The Catholic Creed: God, His Infinite Existence and Governing Presence in His creation and His forgiveness of sin
St. Paul
BOOK OF THE ACTS CHAPTER 8
4. Now those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. 5. And, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the Christ to them. 6. And the crowds with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, listening to him and seeing the miracles that he worked (by the power of the Holy Spirit). 7. For many of those having unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out. {Note: this is the direct translation from the Latin and also from the Greek [by the late 1940's CCD Catholic translators] - those with the unclean spirits went out; i.e. they left, driven out by the Holy Spirit. It was a typical practice in ancient paganism, and also in the modern descendants of that infidelity to the true living God (Buddhism - especially Tibetan tantrism and Japanese esoteric/exoteric Mahayana - Nicherin Shoshu for instance, Hinduism, heretical Sufi mystics for instance, etc.), to purposely obsess themselves (cause their own possession) with demonic spirits. Doing the same thing is the basis of the so-called "catholic charismatic movement" which is total heresy. The true God, worshipped traditionally through the centuries by the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church, Orthodox in doctrine and profession of the one true saving faith, will NOT tolerate the spirits of the false gods which God forbade by the first commandment "thou shalt not have strange gods before Me".}
8. So there was great joy in that city. {That the worshippers of the false gods had been driven out}
9. Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing sorcery in that city and astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10. and all from least to greatest listened to him, saying, "This man is the power of God, which is called great." 11. And they gave heed to him because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries. 12. But when they believed Philip as he preached the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13. And Simon also himself believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip and at sight of the signs and exceedingly great miracles being wrought, he was amazed.
14. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. 15. On their arrival they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16. for as yet he had not come upon any of them {that had been baptized by Phillip, however at the miracles of Phillip the self possessed by demons had been driven out by the power of the Holy Spirit}, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18. But when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands {not laid on this Simon and the Holy Spirit absolutely not given to him}, he offered them money, 19. saying, "Give me also this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter. said to him, 20. "Thy money go to destruction with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. 21. Thou hast no part or lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right before God."
Note: Simony, using the Gospel for money making purposes (it is alright for a man to pray that God give him work to make a living, that is quite different), and blaspheming the Holy Spirit are both immediate and direct reasons for the complete damnation of infidels and heretics by God, which God will do! The complete history of Simon Magus (Simon the magician) who is referred to in the above passage is given in the Church Fathers, especially St. Irenaeus and St. Hippolytus, and others. Simon's final damnation is here prophesied by St. Peter, although for a while Simon pretended to repent, but went on to even more blasphemous and absurd and dirty schemes with a prostitute named Helen. Simon pretended that Helen was the reincarnation of Helen of Troy. According to St. Irenaeus and St. Hippolytus and the other Church Fathers writing on the subject, Simon is the father of the ancient heresy against the Church which is called Gnosticism. The Gnostics followed in the footsteps of the Naaseni (ancient serpent worshippers that had apostasized from the true God and turned, on purpose, to worship Satan). Amongst other offenses of which the Gnostics were guilty were: committing abortion, pretending to forgive sins by their own power and partaking in and encouraging sexual sins - especially taking advantage of women. The modern Gnostics would be those who, today, molest young people sexually, priests who take license with women parishioners sexually and/or brow beat them for money and the ecumenists who claim that the false gods of Buddhism and Hinduism and paganism in general etc. are to be tolerated. The Church Fathers further taught that the ringleaders of this sort of thing, especially priests and bishops, are to be driven out and not even offered absolution, but the little folks who have been mislead should repent of this and have nothing to do with the apostate priests and bishops, that means all of the Vatican II apostasy and the whole of the great apostasy that is upon us.
OUR CHOICE, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL -- VERSUS CHARITY, IT IS ONE OR THE OTHER BUT IT CANNOT BE BOTH
In the Gospel of St. Mark in the 13th chapter, Jesus' discourse on the signs immediately preceding His second coming (in the same flesh in which He, the incarnate God was crucified, died, buried and resurrected and ascended to the Father's right hand in heaven, returning therefrom to raise and judge all men), in the 22nd verse Jesus gives us a severe warning: "For false christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." verse 23. "Be on your guard, therefore; behold, I have told you all things beforehand." In the 22nd verse the word 'astray' is the same word in the Greek as in St. Paul's 1st epistle to St. Timothy in the 6th chapter, the 10th verse, translated as 'erred': "For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows." (From Thayer's Lexicon: apo-planaoo, 1 aor. pass. apeplanethen; 'to cause to go astray', trop. 'to lead away from the truth to error': Mk. xiii. 22; pass. to go astray, stray away from: 1 Tim. vi. 10.) In both cases it means to deny Christ and the faith and therefore to not be saved but be judged and condemned by Christ into hell. Also, quoted under The Angel's Promise, see below in Apocalypse 18th chapter verse 23b: "because thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy witchcraft (pharmakeia) all the nations have been led astray." led astray here is a closely related word in the Greek, eplanethesan. In all these cases it means led to transgress against God and be damned by Christ, not saved by Him.
From "The Didache"; the Apostolic directions to Christians. This is the earliest Christian book in existence.
"Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion." 2:2
"The Way of Death is filled with people who are ... murderers of children and abortionists of God's creatures." 5:1-2
13. For you have been called to liberty, brethren; only do not use liberty as an occasion for sensuality, but by charity serve one another. 14. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed or you will be consumed by one another. (signifies the complete ruin of the Christian Community)
16. But I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would. 18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, 20. idolatry, witchcrafts (pharmekeia), enmities; contentions, jealousies, anger, quarrels, factions, parties, 21. envies; murders, drunkenness, carousings, and suchlike. And concerning these I warn you, as I have warned you, that they who do such things will not attain the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is: charity, joy, peace; patience, kindness, goodness, 23. faith, modesty, continency. Against such things there is no law. 24. And they who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. 26. Let us not become desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. - from Galatians Chapter 5
The Angel's Promise
21. And a strong angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, "With this violence will Babylon; the great city, be overthrown, and will not be found any more. 22. And the sound of harpers and musicians and flute-players and trumpet will not be heard in thee any more; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in thee any more; and sound of millstone will not be heard in thee any more. 23. And light of lamp will not shine in thee any more; and voice of bridegroom and of bride will not be heard in thee any more; because thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy witchcraft (pharmakeia) all the nations have been led astray. 24. And in her was found blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain upon the earth." - from Apocalypse Chapter 18
For the Office of the Hours (from the Coptic Orthodox Church) see the link below:
The Catholic Creed
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY AND TRUTH AND LIFE - NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY HIM.
For as it was not possible that the man who had once for all been conquered, and who had been destroyed through disobedience, could reform himself, and obtain the prize of victory; and as it was also impossible that he could attain to salvation who had fallen under the power of sin,-the Son effected both these things, being the Word of God, descending from the Father, becoming incarnate, stooping low, even to death, and consummating the arranged plan of our salvation, upon whom [Paul], exhorting us unhesitatingly to believe, again says, "Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring down Christ; or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to liberate Christ again from the dead." Then he continues, "If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved." And he renders the reason why the Son of God did these things, saying, "For to this end Christ both lived, and died, and revived, that He might rule over the living and the dead." And again, writing to the Corinthians, he declares, "But we preach Christ Jesus crucified; "and adds, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? " - St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter XVIII, Section 2.
GOD is the Truth. The Most Holy Trinity is God and none other is God. The Most Holy Trinity is Three Persons Who are One God. These Three Persons are The Father and the Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Father is the fountainhead of the Trinity, the Son proceeds from His engendering in the Father’s bosom, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father in the unity of the engendering of the Son from the Father. This procession of the Son and the Holy Spirit from the Father is immortal from before all time and creation and unto eternity never-ending. This Triune God alone has Aseity, that He is immortal without beginning and without end, self sustained in His existence which preceded all time and creation and, His existence, continues forever; God’s existence is infinite. This God is above all that He has created and transcendent in all that He has created. There is nothing apart from nor outside of God that He has not created. He created all that has been created ex nihilo, that is from nothing by His infinite power. Nothing that is created has aseity. Time is only an aspect of that which has been created by God. Time is therefore part of God’s creation. God is not limited by His creation, this includes that God is not limited by time. God is Omnipotent and Omniscient and Ubiquitos and with eternal complete foresight: Almighty and All seeing and knowing and equally present everywhere and knowing all things before their creation and all events before they come to pass unto eternity. There is no way to God but through the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom alone there is salvation by His Most Holy Cross and Resurrection. Creation had a beginning but will continue unto the eternal ages to come. At the return of Jesus Christ from God the Father’s right hand in the third heaven and the just judgement of Christ of His creatures, creation will be cleansed by fire (the damned, both angels and men consigned to hell forever) and renewed with paradise restored, with the presence around God of all His elect angels and saints, and continue in this way forever.
Salvation by Christ is by His Kenosis (the elect angels do not stand in need of salvation for they never sinned and are God’s servants forever).
Holy Holy Holy Lord God of hosts who will return in glory and in flaming fire taking vengeance upon those who know not God and who obey not the Lord Jesus Christ
Heb:5:
1 ¶ For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2 Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
3 And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
4 Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.
5 So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee.
6 As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.
8 And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
9 And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation:
10 ¶ Called by God a high priest, according to the order of Melchisedech.
11 Of whom we have much to say and hard to be intelligibly uttered: because you are become weak to hear.
12 For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God: and you are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that is a partaker of milk is unskilful in the word of justice: for he is a little child.
14 But strong meat is for the perfect: for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil.
(DRV)
Phil:2:
