I might be wrong - :-) The Bible and Church Tradition are not

Since the Bible is infallible, there must be an infallible source that is enabled by the Holy Spirit to identify and interpret it infallibly.
The Catholic Church claims that the Holy Spirit inspired Scripture and therefore it is infallible. The Church also claims that the Holy Spirit has enabled the Church to not only identify but also interpret God’s Word infallibly. The Traditions of the Church - capital “T” - came first, then the Bible. First the Church was established, then the sacred Scripture was written, identified and codified. That is just a matter of history. You don’t have to know much of Church history to know that Tradition and Sacred Scripture have always worked hand in hand. Think about the New Testament. Again, the Church was established by Jesus first, then came the writing of the New Testament. 

The Holy Spirit accurately communicates truth to the Church, leading her into all truth just as Jesus promised. Jesus was talking to His disciples in John 16. I quoted part of that passage below. That is significant. The “you” is “all ya’ all”. He is talking to them as a group, not as individuals only. He is showing them how their apostolate will work - through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is not telling them, " I will give you the Bible and each one of you needs to follow his own conscience in order to find the truth. “ You will not find that kind of “Protestant” thinking anywhere in the Bible. 
John 16 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
------------------------------------------------------------

Sola scriptura is a self-contradictory doctrine since it is not found in the Bible. Besides, no one holds to only the Bible, which is what many seem to advocate. For example. Reformed Baptist, Dr. White is a Calvinist. He defends sola scriptura. Get the picture? His doctrine is formed by the teachings of a man named John Calvin. He specifically follows what are called the Doctrines of Grace, also known as TULIP. He is also an advocate of Covenant Theology from a Baptistic perspective. He is NOT a “Bible only” kind of a guy. He is a Bible plus other standards like Covenant Theology and Calvinism - the Doctrines of Grace - kind of a guy. Another aspect of sola scriptura is that of the sufficiency of Scripture. So, if it is sufficient, why does a man like Dr. White need Calvinism? Why does he need Covenant theology or the Doctrines of Grace? He has to have his Calvinistic traditions in order to support his teachings. Also, sola scriptura involves a little thing called the perspicuity of Scripture. That is, the Bible is clear in its message. If the Bible is so clear in its message, why is there so much division, discussion, and disagreement just among the Calvinists? How many Presbyterian groups are there? How many Calvinistic Baptist groups are there? There is even a wing of Anglicanism that is Calvinistic. There are Calvinistic Methodists who follow guys like George Whitefield and Martin Lloyd-Jones. Then there are the Calvinistic Congregationalists, which are not especially liked by the Reformed Presbyterians. 

The underlying problem in even the best of Protestant groups has to do with the infallible Scripture-fallible standards principle. That is, Scripture is infallible, but there is no infallible way to know what it means. There are fallible ways to interpret Scripture, but not infallible ways.

Therefore each group can freely claim that they have the best way to interpret Scripture.

In fact, in Protestantism there really is no infallible way to know what Scripture is in the first place.

That’s a problem.

Luther and Tradition

Luther deliberately rejected Church Tradition. Whatever he retained from Tradition he retained because he decided to retain it. Whatever he didn’t like about Tradition, he rejected. His own spirit became the umpire for his belief system. He became his own final authority. Here is how he defended the addition of a word that is not in the original Biblical text. See that he refused any and all correction. He appealed to himself as the final authority on the subject.

"But I will return to the subject at hand. If your papist wishes to make a great fuss about the word sola (alone), say this to him: "Dr. Martin Luther will have it so, and he says that a papist and a donkey are the same thing.”

