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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - July, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of July: Dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus
* "Without Shedding of Blood There Shall Be No Remission of Sin" - A Short Reflection on the Precious Blood of Jesus
* Three Prayers for the Family
* Liturgical Feasts in July
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Shouldn't People be Accepted 'Just as They Are'?
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Dear Friend,
"May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Heb. 13:20-21)
Greetings in Christ to all our dear subscribers. We hope your summer has gotten off to a pleasant & peaceful start and that it will remain so over the upcoming months.
We are happy to report that the signup sheet for our Fifth Annual Rosary Week is now ready. Please sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek . Participation in Rosary Week is easy, free, and takes only a little time. You can sign up for one day, a few days, or for the entire week. You can participate at any time of the day or night. And, you can join us from the comfort of your own home or even from your parish. We hope you will join us & other Catholics throughout the world in praying the Holy Rosary for some worthy intentions. Please also invite your family & friends!
Thank you for being a subscriber to our mailing list. We wish you God's blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, save us. Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us. Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us." (From the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus)
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MCS News & Notes
* Rosary Week: The signup sheet for our Fifth Annual Rosary Week (to be held from 10/21-10/27/13) is now ready. To sign up today, please visit www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek . We are happy to report that at the time of this writing, we have received signups from at least a dozen states and as many as six countries. We hope you will consider joining us in this prayerful endeavor that others have called "very special", "a wonderful idea", "a worthy spiritual exercise", "uplifting", a "wonderful event", "a fantastic idea", "very spiritually rewarding", "much needed", and "a great way for Catholics to bring themselves to [pray] the rosary". We have tried hard to make participation easy and remove any objections that people may have (e.g. you can sign up anonymously, no e-mail address is required to sign up, the event is totally free, you can participate for just one day, you can pray at any time and from any appropriate location...). We really hope you will join us!
* New User Submitted Articles: Two new user-submitted articles have been added to the site. To view a listing of currently available user-submitted articles, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_articles_index.htm
* Change to Search Page: Please note that the wildcard '?' (question mark) is no longer supported on our new search page. This change was made because it seems users tended to input the question mark as part of a query rather than as a wildcard (and thereby incorrect results could be returned). At this time, the wildcard '*' is still supported. To visit our new search page, please go to http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/srch/search.php
* Search Engine Improvements: We are working on improving the results from our new search engine and we are particularly excited about one recent change that we have made. As you may know, the MyCatholicSource.com website is driven by a number of independent databases and unfortunately these databases cannot all be searched together. However, we have come up with a 'work around' that may allow some indirect searching of content from applicable databases on our new search page. The solution isn't perfect as it does not cover all databased content and it requires the user to input search criteria on the search page and also on the applicable results page(s). However, we hope the benefits of this 'work around' will outweigh the possible inconvenience. We hope you will enjoy the improved results! To visit our new search page, please go to http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/srch/search.php [Note: This change is limited to our new search page ONLY. The old search page cannot search through any databased content, even indirectly.]
* More On Search Engine Improvements: We are completing the first major update to our new search engine since its introduction. You may notice the following improvements to this search page: increased length of description for results, inclusion of previously skipped words, increased text size on message, expanded number of recommended links, expanded number synonyms, added recommended link for each book of bible (to the Catholic Bible Quotes Topic Page), expanded descriptions on recommended links, added indirect searching of some databased content (see above), removed ? wildcard for better results, increased spacing between results, minor rewording/page appearance improvements, expanded 'no found records' message, variety of changes to keywords/rankings for improved results, etc. We hope you will enjoy the changes. Please try it today and let us know what you think! To visit our new search page, please go to http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/srch/search.php
* Traffic Update: We project we may receive our 2 millionth visitor (based on raw, unfiltered access logs) sometime between the very end of July to late August. We send our thanks to all who have visited MyCatholicSource.com!
