Feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton - January 4

Yesterday was the feast of the first American born saint to be canonized, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.  As I have been attending the local parish of which she is the patron saint, I went to SEAS for early morning mass yesterday.

Elizabeth Ann Seton was a convert to Catholicism, having been raised Episcopalian.  She was a wife and mother of 5 children.  Her husband and two of her children died from tuberculosis at different times and circumstances.  She became an educator and also was the foundress of the American Sisters of Charity.  She was born in 1774 in New York City, and died in 1821 in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where there is a shrine in her honour.  She faced many challenges, some of which are documented on this site dedicated to her.

Saint Elizabeth packed a lot of living into her 47 years on this planet. 

As I thought about her life, I was reminded of one of my favourite Catholic writers, who is also an army wife and mother, and has become an educator, as she home schools her 3 daughters this year.  Jennifer Hartline, is a contributing writer for Catholic Online from time to time, and the writer of My Chocolate Heart, a very good Catholic blog.  I notice that Jennifer has not been doing much writing of late, and suspect that she has been embracing her role as educator of her children.  As much as I miss her writing, I am sure that she has chosen the higher calling of preparing her three darling daughters for life in the world which we inhabit.

Jennifer spent many of her formative years living in Tucson Arizona, and was a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish here, where I have been many mornings for Mass since my return.  It is a small world, after all.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, please intercede for my sister in the faith, Jennifer, and for her family as she and they seek to serve Our Lord and Saviour each and every day.

It's A Small World After All

One of the activities here at Rincon Country West where I am wintering (and waiting for the arrival of My Dear Wife) is a game called Pickle Ball.  No pickles are harmed during the game at all.  It happened that Pickles was the name of the dog of the guy who invented the game.  The first time I played it a couple of years ago, I came back to our motor home then, and MDW asked me what Pickle Ball was.  I told her then that it was tennis for seniors.  Think badminton court, with a tennis height net, paddle ball like paddle, and a whiffle ball.  Somehow it all works and we get some exercise and have a few laughs.  Some of the laughs revolve around trying to remember the score.
Pickle Ball starts on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings about 8:30 and goes to about 11:00.  About being the operative word.  People wander in, wander out (or maybe get lost), and so it is a bit fluid.

So, yesterday morning I arrived shortly after 8:30 and a first game was just starting up, and they were short 1 player.  As I stepped on to the court, the chap that I was going to be playing with was new.  At least I had not seen him before.  So, as per usual, I asked his name (Dave) and where he was from.  He said "Canada".  I responded by asking him where in Canada he had come from.  He looked at me like I would have no idea if he told me, but then he said: "London Ontario."  I said that was where I was from.  Turns out he was from south London, though he and his wife are full time RVer's now. 

In the it's a small world vein, there is a couple at the end of our street from London, Ontario as well. They have been here off and on for 12 years, and though we have been here for 4 years, we had never seen them before.

Also, beside our place here there is a Ford truck parked with Alberta plates, and behind our place is a trailer and truck with Alberta plates as well.

Of the people playing pickle ball, almost 1/3 were Canadians.  And in the whole park, there seems to be a larger contingent coming here every year.  To come here from Alberta takes a while but it is a straight southbound shot.  If you come from the east, you gotta wanna be here.

A friend from Montana was telling me the other day that how he knew it was chilly here was that he saw a Canadian put on socks.  I was in sandals at the time, and it was about 7C here that day.  (It's only 2C now at 8:30 am, but will get to 17C today, but I'm not gloating.)

Joy to the World - 12

Aretha Franklin

Joy to the World - 11

Hillsong

Looking Back at 2010

It Was a Very Good Year

Here in sunny Arizona, I have lots of time to ponder my life, with a focus on Life in My Saviour Jesus Christ, but also on the wonderful marriage I share with My Dear Wife, and the many other blessings that come my way regularly, whether I happen to notice them or not.

So, as I lay on my bed the other morning, some thoughts came to me about the year that has recently passed into the record books.  The Coles/Cliffs notes version can be summed up quite simply in the Don Moen song, God is Good at the bottom of this page.

Here are just a few things that come to mind about 2010.