5 For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.
8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
9 For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names:
10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:
11 And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
(DRV)
This is crucial to our understanding of Christ’s mission to save us. In the above “emptied” is kenosis in the Greek. Christ’s kenosis (He Who is the Immortal Son of God and has always existed from before He created anything, His emptying out of Himself for us and to us) consists of “taking the form of a servant” at His incarnation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, “being made in the likeness of men” extremely important — His incarnation in the flesh, “in habit found as a man” this part explains phrases like “learned obedience”. Jesus never had to learn anything for Himself since He is God and Omniscient – All Knowing. But He willed to be born and grow up and be taught by Joseph and Mary. Think about it, it was the Blessed Virgin who taught Him the Psalms that He was the Mediator for David to receive by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and record for us. In simple terms He taught David the Psalms and willed that Mary would teach Him on earth the same psalms, though, of course He knew them already. So all references to His learning and growing and being perfected are only those things that He willed to go through for two basic reasons for our sakes. Number two first: to show us what our attitude and efforts should be on His behalf as His ambassadors to the rest of mankind. He “learned” but is actually teaching us. Number one in importance: “being made in the likeness of men” extremely important — His incarnation in the flesh. St. Athanasius Contra Mundum (against the world [opposing heresy]) addresses this when he explains that had Christ the Immortal Son of the Father in the Unity and Power of the Holy Spirit simply have erased Adam’s sin then the natural debt we all inherited to die from that sin would have meant that all men would die forever and be lost since God doesn’t lie and He pronounced that the separation of man from God due to sin would by the natural property of human nature make anything else impossible. In other words if God simply erased the sin He would have erased men as well thereby. Worst yet, St. Athanasius tells us, the devil would thereby have won that round. But what God did, the Son, Who because of His Divine substance/essence – nature cannot die, is to take upon himself the real human nature of all men subsumed from Mary — and therefore of Adam (see the genealogies in St. Matthew’s, Chapter 1, and St. Luke’s, Chapter 3, Gospels; in St. Luke’s Gospel all the way back to Adam). Since of Adam, then, of all men. Since He had and has that nature in total union with His divine nature, when he suffered and died (it is in this sense that St. Paul says “learned obedience”) in our place as the ransom from death then we become sons and daughters by adoption unto real eternal life at the future Return of Christ and the General Resurrection of the flesh, each of us, our bodies reunited with our same soul and same spirit. Therefore death, which insured that God’s law would be obeyed, was originally God’s way to insure that man would not become a diabolic creature totally in bondage to the devil, incapable of being in union with the Holy God, Himself. Christ took death, merited by all men, upon Himself preserving what God had said to Adam and Eve “upon that day (of disobedience) you will die”. Therefore, Christ’s death, then becomes the ransom to bring us out of thralldom to the devil and into union with God in Christ. Christ’s Resurrection then becomes the guarantor of our resurrection — which will absolutely happen. This is a brief description of Christ’s kenosis. Christ’s kenosis is the weightiest subject in the whole Bible. Christ’s obedience loosed the debt of Adam’s disobedience as Mary’s obedience undid the knot of Eve’s disobedience (that last is from St. Irenaeus). A note of warning: those who retie the knot of Eve’s disobedience and who bind themselves again in the debt of Adam’s disobedience by becoming part of pagan religions, who profess atheism or agnosticism, who follow after the Antichrist or who walk not in God’s commandments though they pretend to be Christ’s, will certainly be resurrected, but to eternal undying destruction in the lake of fire with the devil and all the fallen angels and all of the demons. Only the saints will inherit paradise with the elect angels in this universe recreated by God at the second coming of Jesus Christ at the end of this age of grace.
STARTING HERE THIS IS ADVANCED THEOLOGY; YOU MAY CERTAINLY SKIP DOWN BELOW TO "BOOK OF THE ACTS CHAPTER 8" AND CONTINUE THERE IF YOU ARE A BABY CHRISTIAN OR NOT GIVEN TO THEOLOGICAL ISSUES. JUST MAKE SURE YOU OBEY GOD'S COMMANDMENTS.
Note, before we go to the below, Islam teaches people to pray to Allah (swt), who the Holy Qur'an explicity says is the Triune God of Allah (Father), Word (Son), Spirit (Holy Spirit). Therefore when they confess their sins to Allah (and they certainly do), then they are confessing to Jesus Christ, the Son, according to the Holy Qur'an. Jesus Christ, 'Isa al Maseeh, is the one that Muslims and Christians both also profess is the only Messiah. See Final Trial.
God’s omniscience and his forgiveness of sin.
God alone forgives sin. That is, christ alone forgives sin since he is god in the flesh and the only mediator between god and man, for no one can come to the father except through jesus christ, and he is the high priest of god appointed by the father to be the only one we can approach for forgiveness of sins.
In the passage from hebrews quoted below saint paul affirms that god is present everywhere and sees everything – totally knows all things; that god is omnipresent and omniscient. God is equally present everywhere, this is the truth that god is ubiquitous.
In the following, the word of god is jesus christ himself.
12 For the word of god is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two edged sword, and reaching unto where the soul and the spirit unite, and of the joining with what is enclosed within, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from his sight; but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom we have to answer.
14 Having therefore a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, jesus the son of god, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities, but one tried in all things like as we are, except without sin.
16 Let us therefore go with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
St. Paul's epistle to the Hebrews chapter 4
13 And there is no creature hidden from his sight; but all things are naked and open to his eyes, to whom we have to answer.
14 Having therefore a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, jesus the son of god, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities, but one tried in all things like as we are, except without sin.
16 Let us therefore go with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
God is ubiquituos (totally present and all seeing and all knowing equally everywhere throughout his creation), and he has given men free will.
Therefore it is very important concerning where the mark of sin is in a man.
Memory is the knowledge of the experience of (retained by) the self, i.e. Sentience of self experience – sentience = consciousness. My memory = my sentience of my experience; sentience of sentience = memory, self is created, one’s soul, a person’s memory is of his experience of his own self not another’s – man or demon or devil – god’s holy angels, with god’s permission, see more.
