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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - May, 2013 [Plain text version]

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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - May, 2013

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IN THIS ISSUE:

* Greetings

* MCS News & Notes

* The Month of May: Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

* 'Unanswered Prayers': Some Reflections

* Resources For Ascension & Pentecost

* Liturgical Feasts in May

* 'Catholic Trivia'

* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Was There a "Great Apostasy" in the Catholic Church?

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Dear Friend,

"We are keeping the feast of Pentecost and of the Coming of the Spirit, and the appointed time of the Promise, and the fulfillment of our hope. And how great, how august, is the Mystery." (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor of the Church)

Greetings! We pray that you will have a blessed month of May, crowned by a blessed, holy Pentecost. Some important dates this month include the following...

5/6/13 - Rogation Monday (T)

5/7/13 - Rogation Tuesday (T)

5/8/13 - Vigil of the Ascension | Rogation Day (T)

5/9/13 - Ascension of Our Lord

5/18/13 - Vigil of Pentecost 

5/19/13 - Pentecost Sunday

5/22/13 - Ember Wednesday after Pentecost (T)

5/24/13 - Ember Friday after Pentecost (T)

5/25/13 - Ember Saturday after Pentecost (T)

5/26/13 - Trinity Sunday

5/30/13 - Corpus Christi

May you enjoy good health, good weather, and abundant spiritual blessings during this beautiful month of May which is dedicated to our most holy & blessed Mother.

Thank you for being a valued subscriber to our newsletter,

Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com

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Prayer for the Blessed Virgin Mary's Patronage: "Grant unto us, Thy servants, O Lord Jesus Christ, to be protected at all times and in all places by the patronage of Blessed Mary, Thy Virgin Mother." (Raccolta)

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MCS News & Notes

* New! We have completed the expansion of the Catholic Fun & Activities Section. Newly added to this section are: 32 new coloring pages (including 2 rosary frame images), 8 new crossword puzzles & answer keys (including a Sacred Heart crossword & a Fatima crossword), 10 new mazes, and 10 new word searches & answer keys (covering topics: angels, grace, Holy Spirit, indulgences, papacy, sacramentals, and a very large Mass word search). We hope you will enjoy them! To view all coloring pages, crosswords, mazes and word searches, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/catholic_fun_and_activities.htm

* New search box: We have added a new search box to the left border of our site (for pages still using the old design). This search box also appears on the new site design. To use, simply enter keyword(s), and press the 'Search' button. You should be taken to the results page of our new search engine (in beta form). From there, you can click on the results or refine your search. For best results when using this search page, please review the tips provided at the top and bottom of the page.

* We are still accepting (welcoming!) comments about our new site design. Please submit your comments at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/transition_feedback.htm

* Help us help you! Although we have tried to do what we can to make finding information on our site as easy as possible (especially with our with our new & improved search page and our convenient indexes & Topic Pages), we know that tracking down certain information on the thousands of pages our site contains can sometimes be challenging, especially since the site is supported by a number of databases which cannot be searched along with the rest of the site. If you have any suggestions/requests/comments that might help us to make it easier for you to navigate or find information on our site, please let us know. We are always happy to hear from you. Please submit your comments at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm

* For Fatima resources (incl. prayers, coloring page), please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-fatima.htm

* For fasting / abstinence information for Rogation Days, Ember Days & the Vigil of Pentecost, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_prayers_and_practices.htm

* Have you completed first five Saturdays devotion? The first five Saturdays devotion, associated with Fatima, is accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary's promise to provide all graces necessary for salvation at the hour of one's death. If you haven't yet started this devotion, May is the perfect month to start. If you have completed this devotion, why not repeat it? For more information concerning this devotion, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm

* Reminder: Our Fifth Annual Rosary Week is scheduled for 10/21/13 - 10/27/13. Please plan to join fellow Catholics in praying the rosary each day that week for the indicated intentions. We hope to have a sign up sheet available shortly.

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MyCatholicSource.com App News...

* We were happy to hear from a customer last month that our apps have been 'so helpful'. If you have any thoughts to share regarding our apps, please contact us using the e-mail address provided in the app or online at http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/bfsapps-feedback.htm

* Want a great memory aid for truths of the Catholic faith? Would you like help defending or sharing the Catholic faith? Why not purchase our Catholic Bible References app today! This app is a handy apologetics tool that can be used to help Catholics discuss & defend the faith. It features hundreds of key bible references conveniently arranged by topic, 100+ tips for locating related passages (including those related to defending the Catholic faith among 'Jehovah's Witnesses' & Mormons), modern / traditional scripture translations, a convenient index, an easy / quick / comprehensive search, selectable text, Old Testament / New Testament indicator, a quick, easy-to-use interface, and more... Download your copy of this 'must-have' app today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catholic-bible-references/id450589859?ls=1&mt=8

* If you own an iPhone, please consider purchasing our handy speed dial app, Speedy Dial! We use this app all the time and love it. The iPhone App Review called Speedy Dial! "one of the best speed dial applications we've seen yet on the iPhone." The Smart Phone App Review likewise called it "very comprehensive, with just about every possible option you could need from an app like this, which is really very impressive." One user recently contacted us about the app, saying "Nice app." Get your copy today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedy-dial!/id527029746?ls=1&mt=8

