I feel I have 'bore again' or 'born from above' as a previously fallen away Catholic who returned to the Church approx 30 years ago. My only regret is that I when I try to share my testimony, I feel that those I am sharing with don't really grasp or get it. I guess all I can do is plant the seeds and pray God will water those seeds. I just wish people could learn to trust Him and surrender to His will. He will work things out perfectly. God has done an amazing transformation of my life and my heart. When I called on Him he answered me. And I will be forever grateful and praise His name forever.
Yes, take heart because you know at some point when you were fallen away others said their stories to you and you rolled your eyes too, but now you reflect on them and hope they know you get it now. I hope others see changes in my outward behavior and wonder what good thing happened to me, but those who didn’t know me I hope they see my present joy and want what I’ve got because it is the grace and blessings granted by a loving and forgiving Lord. I pray he puts his hands right on me and destroys all that doesn’t do him justice and amplifies all that does so I can be an agent of Him to this hurting world, and I pray the same for you. I’m so happy you’ve seen the value of your faith and the mighty goodness and glory of God.
"Grace shatters something" as someone raised inna cult, i can absolutely confirm that recieving grace was an experience that broke a lot from my old life
***** "God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life" (CCC 1). Wow, so that is how Satan begins his book: by telling of the perfection and blessedness of God, His love for humanity and how He sent His Son as Redeemer and Savior so that humanity, through the Holy Spirit, might become sons and daughters of God and share in His blessed life!? A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Furthermore, are you asserting that simply reading one of many English translations of the Sacred Scriptures will save a person and guarantee that they will enjoy the Divine Beatitude of God in Heaven?
Bishop Barron, a very dear friend of mine spoke to me about how you explain scriptures with clear explanations rooted in the Word. Ever since I found you in UA-cam, I have been refreshing my faith and marveling at how deep your ministry has renew my soul.
This helps me to receive a word - to enter God's Kingdom through the Churchs' Sacraments to freely receive the Holy Spirit to live in newness of life. Thank you Fr. Barron
The priest is right about being born again bringing a whole new dimension to your life. You become more joyful, loving, patient along with all the other of the Fruits of the Spirit. You are less angry, more at peace. Christ becomes front and center of your life. The Holy Spirit burns inside you. I can't articulate it quite as eloquently as he does, but it is something very real. You don't become born again over night.
@@richardmarten7500 Being born again is a transformation all through ones life.I must add that It does start at a point in time when the Holy Spirit breaks through the flesh and touches a repentant heart honestly seeking God.And Evan is 100% right in what he said about his experience.
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp it..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
From his series on Catholicism to his youtube videos, he has been my teacher and my light.Father Barron is the light of today's world. Listen to his teachings. Learn with an open heart and welcome acceptance to the pathway to the kingdom.
God bless Fr. Barron! He is a reflection of the Church Fathers. Re-evangelizing the modern "pagans". (i.e. lapsed Catholics, atheists, "the world", etc.) His message is strong & contemporary, as The Gospel always is. It is also controversial. Father's message is a blessing to those of us who are/were questioning our Catholicity. He's made me realize it's part of my identity. Every time I see this man speak I feel blessed. Thank God for his powerful witness to our rich faith.
I love this episode bc I have received graces and pearls of inestimable value Bishop Barron speaks of in the past year or so. An awakening that I am so thankful for.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” -Galatians 2:20 But how painful not to be able to repeat that closeness for the rest of our life for after birth the child must walk on his own, I guess it is a different type of darkness; having been with Him on the mountain but after coming down from the summit knowing that only at the end of this life we'll be there again. O thanks to Him for the gift of the Eucharist for it is indeed the Food that keeps us alive.
When I'm awaken at 3 am in the morning and can't go back to sleep, I've realized it's the Spirit and it wants me to know something. So I go to my Bible and sure enough there it is, the answer.
I was relieved to learn that Father Barron will be visiting England, the land of my Grandmother. I dare say Britain needs the spark of faith more desperately than most, these days. Thanks you for your videos, Father! God bless you on your many travels!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I am Catholic and Christ has done just as you have said. He broke through. It has radically changed my life. I was looking for answers as to how can I be born again as a Catholic? My understanding was as a Catholic we are only born again in Baptism. Yet is was not until last year that I felt I had been born again. He put new lenses on my eyes and changed my heart in such a beautiful way. You put my mind at rest, as to my confusion. Thank you.
@@maddog6192 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven When one is Born again, they are born of the spirit of God, therefore God is now their Father. So if God is Father to those Born again in christ, why would they call any but the Lord Father?
His Eminence Has become my worldly hero, listen as much as possible he has changed my convictions and the amount of time I spend spiritually with the Lord I only wish there were more like him influencing this Godless country!! God Bless Bishop Barron.
What do you call your own father when you refer to him in the third person? Friend, it's just silly to take that saying of Jesus literally. Everyone knows what he means: that you should have only one absolute authority.
I agree with the first part of Your answer, since You didn't specify who this absolute authority is, i am a little weary! Poor arguments by Protestants, they should argue the more important doctrine RCC is in error! God bless You!
I've spent a great amount of time in my years in apologetics. It is very interesting and edifying, true. But, reality is, God is relationship. Having, knowing, apologetic truth without knowing Jesus Christ personally wasn't something I enjoyed very much. Truth is, the more I know God, the less dogmatic material becomes a focus and the more how I treat by fellow brothers and sisters in God's love becomes important. I've been in your shoes, defending the truths, and I wish you well. But grace.....
I’m not a Catholic, but I love the teachings of Bishop Barron. Context and historical perspective of scripture is truly beautiful- I hope to meet him one day. He serves our Father will🙏🏻.
@@theclapaolini4322 YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change you from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this is something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
Born from above. Had a out of body experience during a serious post operation, 1975. Doctors told me they temporarily lost me...I experienced" divine Light! " It almost wonderful gift of Grace....I could describe it, but it would loose it's Grace... But was truly a blessing....True ,language can be aranged worldly, yet divine Light is indeed a gift. If you look at some artist, Rembrandt, some Italien painters...their work efuse divine Light! Interesting.🇺🇸🇩🇰🔥
When Bishop Barron references the phrase, "water and spirit," he then says, "our Catholic ears pick up." Then he says: "...what is baptism but being drawn into a new world. You now become a child of God." He then refers to the Catholic sacraments. The UA-cam picture shows infant baptism. The implication in this video is that being born again starts with the sacrament of Catholic Baptism, usually administered to infants. The key question is what does the Bible say and how can we accurately interpret it. One of the key principles of Bible interpretation is to let scripture interpret scripture. When I read the gospel of John, John 1:12 (ESV), I see born again defined as a personal decision: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." This verse says not by "the will of man," which would include the priest, parents and god-parents acting on behalf of the infant. Infant Baptism was a core, Protestant vs Catholic, reformation issue. Making a personal, fact-based, decisions is of utmost importance, which is why I urge everyone to study what scripture says because it is eternally important to get right.
This is the question Bishop Barron was supposed to address. He also bring those two concepts together but didn't address the nature of the topic. I listened to his exposition because I thought he would. Very disappointing!
Born again. To be transformed from darkness into the Kingdom of light... Making Christ Jesus King and Lord in your life. Repenting of your sin and being convicted by your sin. Giving Jesus Lordship over all things in your life.
@@elenanash8081 Christ clearly states that, i stand at the door.It requires one to open the door to Christ.We have our part to play.He does not force himself upon us.
@@elenanash8081 You seem to have missed the most important bit "FAITH" . Didn't Jesus heal all the non-jews who had faith.Infact he placed their faith above the children.Don't worry about the lost sheep, God is concerned with your heart. A repentant heart with faith in the Lord is all that is needed and the Good Shepherd will enter and lead you and you will be Born Again.
@@elenanash8081 *Isaiah 56:3* Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” *Isaiah 56:6-8* And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant- 7these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 8The Sovereign Lord declares- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”
Very intelligent commentary, Fr. Barron. It took me quite a long time to understand the parable of the shrewd steward, but I finally concluded that it was God's way of saying, even if we are born from above, we have to be shrewd - which the angels don't have to worry about and may even admire. "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Lk 16:8 Thank you
I have been drifting towards Christianity but still I am way down by a lot of skepticism and in action I've begun to try and pray each day I hope in time I'll feel my fears put to rest
"The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." Yes, and when you reject Christ's Church, you reject him.
I've been looking to share His Excellence Bishop Barron with some of my more open minded fallen away Catholic family members who had completed a four yr. Bible Foundation study in Washington state. I was approached by the same group in San Diego at that time. I forwarded this video to that same non-denominational sister who once told me I needed to be "born again" or I would not be saved. I was thinking, I am a practicing Catholic, I volunteer, I pray, and I believe in God. Why wouldn't I be saved? We read the Bible, too. Twenty ys. Ago
Here's the way Catholics see salvation. Grace is the gift of God in the Holy Spirit which comes from our Great God, The Father and our Beloved God in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. GOD'S great gift of Grace gives us faith hope and love which is necessary to do what Jesus "commanded." Jesus commanded, "love one another as I have loved you." This love is more than mere sentiment. Jesus didn't simply have good feelings for his disciples. Jesus went all the way in. Jesus went into humanity with us. Jesus walks with us, teaches us, gives examples of how to live for us, heals us, forgives us and He died for us. Jesus is alive and Jesus continues to feel sorrow for the poor, the hungry, the enslaved, the war torn, the afflicted and for our sins which separate us from God. Jesus grieves for our loss. May you have the Grace of God to learn that to love as Jesus loves is to share the pain and loss of loved ones. Jesus loves us as His siblings.
As a returning Catholic, I was born again while journeying as Protestant. But I learned that Catholics aren’t taught this very well. Bishop Barton did a masterful job. I wish this line of teaching was done far more early and directly in our Catholic lives. This is written by Guy not Janet.
We are only God's children if we are born again in the Spirit. God becomes our Father when our spirits and His spirit are working with each other. We need to be born again or we die in the flesh of human sin. So being born again or from above is key to being Spirit filled Catholics and being full of God's love. Born of water - washed away sins, Spirit - divine life of God. Born of the Spirit - is from above, God's power and love will guide us and power our lives. Awesome, powerful !!
Thanks for your insight into the mystery of being born again! You have shed good light on something that is rarely understood by religious and irreligious people alike.
Wrong read John 3:5-7. To be born again is to repent, believe and receive the HOLY SPIRIT. What mystery, its in the BIBLE. To be born of Water (baptize) and of Spirit (Holy Spirit). Open your eyes stop letting these priests keep you in the dark.
God consuming fire- You can say that again! Everyone needs to read/study their bible. It is one of the ways The Lord communicates with us directly through the Holy Spirit when we ask The Lord Jesus Christ into our heart (born-again).
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change you from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this is something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
@@richruelas no where in any bible does it say to ask Jesus into your heart to be born again. Read your Bible it says water and spirit that means baptism.
I really mean this QD,I am going off line.Not coming back. God knows I enjoyed chatting with you. I can and will call you Brother.open heart you have.Speak from your heart. You are like a breath of fresh air.No double talk. Rare to find a gent like you. Peace to Brother.God Bless you and your family.I really do mean this.
I am catholic (Christian) I believe the Trinity, that jesus died for the sins of us on the cross. It's really sad that you have LACK of info of the Catholic Church. You left Christ church. God bless you maybe one day you will realize
No its not to be honest!! Your studies mean nothing either if you follow a man made religion tradition. Christianity is the only way because its the way to Jesus. Forget about the other catholic saints, forget catholic traditions. Forget about the pope who thinks he's chosen by god when he is clearly not chosen by god.
Thank you for explaining what this really means Father Barron. I enjoy your teaching so much! I can see the picture of our lives becoming something beyond what can be seen...the hope and joy of that which we will see...one day...brings such delight that one who loves Jesus simply can not contain it.
+TheSheeplealarmclock In my last post to you, I asked a few questions. Instead of attempting to answer them, you asked a completely off topic question. I am happy to answer this question; however, I do not plan to spend much time answering your questions as long as you refuse to do the same. You asked, “How come catholics do not honer (sic) the 2nd commandment?” The only times a “second commandment” is mentioned in Sacred Scripture is in Mt 22:39 and Mk 12:31 where Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” However, I assume that you are referring to the second of the Ten Commandments, but neither Exodus nor Deuteronomy number the Commandments. I think there are 14 different statements or commands in Ex 20:2-17 and Dt 5:6-21. These statements have been grouped in various ways to come up with ten. Some Protestants number the Ten Commandments the same way that Catholics do, and some do not. The numbering used by Catholics is based on what was handed down to us through the Apostles. However, sometime in the past 500 years, some Protestants have renumbered them. In ignorance, some Protestants accuse the Catholic Church of idolatry. The Church had already been condemning idolatry for 1500 years before Protestants even began inventing their beliefs, changing the Bible, and renumbering the Commandments. Idolatry is addressed as part of the first commandment, since it has to do with false gods, however, many Protestants split the first commandment into two commandments, and call the ban on idolatry the second commandment. But breaking the first commandment into two (as I assume you want to do) doesn’t make much sense. To say “You shall not make idols . . . [and] bow down before them” is simply redundant after saying “I am the Lord your God . . . thou shalt not have other gods before me,” that is why these two statements have always been included in the same commandment--the first. Those like you who split the first commandment into two, usually create their version of the Decalogue by combining the ninth and tenth commandments. The ninth commandment says you shouldn’t covet thy neighbor’s wife, and the tenth says you shouldn’t covet thy neighbor’s belongings. Both may involve coveting, but they are different sins. One involves lust, and the other involves envy. Do you understand that these are two entirely different sins? Do you think it is at all offensive that some Protestants lump wives in with their other “possessions”? Honestly, which sounds more redundant? This: 1) “I am the Lord your God . . . thou shalt not have other gods before me” (A ban on false gods) 2) “Thou shalt not make idols . . . [and] bow down before them” (Another ban on false gods) Or this: 9) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” (A ban on lust) 10) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s property” (A ban on envy) I think many Protestants are taught that Catholics worship idols because they have statues in their Churches. This seems pretty silly to any thinking person--the statues are in there, therefore they must be worshipped?? Really? You claim that you were once Catholic. If so, then you know for yourself that Catholics do not worship their statues. But, then again, you obviously never understood your faith or you would not have left the one, true Church established by Jesus. Perhaps the issue is that you do not understand what an idol is. According to Merriam-Webster, an idol is “an object that is worshipped as a god.” Do you think that Catholics consider a wood crucifix or a plaster statue to be their god? I’ve never met a Catholic that worshipped anything or anyone but God, and if someone did, then they wouldn't be considered Catholic. Do you think that God is anti-statue? If so can you explain why (just five chapters after giving us the Ten Commandments in Ex 20), God commanded that golden statues be fabricated for the arc of the covenant in Ex 25:18? And If God commanded statues for his first church (the travelling ark), what makes you so sure that He didn’t want them in the one, true Church?
***** Yes, I know Jesus, and I have a more personal relationship with him than a non-Catholic can even imagine. I actually eat His Flesh and Drink His blood at every Mass just as He commanded. Believe me, it just doesn't get any more personal than that!
***** Can you give me an example of where you believe I have "twisted God's words?" When you write ridiculous things like "Satan's greatest masterpiece is the Roman Catholic Church," it makes me curious. You do realize that all Christians were Catholic until the Protestant revolt, right? Are you one of those that have been deceived into believing that early Christians shared some of your non-Catholic beliefs? If so, could you please give me the name of a non-Catholic Christian that existed before Luther? If one existed, that shouldn't be hard.
***** You wrote, "You have no spiritual relationship watsoever (sic) with Jesus." That is a pretty definitive judgment, especially considering that all you know about me is what I've shared in four posts. I don't expect you to take my advice, but you claim that Jesus is your best friend. Perhaps you'll heed his advice from Mt 7. Your best friend recommends that you don't judge others. Your beliefs are based on Protestant tradition developed in the past 500 years. I know you claim not to be a Protestant, but that is the source of your beliefs. Your beliefs are not scriptural. Every Christian for the first 1500 years of Christianity understood being “born again” (as in Jn 3) to be the spiritual rebirth of baptism. It is a silly invention of Protestants to pretend that being “born again” is the experience or act of accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior or some other similar variation. Again, if you care to disagree, simply cite the source of someone prior to the Protest revolt referring to being “born again” as something other than Baptism. You can’t because none exists. It is an example of a manmade tradition that nullifies (or makes void) the word of God (Mk 7:13). You wrote, “I would never cannibalise (sic) my best friend.” Perhaps you have the same problem as those who left Jesus in Jn 6:66 over this exact issue. In Jn 6, Jesus tells us over and over and over that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Was Jesus wrong? Was Jesus lying? Was Jesus confused? For 1500 years, ever Christian accepted Jesus’ command to eat His flesh. They obeyed this command and many were martyred for their belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. To pretend that Jesus was speaking symbolically is another perfect example of a manmade tradition that nullifies the word of God. Again, just give me the name of one person in the first 1500 years of Christianity that was not taught the real; presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Once again, none exists. Can you explain to me how these doctrines that were accepted by every Christian on the face of the earth suddenly became false as they were replaced by new Protestant beliefs that had never been heard of before they were created in the past 500 years? The Eucharist is a gift that your best friend wants to share with you. The Eucharist has been the center of authentic Christian worship for 2000 years.
***** I sincerely appreciate your good intentions, but they are misguided. The reasons I ask so many questions, and perhaps the reason you have not been able to answer any of them, is because I am attempting to lead you to see that you have accepted non-scriptural traditions of men as truth and then, based on this skewed point of view, rejected the truth as lies. Jesus tells us that He is the Truth and that the Truth will set you free. He also assures us that if we seek, we will find. But many Protestants stop seeking because they have been fooled into believing that they have already found the truth. I believe that this is the most sinister aspect of Protestantism (whether you accept that label or not.) This delights Satan, the father of all lies. That is how he works-mixing truth with lies and blurring the lines. I will be praying for you, my brother.
Clearly my friend you are blind and do not see the true church, nor do you follow what Jesus told us to do. You walk away as the disciples in John Chapter 6 did during the, " Bread of Life " discourse. You take the real presence of Jesus that He gave you as a gift and make of it a heresy and make Jesus out to be a liar. For one claiming to be a Christian, you have a rather strange and unholy way of demonstrating it. Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father that we be one in Him and that is why Jesus only founded the ONE true church on Saint Peter, and gave Peter and all his successors the power to bind and loose that the heretics be defeated as they emerged. Being God Jesus knew all too well what would happen if He did not give us that living voice of His authority down through the ages. Protestants are the product of the one who Rips Apart, and does Not want us to be one. This is why there are 38,800 protestant sects based on heresies, and all founded by false prophets, and you have decided to follow them. You have founded your 'church' of one person, not meeting with others, and not receiving the sacraments, and not even understanding the holy scriptures you claim to know. Jesus, you fail to realize, did not give us the Bible when he went back to heaven, He left for us all ONE and only One church that He founded, and He has built as the way to salvation. Not being a member or a believer in that church makes you getting saved a much more 'iffy' proposition. If you were not so blind, you would know that. We Catholics will pray that we be one, since you are incapable of doing that.
Zeza - you've got it right and thank God that you are a new child of God. You now know the truth and welcome home to the full believing church of God. I am not baptism at the right time and with a person who understands what they committing to do and be. following Jesus is no easy task but it is filled with Love, problems and lastly joy. the problems are to make us more like Him. thanks for the post.