God has the total experience of every creature of his known by his (nous) mind, but not all are encompassed by his (uncreated) wisdom – that which is outside of his wisdom, which is the holy spirit who is given to and through jesus christ god’s immortal son, is sin, i.e. Darkness –no part in life eternal who is his immortal son jesus christ. These sins abide in the memory of the self which is a man’s soul, unless a man confess his sins to christ and be forgiven and therfore cleansed by him alone who is ubiquitous and therefore present with all men in this life. (those who do not are therfore headed for hell. This is where, at the bottom of the abyss, beneath the universe, the abode of the damned is; the outer darkness consumed eternally by the unquenchable fire of god’s wrath; which jesus christ also referred to as gehenna [ge-hinnom in hebrew]. This is hell; the one place of damnation, which by god’s command exists and will continue to exist eternally, but where god’s presence by the holy spirit who is his uncreated wisdom, is not. It exists by the power of god with an energy given by him to keep it in place but totally without the holy spirit and therefore also totally without any sanctifying grace. This is forever, with no redemption there at all ever. This is the abode of the damned: the devil and all the rest of the fallen angels, all the demons and all men who are not saved by coming to christ, in repentance of their sins, and receiving the forgiveness of christ. Young children are not held accountable, for they cannot form the requisite intent to be held guilty of any sin.)
Four basic elements created by god are fire, spirit, water, earth (do not confuse this with the scientist’s theories)
Pagan has 6 and is disordered (we do not need to involve ourselves in their confusion)
Four realms of god, which he made from the elements he created, are:
1) inanimate realm
2) simple life realm
3) sentient realm
4) eternal life realm
1) inanimate realm
2) simple life realm
3) sentient realm
4) eternal life realm
Pagan –
1) confusion about anything
2) totally seared conscience
3) will do anything evil
4) utter destruction comes upon them
1) confusion about anything
2) totally seared conscience
3) will do anything evil
4) utter destruction comes upon them
1) the nature of good is life – god the holy trinity, the father and the son and the holy spirit is the author thereof:
1) the inanimate realm, god created the universe of the four basic elements of fire, spirit, water ,earth and then made from this inanimate realm living creatures and man who he made sentient and destined for eternal life before the fall of adam; again destined for eternal life at our redemption in christ.
1) the inanimate realm, god created the universe of the four basic elements of fire, spirit, water ,earth and then made from this inanimate realm living creatures and man who he made sentient and destined for eternal life before the fall of adam; again destined for eternal life at our redemption in christ.
This is creation in one day encompassing the six days which also show forth the ages of the church from the time of adam to christ and the seventh day, christ’s future return, and the eighth day, the endless ages of ages of christ with the saved and his elect angels in this universe recreated then at the second coming of christ. This is opposed by
#2) the nature of evil, belial (nothingness), the devil, which is death – the devil (diabolos) is the author of sin and death.
2) simple life realm, which is god creating man (the first formed man – adam) from the moist earth and breathed into him and he became a living soul. This is opposed by
#3) the devil’s temptation to abandon the source of life who is god.
3) the sentient realm, which is adam the living soul quickened by the spirit of god. This is opposed by the
#4) devil’s prompting to sin (causing death) which is evil which is trying, with others trying to do the same or tempting others to do the same, to be your own god.
4) the eternal life realm, which are those creatures who possess an eternal self and are faithful to god. These are the holy angels and men who are christ’s (the saints). This is opposed by
#4) the lie which is that the evil that comes from the devil actually comes from god.
This #2) nature of the devil (evil nothingness death) is to envy god prompting the devil’s sin (trying to replace god) #3) the devil’s lie (that god did not tell the truth when god said to adam that for adam to abandon god would cause adam’s death) #4) to cause adam to sin #3) and men to continue to tell the lie #4) therefore cutting them off from the life that is in christ jesus the only redeemer and therefore saviour of the whole world of those who are saved (the saved includes adam who repented).
This #2) nature of the devil (evil nothingness death) is to envy god prompting the devil’s sin (trying to replace god) #3) the devil’s lie (that god did not tell the truth when god said to adam that for adam to abandon god would cause adam’s death) #4) to cause adam to sin #3) and men to continue to tell the lie #4) therefore cutting them off from the life that is in christ jesus the only redeemer and therefore saviour of the whole world of those who are saved (the saved includes adam who repented).
The nature of the devil is evil (envy), death-sin, liar;
therefore the devil, the antichrist, the false prophet are the ultimate evil.
therefore the devil, the antichrist, the false prophet are the ultimate evil.
Cry out, do not cease, like a
trumpet raise thy voice,
and reveal to my people their
wicked deeds and to the house
of jacob their sins.
Isaias 58, 1
trumpet raise thy voice,
and reveal to my people their
wicked deeds and to the house
of jacob their sins.
Isaias 58, 1
Say this prayer of repentance, daily:
Against you, you alone, Jesus Christ, have we sinned and done evil in your sight, forgive us our sins, purge us with hyssop and we shall be cleansed, wash us and we shall be made whiter than snow, make the bones you have numbered to rejoice.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the living God in the unity and power of your Holy Spirit, through the intercessions of your all-pure mother and of all your saints and elect angels, have mercy and deliver us.
The following is Saint Polycarp's prayer at the stake just before he was burned to death for refusing to compromise his faith in jesus christ by worshipping ceasar and the roman gods. Saint Polycarp's faith is a saving faith, anything less is not.
He was not nailed but bound. and bound thus, with his hands behind his back, he seemed like a lambchosen from the flock for the sacrifice, prepared as a holocaust pleasing to God; and raising his eyes to heaven he said:
"Lord, God almighty, Father of Jesus Christ, your blessed and beloved Son who has taught us to know you.
God of the angels, of the whole of creation, of the whole race of the just who live in your presence: i bless you because you have judged me worthy of this day and of this hour; worthy to be added to the number of the martyrs; worthy to drink the chalice of your Christ, so as to rise up to eternal life in body and soul in the immortality of the Holy Spirit.
