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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - October, 2015
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of October: Dedicated to the Holy Rosary
* 'Three Ways We Ought To Honor Our Guardian Angels'
* Reminder From Pope Pius XII: The Family Rosary
* Liturgical Feasts in October
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Is Marriage Indissoluble Until Death?
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Dear Friend,
"Therefore, from the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:9-14)
Greetings! We hope Fall has gotten off to a good start for you and that it will continue to be a happy & holy season. The month of October, which is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, begins with the feast of the Guardian Angels (10/2) and the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary (10/7) and concludes with the traditional feast of Christ the King (10/25) and All Hallows Eve/Vigil of All Saints (10/31). Also included are feasts of beloved saints such as St. Theresa of Avila and St. Francis of Assisi. We also look forward to a rather full calendar here with our Seventh Annual Rosary Week scheduled from 10/25 through 10/31 and our seven year anniversary falling on 10/28.
Speaking of Rosary Week, if you have not already signed up, we invite you once again to join us. Participation is easy, free, and takes only a little time - yet the rewards you receive may be great! Since we plan to have a Traditional Latin Mass said for all Rosary Week participants, you'll also get to share in the benefits of the Holy Mass in addition to the rewards already to be had for praying the holy rosary. Please join us! Sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek
Thank you very much for your support & participation.
Best wishes to you for God's blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever." (Lk. 1:32)
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MCS News & Notes
* Last chance to sign up for our Seventh Annual Rosary Week (10/25/15 - 10/31/15): Don't miss out! Please sign up today for this FREE event at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek . Don't pray the rosary? Why not start now? Already pray the rosary? Why not join us for a few extra rosaries? We're confident that you'll be glad you participated in this powerful, yet easy & 'hassle-free' Catholic event. Why not also invite your friends to join? [Note: If you'd like help praying the rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm ]
* Reminder: There will be an interruption in many of our services in early October due to vacations. Services affected may include: lending library, live chat, post / ad / order processing, subscription processing, correspondence, site / news / blog updates, etc. Although you may notice delays in the above services, access to the MyCatholicSource.com website itself should NOT be affected. For details, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
* Feast of St. Francis (10/4): Why not celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi by reviewing biographical information on this great saint, reading some of his inspiring writings, or praying some of his beautiful prayers? You can find this and more at the St. Francis Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/saint_francis_page.htm . And while you're there, why not add your pet's name to the list of special pets? This is a must-see section for animal lovers.
* Reminder: October 25 is the traditional feast of Christ the King. As you may know, the motto of our site, "Christ the King", took root from the encyclical of Pope Pius XI entitled "Quas Primas". This encyclical makes great reading for the month of October. To view Quas Primas, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quas_primas.htm . [Note: For information on the timing of this feast (October vs. November), please see Guest Article: 'Should the Feast of Christ the King Be Celebrated in October or November?' at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cmno/up/RC-Feast_of_Christ_the_King.htm ]
* October 28 marks the seventh anniversary of the official unveiling of MyCatholicSource.com. We send our thanks to all visitors for their support over these past seven years. We hope, by God's grace, to be able to continue to remain online for years to come. Prayer of Thanksgiving: "With all our heart and voice, we acknowledge, we praise, and we bless Thee, God the Father unbegotten, Thee, the only-begotten Son, Thee, the Holy Ghost the Paraclete, O holy and undivided Trinity." (Raccolta)
* For centuries, numerous popes, saints, and others have strongly encouraged all to pray the rosary. In fact, the Blessed Virgin herself has urged us to pray the holy rosary. We would also like to encourage all subscribers to pray the rosary daily - and October is a great month to start. Please see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm for reasons to pray the rosary daily. "I beg of you to beware of thinking of the rosary as something of little importance - as do ignorant people and even several great but proud scholars. Far from being insignificant, the rosary is a priceless treasure which is inspired by God." (St. Louis de Montfort) For additional information on or assistance with the holy rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-holy_rosary.htm
* Looking for information concerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony? Please try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_marriage.htm
* 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!