* If you would like some summer activities for Catholic children, please try our Catholic Fun & Activities Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/catholic_fun_and_activities.htm for coloring pages, crosswords, mazes, word searches, travel activities, etc.
* For prayers for the United States, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-prayers_for_the_United_States.htm
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* We are happy to report that we have received a couple more positive reviews for iStations. Reviewers of our Stations of the Cross app have written the following about iStations: "Great app!", "Highly recommended", "A wonderful tool", "Nice app!", "Best Station App", "Penetrating and profound", "excellent app!", "The pictures are colorful and beautiful and the prayers are very meaningful", etc. Nearly all ratings for this app on both platforms are 5 stars (at the time of this writing, at least 22 out of 25 are 5 stars, 3 persons rated it 4 stars). The latest reviewer kindly said that iStations is "beautiful and great to have the audio with it, the pictures are wonderful. I'm sure all catholics will love this and non-catholics also. I'm using this app and it isn't even Easter." Why not get your copy today? Download iStations today! Android: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bfsnet.istations or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007014CYM , iPhone/iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/istations/id457131446?ls=1&mt=8
* If you don't yet own our Catholic Bible References app, why not get it today? This app is a great memory aid for truths of the Catholic faith that conveniently puts important scripture passages at your fingertips. It 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
* Reviews: If you've purchased any of our apps, we encourage you to please leave a review at your place of purchase. They really help us out! To view selected reviews, please visit http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/selected_reviews.htm
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Note: Any prices included herein are in U.S. dollars, excluding any applicable tax.
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* Please see our Notices page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm for dates of anticipated service delays through August 2013
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The Month of July: Dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus
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"And [Jesus] said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many." (Mk.14:24)
"In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth." (Eph. 1:7-10)
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Related Resources...
* Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_litanies.htm
* Scapular of the Most Precious Blood - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/scapulars.htm
* Prayers to Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Jesus.htm
* Jesus (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Jesus.htm
* The Passion / Cross Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_basics_reflections_The_Passion.htm
* Jesus' Last Words From the Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/jesus_last_words.htm
* Stations of the Cross / Way of the Cross - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/stations_of_the_cross.htm
* Trials & Sorrows of Jesus - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/sorrows_of_jesus.htm
* The Holy Eucharist - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/Holy_Eucharist.htm
* Communion Under Both Species: Is it Required? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/communion_under_both_species__is_it_required.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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Prayer in Honor of the Precious Blood: "O almighty and everlasting God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and hast willed to be appeased by His Blood; grant unto us, we beseech Thee, so to venerate with solemn worship the price of our redemption, and by its power be so defended against the evils of this life, that we may enjoy the fruit thereof for evermore in heaven. Through the same our Lord." (Collect)
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"Without Shedding of Blood There Shall Be No Remission of Sin" - A Short Reflection on the Precious Blood of Jesus
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The following is taken from Fr. Faber's 1860 publication entitled 'The Precious Blood; or, The Price Of Our Salvation'. An imprimatur was not located on the work. [Note: We have made some changes to the original text (e.g. shortening, spelling changes)]
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From all this horror [of sin] whither shall we look for deliverance? Not to ourselves; for we know the practical infinity of our weakness, and the incorrigible vitality of our corruption. Not to any earthly power; for it has no jurisdiction here. Not to philosophy, literature, or science; for in this case they are but sorry and unhelpful matters. Not to any saint however holy, nor to any angel, however mighty; for the least sin is a bigger mountain than they have faculties to move. Not to the crowned queen of God's creation, the glorious and the sinless Mary; for even her holiness cannot satisfy for sin, nor the whiteness of her purity take out its deadly stain. Neither may we look for deliverance direct from the patience and compassion of God Himself; for in the abysses of His wisdom it has been decreed, that without shedding of blood there shall be no remission of sin. It is from the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ alone that our salvation comes. Out of the immensity of its merits, out of the inexhaustible treasures of its satisfactions, because of the resistless power of its beauty over the justice and the wrath of God, because of that dear combination of its priceless worth and its benignant prodigality, we miserable sinners are raised out of the depths of our wretchedness, and restored to the peace and favor of our Heavenly Father.