- From Luther’s Open Letter on Translating

------------------------------------------------- I will add that no Bible translator in our day - Protestant or Catholic - would ever get away with adding words to Scripture in order to defend a pet doctrine. That is not acceptable at all, yet Luther did it and accepted no correction. So, yes, Luther set the tone for all Protestants. His influence is clearly seen in all denominations. Each denomination, - and then each individual within that denomination - feels free to pick and choose what doctrines it will accept and what doctrines it will reject. Hence the continuous infighting, and then divisions within Protestantism. Yes, Luther kept a lot of Catholic teaching, but so what? He did it because “Dr. Martin Luther will have it so.” Is that what Jesus intended for His Church? If it is, then prove from Scripture that the attitude Luther had was the one Jesus wanted His people to have. There is abundant Scriptural evidence to prove that Jesus indeed wants His Church to be one, even as He and the Father are one. (See John 17 and Ephesians 4 for starters.)

I couldn’t defend the divisions anymore. We are supposed to be one Church, not many.

Some like the idea that they are free to pick and choose whatever they wish to believe and still call it Christian. Some make better choices than others. Some are really seeking the truth, and not just an excuse to make up their own religion. I get that.

Freedom is a great gift. Some believe that being free means not submitting to an organized Church. It gets complicated. I understand that, since I was a Protestant my whole life until not long ago.

Many look for a denomination that will give them more structure than that. Few have the time or inclination to make up their minds about every point of doctrine. However, if all Protestant denominations claim the Bible as their final authority, why are there so many different denominations?

Maybe I just hope that some will take another look at the Catholic Church’s claim to being the one that Jesus founded.

...and so forth.

Jesus founded only one Church. Yes, Protestants are real Christians. I am not saying they are not. What I am saying is that Jesus did not mean for us to be so antagonistic towards one another.

I am also saying that, even with all her warts and flaws, the Catholic Church still has the right message about unity. I understand that not all want to come Home to Rome. I get that. Rome is still Home, and always has been since Jesus founded His One Church.

Maybe at least Protestants - and those of us who used to be Protestants :-) - and Catholics could try a little harder to accept one another as brethren? That would be a good place to start.

Pope Francis is trying to lead in the right direction, I believe.

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

St Peter

“I do so love St Peter,” says a friend of mine. “Whenever he opens his mouth, he puts his foot in it”.
  She is right, of course. Whatever else St Peter may be, he is not the model of a wise and noble hero. He walks on the water – but then panics and starts to sink. He makes the first profession of faith – and moments later blunders into error and is called Satan by the Lord. He refuses to be washed, and then, when the purpose is explained to him, demands to be washed all over. And, of course, he betrays his master soon after having been warned that he will and having sworn not to. If Peter is the rock on which the Church is built, what a fissured and friable rock it is! How much better, we think, to have chosen the Sons of Thunder, for their energy; or Judas Iscariot, for his financial acumen; or John, because he was loved the best.
  The choosing of Peter teaches us a lesson. The Church’s foundation-stone and its first leader is not all-wise, all-knowing, good, heroic, and beautiful. He is a very ordinary man who makes about as many mistakes as we would in his place, and kicks himself for them just as thoroughly afterwards. If St Peter had been a hero, we could easily have despaired of ever becoming like him. If St Peter had been great, and noble, and good, we could have told ourselves that the Church is for the saints, despaired, sat down, and not bothered. But the Church is not just for saints: it is for confused, impetuous, cowardly people like us – or St Peter. The rock crumbles, the ropes are frayed, the wood is rotten – but, although that improbable building, the Church, is made of such inferior materials, it grows (on the whole) faster than it collapses, and it is grace that holds it together.
  In the end, it was grace that gave the coward the courage to bear witness when it counted, grace that gave the fool the wisdom he needed to set the infant Church on her way, grace that taught the impetuous man patience and forbearance.
  We none of us admire ourselves, however much we would like to; let us not try to admire St Peter either, but admire instead the grace he was given, and pray that, weak as we are, we may be given it too, and may use it.

I don’t know who wrote the above, but it is from todays Universalis readings. This is the day of the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. 

The heading of today's page reads like this.:

The Lord is the king of apostles; come, let us adore him.

It is hard to convince Protestants that Catholic veneration of the saints is not worship of the people themselves. Maybe this reading will help someone see that in the veneration of the saints - even of St. Peter - they are not really the focus of attention. At least they should not be. 