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The Month of May: Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

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"He who is devout to the Virgin Mother will certainly never be lost." (St. Ignatius of Antioch)

"Such is the will of God, Who would have us obtain everything through the hands of Mary." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church)

"The clients of Mary will necessarily be saved; the salvation of those who are not protected by Mary is impossible." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)

"To be devout to you, O holy Virgin, is an arm of salvation which God gives to those whom He wishes to save" (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church)

"We have the Virgin as universal advocate in all things, for she is more powerful in whatever necessity than are the other Saints in particular needs." (Pope Pius XII)

"Many souls are in heaven through the prayers of Mary who otherwise would not be there." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

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Related Resources...

* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm

* Blessed Virgin Mary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections.htm

* Misc. Marian Facts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/facts.htm 

* Marian Scriptural References - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_scriptural_references.htm

* Popular Marian Prayers & Hymns - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_prayers.htm

* Popular Marian Devotions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm

* Some Reasons to Honor the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/reasons_to_honor_mary.htm

* Some Thoughts on the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/thoughts_on_mary.htm

* Marian Feasts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_feasts.htm

* Marian Apparitions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/apparitions.htm

* Do Catholics Worship Mary? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/do_catholics_worship_mary.htm

* Marian Encyclicals - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm

* Marian Apologetics - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm

* Mary, Our Mother Section - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm

* Marian Coloring Pages - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm

* Word Searches (Blessed Virgin Mary) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_word_searches.htm

* Blessed Virgin Mary (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_Mary.html

Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm

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"Death through Eve, life through Mary." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)

"As the sun is brighter than the moon, and the moon is brighter than the stars,' so is Mary exalted above all creatures." (Sequence)

"Whenever we speak of Mary or speak to her, let us not forget that she is really our Mother, for through her we received divine life. She gave us Jesus himself, the source of grace." (Pope Pius XII)

"Can. 1276 It is good and useful suppliantly to invoke the Servants of God reigning together with Christ and to venerate their relics and images; but before the others, all the faithful shall follow the Blessed Virgin Mary with filial devotion." (1917 Code of Canon Law)

"Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother." (Pope Pius XII, "Ad Caeli Reginam", 1954 A.D.)

"Ancient and modern history and the more sacred annals of the Church bear witness to public and private supplications addressed to the Mother of God, to the help she has granted in return, and to the peace and tranquility which she had obtained from God. Hence her illustrious titles of helper, consoler, mighty in war, victorious, and peace-giver." (Pope Leo XIII, "Supremi Apostolatus Officio", 1883 A.D.)

"Who can ever comprehend the solicitude with which Mary constantly stands before God on our behalf? 'She is never weary of defending us,' says St. Germanus; and the remark is beautiful meaning that so great is the compassion excited in Mary by our misery, and such is the love that she bears us, that she prays constantly, and relaxes not her efforts in our behalf: that by her prayers she may effectually defend us from evil, and obtain for us sufficient graces." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)

"As for our Lord's mother, to whom especially I have entrusted and do entrust you, and shall never fail to entrust you until we see her as we long to do - what am I to say of her whom heaven and earth cease not to praise though they can never do so as she deserves? But this you must hold as certain: as she is higher, holier, more perfect than every other mother, so much the more is she kind and gentle towards her erring but repentant sons and daughters. So make a firm resolution never to commit another sin, prostrate yourself before her, and pour forth your tears from a contrite and humbled heart. You will find her, I can assure you beyond all doubt, more accessible, more tender in the love she bears, you, than any natural mother could be on earth." (Pope St. Gregory VII)

"Let us not be surprised, therefore, at the enthusiasm and profound respect wherewith the Church extols the Blessed Virgin and her prerogatives. Let us on the contrary be convinced that all the praise the Church can give her, and all the devotion she can ever bear towards her, are far below what is due to her as Mother of the Incarnate God. No mortal will ever be able to describe, or even comprehend, how great a glory accrues to her from this sublime dignity. For, as the glory of Mary comes from her being the Mother of God, one would have first to comprehend God himself in order to measure the greatness of her dignity. It is to God that Mary gave our human nature; it is God whom she had as her Child; it is God who gloried in rendering himself, inasmuch as he is Man, subject to her: hence, the true value of such a dignity possessed by a mere creature, can only be appreciated in proportion to our knowledge of the sovereign perfections of the great God, who thus deigns to make himself dependent upon that favored creature. Let us therefore bow down in deepest adoration before the Majesty of our God; let us therefore acknowledge that we cannot respect as it deserves the extraordinary dignity of her whom He chose for His Mother." (Dom Gueranger)

Marian Prayer for the Home: "O Mary, bless this house where thy Name is always blessed. Praise forever be to Mary Immaculate, the ever-Virgin Mother, blessed amongst women, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Queen of Paradise." (Raccolta)

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'Unanswered Prayers': Some Reflections

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We hope you will find the following reflections concerning 'unanswered prayers' to be useful.

