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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - September, 2018
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of September: Dedicated to the Seven Dolors of Mary / The Sorrowful Mother
* Consideration in Church: Visitor Feedback
* New Releases
* Liturgical Feasts in September
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Reject Mary's Title 'Mother of God'?
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Dear Friend,
"Dearly beloved, concerning all things I make it my prayer that thou mayest proceed prosperously and fare well, as thy soul doth prosperously." (3 Jn. 1:2)
Greetings to you and best wishes for a blessed Fall, which starts this month on 9/22 (Northern Hemisphere/EDT). We hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones doing well.
On our end, we have been quite busy with the recent release of two publications in both ebook & paperback formats (please see below), site updates, Rosary Week preparations, and other projects.
Speaking of Rosary Week, we thank all who signed up to participate in our Tenth Annual Rosary Week (to be held from 10/22/18-10/28/18). We look forward to your participation. If you haven't already signed up, please sign up now at http://www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek . We think you will be glad you joined us for this 'spiritually rewarding' - and totally free - event which includes prayers for a number of worthy causes (e.g. needs of the Catholic Church, propagation of the faith, return of fallen away loved ones, conversion of those outside the Church, persons in need, the Holy Souls in Purgatory, the unborn, and more...). Given St. Catherine of Genoa's statement that, "If it were given a man to see virtue's reward in the next world, he would occupy his intellect, memory and will in nothing but good works, careless of danger or fatigue," we hope you will find participation in this event to be profitable to you even in eternity. And please invite others to join in!
May God bless you & keep you,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"Mother of divine grace, pray for us. Mother most pure, pray for us. Mother most chaste, pray for us." (From the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
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MCS News & Notes
* Rosary Week: If you haven't already signed up for our Tenth Annual Rosary Week (to be held from 10/22/18-10/28/18), we urge you to do so now. And, please invite your friends, family & fellow parishioners too! We'd like as many of our fellow Catholics as possible to join together with us in this powerful prayer to our loving, Blessed Mother and we'd love for you to be a part of this effort. We think you'll be glad you did. To sign up for Rosary Week, please visit www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek [Note: If you'd like assistance with praying the rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm . For additional information on the holy rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm ]
* New Book Releases: We are happy to report that since our last newsletter was prepared, we have released two new books in both Kindle & paperback formats. Information concerning both of these publications can be found below. Please know that proceeds from book sales are vital in keeping us online, so thank you in advance for your support!
* Service Interruption / Next Month's Newsletter: Our October 2018 newsletter may arrive a bit earlier - OR later - than usual due to vacations. If possible, we may send it out a bit early (e.g. 9/28, 9/29). Otherwise, the newsletter may arrive a bit late (e.g. 10/2, 10/3). Also, there will be an interruption in many of our services early next month (early October) due to vacations. Services affected may include: lending library, live chat, content processing, subscription processing, correspondence, site/blog updates, etc. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For dates of service interruption, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm . Please note that although you may notice delays in the above services, access to the MyCatholicSource.com website itself should NOT be affected.
* Corrections: We recently corrected dozens of typos on our site. Many of these typos were detected as we prepared various books for publication. If you find any typos on our site (especially significant ones), please consider reporting them to us since we can't fix them if we don't know they are there. Also, in the past when we have come across typos on our site, we have generally avoided correcting those that appear in newsletters so that the online versions of our newsletters may more closely match what was sent out to subscribers. However, we are now altering that practice and making corrections also to online newsletters. We welcome your feedback on this change. Please contact us using the form at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm . Thanks in advance for any feedback!
