both the current and the following days, which latter is Sabbath.

The idea of preparation is expressed by the Greek name paraskeué, given by Josephus ("Ant." xvi. 6, § 2) to that day (compare Mark xv. 42; Luke xxiii. 54; Matt. xxvii. 62; John xix. 42). In Yer. Pesaḥim iv. 1 the day is called "Yoma da-'Arubta" (Day of Preparation) [Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v., "Calendar"].

That eliminates six of the days of the week, but there were still quite a few Fridays between A.D. 29 and 36.

Can we figure out which one?

Clue #5: A Friday at Passover

The gospels also agree that Jesus was crucified in conjunction with the annual feast of Passover (Matthew 26:2, Mark 14:1, Luke 22:1, John 18:39).

Here we encounter a momentary complication, because Matthew, Mark, and Luke describe the Last Supper on Holy Thursday as a Passover meal (Matthew 26:19, Mark 14:14, Luke 22:15). That would suggest that Good Friday was the day after Passover.

However, when describing the morning of Good Friday, John indicates that the Jewish authorities had not yet eaten the Passover meal:

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium [i.e., Pilate's palace]. It was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. So Pilate went out to them [John 18:28-29a].

That suggests that the Passover would have begun on sundown Friday.

There are a number of ways of resolving this. For example, some have suggested that Jesus and his disciples used a different calendar than the Jewish authorities, and we know that there were different calendars in use in first century Judaism.

It's also possible that Jesus just advanced the date of the Passover celebration for him and his disciples. I mean, they were already convinced he was the Messiah and the Son of God. If he says, "We're celebrating Passover today," and it's a day earlier than most people, they'd just go with that. (Note that he made other modifications to the ceremony, such as instituting the Eucharist in the midst of it.)

And there are other solutions.

However, regardless of what Jesus' movement did, we can look to John's statement about the Jesus' captors as an indication of what the Jewish authorities or the mainstream Jewish practice was: They were celebrating a Passover beginning on what we would call Friday evening.

That lets us narrow down the range of possible dates to just a few. Here is a complete list of the days between A.D. 29 and 36 on whose evenings Passover began:

• Monday, April 18, A.D. 29
• Friday, April 7, A.D. 30
• Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31
• Monday, April 14, A.D. 32
• Friday, April 3, A.D. 33
• Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34
• Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35
• Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

As you can see, we have just two candidates left: Jesus was either crucified on April 7 of A.D. 30 or April 3 of A.D. 33.

Which was it?

The traditional date is that of A.D. 33. You will find quite a number of people today advocating the A.D. 30 date.

Do the gospels let us decide between the two?

Clue #6: John's Three Passovers

The Gospel of John records three different Passovers during the ministry of Jesus:

• Passover #1: This is recorded in John 2:13, near the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
• Passover #2: This is recorded in John 6:4, in the middle of Jesus' ministry.
• Passover #3: This is recorded in John 11:55 (and frequently mentioned afterwards), at the end of Jesus' ministry.

That means that the ministry of Jesus had to span something over two years. A fuller treatment would reveal that it spanned about three and a half years, but even if we assume it began immediately before Passover #1, the addition of two more Passovers shows that it lasted more than two years at a bare minimum.

That means the A.D. 30 date is out.

There is not enough time between the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar--A.D. 29--and the next year's Passover to accomodate a ministry of at least two years.

The numbers don't add up.

As a result, the traditional date of Jesus' death--Friday, April 3, A.D. 33--must be regarded as the correct one.

Can we be even more precise?

Clue #7: "The Ninth Hour"

Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46).

"The ninth hour" is what we, today, would refer to as 3:00 p.m.

This allows us to narrow down the time of Jesus' death to a very specific point in history: around 3:00 p.m on Friday, April 3, A.D. 33.

Of course, there are a lot of detailed arguments that I haven't taken space to deal with here. But this is the thrust of things.

This is when it happened. 

What Now?

If you like the information I've presented here, you should join my Secret Information Club.

If you're not familiar with it, the Secret Information Club is a free service that I operate by email.

I send out information on a variety of fascinating topics connected with the Catholic faith.

In fact, the very first thing you’ll get if you sign up is information about what Pope Benedict said about the book of Revelation.

He has a lot of interesting things to say!

