Rcia Kalyan Centre

ASH WEDNESDAY
February 22, 2023

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; FOR DUST YOU ARE AND TO DUST YOU WILL RETURN.”
—Genesis 3:19

ALMIGHTY AND ETERNAL GOD, today marks the beginning of a period of inner reflection and examination. Father, the days stretch before me and invite me inward to that silent, holy space that houses Your Holy Spirit. This special period invites me to examine my life through our Lord Jesus Christ’s eyes and the truth and reality of Your love embodied. Father, give me the grace to enter the atmosphere of these days with anticipation of our meeting. Lord, when I open my heart to Your presence, let Your loving kindness flow over me and seep into the pockets of my soul. I ask this for the sake of Your Love… ‘CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART, O GOD, AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME’ (Psalm 51:10). Amen.

4 Lessons from Christ on the Eucharist Directly prior to Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist we have two of the most famous miracles of Christ that are recorded in the Gospels

Why does it matter if you leave the Catholic Church?

It matters because as Catholics we think it is important to belong to the Church that Christ founded 2000 years ago. It matters because when you leave the Catholic Church, you leave the Eucharist – and all the sacraments that Christ Himself instituted. It matters because as Catholics we believe the Church contains the fullness of the truth because it was founded by Christ Himself.

What is the “pillar and foundation of truth”?

According to the Bible, it is the Church:

1 Timothy 3: 14-15 “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.”

Jesus left us a Church to guide us in Truth. He chose Peter as the first Pope when He said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). And then, this Church – the Catholic Church, decided what books belonged in the Bible in the 4th century. It was the authority of the Catholic Church that decided what books were inspired and belonged in the Bible. (Think about this – something “outside” the Bible determined what books belonged in the Bible.) The Catholic Church came before the Bible.

This does not mean that we think other religions and Christian denominations do not contain any truth, for they do. But the Catholic Church, since it was founded by Jesus, contains the fullness of truth, so we think it is very important to belong to the church that Christ founded, and share our faith with our children, grandchildren, and others.

There are many things Christians have in common that we should celebrate – mainly our belief in Jesus Christ. Many say as long as we agree on the essentials it’s all good, and that it doesn’t matter what church you go to.

But who decides what is “essential”?

To a Catholic, the Eucharist is essential. Catholics believe that the Eucharist is truly the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. To many non-Catholics, it is merely a symbol.

To a Catholic, baptizing our children is essential. To many others, it doesn’t matter if you wait until the teenage years.

To a Catholic, our love and devotion to our Blessed Mother is essential. To many non-Catholics, our Blessed Mother is only thought about (if at all), during Christmas.

To a Catholic, the belief that all life is to be protected from conception to natural death is essential. To many others faiths, abortion and euthanasia are justified.

To a Catholic, marriage is a sacrament, and is between one man and one woman. To many others, marriage can easily be re-defined, and living together before marriage is no big deal because everybody is doing it.

To a Catholic, being required to go to Mass every Sunday is essential. To many others, it's no big deal to miss Mass if you’re on vacation, want to sleep in, or think you can just watch it on TV.

To a Catholic, praying for the souls in purgatory is essential.
Other Christian faiths think purgatory doesn’t exist and is something they think Catholics made up. (Even though purgatory has been part of church history for 2000 years.) Actually, the Jews prayed for the dead before Christ was born so there is both scripture and tradition to support it centuries before this.)
All of these “essentials” matter to a Catholic.

Does this mean that Catholics are holier than non-Catholics?

Absolutely not. Some of the holiest people I know are Catholic, and some of the most unholiest people I know are Catholic. We’ve been given this beautiful gift of our Catholic faith, and yet too many of us have taken it for granted, pick and choose what we want to believe, or have not appreciated what we have.

The Catholic Church is both human and divine. Because it is divine, it will last forever. Because it is human, it will have scandals, and sinful people in it, just like what you will find in all denominations and religions. Scandals do not prove that the Catholic Church is false. They only prove what is obvious: that the Church contains sinners as well as saints.