The posts below are mostly about hating Catholics, not seeking Christ. Best just not bother. However they do show that being 'Born Again' as Father Barron explains what Jesus was talking about is very, very different than the protestant church participant getting up and walking to the front of the church and returning to his seat unchanged by the experience save for thinking he can resume his sin filled life and no longer worry about his salvation. This protestant 'Push The Magic Button of Salvation' concept is something I have heard from men whose speech is filled with words too vile to print, each assuring me he had been, 'Saved'. So it is no wonder that Joe Bach prefers dancing on the head of a pin over his misunderstanding the proper use of the term 'Father', to discussing the truth about the statement Jesus made about being 'Born From Above' / ' born again. It is probably worth informing Joe that since Jesus gave to the successors of Saint Peter, the power to Bind and Loose, using the term father with the approval of the Popes renders it proper even if Joe were correct, which he is not.
only God can see if someone returns to their seat unchanged. I find it difficult to know that people who are hurting and seeking God can't receive communion because the church sees them as...... well, I don't know how they see them. certainly not fit to receive communion. wow.
Bishop please repent of your sins become truly born from above and come back and share the truth with these poor souls the CC is leading away from the truth....I beg you!!!!
I'm a Non-denominational/Born again Christian.; Try showing this video to the pastors at my church, or, the head of any other Christian church & they'd say differently... Not all Christians are Non-denominational & not all Christians are the same Denomination & as a Christian, I find that to be an interesting aspect because no matter what Denomination you are, you're still a Christian. For example, the priest at my dad's church on Easter, 2011 & the senior pastor at my church said on Christmas, 2012 both said "If you proclaim that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Saviour & that God rose him from the dead, you'll be saved."... All Christians know that.
@Mountaindew It's not true. 1996 "Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life." Catechism of the Catholic Church
Protestants are a afraid of works that is why they do nothing but teaching which is their god. So you have these great teachers and no real life love to fellow men. Exegesis over all.
@@BikePracticeprotestants aren't afraid of works, we just know that we can never do enough works to earn salvation. The requirement for entering the kingdom of God is absolute sinless perfection, which nobody can attain... except Christ, which is the whole reason he came to earth to be sacrificed for us. Are you perfect? Do you know anyone who is?
@@jaymorris9952 Jesus is Perfect....do you think he made a mistake when he established His Church? Either that or you must think his teachings are wrong. correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it Jesus who said be Perfect like your Father in Heaven? Seems like a tough task but since it sounds like "work" you can go ahead and ignore it.
Robert fink, Who believes in salvation by works alone? I agree no Catholic does, but they believe in salvation by faith and works! And I understand ( former Catholic of 55 years), the RCC teaches replacement theology (replacing Israel) and so teach New Covenant doctrine (Israel's doctrine), proofing your Faith by works, like James 2 (protestants are guilty of that too!!!) James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. The Letter of James was written to Israel going into the tribulation! 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. This is clearly for New Covenant Israel, so if You think You replaced Israel, then You take this doctrine for yourself and make the book of Romans a LIE! Body of Christ Salvation does not depend on our works, it depends solely on our faith in the Lord Jesus and his finished work on the cross! Out of this irreversible sealed salvation comes our growth what SHOULD bring for Good Works! Good works are not guaranteed, it is up to the individual to walk in the Spirit or in the old flesh! This will have Consequences on the day of Christ! Our service to the Lord, good and bad will be judged on this day (Bema seat) 2 Timothy 2:11-13 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: This is our Salvation, the moment we believe, we are crucified with him and guaranteed life! 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we serve him and this will cause suffering, we will be reigning with Him (have a position according to our service here on earth), if we don't he will deny us this positions (there is no bettering in eternity) 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Should You fall away from your faith, Jesus is faithful, because when You believed first, the Holy Spirit sealed you in the Body of Christ irreversible and You were crucified with Christ! So it comes to full circle 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: What a Glorious Gospel (good news), why in the world do Christians put themselves under the New Covenant, when God offers today the Glorious Gospel of grace! Take a guess, who is behind it, The minister of light and righteousness, the deceiver called Satan! I end with Paul's warning even more true today, then in his own days! 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
"you say Wycliffe and Luther were heretics" Please cite my post where I even use the word heretic. I never even mentioned Wycliffe until answering your last post, and then I asked "Why is he even relevant?" I don't know much about Wycliffe. However, since you insist, Luther absolutely was a heretic. Why do you suppose he was excommunicated from the one true Church? He replaced Christ's teachings with his own.
We are brothers in Christ, Restlespirt. Thank you for the communion around a common love. I have enjoyed chatting with you. I also believe that you are sincere in your love for God the Father, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the People of God, Christ's mystical Body, the Church. God bless you and your family. Fare well.
This priest DANCES AROUND this all-important experience which, according to Jesus, IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to ENTER His Kingdom. He goes into all these INVENTED peripheral "interpretations" which AREN'T IN THE TEXT, yet he DOES NOT clearly express what EVERY HUMAN BEING NEEDS TO KNOW in order to be saved. Nicodemus asked "HOW can a man be born when he is old? CAN HE ENTER A SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB? " (John 3:4) Jesus answered CLEARLY and DIRECTLY: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, UNLESS a man is BORN OF WATER (natural childbirth, in which the "water" in the woman's womb breaks and flows) AND OF THE Spirit, he CANNOT ENTER into the kingdom of God. That WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH is flesh; and that WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT". Being born of the flesh (water) won't save anyone. Being BORN AGAIN OF THE SPIRIT will. We are BORN OF THE SPIRIT when we RECEIVE Jesus Christ into our hearts as ONLY God and Savior (John 1:12). This is THE ONLY WAY ANYONE -- Roman Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, Jew, Muslim, agnostic, or ANYTHING ELSE -- IS SAVED.
It would be redundant to say you must be born physically in order to be born again in the spirit. If all he wanted to say was you needed to be born again in the spirit than he wouldnt need to say water. Unless you are born and then accept jesus.... Redundancy. Who can accept jesus but those who are already born. Rather quite simply, he was referring to baptism. Go forth and baptize them (water) in the name of the F S and HS (Spirit).
Elias Lucero That Jesus is referring to NATURAL childbirth is UNDISPUTED since He was answering Nicodemus' question: "can a man enter a second time INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB?" This is followed by His statement: "THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH"... "Unless someone is born of water and of the spirit"... angels are NOT born of water (natural childbirth) and of the spirit. That is why there is NO REDEMPTION FOR fallen angels. There is no redundancy whatsoever. What's amazing to me is TO WHAT EXTENT brainwashed religious puppets like yourself will go to defend YOUR HARLOT RELIGION that leads MILLIONS TO HELL. You'd rather LOSE YOUR OWN SOUL, than admit its DISTORTION of the true Gospel of Grace. Nice try, but you failed.
+Kanal Katoliko are you asserting that when jesus was baptized, the water was symbolic of flesh? Or are you asserting that the water is a pointless practice that jesus and all the apostles and those who they baptized participated in? If jesus wasnt talking about water baptism, what was the point of water in baptism?
Are you suggesting that Jesus got baptized in water IN ORDER TO BE SAVED? i DON'T THINK SO. Unless, of course, you think that He (God) NEEDED salvation. He was immersed in water as an example for those who repent of sin, receive Him into their hearts, and have ALL THEIR SINS WASHED AWAY BY HIS SINLESS BLOOD. (John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19) Water baptism is merely an OUTWARD REPRESENTATION of what HAS already TAKEN PLACE INWARDLY. Salvation doesn't take place ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT ON THE INSIDE. That is why John the Baptist protested saying "I need to be baptized by you". And Jesus replied "Suffer it now: for thus it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness." The word "baptism" is used 81 times in the New Testament. It does NOT APPEAR in John 3:3-5.
+Kanal Katoliko what im saying is that he was setting an example. But you'll have to address the issue. If jesus is separating water and spirit, than why is water even in baptism. By your interpretation it is useless and arbitrary. Id contend that saying the words 'I accept jesus christ as my personal lord and savior' is enough of an outward sign of an inward conversion is it not. And it saves water. You gotta tell my why the apostles thought water was important enough to use it in baptism.
Catholicism is the true faith Jesus started it look at Matthew 16. Look at John 6-51-55 you in the Christian faith great you believe in Jesus, now read obey what he says come home to his Church not your man made one. Love ya! 1
+Sally Ironic Where does the Bible say that Christ's gospel would be lost until a man named Luther rediscovered it 1,500 and some years later? I must have missed it. As for the term Catholicism, it was coined by an early christian father. It merely means "universal" because Christ's Church is universal, all are invited to join. Get educated.
***** Yes, I know what you mean. As the world moves away from the truths of the Bible, it eagerly embraces whatever feel good ideology or radical cult that comes along. There are no absolute truths to such people, and in the end, the truth becomes whatever they want it to be.
Martin Luther said that there was no idea, however clownish, that would not be put forth as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Luther lived to see the nightmare he had begun. Without the Living Voice of Christ's authority, the successors to Saint Peter to declare each new heresy the product of the father of lies, there are, at last count, 38,800 protestant churches, each founded by false prophets, and each left alone by the evil one who only really attacks the one true church down through the ages. Jesus warned us, Jesus said we should expect to be vilified, hated, and even killed because they did the same to Him, and Before Jesus the prophets got the same treatment. Was there ever a prophet from God they didn't murder ? So if you want women bishops and priests, there will be a Heretical Church for you, or one that allows Divorce, like the Anglicans whose church was created by the adulterer king of England Henry the VIII, who wanted to bed Ann Boleyn and needed a divorce to do it. Want Sodomites to get married, the Protestants got it covered. Is there any heresy they don't have room for and blame on the Holy Spirit ?
the born again passage does not refer to baptism at all. born again is when The Holy spirit comes into our lives to give us a spirittual rebirth when we repent and believe stop making the gospel complicated
Cesar i think you meant to say there is no verse saying to accept him into your heart the principle is there thats like saying the word trinity is in the bible yet both catholics and protestants believe in the godhead the three persons of the God. if God was already in our lives and hearts at birth then we are not born sinners and the gospel is made void you need to learn how to read your bible in context
Thank you, Bishop, Now I saw a huge light from the darkness that breaks in the night of ignorance. I hope and pray that people may better understand the incarnation of Christ, that this fallen nature may come to the light of truth. That Christ may lift up this lowliness of our sinful nature to a transformed and renewed creation by and through a willful act of being a new creation (by being born again).
My dear friend a baby that doesn't know how to to control it's bodly functions cannot understand spiritual union with the death burial and reserection of christ To be born again is to repent and open your heart to receive christ as your lord and saviour and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit Freely through the grace of God Not through good works My prayers for you is that you will receive this revalation from the father As christ said to Peter flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father in heaven That's what new birth is Without which no one can enter the kingdom of god God bless you Acts 2 v 32 Peter said repent and each one of you be baptised in the name of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit P s Peter was talking to adults not new born babe's God bless you
I am fascinated by your interpretation of the "Kingdom of God." You explain here that it consists of "God's way of seeing things, God's way of ordering things." Wonderful way to put it, and I thank you.
I am a Protestant Christian and will likely remain so, but this Catholic Bishop is truly a treasure to the Christian Community, he is becoming on of my Go-to teachers along with Protestant Tim Keller to better understand and apply the Bible, Glory to God.
I think he means what 2 Peter 1 does when it says: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp it..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
Thank you Sir. Your explanation is spot on. I am a born again Christian, and your explanation is very well in line, with what we believe in. We left Catholicism because most priests do not preach like you do, Sir. Their homilies are filled with politics, and you can feel the anger, rebellion, and manipulation in their homilies. That being the reason why their homilies are set apart from what is being taught by the Bible, and having no spiritual significance whatsoever in our lives. This makes going to Catholic churches a waste of time for us, and the major catalyst why we are seeking other religious institutions to teach us and help us know more about God. With priests like you, who honor the Bible more, than blindly giving in to Roman traditions, I believe you will help more Catholics have a better view and understanding of God. May God continue to bless you more, Sir.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I did not leave my faith in God, good and kind Sir / Maam. I just moved on to another religious institution who has the ability and time to teach me more about my God and Creator. It's a delight to have a caring, helping, guiding, and loving church family. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless you and your family.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I'd like to know where Paul said that the Roman Catholic eucharistic celebration is the real body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ? Any reference I might be able to check on that? Thank you very much and God bless.
@CATHOLIC for EVER Thanks for sharing. Although I find the argument to be very weak, because of its opinionated and speculative nature. Hard facts would have been great. I also tend to read the whole book, like the whole 1Corinthians, so that I get better appreciation and context of the content, because I believe that taking some verses or parts of the Bible and applying our opinions on it, is a very dangerous thing to do. You can easily make an error in this manner of reasoning, like making an assumption that Christ is the bread, when in other biblical texts, God said that NO Object can EVER represent Him, for the world and everything in it, is just His creation. The Earth is just His footstool. I would be very careful not to disrespect God, by insisting that He is a divine bread, and referencing an ambiguous biblical text to force this line of reasoning--which is by my definition, equivalent to blasphemy. I am hoping you have a more compelling reference to share with me. I am very open to learning more facts about God, and I always believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Learning more about Jesus Christ will lead me to the truth. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless you kind Sir.
@CATHOLIC for EVER a Happy and Holy New Year to you as well, kind Sir. Wow. You're the same age as my father. I really love doing research, and one of the things I have learned is that Peter, Paul, and the other disciples of Christ were certainly not Catholics, but Jewish or Messianic Jews. Paul was even a pharisee. Catholicism is founded by Constantine around 315 AD. Therefore the Christianity that Paul, Peter, and the rest of the disciples of Jesus Christ, predates Catholicism by a margin of more than 250 years. I've also learned that Catholicism is a hybrid of Christianity and Roman paganism. This being the biggest difference between Biblical Christianity and Catholicism. A lot of Roman pagan tradition is a big part in Catholicism today. That's the reason why Biblical Christians are protesting. When I started reading the Bible, I learned that even Paul is against many of these Roman traditions, like praying to the dead, praying to idols, etc., and he also warns against false teachings and giving people false hopes. I believe the idea of a purgatory belongs in this category, where a Roman pagan belief system is being merged with Christianity and giving people false hopes, because this has never been mentioned by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible. The idea of purgatory and the selling of indulgences for profit, like salvation is for sale. Im really having a hard time understanding this Catholic practices. These are basically among the reasons how Catholicism differs with Biblical Christianity. If only, we can place the Bible above any Roman tradition or belief system, or above any organizational agenda, then there will be no schism among Christians in the World.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I agree 100% that a lot of people and even organizations have their agendas in either keeping Informations or twisting Informations or even attacking Christianity especially if the Biblical teachings or contents expose them and their deeds. May I also share with you some of the Information I have learned, and please do correct me if the following texts are false: During the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (AD 306-337), Christianity began to transition to the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Historians remain uncertain about Constantine's reasons for favoring Christianity, and theologians and historians have often argued about which form of early Christianity he subscribed to. There is no consensus among scholars as to whether he adopted his mother Helena's Christianity in his youth, or, as claimed by Eusebius of Caesarea, encouraged her to convert to the faith he had adopted himself. Constantine ruled the Roman Empire as sole emperor for much of his reign. Some scholars allege that his main objective was to gain unanimous approval and submission to his authority from all classes, and therefore chose Christianity to conduct his political propaganda, believing that it was the most appropriate religion that could fit with the Imperial cult (see also Sol Invictus). Regardless, under the Constantinian dynasty Christianity expanded throughout the Empire, launching the era of State church of the Roman Empire.[1] Whether Constantine sincerely converted to Christianity or remained loyal to Paganism is still a matter of debate among historians (see also Constantine's religious policy).[2] His formal conversion in 312 is almost universally acknowledged among historians,[1][3] despite that he was baptized only on his deathbed by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia in 337;[4][5][6] the real reasons behind it remain unknown and are debated also.[2][3] According to Hans Pohlsander, Professor Emeritus of History at the University at Albany, SUNY, Constantine's conversion was just another instrument of realpolitik in his hands meant to serve his political interest in keeping the Empire united under his control: Regarding Luke 12: 3-4. Again I try to avoid interpreting the Bible by one or two verses only, because you can easily misconstrue it, or reading them out of context. Luke 12:3-4 is a part of Luke 12. We have to read the entire chapter to get the real meaning or context of these Bible verses. In Luke 12, Jesus Christ warned about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and he was teaching the multitudes not to worry for God is a provider and that we should seek first God's kingdom, among other teachings that Jesus shared to the multitudes. To take just Luke 12: 3-4 and make a bold statement that this is a prophecy is an example of taking or interpreting Biblical verses out of context. This is very dangerous because anybody can just get one Bible verse and have the most outrageous opinion on it. I believe we have to learn to read and use Bible verses according to their correct context.
I was baptized when I was a baby but wasn’t born again till I was 45. I was also born again through the spirit, the spirit led me to Jesus. The spirit set my soul free while Christ gave it direction. All backwards but so grateful I made it.
Thank you Fr Robert - I was blessed with a phenomenal and spontaneous 'dose' of Grace delivered most definitely through supernatural affect - which filled my heart and changed my world upside down etc back in 2010 and caused a huge change in perspective and level of faith and resulted in a change of direction. I will not describe the event publicly but I wish to thank you for your explanation. While I accepted with belief what happened to me I had no way of verbalising or knowing what to call the experience - you have provided me with that explanation for which I pray for your blessing, where unfortunately pastors looked upon me with sympathetic ears and probable disbelief. God bless you for your indirect Spiritual Direction - Marian
i have to agree with Bill Voss, i was baptized as baby and raised in the catholic church but i never heard the true gospel of salvation. so when i was 26 last year someone witnessed to me and then i came to the full knowledge of what Jesus did on the cross and i believed the word of God, i accepted it and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior just like it happened in Act 2:30-40, then i got baptized full immersion this time. i'm born in spirit/again and i have the right to be a child of God
Sure: God can operate any way he wants, with or without the Church. The point is that he himself has resolved to operate through the Church, just as he operated through the mediation of the body of his Son. That's why we teach that the ordinary means of salvation is the sacramental system of the church, but we by no means thereby imply that God can''t or doesn't work around that system.
Part 3 Not only did the Apostles teach the truth , but many early Christians were relentless in defending these truths and in attacking various heresies through their writings. These early Christians were called the Patristic or Church Fathers. Many of their writings still exist, and while they are not inspired, they will help you to understand how the earliest Christians understood the Word of God--those who learned the faith directly from the Apostles or their immediate successors.
Alex,Revelation 5:8,this is the tribulation saints.People getting saved during the trib.Who I believe will have far more faith then we do now.Look at what they are going through in their time.Not sure what I will be called for, What ever it is,I will be WITH CHRIST! Along with ONE TRUE CHURCH! ALL in ONE ACCORD! No misunderstanding of scriptures. No protestants or RCC,with a wall between them.How awesome will that be? I got chills from that!
They make perfect sense. The fact that you don't have the capacity to comprehend their meaning would be your problem. And "stringing a lot of words together", as you stated, is how we form sentences. It is the foundation of expression, whether written or spoken. You need to learn to see your own insecurity, self-doubt, and lack of self-confidence for what it is; your own character flaws, and not to falsely presume that someone else's self-confidence is anything but self-confidence.
Thank you for sharing.I was in Germany after Nam.I was not in the Military then.Traveled to Frankfork,Bonn,Ramstien.Many Places in Europe. Italy,France Spain,Turkey,.England was nice as was Greece but I was drawn to Israel.Talk to you on Monday.God Bless,We will be in Church again Sunday.
From Tradition to Truth The Testimony of Former Roman Catholic Priest, Richard Bennett.