May i today be numbered among the martyrs in your presence as a precious and acceptable victim; bring to completion that which your will has prepared and revealed to me; God, faithful and true, for this grace and for all the others, i praise you, i glorify you, and bless you through our eternal heavenly priest, your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Through him, with him, and with the Holy Spirit, may you be glorified now and through all ages."
amen.
amen.
Polycarp of Smyrna
Prayer to Christ
Prayer to Christ
The following is a theological explanation of how God is ubiquitously present (totally present everywhere at all times); since God created everything (except himself, always having existed, which quality is called aseity), the willful misuse of anything or anybody including oneself, is sin against God himself, who is present in all of his creation. God’s creation is composed of elements (the basic biblical elements are: fire, spirit, water, earth, called in Greek, ‘stoichea’). There are also four basic realms which are all part of God’s created cosmos: the realm of those who are created with a beginning and an eternal life, i.e. angels and men, the realm of creatures with a sentient soul but no eternal life, i.e. animals, the realm of those things created with life but not a thinking or an aware mind, i.e. plants, the realm of things created and therefore having an existence sustained by God but with no self, no consciousness, nor life, i.e. the realm of the inanimate. In all of this all misuse of any of this is sin, the misuse of the elements is sorcery and magic, the misuse of the creatures of God is idolatry and when the two misuses are combined it is the sin of witchcraft – all of these sins are instigated by Satan whom Jesus told us in St. John’s Gospel is a murderer and liar from the beginning (Gospel of St. John chapter 8 verse 44). In this verse, in which Jesus condemns those who held a superficial profession of faith in God, is the absolute definition of sin from the sin of Satan and the other fallen angels and then the fall of Adam and Eve and every other sin there ever has been or will be: “the Father from whom you are is the devil, and the desires of the Father of you it is your will to do. That one was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie he speaks from his very nature, because he is a liar and the Father of lies.” in this extremely important verse is the definition of what Jesus also informs us of in his rebuke to the devil in St. Matthew’s Gospel chapter 4 verse 10: then Jesus said to him, “begone, Satan! for it is written, the Lord your God shall you worship and him only shall you serve.” angels are created noetic spirits (spirits, each with a self identity and an individual mind) and their nature at the moment of their creation is good; they are endowed with a free will. Satan and the rest of the fallen angels chose to deny God and all worship and service of God, i.e. to apostasize from God, and be their own gods (they are the false gods behind all of the pagan religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, false Islam which uses idolatry and magic (as opposed to true Islam which does not) etc., and idols and are the instigating spirits of sorcery and magic and all sin). This decision on their part immediately and irrevocably separated them from the Holy Spirit of God and therefore, at that moment their natures became evil forevermore. Men are a different case; their souls are where their self exists. Men possess free will to make the decision whether or not to worship and serve the true God; however, unlike the angels, men’s existence is in the flesh. Therefore a man’s decision is made in the flesh. God fixed the nature of man’s flesh to remain incorrupt and not know death ever, as long as man did not transgress God’s commandment not to stray from the worship and service of God who is the only Creator of all and source of life (which commandment is given universally to all angels and men). The nature of man’s flesh, as created by God, parted from perfect obedience of man and therefore indwelling of God by his spirit with incorruption, has a limited life span by God’s command. Therefore, unlike the angels who cannot die as men die in the flesh, man has a time here on earth in his flesh to make his decision whether or not to worship and serve the living God and inherit life eternal, i.e. incorruption. Adam was created in the flesh and sinned in the flesh and therefore men inherit, not sin, but death in the flesh because of Adam’s sin. Men’s decision is irrevocably fixed at the moment of their death. Beginning with Adam (the first formed man and there are none of any sort before him) all men’s souls are formed to their bodies; their souls are where their self exists eternally. Man at his creation (Adam) and each man thereafter at his soul’s creation by God at the moment of conception in the man’s body is a person. Each person is a threefold existence of spirit from God, soul created by God and body made of the elements created by God. Unrepentant sinners who go to hell upon their death and the lake of fire at the final judgement are devoid of any spirit of God forevermore. Their same souls and bodies alone (no spirit) are resurrected reunited by Christ forevermore at the resurrection of all men in the future and then condemned at that time to the lake of fire (at the bottom of the abyss beneath the universe). The saints (all of the saved from the first adam on) will be resurrected with their same spirits souls and bodies reunited (all diseases of the former life healed) and inherit life eternal with Christ incorrupt as he is uncorrupt, in this universe (God’s creation) recreated at that time unto the endless ages of ages to come. The reason for our resurrection is that Christ, by virtue of his being God, in taking the flesh of the blessed virgin Mary (who was descended from Adam 70 generations before, as well as all men – recounted in the Gospel of St. Luke chapter 3 verses 23-38) therefore took the flesh of all men, Adam and all men ever descended from Adam, and thereby took the punishment of death (upon his cross) that had been decreed by him upon men for Adam’s sin, upon himself.
Note: in the passage from St. John’s
The following describes God’s holy presence throughout his creation. Therefore, as said above, any and all apostasy from he who created all of creation and any and all misuse of his creation (that is: in transgressing his commandments in any of these cases) by any of his creatures is sin. All angels, and all men who have reached the age of reason, are responsible to God for their thoughts, intentions, words, deeds and in both commission and omission in all of this and will answer to him who is the just judge. We men absolutely need our redeemer Saviour Jesus Christ. The elect angels worship and serve him but do not stand in need of salvation since they have never sinned. The devil and the rest of the fallen angels are damned forever.