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"We must understand, then, that even though God doesn't always give us what we want, He give us what we need for our salvation." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"But the Lord is good, who often gives us not what we would, that He may give us what we should rather prefer." (St. Isidore of Seville, Doctor of the Church)

"He who faithfully prays to God for the necessaries of this life is both mercifully heard, and mercifully not heard. For the physician knows better than the sick man what is good for the disease." (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

"This is what the Lord says in another place, Whatever you shall ask in my name believing, you shall receive. Therefore when we receive not, it is not the weakness of Him that gives, but the fault of them that ask." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)

"So blind is our mortality, and so unaware what will fall, so unsure also what manner of mind we will have tomorrow, that God could not lightly do man a more vengeance than in this world to grant him his own foolish wishes." (St. Thomas More)

"For God will either grant what is asked, and thus they will obtain their wishes; or He will not grant it, and that will be a most certain proof that what is denied by the good of Him is not conducive either to their interest or their salvation, since He is more desirous of their eternal welfare than they themselves." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"[If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?' (Mt. 7:11)] He says 'good things', because God does not give all things to them that ask Him, but only good things." (Pseudo-Chrys, as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)

"But whenever we are not heard when we pray, it is either because we ask something adverse to the means of our salvation; or because the perverseness of those for whom we ask hinders its being granted to them; or because the performance of our request is put off to a future time, that our desires may wax stronger, and so may have more perfect capacity for the joys they seek after." (Bl. Rabanus Maurus)

"In that God sometimes delays His gifts, He but recommends, and does not deny them. For that which is long looked for is sweeter when obtained; but that is held cheap, which comes at once. Ask then and seek things righteous. For by asking and seeking grows the appetite of taking. God reserves for you those things which He is not willing to give you at once, that you may learn greatly to desire great things. Therefore we ought always to pray and not to fail." (St. Isidore of Seville, Doctor of the Church)

"Next we must remember that if by prayers and supplications we are not delivered from evil, we should endure our afflictions with patience, convinced that it is the will of God that we should so endure them. If, therefore, God hear not our prayers, we are not to yield to feelings of peevishness or discontent; we must submit in all things to the divine will and pleasure, regarding as useful and salutary to us that which happens in accordance with the will of God, not that which is agreeable to our own wishes." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"For whenever you ask and receive not, it is because your request was improperly made, either without faith, or lightly, or for things which are not good for you, or because you left off praying. But some frequently make the objection, 'Why pray we? Is God then ignorant of what we have need?' He knows undoubtedly, and gives us richly all temporal things even before we ask. But we must first desire good works, and the kingdom of heaven; and then having desired, ask in faith and patience, bringing into our prayers whatever is good for us, convicted of no offense by our own conscience." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church)

"In these words (cf. Lk. 11:9-13) our Savior gives us a very necessary piece of instruction. For oftentimes we rashly, from the impulse of pleasure, give way to hurtful desires. When we ask any such thing from God, we shall not obtain it. To show this, He brings an obvious example from those things which are before our eyes, in our daily experience. For when your son asks of you bread, you give it him gladly, because he seeks a wholesome food. But when from want of understanding he asks for a stone to eat, you give it not to him, but rather hinder him from satisfying his hurtful desire." (St. Cyril, Doctor of the Church)

"See the mercy of God, that He thinks rather of man's benefit than of His own honor; He loves concord in the faithful more than offerings at His altar; for so long as there are dissensions among the faithful, their gift is not looked upon, their prayer is not heard. For no one can be a true friend at the same time to two who are enemies to each other. In like manner, we do not keep our fealty to God, if we do not love His friends and hate His enemies. But such as was the offense, such should also be the reconciliation. If you have offended in thought, be reconciled in thought; if in words, be reconciled in words; if in deeds, in deeds be reconciled. For so it is in every sin, in whatsoever kind it was committed, in that kind is the penance done." (Pseudo-Chrys, as quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church)

"Sometimes, indeed, it happens that what we ask of God we do not obtain. But it is then especially that God looks to our welfare, either because He bestows on us other gifts of higher value and in greater abundance, or because what we ask, far from being necessary or useful, would prove superfluous and injurious. God, says St. Augustine, denies some things in His mercy, which He grants in His wrath. Sometimes, also, such is the remissness and negligence with which we pray, that we ourselves do not attend to what we say. Since prayer is an elevation of the soul to God, if, while we pray, the mind, instead of being fixed upon God, is distracted, and the tongue slurs over the words at random, without attention, without devotion, with what propriety can we give to such empty sounds as the name of Christian prayer? We should not, therefore, be at all surprised, if God does not comply with our requests; either because of or negligence and indifference with almost show that we do not really desire what we ask, or because we ask those things, which, if granted, would be prejudicial to our interests." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"But some one may seek to know, how it comes that they who pray are not heard? To which we must answer, that whoso sets about seeking in the right way, omitting none of those things which avail to the obtaining of our requests, shall really receive what he has prayed to be given him. But if a man turns away from the object of a right petition, and asks not as it becomes him, he does not ask. And therefore it is, that when he does not receive, as is here promised, there is no falsehood. For so also when a master says, 'Whoever will come to me, he shall receive the gift of instruction;' we understand it to imply a person going in real earnest to a master, that he may zealously and diligently devote himself to his teaching. Hence too James says, you ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, namely, for the sake of vain pleasures. But some one will say, Nay, when men ask to obtain divine knowledge, and to recover their virtue they do not obtain? To which we must answer, that they sought not to receive the good things for themselves, but that thereby they might reap praise." [Origen ("the greatest scholar of Christian antiquity" - although he would eventually be excommunicated and be regarded as a heretic), 3rd century A.D.]