The Early Years Born Irish, in a family of eight, my early childhood was fulfilled and happy. My father was a colonel in the Irish Army until he retired when I was about nine. As a family, we loved to play, sing, and act, all within a military camp in Dublin. We were a typical Irish Roman Catholic family. My father sometimes knelt down to pray at his bedside in a solemn manner. Most evenings we would kneel in the living room to say the Rosary together. No one ever missed Mass on Sundays unless he was seriously ill. By the time I was about five or six years of age, Jesus Christ was a very real person to me, but so also were Mary and the saints. I can identify easily with others in traditional Catholic nations in Europe and with Hispanics and Filipinos who put Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other saints all in one boiling pot of faith. The catechism was drilled into me at the Jesuit School of Belvedere, where I had all my elementary and secondary education. Like every boy who studies under the Jesuits, I could recite before the age of ten five reasons why God existed and why the Pope was head of the only true Church. Getting souls out of Purgatory was a serious matter. The often quoted words, "It is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins," were memorized even though we did not know what these words meant. We were told that the Pope as head of the Church was the most important man on earth. What he said was law, and the Jesuits were his right-hand men. Even though the Mass was in Latin, I tried to attend daily because I was intrigued by the deep sense of mystery which surrounded it. We were told it was the most important way to please God. Praying to saints was encouraged, and we had patron saints for most aspects of life. I did not make a practise of that, with one exception: St. Anthony, the patron of lost objects, since I seemed to lose so many things. When I was fourteen years old, I sensed a call to be a missionary. This call, however, did not affect the way in which I conducted my life at that time. Age sixteen to eighteen were the most fulfilled and enjoyable years a youth could have. During this time, I did quite well both academically and athletically. I often had to drive my mother to the hospital for treatments. While waiting for her, I found quoted in a book these verses from Mark 10:29-30, "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Not having any idea of the true salvation message, I decided that I truly did have a call to be a missionary. Trying to Earn Salvation I left my family and friends in 1956 to join the Dominican Order. I spent eight years studying what it is to be a monk, the traditions of the Church, philosophy, the theology of Thomas Aquinas, and some of the Bible from a Catholic standpoint. Whatever personal faith I had was institutionalized and ritualized in the Dominican religious system. Obedience to the law, both Church and Dominican, was put before me as the means of sanctification. I often spoke to Ambrose Duffy, our Master of Students, about the law being the means of becoming holy. In addition to becoming “holy,” I wanted also to be sure of eternal salvation. I memorized part of the teaching of Pope Pius XII in which he said, “...the salvation of many depends on the prayers and sacrifices of the mystical body of Christ offered for this intention.” This idea of gaining salvation through suffering and prayer is also the basic message of Fatima and Lourdes, and I sought to win my own salvation as well as the salvation of others by such suffering and prayer. In the Dominican monastery in Tallaght, Dublin, I performed many difficult feats to win souls, such as taking cold showers in the middle of winter and beating my back with a small steel chain. The Master of Students knew what I was doing, his own austere life being part of the inspiration that I had received from the Pope's words. With rigor and determination, I studied, prayed, did penance, tried to keep the Ten Commandments and the multitude of Dominican rules and traditions. Outward Pomp - Inner Emptiness Then in 1963 at the age of twenty-five I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and went on to finish my course of studies of Thomas Aquinas at The Angelicum University in Rome. But there I had difficulty with both the outward pomp and the inner emptiness. Over the years I had formed, from pictures and books, pictures in my mind of the Holy See and the Holy City. Could this be the same city? At the Angelicum University I was also shocked that hundreds of others who poured into our morning classes seemed quite disinterested in theology. I noticed Time and Newsweek magazines being read during classes. Those who were interested in what was being taught seemed only to be looking for either degrees or positions within the Catholic Church in their homelands. One day I went for a walk in the Colosseum so that my feet might tread the ground where the blood of so many Christians had been poured out. I walked to the arena in the Forum. I tried to picture in my mind those men and women who knew Christ so well that they were joyfully willing to be burned at the stake or devoured alive by beasts because of His overpowering love. The joy of this experience was marred, however, for as I went back in the bus I was insulted by jeering youths shouting words meaning “scum or garbage.” I sensed their motivation for such insults was not because I stood for Christ as the early Christians did but because they saw in me the Roman Catholic system. Quickly, I put this contrast out of my mind, yet what I had been taught about the present glories of Rome now seemed very irrelevant and empty. One night soon after that, I prayed for two hours in front of the main altar in the church of San Clemente. Remembering my earlier youthful call to be a missionary and the hundredfold promise of Mark 10:29-30, I decided not to take the theological degree that had been my ambition since beginning study of the theology of Thomas Aquinas. This was a major decision, but after long prayer I was sure I had decided correctly. The priest who was to direct my thesis did not want to accept my decision. In order to make the degree easier, he offered me a thesis written several years earlier. He said I could use it as my own if only I would do the oral defense. This turned my stomach. It was similar to what I had seen a few weeks earlier in a city park: elegant prostitutes parading themselves in their black leather boots. What he was offering was equally sinful. I held to my decision, finishing at the University at the ordinary academic level, without the degree. On returning from Rome, I received official word that I had been assigned to do a three year course at Cork University. I prayed earnestly about my missionary call. To my surprise, I received orders in late August 1964 to go to Trinidad, West Indies, as a missionary. Pride, Fall, and a New Hunger On October 1, 1964, I arrived in Trinidad, and for seven years I was a successful priest, in Roman Catholic terms, doing all my duties and getting many people to come to Mass. By 1972 I had become quite involved in the Catholic Charismatic Movement. Then, at a prayer meeting on March 16th of that year, I thanked the Lord that I was such a good priest and requested that if it were His will, He humble me that I might be even better. Later that same evening I had a freak accident, splitting the back of my head and hurting my spine in many places. Without thus coming close to death, I doubt that I would ever have gotten out of my self-satisfied state. Rote, set prayer showed its emptiness as I cried out to God in my pain. In the suffering that I went through in the weeks after the accident, I began to find some comfort in direct personal prayer. I stopped saying the Breviary (the Roman Catholic Church's official prayer for clergy) and the Rosary and began to pray using parts of the Bible itself. This was a very slow process. I did not know my way through the Bible and the little I had learned over the years had taught me more to distrust it rather than to trust it. My training in philosophy and in the theology of Thomas Aquinas left me helpless, so that coming into the Bible now to find the Lord was like going into a huge dark woods without a map. When assigned to a new parish later that year, I found that I was to work side-by-side with a Dominican priest who had been a brother to me over the years. For more than two years we were to work together, fully seeking God as best we knew in the parish of Pointe-a-Pierre. We read, studied, prayed, and put into practise what we had been taught in Church teaching. We built up communities in Gasparillo, Claxton Bay, and Marabella, just to mention the main villages. In a Catholic religious sense we were very successful. Many people attended Mass. The Catechism was taught in many schools, including government schools. I continued my personal search into the Bible, but it did not much affect the work we were doing; rather it showed me how little I really knew about the Lord and His Word. It was at this time that Philippians 3:10 became the cry of my heart, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection....” About this time the Catholic Charismatic movement was growing, and we introduced it into most of our villages. Because of this movement, some Canadian Christians came to Trinidad to share with us. While much of what I learnt centered on pretended signs and wonders, which I have later renounced, the use of the Scriptures was truly a blessing to me. The love the Canadian Christians had for the Bible got me deeply into it as an authority source. I began to compare scripture with scripture and even to quote chapter and verse! One of the texts the Canadians used was Isaiah 53:5, “...and with his stripes we are healed.” Yet in studying Isaiah 53, I discovered that the Bible deals with the problem of sin by means of substitution. Christ died in my place. It was wrong for me to try to expiate or try to cooperate in paying the price of my sin. “If by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace..” Romans 11:6. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). One particular sin of mine was getting annoyed with people, sometimes even angry. Although I asked forgiveness for my sins, I still did not realize that I was a sinner by the nature which we all inherit from Adam. The scriptural truth is, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Catholic Church, however, had taught me that the depravity of man, which is called “original sin,” had been washed away by my infant baptism. I still held this belief in my head, but in my heart I knew that my depraved nature had not yet been conquered by Christ. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection...” (Philippians 3:10) continued to be the cry of my heart. I knew that it could be only through His power that I could live the Christian life. I posted this text on the dashboard of my car and in other places. It became the plea that motivated me, and the Lord who is Faithful began to answer. The Ultimate Question First, I discovered that God's Word in the Bible is absolute and without error. I had been taught that the Word is relative and that its truthfulness in many areas was to be questioned. Now I began to understand that the Bible could, in fact, be trusted. With the aid of Strong's Concordance, I began to study the Bible to see what it says about itself. I discovered that the Bible teaches clearly that it is from God and is absolute in what it says. It is true in its history, in the promises God has made, in its prophecies, in the moral commands it gives, and in how to live the Christian life. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17). This discovery was made while visiting in Vancouver, B.C., and in Seattle. When I was asked to talk to the prayer group in St. Stephen's Catholic Church, I took as my subject the absolute authority of God's Word. It was the first time that I had understood such a truth or talked about it. I returned to Vancouver, B.C. and in a large parish Church, before about 400 people, I preached the same message. Bible in hand, I proclaimed that “the absolute and final authority in all matters of faith and morals is the Bible, God's own Word.” Three days later, the archbishop of Vancouver, B.C., James Carney, called me to his office. I was then officially silenced and forbidden to preach in his archdiocese. I was told that my punishment would have been more severe, were it not for the letter of recommendation I had received from my own archbishop, Anthony Pantin. Soon afterwards I returned to Trinidad. Church-Bible Dilemma While I was still parish priest of Point-a-Pierre, Ambrose Duffy, the man who had so strictly taught me while he was Student Master, was asked to assist me. The tide had turned. After some initial difficulties, we became close friends. I shared with him what I was discovering. He listened and commented with great interest and wanted to find out what was motivating me. I saw in him a channel to my Dominican brothers and even to those in the Archbishop's house. When he died suddenly of a heart attack, I was stricken with grief. In my mind, I had seen Ambrose as the one who could make sense out of the Church-Bible dilemma with which I so struggled. I had hoped that he would have been able to explain to me and then to my Dominican brothers the truths with which I wrestled. I preached at his funeral and my despair was very deep. I continued to pray Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection....” But to learn more about Him, I had first to learn about myself as a sinner. I saw from the Bible (I Timothy 2:5) that the role I was playing as a priestly mediator -- exactly what the Catholic Church teaches but exactly opposite to what the Bible teaches -- was wrong. I really enjoyed being looked up to by the people and, in a certain sense, being idolized by them. I rationalized my sin by saying that after all, if this is what the biggest Church in the world teaches, who am I to question it? Still, I struggled with the conflict within. I began to see the worship of Mary, the saints, and the priests for the sin that it is. But while I was willing to renounce Mary and the saints as mediators, I could not renounce the priesthood, for in that I had invested my whole life. Tug-Of-War Years Mary, the saints, and the priesthood were just a small part of the huge struggle with which I was working. Who was Lord of my life, Jesus Christ in His Word or the Roman Church? This ultimate question raged inside me especially during my last six years as parish priest of Sangre Grande (1979-1985). That the Catholic Church was supreme in all matters of faith and morals had been dyed into my brain since I was a child. It looked impossible ever to change. Rome was not only supreme but always called “Holy Mother.” How could I ever go against “Holy Mother,” all the more so since I had an official part in dispensing her sacraments and keeping people faithful to her? In 1981, I actually rededicated myself to serving the Roman Catholic Church while attending a parish renewal seminar in New Orleans. Yet when I returned to Trinidad and again became involved in real life problems, I began to return to the authority of God's Word. Finally the tension became like a tug-of-war inside me. Sometimes I looked to the Roman Church as being absolute, sometimes to the authority of the Bible as being final. My stomach suffered much during those years; my emotions were being torn. I ought to have known the simple truth that one cannot serve two masters. My working position was to place the absolute authority of the Word of God under the supreme authority of the Roman Church. This contradiction was symbolized in what I did with the four statues in the Sangre Grande Church. I removed and broke the statues of St. Francis and St. Martin because the second commandment of God's Law declares in Exodus 20:4, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image....” But when some of the people objected to my removal of the statues of the Sacred Heart and of Mary, I left them standing because the higher authority, i.e., the Roman Catholic Church, said in its law Canon 1188: “The practise of displaying sacred images in the churches for the veneration of the faithful is to remain in force.” I did not see that what I was trying to do was to make God's Word subject to man's word. My Own Fault While I had learned earlier that God's Word is absolute, I still went through this agony of trying to maintain the Roman Catholic Church as holding more authority than God's Word, even in issues where the Church of Rome was saying the exact opposite to what was in the Bible. How could this be? First of all, it was my own fault. If I had accepted the authority of the Bible as supreme, I would have been convicted by God's Word to give up my priestly role as mediator, but that was too precious to me. Second, no one ever questioned what I did as a priest. Christians from overseas came to Mass, saw our sacred oils, holy water, medals, statues, vestments, rituals, and never said a word! The marvelous style, symbolism, music, and artistic taste of the Roman Church was all very captivating. Incense not only smells pungent, but to the mind it spells mystery. The Turning Point One day, a woman challenged me (the only Christian ever to challenge me in all my 22 years as a priest), “You Roman Catholics have a form of godliness, but you deny its power.” Those words bothered me for some time because the lights, banners, folk music, guitars, and drums were dear to me. Probably no priest on the whole island of Trinidad had as colorful robes, banners, and vestments as I had. Clearly I did not apply what was before my eyes. In October 1985, God's grace was greater than the lie that I was trying to live. I went to Barbados to pray over the compromise that I was forcing myself to live. I felt truly trapped. The Word of God is absolute indeed. I ought to obey it alone; yet to the very same God I had vowed obedience to the supreme authority of the Catholic Church. In Barbados I read a book in which was explained the biblical meaning of Church as “the fellowship of believers.” In the New Testament there is no hint of a hierarchy; “Clergy” lording it over the “laity” is unknown. Rather, it is as the Lord Himself declared “...one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren” (Matthew 23:8). Now to see and to understand the meaning of church as “fellowship” left me free to let go of the Roman Catholic Church as supreme authority and depend on Jesus Christ as Lord. It began to dawn on me that in biblical terms, the Bishops I knew in the Catholic Church were not biblical believers. They were for the most part pious men taken up with devotion to Mary and the Rosary and loyal to Rome, but not one had any idea of the finished work of salvation, that Christ's work is done, that salvation is personal and complete. They all preached penance for sin, human suffering, religious deeds, “the way of man” rather than the Gospel of grace. But by God's grace I saw that it was not through the Roman Church nor by any kind of works that one is saved, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). New Birth at Age Forty-eight I left the Roman Catholic Church when I saw that life in Jesus Christ was not possible while remaining true to Roman Catholic doctrine. In leaving Trinidad in November 1985, I only reached neighboring Barbados. Staying with an elderly couple, I prayed to the Lord for a suit and necessary money to reach Canada, for I had only tropical clothing and a few hundred dollars to my name. Both prayers were answered without making my needs known to anyone except the Lord.From a tropical temperature of 90 degrees, I landed in snow and ice in Canada. After one month in Vancouver, I came to the United States of America. I now trusted that He would take care of my many needs, since I was beginning life anew at 48 years of age, practically penniless, without an alien resident card, without a driver's license, without a recommendation of any kind, having only the Lord and His Word. I spent six months with a Christian couple on a farm in Washington State. I explained to my hosts that I had left the Roman Catholic Church and that I had accepted Jesus Christ and His Word in the Bible as all-sufficient. I had done this, I said, “absolutely, finally, definitively, and resolutely.” Yet far from being impressed by these four adverbs, they wanted to know if there was any bitterness or hurt inside me. In prayer and in great compassion, they ministered to me, for they themselves had made the transition and knew how easily one can become embittered. Four days after I arrived in their home, by God's grace I began to see in repentance the fruit of salvation. This meant being able not only to ask the Lord's pardon for my many years of compromising but also to accept His healing where I had been so deeply hurt. Finally, at age 48, on the authority of God's Word alone, by grace alone, I accepted Christ's substitutionary death on the Cross alone. To Him alone be the glory. Having been refurbished both physically and spiritually by this Christian couple together with their family, I was provided a wife by the Lord, Lynn, born-again in faith, lovely in manner, intelligent in mind. Together we set out for Atlanta, Georgia, where we both got jobs. A Real Missionary with a Real Message In September 1988, we left Atlanta to go as missionaries to Asia. It was a year of deep fruitfulness in the Lord that once I would never have thought was possible. Men and women came to know the authority of the Bible and the power of Christ's death and resurrection. I was amazed at how easy it is for the Lord's grace to be effective when only the Bible is used to present Jesus Christ. This contrasted with the cobwebs of church tradition that had so clouded my 21 years in missionary garments in Trinidad, 21 years without the real message. To explain the abundant life of which Jesus spoke and which I now enjoy, no better words could be used than those of Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” It is not just that I have been freed from the Roman Catholic system, but that I have become a new creature in Christ. It is by the grace of God, and nothing but His grace, that I have gone from dead works into new life. Testimony to the Gospel of Grace Back in 1972, when some Christians had taught me about the Lord healing our bodies, how much more helpful it would have been had they explained to me on what authority our sinful nature is made right with God. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus substituted for us on the cross. I cannot express it better than Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (This means that Christ took on himself what I ought to suffer for my sins. Before the Father, I trust in Jesus as my substitute.) That was written 750 years before the crucifixion of our Lord. A short time after the sacrifice of the cross, the Bible states in I Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Because we inherited our sin nature from Adam, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. How can we stand before a Holy God, except in Christ, and acknowledge that He died where we ought to have died? Only through faith we can see, understand and grasp Christ as our substitute. It was Christ who paid the price for our sins: sinless, yet He was crucified. This is the true Gospel message. Is faith enough? Yes, born-again faith is enough. That true faith, engendered by God, will inevitably show good fruit, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). In repenting, we put aside, through God’s strength, our former way of life and our former sins. It does not mean that we cannot sin again, but it does mean that our position before God has changed. We are called children of God, for so indeed we are. If we do sin, it is a relationship problem with the Father which can be resolved, not a problem of losing our position as a child of God in Christ, for this position is irrevocable. In Hebrews 10:10, the Bible says it so wonderfully: “...we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” The finished work of Christ Jesus on the Cross is sufficient and complete. As you trust solely in this finished work, a new life which is born of the Spirit will be yours -- you will be born again. The Present Day My present task: the good work that the Lord has prepared for me to do is as an evangelist situated near Austin in the central Texas U.S.A. What Paul said about his fellow Jews I say about my dearly loved Catholic brothers: my heart's desire and prayer to God for Catholics is that they may be saved. I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based in God's Word but in their church tradition. If you understand the devotion and agony that some of the men and women in the Philippines and South America have put into their religion, you may understand my heart’s cry: “Lord, give us a compassion to understand the pain and torment of the search that devout Catholics have made to please You”. In understanding their pain we will have the desire to show them the Good News of Christ’s finished work on the Cross. My testimony shows how difficult it was for me as a Catholic to give up Church tradition, but when the Lord demands it in His Word, we must do it. The “form of godliness” that the Roman Catholic Church has makes it most difficult for a Catholic to see where the real problem lies. Everyone must determine by what authority we know truth. For Papal Rome the ultimate authority lies in the decisions and decrees of the reigning Pope. In her own words, “The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful...he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 749). Yet according to the Bible, it is God's Word itself which is the authority by which truth is known. It was man-made traditions which caused the Reformers to demand “the Bible only, faith only, grace only, in Christ only, and to God only be the glory.” The Reason Why I Share I share these truths with you now so that you can know God's way of salvation. Our basic problem as Catholics was that personal worth and dignity was ingrained into us. We believed that could respond to the help God gives us to be right in His sight. This presupposition that many of us have carried for years is aptly defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) #2021, “Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted sons....” With that mindset, we were unknowingly holding to a teaching that the Bible continually condemns. Such a definition of grace is man's careful fabrication, for the Bible consistently declares that the believer's right standing with God is “without works” (Romans 4:6), “without the deeds of the Law” (Romans 3:28), “not of works” (Ephesians 2:9), “It is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8). To attempt to make the believer's response part of his salvation and to look upon grace as “a help” is to flatly deny biblical truth, “...if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace...” (Romans 11:6). The simple biblical message is that “the gift of righteousness” in Christ Jesus is a gift, resting on His all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). So it is as Christ Jesus Himself said, He died in place of the believer, the One for many (Mark 10:45), His life a ransom for many. As He declared, ...this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This is also what Peter proclaimed, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God...” (I Peter 3:18). Paul’s preaching is summarized at the end of II Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him..” (II Corinthians 5:21). This fact, dear reader, is presented clearly to you in the Bible. Acceptance of it is now commanded by God, “...Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The most difficult repentance for us dyed-in-the-wool Catholics is changing our mind from thoughts of “meriting,” “earning,” “being good enough,” simply to accepting with empty hands the gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. To refuse to accept what God commands is the same sin as that of the religious Jews of Paul's time, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3) Repent and believe the Good News! Richard Bennett If there is something on your heart that you wish to share, please email me at: rmbennett@yahoo.com Thank you.