You Holy Holy Holy Lord God Pantocrator Ahiyah asher Ahiyah eth
Omniscient ubiquitous above all uncontained yet containing all through all
Baruch Adonai Yahweh El Olam Olam eth Our Father Holy through, with, in your only Immortal Son
only begotten Holy Jesus Christ our Only Lord and Saviour the only Lamb of God who alone takes away the sin of the whole world of those who are saved
are with – by your Uncreated Eternal Holy Spirit,
the only Immortal one hupostasis, co-equal three hupostasies, the absolute essential, substance, mind, wisdom, nature, energy, dominion
above and behind all, underpinning all, creating, framing, making, creation ex nihilo, underlying all, immanent within all, yet uncontained by any and all
living reigning ruler above, over all and always and forevermore
sustaining in existence all that has been created by your sovereign power. Absolutely untouched by evil, who by a special act of creation created the souls of all men at the moment of conception, quickening them with our spirits by your spirit, implanting our voice of conscience, your voice therein, permanently uniting our souls in the form of with our bodies by your energy, as first the Immortal soul of your Son Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour is united, beloved, in your bosom to you God our Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning, in your image and likeness in the unity of your Holy Spirit, life quickening breath of life energy
self existent, one essence, substance, threefold light of one undivided glory
Abba Our Father and the Son Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour and the Holy Spirit our Paraclete
worshipped and served by all your elect angels and saints at all times,
only author of creation, redemption, salvation, sanctification
only author of creation, redemption, salvation, sanctification
creating each of us our self and endowing each of us with our capacity of memory
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God our Father deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God the Son Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit our Paraclete deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Holy Trinity have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Adorable Unity have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Holy Holy Holy Lord God Pantocrator have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Baruch Adonai Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh echad Emeth Huy Eloah Chay Melek Olam Olam eth deliver us into your kingdom inheriting life eternal unto the endless ages of ages to come
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God our Father deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God the Son Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit our Paraclete deliver us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Holy Trinity have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Adorable Unity have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Holy Holy Holy Lord God Pantocrator have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Lord have mercy on us
Baruch Adonai Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh echad Emeth Huy Eloah Chay Melek Olam Olam eth deliver us into your kingdom inheriting life eternal unto the endless ages of ages to come
Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour in your true Gospel alone Holy God, the only author of covenant of salvation, of:
Adam’s covenant shown forth by the face seen by Ezechiel of a lion prefiguring the Gospel of John showing forth the royal power and authority of Christ the Immortal Son Word Wisdom and Power of God through whom God the Father by the Holy Spirit created all of creation Who became Incarnate for our redemption in the flesh as Adam had sinned in the flesh
Noah’s covenant shown forth by the face seen by Ezechiel of a calf prefiguring the Gospel of Luke showing forth the sacrifice of Christ who is our Holy Only Priest Victim Sacrifice Altar Temple Tabernacle Redeemer Salvation Immortal Immaculate Golden Ark of the covenant showing himself forth as the only begotten Redeemer in his Epiphany of fiery glory at his baptism in the Jordan
Abraham’s covenant shown forth by an Epiphany of the Lord and two angels prefiguring the Transfiguration of Christ with: Moses, a type of the faithful departed at the future resurrection, and Elijah, a type of the faithful living at the future resurrection, Christ condemning for all time the darkness of idolatry which has no communion with light – the grace of the Gospel of Christ
Moses’ covenant shown forth by the face seen by Ezechiel of a man prefiguring the Gospel of Matthew showing forth the God – man prophet, the Christ, who Moses and David and Isaiah and Habakkuk and Ezra foretold Israel would either heed or be destroyed by rejecting, he who is our only Lord and Saviour by his most Holy Cross by which he tread down Satan and cast him out of creation
David’s covenant shown forth by the gift of prophecy, especially of the resurrection of Christ
Daniel’s covenant shown forth by his vision of the ancient of days prefiguring the Gospel of Christ especially his Ascension
Christ Jesus Immortal Son most Holy Angel of Almighty Counsel, Captain of the hosts of the Lord, the giver of all covenants with God shown forth by his promise of the keys of Himself the Messiah to Peter and to all who believe in Him – Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour, the final covenant shown forth by the face seen by Ezechiel of an eagle and through him to the Father does all glory redound in the unity and power of the Holy Spirit, he given at Pentecost, especially proclaimed by the Gospel of Mark of the preaching of the salvation of Christ Jesus throughout the world, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour who descended from the third heaven from the Father’s right hand and became flesh by the Holy Spirit, the immaculate conception and was truly born of the blessed virgin Mary on earth, 70 generations from Adam and your creation of all of creation, thus subsuming flesh of Adam and of all men to yourself to restore your Image and Likeness to all the saints from the first Adam to the last saint, by you Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, the only Immaculate Lamb of God who alone takes away the sin of the whole world of those who are saved, by your most Holy Cross and Holy Blood, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour and Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, covering the whole earth and cleansing the whole universe, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, the only first born from the dead in the flesh, the only one resurrected, ascended, assumed bodily in the flesh, seated at the right hand of God, Baruch Adonai Yahweh El Olam eth Abba Our Father in the third heaven in the unity and power of the Holy Spirit our Paraclete
Holy Holy Holy Lord God Pantocrator
and Who, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, shall return from the Father’s right hand in the same flesh with all the elect angels and raise, first, the saints in the flesh, our same spirits souls and bodies reunited and then all other men in the flesh, their same souls and bodies reunited, from throughout the whole world and all of time from the beginning of your creation until that time – known to you alone Holy Immortal undivided trinity, in the future at your Parousia Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, your saints to inherit paradise recreated then with all the elect angels worshipping you face to face in the glory of the Father and the union of the Holy Spirit unto the endless ages of ages – and the rest to be cast into the lake of fire forevermore unto the same endless ages of ages to come.
