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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - February, 2010
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of February: Dedicated to the Holy Family
* Catholic Trivia
* Liturgical Feasts in February
* 'Scriptural Litany of God' (For Private Use Only)
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Believe There Will be a 'Rapture'?
* Lenten Resources
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Dear Friend,
"In the salutation with which [St. Paul] begins every epistle, he prays: 'Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ'; whilst this forms almost the only topic discussed for the Romans, and it is plied with so much persistence and variety of argument, as fairly to fatigue the reader's attention, yet with a fatigue so useful and salutary, that it rather exercises than breaks the faculties of the inner man." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)
Greetings to you and peace!
We hope this year is off to a good start and will continue with a holy Lent. This year, Lent begins on February 17.
As Septuagesima Sunday fell on January 31, it is good to begin preparing now for a holy Lent. Some resources for Lent are listed below. Also, we would like to point to you the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp (shortcut: www.MyCatholicSource.com/DD ), as it may be an excellent companion for Lent. If you visit the MCS Daily Digest each day for a full year, you may enjoy...
* Catholic calendar information corresponding to the date (including reminders about feast days/holy days, fasting, etc.)
* 365 prayers
* 365 quotes of Jesus
* 730 quotes from Popes, Saints ...
* 365 x 3 Q & A = 1,095 Q & A
* 365 'Today in Catholic History' Items
* and more!
This is a great page to bookmark - and it also makes a great home page. Don't miss a day!
We thank you for being a subscriber to the MyCatholicSource.com mailing list and wish you God's blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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MCS News & Notes
* New! We have added dozens of new shortcuts to make it easier to directly access certain parts of our site & blog. Some new shortcuts include: www.MyCatholicSource.com/Saints , www.MyCatholicSource.com/Prayers , www.MyCatholicSource.com/PrayerRequests , www.MyCatholicSource.com/DD , and www.MyCatholicSource.com/Blog . You can simply use the shortcut instead of a full URL. We are working on a listing all available shortcuts. When this listing is complete, we will announce it on the Notices page and in our newsletter. Also, if you'd like to suggest a shortcut to your favorite page or pages, please let us know.
* We are experimenting with some enhancements to our blog at http://mycatholicsource.blogspot.com/ (shortcut www.MyCatholicSource.com/Blog ). The blog now shows the last 30 days entries on the main page instead of just the most recent post. There is also a new option to e-mail, and a full RSS feed may be available. Please stop by today! You can add our RSS feed to your Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, etc. page (see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_blog_and_feed_info.htm for help). Please also consider sharing our blog or becoming "follower" [see link(s) on top of blog at http://mycatholicsource.blogspot.com/ ]
* In response to user requests, we are putting together a printout of the article "The Traditional Latin ('Tridentine') Mass vs. the New (Novus Ordo) Mass" (pages 1-7) for sale. If you would like to be notified when this printout is available for purchase, please let us know. Go to http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/notify_of_availability.htm and submit your e-mail address.
* We have a very long list of new features & improvements we'd like to make to the site, but unfortunately we also have a very large backlog. You can help us prioritize our list by sharing your suggestions and requests with us (please use our subscriber feedback form at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm ). We have made a number of changes to the site this past year, a number of which were based on visitors' reactions and comments, which have improved the site. Thank you for your feedback!
* The 'post of the month' page has been updated for 1/10. This month it was chosen from the Increase Holiness Section and it is titled "Eliminate Ungodly Things". To view the 'post of the month' page, please go to: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/post_of_the_month.htm . To submit a post in your choice of hundreds of categories, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fa/share_your_thoughts.htm
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* Please visit the "Notices" page for timely news and other important information regarding MyCatholicSource.com - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
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The Month of February: Dedicated to the Holy Family
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"Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, 'Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.' And he said to them, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus advanced (in) wisdom and age and favor before God and man." (Lk. 2:41-52)
"We cannot separate Mary and Joseph, were it only for their having such close connection with the mystery of the Incarnation - Mary as being the Mother of the Son of God; and Joseph, as being guardian of the Virgin's spotless honor, and Foster-Father of the divine Babe." (Dom Gueranger)
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Related...