In early 2010, on January 5, I had the opportunity to get together with an old friend, a wonderful priest by the name of Father Michael Prieur.  I bumped into him at a gathering in our parish a few months before, and had cause to defend him here on my blog.  On this particular day, I was going to see him to discuss the matters that had been contentious over the Internet, though knowing there were issues greater than I had any right to ask about or question, our time together became so much more.  Father Prieur is a priest I have loved and admired for many years.  I know him as faithful, prayerful and committed to working for his bishop, and for the good of our Church in all that he does.

We had a delightful time sharing how our lives had evolved since we had last met several years prior, and I became aware that we were not alone in the parlour where we met, but were in the presence of Jesus as well.  I wrote about it at the time.

As I met with Father Prieur on January 5, and the spiritual high and revelation of the profound nature of our meeting welled up in me and burst forth on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany in the Church calendar, it was for me another one of those epiphany moments that have happened to me on that particular Feast Day from time to time.

As I have stated on this blog many times, I have a great and growing affinity for our ordained priests, and Father Prieur is at or near the top of my list of those I hold in highest regard.

My Dear Wife and I then left for Arizona and spent most of 2 months enjoying the sunshine and beauty of that state.  I enjoy particularly spending time with her when we do not have to share it with others, and once more cannot wait for her to join me here; soon I hope.

While we were here, I went to daily mass at Our Lady of Fatima parish nearby, but also travelled up to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish on the north side of town, where Father Clement Agamba, formerly the Associate at OLF is now situated.  One particular morning, after I had had a fight with My Dear Wife, which happens seldom, I went to mass there and met Father Clement for confession after mass.

When we returned to Canada, it was Lent, and I was invited by my prayer partners, Wayne Zimmer, Deacon George Sebok, and Dennis Rivest to join them for morning prayer.  We met almost every weekday morning at 6 am for the remainder of the year, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, sharing what was going on in our lives, and praying for needs that we were aware of.  We sat in front of the tabernacle in the small chapel at St. George Parish in London, and were blessed many times during our prayers.

Although it was Lent in March, we had a family gathering to celebrate my 60th birthday.  It was a treat to spend time with my family on that day.

My Dear Wife and I were to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this past summer, and one thing was missing.  We had been married 10 years earlier in Newfoundland.  We had basically eloped, and had not been married by a Catholic priest.  It was something we regretted and wanted to correct, but these last several years have been very difficult health wise for both of us, and so time had passed with no resolution.  We agreed that the most important thing we could do for our 10th anniversary would be to correct the error, and be joined sacramentally and properly within the Church.

We met with our pastor, Father John Pirt, and in front of family and friends ministered the sacrament to each other, just prior to our anniversary.  One particular blessing for us on that day was that Father Tim Moyle of Where the Rubber Hits the Road, said mass for us that afternoon at his cottage, and the blessing from that traveled over time and space and was gratefully received by us.

In mid September MDW and I set out on a journey to see Arizona in the fall, as well as some other sights along the way.  We were able to get together with her son Cameron in Topeka Kansas, where he was working at the time, and enjoyed dinner with him there.  We saw some of the beauty of Colorado, and northern Arizona particularly, and made our way back to our stomping grounds here in Tucson, with the purpose of purchasing a park model trailer for our winter use, since the motor home seemed to be shrinking on us, and felt very cramped.

Herself had to return home to London shortly after we arrived in Tucson, but not before we had found the park model we wanted.  I was forced to stay here in Arizona for a few weeks without her, while she attended to some matters at home.  Forced, I tell you, to soak up the sunshine and glorious weather here at the time.

I had discovered the Catholic Channel on XM Radio, which the new car we had purchased prior to our trip had come equipped with.  I particularly enjoyed it on my drive back to Canada, and then had it in the house for a time as well.  The highlight of listening to XM in 2010 was the Drain Me of Me prayer that the host of Seize the Day on the Catholic Channel, Gus Lloyd, received and shared with listeners in November.  That has become a staple of my daily prayers and also became one for our morning gatherings for Liturgy of the Hours, after I returned.  You can see it over on the left of this blog, and I wrote about it here.

The year drew to a close with enjoyable Christmas celebrations with our family and extended family over 3 days.