There is evil everywhere. Evil and abuse exists in Protestant denominations, organizations, public and private schools, companies, nursing homes, seminaries, Hollywood, and inside so many families today. Child abuse, abortion and human trafficking are horrific evils, and are rampant in today’s world. Evil exists in our beautiful Catholic Church and none of it should be tolerated.
God sees it all.

Remember Judas? Jesus picked him to be one of His original twelve disciples. Despite Judas’ betrayal, 2000 year later the Church that Jesus founded still exists.

Despite humans messing things up at times, the Catholic Church was founded by Christ, and will FOREVER be guided by the Holy Spirit until the end of time, as quoted in scripture:

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:12-13“

"I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Among all the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots, each with their own man made traditions.

Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history.

Even the oldest government is new compared to the papacy, and the churches to which door-to-door missionaries belong are young compared to the Catholic Church. Many of these churches began as recently as the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. None of them can claim to be the Church Jesus established.

The Catholic Church has existed for 2,000 years, despite constant opposition from the world. This is testimony to the Church’s divine origin. It must be more than a merely human organization, especially considering that its human members—even some of its leaders (popes, cardinals, bishops and priests)—have been unwise, corrupt, abusive, or prone to heresy. Any merely human organization with such members would have collapsed early on. The fact that the Catholic Church is today the most vigorous church is testimony not to the cleverness of the Church’s leaders, but to the protection of the Holy Spirit.

If you have never studied Church history, study it now and see what the early Church was really like, what Catholics believed, and what they practiced. If you study it you will see that the early Church was totally Catholic.

The early Church believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist; Early Christians did pray for their dead; Christ did give the apostles the power to forgive sins; Peter was clearly chosen by Christ as the leader of His Church; Mary was loved and honored by the early Christians; Whole households (including babies) were baptized. Think about it – if you are looking for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can’t get more personal than when you receive His body, blood, soul, and divinity in the holy Eucharist, and are a part of the actual Church that Christ founded.

It’s important to know history, know why we are Catholic, and embrace the beauty and truth of our faith. So many people, including many protestant pastors, converted to the Catholic Church after studying Church history, particularly regarding the issue of authority. Two great books to read on church history are: “Four Witnesses”, by Rod Bennett, and “Where we got the Bible: Our debt to the Catholic Church” by Henry Graham.

Two great sites that have helped many people on their journey to the Catholic faith are Catholics Come Home –
www.catholicscomehome.org. and The Coming Home Network – http://www.chnetwork.org/

The Catholic Church, founded by Christ, contains the fullness of Truth.

Yes, evil exists, but light will win over darkness. Never tolerate evil, never stop praying, and never give up hope on our beautiful Catholic Church. God needs soldiers to be holy, strong, faithful catholics who fight the good fight, look evil in the eye and stand up for truth. Be holy, humble and grateful as you embrace the beautiful gift of our Catholic faith. Never stop seeking truth. Be thankful for all seven of our sacraments. Pray every day and develop a personal relationship with Jesus and our dear Blessed Mother. Do what you can to pass on your Catholic faith with all our beautiful traditions to your children and grandchildren.

Let us all spread the beauty and truth of our Catholic faith!
If we don’t, who will?

In Christ,

The Coming Home Network - Discover Catholicism, Come Home Helping Christians re-discover the truth and beauty of Catholicism and then to come home and be at home in the Catholic Church.

A Money Bowl or a Prosperity Bowl is a collection of lucky objects which, put together, will help you bring more money into your life.

Prosperity bowls is from Feng Shui and Feng Shui is not Catholic at all.

We cannot do and should not do the error and sin of “syncretism” as Catholics.

That is a fact that all Catholics should know and must follow.

From the moment your parents (or even you on your renewal of baptism)

“Do you renounce Satan”

That moment you reject that so called error of Feng Shui.

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What are the biblical bases of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead?

1. Psalm 66:12. This verse was considered proof of purgatory by Origen and St. Ambrose, who posits the water of baptism and fire of purgatory.