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5 Ways to Share the Catholic Faith with Family and Friends

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:19 AM PDT When I was an Evangelical in college, we would go out for a few hours on campus and "share the Gospel" with random people. It was scary. I would just walk up to someone drinking coffee or reading the newspaper, and say, "Hello. How's it going? Could I ask you a few questions? It won't take long." And then we'd start asking generic questions that led to spiritual conversations. Sometimes, it would go really well. Sometimes, not so well.  I was under the impression that people could just "be saved" by a simple conversation. Of course, that can happen. Someone can miraculously hand their life over to Christ in a matter of minutes. Most of the time, however, it is a long process. Even more importantly, it happens in the context of a relationship.  Since I've been Catholic, my understanding of conversion and discipleship has deepened. I don't randomly walk up to strangers any more - but I still try to reach out to others on a daily basis. I'm always looking for ways to share the Faith. I'd like to encourage you to be intentional about sharing your faith. Here are five tips to keep in mind as we prayerfully try to bring others to know Jesus Christ as Lord and King of Kings. And I must stress that prayer is the foundation for all five: 1. Be a real friend to others. Someone once said that we must, "Earn the right to be heard." Do you want to make an impact? Invest in other people.  People know when you are manipulating them or trying to use them.People can just feel it. I know who my close friends are. They sacrifice for me and I sacrifice for them. I also know that there are people in my life who are trying to use me for something. You can't earn the right to be heard if you are not a true friend. The best way to "be heard" is to listen others. 2. Your soul must be attractive. We can be tempted to be negative and judgmental about "the world" or about "the Church" or about "life." That just makes your soul ugly. It's depressing. It stinks. It's like having bad breath. You may have good things to say, but nobody can stand being around you. Your soul doesn't reflect the reality that you are trying to proclaim. If you don't have joy and peace in Christ, you shouldn't be trying to convince others. Convince yourself first! 3. Be ready to explain. If you live the Catholic Faith, you have a lot of explaining to do...  Why do you Catholics have Jesus still on the cross? Why do you have lots of kids? Why do you make a big deal about Mary? Why do y'all keep Lent? Why don't priests get married? Why do you wear that scapular? Why do you go to church more than once a week? Why is the pope important?  You need to be able to answer these questions in a factual and winsome way. You need to be less like Spock and more like GK Chesterton. Yes, you must win people over. They need to know all these things. Make it compelling. Make it interesting. That's what I try to do on this blog every day.  (I've written posts on all these topics. Just use the "Search bar" in the upper right corner of the blog to find whichever explanations that you need - anytime.) 4. Give things away. I carry miraculous medals and give them out. Not too long ago, I saw a woman crying in the airport. I gave her a medal. She was so grateful. She stopped crying and thanked me. I'll also leave a medal with a waitress (along with a big tip!). If I hear people in a restaurant talking about Christ, I may walk over and smile and say, "It's nice to hear people talking about Our Lord. God bless you." I am very intentional about the faith and I want others to know the joy and blessing of knowing Christ Jesus. My best friend Jordan is really good at giving people Brown Scapulars.You'd be surprised how many people will start wearing them! You can make and give Rosaries or crosses. Holy cards. Get creative. Make a strategy. Whenever you give something to a another person, they are more willing to listen to what  you have to say. If it's truly from the heart, they can feel it. Heart speaks to heart. I know another lady who reads this blog and she is always giving away books and DVDs about saints and other Catholic topics. What a great witness. My wife gave a Catholic book to her sister one year for Christmas - and she and her husband became Catholic! The information whet their appetite for more. 5. Be salty. Christ says in Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the world." Don't lose that divine "flavor." We have to maintain the flavor. Ask yourself, "Am I a salty Catholic." If not, make some changes. I'm going to be putting together a workbook (later this year) titled Liturgy of Life on how to design a lifetime spiritual plan. Maybe I should title it: "How to become salty and stay salty." Till then, get out a sheet of paper and make a plan. WARNING/ACHTUNG: We can be too salty!!! Salt makes food taste good. But if you dump too much salt in the food, it ruins the food. Don't be too salty with your Catholic Faith. Don't turn people off from the Catholic Church. I'm guilty of doing this. I've been too pushy, and I really regret it.  We must be master chefs. We must season to taste. Don't dump the salt shaker into your message. People won't want to eat your food!

