Most of us are battling with 'What if i wasn't born a Catholic' and 'Does it really matter what church i go to on a Sunday'. I for one wasn't born a Catholic. I was born into a Pentecostal Home
'Church of God Mission Ugborikoko'. After i lost my mum 2002, i sort of drifted away. Well grief made me. Not justifiable but true. I took note the church wasn't harmonized. They stopped coming around to check on us in less than a month after her death( yea yea everybody gats move on) but what stroked me most was that the Pastor preached against my late mum in church on a Sunday Service for that matter about my mum joining all those Women Association and her acting as the President. For Pete's sake she nor de go Ogboni. It was just a meeting where married women come together for a common good- Visitations, Osusu (monthly savings), Projects ..... Anyway, i lashed out and joined my elder sister in her own church (marriage converted her to the Catholic Church). Got baptized at St. Anthony Catholic Church Ugborikoko (2004) and ehm... am yet to be confirm.
'Church of God Mission Ugborikoko'. After i lost my mum 2002, i sort of drifted away. Well grief made me. Not justifiable but true. I took note the church wasn't harmonized. They stopped coming around to check on us in less than a month after her death( yea yea everybody gats move on) but what stroked me most was that the Pastor preached against my late mum in church on a Sunday Service for that matter about my mum joining all those Women Association and her acting as the President. For Pete's sake she nor de go Ogboni. It was just a meeting where married women come together for a common good- Visitations, Osusu (monthly savings), Projects ..... Anyway, i lashed out and joined my elder sister in her own church (marriage converted her to the Catholic Church). Got baptized at St. Anthony Catholic Church Ugborikoko (2004) and ehm... am yet to be confirm.
Now back to the topic at hand.
ARE CATHOLICS STUPID?
So many of you cannot defend your Faith. Members of other churches put simple questions to you. Simple difficulties like "Is the Pope in the Bible? Why do you make the Sign of the Cross?" Often you cannot answer. Yet, St. Peter told you "Always have your answer ready for those who ask you reason for the hope you have." Like me, you admire the members of other churches for their goodness, their sincerity, their zeal to spread their doctrines. You owe it to them to help them by giving them clear answers to their difficulties. For, often they ask out of ignorance and may be seeking the light. For example.
1. Why does the church use Bulletin instead of Bible?
This was an old and rampant questions asked by everyone years ago. They insist bulletin isn't Bible. The bulletin contains the words of God basically for all to follow up with the teachings not only for sunday masses but also for weekdays. Other churches have started using ipads and other electronic devices in church to follow up the teachings and people seem not to care anymore.
2. . Why do we worship graven images?
Strange is it not? Because we keep statues of Jesus, Mary and the Saints, people say we adore them! Yet they keep pictures of their parents and friends in their homes. Do they adore them? No. They keep them to remind themselves of their loved ones. Even so we keep the pictures and statues of our
heavenly friends in Church to remind us of them and to pray. The visual aid is to help concentrate. We pray not to the picture or statue but to the person they represent.
3. Why we make "THE SIGN OF TH CROSS"
The sign of the Cross like every other churches believe in it's divine greatness. Although it's strange that Catholics are being identified when they make the sign of the Cross like we alone owns it. No it's meant for all.
For three reasons we make the Sacred Sign.
- In memory of Jesus'death on the cross.
- As a shield to protect us from evil.
- To honour the Three Divine Persons in One God.
4. Why we pray to MARY.
They often ask: Why do you honour Mary so much? Why pray to her? There is only one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). Very true. And it is right to ask Mary to pray to Jesus for us because he is our mediator. Think of the wedding at Cana. The wine had finished: the newly weds felt shame: Mary felt pity (John 2: 1-12). We honour Mary as God honoured her, no more and no less(Immaculate Conception).
Mattew and Mark mentioned brothers and sisters of Jesus. They were his cousins. There was no word for "cousin"in Aramaic, the language Mattew wrote in. Just as there is not in any Nigerian language. If any relative of yours comes from home to visit you, you will say, "my brother has come". Is it not so? It was the same with the brothers of Jesus. They were probably children of Mary's sister Mary Cleopas. Jesus, dying on the cross entrusted Mary to the care of St. John, son of Zebedee (John 19: 26). Would he have done so if Mary had other sons to take care of her? ( Don't say he did so because his brothers did not believe in him- Acts 1:14).
6. Why Mary Mother of God?
9. Is the Pope in the Bible?
6. Why Mary Mother of God?
God created Mary. But the child Jesus is truly God and truly man. God from eternity, man from the moment and she conceived him. He is One Person, both God and Man. She is the Mother of God. "Is it in the bible?". The fact is there: the words are out. The Catholic Church gave Mary this title at the Council of Ephesus- all the bishops united with the Pope, in the year 431. Heretics were saying that in Jesus there were two persons; one divine, the other Human and that Mary was mother of the human person only. The Council declared, infallibly, that Jesus was One Person, the God-Man and therefore Mary should be called Mother of God to safeguard the truth that Jesus is One Person.
7. Why say the Rosary?
Yes Matt 6:7 condemned 'vain repetition'. But is is not good to ponder on the events of Jesus' life on earth?.... Just as Mary did. She treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart (luke 2:19). The Rosary is a method of pondering or thinking over 15 events of Jesus on earth. We divide his life into 4 parts: the Joyful(His birth and childhood), The Sorrowful(suffering and death), The Glorious(Events of His Resurrection and Ascension into Glory) and The Light.
8. It is impossible for a mere man to forgive sins.
Yet you agree that God can use a man to forgive sins in baptism, So why not in confession -John 20-21 and 2 Corinthians 5:18. Thanks to the greatness of God's love for us, when we were his enemies, he reconciled us to Himself by the blood of Christ on the Cross. Then he gave that power of reconciliation to the apostles. Hear Paul: "God reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." That means the work of reconciling sinners to God John 20-21
You confess directly to God. So do I! When i commit any sin, great or small i pray to God. Thus even my mortal sins are forgiven if my sorrow is true and sincere and i have the intention of confession as soon as possible. But i may not received Holy Communion until i have confessed.
Yes it is hard to kneel and tell a man all the evil you have done. We have to face up to ourselves and admit our guilt, like the tax collector in the Temple.
9. Is the Pope in the Bible?
Jesus made Peter the Chief Shepherd of His Church, The Invisible head of His Church on earth, and the bond of unity. The word Pope is not in the Bible but the man is. Jesus mean Peter to have successors " Go and teach all nations... Ans know that i am with you, yes, to the end of time- Mattew 28:18. Pope means Papa, Father. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. There he taught and taught and there he was crucified. Each Bishop of Rome after Peter was in turn Pope or Head of the church.
Being a 'Converted' Catholic has changed my life tremendously but there are few things i do not quite agree with the church (hey don't blame me). Things like them preaching about 'if you fail to come for sunday mass you've sinned'. I remember asking a Priest if it's true what if you were invited to a friend or relative's church for a thanksgiving and you just might miss the whole activities, so you decided to worship with them. And he said YES it's a sin because no matter how important the service is, you should create room for Sunday mass. Phew! that got me wondering then why does the Church about US being ONE when we don't even see ourselves as one before God. And am not just talking about the Catholic Church. All churches have this same perspective. You don't have to spell it out loud but i confirm this to be true from the way our friends critically analyses the Bible with us.
"Every Church has it's own doctrine. Remember those were written by man set as guidelines so people don't go astray but also remember the Church is US so let's stop looking out for flaws and accept JESUS"
According to one of my naughty friends "Last last woman nor get church" hehehehe
Have a fruitful week ahead people.
Good write up Vee....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the appraisal.
DeleteGood work dear
ReplyDeleteHey married bae. Thanks alot. And don't forget to kiss my son goodnight.
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