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* We are happy to report that our newly released Saints4U app (mentioned in last month's newsletter) ranked #1 on Amazon's 'Hot New Releases in Reference Apps' chart and is still (at the time of this writing) on the list in position #7. Unfortunately the app has not sold so well on Google Play, but hopefully that will improve in the future. To download Saints4U, please visit https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bfsnet.saints4u or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014K30SOU [an iOS version is still available at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saints4u/id453922297?ls=1&mt=8 , but we plan to discontinue this version]. For more information & screenshots, please visit http://www.MyCatholicSource.com/Android
* iOS Update: As you may remember, our apps experienced various issues with the introduction of iOS7 ("the most significant update since the original iPhone" according to Apple). At that time, we looked into possible resolutions for the issues, but found that the required fixes were more extensive than we had hoped and we could not justify the expense of re-coding our apps for Apple's new iOS (note that we have suspended iOS app development indefinitely). With the release of iOS 8, some functionality was restored & some issues were resolved. We have now tested our apps on iOS 9 and have found no changes since iOS 8 (e.g. iStations & Catholic Bible References may still have a 'cosmetic issue', but both appear to remain fully functional in iOS 9.0). We have placed updates on the iOS7 pages to reflect our iOS 9.0 testing (please see http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/ios7/ios7.htm ). For more information on our current apps, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/apps
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The Month of October: Dedicated to the Holy Rosary
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"Of all the prayers, the Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces; of all it is the one most pleasing to Mary, the Virgin Most Holy." (Pope St. Pius X)
"[E]xperience shows that no sooner do the people commence to practice this devotion that they open their hearts to the largest channel of grace, so as to be flooded with heavenly gifts." (Muller)
"We desire very earnestly, Venerable Brethren, that the Holy Rosary should be recited in a special manner in the month of October and with increased devotion both in the churches and in homes." (Pope Pius XI, "Ingravescentibus Malis", 1937 A.D.)
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Related Resources...
* The Holy Rosary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-holy_rosary.htm
* Promises of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/promises_of_the_rosary.htm
* What is the Rosary and Why Pray it? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/what_the_rosary_is_and_why_pray_it.htm
* Facts About the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/rosary_facts.htm
* History of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/history_of_the_rosary.htm
* How to Pray the Rosary / Mysteries of the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm
* Tips for Praying the Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/dusub/rosary_tips.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/holy_rosary_reflections.htm
* The Holy Rosary (Papal Writings) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* The Daily Rosary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm
* The Rosary in Latin - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/the_rosary_in_latin.htm
* Rosary Prayers (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-rosary_prayers.htm
* How to Pray the Rosary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm
* Holy Rosary (Section) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm
* Sacramentals (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-sacramentals.htm
* Popular Marian Devotions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Rosary / Apologetics - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
* Devotions, Sacramentals & Pious Practices - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/devotions.htm
* Rosary (Coloring Pages) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Rosary (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_rosary.html
* Rosary (Word Search) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_rosary.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"Next to the holy sacrifice of the Mass, there is, indeed, nothing more terrifying to [the devil], nor does he bear a more implacable hatred to anything than to the devotion of the Rosary." (Muller)
"If you want peace in your heart, in your home, in your country, assemble together every night and say the Rosary." (Pope St. Pius X)
"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." (St. Louis de Montfort)
"The power of the rosary is beyond description." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
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Reminder: The My Catholic Source.com Seventh Annual Rosary Week will be held this year from 10/25 - 10/31. Please join us! Sign up today at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/rosary_week_sign_up.htm
It's easy & free to participate!
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'Three Ways We Ought To Honor Our Guardian Angels'
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The following is taken from a 19th century publication of the work of St. Alphonsus Liguori. An imprimatur was not located on the source material. [Please Note: We have made some changes to the text below (e.g. capitalization, punctuation & spelling changes).]
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St. Bernard says there are three ways by which we ought to honor our guardian angels: "by reverence, by devotion, and by confidence." By reverence; because these holy spirits and princes of heaven are always present with us, and assist us in all our actions. And on this account, out of regard to our guardian angels, we ought carefully to refrain from every action which can displease them. St. Frances Widow of Rome saw that the angel who attended her in a human form, every time that he observed any improper action or word in any one in conversation, covered his face with his hands. O my holy guardian angel, how many times have I by my sins obliged you to cover your face! I ask your forgiveness, and I beseech you to implore forgiveness for me from God, for I am resolved to offend neither God nor you any more by my negligences.
In the second place, we ought to honor our good angels by devotion to them, on account of the respect which they deserve and the love which they have for us. No love of father, brother or friend can equal the love which our good angels have for each one of us. Our worldly friends often love us from motives of interest, and on this account very easily forget us when we are in adversity, and much more when we offend them. Our angel guardians love us solely from motives of charity, and hence when we are in difficulties they assist us more particularly, and cease not to help us after we have rebelled against God. Then will they endeavor to enlighten us, in order that we may soon return to God by repentance. O how much do I thank you, my holy guardian, for the lights which you have communicated to me. Oh that I had always obeyed you! Continue to enlighten me, rebuke me when I fail, and do not forsake me unto the last moment of my life.
In the third place, we ought to have great confidence in the assistance of our good angels. God's love for us was not satisfied with giving us His Son Jesus for our Redeemer, and Mary for our advocate; He has been pleased to give us also His angels to be our guardians, and has commanded them to assist us during the course of our lives: He hath given his angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways. (Ps. xc. 11.) O God of infinite mercy, what more canst thou do for me that I may be saved? I thank thee, O my Lord; and I thank you also, O prince of paradise, my good angel, who for so many years have assisted and protected me. I have been unmindful of you, but you have not forgotten me. Who knows how much farther I may have to go before I enter eternity? O my good angel, guide me in the way to heaven and cease not to assist me until you behold me become your eternal companion in the kingdom of heaven.
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"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"For as surely as Tobias beheld with his bodily eyes the Archangel Raphael, we know by faith that the angel of the Lord accompanies us from the cradle to the tomb. Let us have the same trustful confidence in him." (Liturgical Year)
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For more reflections on angels, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-angels.htm
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Reminder From Pope Pius XII: The Family Rosary
"But it is above all in the bosom of the family that We desire the custom of the Holy Rosary to be everywhere adopted, religiously preserved, and ever more intensely practiced. In vain is a remedy sought for the wavering fate of civil life, if the family, the principle and foundation of the human community, is not fashioned after the pattern of the Gospel. To undertake such a difficult duty, We affirm that the custom of the family recitation of the Holy Rosary is a most efficacious means. What a sweet sight - most pleasing to God - when, at eventide, the Christian home resounds with the frequent repetition of praises in honor of the august Queen of Heaven! Then the Rosary, recited in common, assembles before the image of the Virgin, in an admirable union of hearts, the parents and their children, who come back from their daily work. It unites them piously with those absent and those dead. It links all more tightly in a sweet bond of love, with the most Holy Virgin, who, like a loving mother, in the circle of her children, will be there bestowing upon them an abundance of the gifts of concord and family peace. Then the home of the Christian family, like that of Nazareth, will become an earthly abode of sanctity, and, so to speak, a sacred temple, where the Holy Rosary will not only be the particular prayer which every day rises to heaven in an odor of sweetness, but will also form the most efficacious school of Christian discipline and Christian virtue. This meditation on the Divine Mysteries of the Redemption will teach the adults to live, admiring daily the shining examples of Jesus and Mary, and to draw from these examples comfort in adversity, striving towards those heavenly treasures 'where neither thief draws near, nor moth destroys' (Luke 12, 33). This meditation will bring to the knowledge of the little ones the main truths of the Christian Faith, making love for the Redeemer blossom almost spontaneously in their innocent hearts, while, seeing, their parents kneeling before the majesty of God, they will learn from their very early years how great before the throne of God is the value of prayers said in common." (Pope Pius XII, "Ingruentium Malorum", 1951 A.D.)
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For more on the holy rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-holy_rosary.htm
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Liturgical Feasts in October
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for October 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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October 1 - St. Remigius (T)
October 1 - St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (N)
October 2 - The Holy Guardian Angels (T)
October 2 - The Guardian Angels (N)
October 3 - St. Teresa of the Child Jesus (T)
October 4 - St. Francis of Assisi (T)
October 4 - St. Francis of Assisi (N)
October 5 - St. Placid & companions (T)
October 6 - St. Bruno (T)
October 6 - St. Bruno (N)
October 7 - Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
October 7 - St. Mark, pope (T)
October 7 - Sts. Marcellus & Apuleius (T)
October 7 - Sts. Sergius & Bacchus (T)
October 7 - Our Lady of the Rosary (N)
October 8 - St. Bridget of Sweden (T)
October 9 - St. John Leonardi (T)
October 9 - Sts. Denis, Rusticus & Eleutherius (T)
October 9 - St. Denis & companions (N)
October 9 - St. John Leonardi (N)
October 10 - St. Francis Borgia (T)
October 11 - The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
October 13 - St. Edward, king of England (T)
October 14 - St. Callistus I, pope (T)
October 14 - St. Callistus I, pope (N)
October 15 - St. Teresa of Avila (T)
October 15 - St. Teresa of Avila (N)
October 16 - St. Hedwig (T)
October 16 - St. Hedwig (N)
October 16 - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (N)
October 17 - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (T)
October 17 - St. Ignatius of Antioch (N)
October 18 - St. Luke the Evangelist (T)
October 18 - St. Luke the Evangelist (N)
October 19 - St. Peter of Alcantara (T)
October 19 - St. Paul of the Cross (N)
October 19 - Sts. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf & companions (N)
October 20 - St. John Cantius (T)
October 21 - St. Hilarion (T)
October 21 - St. Ursula & companions (T)
October 23 - St. John of Capistrano (N)
October 24 - St. Raphael the Archangel (T)
October 24 - St. Anthony Claret (N)
October 25 - Sts. Chrysanthus & Daria (T)
October 26 - St. Evaristus, pope (T)
October 28 - Sts. Simon & Jude, apostles (T)
October 28 - Sts. Simon & Jude, apostles (N)
October 31 - Vigil of All Saints (T)
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...