Then I headed for Arizona on my own, as MDW had to remain behind for a sudden doctor's appointment, scheduled for later this week, and we had a transaction to complete on the park model we had purchased.  I arrived on December 29, took possession of the park model late on the 30th, and woke up on the last day of the year with the intention of going up to SEAS to attend mass at 7 am.

As I looked up from my prayers when mass was beginning, I saw Father Clement enter from the side entrance to the altar to say the mass.  As there are several priests who share the masses at SEAS, I had no expectation that he would be the celebrant.

Father Clement says mass with a wonderful reverence for the Eucharist, the real presence of Our Saviour, and I was caught up in the wonder of it all. As I approached him for communion, he gently placed the host in my hand.  At that instant, as I gazed at Jesus present in my hand, I wanted to clutch Him to my breast, as tears started to form in the corners of my eyes.  But, I received the host and swallowed it, knowing that the unknowable had just happened, that He, His Body and Blood, in the form of bread, had entered my body.

After mass, I stayed to pray for a few minutes, and then got up to leave as my phone was suddenly vibrating in my pocket.  I missed the call, (though I returned it minutes later), which was from herself, but by leaving the church at that moment, I was greeted near the entrance by Father Clement with his beautiful smile of Easter joy.  Father Clement, being from Ghana, is very darkly complected, so when he smiles, the whites of his eyes, and his teeth contrast with the ebony of his skin, and his face lights up.  We hugged, chatted for a few minutes, and then both of us had to go on our way. 

I ended the year more in love with My Saviour than I could have imagined, and more desirous of receiving Him in the Eucharist than ever before.  I ended the year more in love with My Dear Wife than ever before, and I cannot wait to see her.  I ended the year more in love with our devoted Catholic priests, not only the ones I know, but the many, many others who faithfully serve Our Lord in the courage of their vocation.  Finally, I ended the year more in love with the fine men who have been my prayer partners during this past year, and those who will join me in prayer in 2011, and with all those I encountered last year, particularly our family and friends.

It was a very good year.

And 2011 looks even better.

May God Bless All who pass by here.

Sola Scriptura Takes It On the Chin

Sola scriptura, the doctrine invented by the Protestant Reformation, is the doctrine that states that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. It is at the very core of Protestantism, and it would seem that without it, the Reformation would fall flat.

In the past year, I have researched it and the Catholic refutations against it, and have written about it a little bit.  It is a key belief among our Protestant brethren that separates them from us in the Roman Catholic Church, though not the KEY BELIEF that separates us.  More on that at a later date.

The Holy Bible is a wonderful book.  I love it.  I believe it to be the Word of God, and have many editions of it, including my Ignatius version that sits by my left hand here as I write this.  I also have our old family Bible handed down from my father's family, a very hard bound large, though somewhat tattered, King James version, since my dear departed father was a convert to the faith.  It has some notes in it of the family genealogy.

I also have a St. Joseph's version of the bible that was our immediate family version, and it contains notes from my mother's bible study course many years ago.  Did you know that Catholics actually read and study their bibles, though all too many use them for filling space on shelves.  As well, at home I have a New International Version, highly readable, though missing a few books (it has 66, not 73). 

Finally, I have my favourite bible, a New Jerusalem edition, complete with some scribblings by one of my daughters when she was very young, not sure which one of the three it was.  That bible also has reams of notes, and yellow and red markings all over the place.

I admire greatly our Protestant brethren for having greater reverence for the Holy Bible than do most Catholics.  I have been in many wonderful protestant gatherings where everybody, almost to a one, had their bible in their hands and readily jumped back and forth as the speaker took them from scripture to scripture during his message.  I wish that Catholics, by and large, took the scriptures more seriously.  Heck, I wish that Catholics took papal encyclicals more seriously too.

So, that said, though a love of holy scripture is virtuous, it is my firmly held belief that sola scriptura is a farce that threatens the possibility of the Church of Christ being one as Jesus told us it must be.

Dave Armstrong is a Catholic convert and apologist, self taught by and large, though really taught by the Holy Spirit, with his personal cooperation in that work of the Holy Spirit.  He has written extensively and very well about the Catholic Church, as a convert to the faith, and as one who loves Jesus Christ as His Saviour.  He is faithful to the Magisterium of the Church.  He could also use your support at this time.  Make a tax free donation to his work, or buy a book or a few, if you will.