*Evangelical Convert* Jason Workmaster Jason is a lawyer and Evangelical convert to Catholicism who entered the Church in the Summer of 2011. He lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with his wife Nikki and four children. You can read Nikki's conversion story (from the Baptist tradition) here. As a lifelong evangelical Protestant, I am right now at a place I never thought I would be, having just entered the Catholic Church with my wife and kids at the Feast of the Assumption in August. How I "came home" is difficult to explain. As many Catholic converts have commented, "all roads lead to Rome," which makes it hard to know where to start the story. Before anything else, though, I must give thanks that I was raised in a Christian home. Because of that, I can't remember a time that I did not believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, and that on the third day He rose again from the dead. I also was always taught that I should follow Jesus no matter where He led. And, so, from that time to now, although there have been detours and a number of twists and turns, I've had this sense that I've been chasing Him. It was only as I came closer to the Catholic Church, however, that I felt that He--to an unimaginably greater extent--had been pursuing me.
I'll start my story with one of my earliest memories of what it was like, at least for me, to be a Protestant--especially an evangelical one. I was in the sixth grade at a private, Baptist school. My family, however, was not Baptist at that time, and I had decided I did not agree with the Baptist (and Calvinist) doctrine of the "perseverance of the saints"--aka "eternal security" or "once saved, always saved." For a guy wired to enjoy debate (I eventually became a lawyer - which shocked a total of zero people who knew me when I was a kid), it was only a matter of time until I got into it with one of my teachers, and that's what happened my sixth grade year. I marshaled all of my Biblical proof texts to demonstrate beyond all doubt that it was possible to lose one's "salvation" after being "saved," and then accosted my teacher. Poor woman - I don't think we were discussing anything remotely concerning "perseverance of the saints" that day. It wasn't one of my finer moments. As I grew up, nothing really changed in my faith experience. Un-refereed doctrinal debate remained the order of the day--whether it was critiquing the minister's sermon on the way home from Sunday services or jousting with other folks in a Bible study. These debates often would end with someone saying, "Well, this difference of opinion doesn't really matter so let's just agree to disagree." It didn't occur to me at the time to ask, "Then why did we just waste the last hour fighting???" All of this was done under the protection of the Protestant understanding of the doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers," which meant, in practice at least, that each of us individual Christians had virtually unlimited authority to interpret the Bible for ourselves. I felt free to question everyone else's positions, including my pastor's, on pretty much any doctrinal matter. And so, in Bible studies, we'd seriously debate whether we should insist on the doctrine of the "Trinity" because that word did not occur in the New Testament. One of the few topics generally off-limits, however, was the question of why only the 66 books contained in our Bibles were the ones that should be there. That those were the books that should be there - and no others - I accepted without question, along with the doctrine that the Bible was the sole ultimate authority for the Christian. This whole system meant that folks even within a particular congregation were at liberty to disagree on any number of issues, and there was no authoritative way even of deciding which differences were important to resolve and which ones weren't. If someone decided the difference was important enough, they'd just leave and find another pre-existing group of people that seemed to agree with them more than their old group, or they'd go rent their own building and put a sign out front with the word "church" on it. Everyone would say that they thought this system was unfortunate, but none of the congregations I was in did anything about it. We just seemed resigned to the fact that the Body of Christ had been torn into a million pieces over doctrinal issues that most of us denied had any real significance. And yet, at the same time, the main point of going to church every Sunday seemed (at least to me) to be merely to learn more and more about doctrine, both in the worship service, which revolved around the sermon, and in Sunday school, so that eventually I could get all the answers right on some divine SAT test. What tended to get lost in all this, of course, was the idea that living a virtuous life in my day-to-day existence was all that important in determining where I'd spend eternity. Up until about the time I went to law school, none of what I've described so far seemed exceptional or particularly problematic to me. Around that time, though, things began to change. First, a few months before I started law school, my wife and I were married. As I would think many would attest, being married either changes you for the better or you end up miserable and married or miserable and divorced. From where I am now, it seems to me the difference for Christian couples is whether they come to the point where they recognize the sacramental nature of marriage --that is, whether they come to see that Christian marriage itself is a means God uses to convey grace to us to help us reach heaven. In my case, God blessed me with Nikki, a wonderfully patient Christian woman who cares about following Him wherever He leads and always has had an intuitive sense that marriage is a sacrament. So, when we discovered during law school that the Pill can cause abortions, there was no need to have a big debate on what we should do: we quit using it immediately. We, like so many other Protestant couples we knew, had not been let in on this little secret before we got married. Even though the more general question of artificial contraception remained an open issue for us, this was the beginning of our thinking on the subject. It will come up again later in the story. The other thing that happened about this time was that I first read Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. I'd first heard of Chesterton from the Protestant apologist Ravi Zacharias while I was in college, and I will always be grateful to Dr. Zacharias for introducing me to the man who turned my faith upside down. When I finished Orthodoxy for the first time, I recognized that Chesterton's faith was not my faith, but I couldn't put my finger on why. So, over the next decade, I read and re-read Orthodoxy trying to figure out what I was missing. Eventually I learned that Chesterton had become a Catholic some time after writing Orthodoxy, but I didn't immediately grasp that the book makes absolutely no sense outside the context of the Catholic faith. I can now see that what most fundamentally shook me was that Chesterton spoke with the conviction that he was speaking for more than himself--not on everything, but certainly on the important things. None of my Protestant ministers or the Protestant authors I read (including C.S. Lewis) sounded like that to me, and I mean that without disrespect to them. They'd often have very good things to say, but it was always apparent (and often even explicitly stated) that they were only speaking on behalf of themselves. Chesterton, on the other hand, at the beginning of his book disclaimed that he was even going to describe "his" philosophy but rather would only attempt to explain the philosophy in which he had come to believe. He said he could not call it "his" philosophy because "he" did not make it. Rather, God and humanity made it, and it made him [footnote 1]. I eventually came to understand that, as a Protestant, I couldn't say that about myself. My encounter with Chesterton pointed out to me that, when it came down to it, my doctrinal positions were simply "mine." For example, I rejected Calvinism, not because the Calvinists didn't have an argument, but because I, on my lonesome, didn't think the Bible in its totality supported the Calvinist position. (I still don't, by the way, but that discussion will have to wait for another time.) I also knew that my acceptance of the Biblical canon was supported by very little. If I was going to be a thorough-going Protestant and take the Protestant understanding of the "priesthood of the believer" seriously, then I didn't see how I could avoid taking it upon myself to determine which books (out of all the ones ever written) were divinely inspired and which ones weren't. This enterprise of constructing my own canon fell apart when I co-taught a Sunday school series on the development of the canon in the early 2000s. I quickly saw that it wasn't obvious, even to the earliest Christians, exactly which books should be in the Bible. And if it wasn't obvious to them, how could it be obvious to me? All of this led me to another question: did God really intend for each individual Christian to decide for themselves whether the Didache or the Shepherd of Hermas--books that were on the early Church's short list for inclusion in the canon--should be in the New Testament or not? That just didn't seem to square with how the Church described in the New Testament settled doctrinal issues. As described in Acts 15, that Church held the Council at Jerusalem to settle the question of the Judaizers. It didn't say, "Well, everyone, just figure it out for yourselves." Now I'm guessing that some of my readers may be thinking: "No, no, Jason, you're being unfair. Protestantism isn't nearly as subjective as you're making it out to be because there's plenty of stuff that's Protestants accept as settled. For hundreds of years, the overwhelming majority of Christians have accepted the Bible (at least the New Testament) we have today and doctrines like the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. That's the stuff that's really important." I've given this argument a lot of consideration, and I just don't see how it holds water. For starters, where do we get the notion that the truth of Christian doctrine comes down to a "majority" vote or a "consensus" of opinion? Isn't it possible that the alleged "minorities" that denied the "orthodox" understandings of the Trinity and the Incarnation were right? If so, then it could be that the "majority" got their way simply because they had more power. But, if that's the case, then we can't be sure they were right. It is a fundamental Christian precept that "might does not make right"; otherwise, we'd have to reject what Jesus had to say about the last being made first. Also, if we determine what constitutes the real essentials of Christianity by majority vote or consensus, how do we determine the appropriate universe of people to poll in the first place? Is it everyone who simply says they're a Christian? That doesn't seem right. Lastly on this point, even if we accept the "consensus" or "majority"-type approach to determining Christian truth, doesn't that also point us towards Catholicism since the vast plurality of self-identifying Christians in the last 2,000 years have been Catholic? So, even if we play the numbers game, it seems to me that comes out in favor of Catholicism as well. Also, I think it is impossible to deny that the doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers" within Protestantism means exactly what I've suggested above -- that each of us is on our own to figure out Christianity from the ground up. It makes no sense to me to say that a Christian can simply accept that certain doctrines are Christian doctrines because the early visible Church decided them and then, at the same time, assert that that Church was a fallible Church that eventually fell into utter doctrinal apostasy. As an example of this argument, R.C. Sproul (among others) has suggested that the Biblical canon is a "fallible list of infallible books." With all due respect to Dr. Sproul, that idea is nonsense, and it means that there could be other books floating around out there that should be in our Bibles. But, if that's the case, the Protestant assertion that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for the Christian must be rejected. If we can't even be sure the books we have in the Bible are the only ones that should be there, how can we insist that those books alone are the ultimate Christian authority? One last thing to address a typical Protestant argument regarding this authority issue: I do not believe that invoking the "guidance of the Holy Spirit" saves the Protestant position. Everyone calling themselves Christian always says that what they're doing is at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it is often diametrically opposed to what someone else says they're doing at the prompting of the same Spirit. The problem with this, of course, is that God cannot contradict Himself: He is the same "yesterday, today, and forever." I began to wonder, if God is good (and He is) and if He loves us (and He does), why would He leave us with a system like this where Christians can never settle any question with finality? It also prompted me to think again about how the Gospel tells us that those who heard Jesus were amazed by Him because He spoke with authority--unlike the teachers of the law. It seemed to me, though, that the Protestant system was the same system that existed prior to Jesus: no one really had the ability to say anything definitively because everyone else had the right to respond, "Well, that's your opinion!" How could that be, though, if the Church is the Body of Christ in the world? If Christ spoke with authority, doesn't His Church need the ability to do so as well, at least on the core of doctrine regarding faith and morals that binds Christians together? This free-for-all also seemed inconsistent with Christ's promise that we would know (not forever guess at) the Truth and that the Truth would set us free. John 8:32. (2) All of this began to hit me on a more personal level about five or six years ago, again with regard to the issue of artificial contraception. My wife and I were trying to reach final resolution on this issue and were perplexed by the guidance we received. We were told artificial contraception (except for techniques that could cause abortions) was OK because nothing in the Bible explicitly prohibited it -- so it was a matter of "Christian liberty." On the other hand, we read Protestants who made the case that using artificial contraception was not Christian, based on their reading of the Bible. Those were two mutually exclusive positions: someone had to be wrong, and the "Bible alone" didn't answer the question. It was in the context of researching the artificial contraception issue that I first considered Catholic doctrine on a matter that affected my personal life in a significant way and that would have a profound and immediate impact on my life, my wife's life, and the lives of our children -- both born and unborn. And it involved everything I've talked about so far regarding how we interpret the Bible and the question of who gets to determine the Christian answer on the most critical issues of faith and morals--the individual, autonomous self or the Church. What I discovered was that Catholic teaching on this issue was profound and resonated with everything I had been taught and believed about the preciousness of human life. How could God, if He is good and if He is love and if He is the source of life itself, not give us one answer on this issue that goes to the heart of how new human beings enter the world--and an answer we could be sure was the right answer? The Church's position on artificial contraception made so much sense and was so consistent with everything I believed about God's love for us that I began to wonder how the Catholic Church explained its other doctrines that I'd always rejected. Thus began a years-long investigation of the teachings of the Catholic Church. What I discovered utterly surprised me. All of my Protestant assumptions and prejudices were completely wrong--whether the issue was the Mass, the other sacraments, the celibacy of the priesthood, the papacy, or (that ultimate stumbling block for many Protestants) the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Toward the end of Nikki's and my journey to the Church, having accepted so many of its doctrines as true, I also experienced first-hand how accepting those doctrines actually can help me live on a day-to-day basis. As I've already discussed, we struggled with the artificial contraception issue throughout our marriage, eventually reaching the conclusion-before we became Catholic-that the Church's teaching was true and that we should live consistent with that teaching. Because of this, we welcomed our daughter Catherine into our family in September 2009. But also because of this, starting in May 2010 through June of this year, we lost our little Mary, Zachary, and Henry to miscarriage. None of these losses make any sense to me. I've asked God so many times why we've lost these children, following a decision we are convinced was in keeping with His will for our lives. But, at the same time, I've found it a comfort in dealing with these losses not to feel that the conception of these children was something Nikki and I had micromanaged. I feel that, if I'd felt that their conception had been something we had totally controlled, I (at least) would have felt guilty for their losses. But because we'd simply been open to what we are convinced is God's will for the giving of life, it made it easier for me to say good bye for now to our little ones. When we lost Mary, it was the end of the line for me with Protestantism. Much as I loved every single person in our Protestant congregation, I could no longer go on in a system that, at the end of the day, left me feeling alone and without access to the grace I was convinced the Catholic Church offered to help me live life - both in times of joy and in times of sorrow. So, for the first time in my life, in the summer of 2010, I went to Mass. And when the priest raised the host and said, "Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is My Body, which will be given up for you," and the bells rang, I knew that I had found what I had been searching for and what God, in His grace, had been leading me towards--Christ Himself in the Eucharist. And to that, I can only respond: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive You. But only say the word, and I shall be healed."
[1] If you're a Rich Mullins fan, listen to "Creed" some time. You'll hear his paraphrase of this concept he got from Chesterton: "And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am. I did not make it. No, it is making me. It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man." Rich Mullins sadly died in a car accident in 1997 on his way to a concert. Had he lived, he would have received his First Holy Communion as a Catholic the weekend of that concert. [2] John 8:32 became a key driver in my journey towards the Catholic Church, and I think it is no accident that, when I first met with the priest conducting my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults ("RCIA") classes and he gave me his business card, this verse was on it. You can learn more about Jason and Nikki's ongoing journey in the Catholic faith by visiting their blog "The Roman Road". If you have found this story helpful in your spiritual journey we hope you will consider sharing it. Have feedback or would like to share your story? Email us at convert@whyimcatholic.com
This is the most important part of the Bible for me. I'm sure I read through it when I was in the dark, but it was only re-reading the gospels after the baptism of the spirit when this part really struck me. My strong relation to this part is the sole reason for my current status quo with christianity - a religion which in large is very alien to me. Uncoincidently this is the only video from you that I relate and agree with. :-)
I feel I have 'bore again' or 'born from above' as a previously fallen away Catholic who returned to the Church approx 30 years ago. My only regret is that I when I try to share my testimony, I feel that those I am sharing with don't really grasp or get it. I guess all I can do is plant the seeds and pray God will water those seeds. I just wish people could learn to trust Him and surrender to His will. He will work things out perfectly. God has done an amazing transformation of my life and my heart. When I called on Him he answered me. And I will be forever grateful and praise His name forever.
remember that His word does not return void... they may remember it years later.
I understand the return, Amen
Pray before you affect others. That usually turns out good.
Very well said
Yes, take heart because you know at some point when you were fallen away others said their stories to you and you rolled your eyes too, but now you reflect on them and hope they know you get it now. I hope others see changes in my outward behavior and wonder what good thing happened to me, but those who didn’t know me I hope they see my present joy and want what I’ve got because it is the grace and blessings granted by a loving and forgiving Lord. I pray he puts his hands right on me and destroys all that doesn’t do him justice and amplifies all that does so I can be an agent of Him to this hurting world, and I pray the same for you. I’m so happy you’ve seen the value of your faith and the mighty goodness and glory of God.
"Grace shatters something" as someone raised inna cult, i can absolutely confirm that recieving grace was an experience that broke a lot from my old life
Thank you God for speaking through Father BArron. Bless him and protect him always. amen.
This is powerful. I will never stop being Catholic.
I am Eastern Orthodox, and I like this guy, too!
Thank you God for giving us Bishop Baron and all his wonderful staffs. I am so blessed to be a Catholic and pls let me live according to Thy will.
You blew my mind. Can't wait to read the Catechism.
***** "God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life" (CCC 1). Wow, so that is how Satan begins his book: by telling of the perfection and blessedness of God, His love for humanity and how He sent His Son as Redeemer and Savior so that humanity, through the Holy Spirit, might become sons and daughters of God and share in His blessed life!? A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Furthermore, are you asserting that simply reading one of many English translations of the Sacred Scriptures will save a person and guarantee that they will enjoy the Divine Beatitude of God in Heaven?
***** Read the Catechism of the Holy Church to help you better understand the Sacred Scriptures. It is the teachings of the Apostles.
***** So, simply reading a book that contains ancient Christian teaching and doctrines, with Scripture references and support, will send you to Hell?
***** Reading the Apostolic teachings will not send you to hell. Where did you get that weird idea from?
Be hungry for the Word of God, not for the catechism which comes from man.
Bishop Barron, a very dear friend of mine spoke to me about how you explain scriptures with clear explanations rooted in the Word.
Ever since I found you in UA-cam, I have been refreshing my faith and marveling at how deep your ministry has renew my soul.
You should check dr Pitre Brant videos too, I find them enriching
I am not Catholic but am being pulled towards conversion due to the sacred Wind that suddenly is blowing through my Life.
This helps me to receive a word - to enter God's Kingdom through the Churchs' Sacraments to freely receive the Holy Spirit to live in newness of life. Thank you Fr. Barron
THE BEST answer to an age old debate between Protestants and Catholics. God bless you.
Thank you Fr Barron. I never cease to be amazed - or to thank God - for the depth and richness you bring out of the Sacred Scriptures.
The priest is right about being born again bringing a whole new dimension to your life. You become more joyful, loving, patient along with all the other of the Fruits of the Spirit. You are less angry, more at peace. Christ becomes front and center of your life. The Holy Spirit burns inside you. I can't articulate it quite as eloquently as he does, but it is something very real. You don't become born again over night.
Thanks, Evan. I agree with you...seems to me you don't become born again over night.
@@richardmarten7500 Being born again is a transformation all through ones life.I must add that It does start at a point in time when the Holy Spirit breaks through the flesh and touches a repentant heart honestly seeking God.And Evan is 100% right in what he said about his experience.