We should not confuse Creator and that which is created. Saints are creations of God. They do not create themselves. 

We are encouraged to see and marvel at the grace of God operating in the lives of those God has used in extraordinary ways. We stand amazed because we know that these saints are people like us, yet God took them and made them into something extraordinary. 

Even more than that, He has that destiny in mind for every one who believes in Christ. The goal for all saints - even every Christian -  is to be saintly. They show that God is able to do what we could never do ourselves. 

Venerating a saint is much like looking at a beautiful work of art and marveling at the artist’s ability. How did the great master paint like that, or sculpt like that? 

It is a lot like listening to a great piece of music - like Bach’s Mass in B minor, which I keep coming back to - and wondering how an ordinary human being could write something so intricate and sublime. 

It is a lot like looking at a sunset, awestruck by its majesty. 

These works of God and man should bring us to our knees in worship of the God who is by definition Creator. We are created in His image after all. Everything in all of creation points to Him. 

Saints are no exception. Man doesn’t just imitate God in the creative process. Somehow he cooperates with God. 

Yes, I know that Protestant resistance to the veneration of saints is not easily overcome. However, maybe what I say will help someone else at least understand a bit better.

The Rosary - a few thoughts - 1

This is another post without a lot of developed ideas, just a few thoughts and those kind of random. Here goes.

The Rosary is called the Mysteries of the Rosary. For most Protestants, the Rosary itself is a mystery. 

Why would Christians pray to and worship Mary?  When I was a Protestant, I thought that the Rosary was all about Mary and probably mariolatry - the worship of Mary as though she were a goddess. It was kind of creepy.

Well, now I know that it really isn’t all about Mary. It’s more like seeing the life of Jesus, Mary’s Son, through her eyes. It is also an appeal to Mary to pray for us. It is a very human form of devotion, to put oneself into the Gospel narrative and see it all through the eyes of the one who made the Incarnation possible from the human point of view. Mary’s “yes” to God made our “yes” to Him possible. 

Eve’s “no” to God’s will brought about the effects in our world that we call in theological terms "the Fall." Mary’s “yes” changed everything. If you think about the parallels between Eve and Mary you may begin to see why Mary is so highly favored, being called “blessed” all throughout the history of the Church.


So, the Rosary involves the contemplation of the key points of the life of Christ as seen through His mother’s eyes as well as an appeal to her for prayer. That kind of thing makes Protestants uncomfortable. I know, because I used to think that was strange. 

Why do Catholics pray to the dead?

Catholics and Orthodox used to tell me that Mary is not dead, but actually more alive now in God’s presence than she was during her earthly life. So, just as we would ask someone here on earth to pray for us, we can ask those who are in Heaven right now to pray for us. That is the kind of intercession we are talking about.

I used to argue against that idea. Scripture won the debate for me. I will throw this in, even though it doesn’t relate directly to the Rosary. One of the final blows to my carefully laid Protestant foundation was St. Thomas Aquinas.

Now, generally when someone says they are a Thomist, it means they are steeped in philosophy, natural law, and are just plain smarter than the average human being. That is true about many Thomists. 

However, I am one of those simple Thomists. I have never studied philosophy in any kind of serious way. The one course on philosophy that I took in college traumatized me. I hated it.

So, what is it that impressed me about Thomas?  Here it is. Thomas knew his Bible. He had it memorized. 

That meant a lot to a good, old fashioned and proud of it, Bible thumper. I love God’s Word. I listen to parts of it every day. I read it every day. I have large sections of it memorized, like any good Bible thumper has. Bible thumpers get a bad rap. We love God’s Word, and we love the God of the Word. That part has not changed at all. God bless the Bible thumpers! All of them who spoke the truth of the Bible into my life and my dull mind!

So, I read the first few pages of his Summa Theologica, and I was hooked. It is the most Biblical of all the theological “stuff” I had ever read. In fact, it is like the fountain of all other theological works, since it brings together all that had gone before him, and set the stage for all that followed. 