Baruch Adonai Yahweh Elohim eth He Creator and Artificer of all our only Teacher
He Spirit absolute intelligence Holy unique
manifold subtle agile
clear unstained certain
not baneful loving the good keen
unhampered beneficent kindly
firm secure tranquil
all-powerful all-seeing and pervading all spirits though they be intelligent pure and very subtle seven holy elect blessed orders
of mighty Doxas holy Seraphim, Cherubim, Kuriotetes, Arches especially Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel holy Archangelos
Exousias, Dunameis, Angelos
uncreated Wisdom mobile beyond all motion He penetrates and pervades all things by reason of His purity for He is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the Glory of the Almighty therefore nought that is sullied enters into Him for
He is the refulgence of eternal light the
spotless mirror of the energy of God the image of his goodness he who is one can do all things and renews everything while Himself perduing by His breath passing into holy souls from
age to age he produces friends of God and prophets for there is not God loves be it not one who dwells with wisdom for he is fairer than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars compared to light he takes precedence for that indeed night might supplant but wickedness prevails not over wisdom
indeed he reaches from end to end mightily and governs all
things well.
BOOK OF THE ACTS CHAPTER 8
4. Now those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. 5. And, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the Christ to them. 6. And the crowds with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, listening to him and seeing the miracles that he worked (by the power of the Holy Spirit). 7. For many of those having unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out. {Note: this is the direct translation from the Latin and also from the Greek [by the late 1940's CCD Catholic translators] - those with the unclean spirits went out; i.e. they left, driven out by the Holy Spirit. It was a typical practice in ancient paganism, and also in the modern descendants of that infidelity to the true living God (Buddhism - especially Tibetan tantrism and Japanese esoteric/exoteric Mahayana - Nicherin Shoshu for instance, Hinduism, heretical Sufi mystics for instance, etc.), to purposely obsess themselves (cause their own possession) with demonic spirits. Doing the same thing is the basis of the so-called "catholic charismatic movement" which is total heresy. The true God, worshipped traditionally through the centuries by the One Holy Apostolic Catholic Church, Orthodox in doctrine and profession of the one true saving faith, will NOT tolerate the spirits of the false gods which God forbade by the first commandment "thou shalt not have strange gods before Me".}
8. So there was great joy in that city. {That the worshippers of the false gods had been driven out}
9. Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing sorcery in that city and astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10. and all from least to greatest listened to him, saying, "This man is the power of God, which is called great." 11. And they gave heed to him because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries. 12. But when they believed Philip as he preached the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13. And Simon also himself believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip and at sight of the signs and exceedingly great miracles being wrought, he was amazed.
14. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. 15. On their arrival they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16. for as yet he had not come upon any of them {that had been baptized by Phillip, however at the miracles of Phillip the self possessed by demons had been driven out by the power of the Holy Spirit}, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18. But when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands {not laid on this Simon and the Holy Spirit absolutely not given to him}, he offered them money, 19. saying, "Give me also this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter. said to him, 20. "Thy money go to destruction with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. 21. Thou hast no part or lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right before God."
Note: Simony, using the Gospel for money making purposes (it is alright for a man to pray that God give him work to make a living, that is quite different), and blaspheming the Holy Spirit are both immediate and direct reasons for the complete damnation of infidels and heretics by God, which God will do! The complete history of Simon Magus (Simon the magician) who is referred to in the above passage is given in the Church Fathers, especially St. Irenaeus and St. Hippolytus, and others. Simon's final damnation is here prophesied by St. Peter, although for a while Simon pretended to repent, but went on to even more blasphemous and absurd and dirty schemes with a prostitute named Helen. Simon pretended that Helen was the reincarnation of Helen of Troy. According to St. Irenaeus and St. Hippolytus and the other Church Fathers writing on the subject, Simon is the father of the ancient heresy against the Church which is called Gnosticism. The Gnostics followed in the footsteps of the Naaseni (ancient serpent worshippers that had apostasized from the true God and turned, on purpose, to worship Satan). Amongst other offenses of which the Gnostics were guilty were: committing abortion, pretending to forgive sins by their own power and partaking in and encouraging sexual sins - especially taking advantage of women. The modern Gnostics would be those who, today, molest young people sexually, priests who take license with women parishioners sexually and/or brow beat them for money and the ecumenists who claim that the false gods of Buddhism and Hinduism and paganism in general etc. are to be tolerated. The Church Fathers further taught that the ringleaders of this sort of thing, especially priests and bishops, are to be driven out and not even offered absolution, but the little folks who have been mislead should repent of this and have nothing to do with the apostate priests and bishops, that means all of the Vatican II apostasy and the whole of the great apostasy that is upon us.