"Accordingly if this other thing that we ask for ourselves be not useful for our beatitude, we do not merit it; and sometimes by asking for and desiring such things we lose merit for instance if we ask of God the accomplishment of some sin, which would be an impious prayer. And sometimes it is not necessary for salvation, nor yet manifestly contrary thereto; and then although he who prays may merit eternal life by praying, yet he does not merit to obtain what he asks for. Hence [St.] Augustine says (Liber Sententarium Prosperi ccxii): 'He who faithfully prays God for the necessaries of this life, is both mercifully heard, and mercifully not heard. For the physician knows better than the sick man what is good for the disease.' For this reason, too, Paul was not heard when he prayed for the removal of the sting in his flesh, because this was not expedient. If, however, we pray for something that is useful for our beatitude, through being conducive to salvation, we merit it not only by praying, but also by doing other good deeds: therefore without any doubt we receive what we ask for, yet when we ought to receive it: 'since certain things are not denied us, but are deferred that they may be granted at a suitable time,' according to [St.] Augustine (Tractatus 102 in Joannis): and again this may be hindered if we persevere not in asking for it. Wherefore Basil says (De Constitutione Monachorum i): 'The reason why sometimes thou hast asked and not received, is because thou hast asked amiss, either inconsistently, or lightly, or because thou hast asked for what was not good for thee, or because thou hast ceased asking.' Since, however, a man cannot condignly merit eternal life for another..., it follows that sometimes one cannot condignly merit for another things that pertain to eternal life. For this reason we are not always heard when we pray for others... Hence it is that four conditions are laid down; namely, to ask - 'for ourselves - things necessary for salvation - piously - perseveringly'; when all these four concur, we always obtain what we ask for." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

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Note: The above generally refers to prayers that are heard which appear to go unanswered. Scripture also speaks of occasions where God may refuse to hear prayers, such as in these passages...

"If a man again touches a corpse after he has bathed, what did he gain by the purification? So with a man who fasts for his sins, but then goes and commits them again: Who will hear his prayer, and what has he gained by his mortification?" (Sirach 34:25-26)

"They have returned to the crimes of their forefathers who refused to obey my words. They also have followed and served strange gods; the covenant which I had made with their fathers, the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken. Therefore, thus says the LORD: See, I bring upon them misfortune which they cannot escape. Though they cry out to me, I will not listen to them." (Jer. 11:10-11)

"The LORD is far from the wicked, but the prayer of the just he hears." (Prov. 15:29)

"But they refused to listen; they stubbornly turned their backs and stopped their ears so as not to hear. And they made their hearts diamondhard so as not to hear the teaching and the message that the LORD of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Then the LORD of hosts in his great anger said that, as they had not listened when he called, so he would not listen when they called, but would scatter them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they did not know. Thus the land was left desolate after them with no one traveling to and fro; they made the pleasant land into a desert." (Zech. 7:11-14)

"We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him." (Jn. 9:31)

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears turned to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against evildoers." (St. Peter, 1 Pt. 3:12)

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"I thank you, dear Jesus, that your will and not mine has been done." (St. Frances Xavier Cabrini)

"Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer." (Rom. 12:12)

"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thes. 5:17)

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Also See...

* Prayers & Devotions Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/prayers_and_devotions_reflections.htm

* Prayer Tips - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/prayer_tips_and_insights.htm

* Catholic Prayers (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_prayers.htm

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Resources For Ascension & Pentecost

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* Ascension (Definition) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm 

* Ascension (Prophecies) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_ascension_pentecost.htm

* On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension (Selections From the Baltimore Catechism, Lesson: 08) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cd/catechism_selections_search_lsn.asp

* Prayer for the Ascension - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_occasions_times.htm

* Ascension Thursday / Holy Days of Obligation - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_holy_days_of_obligation.htm

* Ascension (Coloring Pages) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm

* Jesus (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Jesus.htm

Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm

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"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God." (Mk. 16:19)

Prayer for the Ascension: "Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into heaven, may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. Through the same Lord." (Collect)

"O Lord Jesus Christ! I adore you restored to live among the dead, ascending into heaven, and seating yourself at the right hand of your Father: I implore you to make me worthy to follow you there, and to be presented to you." (Prayer of St. Catherine dei Ricci)

+ + + PENTECOST + + +

* Pentecost (Definition) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm 

* Pentecost (Prophecies) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_ascension_pentecost.htm