When you are truly born again. It takes seconds for the holy spirit to be she'd abroad in your heart, then you live a life of Sanctification.
but his church is a works-based faith. Jesus Christ'sacrifice is belittled becoz of their mariology and man-made doctrines and traditions
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp it..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
From his series on Catholicism to his youtube videos, he has been my teacher and my light.Father Barron is the light of today's world. Listen to his teachings. Learn with an open heart and welcome acceptance to the pathway to the kingdom.
Father Barron this is very helpful, thank you.
God bless Fr. Barron! He is a reflection of the Church Fathers. Re-evangelizing the modern "pagans". (i.e. lapsed Catholics, atheists, "the world", etc.) His message is strong & contemporary, as The Gospel always is. It is also controversial. Father's message is a blessing to those of us who are/were questioning our Catholicity. He's made me realize it's part of my identity. Every time I see this man speak I feel blessed. Thank God for his powerful witness to our rich faith.
God bless you for your wonderful teachings father you are a true man of God!!
Words of Wisdom will be heard only through the Grace given by God. Thanks for this Grace God.
I love this episode bc I have received graces and pearls of inestimable value Bishop Barron speaks of in the past year or so. An awakening that I am so thankful for.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
-Galatians 2:20
But how painful not to be able to repeat that closeness for the rest of our life for after birth the child must walk on his own, I guess it is a different type of darkness; having been with Him on the mountain but after coming down from the summit knowing that only at the end of this life we'll be there again. O thanks to Him for the gift of the Eucharist for it is indeed the Food that keeps us alive.
I'm so happy I decided to stick with Faith. The spirit changed me and I've been in love ever since!
Dear Bishop Barron,
Thank you for your explanation on Holy Spirit. Veni creator spiritu. Amen
When I'm awaken at 3 am in the morning and can't go back to sleep, I've realized it's the Spirit and it wants me to know something. So I go to my Bible and sure enough there it is, the answer.
So You open the bible randomly, right!
I was relieved to learn that Father Barron will be visiting England, the land of my Grandmother. I dare say Britain needs the spark of faith more desperately than most, these days.
Thanks you for your videos, Father! God bless you on your many travels!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I am Catholic and Christ has done just as you have said. He broke through. It has radically changed my life. I was looking for answers as to how can I be born again as a Catholic? My understanding was as a Catholic we are only born again in Baptism. Yet is was not until last year that I felt I had been born again. He put new lenses on my eyes and changed my heart in such a beautiful way. You put my mind at rest, as to my confusion. Thank you.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Joe Bach Mat 1:2, 3:9, Luke 1:55,73, 3:8, John 8:56,
Does Jesus contradict himself here When he says call no man father?
@@maddog6192 No.
@@maddog6192 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven
When one is Born again, they are born of the spirit of God, therefore God is now their Father. So if God is Father to those Born again in christ, why would they call any but the Lord Father?
@@krull_2897 you would have to ask Paul that question?
His Eminence Has become my worldly hero, listen as much as possible he has changed my convictions and the amount of time I spend spiritually with the Lord I only wish there were more like him influencing this Godless country!! God Bless Bishop Barron.
What do you call your own father when you refer to him in the third person? Friend, it's just silly to take that saying of Jesus literally. Everyone knows what he means: that you should have only one absolute authority.
I agree with the first part of Your answer, since You didn't specify who this absolute authority is, i am a little weary! Poor arguments by Protestants, they should argue the more important doctrine RCC is in error! God bless You!
Thank you Bishop Barron for this teaching "from the windy city"....
I've spent a great amount of time in my years in apologetics. It is very interesting and edifying, true. But, reality is, God is relationship. Having, knowing, apologetic truth without knowing Jesus Christ personally wasn't something I enjoyed very much. Truth is, the more I know God, the less dogmatic material becomes a focus and the more how I treat by fellow brothers and sisters in God's love becomes important. I've been in your shoes, defending the truths, and I wish you well. But grace.....
I’m not a Catholic, but I love the teachings of Bishop Barron. Context and historical perspective of scripture is truly beautiful- I hope to meet him one day. He serves our Father will🙏🏻.
Thank you for your videos father Barron.
Your clarity is surely of the Holy Sirit.we are so blessed to get the truth.THIS IS GRACE DAILY GOD PROVIDES FOR ALL PEOPLE.THANK YOU BISHOP BARRON.
@@theclapaolini4322 YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change you from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this is something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
Born from above. Had a out of body experience during a serious post operation, 1975. Doctors told me they temporarily lost me...I experienced" divine Light! " It almost wonderful gift of Grace....I could describe it, but it would loose it's Grace... But was truly a blessing....True ,language can be aranged worldly, yet divine Light is indeed a gift. If you look at some artist, Rembrandt, some Italien painters...their work efuse divine Light! Interesting.🇺🇸🇩🇰🔥
When Bishop Barron references the phrase, "water and spirit," he then says, "our Catholic ears pick up." Then he says: "...what is baptism but being drawn into a new world. You now become a child of God." He then refers to the Catholic sacraments. The UA-cam picture shows infant baptism. The implication in this video is that being born again starts with the sacrament of Catholic Baptism, usually administered to infants. The key question is what does the Bible say and how can we accurately interpret it. One of the key principles of Bible interpretation is to let scripture interpret scripture. When I read the gospel of John, John 1:12 (ESV), I see born again defined as a personal decision: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." This verse says not by "the will of man," which would include the priest, parents and god-parents acting on behalf of the infant. Infant Baptism was a core, Protestant vs Catholic, reformation issue. Making a personal, fact-based, decisions is of utmost importance, which is why I urge everyone to study what scripture says because it is eternally important to get right.
This is the question Bishop Barron was supposed to address. He also bring those two concepts together but didn't address the nature of the topic. I listened to his exposition because I thought he would. Very disappointing!
Thank you for sharing Bishop Barron God bless you Always 🙏🏻❤️
Born again.
To be transformed from darkness into the Kingdom of light... Making Christ Jesus King and Lord in your life. Repenting of your sin and being convicted by your sin.
Giving Jesus Lordship over all things in your life.
Lured???
@@elenanash8081 Christ clearly states that, i stand at the door.It requires one to open the door to Christ.We have our part to play.He does not force himself upon us.
@@elenanash8081 You seem to have missed the most important bit "FAITH" . Didn't Jesus heal all the non-jews who had faith.Infact he placed their faith above the children.Don't
worry about the lost sheep, God is concerned with your heart. A repentant heart with faith in the Lord is all that is needed and the Good Shepherd will enter and lead you and you will be Born Again.
@@elenanash8081
*Isaiah 56:3*
Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”
*Isaiah 56:6-8*
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant-
7these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
8The Sovereign Lord declares-
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
That's not what Jesus said to Nicodemus on what born again means
Very intelligent commentary, Fr. Barron. It took me quite a long time to understand the parable of the shrewd steward, but I finally concluded that it was God's way of saying, even if we are born from above, we have to be shrewd - which the angels don't have to worry about and may even admire. "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Lk 16:8 Thank you
I have been drifting towards Christianity but still I am way down by a lot of skepticism and in action
I've begun to try and pray each day I hope in time I'll feel my fears put to rest
Thats great! Good work, im glad you're open and on the path
Another precise, biblical and crisp answer!
"The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me."
Yes, and when you reject Christ's Church, you reject him.
Excellent video Bishop Barron. One of my favourite.
I've been looking to share His Excellence Bishop Barron with some of my more open minded fallen away Catholic family members who had completed a four yr. Bible Foundation study in Washington state. I was approached by the same group in San Diego at that time. I forwarded this video to that same non-denominational sister who once told me I needed to be "born again" or I would not be saved. I was thinking, I am a practicing Catholic, I volunteer, I pray, and I believe in God. Why wouldn't I be saved? We read the Bible, too. Twenty ys. Ago
Here's the way Catholics see salvation. Grace is the gift of God in the Holy Spirit which comes from our Great God, The Father and our Beloved God in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. GOD'S great gift of Grace gives us faith hope and love which is necessary to do what Jesus "commanded." Jesus commanded, "love one another as I have loved you." This love is more than mere sentiment. Jesus didn't simply have good feelings for his disciples. Jesus went all the way in. Jesus went into humanity with us. Jesus walks with us, teaches us, gives examples of how to live for us, heals us, forgives us and He died for us. Jesus is alive and Jesus continues to feel sorrow for the poor, the hungry, the enslaved, the war torn, the afflicted and for our sins which separate us from God. Jesus grieves for our loss. May you have the Grace of God to learn that to love as Jesus loves is to share the pain and loss of loved ones. Jesus loves us as His siblings.
As a returning Catholic, I was born again while journeying as Protestant. But I learned that Catholics aren’t taught this very well. Bishop Barton did a masterful job. I wish this line of teaching was done far more early and directly in our Catholic lives.
This is written by Guy not Janet.
Bishop Barron….
Oh, that icon of Christ at the closing of the video is mesmerising..... Beautiful!
Good job father. I want to become Catholic.
Join the RCIA program.
@@Lerian_V I became Catholic on 3rd April 2021
@@leifewald5117 Praise be to God, welcome home, and happy new year.
We are only God's children if we are born again in the Spirit. God becomes our Father when our spirits and His spirit are working with each other. We need to be born again or we die in the flesh of human sin. So being born again or from above is key to being Spirit filled Catholics and being full of God's love. Born of water - washed away sins, Spirit - divine life of God. Born of the Spirit - is from above, God's power and love will guide us and power our lives. Awesome, powerful !!
Thanks for your insight into the mystery of being born again! You have shed good light on something that is rarely understood by religious and irreligious people alike.
Wrong read John 3:5-7. To be born again is to repent, believe and receive the HOLY SPIRIT. What mystery, its in the BIBLE. To be born of Water (baptize) and of Spirit (Holy Spirit). Open your eyes stop letting these priests keep you in the dark.
God consuming fire-
You can say that again! Everyone needs to read/study their bible. It is one of the ways The Lord communicates with us directly through the Holy Spirit when we ask The Lord Jesus Christ into our heart (born-again).
***** AMEN!! brother, time is short keep in the word bro..
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change you from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this is something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
@@richruelas no where in any bible does it say to ask Jesus into your heart to be born again.
Read your Bible it says water and spirit that means baptism.
For My ways are not your ways says the Lord. Our God is awesome He speaks truth....thank you
I really mean this QD,I am going off line.Not coming back. God knows I enjoyed chatting with you. I can and will call you Brother.open heart you have.Speak from your heart. You are like a breath of fresh air.No double talk. Rare to find a gent like you. Peace to Brother.God Bless you and your family.I really do mean this.
Quite right!
Thank You Bishop Barron...best explanation I have ever heard on this seminal Bible passage.
The Catholic Church is the true church, what Jesus Christ establish. In 33 ad, thank you for this video, i am a defender of the catholic faith.
Your are insane and don't know nothing of theology . I took a passion to Christ and I'm study in college . Please keep your comments to yourself
Yes would you like to hear my experience?
I am catholic (Christian) I believe the Trinity, that jesus died for the sins of us on the cross. It's really sad that you have LACK of info of the Catholic Church. You left Christ church. God bless you maybe one day you will realize
***** Quote from you "God wants you to leave" so you know what God wants wow very big of you.
No its not to be honest!! Your studies mean nothing either if you follow a man made religion tradition. Christianity is the only way because its the way to Jesus. Forget about the other catholic saints, forget catholic traditions. Forget about the pope who thinks he's chosen by god when he is clearly not chosen by god.
Thank you for explaining what this really means Father Barron. I enjoy your teaching so much! I can see the picture of our lives becoming something beyond what can be seen...the hope and joy of that which we will see...one day...brings such delight that one who loves Jesus simply can not contain it.
+TheSheeplealarmclock
In my last post to you, I asked a few questions. Instead of attempting to answer them, you asked a completely off topic question. I am happy to answer this question; however, I do not plan to spend much time answering your questions as long as you refuse to do the same. You asked, “How come catholics do not honer (sic) the 2nd commandment?”
The only times a “second commandment” is mentioned in Sacred Scripture is in Mt 22:39 and Mk 12:31 where Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” However, I assume that you are referring to the second of the Ten Commandments, but neither Exodus nor Deuteronomy number the Commandments. I think there are 14 different statements or commands in Ex 20:2-17 and Dt 5:6-21. These statements have been grouped in various ways to come up with ten. Some Protestants number the Ten Commandments the same way that Catholics do, and some do not. The numbering used by Catholics is based on what was handed down to us through the Apostles. However, sometime in the past 500 years, some Protestants have renumbered them.
In ignorance, some Protestants accuse the Catholic Church of idolatry. The Church had already been condemning idolatry for 1500 years before Protestants even began inventing their beliefs, changing the Bible, and renumbering the Commandments. Idolatry is addressed as part of the first commandment, since it has to do with false gods, however, many Protestants split the first commandment into two commandments, and call the ban on idolatry the second commandment. But breaking the first commandment into two (as I assume you want to do) doesn’t make much sense. To say “You shall not make idols . . . [and] bow down before them” is simply redundant after saying “I am the Lord your God . . . thou shalt not have other gods before me,” that is why these two statements have always been included in the same commandment--the first.
Those like you who split the first commandment into two, usually create their version of the Decalogue by combining the ninth and tenth commandments. The ninth commandment says you shouldn’t covet thy neighbor’s wife, and the tenth says you shouldn’t covet thy neighbor’s belongings. Both may involve coveting, but they are different sins. One involves lust, and the other involves envy. Do you understand that these are two entirely different sins? Do you think it is at all offensive that some Protestants lump wives in with their other “possessions”?
Honestly, which sounds more redundant? This:
1) “I am the Lord your God . . . thou shalt not have other gods before me” (A ban on false gods)
2) “Thou shalt not make idols . . . [and] bow down before them” (Another ban on false gods)
Or this:
9) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife” (A ban on lust)
10) “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s property” (A ban on envy)
I think many Protestants are taught that Catholics worship idols because they have statues in their Churches. This seems pretty silly to any thinking person--the statues are in there, therefore they must be worshipped?? Really? You claim that you were once Catholic. If so, then you know for yourself that Catholics do not worship their statues. But, then again, you obviously never understood your faith or you would not have left the one, true Church established by Jesus.
Perhaps the issue is that you do not understand what an idol is. According to Merriam-Webster, an idol is “an object that is worshipped as a god.” Do you think that Catholics consider a wood crucifix or a plaster statue to be their god? I’ve never met a Catholic that worshipped anything or anyone but God, and if someone did, then they wouldn't be considered Catholic. Do you think that God is anti-statue? If so can you explain why (just five chapters after giving us the Ten Commandments in Ex 20), God commanded that golden statues be fabricated for the arc of the covenant in Ex 25:18? And If God commanded statues for his first church (the travelling ark), what makes you so sure that He didn’t want them in the one, true Church?
*****
Yes, I know Jesus, and I have a more personal relationship with him than a non-Catholic can even imagine. I actually eat His Flesh and Drink His blood at every Mass just as He commanded. Believe me, it just doesn't get any more personal than that!
*****
Can you give me an example of where you believe I have "twisted God's words?"
When you write ridiculous things like "Satan's greatest masterpiece is the Roman Catholic Church," it makes me curious. You do realize that all Christians were Catholic until the Protestant revolt, right? Are you one of those that have been deceived into believing that early Christians shared some of your non-Catholic beliefs? If so, could you please give me the name of a non-Catholic Christian that existed before Luther? If one existed, that shouldn't be hard.
*****
You wrote, "You have no spiritual relationship watsoever (sic) with Jesus." That is a pretty definitive judgment, especially considering that all you know about me is what I've shared in four posts. I don't expect you to take my advice, but you claim that Jesus is your best friend. Perhaps you'll heed his advice from Mt 7. Your best friend recommends that you don't judge others.
Your beliefs are based on Protestant tradition developed in the past 500 years. I know you claim not to be a Protestant, but that is the source of your beliefs. Your beliefs are not scriptural. Every Christian for the first 1500 years of Christianity understood being “born again” (as in Jn 3) to be the spiritual rebirth of baptism. It is a silly invention of Protestants to pretend that being “born again” is the experience or act of accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior or some other similar variation. Again, if you care to disagree, simply cite the source of someone prior to the Protest revolt referring to being “born again” as something other than Baptism. You can’t because none exists. It is an example of a manmade tradition that nullifies (or makes void) the word of God (Mk 7:13).
You wrote, “I would never cannibalise (sic) my best friend.” Perhaps you have the same problem as those who left Jesus in Jn 6:66 over this exact issue. In Jn 6, Jesus tells us over and over and over that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Was Jesus wrong? Was Jesus lying? Was Jesus confused? For 1500 years, ever Christian accepted Jesus’ command to eat His flesh. They obeyed this command and many were martyred for their belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. To pretend that Jesus was speaking symbolically is another perfect example of a manmade tradition that nullifies the word of God. Again, just give me the name of one person in the first 1500 years of Christianity that was not taught the real; presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Once again, none exists. Can you explain to me how these doctrines that were accepted by every Christian on the face of the earth suddenly became false as they were replaced by new Protestant beliefs that had never been heard of before they were created in the past 500 years? The Eucharist is a gift that your best friend wants to share with you. The Eucharist has been the center of authentic Christian worship for 2000 years.
*****
I sincerely appreciate your good intentions, but they are misguided. The reasons I ask so many questions, and perhaps the reason you have not been able to answer any of them, is because I am attempting to lead you to see that you have accepted non-scriptural traditions of men as truth and then, based on this skewed point of view, rejected the truth as lies. Jesus tells us that He is the Truth and that the Truth will set you free. He also assures us that if we seek, we will find. But many Protestants stop seeking because they have been fooled into believing that they have already found the truth. I believe that this is the most sinister aspect of Protestantism (whether you accept that label or not.) This delights Satan, the father of all lies. That is how he works-mixing truth with lies and blurring the lines. I will be praying for you, my brother.
Clearly my friend you are blind and do not see the true church, nor do you follow what Jesus told us to do. You walk away as the disciples in John Chapter 6 did during the, " Bread of Life " discourse. You take the real presence of Jesus that He gave you as a gift and make of it a heresy and make Jesus out to be a liar. For one claiming to be a Christian, you have a rather strange and unholy way of demonstrating it.
Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father that we be one in Him and that is why Jesus only founded the ONE true church on Saint Peter, and gave Peter and all his successors the power to bind and loose that the heretics be defeated as they emerged. Being God Jesus knew all too well what would happen if He did not give us that living voice of His authority down through the ages.
Protestants are the product of the one who Rips Apart, and does Not want us to be one. This is why there are 38,800 protestant sects based on heresies, and all founded by false prophets, and you have decided to follow them. You have founded your 'church' of one person, not meeting with others, and not receiving the sacraments, and not even understanding the holy scriptures you claim to know. Jesus, you fail to realize, did not give us the Bible when he went back to heaven, He left for us all ONE and only One church that He founded, and He has built as the way to salvation. Not being a member or a believer in that church makes you getting saved a much more 'iffy' proposition. If you were not so blind, you would know that. We Catholics will pray that we be one, since you are incapable of doing that.
Zeza - you've got it right and thank God that you are a new child of God. You now know the truth and welcome home to the full believing church of God. I am not baptism at the right time and with a person who understands what they committing to do and be. following Jesus is no easy task but it is filled with Love, problems and lastly joy. the problems are to make us more like Him. thanks for the post.
The posts below are mostly about hating Catholics, not seeking Christ. Best just not bother. However they do show that being 'Born Again' as Father Barron explains what Jesus was talking about is very, very different than the protestant church participant getting up and walking to the front of the church and returning to his seat unchanged by the experience save for thinking he can resume his sin filled life and no longer worry about his salvation.