* Great for the month dedicated to the Sorrowful Mother! Our 'most beautiful' app, iStations, is a convenient devotional aid for privately praying the Stations of the Cross (Way of the Cross). It features beautiful images, TWO traditional methods, a handy audio option with optional auto-advance, selected prayers in English & Latin, easy navigation, and in-app help. It's great for Fridays, Lent, penitential times, family devotions, daily meditation - or any time. Users of the app (both platforms) have called it "penetrating and profound", "excellent", "great", "simply beautiful", "wonderful", and "beautifully sublime". Why not get your copy of this great app today? Download it today at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bfsnet.istations or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007014CYM [an iOS version is presently available at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/istations/id457131446?ls=1&mt=8 ].
* During this 'back to school' season, visitors may be interested in the user-submitted article "Attention: Read this if you love your children". It can be found at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_article-attention_read_this_if_you_love_your_children.htm
* Do something good for the price of a cup of coffee! Help MyCatholicSource.com remain online - donate any amount (from $1+) at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/donate.htm [note that we do NOT sell donor information to third parties and we do NOT contact you about your donation unless it is necessary (e.g. processing problems)]. Thank you for your much needed support!
* Please invite your friends to visit MyCatholicSource.com. For our "easy to use" invite-a-friend page, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/invite_a_friend.htm . Please invite some friends today! Your support helps keep us going!
* We love to hear from you! Please submit comments at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/newsletter_feedback.htm
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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 October 2018.
* Please shop at Amazon.com in support of MyCatholicSource.com! You can shop here for books, household & office products, Catholic items, electronics, and much more. Already shop at Amazon.com? It doesn't cost any extra to shop at Amazon using the following link, yet we can benefit from your purchases. Thank you for your support! Please use this link: http://www.amazon.com/?&tag=mycathcom-20 (shortcut: http://MyCatholicSource.com/ShopAmazon )
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* Please visit our 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 September: Dedicated to the Seven Dolors of Mary / The Sorrowful Mother
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"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. 2:34-35)
"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother" (Jn. 19:25)
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Related Resources...
* Devotion to the Seven Sorrows - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Mary / The Passion & Death of Jesus Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_passion_and_death_of_Jesus.htm
* Scapulars (Incl. Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/scapulars.htm
* Marian Prayers - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Marian.htm
* Marian Facts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/facts.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Papal Writings) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* Marian Scriptural References - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_scriptural_references.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm
* Mary, Our Mother Section - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"As the sun surpasses all the stars in luster, so the sorrows of Mary surpass all the tortures of the martyrs." (St. Basil)
"[W]hat anguish unutterable must have filled the soul of this Mother, when raising up her eyes, she sees the mangled Body of her Son, stretched upon the cross, with His face all covered with blood, and His head wreathed with a crown of thorns!" (Gueranger)
"The silence is again broken: Jesus speaks His third word, and it is to His Mother; but He does not call her by that dear name, for it would redouble her pain: 'Woman!' He says, 'behold thy son!' Then looking upon John, He says to him: 'Son! Behold thy Mother!' What an exchange was here for Mary! But oh! What a blessing it brought upon John, and through him to all mankind: The Mother of God was made our Mother!...[L]et us, today, gratefully receive this last testament of our Jesus, who, having by His Incarnation made us the adopted children of His heavenly Father, now, in His dying moments, makes us children of His own blessed Mother." (Gueranger)
"I bless, praise, and highly commend you, holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, for taking your sorrowful station at the foot of Jesus' Cross, where you stood for a long time careworn and afflicted, transfixed by the sword of sorrow, as foretold by Simeon; for your many tears, which you abundantly shed; for the great loyalty and unwavering allegiance you manifested to your dying Son in his most dire moment; for the acute heartbreak you felt the instant he died; for your tear-filled countenance when you saw him hanging dead before your eyes; for your blessed embrace when in your Mother's arms you received him from the Cross and amid laments clasped him to your breast; for your dolorous journey to the sepulcher, walking behind those who bore that sacred corpse and seeing it placed in a tomb with a large stone sealing it; for your rueful return from the tomb and your entering your home where many of the faithful had gathered, and there you again bitterly bewailed the death of your loving Son. Inasmuch as everyone's eyes were upon you, they too broke out into tears." (Thomas a Kempis)
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Consideration in Church: Visitor Feedback
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We thought it might be helpful to share the following feedback we received from a visitor last month as 'food for thought'. We will leave the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc. as we received it, adding only the beginning and ending quotation marks.