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Pope Francis: Infant Baptism Shouldn't Be Held Hostage

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Cardinal Bergoglio (Pope Francis) baptizing babies

I recently read an interesting interview from 2009 with Pope Francis (when he was Cardinal Bergoglio) in '30 Giorni.' The interview touches on the pastoral situation of granting baptism to infants whose parents are not canonically regular with the Catholic Church.

I found the interview very encouraging since the Holy Father takes an Augustinian and Thomistic approach to the question. Let's look at a quote and then I'll divine into the citations.

Pope Francis says:

The child has no responsibility for the marital state of its parents. And then, the baptism of children often becomes a new beginning for parents. Usually there is a little catechesis before baptism, about an hour, then a mystagogic catechesis during liturgy. Then, the priests and laity go to visit these families to continue with their post-baptismal pastoral. And it often happens that parents, who were not married in Church, maybe ask to come before the altar to celebrate the sacrament of marriage. 

First of all, Pope Francis' argument is very Thomistic. Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote that, "Nor is it a hindrance to [any infants'] salvation if their parents be unbelievers." (Summa theologiae III, q. 68 a. 9 ad 2.) However, Thomas is very explicit that we should never baptize non-Christian children against the wishes of their non-Christian parents. Only if they ask for it. (See the subsequent article 10 in the same question of theSumma).

The Pope's answer is also very Augustinian. Saint Augustine taught: 

"Little children are offered that they may receive grace in their souls, not so much from the hands of those that carry them (yet from these too, if they be good and faithful) as from the whole company of the saints and the faithful. For they are rightly considered to be offered by those who are pleased at their being offered, and by whose charity they are united in communion with the Holy Spirit." (Augustine, Epistle 98).

Here Augustine teaches that it is the "whole company of saints and faithful" that really do the offering of the infant, not the parent that carries the child to the church. Moreover, it is not as if we are talking about Jews, Arians, Mormons, or Mohammedans. We're talking about Catholic people, even though they may not be well catechized or living rightly. 

I like what Pope Francis is saying here. 

I have become discouraged how in the United States, the sacraments are "held hostage" by local parish hierarchies. In some parishes, you have to go jump through hoops and attend classes and get sponsors in special classes and so on. It leads to delayed infant baptism...something that Blessed John Paul II openly condemned.

Holding the sacraments hostage is a new phenomenon. In the old days, a woman would give birth (not in a hospital) and a female friend of the tired mother and the father would walk the infant to the parish church where the infant would be baptized the very same day or the day after. This was the case with Pope Benedict XVI's baptism shortly after he was born. It is the case of many of the saints. When you read their lives, you often read that the saints were baptized on the day of their birth or shortly thereafter. 

There was no adult catechesis director acting as a sacramental "bouncer" at the parish. There were no pre-scheduled dates for baptism since the clergy were too busy. Infant baptism was performed when it was needed - that is, whenever there was a brand-new infant.

Relating to all this, Pope Francis also shared a touching personal story in the interview:

BERGOGLIO: Just a few days ago I baptized seven children of a woman on her own, a poor widow, who works as a maid and she had had them from two different men. I met her last year at the Feast of San Cayetano. She said: Father, I’m in mortal sin, I have seven children and I’ve never had them baptized. It had happened because she had no money to bring the godparents from a distance, or to pay for the party, because she always had to work ... I suggested we meet, to talk about it. We spoke on the phone, she came to see me, told me that she could never find all the godparents and get them together ... In the end I said: let’s do everything with only two godparents, representing the others. They all came here and after a little catechesis I baptized them in the chapel of the archbishopric. After the ceremony we had a little refreshment. A coca cola and sandwiches. She told me: Father, I can’t believe it, you make me feel important...I replied, but lady, where do I come in, it’s Jesus who makes you important. 

Is that not beautiful! What a wonderful witness. 

Question for you: Do you agree with what Pope Francis says here? Should we allow parents to bring children to baptism, even if the parents are not fully formed in the faith or live in a canonically irregular situation? Does bringing an infant to baptism imply formal faith on the part of the parent? I look forward to your thoughts. And of course, feel free to disagree with me. Please leave a comment below.

When in Cebu City, please visit
http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.