Family / Families (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_life_reflections__family.htm
Holy Family Coloring Page - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_holy_family.htm
Holy Family Mazes - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_mazes.htm
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Catholic Trivia
1. According to tradition, what is the name of the Saint who as a child was taken by Jesus into His arms?
2. Is grace necessary to salvation?
3. What is the 6th article of the Apostles' Creed?
4. What is "a vice opposed to hope, whereby a man expects to gain eternal life by his own strength or without merits, or to obtain pardon without repentance"?
5. What does Dies Dominica refer to?
6. Who is Patron saint of Neighborhood Watch?
7. Name two 19th century encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII which involved the U.S.
8. Complete the sentence: "Speak not for the fool's hearing..."
9. Who said...? "We ought therefore to do alms that we may be heard when we pray that our past sins may be forgiven, not that while we continue in them we may think to provide ourselves with a license for wickedness by alms-deeds."
10. Name three Patron Saints invoked against earthquakes
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Answers:
1. The bishop & martyr St. Ignatius of Antioch (also called Ignatius Theophorus) is, according to tradition, the saint who as a child was taken by Jesus into His arms.
2. "Grace is necessary to salvation, because without grace we can do nothing to merit heaven." (Baltimore Catechism)
3. "He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty"
4. Presumption is "A vice opposed to hope, whereby a man expects to gain eternal life by his own strength or without merits, or to obtain pardon without repentance. Of itself, presumption is a mortal sin; but in its usual form, sc., so acting as to appear presumptuous, it may be venial." (Catholic Dictionary)
5. Dies Dominica is Latin for the Lord's Day (Sunday)
6. St. Sebastian
7. (1)-Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae (Concerning New Opinions, Virtue, Nature And Grace, With Regard To Americanism), Pope Leo XIII, 1899; (2)-Longinqua (On Catholicism In The United States), Pope Leo XIII, 1895
8. "Speak not for the fool's hearing; he will despise the wisdom of your words." (Prov. 23:9)
9. St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church
10. St. Emygdius (Emidius), St. Francis Borgia, St. Gregory the Wonderworker
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For more information concerning the topics above, try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
Like trivia? You might enjoy our crossword puzzles located at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_crossword_puzzles.htm
You might also be interested in the Q & A and historical information which may be found each day on the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Liturgical Feasts in February
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for February as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
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February 1 - St. Brigid (T)
February 1 - St. Ignatius of Antioch (T)
February 2 - Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
February 2 - The Presentation of the Lord (N)
February 3 - St. Blase of Sebaste (T)
February 3 - St. Ansgar (N)
February 3 - St. Blase of Sebaste (N)
February 4 - St. Andrew Corsini (T)
February 5 - St. Agatha of Sicily (T)
February 5 - St. Philip of Jesus (T)
February 5 - St. Agatha of Sicily (N)
February 6 - St. Dorothy (T)
February 6 - St. Titus of Crete (T)
February 6 - St. Paul Miki & companions (N)
February 7 - St. Romuald (T)
February 8 - St. John of Matha (T)
February 8 - St. Jerome Emiliani (N)
February 8 - St. Josephine Bakhita (N)
February 9 - St. Apollonia (T)
February 9 - St. Cyril of Alexandria (T)
February 10 - St. Scholastica (T)
February 10 - St. Scholastica (N)
February 11 - Our Lady of Lourdes (T)
February 11 - Our Lady of Lourdes (N)
February 12 - The Seven Founders of the Servite Order (T)
February 14 - St. Valentine (T)
February 14 - Sts. Cyril & Methodius (N)
February 15 - Sts. Faustinus & Jovita (T)
February 17 - Seven Founders of the Order of Servites (N)
February 18 - St. Mary Bernard (Bernadette) Soubirous (T)
February 18 - St. Simeon (T)
February 21 - St. Peter Damian (N)
February 22 - St. Paul (T)
February 22 - St. Peter's Chair at Antioch (T)
February 22 - Chair of St. Peter, apostle (N)
February 23 - St. Peter Damian (T)
February 23 - St. Polycarp (N)
February 24 - St. Matthias, apostle (T)
February 27 - St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (T)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts see below & try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
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Please Note: Other Important Dates in February 2010...
Sexagesima Sunday: 2/7/10
Quinquagesima Sunday: 2/14/10
Lent Begins On Ash Wednesday: 2/17/10
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'Scriptural Litany of God' (For Private Use Only)
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Reference: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/scriptural_litany_of_God.htm
Tip: Print for reflection while praying
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Notice: The following "scriptural litany", unlike traditional litanies, is for personal prayer and reflection and has as its goal to help readers in the contemplation of God. The following does not contain the repetitive responses usually associated with litanies and is not approved for public prayer. Instead, private use of this litany for meditation may be encouraged. Users are advised to refer to the Scripture passages indicated below in their full context in an appropriate Catholic Bible. [Note: For litanies approved for public devotion, try the Prayers & Devotions Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/prayers_and_devotions.htm ]
Note: The following, while based on Scripture, may be paraphrases of various Bible passages. Capitalization and punctuation of the following may be changed and references may vary. Certain items may not apply to all Persons of the Trinity (i.e. items concerning Jesus' humanity). Also, note that multiple Scripture passages may exist for the items below. Scripture references and translations may vary. Scripture contained herein is not comprehensive. We make no guarantees concerning any item herein.
Reminder: We recommend reading Scripture in full context in an appropriate Catholic Bible. Consult appropriate, competent Church authorities for assistance in interpreting / applying Scripture. Interpretation and application of Scripture should not be contrary to the perennial, official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Do not take Scripture passages out of context. Do not inflict harm on yourself or others, break laws, take unsuitable/incautious or inappropriate/drastic actions, or take figurative items literally.
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God (The Lord) is.... (Reference)
a consuming fire (HEB 12:29)
a Deity great beyond any other (EX 18:11)
a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for Him (ISA 30:18)
a God who judges deeds (1SAM 2:3)
a God who requites, He will surely repay (JER 51:56)
a God who saves; escape from death is in the Lord God's hands (PS 68:21)
a jealous and avenging God; the Lord brings vengeance on His adversaries, and lays up wrath for His enemies (NAHUM 1:2)
a Just Judge, who rebukes in anger every day (PS 7:12)
a refuge on the day of distress; He takes care of those who have recourse to Him (NAHUM 1:7)
a shield to those who take refuge in Him (PROV 30:5)
a stronghold to him who walks honestly; but to evildoers, their downfall (PROV 10:29)
a warrior (EX 15:3)
able to make every grace abundant for you (2COR 9:8)
abounding in love (PS 145:8)
all seeing (SIRACH 15:18)
almighty (GEN 17:1)
an all-knowing God (1SAM 2:3)
an avenger (1THES 4:6)
an eternal Rock (ISA 26:4)
blessed (TOBIT 3:11)
brother of those who do the Father's will (MT 12:50)
close to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirit is crushed (PS 34:19)
compassionate to every creature (PS 145:9)
Creator of all things (2MACC 1:24)
encourager of the downcast (2COR 7:6)
enthroned on the Cherubim (PS 99:1)
Eternal (SIRACH 36:17)
exalted above all (PS 99:2)
fair (PS 96:10)
faithful forever (PS 117:2)
far from the wicked, but the prayer of the just He hears (PROV 15:29)
forever merciful (JER 33:11)
freer of slaves (JER 34:9)
giver of light (PS 118:27)
giver of the word which is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart (HEB 4:12)
