But for total reliance on the grace and mercy of Our Blessed Lord, I would look with dread at 2013. Thanks to the votes of Catholic democrats and others, the Church in America is the victim of an unprovoked war against it by the federal government. Because of our “crime” of adhering to God and His laws, our institutions face closure. There are onerous fines and imprisonment mentioned as penalties for opposing this “law”. We must be brave like Martin Luther King Jr. and say we will not obey an unjust law created by man if it means we must disobey Our Lord and His just and merciful law. We need not be shocked at this development. The Catholic democrats’ candidate, who is imposing this law, voted for the legal killing of girls and boys outside of their mom’s womb even after they survive the attempt to kill them in the womb. What still is shocking is that people could go to Mass on Sunday and vote for this wretched platform on Tuesday.

Thank You Mike, I totally agree with your statement and am just as befuddled as you but this is not the forum for this diatribe.
May God Bless you and yours.

Did Pope Benedict really say this: ...a mission that is at the root of the worship and devotion which the Christian people reserve for her (Mary).”?

Please tell me this is a translation issue. Otherwise, it just throws Protestant fuel on the fire of ‘Mary-worship” they accuse Catholics of.

Jimmy, you should be aware that the Roman Church is NOT the totality of the Catholic Church, nor even the standard.

In the Byzatine Catholic Churches in communion with Rome, such as the Melkite and Ukrainian, 1 January is the Circumcision of Christ and Feast of St. Basil the Great.

So be careful about saying how “the Church” celebrates a given calendar date. Not all Catholic Churches are Roman. (Keep in mind I’m NOT talking about the Orthodox or non-Chalcedonian Churches here.)

Dixibehr,

Point taken, but as the overwhelming majority of English speaking Catholics are Latin Rite and it is rather cumbersome to always write Latin Rite of the Church, albeit more accurate, can’t we give Jimmy a break?

It is tough being a Roman Catholic. Christmas is a very busy time of year and what does the Church do, throw three Holy Days of Obligation into the mix. (and if your Mexican Our Lady of Guadalupe too). You might almost think that this was a religious season.

Amyr, the Church rightly gives the worship of hyperdulia to the Mother of God. Jesus, being divine, receives the worship known as latria.

Dixibehr, you wrote: “In the Byzatine Catholic Churches in communion with Rome…..”

You are not Latin Rite, but by virtue of being “in communion with Rome,” that you yourself stated, you are Roman Catholic.

Nathan—Most Eastern Catholic Churches use English, and their parishioners speak English as their mother tongue. Why should it be assumed that all American Catholics are Roman/Latin? Why should “Roman” be the automatic defualt of “Catholic”? Why should Jimmy not give US a break?

Christ Forte—Eastern Catholics are more than just Roman Catholics who say mass funny. To call us Roman Catholics is to go against what Vatican II said about us. Being in communion with Rome makes us Catholic, NOT “Roman Catholic.”

I could have *sworn* that January 3 was the feast (at the level of an optional memorial) of the Holy Name of Jesus. I see that the General Norms you linked to say otherwise. (Thanks for the link, by the way.) Is that still an optional memorial or did I come across some hugely erroneous information somehow?

thank you Jimmy.

Thank you for an informative and well written explanation of the purpose for celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. I tire of explaining to Protestant friends (yes…I have a few) that the title “Theotokos” is not a claim of motherhood of God the Father but of both the divine and the person of the Second Person of the Holy Triune Godhead. It also is not a claim that Christ received his divine status from the Blessed Virgin. To claim she is only “Christotokos, the mother of the human person of Jesus, as do many Protestants today, is to separate Christ into two separate persons; and such, as the Third Ecumenical Council held is the heresy of Nestorianism.

I have to support Dixibehr’s statements.  Our eastern lung often feel sidelined.  It does our Church no favors to forget to speak about them or to speak about them as a minority.  If we EVER hope to have full communion with the Eastern Orthodox Churches, we need to start speaking inclusively about our own eastern rite brothers and sisters.  There are many Eastern Orthodox who say “full Communion with you guys?  Right.  Look at the way you treat your eastern rites.”  I also love to throw water on the fire of an anti-Catholic know-it-all who says we don’t allow our priests to marry and say, “That isn’t quite true.”  It sends their heads in a spin and they don’t even know how to respond.  So if we speak about them more often, especially with secular types, it just rocks their black and white world.  Now, that being said, we also need to cut Mr. Akin a little break.  Here is a great idea:  What would make a really cool blog or podcast that is jointly run by Eastern rite and Latin rite folks. Any takers?

I also do not understand Pope Benedict saying ...a mission that is at the root of the worship and devotion which the Christian people reserves for her.  I thought that Catholics do not worship Mary but rather honor her.

I agree; as a practicing Byzantine Catholic, the language of this piece fails to account for the whole of the Catholic Church. Today, I celebrated the Latin Rite of the Mass by attending the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God due to some Roman Catholic family in town, but as a Byzantine family, my husband, children, and I celebrated the Circumcision of our Lord and made St. Basil’s cake. It is incorrect to say that the Feast of the Circumcision “used to be celebrated.” It is still being celebrated…it was celebrated on the vigil of the feast at our parish with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

Deacon Jason, I recently discovered this blog and I think the author does a good job of writing, as a lay person, about his growing appreciation and awareness of the eastern lung of the Church.

http://ascentofcarmel.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-praise-of-eastern-catholics_29.html?m=1

Posted by amyr on Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 11:21 PM (EDT):Did Pope Benedict really say this: ...a mission that is at the root of the worship and devotion which the Christian people reserve for her (Mary).”?