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"I was so excited to have my non- practicing catholic sister with me in church for two weeks. Sadly she declined to go again. Why did we loose her again? Because parents of young children refuse to believe or accept the fact that their children are noisy and distracting. We have a crying room but they will not use it.. Why doesn't the church encourage parents to use this room"
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Looking for 'Proper Behavior in Church' resources? Please try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/proper_behavior_in_church.htm
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New Releases
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We are happy to announce the release of two new books/ebooks. Please note that the first publication mentioned below is also incorporated as a bonus in the second book indicated below, so there may be NO need to purchase both publications. Both titles contain article reprints. Additional detail can be found below or at http://MyCatholicSource.com/Media
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MyCatholicSource.com Presents...
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT LUTHER
Important Things Catholics Should Know About The 'Reformer'
Reprinted from MyCatholicSource.com newsletters
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This slim volume is an 'eye-opening' treatise for Catholics concerning Martin Luther, the catalyst/leader of the 'Reformation' (a.k.a. Protestant Rebellion).
It includes...
* Some quick facts concerning Luther, which demonstrate that he was not sent by God
* Some results of Luther's teachings
* Some papal quotes regarding Martin Luther
* More on Luther, his teachings / practices / behaviors, and their results
It includes coverage of topics such as...
* Luther received approval of his teaching from Satan
* Luther engaged in vulgar 'combats' with the devil, received his 'inspiration' while on the toilet, and could not look upon a crucifix
* Luther encourages sin
* Luther calls for bloodshed against Catholics
* Luther shows contempt for women
* Luther intentionally mistranslates Scripture on his own authority to support his doctrines
* Luther falsely imagines that he is infallible
* Luther was full of hatred
* Luther debases the sacrament of marriage
* Luther was a liar who made use of fabrications, sophisms, falsification, subterfuge, etc.
* Luther promoted a dangerous 'Christian liberty'/free license
* Luther's misbehavior
* Luther's teaching resulted in lower morality
* Luther's was a downward reform, which in some places was accomplished by force
* Luther himself admits he was not guided by God and could be wrong
Also included are more than a dozen brief 'reality check' refreshers which contrast Luther's corrupt behavior & teachings with Holy Scripture on various topics (e.g. sin, marriage, divorce, adultery, Scripture alone, faith alone, etc.).
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Get your copy of this important publication today! And get a copy to share!
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See links below for additional information...
Kindle Version Just $5.99 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GSQQXVL/?tag=mycathcom-20
Paperback $7.99 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1719876576/?tag=mycathcom-20
Note: Prices indicated herein are subject to change at any time without notice and do not include any applicable taxes. For current pricing, click applicable link(s).
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MyCatholicSource.com Presents...
CATHOLICS AND ECUMENISM
Why Do Traditionalists Disapprove Of False Ecumenism? Doesn't This Go Against 'The Council' (Vatican II)?
"Let Scripture, Popes, Saints, Councils, Doctors of the Church, Catechisms, etc. provide some greatly needed clarity on ecumenism. A must-read for Catholics who love both the Church & truth!"
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Hate (false) ecumenism?
So much of the damage in the Catholic Church in the wake of the Second Vatican Council is due to false ecumenism, yet ecumenism is now supposed to "pervade all that [the Church] is and does." But is (false) ecumenism a good thing? If not, why not?
This publication - which attempts to provide some clarity for Catholics - contains a wealth of quotations from Scripture, Popes, Saints, Doctors of the Church, Councils, Catechisms, Canon Law, etc. pertaining to false ecumenism. It covers such topics as...
* What Is Ecumenism?