Here is an article that he wrote and which was originally published in September 2004.  It is available on his blog site here, along with refutations of the refutations and support of his original refutations.  The refutations and counter refutations of refutations show the depth of the rift that separates Catholics and Protestants.  There is much hurt in the comments, and much disinformation about Catholic beliefs and teaching, particularly on the side of Protestants defending sola scriptura.

1. Sola Scriptura is Not Taught in the Bible
Scripture certainly is a "standard of truth" (we agree fully with Protestants), even the preeminent one, but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of authentic apostolic Tradition and the Church. The Bible doesn't teach that. Catholics agree with Protestants that Scripture is materially sufficient. In other words, every true doctrine can be found in the Bible, if only implicitly and indirectly by deduction. But no biblical passage teaches that Scripture is the formal authority or Rule of Faith for the Christian (formal sufficiency), in isolation from the Church and Apostolic Tradition. Sola Scriptura can't even be deduced from implicit passages. Protestants try to make that argument, but (with all due respect) I think the effort is doomed to failure. I've never seen it, and I've discussed the issue with Protestants many, many times in the 13 years since my conversion.

2. "Word of God"
"Word" in Holy Scripture quite often refers to a proclaimed, oral word of prophets or apostles. Prophets spoke the word of God, whether or not their utterances were later recorded as written Scripture. So for example, we read in Jeremiah 25:3,7-8 (NIV):

3 For twenty-three years- . . . the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, . . .

7 "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD , . . .

8 Therefore the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words,

This was the word of God or word of the Lord whether or not it was recorded in writing or made it into later canonized Scripture. It had equal authority in writing or as proclamation-never-reduced-to-writing. This was also true of apostolic preaching. When the phrases word of God or word of the Lord appear in Acts and the Epistles, they almost always refer to oral preaching, not to Scripture. For example:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 . . . when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God

If we compare this passage with another, written to the same church, Paul appears to regard tradition and word of God as synonymous:

2 Thessalonians 3:6 . . . keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

3. Tradition is Not a Dirty Word
Protestants often quote the verses in the Bible where corrupt traditions of men are condemned (e.g., Matt 15:2-6, Mk 7:8-13, Col 2:8). Of course, Catholics agree with this. But it's not the whole truth. True, apostolic traditions are also positively endorsed. These traditions are in total harmony with and consistent with Scripture. In that sense, Scripture is the "final Judge" of Tradition, but not in the sense that it rules out all binding Tradition and Church authority. Here are a few relevant verses (RSV):

1 Corinthians 11:2 I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 . . . stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth, or by letter.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me . . . guard the truth which has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

2 Timothy 2:2 And what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Jude 3 . . . contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

[cf. Acts 2:42, which mentions "the apostles' teaching"]

4. Jesus and Paul Accepted Non-Biblical Oral and Written Traditions
Protestants defending sola Scriptura will claim that Jesus and Paul accepted the authority of the Old Testament. This is true, but they also appealed to other authority, outside of written revelation. For example:

A) Matthew 2:23: the reference to ". . . He shall be called a Nazarene " cannot be found in the Old Testament, yet it was passed down "by the prophets." Thus, a prophecy, which is considered to be "God's Word" was passed down orally, rather than through Scripture.

B) Matthew 23:2-3: Jesus teaches that the scribes and Pharisees have a legitimate, binding authority, based on Moses' seat, which phrase (or idea) cannot be found anywhere in the Old Testament. It is found in the (originally oral) Mishna, where a sort of "teaching succession" from Moses on down is taught.

And now two examples from the Apostle Paul:

C) In 1 Corinthians 10:4, St. Paul refers to a rock which "followed" the Jews through the Sinai wilderness. The Old Testament says nothing about such miraculous movement, in the related passages about Moses striking the rock to produce water (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13). But rabbinic tradition does.

D) 2 Timothy 3:8: "As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses . . . " These two men cannot be found in the related Old Testament passage (Exodus 7:8 ff.), or anywhere else in the Old Testament.