This protestant 'Push The Magic Button of Salvation' concept is something I have heard from men whose speech is filled with words too vile to print, each assuring me he had been, 'Saved'. So it is no wonder that Joe Bach prefers dancing on the head of a pin over his misunderstanding the proper use of the term 'Father', to discussing the truth about the statement Jesus made about being 'Born From Above' / ' born again.
It is probably worth informing Joe that since Jesus gave to the successors of Saint Peter, the power to Bind and Loose, using the term father with the approval of the Popes renders it proper even if Joe were correct, which he is not.
NaYawkr
One of the reasons i didnt join protestanism.
only God can see if someone returns to their seat unchanged. I find it difficult to know that people who are hurting and seeking God can't receive communion because the church sees them as...... well, I don't know how they see them. certainly not fit to receive communion. wow.
God bless you for that!
Bishop please repent of your sins become truly born from above and come back and share the truth with these poor souls the CC is leading away from the truth....I beg you!!!!
I'm a Non-denominational/Born again Christian.; Try showing this video to the pastors at my church, or, the head of any other Christian church & they'd say differently... Not all Christians are Non-denominational & not all Christians are the same Denomination & as a Christian, I find that to be an interesting aspect because no matter what Denomination you are, you're still a Christian.
For example, the priest at my dad's church on Easter, 2011 & the senior pastor at my church said on Christmas, 2012 both said "If you proclaim that Jesus Christ is your Lord & Saviour & that God rose him from the dead, you'll be saved."... All Christians know that.
Thank you! I've been trying to tell people that all the time. Yes everyone is Christian if we are different denominations
Cesar Morales No problem.: :)
"Salvation is NOT a works."
Where did that come from? Who was talking about works?
Who believes in salvation by works alone? Certainly not Catholics.
@Mountaindew It's not true.
1996 "Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life."
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Protestants are a afraid of works that is why they do nothing but teaching which is their god. So you have these great teachers and no real life love to fellow men. Exegesis over all.
@@BikePracticeprotestants aren't afraid of works, we just know that we can never do enough works to earn salvation. The requirement for entering the kingdom of God is absolute sinless perfection, which nobody can attain... except Christ, which is the whole reason he came to earth to be sacrificed for us. Are you perfect? Do you know anyone who is?
@@jaymorris9952 Jesus is Perfect....do you think he made a mistake when he established His Church? Either that or you must think his teachings are wrong. correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it Jesus who said be Perfect like your Father in Heaven? Seems like a tough task but since it sounds like "work" you can go ahead and ignore it.
Robert fink, Who believes in salvation by works alone? I agree no Catholic does, but they believe in salvation by faith and works! And I understand ( former Catholic of 55 years), the RCC teaches replacement theology (replacing Israel) and so teach New Covenant doctrine (Israel's doctrine), proofing your Faith by works, like James 2 (protestants are guilty of that too!!!)
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
The Letter of James was written to Israel going into the tribulation!
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
This is clearly for New Covenant Israel, so if You think You replaced Israel, then You take this doctrine for yourself and make the book of Romans a LIE!
Body of Christ Salvation does not depend on our works, it depends solely on our faith in the Lord Jesus and his finished work on the cross! Out of this irreversible sealed salvation comes our growth what SHOULD bring for Good Works! Good works are not guaranteed, it is up to the individual to walk in the Spirit or in the old flesh! This will have Consequences on the day of Christ! Our service to the Lord, good and bad will be judged on this day (Bema seat)
2 Timothy 2:11-13
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
This is our Salvation, the moment we believe, we are crucified with him and guaranteed life!
12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
If we serve him and this will cause suffering, we will be reigning with Him (have a position according to our service here on earth), if we don't he will deny us this positions (there is no bettering in eternity)
13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Should You fall away from your faith, Jesus is faithful, because when You believed first, the Holy Spirit sealed you in the Body of Christ irreversible and You were crucified with Christ! So it comes to full circle
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
What a Glorious Gospel (good news), why in the world do Christians put themselves under the New Covenant, when God offers today the Glorious Gospel of grace! Take a guess, who is behind it, The minister of light and righteousness, the deceiver called Satan!
I end with Paul's warning even more true today, then in his own days!
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Praise God. So much clearer now.
"you say Wycliffe and Luther were heretics"
Please cite my post where I even use the word heretic. I never even mentioned Wycliffe until answering your last post, and then I asked "Why is he even relevant?" I don't know much about Wycliffe.
However, since you insist, Luther absolutely was a heretic. Why do you suppose he was excommunicated from the one true Church? He replaced Christ's teachings with his own.
Heresy
We are brothers in Christ, Restlespirt. Thank you for the communion around a common love. I have enjoyed chatting with you. I also believe that you are sincere in your love for God the Father, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the People of God, Christ's mystical Body, the Church. God bless you and your family. Fare well.
This priest DANCES AROUND this all-important experience which, according to Jesus, IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to ENTER His Kingdom. He goes into all these INVENTED peripheral "interpretations" which AREN'T IN THE TEXT, yet he DOES NOT clearly express what EVERY HUMAN BEING NEEDS TO KNOW in order to be saved.
Nicodemus asked "HOW can a man be born when he is old? CAN HE ENTER A SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB? " (John 3:4)
Jesus answered CLEARLY and DIRECTLY:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, UNLESS a man is BORN OF WATER (natural childbirth, in which the "water" in the woman's womb breaks and flows) AND OF THE Spirit, he CANNOT ENTER into the kingdom of God.
That WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH is flesh; and that WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT".
Being born of the flesh (water) won't save anyone. Being BORN AGAIN OF THE SPIRIT will. We are BORN OF THE SPIRIT when we RECEIVE Jesus Christ into our hearts as ONLY God and Savior (John 1:12).
This is THE ONLY WAY ANYONE -- Roman Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, Jew, Muslim, agnostic, or ANYTHING ELSE -- IS SAVED.
It would be redundant to say you must be born physically in order to be born again in the spirit. If all he wanted to say was you needed to be born again in the spirit than he wouldnt need to say water.
Unless you are born and then accept jesus....
Redundancy. Who can accept jesus but those who are already born.
Rather quite simply, he was referring to baptism. Go forth and baptize them (water) in the name of the F S and HS (Spirit).
Elias Lucero
That Jesus is referring to NATURAL childbirth is UNDISPUTED since He was answering Nicodemus' question: "can a man enter a second time INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB?"
This is followed by His statement: "THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH"...
"Unless someone is born of water and of the spirit"... angels are NOT born of water (natural childbirth) and of the spirit. That is why there is NO REDEMPTION FOR fallen angels.
There is no redundancy whatsoever.
What's amazing to me is TO WHAT EXTENT brainwashed religious puppets like yourself will go to defend YOUR HARLOT RELIGION that leads MILLIONS TO HELL.
You'd rather LOSE YOUR OWN SOUL, than admit its DISTORTION of the true Gospel of Grace.
Nice try, but you failed.
+Kanal Katoliko are you asserting that when jesus was baptized, the water was symbolic of flesh? Or are you asserting that the water is a pointless practice that jesus and all the apostles and those who they baptized participated in? If jesus wasnt talking about water baptism, what was the point of water in baptism?
Are you suggesting that Jesus got baptized in water IN ORDER TO BE SAVED? i DON'T THINK SO.
Unless, of course, you think that He (God) NEEDED salvation.
He was immersed in water as an example for those who repent of sin, receive Him into their hearts, and have ALL THEIR SINS WASHED AWAY BY HIS SINLESS BLOOD. (John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
Water baptism is merely an OUTWARD REPRESENTATION of what HAS already TAKEN PLACE INWARDLY.
Salvation doesn't take place ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT ON THE INSIDE.
That is why John the Baptist protested saying "I need to be baptized by you". And Jesus replied "Suffer it now: for thus it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness."
The word "baptism" is used 81 times in the New Testament. It does NOT APPEAR in John 3:3-5.
+Kanal Katoliko what im saying is that he was setting an example.
But you'll have to address the issue. If jesus is separating water and spirit, than why is water even in baptism. By your interpretation it is useless and arbitrary. Id contend that saying the words 'I accept jesus christ as my personal lord and savior' is enough of an outward sign of an inward conversion is it not. And it saves water.
You gotta tell my why the apostles thought water was important enough to use it in baptism.
What an incredible commentary. Insightful and educational. I wish everyone can view it.
Catholicism is the true faith Jesus started it look at Matthew 16. Look at John 6-51-55 you in the Christian faith great you believe in Jesus, now read obey what he says come home to his Church not your man made one. Love ya!
1
+Sally Ironic
In the Greek.
+Sally Ironic Where does the Bible say that Christ's gospel would be lost until a man named Luther rediscovered it 1,500 and some years later? I must have missed it. As for the term Catholicism, it was coined by an early christian father. It merely means "universal" because Christ's Church is universal, all are invited to join. Get educated.
Sally Ironic
You have it backwards. No one worships men more than SECULAR HUMANISTS. That is why they are always trying to get rid of God.
*****
Yes, I know what you mean. As the world moves away from the truths of the Bible, it eagerly embraces whatever feel good ideology or radical cult that comes along. There are no absolute truths to such people, and in the end, the truth becomes whatever they want it to be.
+Sally Ironic you just don't get it do you know that really matters Christ founded the Catholic faith he didn't establish any others
So good. Praise God for your wonderful mind.
Apparently, this guy's never heard of Born-again Christianity...
Being born again doesn't mean being prayed for its changing from yr dark state to light state of Christ being😅
I like “the break through” as a being born from above a work of God in Christ .
Martin Luther said that there was no idea, however clownish, that would not be put forth as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Luther lived to see the nightmare he had begun. Without the Living Voice of Christ's authority, the successors to Saint Peter to declare each new heresy the product of the father of lies, there are, at last count, 38,800 protestant churches, each founded by false prophets, and each left alone by the evil one who only really attacks the one true church down through the ages. Jesus warned us, Jesus said we should expect to be vilified, hated, and even killed because they did the same to Him, and Before Jesus the prophets got the same treatment. Was there ever a prophet from God they didn't murder ?
So if you want women bishops and priests, there will be a Heretical Church for you, or one that allows Divorce, like the Anglicans whose church was created by the adulterer king of England Henry the VIII, who wanted to bed Ann Boleyn and needed a divorce to do it. Want Sodomites to get married, the Protestants got it covered. Is there any heresy they don't have room for and blame on the Holy Spirit ?
the born again passage does not refer to baptism at all.
born again is when The Holy spirit comes into our lives to give us a spirittual rebirth when we repent and believe
stop making the gospel complicated
Stop pretending that empty assertions are facts.
That doesn't make sence ! You are born agian through water and Spirit, there is verse saying excepting him into your heart
Cesar i think you meant to say there is no verse saying to accept him into your heart
the principle is there
thats like saying the word trinity is in the bible yet both catholics and protestants believe in the godhead the three persons of the God.
if God was already in our lives and hearts at birth then we are not born sinners and the gospel is made void
you need to learn how to read your bible in context
Explain to me please on how a person is born again???!!! I do know about the bible, the church fathers , protestant reformation ect.
I read the bible in different ways , from Catholic and protestant bibles.
Brilliant! Big thumbs up from me. I don’t know who could thumbs down this, but apparently quite a few confused souls out there. I pray for you.
Thank you, Bishop, Now I saw a huge light from the darkness that breaks in the night of ignorance. I hope and pray that people may better understand the incarnation of Christ, that this fallen nature may come to the light of truth. That Christ may lift up this lowliness of our sinful nature to a transformed and renewed creation by and through a willful act of being a new creation (by being born again).
And as a Catholic I was born from above, again at my Baptism how truly blessed am I.
My dear friend a baby that doesn't know how to to control it's bodly functions cannot understand spiritual union with the death burial and reserection of christ
To be born again is to repent and open your heart to receive christ as your lord and saviour and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit
Freely through the grace of God
Not through good works
My prayers for you is that you will receive this revalation from the father
As christ said to Peter flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my father in heaven
That's what new birth is
Without which no one can enter the kingdom of god
God bless you
Acts 2 v 32
Peter said repent and each one of you be baptised in the name of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit
P s
Peter was talking to adults not new born babe's
God bless you
I am fascinated by your interpretation of the "Kingdom of God." You explain here that it consists of "God's way of seeing things, God's way of ordering things." Wonderful way to put it, and I thank you.
I am a Protestant Christian and will likely remain so, but this Catholic Bishop is truly a treasure to the Christian Community, he is becoming on of my Go-to teachers along with Protestant Tim Keller to better understand and apply the Bible, Glory to God.
I think he means what 2 Peter 1 does when it says:
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)
YOU absolutely become born again in a moment but it takes years to fully walk in it...The moment you are changed is in a nanosecond and you know you have been changed but the reality of what happened at that moment in time takes time to grasp it..this comes as the Holy Spirit that lives inside you begins to change from a child of darkness to a child of light....That's why you see some people make immediate changes in their lifestyle while others change more gradually...But if God has now moved in with His Holy Spirit you will be changed, He will take you thru the steps for the rest of your life...Don't be fooled into thinking this something you can do by living better or reading scripture, God does it when you cry out to Him, repent of your sins and then He has to give you the born again experience...It is real, it is immediate and if you don't have it you are not ready for the next life....
Thank you Sir. Your explanation is spot on. I am a born again Christian, and your explanation is very well in line, with what we believe in. We left Catholicism because most priests do not preach like you do, Sir. Their homilies are filled with politics, and you can feel the anger, rebellion, and manipulation in their homilies. That being the reason why their homilies are set apart from what is being taught by the Bible, and having no spiritual significance whatsoever in our lives. This makes going to Catholic churches a waste of time for us, and the major catalyst why we are seeking other religious institutions to teach us and help us know more about God. With priests like you, who honor the Bible more, than blindly giving in to Roman traditions, I believe you will help more Catholics have a better view and understanding of God. May God continue to bless you more, Sir.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I did not leave my faith in God, good and kind Sir / Maam. I just moved on to another religious institution who has the ability and time to teach me more about my God and Creator. It's a delight to have a caring, helping, guiding, and loving church family. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless you and your family.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I'd like to know where Paul said that the Roman Catholic eucharistic celebration is the real body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ? Any reference I might be able to check on that? Thank you very much and God bless.
@CATHOLIC for EVER Thanks for sharing. Although I find the argument to be very weak, because of its opinionated and speculative nature. Hard facts would have been great. I also tend to read the whole book, like the whole 1Corinthians, so that I get better appreciation and context of the content, because I believe that taking some verses or parts of the Bible and applying our opinions on it, is a very dangerous thing to do. You can easily make an error in this manner of reasoning, like making an assumption that Christ is the bread, when in other biblical texts, God said that NO Object can EVER represent Him, for the world and everything in it, is just His creation. The Earth is just His footstool. I would be very careful not to disrespect God, by insisting that He is a divine bread, and referencing an ambiguous biblical text to force this line of reasoning--which is by my definition, equivalent to blasphemy. I am hoping you have a more compelling reference to share with me. I am very open to learning more facts about God, and I always believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Learning more about Jesus Christ will lead me to the truth. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless you kind Sir.
@CATHOLIC for EVER a Happy and Holy New Year to you as well, kind Sir. Wow. You're the same age as my father. I really love doing research, and one of the things I have learned is that Peter, Paul, and the other disciples of Christ were certainly not Catholics, but Jewish or Messianic Jews. Paul was even a pharisee. Catholicism is founded by Constantine around 315 AD. Therefore the Christianity that Paul, Peter, and the rest of the disciples of Jesus Christ, predates Catholicism by a margin of more than 250 years. I've also learned that Catholicism is a hybrid of Christianity and Roman paganism. This being the biggest difference between Biblical Christianity and Catholicism. A lot of Roman pagan tradition is a big part in Catholicism today. That's the reason why Biblical Christians are protesting. When I started reading the Bible, I learned that even Paul is against many of these Roman traditions, like praying to the dead, praying to idols, etc., and he also warns against false teachings and giving people false hopes. I believe the idea of a purgatory belongs in this category, where a Roman pagan belief system is being merged with Christianity and giving people false hopes, because this has never been mentioned by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible. The idea of purgatory and the selling of indulgences for profit, like salvation is for sale. Im really having a hard time understanding this Catholic practices. These are basically among the reasons how Catholicism differs with Biblical Christianity. If only, we can place the Bible above any Roman tradition or belief system, or above any organizational agenda, then there will be no schism among Christians in the World.
@CATHOLIC for EVER I agree 100% that a lot of people and even organizations have their agendas in either keeping Informations or twisting Informations or even attacking Christianity especially if the Biblical teachings or contents expose them and their deeds. May I also share with you some of the Information I have learned, and please do correct me if the following texts are false:
During the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (AD 306-337), Christianity began to transition to the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Historians remain uncertain about Constantine's reasons for favoring Christianity, and theologians and historians have often argued about which form of early Christianity he subscribed to. There is no consensus among scholars as to whether he adopted his mother Helena's Christianity in his youth, or, as claimed by Eusebius of Caesarea, encouraged her to convert to the faith he had adopted himself.
Constantine ruled the Roman Empire as sole emperor for much of his reign. Some scholars allege that his main objective was to gain unanimous approval and submission to his authority from all classes, and therefore chose Christianity to conduct his political propaganda, believing that it was the most appropriate religion that could fit with the Imperial cult (see also Sol Invictus). Regardless, under the Constantinian dynasty Christianity expanded throughout the Empire, launching the era of State church of the Roman Empire.[1] Whether Constantine sincerely converted to Christianity or remained loyal to Paganism is still a matter of debate among historians (see also Constantine's religious policy).[2] His formal conversion in 312 is almost universally acknowledged among historians,[1][3] despite that he was baptized only on his deathbed by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia in 337;[4][5][6] the real reasons behind it remain unknown and are debated also.[2][3] According to Hans Pohlsander, Professor Emeritus of History at the University at Albany, SUNY, Constantine's conversion was just another instrument of realpolitik in his hands meant to serve his political interest in keeping the Empire united under his control:
Regarding Luke 12: 3-4. Again I try to avoid interpreting the Bible by one or two verses only, because you can easily misconstrue it, or reading them out of context. Luke 12:3-4 is a part of Luke 12. We have to read the entire chapter to get the real meaning or context of these Bible verses. In Luke 12, Jesus Christ warned about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and he was teaching the multitudes not to worry for God is a provider and that we should seek first God's kingdom, among other teachings that Jesus shared to the multitudes. To take just Luke 12: 3-4 and make a bold statement that this is a prophecy is an example of taking or interpreting Biblical verses out of context. This is very dangerous because anybody can just get one Bible verse and have the most outrageous opinion on it. I believe we have to learn to read and use Bible verses according to their correct context.
I was baptized when I was a baby but wasn’t born again till I was 45. I was also born again through the spirit, the spirit led me to Jesus. The spirit set my soul free while Christ gave it direction. All backwards but so grateful I made it.
It was nice to hear from a fellow brother or sister in the lord.
Blessed are those who are broken and cracked, because the cracks let in the light.
I will look for it. Thank you for your time.
Thank you Fr. Barron.
gives Himself to us - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - in the Holy Eucharist. Peace be with you, Shalom.
Nicely done. Well put Fr. Barron.
WRONG what's wrong with you people, John 3:5-7, its being born from above receiving the Holy Spirit.
