Evangelisation: The Crucifixion of Jesus
....was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered death and was buried.....
Again we have a humble Jesus, the Son of God, humiliating Himself for us his creatures. There are degrees of love, but this God is obsessed with us. When we look at a crucifix we see a love which is beyond all reason, and that is why we should have a crucifix in our homes and on our altars. But God does not want us to be ashamed of the crucifix or put it at the back of our minds. How much does God love us - this much, as He stretches out his arms. If we cannot look upon a crucifix and see how much God loves us, then we are unthankful and ungrateful.
But again I ask, why does He bother with us? His Church is full of lukewarm people who want Jesus to walk their way rather than listen to His Way. Who want a Jesus who fits into their ways rather than follow his ways. Do they go to church on Sunday to listen to the Gospel and to celebrate Calvary being celebrated in our time? Or is it just something that makes them feel good? Let me tell you something. The Mass did not develop over the centuries, though perhaps the way it is celebrated did. In previous articles I have quoted the Protestant Historian JND Kelly, who tells us that from the beginning the Church took the Sacrifice Jesus instituted, literally. They were guided, he said, by the prophet Malachi who in Malachi 1.10 said "From the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the gentiles, and everywhere there is offered sacrifice, a spotless victim.. Then we have Pope Clement a contemporary of the Apostles telling the Corinthians it would be a sin to remove those who have been appointed to offer the 'sacrifices' and appoint their own elders. Then St Ignatius of Antioch, again a contemporary of the Apostles, condemning those who would not receive the bread because they did not believe it was the 'flesh of Jesus' These quotes make sense of the quote from St Paul in the Bible, "He who eats of this bread and drinks of this cup unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of Christ". At no time in the early Church was the 'sacrifice of the flesh and blood of Jesus' ever discussed and approved. It was always fact.
In previous posts I have discussed the wonder of the Blessed Sacrament. How we actually receive Jesus united to the flesh of Mary, who by joining His flesh to ours unites us as children of the New Adam. The Jews on offering their sacrifice to God would then eat the animal. Jesus asked us to eat him, remember that time, when many walked away in disgust. Yet He did give us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. It was done at the Last Supper and on Calvary.
I am told that 60% of Catholics in America do not believe in the Real Presence. Bishops and priests will answer for that, but here in the UK are things any different or are they worse? I do not know the answer, but I do know there were those in authoritative positions in the Church who educated our teachers, and sent round experts to the parishes to belittle the Blessed Sacrament, for I sat and listened to them. There was the removal of the altar rails to stop people kneeling. A demand that they receive the Sacrament on their hands. The removal of the Sacrament into another room, or into a corner, or into a safe. All these things were done by the enemy of the Church, to weaken the faith of the people. There was the attack on Substance and I will add one more. "From the rising of the sun until its setting...' The quote from Malachi was also attacked and the enemy wanted that quote to be removed from the Mass. As JHD Kelly, said this quote was one which the Apostles themselves used to justify the sacrifice.
So as a Catholic what is your standing with Christ? If your instinct is immediately to attack this post, then you have a problem with accepting truth. You cannot be 50%, 80%, or 90% Catholic. You must belong entirely to the Catholic Church.
Again we have a humble Jesus, the Son of God, humiliating Himself for us his creatures. There are degrees of love, but this God is obsessed with us. When we look at a crucifix we see a love which is beyond all reason, and that is why we should have a crucifix in our homes and on our altars. But God does not want us to be ashamed of the crucifix or put it at the back of our minds. How much does God love us - this much, as He stretches out his arms. If we cannot look upon a crucifix and see how much God loves us, then we are unthankful and ungrateful.
But again I ask, why does He bother with us? His Church is full of lukewarm people who want Jesus to walk their way rather than listen to His Way. Who want a Jesus who fits into their ways rather than follow his ways. Do they go to church on Sunday to listen to the Gospel and to celebrate Calvary being celebrated in our time? Or is it just something that makes them feel good? Let me tell you something. The Mass did not develop over the centuries, though perhaps the way it is celebrated did. In previous articles I have quoted the Protestant Historian JND Kelly, who tells us that from the beginning the Church took the Sacrifice Jesus instituted, literally. They were guided, he said, by the prophet Malachi who in Malachi 1.10 said "From the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the gentiles, and everywhere there is offered sacrifice, a spotless victim.. Then we have Pope Clement a contemporary of the Apostles telling the Corinthians it would be a sin to remove those who have been appointed to offer the 'sacrifices' and appoint their own elders. Then St Ignatius of Antioch, again a contemporary of the Apostles, condemning those who would not receive the bread because they did not believe it was the 'flesh of Jesus' These quotes make sense of the quote from St Paul in the Bible, "He who eats of this bread and drinks of this cup unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of Christ". At no time in the early Church was the 'sacrifice of the flesh and blood of Jesus' ever discussed and approved. It was always fact.
In previous posts I have discussed the wonder of the Blessed Sacrament. How we actually receive Jesus united to the flesh of Mary, who by joining His flesh to ours unites us as children of the New Adam. The Jews on offering their sacrifice to God would then eat the animal. Jesus asked us to eat him, remember that time, when many walked away in disgust. Yet He did give us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink. It was done at the Last Supper and on Calvary.
I am told that 60% of Catholics in America do not believe in the Real Presence. Bishops and priests will answer for that, but here in the UK are things any different or are they worse? I do not know the answer, but I do know there were those in authoritative positions in the Church who educated our teachers, and sent round experts to the parishes to belittle the Blessed Sacrament, for I sat and listened to them. There was the removal of the altar rails to stop people kneeling. A demand that they receive the Sacrament on their hands. The removal of the Sacrament into another room, or into a corner, or into a safe. All these things were done by the enemy of the Church, to weaken the faith of the people. There was the attack on Substance and I will add one more. "From the rising of the sun until its setting...' The quote from Malachi was also attacked and the enemy wanted that quote to be removed from the Mass. As JHD Kelly, said this quote was one which the Apostles themselves used to justify the sacrifice.
So as a Catholic what is your standing with Christ? If your instinct is immediately to attack this post, then you have a problem with accepting truth. You cannot be 50%, 80%, or 90% Catholic. You must belong entirely to the Catholic Church.
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