glorious (PS 113:4)
God of the heavens above and on earth below, there is no other (DEUT 4:39)
good to the upright, to those who are clean of heart (PS 73:1)
gracious and just (PS 116:5)
great beyond our knowledge (JOB 36:26)
hidden, the God of Israel, the Savior (ISA 45:15)
Holy (PS 77:14)
Immortal (HAB 1:12)
in heaven; whatever God wills is done (PS 115:3)
in His holy temple (HAB 2:20)
in union with those who keep His word (1JN 2:5)
Infinite (PS 102:28)
Judge of the world (TOBIT 3:2)
King forever (PS 10:16)
King from old (JER 10:10)
King of kings (RV 17:14)
Knower of everything (1JN 3:20)
Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1JN 1:5)
Lord alone (MK 12:29)
Lord of all (ESTH C:4)
Love (1JN 4:8)
lover of all (WISDOM 11:24)
maker of rich and poor (PROV 22:2)
meek and humble of heart (MT 11:29)
merciful; time and again He turned back His anger, unwilling to unleash all His rage (PS 78:38)
mighty (PS 48:15)
my Shepherd (PS 23:1)
near (PHIL 4:5)
not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows (GAL 6:7)
not moved by threats (JDTH 8:16)
not subject to temptation to evil, and He himself tempts no one (JMS 1:13)
omnipotent (cf. PS 93:4)
omnipresent (cf. LEV 26:12)
omniscient (JOB 37:16)
on high, but cares for the lowly and knows the proud from afar (PS 138:6)
one (GAL 3:20)
one God in three Persons (MT 28:19)
one who always repays, and He will give back to you sevenfold (SIRACH 35:10)
our comforter (ISA 49:13)
our Father (MT 6:9)
our fortress (PS 18:3)
our guide (PS 25:5)
our help (PS 124:8)
our High Priest (HEB 6:20)
our hope (PS 71:5)
our joy (PS 43:4)
our judge (PS 7:12)
our leader (DEUT 32:12)
our life (GEN 2:7)
our maker to whom we belong, whose people we are, God's well-tended flock (PS 100:3)
our Master (ISA 51:22)
our protector (PS 12:8)
our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress (PS 46:2)
our rock, in whom there is no wrong (PS 92:16)
our Salvation (PS 68:20)
our Savior, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a woman (LK 1)
our teacher (ISA 30:20)
patient with men and showers upon them His mercy (SIRACH 18:9)
perfect (MT 5:48)
pleased by sacrifices of good deeds and sharing (HEB 13:16)
powerful (PS 93:4)
present as my helper; the Lord sustains my life (PS 54:6)
recompense of the just, who live forever (WISDOM 5:15)
Redeemer (ISA 54:5)
Rescuer of those in need (PS 35:10)
Rewarder of the just (PS 58:12)
rich in kindness, slow to anger, forgiving wickedness and crime; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness (NUM 14:18)
robed with majesty; the Lord is robed, girded with might (PS 93:1)
rock of my heart, my portion forever, though my flesh and my heart fail (PS 73:26)
ruler over all the earth (PS 47:8)
slow to anger, yet great in power, and the Lord never leaves the guilty unpunished (NAHUM 1:3)
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth (JN 4:24)
splendorous (PS 29:2)
strength and protection against the evil one (2THES 3:3)
sublime in His power (JOB 36:22)
sustainer of all (HEB 1:3)
the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (RV 22:13)
the bread which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (JN 6:33)
the eternal God, Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary, and His knowledge is beyond scrutiny (ISA 40:28)
the Father of compassion (2COR 1:3)
the God of gods and Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries (DAN 2:47)
the God of hosts (HOSEA 12:6)
the great God, the great King (PS 95:3)
the Holy One (JOB 6:10)
the Just Judge (2TM 4:8)
the one who, for His good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work (PHIL 2:13)
the Rock (PS 18:32)
the safety of the just man (PROV 18:10)
the source of all life (ACTS 17:25)