10/25/15 - Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ (T) [Refresher re: traditional timing of this feast: "It is not necessary, Venerable Brethren, that We should explain to you at any length why We have decreed that this feast of the Kingship of Christ should be observed in addition to those other feasts in which his kingly dignity is already signified and celebrated. It will suffice to remark that although in all the feasts of our Lord the material object of worship is Christ, nevertheless their formal object is something quite distinct from his royal title and dignity. We have commanded its observance on a Sunday in order that not only the clergy may perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that the laity too, free from their daily tasks, may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ. The last Sunday of October seemed the most convenient of all for this purpose, because it is at the end of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and, before celebrating the triumph of all the Saints, we proclaim and extol the glory of him who triumphs in all the Saints and in all the Elect." (Pope Pius XI, "Quas Primas", 1925 A.D.)]
Note: The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated "after the triumph of all the Saints" in the Novus Ordo calendar, on the Sunday before Advent. [For more on the timing of this feast (October vs. November), please see Guest Article: 'Should the Feast of Christ the King Be Celebrated in October or November?' at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cmno/up/RC-Feast_of_Christ_the_King.htm . For more on Christ the King (incl. Act of Consecration), please try the Topic Page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Christ_the_King.htm ]
=> Looking for more recently added feasts?
The Vatican announced that the following feast days have been added to the general Roman calendar...
Pope John XXIII - October 11
Pope John Paul II - October 22
While the feast days have been added to the (Novus Ordo) calendar, they are "optional and not obligatory memorials."
[Ref.: Newsflash (9/12/14) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cmno/news_and_opinion.htm ]
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. Who said...? "Reprimand and rebuke should be accepted as healing remedies for vice and as conducive to good health. From this it is clear that those who pretend to be tolerant because they wish to flatter - those who thus fail to correct sinners - actually cause them to suffer supreme loss and plot the destruction of that life which is their true life."
2. Who said...? "Since it is in the very nature of man to follow the guide of reason to his actions, if his intellect sins at all, his will soon follows; and thus it happens that false opinions, whose seat is in the understanding, influence human actions and pervert them."
3. Complete the passage: "No good comes to him who gives comfort to the wicked, nor is it ___ that he does. Give to the good man, refuse ___; refresh the downtrodden, give nothing to the proud man." (Sirach 12:3-4)
4. Who said...? "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."
5. Who said...? "...that progress of dogmas...is, in reality, nothing but the corruption of dogmas."
6. Who said...? "[I]t is well known that to the Church there belongs no right whatsoever to innovate anything touching on the substance of the sacraments"
7. Complete the sentence... "The Holy Spirit was not promised to the successor of Peter that by the revelation of the Holy Spirit they might ___, 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." (Vatican Council I)
8. Complete the passage... "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: ___." (Vatican Council I)
9. Who said...? "In matters of faith, compromise is in contradiction with God who is Truth."
10. Who said...? "[D]iabolical error, when it has artfully colored its lies, easily clothes itself in the likeness of truth while very brief additions or changes corrupt the meaning of expressions; and confession, which usually works salvation, sometimes, with a slight change, inches toward death."
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Answers:
1. St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church
2. Pope Leo XIII
3. "No good comes to him who gives comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of mercy that he does. Give to the good man, refuse the sinner; refresh the downtrodden, give nothing to the proud man." (Sirach 12:3-4)
4. Catechism of the Council of Trent
5. Pope St. Pius X, "Lamentabili Sane", 1907 A.D.
6. Pope St. Pius X, "Ex quo", 1910 A.D.
7. "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." (Vatican Council I)
8. "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." (Vatican Council I)
9. Pope John Paul II
10. Pope Clement XIII, "In Dominico Agro", 1761 A.D.
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Is Marriage Indissoluble Until Death?