The Quiet Storm of the Divine Mercy of Christ

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Today the skies open and mercies of God rain down upon all of humanity. It is the calm and even rain of God's love for us. There are no thunderbolts. Listen to the words of Christ to Saint Faustina:

In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy. (1588)

Jesus Christ wants to heal "aching mankind." I still have a difficult time comprehending the Divine Mercy of God. How could a God so holy desire to press sinners to His merciful heart? Yet He does and this reveals how little we know of God.

If you have read any of Saint Faustina's Diary and the messages that Christ gives her, one thing stands out: Hell is real and Christ doesn't want us to go there. 

Here are the words of Saint Faustina on this matter:

But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin. (741)

Unlike sappy and sentimental versions of Christianity, her Diary doesn't teach that God is tolerant of evil and will receive everyone into Heaven regardless of whether they died with faith, hope, and charity toward God and neighbor. No, Hell is a constant reality for those who live on earth. Yet, the Divine Mercy of Christ is always ready to rescue and redeem souls. One can therefore say that the Divine Mercy is about Christ's powerful mediation - it's not about universalism.

If someone doesn't believe in Hell, then the Divine Mercy devotion means nothing to them. Yet, if you believe in the fires of Gehenna and the fires of Purgatory, the promise of Divine Mercy is the greatest consolation. In particular, today's feast on the Octave of Easter, is especially consoling.

Today the rain of God's mercy falls down in torrents upon the earth. Like children, let's play in the rain and drink it in. All spiritual life comes from the reality that we glorify today.

When in Cebu City, please visit
http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687/09222737836.

URGENT: Rules for Leaving Comments

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

There was recently a little storm in the comments with two people claiming that I deleted their comments and that I'm censoring people's ideas on this blog.

First of all, I am open to debate in disagreement.People get on here all the time and make fun of me, disagree with me, tell me I'm ignorant, and so on and so on.

I could delete their comments, but I don't. I leave them up. It reminds me of King David and Shimei in the Bible. Here's the story in case you don't know it:

"And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Semei, the son of Gera, and coming out he cursed as he went on, 6 And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king. 7 And thus said Semei when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial. 8 The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood.

"And Abisai the son of Sarvia said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go, and cut off his head. 10 And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? Let him alone and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so?" (2 Sam 16:5-10)

If you want to be my personal Semei, go for it. So feel free to throw stones. Feel free to disagree with me. It doesn't bother me one bit. Unlike other blogs, I'm not interested in silencing everyone who disagrees with me.

Now then, for the public good, there are a few rules that you need to know about.

This site is visited by about 150,000 unique visitors (unique persons) every month. That's like three NFL football stadiums emptying out through this blog. It's a lot of people - and each one has an opinion about something. Which is great. I really do want to hear from you! That's the point of comments. 

But I don't want people being exposed to porn, heretical websites, or websites that are selling stuff that doesn't relate. So there are some rules.

1) Any comment with hyperlinks in it (where you link to another page) is automatically sent to my "Comments Purgatory" until I manually go in and approve it. Why? I don't want evil links on my site. Period. If you chose to hyperlink in your comment, you must understand that your comment becomes "second class" and may not appear for 24 hours or maybe even a few days until I'm able to review comments.

2) Any comments with cuss words will automatically be sent to to "Comments Hell" where they will never see the light of day. They will be deleted. I don't like cursing on my page. It's not fair to the readers.

3) If you include a comment with several hyperlinks, I'll probably just delete it. I don't have the time to check all the links. I assume it's spam. It's deleted.

4) If you link to a heretical website (eg, "Hey check out this great page by womyn priests!") or you link to your personal private revelations...guess what. It will be deleted.

Here's how to leave a great comment: 

1) Address the person that you addressing by name. This prevents confusion. For example:

John,

I hear what you're saying, but didn't Augustine also say...

Use the person's name when you leave a comment.

2) Express your opinion and back it up. Cite some Scripture or a source. Don't just rant.

3) Share useful information. Be positive. Be inspirational. Be salt and light.

Okay, I hope this all proves for a more helpful and inspiring website. I think the comments are over half this blog so please keep leaving them. I love reading them and I LOVE engaging with you in the Comments.

So I'll open the comments: Please leave one. Are these rules reasonable?

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P 9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09222737836/09173373687/09155734856.