Thank you Fr Robert - I was blessed with a phenomenal and spontaneous 'dose' of Grace delivered most definitely through supernatural affect - which filled my heart and changed my world upside down etc back in 2010 and caused a huge change in perspective and level of faith and resulted in a change of direction. I will not describe the event publicly but I wish to thank you for your explanation. While I accepted with belief what happened to me I had no way of verbalising or knowing what to call the experience - you have provided me with that explanation for which I pray for your blessing, where unfortunately pastors looked upon me with sympathetic ears and probable disbelief. God bless you for your indirect Spiritual Direction - Marian
You make things clear for me father thank you so much
i have to agree with Bill Voss, i was baptized as baby and raised in the catholic church but i never heard the true gospel of salvation. so when i was 26 last year someone witnessed to me and then i came to the full knowledge of what Jesus did on the cross and i believed the word of God, i accepted it and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior just like it happened in Act 2:30-40, then i got baptized full immersion this time. i'm born in spirit/again and i have the right to be a child of God
You're welcome and I'm glad I could help, if only a little. It's good that you relate to Paul - there was no greater evangelist for the Church.
Sure: God can operate any way he wants, with or without the Church. The point is that he himself has resolved to operate through the Church, just as he operated through the mediation of the body of his Son. That's why we teach that the ordinary means of salvation is the sacramental system of the church, but we by no means thereby imply that God can''t or doesn't work around that system.
Part 3
Not only did the Apostles teach the truth , but many early Christians were relentless in defending these truths and in attacking various heresies through their writings. These early Christians were called the Patristic or Church Fathers. Many of their writings still exist, and while they are not inspired, they will help you to understand how the earliest Christians understood the Word of God--those who learned the faith directly from the Apostles or their immediate successors.
Alex,Revelation 5:8,this is the tribulation saints.People getting saved during the trib.Who I believe will have far more faith then we do now.Look at what they are going through in their time.Not sure what I will be called for, What ever it is,I will be WITH CHRIST! Along with ONE TRUE CHURCH! ALL in ONE ACCORD! No misunderstanding of scriptures. No protestants or RCC,with a wall between them.How awesome will that be? I got chills from that!
They make perfect sense. The fact that you don't have the capacity to comprehend their meaning would be your problem. And "stringing a lot of words together", as you stated, is how we form sentences. It is the foundation of expression, whether written or spoken. You need to learn to see your own insecurity, self-doubt, and lack of self-confidence for what it is; your own character flaws, and not to falsely presume that someone else's self-confidence is anything but self-confidence.
Thank you for sharing.I was in Germany after Nam.I was not in the Military then.Traveled to Frankfork,Bonn,Ramstien.Many Places in Europe. Italy,France Spain,Turkey,.England was nice as was Greece but I was drawn to Israel.Talk to you on Monday.God Bless,We will be in Church again Sunday.
Bishop Barron rocks!
When the Bishop steers clear of politics, he is always spot on.
I am Protestant, and I like this Catholic guy. He seems genuine, something many Catholics lack. :)
From Tradition to Truth
The Testimony of Former Roman Catholic Priest, Richard Bennett.
The Early Years
Born Irish, in a family of eight, my early childhood was fulfilled and happy. My father was a colonel in the Irish Army until he retired when I was about nine. As a family, we loved to play, sing, and act, all within a military camp in Dublin. We were a typical Irish Roman Catholic family. My father sometimes knelt down to pray at his bedside in a solemn manner. Most evenings we would kneel in the living room to say the Rosary together. No one ever missed Mass on Sundays unless he was seriously ill. By the time I was about five or six years of age, Jesus Christ was a very real person to me, but so also were Mary and the saints. I can identify easily with others in traditional Catholic nations in Europe and with Hispanics and Filipinos who put Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and other saints all in one boiling pot of faith.
The catechism was drilled into me at the Jesuit School of Belvedere, where I had all my elementary and secondary education. Like every boy who studies under the Jesuits, I could recite before the age of ten five reasons why God existed and why the Pope was head of the only true Church. Getting souls out of Purgatory was a serious matter. The often quoted words, "It is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins," were memorized even though we did not know what these words meant. We were told that the Pope as head of the Church was the most important man on earth. What he said was law, and the Jesuits were his right-hand men. Even though the Mass was in Latin, I tried to attend daily because I was intrigued by the deep sense of mystery which surrounded it. We were told it was the most important way to please God. Praying to saints was encouraged, and we had patron saints for most aspects of life. I did not make a practise of that, with one exception: St. Anthony, the patron of lost objects, since I seemed to lose so many things.
When I was fourteen years old, I sensed a call to be a missionary. This call, however, did not affect the way in which I conducted my life at that time. Age sixteen to eighteen were the most fulfilled and enjoyable years a youth could have. During this time, I did quite well both academically and athletically.
I often had to drive my mother to the hospital for treatments. While waiting for her, I found quoted in a book these verses from Mark 10:29-30, "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Not having any idea of the true salvation message, I decided that I truly did have a call to be a missionary.
Trying to Earn Salvation
I left my family and friends in 1956 to join the Dominican Order. I spent eight years studying what it is to be a monk, the traditions of the Church, philosophy, the theology of Thomas Aquinas, and some of the Bible from a Catholic standpoint. Whatever personal faith I had was institutionalized and ritualized in the Dominican religious system. Obedience to the law, both Church and Dominican, was put before me as the means of sanctification. I often spoke to Ambrose Duffy, our Master of Students, about the law being the means of becoming holy. In addition to becoming “holy,” I wanted also to be sure of eternal salvation. I memorized part of the teaching of Pope Pius XII in which he said, “...the salvation of many depends on the prayers and sacrifices of the mystical body of Christ offered for this intention.” This idea of gaining salvation through suffering and prayer is also the basic message of Fatima and Lourdes, and I sought to win my own salvation as well as the salvation of others by such suffering and prayer. In the Dominican monastery in Tallaght, Dublin, I performed many difficult feats to win souls, such as taking cold showers in the middle of winter and beating my back with a small steel chain. The Master of Students knew what I was doing, his own austere life being part of the inspiration that I had received from the Pope's words. With rigor and determination, I studied, prayed, did penance, tried to keep the Ten Commandments and the multitude of Dominican rules and traditions.
Outward Pomp - Inner Emptiness
Then in 1963 at the age of twenty-five I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and went on to finish my course of studies of Thomas Aquinas at The Angelicum University in Rome. But there I had difficulty with both the outward pomp and the inner emptiness. Over the years I had formed, from pictures and books, pictures in my mind of the Holy See and the Holy City. Could this be the same city? At the Angelicum University I was also shocked that hundreds of others who poured into our morning classes seemed quite disinterested in theology. I noticed Time and Newsweek magazines being read during classes. Those who were interested in what was being taught seemed only to be looking for either degrees or positions within the Catholic Church in their homelands. One day I went for a walk in the Colosseum so that my feet might tread the ground where the blood of so many Christians had been poured out. I walked to the arena in the Forum. I tried to picture in my mind those men and women who knew Christ so well that they were joyfully willing to be burned at the stake or devoured alive by beasts because of His overpowering love. The joy of this experience was marred, however, for as I went back in the bus I was insulted by jeering youths shouting words meaning “scum or garbage.” I sensed their motivation for such insults was not because I stood for Christ as the early Christians did but because they saw in me the Roman Catholic system. Quickly, I put this contrast out of my mind, yet what I had been taught about the present glories of Rome now seemed very irrelevant and empty.
One night soon after that, I prayed for two hours in front of the main altar in the church of San Clemente. Remembering my earlier youthful call to be a missionary and the hundredfold promise of Mark 10:29-30, I decided not to take the theological degree that had been my ambition since beginning study of the theology of Thomas Aquinas. This was a major decision, but after long prayer I was sure I had decided correctly.
The priest who was to direct my thesis did not want to accept my decision. In order to make the degree easier, he offered me a thesis written several years earlier. He said I could use it as my own if only I would do the oral defense. This turned my stomach. It was similar to what I had seen a few weeks earlier in a city park: elegant prostitutes parading themselves in their black leather boots. What he was offering was equally sinful. I held to my decision, finishing at the University at the ordinary academic level, without the degree.
On returning from Rome, I received official word that I had been assigned to do a three year course at Cork University. I prayed earnestly about my missionary call. To my surprise, I received orders in late August 1964 to go to Trinidad, West Indies, as a missionary.
Pride, Fall, and a New Hunger
On October 1, 1964, I arrived in Trinidad, and for seven years I was a successful priest, in Roman Catholic terms, doing all my duties and getting many people to come to Mass. By 1972 I had become quite involved in the Catholic Charismatic Movement. Then, at a prayer meeting on March 16th of that year, I thanked the Lord that I was such a good priest and requested that if it were His will, He humble me that I might be even better. Later that same evening I had a freak accident, splitting the back of my head and hurting my spine in many places. Without thus coming close to death, I doubt that I would ever have gotten out of my self-satisfied state. Rote, set prayer showed its emptiness as I cried out to God in my pain.
In the suffering that I went through in the weeks after the accident, I began to find some comfort in direct personal prayer. I stopped saying the Breviary (the Roman Catholic Church's official prayer for clergy) and the Rosary and began to pray using parts of the Bible itself. This was a very slow process. I did not know my way through the Bible and the little I had learned over the years had taught me more to distrust it rather than to trust it. My training in philosophy and in the theology of Thomas Aquinas left me helpless, so that coming into the Bible now to find the Lord was like going into a huge dark woods without a map.
When assigned to a new parish later that year, I found that I was to work side-by-side with a Dominican priest who had been a brother to me over the years. For more than two years we were to work together, fully seeking God as best we knew in the parish of Pointe-a-Pierre. We read, studied, prayed, and put into practise what we had been taught in Church teaching. We built up communities in Gasparillo, Claxton Bay, and Marabella, just to mention the main villages. In a Catholic religious sense we were very successful. Many people attended Mass. The Catechism was taught in many schools, including government schools. I continued my personal search into the Bible, but it did not much affect the work we were doing; rather it showed me how little I really knew about the Lord and His Word. It was at this time that Philippians 3:10 became the cry of my heart, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection....”
About this time the Catholic Charismatic movement was growing, and we introduced it into most of our villages. Because of this movement, some Canadian Christians came to Trinidad to share with us. While much of what I learnt centered on pretended signs and wonders, which I have later renounced, the use of the Scriptures was truly a blessing to me. The love the Canadian Christians had for the Bible got me deeply into it as an authority source. I began to compare scripture with scripture and even to quote chapter and verse!
One of the texts the Canadians used was Isaiah 53:5, “...and with his stripes we are healed.” Yet in studying Isaiah 53, I discovered that the Bible deals with the problem of sin by means of substitution. Christ died in my place. It was wrong for me to try to expiate or try to cooperate in paying the price of my sin. “If by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace..” Romans 11:6. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
One particular sin of mine was getting annoyed with people, sometimes even angry. Although I asked forgiveness for my sins, I still did not realize that I was a sinner by the nature which we all inherit from Adam. The scriptural truth is, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Catholic Church, however, had taught me that the depravity of man, which is called “original sin,” had been washed away by my infant baptism. I still held this belief in my head, but in my heart I knew that my depraved nature had not yet been conquered by Christ. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection...” (Philippians 3:10) continued to be the cry of my heart. I knew that it could be only through His power that I could live the Christian life. I posted this text on the dashboard of my car and in other places. It became the plea that motivated me, and the Lord who is Faithful began to answer.
The Ultimate Question
First, I discovered that God's Word in the Bible is absolute and without error. I had been taught that the Word is relative and that its truthfulness in many areas was to be questioned. Now I began to understand that the Bible could, in fact, be trusted. With the aid of Strong's Concordance, I began to study the Bible to see what it says about itself. I discovered that the Bible teaches clearly that it is from God and is absolute in what it says. It is true in its history, in the promises God has made, in its prophecies, in the moral commands it gives, and in how to live the Christian life. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
This discovery was made while visiting in Vancouver, B.C., and in Seattle. When I was asked to talk to the prayer group in St. Stephen's Catholic Church, I took as my subject the absolute authority of God's Word. It was the first time that I had understood such a truth or talked about it. I returned to Vancouver, B.C. and in a large parish Church, before about 400 people, I preached the same message. Bible in hand, I proclaimed that “the absolute and final authority in all matters of faith and morals is the Bible, God's own Word.”
Three days later, the archbishop of Vancouver, B.C., James Carney, called me to his office. I was then officially silenced and forbidden to preach in his archdiocese. I was told that my punishment would have been more severe, were it not for the letter of recommendation I had received from my own archbishop, Anthony Pantin. Soon afterwards I returned to Trinidad.
Church-Bible Dilemma
While I was still parish priest of Point-a-Pierre, Ambrose Duffy, the man who had so strictly taught me while he was Student Master, was asked to assist me. The tide had turned. After some initial difficulties, we became close friends. I shared with him what I was discovering. He listened and commented with great interest and wanted to find out what was motivating me. I saw in him a channel to my Dominican brothers and even to those in the Archbishop's house. When he died suddenly of a heart attack, I was stricken with grief. In my mind, I had seen Ambrose as the one who could make sense out of the Church-Bible dilemma with which I so struggled. I had hoped that he would have been able to explain to me and then to my Dominican brothers the truths with which I wrestled. I preached at his funeral and my despair was very deep. I continued to pray Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection....” But to learn more about Him, I had first to learn about myself as a sinner. I saw from the Bible (I Timothy 2:5) that the role I was playing as a priestly mediator -- exactly what the Catholic Church teaches but exactly opposite to what the Bible teaches -- was wrong. I really enjoyed being looked up to by the people and, in a certain sense, being idolized by them. I rationalized my sin by saying that after all, if this is what the biggest Church in the world teaches, who am I to question it? Still, I struggled with the conflict within. I began to see the worship of Mary, the saints, and the priests for the sin that it is. But while I was willing to renounce Mary and the saints as mediators, I could not renounce the priesthood, for in that I had invested my whole life.
Tug-Of-War Years
Mary, the saints, and the priesthood were just a small part of the huge struggle with which I was working. Who was Lord of my life, Jesus Christ in His Word or the Roman Church? This ultimate question raged inside me especially during my last six years as parish priest of Sangre Grande (1979-1985). That the Catholic Church was supreme in all matters of faith and morals had been dyed into my brain since I was a child. It looked impossible ever to change. Rome was not only supreme but always called “Holy Mother.” How could I ever go against “Holy Mother,” all the more so since I had an official part in dispensing her sacraments and keeping people faithful to her? In 1981, I actually rededicated myself to serving the Roman Catholic Church while attending a parish renewal seminar in New Orleans. Yet when I returned to Trinidad and again became involved in real life problems, I began to return to the authority of God's Word. Finally the tension became like a tug-of-war inside me. Sometimes I looked to the Roman Church as being absolute, sometimes to the authority of the Bible as being final. My stomach suffered much during those years; my emotions were being torn. I ought to have known the simple truth that one cannot serve two masters. My working position was to place the absolute authority of the Word of God under the supreme authority of the Roman Church.
This contradiction was symbolized in what I did with the four statues in the Sangre Grande Church. I removed and broke the statues of St. Francis and St. Martin because the second commandment of God's Law declares in Exodus 20:4, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image....” But when some of the people objected to my removal of the statues of the Sacred Heart and of Mary, I left them standing because the higher authority, i.e., the Roman Catholic Church, said in its law Canon 1188: “The practise of displaying sacred images in the churches for the veneration of the faithful is to remain in force.” I did not see that what I was trying to do was to make God's Word subject to man's word.
My Own Fault
While I had learned earlier that God's Word is absolute, I still went through this agony of trying to maintain the Roman Catholic Church as holding more authority than God's Word, even in issues where the Church of Rome was saying the exact opposite to what was in the Bible. How could this be? First of all, it was my own fault. If I had accepted the authority of the Bible as supreme, I would have been convicted by God's Word to give up my priestly role as mediator, but that was too precious to me. Second, no one ever questioned what I did as a priest. Christians from overseas came to Mass, saw our sacred oils, holy water, medals, statues, vestments, rituals, and never said a word! The marvelous style, symbolism, music, and artistic taste of the Roman Church was all very captivating. Incense not only smells pungent, but to the mind it spells mystery.
The Turning Point
One day, a woman challenged me (the only Christian ever to challenge me in all my 22 years as a priest), “You Roman Catholics have a form of godliness, but you deny its power.” Those words bothered me for some time because the lights, banners, folk music, guitars, and drums were dear to me. Probably no priest on the whole island of Trinidad had as colorful robes, banners, and vestments as I had. Clearly I did not apply what was before my eyes.
In October 1985, God's grace was greater than the lie that I was trying to live. I went to Barbados to pray over the compromise that I was forcing myself to live. I felt truly trapped. The Word of God is absolute indeed. I ought to obey it alone; yet to the very same God I had vowed obedience to the supreme authority of the Catholic Church. In Barbados I read a book in which was explained the biblical meaning of Church as “the fellowship of believers.” In the New Testament there is no hint of a hierarchy; “Clergy” lording it over the “laity” is unknown. Rather, it is as the Lord Himself declared “...one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren” (Matthew 23:8). Now to see and to understand the meaning of church as “fellowship” left me free to let go of the Roman Catholic Church as supreme authority and depend on Jesus Christ as Lord. It began to dawn on me that in biblical terms, the Bishops I knew in the Catholic Church were not biblical believers. They were for the most part pious men taken up with devotion to Mary and the Rosary and loyal to Rome, but not one had any idea of the finished work of salvation, that Christ's work is done, that salvation is personal and complete. They all preached penance for sin, human suffering, religious deeds, “the way of man” rather than the Gospel of grace. But by God's grace I saw that it was not through the Roman Church nor by any kind of works that one is saved, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
New Birth at Age Forty-eight
I left the Roman Catholic Church when I saw that life in Jesus Christ was not possible while remaining true to Roman Catholic doctrine. In leaving Trinidad in November 1985, I only reached neighboring Barbados. Staying with an elderly couple, I prayed to the Lord for a suit and necessary money to reach Canada, for I had only tropical clothing and a few hundred dollars to my name. Both prayers were answered without making my needs known to anyone except the Lord.From a tropical temperature of 90 degrees, I landed in snow and ice in Canada. After one month in Vancouver, I came to the United States of America. I now trusted that He would take care of my many needs, since I was beginning life anew at 48 years of age, practically penniless, without an alien resident card, without a driver's license, without a recommendation of any kind, having only the Lord and His Word.
I spent six months with a Christian couple on a farm in Washington State. I explained to my hosts that I had left the Roman Catholic Church and that I had accepted Jesus Christ and His Word in the Bible as all-sufficient. I had done this, I said, “absolutely, finally, definitively, and resolutely.” Yet far from being impressed by these four adverbs, they wanted to know if there was any bitterness or hurt inside me. In prayer and in great compassion, they ministered to me, for they themselves had made the transition and knew how easily one can become embittered. Four days after I arrived in their home, by God's grace I began to see in repentance the fruit of salvation. This meant being able not only to ask the Lord's pardon for my many years of compromising but also to accept His healing where I had been so deeply hurt. Finally, at age 48, on the authority of God's Word alone, by grace alone, I accepted Christ's substitutionary death on the Cross alone. To Him alone be the glory.
Having been refurbished both physically and spiritually by this Christian couple together with their family, I was provided a wife by the Lord, Lynn, born-again in faith, lovely in manner, intelligent in mind. Together we set out for Atlanta, Georgia, where we both got jobs.
A Real Missionary with a Real Message
In September 1988, we left Atlanta to go as missionaries to Asia. It was a year of deep fruitfulness in the Lord that once I would never have thought was possible. Men and women came to know the authority of the Bible and the power of Christ's death and resurrection. I was amazed at how easy it is for the Lord's grace to be effective when only the Bible is used to present Jesus Christ. This contrasted with the cobwebs of church tradition that had so clouded my 21 years in missionary garments in Trinidad, 21 years without the real message. To explain the abundant life of which Jesus spoke and which I now enjoy, no better words could be used than those of Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” It is not just that I have been freed from the Roman Catholic system, but that I have become a new creature in Christ. It is by the grace of God, and nothing but His grace, that I have gone from dead works into new life.