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__matrimony.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Is Marriage Indissoluble Until Death? (Note: Topic is directed at certain Protestants)
Consider:
* Our Lord Jesus Christ has stated that marriage is indissoluble until death...
"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.' But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 5:31-32)
"Some Pharisees approached [Jesus], and tested him, saying, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?' He said in reply, 'Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.' They said to him, 'Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss (her)?' He said to them, 'Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.'" (Mt. 19:3-9)
"The Pharisees approached [Jesus] and asked, 'Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?' They were testing him. He said to them in reply, 'What did Moses command you?' They replied, 'Moses permitted him to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.' But Jesus told them, 'Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (and be joined to his wife), and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.' In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.'" (Mk. 10:2-12)
"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 16:18)
Clearly, a 'divorce' is meaningless since one could not be committing adultery if one was no longer married.
* St. Paul has confirmed that spouses are bound to each other until death...
"A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whomever she wishes, provided that it be in the Lord." (1 Cor. 7:39)
"Are you unaware, brothers (for I am speaking to people who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over one as long as one lives? Thus a married woman is bound by law to her living husband; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law in respect to her husband. Consequently, while her husband is alive she will be called an adulteress if she consorts with another man. But if her husband dies she is free from that law, and she is not an adulteress if she consorts with another man." (Rom. 7:1-3)
* Scripture even compares the bond of marriage to the bond between Christ and his Church...
"Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church." (Eph. 5:22-32)
* Those are mistaken who think the state can dissolve a marriage...
"[T]he bond of Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by the civil authority, because the civil authority cannot interfere with the matter of the sacrament nor can it put asunder what God has joined together." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"Divorce granted by courts of justice or by any human power does not break the bond of marriage, and one who makes use of such a divorce to marry again while the 'former' husband or wife lives commits a sacrilege and lives in the sin of adultery. A civil divorce has no effect whatever upon the bond and spiritual nature of the Sacrament." (Baltimore Catechism)
* For good reasons, the Church may allow a physical separation of spouses, but this does not end the marriage or allow the spouses to marry others...
"The Church sometimes, for very good reasons, does allow husband and wife to separate and live apart; but that is not dissolving the bond of marriage, or divorce as it is called, for though separated they are still husband and wife and neither can marry as long as both are alive." (Baltimore Catechism)
* The Church may declare a marriage invalid (or "null"), but this is NOT the same as a divorce. This declaration of nullity means the marriage NEVER EXISTED in the first place, even despite appearances to the contrary. Note that a marriage which is valid at its beginning can NEVER be declared invalid, even if conditions later change...
"The Church does not allow Catholics once really married to separate and marry again, but it sometimes declares persons apparently married free to marry again because their first marriage was null; that is, no marriage on account of some impediment not discovered until after the ceremony [that is, an impediment which ALREADY EXISTED at the time of the marriage ceremony, but was not discovered until later]." (Baltimore Catechism)
* Remember that the Catholic Church has been the world's "greatest protector of marriage on the planet". Not only did she not compromise her teachings "in the mist of the spiritual wreckage which surrounds her", but her firmness on the indissolubility of marriage has cost her whole peoples (e.g. England).