* The Church Has Always Disapproved Of False Ecumenism
* False Ecumenism Is Unbiblical
* Even Vatican II Admits Some Ecumenism Is Forbidden
* Popes & Saints Forbid False Ecumenism
* Some Problems With False Ecumenism
* 'True Ecumenism'
* False Ecumenism Is Flawed
* False Religions Are Not Vehicles Of Salvation
* 'Christians' Outside The Church Are NOT Part Of The Church
* Final Thoughts [Incl.: False Ecumenism Cannot Be Required Of Catholics; Bad Fruits Of False Ecumenism; Rejecting False Ecumenism Does NOT Go Against 'The Vatican Council'; Etc.]
Also included are a number of special bonuses, such as...
* Setting The Record Straight About Luther [Note: This article is also available separately (see above)]
* Is The Catholic Church The Only True Church?
* The Importance Of Being Catholic
* Selected Reflections
* Can Dogmas Change?
* And More...
We sincerely hope this important tradition-minded book - which is presented by faithful Catholics who are *NOT* involved in 'irregular' or sedevacantist groups - will prove helpful to those who genuinely care about truth.
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Get your copy today! And get a copy to share!
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See links below for additional information...
Kindle Version Just $7.99 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GCC3C3D/?tag=mycathcom-20
Paperback $15.99 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/171811138X/?tag=mycathcom-20
Note: Prices indicated herein are subject to change at any time without notice and do not include any applicable taxes. For current pricing, click applicable link(s).
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For more information, visit links above or try here: http://MyCatholicSource.com/Media
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Liturgical Feasts in September
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for September 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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September 1 - St. Giles (T)
September 1 - Twelve Holy Brothers (T)
September 2 - St. Stephen, king of Hungary (T)
September 3 - St. Pius X, pope (T)
September 3 - St. Gregory the Great, pope (N)
September 5 - St. Laurence Justinian (T)
September 7 - St. Cloud (T)
September 8 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
September 8 - St. Adrian (T)
September 8 - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
September 9 - St. Gorgonius (T)
September 9 - St. Peter Claver (T)
September 9 - St. Peter Claver (N)
September 10 - St. Nicholas of Tolentino (T)
September 11 - Sts. Protus & Hyacinth (T)
September 12 - The Most Holy Name of Mary (T)
September 12 - The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
September 13 - St. John Chrysostom (N)
September 14 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross (T)
September 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (N)
September 15 - Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
September 15 - St. Nicomedes (T)
September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows (N)
September 16 - Sts. Cornelius (pope) & Cyprian (T)
September 16 - Sts. Euphemia, Lucy & Geminianus (T)
September 16 - Sts. Cornelius (pope) & Cyprian (N)
September 17 - Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi (T)
September 17 - St. Robert Bellarmine (N)
September 18 - St. Joseph of Cupertino (T)
September 19 - St. Januarius & others (T)
September 19 - St. Januarius (N)
September 20 - St. Eustace & others (T)
September 20 - Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & companions (N)
September 21 - St. Matthew, apostle & evangelist (T)
September 21 - St. Matthew, apostle & evangelist (N)
September 22 - St. Maurice & others (T)
September 22 - St. Thomas of Villanova (T)
September 23 - St. Linus, pope (T)
September 23 - St. Thecla (T)
September 23 - St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) (N)
September 24 - Our Lady of Ransom (T)
September 26 - Sts. Cyprian & Justina (T)
September 26 - Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues & companions (T)
September 26 - Sts. Cosmas & Damian (N)
September 27 - Sts. Cosmas & Damian (T)
September 27 - St. Vincent de Paul (N)
September 28 - St. Wenceslaus (T)
September 28 - St. Lawrence Ruiz & companions (N)
September 28 - St. Wenceslaus (N)
September 29 - Dedication of the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (T)
September 29 - Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, archangels (N)
September 30 - St. Jerome (T)
September 30 - St. Jerome (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
Also...