the Spotless Lamb (cf. JN 1:29)
the Way and the Truth and the Life (JN 14:6)
the witness of our inmost self and the sure observer of our hearts and the listener to our tongues (cf. WISDOM 1:6)
the Wonder Worker (EX 15:11)
True and Good, governing all with mercy (WISDOM 15:1)
true God, He is the living God, the eternal King; before whose anger the earth quakes, whose wrath the nations cannot endure (JER 10:10)
trustworthy in every word, and faithful in every work (PS 145:13)
unchangeable (MAL 3:6)
unerring; the promise of the Lord is fire-tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him (2SAM 22:31)
unfathomable (SIRACH 43:29)
unsearchable (ROM 11:33)
upright (PS 25:8)
wise in heart and mighty in strength (JOB 9:4)
with me to the end; Lord, Your love endures forever (PS 138:8)
with the company of the just (PS 14:5)
with the righteous, and His ears are turned to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers (1PT 3:12)
with you when you are with Him; and if you seek Him, He will be present to you; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you (2CHRON 15:2)
Yahweh ("I AM WHO AM") (EX 3:14)
your Guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right hand (PS 121:5)
your saving shield, and His sword is your glory (DEUT 33:29) . . .
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"Ten thousand names would not suffice You!" (St. Ephraem the Syrian, Doctor of the Church)
"It is difficult to conceive God but to define Him in words is an impossibility." (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church)
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=> Have something to add to this litany? Please tell us! See link above for submission information
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Believe There Will be a 'Rapture'?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__misc.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Believe There Will be a 'Rapture'? (Note: Topic is directed at Protestants)
Consider:
* Do you think the following Scripture passages prove the 'rapture' theory?
Mt. 24:36-44: "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In (those) days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be (also) at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
Lk. 17:22-35: Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' (or) 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (in his day). But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left."
1 Thes. 4:13-18: We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.
If so, can you not see that...
* Those who are "left" are the ones who are damned. They will not get another chance as Christ never promised a third coming. This may be made even more clear by the fact that the time is compared to that of Noah's. Remember that those who were left in Noah's time all perished - they did not get a second chance.
* The coming of Christ will not be silent and invisible, but will be announced by a trumpet blast (Mt. 24:31, 1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thes. 4:16) and "lightning flashes" will light up the sky "from one side to the other" (cf. Mt. 24:27, Lk. 17:24). Scripture is quite clear that people will "see" the coming of Christ (cf. Mk. 13:26, Lk. 21:27, Rv. 1:7).
* How can you refute the charge that the 'rapture' is escapism? If certain persons think they will be "raptured" to heaven, they will not feel they need to work or try or fight... They think they will simply be immune from the time of tribulation and escape judgment.
For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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Lenten Resources
We hope the following resources may be of assistance in preparation for a holy Lent...