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"A ratified and consummated valid marriage can be dissolved by no human power and for no cause, outside of death." (1917 Code of Canon Law, Can. 1118)
"A marriage that is ratum et consummatum can be dissolved by no human power and by no cause, except death." (1983 Code of Canon Law, Can. 1141)
"But he who has once entered into the matrimonial alliance, regret it as he afterwards may, cannot possibly change, or invalidate, or undo what has been done." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"[T]he bond of marriage...cannot be dissolved except by the death of either husband or wife, because God so ordained from the beginning and so Jesus Christ our Lord solemnly proclaimed." (Catechism of St. Pius X)
"It should be known that no power can dissolve the bond of Christian marriage whenever this has been ratified and consummated; and that, of a consequence, those husbands and wives are guilty of a manifest crime who plan, for whatever reason, to be united in a second marriage before the first one has been ended by death." (Pope Leo XIII)
"The third advantage [of Marriage] is called the Sacrament, that is to say, the indissoluble bond of marriage. As the Apostle has it: The Lord commanded that the wife depart not from the husband, and if she depart that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his wife (1 Cor. 7:10). And truly, if marriage as a Sacrament represents the union of Christ with His Church, it also necessarily follows that just as Christ never separates Himself from His Church, so in like manner the wife an never be separated from her husband in so far as regards the marriage-tie." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"In the second place, if marriage could be dissolved by divorce, married persons would hardly ever be without causes of disunion, which would be daily supplied by the old enemy of peace and purity; while, on the contrary, now that the faithful must remember that even though separated as to bed and board, they remain none the less bound by the bond of marriage with no hope of marrying another, they are by this very fact rendered less prone to strife and discord. And even if it sometimes happens that husband and wife become separated, and are unable to bear the want of their partnership any longer, they are easily reconciled by friends and return to their common life." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"The self-same testimony of Christ our Lord easily proves that the marriage-tie cannot be broken by any sort of divorce. For if by a bill of divorce a woman were freed from the law that binds her to her husband, she might marry another husband without being in the least guilty of adultery. Yet our Lord says clearly: Whosoever shall put away his wife and shall marry another committeth adultery. Hence it is plain that the bond of marriage can be dissolved by death alone, as is confirmed by the Apostle when he says: A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die she is at liberty; let her marry whom she will, only in the Lord; and again: To them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband; and if she depart that she remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. To the wife, then, who for a just cause has left her husband, the Apostle offers this alternative: Let her either remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. Nor does holy Church permit husband and wife to separate without weighty reasons." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"The true origin of marriage, venerable brothers, is well known to all. Though revilers of the Christian faith refuse to acknowledge the never-interrupted doctrine of the Church on this subject, and have long striven to destroy the testimony of all nations and of all times, they have nevertheless failed not only to quench the powerful light of truth, but even to lessen it. We record what is to all known, and cannot be doubted by any, that God, on the sixth day of creation, having made man from the slime of the earth, and having breathed into his face the breath of life, gave him a companion, whom He miraculously took from the side of Adam when he was locked in sleep. God thus, in His most far-reaching foresight, decreed that this husband and wife should be the natural beginning of the human race, from whom it might be propagated and preserved by an unfailing fruitfulness throughout all futurity of time. And this union of man and woman, that it might answer more fittingly to the infinite wise counsels of God, even from the beginning manifested chiefly two most excellent properties - deeply sealed, as it were, and signed upon it - namely, unity and perpetuity. From the Gospel we see clearly that this doctrine was declared and openly confirmed by the divine authority of Jesus Christ. He bore witness to the Jews and to His Apostles that marriage, from its institution, should exist between two only, that is, between one man and one woman; that of two they are made, so to say, one flesh; and that the marriage bond is by the will of God so closely and strongly made fast that no man may dissolve it or render it asunder.'" (Pope Leo XIII, "Arcanum", 1880 A.D.)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
For more on the sacrament of holy matrimony, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/matrimony.htm
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In Closing...
"How great is the power and mercy of the Blessed Virgin for those who are faithful in the practice of the Rosary! If you wish then, to save your soul, practice the devotion of the Rosary with fervor and perseverance. If you wish to save the souls of those who are near and dear to you, try to introduce this devotion without delay into your family." (Muller)
"It is apparent from these considerations that true peace, the peace of Christ, is impossible unless we are willing and ready to accept the fundamental principles of Christianity, unless we are willing to observe the teachings and obey the law of Christ, both in public and private life." (Pope Pius XI, "Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio", 1922 A.D.)
"Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers." (St. Paul, Heb. 13:4)
"If anyone states that the marriage bond can be dissolved by reason of heresy, domestic incompatibility, or willful desertion by one of the parties: let him be anathema." (Council of Trent)
"Marriage has God for its Author, and was from the very beginning a kind of foreshadowing of the incarnation of His Son; and therefore there abides in it a something holy and religious; not extraneous, but innate; not derived from men, but implanted by nature." (Pope Leo XIII)
"[M]ay the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all" (Pope Pius XII, "Ad Caeli Reginam", 1954 A.D.)
"When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony." (Pope Pius XI, "Quas Primas", 1925 A.D.)
Prayer to Christ the King: "O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge Thee to be the King of the universe; all that hath been made is created for Thee. Exercise over me all Thy sovereign rights. I hereby renew the promises of my Baptism, renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps, and I engage myself to lead henceforth a truly Christian life. And in an especial manner do I undertake to bring about the triumph of the rights of God and Thy Church, so far as in me lies. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer Thee my poor actions to obtain the acknowledgement by every heart of Thy sacred kingly power. In such wise may the kingdom of Thy peace be firmly established throughout all the earth. Amen." (Raccolta)
"O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, His death and His resurrection hath purchased for us the reward of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating on these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Lord." (10/7 Collect)
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