9/19/18 - Ember Wednesday (T)
9/21/18 - Ember Friday (T)
9/22/18 - Ember Saturday (T)
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. What scapular is in the shape of a shield and has one blue and one black band?
2. What does St. Robert Bellarmine say is useful for those who value their salvation?
3. What lawful action does the Catechism of the Council of Trent say both punishes the guilty and protects the innocent, and is "an act of paramount obedience" to the Fifth Commandment ("Thou shalt not kill")? What New Testament passages support this?
4. Who is St. Bonaventure referring to when he says...? "Now, this poor man of Christ had but two pieces of money - to wit, his body and his soul - which in his liberal charity he could bestow upon others, and of these he made a continual offering for the love of Christ" (St. Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church)
5. Where does the word "genuflect" come from?
6. What words should we bear always in mind?
7. What do Pierre Roger de Beaufort, Angelo Correr, and Ugo Boncompagni have in common?
8. What does in articulo mortis refer to? What does in periculo mortis refer to?
9. What oath contains these words...? "I entirely reject the heretical misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously."
10. What does St. Teresa of Avila say to do if a bad thought comes to you?
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Answers:
1. The scapular of St. Michael the Archangel is in the shape of a shield and has one blue and one black band.
2. "Nothing can be imagined more useful than for those who value their salvation to examine their consciences diligently twice every day, morning and night." (St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church)
3. "Another kind of lawful slaying belongs to the civil authorities, to whom is entrusted power of life and death, by the legal and judicious exercise of which they punish the guilty and protect the innocent. The just use of this power, far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to this [Fifth] Commandment which prohibits murder. The end of the [Fifth] Commandment is the preservation and security of human life. Now the punishments inflicted by the civil authority, which is the legitimate avenger of crime, naturally tend to this end, since they give security to life by repressing outrage and violence. Hence these words of David: In the morning I put to death all the wicked of the land, that I might cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord." (Catechism of the Council of Trent) In the New Testament, St. Paul says that, "But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil." (St. Paul, Rom. 13:4) Likewise, the 'good thief' who was executed next to Jesus said that he and the other criminal beside Jesus were condemned to death justly ["And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes" (Lk. 23:41)], and was NOT rebuked by Jesus. Jesus himself recommended a millstone for certain persons (e.g. see Mk. 9:41/42), and St. Paul said certain persons "deserve death" by "the just decree of God" (see Rom. 1:32).
4. St. Bonaventure is referring to St. Francis of Assisi.
5. The word "genuflect" is derived from the Latin words "genu" (knee) and "flectere" (to bend).
6. "We should bear always in mind these words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: 'What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul, or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then will He render to every man according to his works.' (Mt. 16:26-27)" (Baltimore Catechism)
7. Pierre Roger de Beaufort, Angelo Correr, Ugo Boncompagni all became pope (Gregory XI, Gregory XII, Gregory XIII, respectively).
8. In articulo mortis is Latin for "at the moment of death". In periculo mortis is Latin for "in danger of death".
9. The Oath Against Modernism, prescribed by Pope St. Pius X, 1910 A.D.
10. "If any bad thought comes to you, make the sign of the cross, or say an Our Father, or strike your breast, and try to think of something else. If you do that, the thought will actually be winning you merit, because you will be resisting it." (St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church)
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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" - Do You Reject Mary's Title 'Mother of God'?
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__Marian.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Reject Mary's Title 'Mother of God'? (Note: Topic is directed at certain Protestants)
Consider:
* How can you object to the title of 'Mother of God' since Jesus is truly God (see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Divinity_of_Christ.htm ) and Mary is truly His Mother?
* How can you object to the title 'Mother of God' when Scripture prophecies that a virgin will bear God (see Isa. 7:14)?
* How can you object to the title 'Mother of God' when Scripture states that Virgin is to bear Emmanuel ("God is with us") [see Mt. 1:23]?
* How can you object to the title 'Mother of God' when it may be seen in Scripture that St. Elizabeth calls Mary "the mother of [her] Lord" (see Lk. 1:43)?
* How can you object to the title 'Mother of God' when Scripture states that God's Son was born of a woman (see Gal. 4:4)?
* Do you argue that Mary cannot be the Mother of God because she is mother of Jesus' humanity only? Do you also tell your mother she is mother only of your body, not of your soul? How can you separate the two? Once Christ has assumed human flesh, how can you separate His divine nature from His human nature?
* Do you object to the title "Mother of God" because you think it means Mary existed before God? If so, you should know that this is not the teaching of the Catholic Church! The Catholic Church teaches that Christ - being God - existed from all eternity and that his Mother Mary - being a creature - exists in time. However, once Christ assumed human nature by the power of the Holy Spirit inside of Mary, Mary became His mother. "Mary is both daughter of God and mother of God!" Even though Mary is Mother of God, the Catholic Church does not teach that she is in any way divine. Rather, she is a creature - albeit the most perfect creature of all.
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"If anyone does not agree that Holy Mary is the Mother of God, he is at odds with the Godhead." (St. Gregory of Nazianz, Doctor of the Church, c. 382 A.D.)
If you say Mary wasn't the mother of God, do you say to the Lord, "Leave the body, so that I may worship you?" (St. Athanasius, Doctor of the Church, 4th century A.D.)
"Certainly she who performed the role of the Creator's handmaid and Mother is truly and in perfect reality God's Mother, and Lady and Queen over all creation." (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, c. 8th century A.D.)
"If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is true God, and that therefore the holy Virgin is Mother of God (Dei genetricem-Theotokon), since she bore, after the flesh, the incarnate Word of God, let him be anathema." (Council of Alexandria, 430 A.D.)
"Can. 1. If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become flesh by birth), let him be anathema." (Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D.)
"Such do we see to have been done in the birth of Emmanuel; the Word of God was born of the substance of His Father; but because He took on Him flesh, making it His own, it is necessary to confess that He was born of a woman according to the flesh. Where seeing He is truly God, how shall any one doubt to call the Holy Virgin the Mother of God?" (St. Cyril, Doctor of the Church)
"Although the name God is common to the three Persons, yet sometimes it stands for the Person of the Father alone, sometimes only for the Person of the Son or of the Holy Ghost... So that when we say, 'The Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God,' this word God stands only for the incarnate Person of the Son." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"If any one does not, in accord with the Holy Fathers, acknowledge the holy and ever-virgin and Immaculate Mary as truly the Mother of God, inasmuch as she, in the fullness of time, and without seed, conceived by the Holy Spirit God the Word Himself, who before all time was born [begotten] of God the Father, and without loss of integrity brought Him forth, and after His birth preserved her virginity inviolate, let him be condemned." (Pope St. Martin I, 649 A.D.)
"Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, who is God and man. She is therefore the mother of God. This is a dogma of the faith accepted as such from the earliest times, as is evident from countless expressions of the Fathers, and it was defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431. It does not mean, of course, that Mary generated the Godhead, any more than an ordinary mother generates her son's soul. It means simply that she is the mother of a Person who is God. This is her fundamental dignity, and the origin and justification of all the honor which Catholics pay to her." (Catholic Dictionary)
"The Word, then, was God, and He became also Man; and since He was born according to the flesh for the sake of mankind, it is necessary that she who bore Him is the Mother of God. For if she did not bear God, neither is He that was born of her to be called God. If the divinely inspired Scriptures name Him God, as God having made Man and incarnate, He could not become Man in any other way that through birth from a woman: how then should she who bore Him not be the Mother of God?" (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church, c. 432 A.D.)