* On the Holy Ghost and His Descent Upon the Apostles (Selections From the Baltimore Catechism, Lesson: 09) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cd/catechism_selections_search_lsn.asp

* Prayers for Pentecost (Incl. Links for Veni Creator Spiritus & Veni Sancte Spiritus) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_occasions_times.htm

* Novena to the Holy Spirit (Friday After Ascension to Vigil of Pentecost) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_novenas.htm

* Fasting / Vigil of Pentecost - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_prayers_and_practices.htm

* Gifts & Fruits of the Holy Spirit - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_gifts_fruits_of_the_Holy_Spirit.htm

* Divinum Illud Munus: On The Holy Spirit, Pope Leo XIII - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/divinum_illud_munus.htm

* Holy Spirit (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Holy_Spirit.htm

* Gifts & Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_gifts_fruits_Holy_Spirit.html

* Holy Spirit (Word Searches) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_word_searches.htm

* Pentecost (Coloring Pages) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm

Reminder: For plenary indulgence info. for the Solemnity of Pentecost, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/indulgences.htm

Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm

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"And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them." (Acts 2:2-3)

Prayer for Pentecost: "Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that the power of the Holy Ghost may abide in us; may it mercifully cleanse our hearts, and defend us from all danger. Through our Lord...in the unity of the same." (Collect)

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Liturgical Feasts in May

The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for May as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm

Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)

Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.

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May 1 - St. Joseph the Workman (T)

May 1 - Sts. Philip & James, apostles (T)

May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker (N)

May 2 - St. Athanasius (T)

May 2 - St. Athanasius (N)

May 3 - Finding of the Holy Cross (T)

May 3 - St. Juvenal (T)

May 3 - Sts. Alexander I (pope), Eventius, Theodulus (T)

May 3 - Sts. Philip & James, apostles (N)

May 4 - St. Monica (T)

May 5 - St. Pius V, pope (T)

May 6 - St. John before the Latin Gate (T)

May 7 - St. Stanislaus of Cracow (T)

May 8 - Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel (T)

May 9 - St. Gregory Nazianzen (T)

May 10 - St. Antoninus (T)

May 10 - Sts. Gordian & Epimachus (T)

May 12 - St. Pancras (T)

May 12 - Sts. Nereus, Achilleus & Domitilla (T)

May 12 - St. Pancras (N)

May 12 - Sts. Nereus & Achilleus (N)

May 13 - St. Robert Bellarmine (T)

May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima (N)

May 14 - St. Boniface (T)

May 14 - St. Matthias, apostle (N)

May 15 - St. John Baptist de la Salle (T)

May 15 - St. Isidore (N)

May 16 - St. Brendan (T)

May 16 - St. John Nepomucene (T)

May 16 - St. Ubaldus of Gubbio (T)

May 17 - St. Pascal Baylon (T)

May 18 - St. Venantius of Camerino (T)

May 18 - St. John I, pope (N)

May 19 - St. Peter Celestine, pope (T)

May 19 - St. Pudentiana (T)

May 20 - St. Bernardine of Siena (T)

May 20 - St. Bernardine of Siena (N)

May 21 - St. Christopher Magallanes & companions (N)

May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (T)

May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (N)

May 23 - St. John Baptist de Rossi (T)

May 25 - St. Gregory VII, pope (T)

May 25 - St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (T)

May 25 - St. Urban I, pope (T)

May 25 - St. Bede the Venerable (N)

May 25 - St. Gregory VII, pope (N)

May 25 - St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (N)

May 26 - St. Eleutherius, pope (T)

May 26 - St. Philip Neri (T)

May 26 - St. Philip Neri (N)

May 27 - St. Bede the Venerable (T)

May 27 - St. John I, pope (T)

May 27 - St. Augustine of Canterbury (N)

May 28 - St. Augustine of Canterbury (T)

May 29 - St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi (T)

May 30 - St. Felix I, pope (T)

May 30 - St. Ferdinand III (T)

May 30 - St. Joan of Arc (T)

May 31 - St. Angela Merici (T)

May 31 - St. Petronilla (T)

May 31 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces (T)

May 31 - The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)

May 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)

Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, see below and 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

Also...

5/5/13 - Fifth Sunday after Easter (T) | Sixth Sunday of Easter (N)

5/6/13 - Rogation Monday (T)

5/7/13 - Rogation Tuesday (T)

5/8/13 - Vigil of the Ascension | Rogation Day (T)

5/9/13 - Ascension of Our Lord [Note: Traditionally, this is a holy day of obligation, but on the Novus Ordo calendar it is often transferred to Sunday in the U.S. For information for your area, contact your parish or diocese.]

5/18/13 - Vigil of Pentecost 

5/19/13 - Pentecost Sunday

5/22/13 - Ember Wednesday after Pentecost (T)

5/24/13 - Ember Friday after Pentecost (T)

5/25/13 - Ember Saturday after Pentecost (T)

5/26/13 - Trinity Sunday

5/30/13 - Corpus Christi

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'Catholic Trivia'

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Note: This month there are 30 trivia items covering three main themes: Tradition, Modernism, Fatima

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1. True or false? "The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization."

2. Complete the sentence: "Our Lady wants all to wear the Scapular. The Scapular and the Rosary are ___." (Sr. Lucy of Fatima)

3. Who said...? "It is unlawful to alter the established customs of the Church ... Remove not the ancient landmarks which the fathers have set."

4. Name at least two passages in the New Testament where St. Paul instructs followers regarding maintaining tradition.

5. What is a common name for this prayer? "O my God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love you. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love you." (Repeat 3 times)

6. According to Pope St. Pius X, what is a 'sure sign' that a man is 'on the way' to Modernism?

7. Who said...? "Let them innovate nothing, but keep the traditions."

8. Fill in the missing words: "For the teaching authority of the Church, which in the divine wisdom was constituted on earth in order that revealed doctrines might remain intact forever, and that they might be brought with ease and security to the knowledge of men, and which is daily exercised through the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops who are in communion with him, has also the office of defining, when it sees fit, any truth with solemn rites and decrees, whenever this is necessary either to oppose the errors or the attacks of heretics, or more clearly and in greater detail to stamp the minds of the faithful with the articles of sacred doctrine which have been explained. But in the use of this extraordinary teaching authority no ___ matter is brought in, nor is ___ to the number of those truths which are at least implicitly contained in the deposit of Revelation, divinely handed down to the Church: only those which are made clear which perhaps may still seem obscure to some, or that which some have previously called into question is declared to be of faith." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928 A.D.)

9. Who said...? "Why doesn't the Lady show Hell to everybody? Then nobody would ever again commit a mortal sin."

10. Name at least three pages in Holy Scripture where we are told that God does not change.

11. There is no road which leads so quickly to Modernism as what?

12. What do Modernists seek to change in the Church?

13. What is the source of this quotation: "The Holy Spirit was not promised to the successor of Peter that by the revelation of the Holy Spirit they might disclose new doctrine, but that by His help they might guard sacredly the revelation transmitted through the Apostles and the deposit of faith, and might faithfully set it forth."

14. Complete the sentence... "People must amend their lives, ask pardon for their sins and not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already ___." (Our Lady of Fatima)

15. Who said...? "It may be, Venerable Brethren, that some may think We have dwelt too long on this exposition of the doctrines of the Modernists. But it was necessary, both in order to refute their customary charge that We do not understand their ideas, and to show that their system does not consist in scattered and unconnected theories but in a perfectly organized body, all the parts of which are solidly joined so that it is not possible to admit one without admitting all. For this reason, too, We have had to give this exposition a somewhat didactic form and not to shrink from employing certain uncouth terms in use among the Modernists. And now, can anybody who takes a survey of the whole system be surprised that We should define it as the synthesis of all heresies? Were one to attempt the task of collecting together all the errors that have been broached against the faith and to concentrate the sap and substance of them all into one, he could not better succeed than the Modernists have done."

16. Who said...? "[N]othing of the things appointed ought to be diminished; nothing changed; nothing added; but they must be preserved both as regards expression and meaning."

17. The Blessed Mother can no longer do what, according to Bl. Jacinta of Fatima?

18. Who called Modernists "the most pernicious of all the adversaries of the Church"?

19. Complete the sentence: "If anyone says that it is possible that at some time, given the advancement of knowledge, a sense may be assigned to the dogmas propounded by the Church which is different from that which the Church has understood and understands:___." (First Vatican Council)

20. Who said...? "For the Church of Christ, watchful guardian that she is, and defender of the dogmas deposited with her, never changes anything, never diminishes anything, never adds anything to them; but with all diligence she treats the ancient documents faithfully and wisely; if they really are of ancient origin and if the faith of the Fathers has transmitted them, she strives to investigate and explain them in such a way that the ancient dogmas of heavenly doctrine will be made evident and clear, but will retain their full, integral, and proper nature, and will grow only within their own genus - that is, within the same dogma, in the same sense and the same meaning."

21. Complete the sentence: "More souls go to Hell because of ___ than for any other reason." (Bl. Jacinta of Fatima)

22. What does this Latin expression mean? "Nihil innovetur nisi quod traditum est"  

23. What are the three steps that have/will lead towards the annihilation of religion according to Pope St. Pius X?

24. What did the Second Council of Nicaea order with regard to those who "dare to think or to teach otherwise or to spurn according to wretched heretics the ecclesiastical traditions and to invent anything novel, or to reject anything from these things which have been consecrated by the Church"?

25. Who said...? "Indeed, the true friends of the people are neither revolutionaries, nor innovators: they are promoters of tradition."

26. Complete the sentence: "Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only ___ of the human race will be saved." (Sr. Lucy of Fatima)

27. When did the Fatima apparitions occur?

28. Where is this passage from...? "Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact - one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history - the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way."

29. What does 'Lamentabili Sane' refer to?

30. Who said...? "Be zealously affected to command that in all the churches the pure tradition be held."

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Answers:

1. False. This error was condemned in the Syllabus of Errors: "The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization." (Pope Pius IX, This proposition was condemned in the Syllabus of Errors, Dec. 8, 1864 A.D.)

