TSR Catholic Society

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Haha. Who was the catechist not amused with? Your sister, or the person who chose St. Ursula as her patron? St. Ursula is the patron of the Ursuline Order of Nuns founded by Angela Merici incidentally.

I couldn't agree more. My elder brother was going through a rough patch spiritually when preparing for his Confirmation and I truly believe that it was the way he was nurtured by young parishoner catechists that got him through.

She was not amused with my sister. Or myself for that matter, since I started laughing too :getmecoat:

Reply 3941

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Did we all have a good St Patrick's Day? An Irish friend once insisted that even I am part of the Irish community on St Patrick's Day, since everyone is part of the celebrations! :biggrin:

Reply 3942

yawn

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Did we all have a good St Patrick's Day? An Irish friend once insisted that even I am part of the Irish community on St Patrick's Day, since everyone is part of the celebrations! :biggrin:

Great day of celebrations with ceol argus craic...that's Irish for (I paraphrase here) plenty of good music and great laughs.

Your Irish friend is absolutely correct. Everyone who wants to join in the celebrations is Irish, even those who aren't, if you get my drift. :biggrin:

Statistically, it is the biggest celebration of the calendar, world-wide...even the Chinese celebrate the day in the Irish way.

Reply 3943

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by yawn

Statistically, it is the biggest celebration of the calendar, world-wide...even the Chinese celebrate the day in the Irish way.

Ah, I'm so pleased you had a wonderful day. I had always wondered what craic means but gathered it was something very positive :biggrin:

Oh wow, I didn't know even Chinese people celebrate it. That's great to hear!

That reminds me: I must ask my sister whether there was a parade in Boston, USA (where she now lives) :yes:

Reply 3944

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by jamessssx

and ha i think i know that catholics pray to mary ( this isnt meant in sarcastic tone lol) but i duno i just dont agree with it but i agree with most of catholicism :smile:

Well if you come over to Cath Soc and ask why we pray to Mary, I'm sure yawn and adamrules247 will explain it better than I could. Praying to her is not the same as worshipping Her though. She's not held at the same level as Jesus or God, because She has no power of Her own. Where is the sense or point in worshipping someone who has no power? She's just an intercessor. As are all the saints and all those who have died and gone before us :smile:

yawn

adamrules247

Do you have anything further to add to my rather simplistic explanation of praying to Mary? :colondollar:

Reply 3945

yawn

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Ah, I'm so pleased you had a wonderful day. I had always wondered what craic means but gathered it was something very positive :biggrin:

Oh wow, I didn't know even Chinese people celebrate it. That's great to hear!

That reminds me: I must ask my sister whether there was a parade in Boston, USA (where she now lives) :yes:

There's a Parade dedicated to St. Patrick every year in South Boston, as there is in virtually every major city in the USA. http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/south_boston/2012/03/hold_your_guide_to_st_patricks.html

One city (I'm not sure which, but it could well be Boston) puts a special dye in the city's river to change it to green for the occasion!

The second largest national identity amongst the entire population in the USA is the Irish. The first if German, and the third is Polish. Interestingly though, despite German ethnicity being the largest of the population, they don't celebrate their Patron Saint's day on anything like the scale that the Irish do. But then, the Irish love to party and are a gregarious nation. It's built into their genetic make-up and consequently, their psyche. You just don't see any Victor Meldrew types amongst them, they're too optimistic. :cheers:

Reply 3946

yawn

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Do you have anything further to add to my rather simplistic explanation of praying to Mary? :colondollar:

I prefer to debate with our fellow Christians of non-Catholic church membership in the way they best understand and respect...appeals to scripture...which they consider their ultimate authority.

Scripture provides us with multiple examples illustrating the uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God.

Gen. 3:15 - we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed." This refers to Jesus (the "emnity") and Mary (the "woman"). The phrase "her seed" (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture.

Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 - the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve.

John 2:4, 19:26 - Jesus calls Mary "woman" as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This woman's seed will crush the serpent's skull.

Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 - a virgin (the Greek word used is "parthenos") will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." John 1:14 - God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God.

Matt. 2:11 - Luke emphasises Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshipping Jesus.

Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the "Theotokos").

Luke 1:28 - "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.

Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase "full of grace" is translated from the Greek word "kecharitomene." This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just "highly favoured." She has been perfected in grace by God. "Full of grace" is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.

Luke 1:38 - Mary's fiat is "let it be done to me according to thy word." Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.

Luke 1:42 - "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." The phrase "blessed are you among women" really means "you are most blessed of all women." A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.

Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth's use of "Mother of my Lord" (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used "Adonai" which means Lord God) is the equivalent of "Holy Mary, Mother of God" which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).

Luke 1:44 - Mary's voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.

Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.

Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the "Hail Mary" prayer. We ask whether Protestant churches also, have existed in all generations (there are none that have since The Word dwelt among us), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions?

Gal. 4:4 - God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the Redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary "the woman with the Redeemer." This is because "co" is from the Latin word "cum" which means "with." Therefore, "co-redemptrix" means "woman with the Redeemer." Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation.

Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 - the word "saints" (in Hebrew "qaddiysh") means "holy" ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all.

Luke 2:35 - Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Mary's soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus' suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Son's suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings.

Luke 2:19,51 - Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Mary's Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.

Additionally, the early Church Fathers encouraged intercessory prayer to Mary, in accord with the traditions of the Apostles.

Lots of non-Catholics misunderstand the nature of worship...it is confused with our modern-day application of the word worship. The Catholic Church accords 'latria' - worship - to God alone. 'Dulia' is the prayerful reverance accorded to the saints because of their closeness to God, and their holiness. And 'Hyperdulia' is a higher prayer reverance accorded to Mary as the Mother of God, a unique being who is considered the Ark of the New Covenant. Just as the sacred Ark of the Old Testament carried the Covenant between God and His chosen people, so the womb of Mary carried the new Covenant (Jesus Christ) between God and all peoples'.