5. Jerusalem Council
In the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:6-30), we see Peter and James speaking with authority. This Council makes an authoritative pronouncement (citing the Holy Spirit) which was binding on all Christians:

Acts 15:28-29: For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from unchastity.

In the next chapter, we read that Paul, Timothy, and Silas were traveling around "through the cities," and Scripture says that: ". . . they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. "(Acts 16:4)

This is Church authority. They simply proclaimed the decree as true and binding -- with the sanction of the Holy Spirit Himself! Thus we see in the Bible an instance of the gift of infallibility that the Catholic Church claims for itself when it assembles in a council.

6. Pharisees, Sadducees, and Oral, Extrabiblical Tradition
Christianity was derived in many ways from the Pharisaical tradition of Judaism. The Sadducees, on the other hand, were much more heretical. They rejected the future resurrection and the soul, the afterlife, rewards and retribution, demons and angels, and predestinarianism. The Sadducees were the theological liberals of that time. Christian Pharisees are referred to in Acts 15:5 and Philippians 3:5, but the Bible never mentions Christian Sadducees. The Sadducees also rejected all authoritative oral teaching, and essentially believed in sola Scriptura. So neither the (orthodox) Old Testament Jews nor the early Church were guided by the principle of sola Scriptura. The Pharisees (despite their corruptions and excesses) were the mainstream Jewish tradition, and both Jesus and Paul acknowledge this.

7. Old Testament Jews Did Not Believe in Sola Scriptura / Necessity of Interpretation
To give two examples from the Old Testament itself:

A) Ezra 7:6,10: Ezra, a priest and scribe, studied the Jewish law and taught it to Israel, and his authority was binding, under pain of imprisonment, banishment, loss of goods, and even death (7:25-26).

B) Nehemiah 8:1-8: Ezra reads the law of Moses to the people in Jerusalem (8:3). In 8:7 we find thirteen Levites who assisted Ezra, and who helped the people to understand the law. Much earlier, we find Levites exercising the same function (2 Chronicles 17:8-9). In Nehemiah 8:8: . . . they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

So the people did indeed understand the law (Neh 8:12), but not without much assistance - not merely upon hearing. Likewise, the Bible is not altogether clear in and of itself, but requires the aid of teachers who are more familiar with biblical styles and Hebrew idiom, background, context, exegesis and cross-reference, hermeneutical principles, original languages, etc. The Old Testament, then, teaches about a binding Tradition and need for authoritative interpreters, as does the New Testament:

C) And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch . . . seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah . . . So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless some one guides me?" (Acts 8:27-28, 30-31)

D) . . . no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20)

E) . . . So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him . . . There are some things in them [Paul's letters] hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

F) With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. (Mark 4:33-34)

8. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: The Protestant "Proof Text"

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (RSV)

This passage doesn't teach formal sufficiency, which excludes a binding, authoritative role for Tradition and Church. Protestants extrapolate onto the text what isn't there. If we look at the overall context of this passage, in 2 Timothy alone, Paul makes reference to oral Tradition three times (1:13-14, 2:2, 3:14). And to use an analogy, let's examine a very similar passage, Ephesians 4:11-15:

And his gifts were that some should be apostle, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are able to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

If 2nd Timothy 3 proves the sole sufficiency of Scripture, then by analogy, Ephesians 4 would likewise prove the sufficiency of pastors, teachers and so forth for the attainment of Christian perfection. In Ephesians 4:11-15 the Christian believer is equipped, built up, brought into unity and mature manhood, knowledge of Jesus, the fullness of Christ, and even preserved from doctrinal confusion by means of the teaching function of the Church. This is a far stronger statement of the perfecting of the saints than 2 Timothy 3:16-17, yet it doesn't even mention Scripture.

So if all non-scriptural elements are excluded in 2 Timothy, then, by analogy, Scripture would logically have to be excluded in Ephesians. It is far more reasonable to recognize that the absence of one or more elements in one passage does not mean they are nonexistent. The Church and Scripture are both equally necessary and important for teaching. And of course this is the Catholic view.

9. Paul Casually Assumes that His Passed-Down Tradition is Infallible and Binding
If Paul wasn't assuming that, he would have been commanding his followers to adhere to a mistaken doctrine. He writes, for example:

2 Thessalonians 3:14 If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

Romans 16:17: . . . take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them.