2. "Our Lady wants all to wear the Scapular. The Scapular and the Rosary are inseparable." (Sr. Lucy of Fatima)

3.  St. Peter Damian, Doctor of the Church

4. New Testament passages include: "I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold fast to the traditions, just as I handed them on to you." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11:2) & "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." (St. Paul, 2 Thes. 2:15) & "We instruct you, brothers, in the name of (our) Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us." (St. Paul, 2 Thes. 3:6)

5. Prayer of the Angel of Fatima or "Pardon Prayer"

6. "Whether it is ignorance or fear, or both, that inspires this conduct in them, certain it is that the passion for novelty is always united in them with hatred of scholasticism, and there is no surer sign that a man is on the way to Modernism than when he begins to show his dislike for this system." (Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907 A.D.)

7. Pope St. Steven I, 3rd century A.D.

8. "For the teaching authority of the Church, which in the divine wisdom was constituted on earth in order that revealed doctrines might remain intact forever, and that they might be brought with ease and security to the knowledge of men, and which is daily exercised through the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops who are in communion with him, has also the office of defining, when it sees fit, any truth with solemn rites and decrees, whenever this is necessary either to oppose the errors or the attacks of heretics, or more clearly and in greater detail to stamp the minds of the faithful with the articles of sacred doctrine which have been explained. But in the use of this extraordinary teaching authority no newly invented matter is brought in, nor is anything new added to the number of those truths which are at least implicitly contained in the deposit of Revelation, divinely handed down to the Church: only those which are made clear which perhaps may still seem obscure to some, or that which some have previously called into question is declared to be of faith." (Pope Pius XI, "Mortalium Animos", 1928 A.D.)

9. Bl. Jacinta of Fatima

10. Passages include: 1-"Of old you laid the earth's foundations; the heavens are the work of your hands. They perish, but you remain; they all wear out like a garment; Like clothing you change them and they are changed, but you are the same, your years have no end." (Ps. 102:26-28); 2-"He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; their innermost being he understands. The Most High possesses all knowledge, and sees from of old the things that are to come: He makes known the past and the future, and reveals the deepest secrets. No understanding does he lack; no single thing escapes him. Perennial is his almighty wisdom; he is from all eternity one and the same, with nothing added, nothing taken away; no need of a counselor for him!" (Sirach 42:18-22); 3-"Even to your old age I am the same, even when your hair is gray I will bear you; It is I who have done this, I who will continue, and I who will carry you to safety." (Isa. 46:4); 4-"Surely I, the LORD, do not change, nor do you cease to be sons of Jacob." (Mal. 3:6); 5-"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8); 6-"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change." (Jms. 1:16-17)

11. "No, truly, there is no road which leads so directly and so quickly to Modernism as pride." (Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907 A.D.)

12. Modernists seek to change the Church from top to bottom. As Pope St. Pius X has said, "Thus then, Venerable Brethren, for the Modernists, both as authors and propagandists, there is to be nothing stable, nothing immutable in the Church. Nor indeed are they without precursors in their doctrines, for it was of these that Our Predecessor Pius IX wrote: 'These enemies of divine revelation extol human progress to the skies, and with rash and sacrilegious daring would have it introduced into the Catholic religion as if this religion were not the work of God but of man, or some kind of philosophical discovery susceptible of perfection by human efforts.' On the subject of revelation and dogma in particular, the doctrine of the Modernists offers nothing new - we find it condemned in the Syllabus of Pius IX, where it is enunciated in these terms: 'Divine revelation is imperfect, and therefore subject to continual and indefinite progress, corresponding with the progress of human reason'; and condemned still more solemnly in the [First] Vatican Council: 'The doctrine of the faith which God has revealed has not been proposed to human intelligences to be perfected by them as if it were a philosophical system, but as a divine deposit entrusted to the Spouse of Christ to be faithfully guarded and infallibly interpreted. Hence the sense, too, of the sacred dogmas is that which our Holy Mother the Church has once declared, nor is this sense ever to be abandoned on plea or pretext of a more profound comprehension of the truth'."

13. First Vatican Council

14. "People must amend their lives, ask pardon for their sins and not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended." (Our Lady of Fatima)

15. Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907 A.D.

16. Pope Agatho

17. "The Blessed Mother can no longer restrain the hand of her Divine Son from striking the world with just punishment for its many crimes." (Bl. Jacinta of Fatima)

18. Pope St. Pius X

19. "If anyone says that it is possible that at some time, given the advancement of knowledge, a sense may be assigned to the dogmas propounded by the Church which is different from that which the Church has understood and understands: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council)

20. Pope Pius IX, "Ineffabilis Deus", 1854 A.D.

21. "More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." (Bl. Jacinta of Fatima)

22. "Let them innovate nothing, but keep the traditions." (Pope St. Steven I, 3rd century A.D.)  

23. "Certainly this suffices to show superabundantly by how many roads Modernism leads to the annihilation of all religion. The first step in this direction was taken by Protestantism; the second is made by Modernism; the next will plunge headlong into atheism." (Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907 A.D.)