Adam might very well have extra corroboration for the esteem in which we hold Mary, the Mother of God that I haven't covered. :smile:

Reply 3947

Bernaaaaaaaa

Original post by yawn

I didn't get the opportunity, apart from reading this poster's profile, to welcome her as we had a local 'explosion' which affected broadband reception and made it infuriatingly slow...grrr

She wrote that she had applied to St. Mary's in Twickenham so I'm assuming that she is Catholic...that,along with with her expressed appreciation of the society.

Glad you like it. Welcome to our society.

Yeesss I am Catholic! :smile:

Stereotypically going to study Theology too.

Reply 3948

yawn

Original post by Bernaaaaaaaa

Yeesss I am Catholic! :smile:

Stereotypically going to study Theology too.

I don't know many Catholics who study Theology in an academic sense.

I hope you enjoy the subject and find it illuminating inasmuch as Church doctrines make perfect sense in view of the theology behind them. :five:

Reply 3949

adamrules247

Pictures from the opening of the shrine in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Stunning!

http://offerimustibidomine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/bishop-opens-extraordinary-form-shrine.html

A wonderful account from a family who travelled half the country to be there.

http://defende-nos-in-proelio.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/dome-of-home-beacon-of-hope.html

Plus photos from the whole event

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pchidell/sets/72157629294410102/with/7011875141/

I think you'll agree it looks amazing and is such an exciting devlopment. I've mentioned Bishop Mark before. Just from looking at the pictures of him in prayer it's easy to see he's a living Saint.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 3950

Aula

Flame was absolutely incredible. 8,500 young people gathered from across the country. And Hexham and Newcastle had about 400 'cause they chartered a train specially for it. Called it the 'flame train'

Reply 3951

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by Aula

Glad you had a great time! :hugs:

Would appreciate extra prayers over the next two weeks, everyone. This is my darkest point of the year and holds very bad and near-fatal memories for me. I am trying to keep optimistic but am not really feeling it right now. Add to that the fact that I feel abandoned by my schoolfriends and you've got one very gloomy, one very scared and one very Lonely Goatherd :sadnod:

Reply 3952

Bernaaaaaaaa

Original post by yawn

Oh right, ok. Well it's amazingly interesting, especially looking at Church history. It's just so fascinating. I feel that it's so important to study theology now, for to be able to appreciate the church and faith now, we have to appreciate how it got us to this point :smile:

Reply 3953

Bernaaaaaaaa

Did anyone else go to Flame? IT WAS AAMMMAZIINNGG! :biggrin:

Reply 3954

yawn

Original post by Bernaaaaaaaa

As you say, Church history is especially interesting, and gives us the insight to be able to understand where we are now. When I was attending parish instruction on the revised Latin Rite last summer, I got just a taste of Church history and learnt how the Mass that we have is ever more close to how it was in apostolic times. Fascinating. :awesome:

I'm sure your course will be both challenging and enjoyable. God bless. :smile:

The_Lonely_Goatherd

...

O Lord, listen to my prayer and let our friend's cry for help reach you. [paraphrased from Psalm 101 especially for you.] :hugs:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 3955

Aula

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Glad you had a great time! :hugs:

You're definitely in my prayers.

Original post by Bernaaaaaaaa

Did anyone else go to Flame? IT WAS AAMMMAZIINNGG! :biggrin:

Meeeee

I may have been one of those involved in the flashmob :dance:

Reply 3956

Matthew_Lowson

The_Lonely_Goatherd

QFA

Definitely will remember you.

My cousin went with Hallam and a few friends went with Leeds Diocese but I was home in Sheffield for the weekend. Had a lot on during the week with fundraising for Lourdes (I'm there the first 12 days in July) and have got to book the trains next weekend as otherwise it's too expensive for me to arrange my own travelling.

What is everyone doing for Holy Week and Easter? I'm in 'Born For This' next Sunday evening. I always look forward to it and it really does get my Holy Week off to a fantastic start.

Quick update on my Uncle: He's not doing too bad but is still very poorly and all prayers would be appreciated. - He's a warrior though and he celebrated his 30th Wedding Anniversary this week :smile:

Reply 3957

adamrules247

yawn

QFA

The_Lonely_Goatherd

QFA

Hey guys. Wondering what you made of this post I made earlier? Plus they've released an extract from the homily the Saintly Bishop Mark gave. Enjoy :biggrin:

Reply 3958

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Original post by adamrules247

Hey guys. Wondering what you made of this post I made earlier? Plus they've released an extract from the homily the Saintly Bishop Mark gave. Enjoy :biggrin:

Thanks for reminding me to check out your post properly. Seems like a wonderful event :smile:

Plus, as was said, it's nice to celebrate something new starting, rather than commemorating something closing :yes:

Thanks for all the prayers everyone. I hope they keep me safe :smile:

Reply 3959

yawn

Original post by adamrules247

Hey guys. Wondering what you made of this post I made earlier? Plus they've released an extract from the homily the Saintly Bishop Mark gave. Enjoy :biggrin:

The video reminded me of photos my parents took when there were outdoor processions in their younger days circa 50's and 60's. I haven't seen chasubles like that since those photos, or when worn by the Pope at 'High' Masses.

I really like the sentiments expressed in Bishop Mark's homily, especially where he said that the shrine's Mission was to propogate that both the Old and New Roman Rites are one and the same with the centre of the Mass being the Eucharist. :smile:

I noted one comment that obviously came from a lack of knowledge of the history of the liturgy of the Mass. I attempted to post my own comment but the 'post' facility isn't working so I can't submit it. Really frustrating...grrr... :s-smilie: