There's Something About Mary

One of the things many Christians do not understand, is Catholics veneration of Mary. We do not worship her, we simply honor and respect her for what she was--a saint who was more than a figurine you drag out every Christmas as part of your Nativity scene.

Other than hearing the "Virgin Mary" mentioned in the Nicene Creed every Sunday, you rarely hear Mary's name discussed during Mass unless she is part of the rotated scripture readings or at a special Mass. But we have tremendous respect for her. Catholics aren't unique in this regard, most Orthodox Christian denominations, some Anglicans and Lutherans venerate Mary as well.

Why should Mary be venerated and considered more than simply Mother of Jesus?

Ark of the New CovenantMary was the Ark of the New Covenant. To understand this concept and the true meaning behind it, remember the following scriptures in John Chapter 1:

• John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.


• John 1:14: And then the Word became flesh

The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ.
Also remember the Ark of the Covenant which was a vessel containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed:

• Exodus 26:34: Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place.
• Exodus 40:3: Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain.

• Hebrews 9:4: which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
• Revelation 11:19: Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

Mary carried Jesus in her womb. Jesus came into the world and turned it upside down with a New Covenant of Love that was recorded and written in the New Testament. So in essence, Mary was the Ark of the New Covenant.

Mother of God

Mary was Jesus's mother. If you believe that Jesus was God, then Mary has to be Mother of God. To deny this would be to deny scripture and to deny that Christ was fully God and fully man. Remember what Elisabeth said to Mary?

• Luke 1:42-43: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

The Greek word Theotokos (Mother of God) is literally translated into God-bearer or one who gives birth to God. The earliest use of the term Theotokos came in the middle of the third century (250AD) by Dionysios of Alexandria in an epistle to Paul of Samosata. And the title Mother of God was formally affirmed at the First Counsil of Ephesus in 431 AD.

Neither Martin Luther (the Father of Protestantism) and Protestant reformer John Calvin had issues with calling Mary "Mother of God."

God could have created Jesus from dust like he did Adam or from a rib like He did Eve but God wanted the full human experience. God loved us enough to be with us and fully one of us.

God also fulfilled His promise in Genesis by putting an enmity between the Serpent and the woman. The enmity God created between the serpent was Jesus Christ.

• Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

Is there any coincidence that God used Mary? Eve disobeyed God by eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge casting us with the taint of original sin. God uses a woman, The Virgin Mary, to give birth to our Redeemer of sin.

Mary is just not "Mother of God", she is our mother too.

• John 19:25-27: Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Note that Jesus did not say to the disciple: "Here is your sister" to denote her as simply a female Christian. He said "Here is your mother" which has a stronger, much deeper meaning.

We have a Father and a Son, God felt we needed a Mother too.

Nobody was Closer to Jesus
Mary played a role in Jesus's very first miracle at a wedding at Cana, in fact she precipitated it asking Jesus to turn water into wine (see John 2:1-10):

• John 2:1-3: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”


• John 2:4: “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
• John 2:5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus showed humility and obliged his mother and turned the water into the best tasting wine at the wedding feast. This closeness Mary had with Jesus, her prompting of Christ's first miracle is why Catholics believe in intercessory prayer to her--especially via meditation with a Rosary.

Queen of Heaven
Mary is Queen of Heaven. Revelation Chapter 12 is our scriptural proof. Mary is the woman and the dragon is Satan symbolically revealed in Revelation Chapter 12.

• Revelation 12:1-2: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

Some Protestant scholars (perhaps in an attempt to nullify the importance of Mary?) believe that the woman mentioned in Revelation Chapter 12 refers to Israel and that the twelve stars on the woman's head represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

But the last verse in that chapter reveals otherwise. Who does the dragon, enraged at the woman, wage war against?

• Revelation 12:17: Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus

If the woman was to represent Israel, did all of the woman's offspring (Israelis) hold fast their testimony to Jesus? No, not all of Israel were Christians. This is proof that the symbolism of the woman is Mary and Mary's offspring is Christ's church (those who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus).

Mary said Yes to God

When the angel Gabriel asked Mary to mother our savior, she said humbly accepted:

• Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
  
  

Most importantly, what you can take from this blog this Christmas, is the fact that Mary said yes to God, she followed Jesus and nobody was closer to him.

This is what we Christians should do and strive for every second of our life.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Real Gift of Christmas

With Christmas fast approaching, many probably wonder, what gifts will be left for them under the Christmas tree this year. As a kid, I always remember getting that one special gift each Christmas: "I've got a tough assignment for you" Talking GI-Joe, the electric race track that entertained me and the family cat for hours, Electric Football with the Kansas City Chiefs players who quickly vibrated straight for the sidelines each play.

So we are all probably wondering...

What will be the best gift we receive this Christmas?

As an RCIA sponsor, this was shared with me in my parish RCIA class and I think it is appropriate here:

The Difference Between Santa & St. Nicholas

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;
St. Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;
St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption;
St. Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;
St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better.

—J. Rosenthal & C. Myers

See: Who is St. Nicholas?

*************************************************************

As far as what will be the best Christmas gift this season, maybe the above will cause us to refocus. Let's take a look at our Savior and what gifts he left behind.

There are quite a few Christian denominations who subscribe to the Sola Scriptura ("by Scripture alone") doctrine--one of the five solas developed by Martin Luther.

Sola Scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. The belief that "Scripture interprets Scripture" and the Bible is sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian doctrine. Hold on to this concept for a minute. If scripture was able to interpret scripture properly, why do we have 25,000 different Christian denominations? Knowledge is important but the New Testament was written after Christ's Death.

So what did Jesus leave behind for us?

Jesus didn't leave us a Bible. Besides a legacy of love, Our Lord and Savior, left behind two important things.

1) His Church:

• Matthew 16:18-19: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus said this shortly before predicting his own death. He entrusted Peter with authority over His earthly church which mirrors Isaiah 22:20-22.

Apostolic Succession is confirmed in the book of Acts (Acts 1-15-27) and in Acts Chapter 20:

• Acts 20:28: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

The Holy Bible is important. The Holy Bible contains Truth. We know that Jesus quoted from scripture..."For it is written"...to teach but what does scripture tell us is the pillar and foundation of the truth?

• 1 Timothy 3:15: if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth

Reading the Holy Bible and knowledge is important. As St. Jerome once said: "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ."

Father John Corapi, who has five advanced degrees in theology, has said that if knowledge was the key to sainthood, he was sure that he had enough knowledge to be canonized a Saint someday. But as he correctly noted, knowledge is not what makes one a Saint. Most of the Saints were not overly educated people.

If the Holy Bible was the most important thing Christ wanted to leave behind, He could have taken a tree and turned it into a million bibles and handed them to his disciples. But not everyone can read, not everyone can see. The most important things Jesus Christ left behind was His example of love, His church and the Holy Spirit.

2) The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is needed to properly read and interpret scripture and the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive sins was the last gift the Resurrected Jesus left behind.

• John 20:21-23: Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Proof that the Holy Spirit was passed on by Apostle Paul (not one of the original 12 apostles) can be found in Acts 19:1-7

What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The above embodies the Spirit of Christ and what the Spirit of Christmas should be. We all probably have a good working knowledge of what is right and wrong, what is good or evil and sometimes we can probably recite the scripture.

The Holy Bible is a "Do-It-Yourself Manual" but you cannot do it yourself very well without proper spiritual guidance and the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is needed to guide us into doing what is right to avoid sin.

Having been to numerous churches over my lifetime, I have never been able to find a church that connects me more to the Holy Spirit than the Catholic Church. The gifts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion which renews my baptismal promise and helps keep me alive in Christ and helps me from getting disconnected from the Holy Spirit.

So this Christmas, remember the greatest gifts Christ left behind. And the circumstances and situations in which he gave them--shortly before his death and returning from the tomb. And the greatest gift of all if we choose to receive it.