Many Protestants claim him, even. He indeed summarized all of Christian theology. His philosophy was his handmaiden, and his theology is about God Himself.  It is a very foolish Christian theologian who tosses Thomas aside. It is a very foolish Thomist as well who does not memorize Scripture and argue from that point of view. So, this is also an little advertisement for St. Thomas Aquinas. 


One key Scripture that I could not ignore and that helped in my conversion was this. 

Mark 12:27New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”

Read this verse in context. The words are very clear. 

Mark 12:26b‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 

Here is the complete context. Notice this. 

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are said to be alive, not dead. So, you may not be ready to go the whole way and begin to ask  the saints to pray for you, but at least you may be able to see that Catholics and Orthodox do not pray to the dead. 

In fact, we do not “pray to” the saints in the same sense that we pray to God. We do not believe that they are little gods with supernatural powers of their own, coming from them. It is all about the grace of God operating in the lives of His saints. 

Remember the passage about the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishing much?  That passage is a key to understanding what Catholics and Orthodox do in asking the saints who are now in God’s presence to pray for us. (James 5:16)

The Question about the Resurrection18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man[b] shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21 and the second married the widow[c] and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22 none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23 In the resurrection[d]whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”24 Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”

I will leave it there for now. Later I will probably post the sequence of the Rosary. It, like the Creeds, is a way of keeping the Gospel alive among the people of God. 

The world changes. This cosmos - the way that the world is manifested in a specific time frame - is constantly changing. So, the Creeds and the prayers of the Church are ways to keep Christians from following the cosmos. They are ways that Christians can keep from being conformed to this world, but rather being transformed by Christ. They are ways, along with Scripture itself of course, to renew our minds. 

See Romans 12:1,2

It is not obligatory to use the devotional prayers of the Rosary. The Creeds are obligatory. 

The Creeds - The Nicene and the Apostles’ - are incorporated into the Mass. Many of us pray the Creeds every day as well. That is another subject. It touches on the subject of the Rosary, though, because the first prayer is the Apostles’ Creed. 

Yes, I have been praying the Rosary almost every day, now, for about a year. True confessions of an ex Protestant. Yes, it surprises me, too.  It shocks me, even. I never would have believed it about myself!

Some thoughts on reading a Catholic Church

This is my parish church. It is generally full for Mass, but this is a weekday communion, liturgy of the Word service. There are usually about 10 people present for that service.

This isn’t a great photo, but I want to use it to illustrate a point or two. See, a Catholic Church always tells a story. Actually, it tells many stories, but all of them have the same theme - God. Everything in the church is meant to draw one’s attention away from himself or herself and up to God.

A Catholic Church is a sanctuary. It is a place where Heaven and earth meet as one. Jesus Christ, His body, blood, soul, and divinity is present, really present. The sanctuary is an Ark of salvation like Noah’s. It is the heavenly vision in the book of Revelation.

Notice the roofline. Notice the center of attention - the image of Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead. Under his feet is the tabernacle.

Look at the objects in the photo and think about what they represent. Here are a few things that I thought about today.


Mary is on Jesus’ right. 
Joseph is on His left. 
Jesus is in the middle and raised above both of them with his arms extended. 
To me, this is powerful imagery to contemplate. Here are a few words that come to mind. 

Balance. 
Unity. 
Beauty. 
Strength. 
Love. 
Self sacrifice. 
Welcome. 

I believe that this ancient wisdom holds the key to the present. The Holy Family holds the key to understanding how the world works and how men, women, and children are supposed to relate to one another in love. 

We live in an analogical world. I am working on seeing the world that way. Everything God created was and is good, and all of it - every last bit of it - is in some way or another an analogy of who He is. I am not sure what that means, exactly, but I hope to learn. 

Now, this is obviously not a very well developed post. I apologize. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so I started thinking about the Blessed Virgin, and then the Holy Family, and then the images in the front of our parish church. 

It’s all so beautiful! You can’t see them in the photo, but along both side walls are the carvings of the 13 stations of the cross. 