2. Isaiah 4:4 (cf. 1:25-26; 6:5-7; Ecc. 12:24). St. Augustine, in the 20th Book of his "City of God", chapter 25, interprets this as purgatory. The preceding verse refers to the saved (called holy and recorded for life) and verses 5 and 6 describe the repose of the blessed.

3. Micah 7:9. St. Jerome considered this verse a clear proof of purgatory.

4. Malachi 3:3. Origen, St. Irenaeus, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome all thought this was a descrption of purgatory.

5. 2 Maccabees 12:44-45. The Jews offered atonement and prayer for their deceased brethren, who had clearly violated Mosaic Law. Such a practice presupposes purgatory, since those in heaven wouldn't need any help, and those in hell are beyond it.

6. Matthew 5:22. St. Francis de Sales commented: "It is only 3rd sort of offence which is punished with hell; therefore in the judgment of God after this life there are other pains which are not eternal or infernal, – these are the pains of purgatory."

7. Matthew 5:26. The "prison" alluded to in verse 25 is purgatory, according to Tertullian, St. Cyprian, Origen, St. Ambrose, and St. Jerome, while the "penny" represents the most minor sins that one commits.

8. Matthew 12:32. If this sin cannot be forgiven after death, it follows that there are others which can be, and this must be in purgatory: precisely the interpretation of St. Augustine, Pope St. Gregory the Great, the Venerable Bede, and St. Bernard, among others.

9. Acts 9:36-41. St. Peter prayed for the dead.

10. John 11:41-42. Jesus prayed for Lazarus (a dead man).

11. Luke 12:47-48. Unlike the slave who will be cut into pieces and be put with the unfaithful (hell), these slaves will receive severe or light beating. This is obviously purgatory.

12. 1 Cor. 3:11-15. This is clear and obvious allusion to purgatory.

13. 2 Tim. 1:16-18. St. Paul prayed for a dead man named Onesiphorus.

14. 1 Cor. 15:29. St. Paul taught penance (basically the same as prayer) for the dead.

15. Hebrew 12:14. St. John Henry Cardinal Newman observed (as an Anglican):

"Even supposing a man of unholy life were suffered to enter heaven, he would not be happy there; so that it would be no mercy to permit him to enter. . . . there is a moral malady which disorders the inward sight and taste; and no man labouring under it is in a condition to enjoy what Scripture calls "the fulness of joy in God's presence, . . . . "

16. 1 Peter 4:6. If the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, then for sure we can pray for them who are suffering in purgatory.

17. Jude 23. There are people who can be saved from suffering from fire. This can refer to purgatory.

18. Rev. 21:27. No one who is unclean can enter heaven. So, those who are stained by their unrepented and unrepaired venial sins should be purged in Purgatory to make them worthy of heaven where perfection is a requirement.

Source: Sidlak

ASKING FOR THE SAINTS' INTERCESSION

One way we can tap into the encouragement that God offers us through the saints is by asking for their intercession.

Since the very beginning of the Church, Christians have asked their older brothers and sisters who have already gone to the Father's house to pray for them.

Nowadays this practice has declined.
Critics of it say that we should just "go right to God".
Some non-Catholic Christians even quote the Bible to criticize it, pointing out that the New Testament says Jesus is the "only mediator" between God and man.
It certainly does say that.
But does that mean we can't pray for each other? Certainly not.

• In James 5:16 we are commanded to "pray for one another" because "the fervent prayer of a righteous man is very powerful."
• And who is more righteous than the saints?
• The Book of Acts is full of miracles performed through the intercession of the Apostles, as are the lives of the saints.
• Surely they don't love others less now that they have died.
• If anything, the saints are even more eager to intercede for us now that they share God's love more fully in heaven.
Today we are reminded that all baptized Christians form one family in Jesus Christ.
• And just as good parents generously let the older children help and teach the younger children, God does the same for us.
• It would be a dysfunctional dad who insisted on reserving all good deeds to himself, and God is certainly not a dysfunctional dad.

Today, let's give our Lord the pleasure of recognizing the achievements of the saints, and of asking for their prayers.