OUR CHOICE, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL -- VERSUS CHARITY, IT IS ONE OR THE OTHER BUT IT CANNOT BE BOTH
In the Gospel of St. Mark in the 13th chapter, Jesus' discourse on the signs immediately preceding His second coming (in the same flesh in which He, the incarnate God was crucified, died, buried and resurrected and ascended to the Father's right hand in heaven, returning therefrom to raise and judge all men), in the 22nd verse Jesus gives us a severe warning: "For false christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." verse 23. "Be on your guard, therefore; behold, I have told you all things beforehand." In the 22nd verse the word 'astray' is the same word in the Greek as in St. Paul's 1st epistle to St. Timothy in the 6th chapter, the 10th verse, translated as 'erred': "For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows." (From Thayer's Lexicon: apo-planaoo, 1 aor. pass. apeplanethen; 'to cause to go astray', trop. 'to lead away from the truth to error': Mk. xiii. 22; pass. to go astray, stray away from: 1 Tim. vi. 10.) In both cases it means to deny Christ and the faith and therefore to not be saved but be judged and condemned by Christ into hell. Also, quoted under The Angel's Promise, see below in Apocalypse 18th chapter verse 23b: "because thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy witchcraft (pharmakeia) all the nations have been led astray." led astray here is a closely related word in the Greek, eplanethesan. In all these cases it means led to transgress against God and be damned by Christ, not saved by Him.
From "The Didache"; the Apostolic directions to Christians. This is the earliest Christian book in existence.
"Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion." 2:2
"The Way of Death is filled with people who are ... murderers of children and abortionists of God's creatures." 5:1-2
How Christians Should Live
13. For you have been called to liberty, brethren; only do not use liberty as an occasion for sensuality, but by charity serve one another. 14. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed or you will be consumed by one another. (signifies the complete ruin of the Christian Community)
16. But I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would. 18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, 20. idolatry, witchcrafts (pharmekeia), enmities; contentions, jealousies, anger, quarrels, factions, parties, 21. envies; murders, drunkenness, carousings, and suchlike. And concerning these I warn you, as I have warned you, that they who do such things will not attain the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is: charity, joy, peace; patience, kindness, goodness, 23. faith, modesty, continency. Against such things there is no law. 24. And they who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. 26. Let us not become desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. - from Galatians Chapter 5
The Angel's Promise
21. And a strong angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, "With this violence will Babylon; the great city, be overthrown, and will not be found any more. 22. And the sound of harpers and musicians and flute-players and trumpet will not be heard in thee any more; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in thee any more; and sound of millstone will not be heard in thee any more. 23. And light of lamp will not shine in thee any more; and voice of bridegroom and of bride will not be heard in thee any more; because thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy witchcraft (pharmakeia) all the nations have been led astray. 24. And in her was found blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain upon the earth." - from Apocalypse Chapter 18
Pharmakoi: sorcerer (or sorceress); pharmakon: sorcerer's sacrifice; pharmakos: sorcery; pharmakeia: witchcraft - all the foregoing offered to Satan via idolatry (idoololatreia); in this description, especially including the idolatry of mammon that Christ condemned as being damned.
For Psalms see:
See below.
For the Office of the Hours (from the Coptic Orthodox Church) see the link below:
The Coptic Orthodox Book Of Hours,
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From the: CATHOLIC DICTIONARY The Catholic Press, Inc. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Imprimatur + Samuel Cardinal Stritch Archbishop of Chicago - Chicago, August 5, 1950
Resurrection of Christ. The greatest of all Christ's miracles and the proof of His divine mission. For although He worked many other wonders, yet without His Resurrection, as Saint Paul states (1 Cor. 15:17), our faith would be vain and we would still be in our sins. The reason for this is that resurrection from the dead was the sign which Christ Himself promised as the proof of His divine mission (Matt. 12:38 - 41; John 2:19), and had He failed to return to life on the third day He would have been convicted of being an imposter. His enemies, the priests and Pharisees, understood full well the importance of this sign, and therefore took precautions to seal the tomb and post guards (Matt. 27:62 - 66). Since these arrangements excluded the possibility of fraud, they thereby increased for posterity the certainty of the miracle. The Resurrection was not an apparent return or a mere hallucination of the Apostles, but resumption by Christ of His human body. It is a historical fact attested by witnesses who could neither deceive, wish to deceive, nor be deceived. Those whom the Bible mentions as having seen the Risen Christ include: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome; the Apostles; Cleophas and another disciple at Emmaus; Saint Paul; more than 500 disciples. Of the fact of Christ's Resurrection, therefore, there can be no doubt (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). The Apostles bore witness to it constantly; in fact, it formed the basis of their entire preaching (e.g., Acts 2:24-32; 2 Cor. 5:15; 2 Tim. 2:8). Not only is it the foundation of our faith; it is also the pledge and example of our own resurrection. Easter Sunday is the Feast of the Resurrection. Resurrection of the Body. The doctrine that the souls of all men, both good and bad, will be reunited to their bodies at the second coming of Christ. Just as the body shares in the good acts or in the sins of the soul in this life, so it will share in its reward or in its punishment in eternity. Each soul will be reunited, by the power of God, to identically the same body which it inhabited in this life. The risen body, will be without any defect of human nature and will be invested with the special qualities of the glorified body. This doctrine is the 11th article of the Creed, and one of the principal doctrines of our Faith. This consoling truth was known to the orthodox Jews of the Old Testament (2 Mach. 7:9-11) and was more clearly and emphatically taught by Our Lord on various occasions (Matt. 22:23-32; John 5: 28-29). Indeed, by Himself rising from the dead, Christ gave us a pattern and a pledge of our own resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23; 1 Thess. 4:13); for at His command on the last day our bodies will be restored to us in a condition like to His own glorified body: subject to our souls, and immune from decay, suffering, and death (1 Cor. 15:42-44).
The Catholic Creed
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