Paul didn't write: . . . . in opposition to the pretty-much, mostly, largely true but not infallible doctrine which you have been taught . . .

10. Sola Scriptura is a Radically Circular Position
When all is said and done, Protestants who accept sola Scriptura as their Rule of Faith appeal to the Bible. If they are asked why one should believe in their particular denominational teaching rather than another, each will appeal to the "Bible's clear teaching" and oftentimes act as if they have no tradition which guides their own interpretation.

This is similar to people on two sides of a legal, constitutional debate both saying, "well, we go by what is constitutional, whereas you guys don't." The U.S. Constitution, like the Bible, is not sufficient in and of itself to resolve differing interpretations. Judges and courts are necessary, and their decrees are binding. Supreme Court rulings cannot be overturned except by a future Supreme Court or by constitutional amendment. In any event, there is always a final appeal which settles the matter.

But Protestantism lacks this because it appeals to a logically self-defeating principle and a book (which must always be interpreted by human beings). Obviously (given the divisions in Protestantism) simply "going to the Bible" hasn't worked. In the end, a person has no assurance or certainty in the Protestant system. They can only "go to the Bible" themselves and perhaps come up with another doctrinal version of some disputed doctrine to add to the list. One either believes there is one truth in any given theological dispute (whatever it is) or they adopt a relativist or indifferentist position, where contradictions are fine or where the doctrine is so "minor" that differences "don't matter."

But the Bible doesn't teach that whole categories of doctrines are "minor" and that Christians can freely and joyfully disagree in such a fashion. Denominationalism

The depth of the rift over sola scriptura is significant, and Protestants are not likely to walk away from a foundational belief and come to Home Sweet Rome, as Dr. Scott Hahn an even better known convert, (along with his wife Kimberley), and Catholic apologist did, on my say so, or yours. 

This is not the most serious rift that exists between us.  The proper Catholic response to sola scriptura is to better understand the Holy Bible, and also to study the writings of Church fathers, and popes, to see how they are consistent with each other.  A whole lot of crap went on in the Catholic Church over the years, as the leaders of the Church got lost in the wilderness of power and politics, but the Church was never lost itself, and will never be so.  However, it does require faithful Catholic Christians to know its truth and beauty and to share that with others.

God desires that not one be lost.  And so, our most important response to those things that separate Christians from each other is to pray, pray, pray, and to lives lives worthy of our calling, as followers of Jesus Christ.  We all fall short each and every day, but we can all grow in our faith in Our Saviour and display that faith in our love of our neighbour, no matter what he or she believes.

God Bless You All in 2011.

Joy to the World - 10

David Archuleta

Joy to the World - 9

Mariah Carey

St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer and Song

Happy New Year

There is a Catholic prayer turned into song, that is little known outside of Ireland, though it can be found in various other hymnals around the English world.  Though it is attributed to St. Patrick, and it certainly seems consistent with his spirituality, it may not have been written until the 9th century, whereas he lived in the 6th, though this is far from certain..

None the less, it is a beautiful prayer and song, and was translated into a metered form for singing in the late 19th century by a noted hymn writer of the time, C. F. Alexander.  It is this version that I have reproduced below, and which is sung in the attached video by Ken Read.

You may enjoy praying it as a prayer for this new year. 

I bind unto myself today

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three. 

I bind this day to me for ever.

By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;

His baptism in the Jordan river;

His death on Cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb;

His riding up the heavenly way;

His coming at the day of doom;*

I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of the cherubim;

The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,

The service of the seraphim,

Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,

The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,

All good deeds done unto the Lord,

And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the starlit heaven,

The glorious sun's life-giving ray,

The whiteness of the moon at even,

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,

The stable earth, the deep salt sea,

Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, His might to stay,

His ear to hearken to my need.

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, His shield to ward,

The word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or nigh,

In every place and in all hours,

Against their fierce hostility,

I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart's idolatry,

Against the wizard's evil craft,

Against the death wound and the burning,

The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,

The strong Name of the Trinity;

By invocation of the same.

The Three in One, and One in Three,

Of Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Joy to the World - 8

Mormon Tabernacle Choir