Credo
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Post by Credo on Mar 25, 2019 10:30:06 GMT -8
Happy Feast of the Annunciation! From the Gospel according to Luke: In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
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to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
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And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
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But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
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Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
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Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
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o He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,* and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
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and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
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But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
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And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
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And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived* a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
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for nothing will be impossible for God.”
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Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. |
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Post by ProfessorFate on Mar 25, 2019 13:29:44 GMT -8
O Clemens, O Pia, O Dulcis Virgo Maria.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 19, 2019 15:45:53 GMT -8
I am otherwise fasting from social media on this Good Friday, but I thought I would pass along this brief consideration from Bishop Robert Barron on a question that is absolutely central to Christianity: "Why Did Jesus Have to Die the Way He Did?"
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 20, 2019 21:03:45 GMT -8
...and after the Cross...the Resurrection. He is Risen!
As St. Paul says, no Resurrection--no salvation. Bishop Robert Barron explains the meaning of the Resurrection, and one of the strongest reasons why we can be confident of its reality.
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davidsf
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Post by davidsf on Apr 21, 2019 8:01:21 GMT -8
I have frequently pondered the other possibilities about what happened to the Body of Jesus. Of course, one must first assume the body was, in fact, missing but given that non-Biblical texts do attest to the fact that Jesus lived and was crucified by the Romans, if his body was not missing, where is it? So, I believe it is a safe assumption. So the stone that sealed His tomb was rolled back, and there were Roman Centurions posted outside to guard against anyone stealing the body. But when the women went to the tomb, it was empty. So, what happened to the body? I see three possibilities: - God raised Him bodily from the grave, as the Bible said
- The Romans stole the body
- A group of His followers (or some other group) stole the body.
- Ockhams Razor suggests this is the best answer
- The Romans opposed the establishment of this fledgling followers of Christ movement, had they stolen the body, all they would have had to have done is produce the body to defeat the “myth” that He arose as was prophesied.
- Once Jesus was crucified, His followers were dispersed and afraid. Not only would it have taken an uncommon presence of mind to organize such a fete, but there were Roman Centurions stationed AT the grave to prevent this very thing. Even if the Centurions had fallen asleep, just moving that stone would have awakened them. Also, we all know that a group of more than one CANNOT keep a secret: Had a group conspired to steal the body, it would have eventually come out, PARTICULARLY given the heinous deaths faced by most of the Disciples who would have been exonerated by recanting their faith and revealing the plot.
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Bick
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Post by Bick on Apr 21, 2019 8:41:30 GMT -8
Happy Easter fellas. Hope you're able to spend it with your families.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 21, 2019 22:10:10 GMT -8
Great day with family.
Came across this quote from former Watergate-figure-turned-Christian-evangelist Charles Colson a couple of years ago. Pretty good testimony to the believability of the apostles' witness to the Resurrection.
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davidsf
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Post by davidsf on Apr 22, 2019 3:56:20 GMT -8
I agree with Credo. For more of that same logic applied by Colson, read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Colson’s affirmation is part of Lewis’s so-called “Trilemma” which starts with, Jesus Said He is God and “one with the Father” So only one of three facts can be true: Either He was - Who He said He was; or
- A fabulous Con Man who deluded thousands; or
- A lunatic who actually believed he was god.
Lewis goes on from there to explain why only #1 can be true, logically and uses Credo’s “Colson” response as part of it.
FTR, I explained the Trilemma over on TOB fully and those denizens who participated (I only recall Fordama) had only one response: “No it’s not.” With no further information on their reasoning forthcoming.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 22, 2019 22:04:04 GMT -8
I also read this "Trilemma" in Mere Christianity many years ago. 100% on target.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 28, 2019 21:28:47 GMT -8
Today's Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Easter: (John 20:19-31) On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, "Peace be with you."When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained."Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,was not with them when Jesus came.So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."But he said to them,"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his handsand put my finger into the nailmarksand put my hand into his side, I will not believe."Now a week later his disciples were again insideand Thomas was with them.Jesus came, although the doors were locked,and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,and bring your hand and put it into my side,and do not be unbelieving, but believe."Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciplesthat are not written in this book.But these are written that you may come to believethat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,and that through this belief you may have life in his name.Caravaggio's 1601 masterpiece |
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Bick
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Apr 29, 2019 18:46:18 GMT -8
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Post by Bick on Apr 29, 2019 18:46:18 GMT -8
I saw an unbelievable number of masterpieces in Venice. Not sure that was one of them, but it brought me back to a pretty special trip. Titian painted similar subjects. Stayed at IL Palazzo across the canal from La Salute. Incredible works on those huge canvases over there in the museums in Academia.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on Apr 29, 2019 19:03:16 GMT -8
Italy has some incredible pieces of art. The one I'll never forget seeing up close is Michaelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica.  |
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Bick
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Apr 29, 2019 19:23:03 GMT -8
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Post by Bick on Apr 29, 2019 19:23:03 GMT -8
How those artists painted those works - many of which were based in Christianity - with incredible detail, considering HOW they had to "make" their own paint, on those huge canvases, just had to be inspired by God.
It's moving...and I'm in no way an art nerd.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on May 2, 2019 20:32:41 GMT -8
And, of course, we all fall short. In the spiritual life we are always beginning over again, through the grace of God's love and mercy.
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Credo
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Post by Credo on May 16, 2019 21:41:06 GMT -8
Still amazing after almost 500 years.
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