Is hope sweet where despair had almost begun to reign? Is it a joy to be emancipated from a shameful slavery, or set free from a noxious dungeon? Is it gladness to be raised as if by miracle from a bed of feebleness and suffering, to sudden health and instantaneous vigor? Then what a gladness must salvation be! For, as there is no earthly misery like sin, so is there no deliverance like that with which Jesus makes us free. Words will not tell it. Thought only can think it, and it must be thought out of an enlightened mind and a burning heart, dwelt on for a long, long while.
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For more reflections, please try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/reflections_categorized.htm
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Three Prayers for the Family
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The following prayers are taken from a 19th century publication entitled 'The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations'. The original publication bears an imprimatur. [Note: We have made some changes to the original text (e.g. spacing / spelling / punctuation / capitalization changes)]
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PRAYER OF A HUSBAND OR WIFE
O God, who hast ordained and sanctified the holy estate of matrimony, for replenishing the earth, for mutual consolation, and as a type of the union of Christ and His Church: give me grace both thankfully to accept its blessings, and carefully to fulfill its duties. I beseech Thee continually to bless our union, and to enable us to live together in peace and love, in the faithful discharge of all our duties to Thee, and to each other. Deliver us from every evil temper, from every heedless action, which may in any way weaken or embitter the sacredness of that tie by which Thou hast bound us together, and which can never be severed. Make me faithful and affectionate, studious to please, and ready to deny my own will and inclination in all things. Let not the trials and crosses of this life induce me to murmur, nor any earthly blessings cause me to forget Thee, the Author and Giver of all; but by patience and meekness, by prayer and thankfulness, may all things be sanctified unto me, and fit me for eternal union with Thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
A PRAYER OF PARENTS, FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR CHILDREN
O Father of mankind, who hast given unto me these my children, and committed them to my charge to bring them up for Thee, and to prepare them for everlasting life; assist me with Thy heavenly grace, that I may be able to fulfill this most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give, and what to withhold; when to reprove, and when to forbear: make me to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver me equally from the weakness of indulgence, and excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, I may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom and true piety; so that at last I may, with them, be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in heaven, in the unity of the blessed angels and saints, where Thou, O Father, with Jesus, Thy only-begotten Son, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, for ever and ever.
O Heavenly Father, I commend my children unto Thee. Be thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me, through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, to resist the solicitations of evil, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and confirm and multiply in them the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so faithfully serving Thee enjoy Thee hereafter; through the merits of the same Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest. Amen.
A CHILD'S HYMN TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Virgin Mother, meek and mild, take, O take me for thy child; All my life, O let it be, my best joy to think of thee. When my eyes are closed in sleep, through the night my slumbers keep, make my latest thoughts to be how to love thy Son and thee. Teach me when the sunbeam bright calls me with its golden light, how my waking thoughts may be turn'd to Jesus and to thee. And, O teach me through the day oft to raise my heart and say, "Maiden Mother, meek and mild, guard, O guard thy little child!" Thus, sweet Mother, day and night thou shalt guide my steps aright; And my dying words shall be. "Virgin mother, pray for me!"
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Note: For more prayers, please try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_prayers.htm
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Liturgical Feasts in July
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for July 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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July 1 - The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord (T)
July 2 - Sts. Processus & Martinian (T)
July 2 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
July 3 - St. Leo II, pope (T)
July 3 - The Commemoration of all Holy Pontiffs (T)
July 3 - St. Thomas, apostle (N)
July 4 - St. Elizabeth of Portugal (N)
July 5 - St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria (T)
July 5 - St. Anthony Zaccaria (N)
July 6 - St. Maria Goretti (N)
July 7 - Sts. Cyril & Methodius (T)
July 8 - St. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal (T)
July 9 - St. John Fisher (T)
July 9 - St. Thomas More (T)
July 9 - St. Augustine Zhao Rong & companions (N)
July 10 - Seven Holy Brothers (T)
July 10 - Sts. Rufina & Secunda (T)
July 11 - St. Pius I, pope (T)
July 11 - St. Benedict (N)
July 12 - St. John Gualbert (T)
July 12 - Sts. Nabor & Felix (T)
July 13 - St. Anacletus, pope (T)
July 13 - St. Henry (N)
July 14 - St. Bonaventure (T)
July 15 - St. Henry II (T)
July 15 - St. Bonaventure (N)
July 16 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel (T)
July 16 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel (N)
July 17 - St. Alexius the Beggar (T)
July 18 - St. Camillus de Lellis (T)
July 18 - St. Symphorosa & 7 Sons (T)
July 18 - St. Camillus de Lellis (N)
July 19 - St. Vincent de Paul (T)
July 20 - St. Jerome Emilian (T)
July 20 - St. Margaret of Antioch (T)
July 20 - St. Apollinarus (N)
July 21 - St. Praxedes (T)
July 21 - St. Lawrence of Brindisi (N)
July 22 - St. Mary Magdalene (T)
July 22 - St. Mary Magdalene (N)
July 23 - St. Apollinaris of Ravenna (T)
July 23 - St. Liborius (T)
July 23 - St. Bridget of Sweden (N)
July 24 - St. Christina (T)
July 24 - St. Francis Solano (T)
July 25 - St. Christopher (T)
July 25 - St. James the Greater, apostle (T)
July 25 - St. James the Greater, apostle (N)
July 26 - St. Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
July 26 - Sts. Joachim & Ann (Anne), Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
July 27 - St. Pantaleon (T)
July 28 - St. Nazarius & Celsus (T)
July 28 - Sts. Victor & Innocent (Innocentius) I, popes (T)
July 29 - St. Felix II, pope (T)
July 29 - St. Martha (T)
July 29 - Sts. Simplicius, Faustinus & Beatrice (T)
July 29 - St. Martha (N)
July 30 - Sts. Abdon & Sennen (T)
July 30 - St. Peter Chrysologus (N)
July 31 - St. Ignatius of Loyola (T)
July 31 - St. Ignatius of Loyola (N)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, 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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'Catholic Trivia'
1. What is the earliest known list of martyrs kept by the Roman Church?
2. What is the "Haceldama"?
3. What prayer is thought to be the oldest known (non-Scriptural) prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
4. What second century pope ordered forty days penance for priests who allowed any drops of the Precious Blood to fall to the ground during Mass?
5. What has been called "the earliest surviving catechetical text"?
6. Is Jesus present in the Eucharist only symbolically?
7. What is an heresiarch?
8. What theological degree may rank between Masters and Bachelors?
9. Is the Mass simply a commemoration of the Passion or a true act of sacrifice?
10. What is the oldest diocese in the U.S.?
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Answers:
1. The Philocalian Calendar, named after its compiler, is the earliest known list of feasts of martyrs kept by the Roman Church. It is also called "Depositio Martyrum" and "Liberian Calendar" (as it was compiled under Pope Liberius around 354 A.D.). [Ref. Catholic Dictionary]
2. The Haceldama is the potter's field purchased with the coins of Judas's betrayal. The term is from the Aramaic for "field of blood".
3. The Sub Tuum Praesidium ["We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not thou our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin." / "Sub tuum præsídium confúgimus, sancta Dei Génitrix: nostras deprecatiónes ne despícias in necessitátibus nostris, sed a perículis cunctis líbera nos semper, Virgo gloriósa et benedícta." (English / Latin)]
4. Pope St. Pius I (d.c. 155) ordered forty days penance for priests who allowed any drops of the Precious Blood to fall to the ground during Mass.