Some call the image of the resurrected Jesus the 14th station - Jesus alive from the dead, with His arms extended, ready to welcome all who wish to come to Him in faith. 

Now, this sanctuary is not the most glorious. I have a friend who calls it St. Ikea’s. There is none of the stained glass that is in most churches. It’s architecture reflects the Scandinavian heritage of the town. It took me awhile to warm up to the decor and be able to appreciate its subtle beauty. 

No matter. The message is clear. The Gospel. 

St. Thomas Aquinas - For Ordering a life Wisely - prayer

More evidence to the fact that St. Thomas Aquinas is indeed Catholic, and not a proto-Protestant as some claim. I am glad that many Protestants wish to self-identify as Thomists.  Not intending to offend, just state the truth about St. Thomas Aquinas. 

It is said that St. Thomas recited this daily before the image of Christ. Notice that he did not claim the kind of assurance of salvation that many Protestant groups promise. There is no sense of “once saved, always saved” in these words. 

He prayed for perseverance, something that not even he presumed to already have. 

On the other hand, there is really nothing in this prayer that a non-Catholic Christian should feel uncomfortable praying. It is truly Christian. Truly Catholic.  

~ For Ordering a life Wisely ~

O merciful God, grant that I may desire ardently, search prudently,
and bring to perfect completion whatever is pleasing to You for the
praise and glory of your name.

Put my life in good order, O my God.

Grant that I may know what you require me to do.

Bestow upon me the power to accomplish Your will, as is necessary 
and fitting for the salvation of my soul.

Grant to me, O Lord my God, that I may not falter in times of prosperity 
or adversity, so that I may not be exalted in the former, nor dejected
in the latter.

May I not rejoice in anything unless it leads me to You; may I not be 
saddened by anything unless it turns me from you.

May I desire to please no one, nor fear to displease anyone, but You.

May all transitory things, O Lord, be worthless to me and may all things
eternal be ever cherished by me.

May any joy without You be burdensome for me and may I not desire any-
thing else besides You.

May all work, O Lord, delight me when done for Your sake and may all
repose not centered in You be ever wearisome for me.

Grant unto me, my God, that I may direct my heart to You and that in my 
failures I may ever feel remorse for my sins and never lose the resolve to
change.

O Lord my God, make me submissive without protest, poor without discouragement,
chaste without regret, patient without complaint, humble without posturing,
cheerful without frivolity, mature without gloom, and quick-witted without
flippancy.

O Lord my God, let me fear You without losing hope, be truthful without guile,
do good works without presumption, rebuke my neighbor without haughtiness,
and - without hypocrisy - strengthen him by word and example.

Give to me, O Lord God, a watchful heart, which no capricious thought can lure
me away from You.

Give to me a noble heart, which no unworthy desire can debase.

Give to me a resolute heart, which no evil intention can divert.

Give to me a stalwart heart, which no tribulation can overcome.

Give to me a temperate heart, which no violent passion can enslave.

Give to me, O Lord my God, understanding of You, diligence in seeking You, wisdom
in finding You, discourse ever pleasing to You, perseverance in waiting for You,
and confidence in finally embracing You.

Grant that with Your hardships I may be burdened in reparation here, that Your
benefits I may use in gratitude upon the way, that in Your joys I may delight by
glorifying You in the Kingdom of Heaven.

You Who live and reign, God, world without end.


Amen

The Unity of the Catholic Church in all Her Parts

This excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains briefly why the Church is one. There is one Triune God, one Word of God, one Savior, one Spirit, and so forth. How can there then be more than one Church? 

Non Catholic Christians for the most part also recognize this fact - there is only one Church. However most have given up on visible unity for the present time. Visible unity is impossible to achieve this side of eternity, or so the reasoning goes. So, it is foolish and even spiritually dangerous to try to push for visible unity according to many if not most non Catholic Christian groups. 

So, denominations proliferate, each one believing itself to be the closest to what Scripture teaches. 

Unity is not a priority at all among non Catholic Christians. 