Testimony to the Gospel of Grace
Back in 1972, when some Christians had taught me about the Lord healing our bodies, how much more helpful it would have been had they explained to me on what authority our sinful nature is made right with God. The Bible clearly shows that Jesus substituted for us on the cross. I cannot express it better than Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (This means that Christ took on himself what I ought to suffer for my sins. Before the Father, I trust in Jesus as my substitute.)
That was written 750 years before the crucifixion of our Lord. A short time after the sacrifice of the cross, the Bible states in I Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Because we inherited our sin nature from Adam, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. How can we stand before a Holy God, except in Christ, and acknowledge that He died where we ought to have died? Only through faith we can see, understand and grasp Christ as our substitute. It was Christ who paid the price for our sins: sinless, yet He was crucified. This is the true Gospel message. Is faith enough? Yes, born-again faith is enough. That true faith, engendered by God, will inevitably show good fruit, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). In repenting, we put aside, through God’s strength, our former way of life and our former sins. It does not mean that we cannot sin again, but it does mean that our position before God has changed. We are called children of God, for so indeed we are. If we do sin, it is a relationship problem with the Father which can be resolved, not a problem of losing our position as a child of God in Christ, for this position is irrevocable. In Hebrews 10:10, the Bible says it so wonderfully: “...we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” The finished work of Christ Jesus on the Cross is sufficient and complete. As you trust solely in this finished work, a new life which is born of the Spirit will be yours -- you will be born again.
The Present Day
My present task: the good work that the Lord has prepared for me to do is as an evangelist situated near Austin in the central Texas U.S.A. What Paul said about his fellow Jews I say about my dearly loved Catholic brothers: my heart's desire and prayer to God for Catholics is that they may be saved. I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based in God's Word but in their church tradition. If you understand the devotion and agony that some of the men and women in the Philippines and South America have put into their religion, you may understand my heart’s cry: “Lord, give us a compassion to understand the pain and torment of the search that devout Catholics have made to please You”. In understanding their pain we will have the desire to show them the Good News of Christ’s finished work on the Cross. My testimony shows how difficult it was for me as a Catholic to give up Church tradition, but when the Lord demands it in His Word, we must do it. The “form of godliness” that the Roman Catholic Church has makes it most difficult for a Catholic to see where the real problem lies. Everyone must determine by what authority we know truth. For Papal Rome the ultimate authority lies in the decisions and decrees of the reigning Pope. In her own words, “The Supreme Pontiff, in virtue of his office, possesses infallible teaching authority when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful...he proclaims with a definitive act that a doctrine of faith or morals is to be held as such.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 749). Yet according to the Bible, it is God's Word itself which is the authority by which truth is known. It was man-made traditions which caused the Reformers to demand “the Bible only, faith only, grace only, in Christ only, and to God only be the glory.”
The Reason Why I Share
I share these truths with you now so that you can know God's way of salvation. Our basic problem as Catholics was that personal worth and dignity was ingrained into us. We believed that could respond to the help God gives us to be right in His sight. This presupposition that many of us have carried for years is aptly defined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) #2021, “Grace is the help God gives us to respond to our vocation of becoming his adopted sons....” With that mindset, we were unknowingly holding to a teaching that the Bible continually condemns. Such a definition of grace is man's careful fabrication, for the Bible consistently declares that the believer's right standing with God is “without works” (Romans 4:6), “without the deeds of the Law” (Romans 3:28), “not of works” (Ephesians 2:9), “It is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8). To attempt to make the believer's response part of his salvation and to look upon grace as “a help” is to flatly deny biblical truth, “...if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace...” (Romans 11:6).
The simple biblical message is that “the gift of righteousness” in Christ Jesus is a gift, resting on His all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). So it is as Christ Jesus Himself said, He died in place of the believer, the One for many (Mark 10:45), His life a ransom for many. As He declared, ...this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This is also what Peter proclaimed, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God...” (I Peter 3:18). Paul’s preaching is summarized at the end of II Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him..” (II Corinthians 5:21). This fact, dear reader, is presented clearly to you in the Bible. Acceptance of it is now commanded by God, “...Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The most difficult repentance for us dyed-in-the-wool Catholics is changing our mind from thoughts of “meriting,” “earning,” “being good enough,” simply to accepting with empty hands the gift of righteousness in Christ Jesus. To refuse to accept what God commands is the same sin as that of the religious Jews of Paul's time, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3) Repent and believe the Good News!
Richard Bennett
If there is something on your heart that you wish to share, please email me at: rmbennett@yahoo.com
Thank you.
*Evangelical Convert*
Jason Workmaster
Jason is a lawyer and Evangelical convert to Catholicism who entered the Church in the Summer of 2011. He lives in the suburbs of Washington DC with his wife Nikki and four children. You can read Nikki's conversion story (from the Baptist tradition) here.
As a lifelong evangelical Protestant, I am right now at a place I never thought I would be, having just entered the Catholic Church with my wife and kids at the Feast of the Assumption in August. How I "came home" is difficult to explain. As many Catholic converts have commented, "all roads lead to Rome," which makes it hard to know where to start the story.
Before anything else, though, I must give thanks that I was raised in a Christian home. Because of that, I can't remember a time that I did not believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, and that on the third day He rose again from the dead. I also was always taught that I should follow Jesus no matter where He led. And, so, from that time to now, although there have been detours and a number of twists and turns, I've had this sense that I've been chasing Him. It was only as I came closer to the Catholic Church, however, that I felt that He--to an unimaginably greater extent--had been pursuing me.
I'll start my story with one of my earliest memories of what it was like, at least for me, to be a Protestant--especially an evangelical one. I was in the sixth grade at a private, Baptist school. My family, however, was not Baptist at that time, and I had decided I did not agree with the Baptist (and Calvinist) doctrine of the "perseverance of the saints"--aka "eternal security" or "once saved, always saved." For a guy wired to enjoy debate (I eventually became a lawyer - which shocked a total of zero people who knew me when I was a kid), it was only a matter of time until I got into it with one of my teachers, and that's what happened my sixth grade year. I marshaled all of my Biblical proof texts to demonstrate beyond all doubt that it was possible to lose one's "salvation" after being "saved," and then accosted my teacher. Poor woman - I don't think we were discussing anything remotely concerning "perseverance of the saints" that day. It wasn't one of my finer moments.
As I grew up, nothing really changed in my faith experience. Un-refereed doctrinal debate remained the order of the day--whether it was critiquing the minister's sermon on the way home from Sunday services or jousting with other folks in a Bible study. These debates often would end with someone saying, "Well, this difference of opinion doesn't really matter so let's just agree to disagree." It didn't occur to me at the time to ask, "Then why did we just waste the last hour fighting???"
All of this was done under the protection of the Protestant understanding of the doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers," which meant, in practice at least, that each of us individual Christians had virtually unlimited authority to interpret the Bible for ourselves. I felt free to question everyone else's positions, including my pastor's, on pretty much any doctrinal matter. And so, in Bible studies, we'd seriously debate whether we should insist on the doctrine of the "Trinity" because that word did not occur in the New Testament. One of the few topics generally off-limits, however, was the question of why only the 66 books contained in our Bibles were the ones that should be there. That those were the books that should be there - and no others - I accepted without question, along with the doctrine that the Bible was the sole ultimate authority for the Christian.
This whole system meant that folks even within a particular congregation were at liberty to disagree on any number of issues, and there was no authoritative way even of deciding which differences were important to resolve and which ones weren't. If someone decided the difference was important enough, they'd just leave and find another pre-existing group of people that seemed to agree with them more than their old group, or they'd go rent their own building and put a sign out front with the word "church" on it. Everyone would say that they thought this system was unfortunate, but none of the congregations I was in did anything about it. We just seemed resigned to the fact that the Body of Christ had been torn into a million pieces over doctrinal issues that most of us denied had any real significance. And yet, at the same time, the main point of going to church every Sunday seemed (at least to me) to be merely to learn more and more about doctrine, both in the worship service, which revolved around the sermon, and in Sunday school, so that eventually I could get all the answers right on some divine SAT test. What tended to get lost in all this, of course, was the idea that living a virtuous life in my day-to-day existence was all that important in determining where I'd spend eternity.
Up until about the time I went to law school, none of what I've described so far seemed exceptional or particularly problematic to me. Around that time, though, things began to change. First, a few months before I started law school, my wife and I were married. As I would think many would attest, being married either changes you for the better or you end up miserable and married or miserable and divorced. From where I am now, it seems to me the difference for Christian couples is whether they come to the point where they recognize the sacramental nature of marriage --that is, whether they come to see that Christian marriage itself is a means God uses to convey grace to us to help us reach heaven. In my case, God blessed me with Nikki, a wonderfully patient Christian woman who cares about following Him wherever He leads and always has had an intuitive sense that marriage is a sacrament.
So, when we discovered during law school that the Pill can cause abortions, there was no need to have a big debate on what we should do: we quit using it immediately. We, like so many other Protestant couples we knew, had not been let in on this little secret before we got married. Even though the more general question of artificial contraception remained an open issue for us, this was the beginning of our thinking on the subject. It will come up again later in the story.
The other thing that happened about this time was that I first read Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. I'd first heard of Chesterton from the Protestant apologist Ravi Zacharias while I was in college, and I will always be grateful to Dr. Zacharias for introducing me to the man who turned my faith upside down. When I finished Orthodoxy for the first time, I recognized that Chesterton's faith was not my faith, but I couldn't put my finger on why. So, over the next decade, I read and re-read Orthodoxy trying to figure out what I was missing.
Eventually I learned that Chesterton had become a Catholic some time after writing Orthodoxy, but I didn't immediately grasp that the book makes absolutely no sense outside the context of the Catholic faith. I can now see that what most fundamentally shook me was that Chesterton spoke with the conviction that he was speaking for more than himself--not on everything, but certainly on the important things. None of my Protestant ministers or the Protestant authors I read (including C.S. Lewis) sounded like that to me, and I mean that without disrespect to them. They'd often have very good things to say, but it was always apparent (and often even explicitly stated) that they were only speaking on behalf of themselves. Chesterton, on the other hand, at the beginning of his book disclaimed that he was even going to describe "his" philosophy but rather would only attempt to explain the philosophy in which he had come to believe. He said he could not call it "his" philosophy because "he" did not make it. Rather, God and humanity made it, and it made him [footnote 1]. I eventually came to understand that, as a Protestant, I couldn't say that about myself.
My encounter with Chesterton pointed out to me that, when it came down to it, my doctrinal positions were simply "mine." For example, I rejected Calvinism, not because the Calvinists didn't have an argument, but because I, on my lonesome, didn't think the Bible in its totality supported the Calvinist position. (I still don't, by the way, but that discussion will have to wait for another time.) I also knew that my acceptance of the Biblical canon was supported by very little. If I was going to be a thorough-going Protestant and take the Protestant understanding of the "priesthood of the believer" seriously, then I didn't see how I could avoid taking it upon myself to determine which books (out of all the ones ever written) were divinely inspired and which ones weren't.
This enterprise of constructing my own canon fell apart when I co-taught a Sunday school series on the development of the canon in the early 2000s. I quickly saw that it wasn't obvious, even to the earliest Christians, exactly which books should be in the Bible. And if it wasn't obvious to them, how could it be obvious to me? All of this led me to another question: did God really intend for each individual Christian to decide for themselves whether the Didache or the Shepherd of Hermas--books that were on the early Church's short list for inclusion in the canon--should be in the New Testament or not? That just didn't seem to square with how the Church described in the New Testament settled doctrinal issues. As described in Acts 15, that Church held the Council at Jerusalem to settle the question of the Judaizers. It didn't say, "Well, everyone, just figure it out for yourselves."
Now I'm guessing that some of my readers may be thinking: "No, no, Jason, you're being unfair. Protestantism isn't nearly as subjective as you're making it out to be because there's plenty of stuff that's Protestants accept as settled. For hundreds of years, the overwhelming majority of Christians have accepted the Bible (at least the New Testament) we have today and doctrines like the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. That's the stuff that's really important." I've given this argument a lot of consideration, and I just don't see how it holds water. For starters, where do we get the notion that the truth of Christian doctrine comes down to a "majority" vote or a "consensus" of opinion? Isn't it possible that the alleged "minorities" that denied the "orthodox" understandings of the Trinity and the Incarnation were right? If so, then it could be that the "majority" got their way simply because they had more power. But, if that's the case, then we can't be sure they were right. It is a fundamental Christian precept that "might does not make right"; otherwise, we'd have to reject what Jesus had to say about the last being made first. Also, if we determine what constitutes the real essentials of Christianity by majority vote or consensus, how do we determine the appropriate universe of people to poll in the first place? Is it everyone who simply says they're a Christian? That doesn't seem right. Lastly on this point, even if we accept the "consensus" or "majority"-type approach to determining Christian truth, doesn't that also point us towards Catholicism since the vast plurality of self-identifying Christians in the last 2,000 years have been Catholic? So, even if we play the numbers game, it seems to me that comes out in favor of Catholicism as well.
Also, I think it is impossible to deny that the doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers" within Protestantism means exactly what I've suggested above -- that each of us is on our own to figure out Christianity from the ground up. It makes no sense to me to say that a Christian can simply accept that certain doctrines are Christian doctrines because the early visible Church decided them and then, at the same time, assert that that Church was a fallible Church that eventually fell into utter doctrinal apostasy. As an example of this argument, R.C. Sproul (among others) has suggested that the Biblical canon is a "fallible list of infallible books." With all due respect to Dr. Sproul, that idea is nonsense, and it means that there could be other books floating around out there that should be in our Bibles. But, if that's the case, the Protestant assertion that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority for the Christian must be rejected. If we can't even be sure the books we have in the Bible are the only ones that should be there, how can we insist that those books alone are the ultimate Christian authority?
One last thing to address a typical Protestant argument regarding this authority issue: I do not believe that invoking the "guidance of the Holy Spirit" saves the Protestant position. Everyone calling themselves Christian always says that what they're doing is at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and it is often diametrically opposed to what someone else says they're doing at the prompting of the same Spirit. The problem with this, of course, is that God cannot contradict Himself: He is the same "yesterday, today, and forever."
I began to wonder, if God is good (and He is) and if He loves us (and He does), why would He leave us with a system like this where Christians can never settle any question with finality? It also prompted me to think again about how the Gospel tells us that those who heard Jesus were amazed by Him because He spoke with authority--unlike the teachers of the law. It seemed to me, though, that the Protestant system was the same system that existed prior to Jesus: no one really had the ability to say anything definitively because everyone else had the right to respond, "Well, that's your opinion!" How could that be, though, if the Church is the Body of Christ in the world? If Christ spoke with authority, doesn't His Church need the ability to do so as well, at least on the core of doctrine regarding faith and morals that binds Christians together? This free-for-all also seemed inconsistent with Christ's promise that we would know (not forever guess at) the Truth and that the Truth would set us free. John 8:32. (2)
All of this began to hit me on a more personal level about five or six years ago, again with regard to the issue of artificial contraception. My wife and I were trying to reach final resolution on this issue and were perplexed by the guidance we received. We were told artificial contraception (except for techniques that could cause abortions) was OK because nothing in the Bible explicitly prohibited it -- so it was a matter of "Christian liberty." On the other hand, we read Protestants who made the case that using artificial contraception was not Christian, based on their reading of the Bible. Those were two mutually exclusive positions: someone had to be wrong, and the "Bible alone" didn't answer the question.
It was in the context of researching the artificial contraception issue that I first considered Catholic doctrine on a matter that affected my personal life in a significant way and that would have a profound and immediate impact on my life, my wife's life, and the lives of our children -- both born and unborn. And it involved everything I've talked about so far regarding how we interpret the Bible and the question of who gets to determine the Christian answer on the most critical issues of faith and morals--the individual, autonomous self or the Church. What I discovered was that Catholic teaching on this issue was profound and resonated with everything I had been taught and believed about the preciousness of human life. How could God, if He is good and if He is love and if He is the source of life itself, not give us one answer on this issue that goes to the heart of how new human beings enter the world--and an answer we could be sure was the right answer?
The Church's position on artificial contraception made so much sense and was so consistent with everything I believed about God's love for us that I began to wonder how the Catholic Church explained its other doctrines that I'd always rejected. Thus began a years-long investigation of the teachings of the Catholic Church. What I discovered utterly surprised me. All of my Protestant assumptions and prejudices were completely wrong--whether the issue was the Mass, the other sacraments, the celibacy of the priesthood, the papacy, or (that ultimate stumbling block for many Protestants) the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Toward the end of Nikki's and my journey to the Church, having accepted so many of its doctrines as true, I also experienced first-hand how accepting those doctrines actually can help me live on a day-to-day basis. As I've already discussed, we struggled with the artificial contraception issue throughout our marriage, eventually reaching the conclusion-before we became Catholic-that the Church's teaching was true and that we should live consistent with that teaching. Because of this, we welcomed our daughter Catherine into our family in September 2009. But also because of this, starting in May 2010 through June of this year, we lost our little Mary, Zachary, and Henry to miscarriage. None of these losses make any sense to me. I've asked God so many times why we've lost these children, following a decision we are convinced was in keeping with His will for our lives. But, at the same time, I've found it a comfort in dealing with these losses not to feel that the conception of these children was something Nikki and I had micromanaged. I feel that, if I'd felt that their conception had been something we had totally controlled, I (at least) would have felt guilty for their losses. But because we'd simply been open to what we are convinced is God's will for the giving of life, it made it easier for me to say good bye for now to our little ones.
When we lost Mary, it was the end of the line for me with Protestantism. Much as I loved every single person in our Protestant congregation, I could no longer go on in a system that, at the end of the day, left me feeling alone and without access to the grace I was convinced the Catholic Church offered to help me live life - both in times of joy and in times of sorrow. So, for the first time in my life, in the summer of 2010, I went to Mass. And when the priest raised the host and said, "Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is My Body, which will be given up for you," and the bells rang, I knew that I had found what I had been searching for and what God, in His grace, had been leading me towards--Christ Himself in the Eucharist. And to that, I can only respond: "Lord, I am not worthy to receive You. But only say the word, and I shall be healed."
[1] If you're a Rich Mullins fan, listen to "Creed" some time. You'll hear his paraphrase of this concept he got from Chesterton: "And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am. I did not make it. No, it is making me. It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man." Rich Mullins sadly died in a car accident in 1997 on his way to a concert. Had he lived, he would have received his First Holy Communion as a Catholic the weekend of that concert.
[2] John 8:32 became a key driver in my journey towards the Catholic Church, and I think it is no accident that, when I first met with the priest conducting my Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults ("RCIA") classes and he gave me his business card, this verse was on it.
You can learn more about Jason and Nikki's ongoing journey in the Catholic faith by visiting their blog "The Roman Road".
If you have found this story helpful in your spiritual journey we hope you will consider sharing it. Have feedback or would like to share your story? Email us at convert@whyimcatholic.com
Sister, thank you for the beautiful witness.
I agree with you Bishop lots of people have different idea of being Born again. Thank you 😊
Love your old stuff B.B.
Beautiful explanation. Thank you.
This is the most important part of the Bible for me. I'm sure I read through it when I was in the dark, but it was only re-reading the gospels after the baptism of the spirit when this part really struck me. My strong relation to this part is the sole reason for my current status quo with christianity - a religion which in large is very alien to me. Uncoincidently this is the only video from you that I relate and agree with.
:-)