John 6:47: "Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life."

Have a very Merry Christmas!

A recommended video to watch, click HERE

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

"How Do You Read It?"

Luke 10:25-37:

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This parable of the Good Samaritan has another way it can be read.

Although this involved a theft of personal property and being physically beaten, leaving the man on his way from Jerusalam to Jericho half dead, how often do we find people like this in everyday life in the spiritual sense?

You see, Jericho here represents some place we feel we need to reach in life (financial success, power, love, etc). Then on our way there, the fallen world spits us out, robs us and strips us of our dignity and emotionally wounds us---leaving us spiritually half dead.

And how many of us see this person in everyday life and decide like the two others, to walk on the other side of the road. We just don't want to get involved. Afterall, they are not physically crying out for help.

How many of us recognize this person needs help and offer them the bandage for their wounds called Jesus Christ?

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice

How many of us go the extra mile and bring them to the inn--in this case Church--and introduce them to the pastor (the innkeeper) and tell him to "Look after him."

The great message in all of this is that everybody is our neighbor and if you truly love thy neighbor as thyself, you want the best and greatest thing for that person: the final destination of heaven. The Holy Spirit is our GPS. This is what we should try to do as Christians, to lead others on a different pathway to the gift of life eternal.

As Jesus would say: "Go and do likewise."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Understanding Catholicism

I was watching a movie the other night titled Molakai: The Story of Father Damien. Father Damien was a Belgian priest who did missionary work with Lepers in Hawaii in the mid to late 1800s. In the movie, a man (who was Protestant) asked Father Damien: "Do you honestly believe only Catholics go to heaven?" And Father Damien replied: "I am not absolutely certain. But I know that Catholics can go to heaven." Brilliant answer.

With this in mind, I feel that there are some issues that I need to discussed in this blog.

First, in my previous blog, Prayers of the Saints, I talked about why Catholics ask for intercession from saints and a little about the canonization process. Specifically, that two posthumuous miracles are required for anyone to be canonized a Saint. Well, Father Damien was canonized a saint last year in October. The second posthumuous miracle involved a woman given 6 months to live due to cancer and how she was miraculously healed. Click HERE to read this amazing story.

Secondly, for those becoming Catholic, you will not understand how misunderstood our faith is until some of your friends/acquaintances find out that you are becoming Catholic. In an age with so many different Christian denominations, I wrote a blog one year ago that sheds light on why I decided to become Catholic. It is titled: A Halloween To Be Remembered

Other blogs that I have written regarding sacraments that might be useful here are: The Benefits of Confession, The Real Presence of Christ, The Sacrament of Marriage.

But a few other things seem hard for many non-Catholics to understand, like Purgatory, mortal vs venial sins, why Catholic kneel so much during Mass, etc. So I will address a few more here.

Purgatory

Many claim that purgatory is unscriptural because it cannot be found anywhere in the bible. It is true the word purgatory cannot be found in the bible (neither does the word Trinity) but the concept of purgatory is scriptural:

But first, you have to know what purgatory is and what it is not.

Purgatory is the final purification of the elect. It is a state of being, not a physical place like heaven or hell, where after death, souls are purified before entering heaven. How is it scriptural?

In Revelations Chapter 21, it tells us that nothing impure will enter heaven.

• Revelation 21:27: Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So when somebody dies, unless they are in an extreme state of grace at the exact moment of their death, their soul is stained with sin and would not be able to enter heaven without being purified.

Catholic teaching makes no claims to how long someone stays in purgatory. Nobody knows for sure, it could be seconds or years. But it is a Catholic belief that once someone makes it to purgatory, they will eventually make it into heaven.

For those who want discount the concept of purgatory as unscriptural because "the bible only mentions heaven and hell", I would invite them to research the difference between Sheol and Gehenna in the Old Testament. Research how these words were translated in the New Testament and how the New Testament seems to draw a distinction between the two. And to research The Bosom of Abraham that involved Lazarus and the rich man found in Luke 16:22-23 which was neither heaven or hell.