The Catholic Church values unity and works towards both invisible and visible unity. Unity is one of the four marks of the true Church, - as in one holy apostolic and Catholic Church as stated in the Nicene Creed.  

This high priority on unity is further evidence that the Catholic Church is the true Church. No other Christian group has worked as hard to restore unity. 

Notice that non Catholic Christians, united in true baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit are brothers in Christ. Not very many non Catholic Christian groups consider Catholics to be brothers and sisters in Christ. That is a tragedy. Yes, I used to think that way, so I know. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is from the CCC.

I. THE CHURCH IS ONE ⇡

"The sacred mystery of the Church's unity" (UR 2) ⇡

172
766
797
(all)

813

The Church is one because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit."259 The Church is one because of her founder: for "the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, ... restoring the unity of all in one people and one body."260 The Church is one because of her "soul": "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity."261 Unity is of the essence of the Church: What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her "Church."262

259.

UR 2 § 5.

260.

GS 78 § 3.

261.

UR 2 § 2.

262.

St. Clement Of Alexandria, Pæd. 1,6,42:PG 8,300...

Wounds to unity ⇡

2089
(all)

817

In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church — for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame."269 The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ's Body — here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism270 — do not occur without human sin: Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.271

269.

UR 3 § 1.

270.

Cf. CIC, can. 751.

271.

Origen, Hom. in Ezech. 9,1:PG 13,732.

1271
(all)

818

"However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . ... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."272

272.

UR 3 § 1.

819

"Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth"273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements."274 Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."276

273.

LG 8 § 2.

274.

UR 3 § 2; cf. LG 15.

275.

Cf. UR 3.

276.

Cf. LG 8.

Ash Wednesday

Well, Lent this year kind of got off to a bad start with me.  I missed the Ash Wednesday service, which makes me kind of sad.  It is not an obligation to go to the Ash Wednesday service, but still. It is a special time with God as we enter into the desert of Lent.

What I enjoy about the Catholic Church is how the Gospel isn’t  just read. It is dramatized throughout  the liturgical year. The 40 Days of Lent are reminiscent of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the Wilderness being tempted by the devil.

It’s not like we shouldn’t resist temptation all the time. It’s just that Lent is a special time of focusing on our spiritual need and dryness, our sin and need of God’s mercy. We give up legitimate pleasures in order to focus on our spiritual lives.

Here is what one Fr. says about Ash Wednesday.

"On Ash Wednesday, we accept a mark of ashes on our forehead, a mark that will distinguish us publically as sinners.  What we know privately about ourselves we show to the world.  But that we are sinners is not the only truth that we display.  The mark of ashes is a sign to the world that we have received something extraordinary and undeserved from the Lord Jesus.  What have we received?  A word of forgiveness that is creative, living and effective, which if accepted, gives to us and to the world, what we need most- the gift of a new start and the unexpected grace of another chance.”
-  Fr. Steve Grunow

Father Steve Grunow is the CEO of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

Ash Wednesday is a time of public confession of oneself as a sinner. It is also a public confession of Christ, the One who forgives sinners.

It is a time to reflect on the fact that we are but dust, and to dust we will return. 

It is a time to recognize our need and our poverty. 

It is a time to recognize that God is merciful, able and willing to forgive us and cleanse us. 

It is a time to recognize our need for beauty and life. All found in God. 

It is a time to accept God’s grace in Christ.

Here is a beautiful, short film about the meaning of Ash Wednesday.

Mozart and Elvis

...and a bit about Mozart’s Catholicism. This is from Wikkepedia, but it seems to have been well researched and unchallenged.

He seems to have been a practicing Catholic.