Please tell me this is a translation issue. Otherwise, it just throws Protestant fuel on the fire of ‘Mary-worship” they accuse Catholics of.
****************************
The older use of the word “worship”, meant to show respect, to honor or venerate, not to worship as one worships God.Remember in English Lit. where fictional characters would address a judge or someone of rank as “Your Worship?” Same idea.

@Jimmy:  [“God gave men and women the gifts of eternal salvation.  And Mary continually offers her mediation to the People of God, on pilgrimage through history towards eternity, just as she once offered it to the shepherds of Bethlehem.  She, who gave earthly life to the Son of God, continues to give human beings divine life, which is Jesus himself and his Holy Spirit.”].  Jimmy, while I don’t always agree with your editorials, I do feel you (unlike the hyper insulting and insipid Mark Shea) are far more professional, reasonable and rational with your explanations and responses.  I’m going to disagree with you here, though.  First you say “God gave men and women the gifts of eternal salvation.”  Since this is true, of what need is Mary to mediate anything?  Then you say “Mary offers her mediation to the people of God.”  My comment is no slam on Mary for she is, of course, to be honored and respected as the mother of the incarnate Christ.  However, this view runs totally contrary to 1 Timothy 2:5 to wit:  “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”  Many Catholics are unable to discern such a view when they are told the Bible is the inerrant, Holy Spirit-inspired, eternal word of the living God.  Either Paul is correct or the church opinion regarding Mary is correct.

Casting Crowns ,
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 

I remember reading Bishop Sheen’s reply to a protestant who once used this same scripture quote to attempt to prove Catholic error when we ask the Blessed Mother to pray for us.Bishop Sheen asked the protestant if he would pray for him(Bishop Sheen) & the protestant agreed he would. “Ah, but there is only one mediator between God & man” said Bishop Sheen-or something to that effect.
I’m likely taking liberties with the story, but the point was that we are all part of the communion of saints & closely connected to each other through prayer.Mary is uniquely close to Our Lord, but her prayers do not usurp His position.Nor do our’s.

@Kathleen:  That’s a poor example (and you know it).  Asking your friend, neighbor or church members to pray for you is not in the role of a mediator.  Since we have direct access to Christ to hear our prayers, of what benefit is praying through Mary?  Mathew 6:8 is clear the Father doesn’t need prodding.  Furthermore, you say she (Mary) prays too.  Where is your foundational support that Mary prays?  And what does she pray about?  Why should she pray —unless you view her as a co-Redemtrix?

Casting Crowns, where is your foundational evidence that the blessed in heaven—both angels and souls of the redeemed—do NOT pray?

Next, where is your evidence that they they pray to cross purposes?

And without getting into the issue of Co-Redemptrix (which has nothing to do with the subject of this blog), do we not somehow participate in each other’s redemption? My Baptist Sunday School teachers have participated in my redemption.

Yea, St. Paul himself said, “I became all things to all men that I might by all means SAVE some.” Does this take away from Christ as the only Savior? Does it add someone to it? Or rather, is St. Paul not saying that in some way he was an instrument in bringing salvation from the only True Savior?

Casting Crowns ,
I actually think it was a very good example, else Bishop Sheen would not have used it.

...Or Fr. Peyton, if I’ve confused the source of the story.

@Dixibehr:  [“where is your foundational evidence that the blessed in heaven—both angels and souls of the redeemed—do NOT pray?”]  It’s not my job to prove a negative.  Moreover, since you allege they do, the burden rests in your court.

@Kathleen:  [“I actually think it was a very good example, else Bishop Sheen would not have used it.”]  And how many times have you heard Clergy or Religious make a statement which is totally unbiblical?  I once heard a nun leading the RCIA tell the candidates “Everyone is going to Heaven” and she also said “The first 11 Chapters of Genesis are only stories which are not important for them to believe.”  Various Popes have stated “There is no salvation outside the Catholic church.”  Do you also believe all these statements, Kathleen?  Are they true—or are you someone who always accepts what someone in church leadership says without question because of their title and because it sounds good?

Casting Crowns,
I think you know the answers to your queries & I don’t expect my reply will profit the conversation any further.Perhaps we should move on to another topic or blog? Thanks.

@Kathleen:  That’s why you need to discern what is being told to you versus what God’s word says.  When there is a conflict, you need to decide whether to believe and trust in God’s word or accept someone speaking falsely in church leadership.  Your response above indicates you feel threatened and uncomfortable about trusting God’s word above that of ad hoc church people in authority over you.  I knew that RCIA nun was in error because the gospel says otherwise.  Why is it so hard for you to agree?  I hope it’s not because she is a nun.

Casting Crowns ,
Time to move forward.God bless.

@Kathleen:  Or run away to your comfort zone in denial.

Mary is the most direct path to holiness! Let the protestants cringe all they want. Read True Devotion by St. Louis De Montford.
(Some Catholics are worth listening to).

@mike robertson.  I totally agree with you and if you cannot commiserate with follow Catholics, who can you commiserate with!  I am not over the election results either. Going forward, life as we know it is OVER.  The battle on earth is over until GOD intervenes. All we can do is pray and look to heaven for solace. GOD bless you!