Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Readings for Monday of the 4th Week of Easter
First Published: Monday, May 08, 2006
Sheepish
Reflection:
Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture
The Gospel for Monday continues the Good Shepherd message of the 4th Sunday of Easter. The emphasis throughout is that Jesus is the way. Again it is unambiguous and is routinely used by some, to whom the title Elitist belongs, to describe in no uncertain terms that if you have not made some sort of public profession about Jesus you ARE NOT SAVED.
There was a great joke about a thermodynamics exam that asked the question is Hell endothermic or exothermic, that is growing or shirking and the question asked for a proof. I will not go through the whole thing here because it is a bit long and supposedly won the author an A on the exam. One part of the answer given though does seem appropriate. The author contended that since almost every organized religion in the world had claimed at some point that if you did not believe and worship the way they did you were going to hell. His logic was that every one must therefore end up in hell. (I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said: If it aint King James it aint Bible)
The Catholic Church went through a period where this was the case, probably several periods in which some of the worst atrocities were committed against people in the name of God. It is truly amazing, as I tell people when teach a course in Church History, that the Church has been allowed to survive in spite of itself. The Crusades were an example of this kind of inhumanity (although human greed was the underlying cause). The Spanish Inquisition was a pure form of this elitism (Imagine torture and burnings in the name of God). The attitude in the Church truly changed in the 1960s in response to the Vatican II Council. Although, you must know that all of the things the Church or any part of it has done in its 2,000 year history that is considered, by todays standards, barbaric are still being held by many of the Anti-Catholic groups as being current teachings and condoned by the modern Church. (Im not going to give you web sites here but if you think Christians are one in Christ, Google Catholic and see what turns up. If you have not done this before, do it when you have some time to calm down afterwards because it will make you blood boil.)
Fortunately for us, our first Pope, St. Peter the Apostle, has given us the example we must take to heart. It our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see him getting instruction from God about all mankind being invited to follow Christ and how one Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit binds us all to one truth. Thank God that same Holy Spirit works among us today. Our prayer today is for Christian unity and that the name of Jesus is taken to every part of the world so we might be One Flock.
Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture
Pax
Readings for Monday of the 4th Week of Easter
First Published: Monday, May 08, 2006
Sheepish
Reflection:
Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture
The Gospel for Monday continues the Good Shepherd message of the 4th Sunday of Easter. The emphasis throughout is that Jesus is the way. Again it is unambiguous and is routinely used by some, to whom the title Elitist belongs, to describe in no uncertain terms that if you have not made some sort of public profession about Jesus you ARE NOT SAVED.
There was a great joke about a thermodynamics exam that asked the question is Hell endothermic or exothermic, that is growing or shirking and the question asked for a proof. I will not go through the whole thing here because it is a bit long and supposedly won the author an A on the exam. One part of the answer given though does seem appropriate. The author contended that since almost every organized religion in the world had claimed at some point that if you did not believe and worship the way they did you were going to hell. His logic was that every one must therefore end up in hell. (I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said: If it aint King James it aint Bible)
The Catholic Church went through a period where this was the case, probably several periods in which some of the worst atrocities were committed against people in the name of God. It is truly amazing, as I tell people when teach a course in Church History, that the Church has been allowed to survive in spite of itself. The Crusades were an example of this kind of inhumanity (although human greed was the underlying cause). The Spanish Inquisition was a pure form of this elitism (Imagine torture and burnings in the name of God). The attitude in the Church truly changed in the 1960s in response to the Vatican II Council. Although, you must know that all of the things the Church or any part of it has done in its 2,000 year history that is considered, by todays standards, barbaric are still being held by many of the Anti-Catholic groups as being current teachings and condoned by the modern Church. (Im not going to give you web sites here but if you think Christians are one in Christ, Google Catholic and see what turns up. If you have not done this before, do it when you have some time to calm down afterwards because it will make you blood boil.)
Fortunately for us, our first Pope, St. Peter the Apostle, has given us the example we must take to heart. It our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see him getting instruction from God about all mankind being invited to follow Christ and how one Baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit binds us all to one truth. Thank God that same Holy Spirit works among us today. Our prayer today is for Christian unity and that the name of Jesus is taken to every part of the world so we might be One Flock.
Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture
Pax
posted by Deacon Jim | 2:55 AM
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