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* Make Your Own Lent Calendar - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/lent_calendar.htm
* Lent / Easter Activities (scroll down to view Lent/Easter activities) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_other_activities.htm
* Lenten Prayers (scroll down to "Lenten Prayers") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_occasions_times.htm
* Sorrow for Sin / Mercy / Deliverance Prayers - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_sin_mercy_deliverance.htm
* Prayers to Jesus (Prayer in Honor of the Five Wounds, Prayer in Honor of the Precious Blood, etc.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Jesus.htm
* Stabat Mater (Sequence) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_hymns_sequences.htm
* Stations of the Cross / Way of the Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/stations_of_the_cross.htm
* Traditional Prayers & Practices (see "Traditional Practices", "Lent/Easter") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_prayers_and_practices.htm
* Devotions / Pious Practices - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/devotions.htm
* Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture: Abandonment & Betrayal of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_betrayal.htm
* Fulfilled Prophecies in Scripture: Jesus' Passion, Death, & Resurrection - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_passion_death_resurrection.htm
* The Passion of Jesus (from the Gospels) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_J.htm
Note: Scroll down page to view (about 1/3 way down page...contains selections on the Passion from all four Gospel accounts)
* Jesus' Last Words From The Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/jesus_last_words.htm
* Trials & Sorrows of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/sorrows_of_jesus.htm
* The Passion / Cross Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_basics_reflections_The_Passion.htm
* Sin & Vice Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_life_reflections_sin_and_vice.htm
* Sin, Repentance, Forgiveness Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/coming_home_reflections_sin_rpntnc_forgiveness.htm
* Sin & Vice (Q & A) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_sin_and_vice.htm
* Definitions (e.g. for terms such as Lent, Ash Wednesday, Easter, Passion Sunday, Passiontide, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, etc.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm
* Rome's Lenten Station Churches - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/vatican_view/vatican_view_lenten_station_churches.htm
* Indulgence Information [Don't Forget: Plenary Indulgences May Be Available On Fridays In Lent] - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/indulgences.htm
* 'Educational' Word Search (Lent) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_lent.htm
* Coloring Page - Jesus Washing Apostle's Feet - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_jesus_washing_feet.htm
* Coloring Page - Last Supper - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_last_supper.htm
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Fasting Related Resources [Note: The Church has traditionally required a 40 day Lenten fast.]
* Traditional Prayers & Practices / Fasting (see "Traditional Practices", " Fasting / Abstinence / Partial Abstinence") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_prayers_and_practices.htm
* Fasting / Scriptural References (see "Other Practices / Requirements") [Non-Catholics section (apologetics) - great for Catholics too!] - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__biblical_references.htm
* Reflections / Fasting (click "E-F" and then click "Fasting") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_life_reflections.htm
* Fasting / Abstinence Reflections (click "E-F" and then click "Fasting / Abstinence") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_basics_reflections.htm
* Reflections: Prayer & Fasting (scroll down and click "Prayer & Fasting") - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/prayers_and_devotions_reflections.htm
* Topical Scripture: Fast / Fasting - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/pcst/topical_scripture_F4.htm
"The forty days' fast, which we call Lent, is the Church's preparation for Easter, and was instituted at the very commencement of Christianity. Our blessed Lord Himself sanctioned it by fasting forty days and forty nights in the desert; and though He would not impose it on the world by an express commandment... yet He showed plainly enough, by His own example, that fasting, which God has so frequently ordered in the old Law, was to be also practiced by the children of the new... [W]e find it mentioned, in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of our Lord, after the foundation of the Church, applied themselves to fasting. In their Epistles, also, they recommended it to the faithful. Nor could it be otherwise. Though the divine mysteries whereby our Savior wrought our redemption have been consummated, yet are we still sinners: and where there is sin, there must be expiation." (Dom Gueranger)
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Closing Quotations...
"O Lord Jesus Christ, who, becoming subject to Mary and Joseph, didst hallow home life by singular virtues; by the help of both, do thou grant that we may be taught by the example of thy Holy Family, and have fellowship with it for evermore: Who livest." (Collect, Feast of the Holy Family)
"At length the Holy Family enter Jerusalem. The name of this holy City signifies 'Vision of Peace'; and Jesus comes to bring her Peace. Let us consider the names of the three places in which our Redeemer began, continued, and ended his life on earth. He is conceived at Nazareth, which signifies a Flower; and Jesus is, as he tells us in the Canticle, the Flower of the field and the Lily of the valley (Cant. ii I), by whose fragrance we are refreshed. He is born at Bethlehem, the 'House of Bread', for he is the nourishment of our souls. He dies on the Cross in Jerusalem ('Vision of Peace'), and, by his Blood, he restores peace between heaven and earth, peace between men, peace within our own souls" (Dom Gueranger)
"And after the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord... And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him... And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, He also took him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace; Because my eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed." (Lk 2:22, 25, 27-35)
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