"Mozart himself believed in regular religious Catholic practices and the need for the sacraments of the church. He was nevertheless less harsh than his father with fasting. He did not consider eating meat on fast days as a great sin but charged that "for me fasting means holding back eating less than usual".[21]

In his letter he wrote his father (Mannheim, 2 February 1778):

I have always had God before my eyes, ... I know myself, and I have such a sense of religion that I shall never do anything which I would not do before the whole world; but I am alarmed at the very thoughts of being in the society of people, during my journey, whose mode of thinking is so entirely different from mine (and from that of all good people). But of course they must do as they please. I have no heart to travel with them, nor could I enjoy one pleasant hour, nor know what to talk about; for, in short, I have no great confidence in them. Friends who have no religion cannot be long our friends.[22][23]”

Of course he could have said this to please his father. It is also possible that his “bad boy” image has obscured the fact of his intense personal faith. People are hardly ever one or the other - either perfectly pious or totally given over to indulgences of the flesh. He could not have written the great amount of music he wrote in his short life if he had been totally given to debauchery. Even so, he did have his interesting character flaws, that’s for sure. Most interesting people have some pretty obvious flaws as well.

I don’t think he could have shown such devotion in his religious works if he hadn’t had a strong faith himself. Listen to his Ave verum corpus or his Magnificat or his Requiem - especially the Lacrimosa, which does make me cry - and maybe you will see what I mean.

Here’s further explanation of his religious feelings.


"Trying to characterize Mozart's religious beliefs, Halliwell writes, "An educated guess at the totality of Mozart's beliefs based on reconciling the motley evidence would probably posit a broad belief in Christianity, but impatience with many of the requirements of the Catholic church."[20] MacIntyre suggests that Mozart "seems to have been a freethinking Catholic with a private relationship to God."[24]”


The article explains how Mozart could have been both a faithful Catholic and a Freemason.

"Freemasonry was banned by the Catholic Church in a Papal Bull entitled In eminenti apostolatus issued by Pope Clement XII on 28 April 1738. The ban, however, "was published and came into force only in the Papal States, Spain, Portugal, and Poland."[14] It was not promulgated in Austria, where Mozart lived, until 1792 (after Mozart's death). Hence, although the Catholic Church's opposition to Freemasonry would eventually become known in Austria, during Mozart's lifetime "a good Catholic could perfectly well become a Mason," and it is clear that Mozart saw no conflict between these two allegiances.[15]”

So, anyway. There have been various theories about what actually took Mozart’s life at such a young age - only 35. The man wasn’t a Puritan.

https://www.themedicalbag.com/story/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart

Okay, so I am going to make a tacky connection to Elvis. If someone looks only at a person’s behavior in some areas of their life, one may miss what really drives them, what really inspires them to greatness. Sometimes you have to look deeper to see that. You may have to look past what is on the surface to see who they really are.

I had always loved Mozart, but I came to appreciate Elvis much later in life. How did I come to appreciate Elvis? It was through his interpretations of Gospel music that I saw the real Elvis. Well, maybe the bad boy Elvis was also the real Elvis. However, I say that it was his love of God that inspired him as much as it was his love of fame and fortune.

In a way, I have been a performer for most of my life. No, not like Elvis or Mozart, of course. I am not famous - except I do have a small following, some fans who love me and write to me almost daily. So, in a small way I understand what it is like to have an audience and a following.

Well, not here on my blog. Mostly I just talk to myself here, but there are some who stop by. So, howdy to anyone who reads this.

It is a burden in a way to have fans and an audience. A person with followers feels the pressure to love and be loved. He or she feels the pressure to be what the fans want them to be. So, it is easy to kind of rebel against that in other ways - to try to prove that they should not be idolized and followed around as though they were something special.

On the other hand, there is the issue of pride and ego. The performer also wants to be idolized. It gets complicated. It’s even worse when a person is a performer from childhood, as Mozart was.


Anyway, that’s kind of weird to talk about Mozart and Elvis in the same sentence. I’m probably wrong. It’s a heart thing, I guess. I just see deep, religious faith driving both of them, inspiring them.  Because of their bad behavior in other ways, it is easy to miss the fact of their deep love and devotion to God.

Of course, Mozart’s genius was far greater and of a different quality than that of Elvis. So, why are they kind of connected in my mind?  Why do I feel identified with both of them?

Yeah, I’m a little weird, I guess.