"Just as when a man's soul is born with its body, they are considered as one being: and if anyone wish to say that the mother of the flesh is not the mother of the soul, he says too much. Something like this may be perceived in the generation of Christ. For the Word of God was born of the substance of God the Father: but because He took flesh, we must of necessity confess that in the flesh He was born of a woman. Consequently we must say that the Blessed Virgin is called the Mother of God, not as though she were the Mother of the Godhead, but because she is the mother, according to His human nature, of the Person who has both the divine and the human nature." (St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church)
"We proclaim that the Holy Virgin is properly and truly the Mother of God; for since He that was born of her is true God, she that bore the true God, incarnate of her, is true Mother of God. For we hold that God was born of her, not as if the Divinity of the Word took the beginning of His existence from her, but that God the Word, who was begotten of the Father timelessly before the ages, and who subsisted with the Father and with the Spirit eternally and without beginning, in these last days took His abode in her womb for our salvation, and without change took flesh of her and was born. For the Holy Virgin did not bear mere man but true God...not with a body brought down from heaven, not passing through her as through a channel, but homoousios with us, having taken flesh from her though subsisting in Himself. For if the body had come down from heaven and did not share in our nature, of what use were His becoming Man? For the purpose of God the Word in becoming Man was that the very nature which had sinned and fallen and become corrupted might triumph over the deceiving tyrant and thus be freed of corruption." (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, c. 8th century A.D.)
"A Mother of God! It is the mystery whose fulfillment the world, without knowing it, was awaiting for four thousand years. It is the work which, in God's eyes, was incomparably greater than that of the creation of a million new worlds, for such a creation would cost him nothing; he has but to speak, and all whatsoever he wills is made. But that a creature should have become Mother of God, he has had not only to suspend the laws of nature by making a Virgin Mother, but also to put himself in a state of dependence upon the happy creature he chose for his Mother. He had to give her rights over himself, and contract the obligation of certain duties towards her. He had to make her his Mother, and himself her Son. It follows from all this, that the blessings of the Incarnation, for which we are indebted to the love wherewith the Divine Word loved us, may and ought to be referred, though in an inferior degree, to Mary herself. If she be the Mother of God, it is because she consented to it, for God vouchsafed not only to ask her consent, but moreover to make the coming of his Son into this world depend upon her giving it. As this his Son, the Eternal Word, spoke his Fiat over chaos, and the answer to his word was creation; so did Mary use the same word Fiat: let it be done unto me, she said. God heard her word, and immediately the Son of God descended into her virginal womb. After God, then, it is to Mary, his ever blessed Mother, that we are indebted for our Emmanuel." (Dom Gueranger)
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In Closing...
"O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of sorrow pierced the most sweet soul of the glorious Mary, Mother and Virgin: grant in thy mercy, that we who call to mind her sorrows with veneration, may obtain the happy effect of thy Passion. Who livest." (Collect)
"Here learn the science of the saints: All is to be found in the Passion of Jesus." (St. Paul of the Cross)
"In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (St. Peter, 1 Pt. 1:6-7)
"Oh! In what floods of tears, in what an abyss of sorrow is she whelmed, that Virgin Mother, as mourning she beholds her Son taken down from the blood-stained tree and laid in her arms!" (Liturgical Year)
"No suffering borne out of love for Christ, even poorly borne, will go unrewarded in eternal life. Trust and hope in the merits of Jesus and in this way even poor clay will become finest gold which will shine in the palace of the king of heaven." (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary: "Immaculate Virgin, refuge of sinners thou who, in order to atone for the injuries done to Almighty God and the evils inflicted on men by sin, didst accept with resignation the death of thy divine Son, be ever propitious toward us, and in heaven, where thou dost reign gloriously, continue in our behalf thy work of zeal and love. We would be thy children: do thou still show thyself a Mother. Obtain from Jesus, our divine Redeemer, that He may be pleased to apply to our souls the fruits of His passion and death, and deliver us from the bonds of our iniquities. May He be our light in the midst of darkness, our strength in weakness, our refuge in the midst of peril; may He strengthen us by His grace and love in this world, and grant us to love Him, see Him and possess Him in the world to come. Amen." (Raccolta)
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