24. "Those, therefore, who dare to think or to teach otherwise or to spurn according to wretched heretics the ecclesiastical traditions and to invent anything novel, or to reject anything from these things which have been consecrated by the Church: either the Gospel or the figure of the Cross, or the (representational) picture, or the sacred relics of the martyr; or to invent perversely and cunningly for the overthrow of any one of the legitimate traditions of the Catholic Church; or even, as it were, to use the sacred vessels or the venerable monasteries as common things; if indeed they are bishops or clerics, we order (them) to be deposed; monks, however, or laymen, to be excommunicated." (Second Council of Nicaea, 787 A.D.)

25. Pope St. Pius X, Our Apostolic Mandate, 1910 A.D.

26. "Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved." (Sr. Lucy of Fatima)

27. May - October, 1917 A.D.

28. Oath Against Modernism

29. Syllabus Condemning The Errors Of The Modernists

30. St. Agatho I, 680 A.D.

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"The fruits of a tree must decide whether it be a good or a poor one (Lk. vi. 44). One should examine if there have been satisfactory results from abandoning the paths marked out by the Church, and so zealously kept to by our fathers in the faith." (Liturgical Year)

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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 and also try...

* Catholic Tradition (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-traditional_catholic.htm

* Modernism (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-modernism.htm

* Marian Apparitions at Fatima (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-fatima.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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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Was There a "Great Apostasy" in the Catholic Church?

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__church_history.htm 

The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).

Topic: Was There a "Great Apostasy" in the Catholic Church? [Note: Topic is directed at Protestants]

Consider:

* Those who argue that there was a "great apostasy" in the Catholic Church are, by default, admitting there was a time before this presumed "great apostasy" in which the Catholic Church existed and was the true Church. Granting this, how could there ever be a "great apostasy" in the Church Jesus founded considering that Jesus said that the Church He founded would withstand the gates of hell (see Mt. 16:18)? Do you dare think Jesus - that is, God - was mistaken? How can one imagine that Christ wouldn't fulfill His promises? Do you similarly dare to accuse the Holy Spirit of failing in His duty to always remain with the Church (see Jn. 14:16-17)? Do you claim that Christ left them "orphans", despite His promise (see Jn. 14:18)?

* If there was a "great apostasy" in the Catholic Church, why is there no true evidence of this presumed apostasy? What exactly do you base your claim on? How scholarly and unbiased are these charges against the Catholic Church? Be prepared to present unbiased and scholarly evidence for your assertions that is not propagated by your own (or another anti-Catholic) sect.

* If there was a "great apostasy" in the Catholic Church, why does the Catholic Church still exist and still teach the same doctrines she taught in apostolic times? If you believe that the Catholic Church only held the true doctrines until the third or fourth century, how is it you explain that she couldn't manage hold on to Christ's true teachings for a few hundred years but she has held on to these "later", allegedly false, doctrines for 1600+ years?

* If there was a "great apostasy" in the Catholic Church, why do you (as a non-Catholic 'Christian') take your bible from the Catholic Church that supposedly apostatized? And the doctrine of the Trinity? And date using her dating system? 

* Are we seriously to believe there was a "great apostasy" in the Catholic Church - the Church that Christ founded - and that your 'church' is its replacement? Your 'church' which was founded by a human, your 'church' which has changed its own doctrines over time, your 'church' which has no history of miracles, martyrs, virgins, etc., your 'church' which wouldn't even know about Christ or the Bible if not for the Catholic Church that you claim apostatized? Your 'church' which wasn't even around until a few hundred years ago?

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"The Catholic Church was recognized by the whole Christian world as the true Church of God for fifteen consecutive centuries. No man can halt at the end of those 1,500 years and say that the Catholic Church is not the Church of Christ without embarrassing himself seriously." (Catholic Convert, Former Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israel Zolli)

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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm

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In Closing...

"God could have given us the Redeemer of the human race and the founder of the Faith in another way than through the Virgin, but since divine Providence has been pleased that we should have the man-God through Mary, who conceived him by the Holy Ghost and bore him in her womb, it only remains for us to receive Christ through the hands of Mary." (Pope St. Pius X)

"While Peter has the keys of heaven, Mary has the key to God's heart; while Peter binds and looses, Mary also binds with the chains of love and looses with the gift of pardon. While Peter is the guardian and the minister of indulgences, Mary is the generous and wise treasurer of God's favors. 'He who desires grace and does not have recourse to Mary, desires to fly without wings.' (Dante)" (Pope Pius XII)

"Let us bless her often, and sing her praises: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (Luke I, 48)." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

"Let us rest assured that an earthly enemy is not so terrified at a great army as are the powers of hell at the names and protection of Jesus and Mary." (Muller)

"This is why the blessed Virgin is called powerful - nay, sometimes, all-powerful, because she has, more than anyone else, more than all the angels and saints, this great, prevailing gift of prayer. No one has access to the Almighty as His Mother has; none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks; and herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us; for human life is short, but Mary reigns above, a Queen forever." (Cardinal Newman)

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.'" (Mt. 28:18-20)

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