5. The Didache has been called "the earliest surviving catechetical text". It dates from approximately 70 A.D.
6. No. As stated in the Council of Trent: "If anyone denies that the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, but says that Christ is present in the Sacrament only as a sign or figure, or by his power: let him be anathema"
7. A heresiarch is a originator or founder of a heresy (e.g. Martin Luther).
8. A Licentiate may rank between Masters and Bachelors.
9. As stated by Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei: "The august Sacrifice of the Altar, then, is no mere empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest [Christ] by an unbloody immolation offers Himself, a most acceptable victim, to the Eternal Father, as He did upon the cross. 'It is one and the same victim; the same person now offers it by the ministry of His priests, who then offered Himself on the cross, the manner of offering alone being different.' The priest is the same, Jesus Christ, whose sacred Person His minister represents."
10. The oldest U.S. diocese is Baltimore.
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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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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Shouldn't People be Accepted 'Just as They Are'?
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: Shouldn't People be Accepted 'Just as They Are'?
Consider:
* While we must love all people regardless of who or what they are, we are not called to accept sinful behavior. In fact, the Bible instructs us to "hate what is evil" (Rom.12:9), and sin is certainly the greatest evil.
* While Christ forgave sinners, he never allowed them to continue in their sins. In fact, Christ instructed "Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more." (Jn. 8:11)
* Holy Scripture tells us to admonish one another, not to 'accept sinners as they are'. [Note: For more on this topic, try 'Should One Correct / Rebuke a Fallen Away Catholic?' at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/coming_home/coming_home_should_one_correct_rebuke.htm ]
* Holy Scripture tells us not to associate with sinners, not to 'accept sinners as they are'. [e.g. "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) & "Purge the evil person from your midst." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 5:13)]
* False tolerance is not charitable to the sinner or to others. In fact, Scripture warns us that "Bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33) and that "A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough" (Gal. 5:9).
* It is Christ, not us, who has given specific instructions that must be followed for those wishing to be saved.
* While one may think it is not loving to fail to accept someone 'as they are', the truth is that it would not be very loving to allow someone to perish without trying to help them. How loving would it be to let someone fall over a cliff because you didn't want to point out that their feet were hanging three inches over the edge?
* How can it be unloving to encourage loved ones to be the best they can be? To encourage them to act in the only way they can ever be truly happy?
* By tolerating a person's sinful behavior, you may be affirming them in their sins. You may also be making it less likely that they will fight their sinful behavior.
* It may, in fact, be sinful to 'accept' someone's sinful behavior. Doing so may be one way of being an accessory to another's sin. [For more information on ways of being an accessory to another's sin, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_sin_and_vice.htm ]
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"Is it possible that we can see a soul in danger of being lost, and remain indifferent? Have we forgotten the divine promise, told us by the apostle: 'He that causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of his own sins'?" (Gueranger)
"If, assuredly, the alms with which we relieve the needs of the poor are highly praised by the Lord, how much more precious in His eyes, then, will be the zeal and labor expended in teaching and admonishing, by which we provide not for the passing needs of the body but for the eternal profit of the soul! Nothing, surely, is more desirable, nothing more acceptable to Jesus Christ, the Savior of souls, Who testifies of Himself through Isaias: 'To bring good news to the poor he has sent me.'" (Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis", 1905 A.D.)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"The Savior Himself declares, 'Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him.' By this statement it is to be seen that Christ does not say He will be in us only after the fashion of some relation that is solely intellectual, but also through a participation truly according to nature. Just as if someone were to entwine two pieces of wax together and melt them with a fire, so that both are made one, so too through participation in the Body of Christ and in His Precious Blood, He is united in us and we too in Him. In no other way can that corruptible nature be [quickened] except by being united bodily to the Body of Him who is, by His very nature, life: that is, the Only-begotten." (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church, c. 431 A.D.)
"According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified by these rites, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him." (Heb. 9:22-28)
"Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ" (See 1 Pt. 1:17-19)
"For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord. If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life." (1 Jn. 5:3-12)
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