Mortal vs. Venial Sins

Another concept that many non-Catholics do not understand is mortal vs. venial sins. As scripture tells us in Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death." Many believe all sins are created equal but scripture tells us otherwise.

• 1 John 5:16-17: If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
  

The sins that lead to death are mortal sins. The sins do not lead to death are called venial sins.

An excellent guide for determining what is a mortal and venial sin, click HERE. And after reading that list, perhaps you will understand the next topic better.

Why do Catholics kneel during Mass?

Out of love and reverence to God and Christ. It is one of the many ways to pray. The following scriptures probably explain it best:

• Daniel 6:10: Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

• Ephesians 3:14-15: For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name

• Philippians 2:9-10: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Prayers of the Saints

One thing many non-Catholics do not understand is praying to saints. As my Protestant father once told me about his belief in prayer: "We go directly to Jesus." So should Catholics but this doesn't mean that you cannot have others pray for you as well. I don't think I would get much argument with Protestants about their belief in intercessory prayer and the benefits associated with it. Scripture instructs us to pray for eachother:

• James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Who can be more righteous than a saint?

No Contact with the Dead?

Some Protestants will state that the Old Testament prohibits communication with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) but what this scripture is forbiding is conjuring up spirits for the purpose of gaining information. A great example of this would be séances.

We are all One Body in Christ

Jesus came and established a New Covenant and Catholics believe what Jesus said--that true believers never really die:

• John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Ironically, Jesus asked this question to Martha, mother of Lazarus, who was mourning her son Lazarus's death. If communicating to the physically dead is wrong, why did Jesus do it? Further into John Chapter 11, Jesus talked to a physically dead man (Lazarus) and then raised him from the dead:

• John 11:43-44: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

And why did Jesus talk to Moses and Elijah on the Mount?

• Matthew 17:3: Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
  

Also, twice in Revelations it demonstrates that the prayers of the saints are offered to God in heaven:

• Revelation 5:8: And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

• Revelation 8:3: Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

In conclusion, do what feels right in your heart. But many miracles have occurred when praying on the Rosary or when saints have been asked for their help in prayer. In fact, two posthumous miracles are required for any man or woman to be canonized a saint, no matter how holy of a life they lived or how many miracles they were associated with during their lifetime.

So as it says in First Timothy:

• 1 Timothy 2:1: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone

And always remember:

For God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive --Luke 20:38

Thanks be to God and for all the prayers of the saints,

© Michael J. Cox

Thanks Be To God

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. Why? The 3 Fs - Food, Family and Football - and since it is a non-commercialized holiday where you can sit back and reflect on what you should be thankful for in your life. A lot of people pray for things they want from God but I would bet that we are all guilty of not giving enough thanks to God for things He has blessed us with.

Having been to a number of Protestant churches in my life, there is nothing more beautiful than Catholic Mass or the Catholic faith in general. But just like with the sacraments, this depends on the disposition of the receiver and their understanding of it. Too often, many go through the motions. After the first and second scripture readings during Mass, the congregation says: "Thanks be to God!"

This should be more than an empty repetitious verbal response. So giving thanks to God is the theme for this blog. Here is a good scripture reading on this subject, that involves Christ:

Luke 17:11-19: Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Only 1 out of 10 of the lepers had faith and were mindful enough to truly thank God? Has anything really changed in 2000 years? Have you known people who were truly blessed by God but discounted it or didn't really demonstrate thankfulness to God in their life?

Being Thankful For Our Brothers & Sisters In Christ

We should be more thankful for what God has blessed us with. We should be more thankful for the Christian brothers and sisters that God has put in our life along the way. Below is a passage from a letter Apostle Paul that hits home on this subject. Paul wrote this while being imprisoned for his Christian beliefs.

Philippians 1:3-10: I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ

This is a beautiful example of Christian love and a great testament to Saint Paul's thankfulness to God.

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~ William Arthur Wood

Thanksgiving Day is several months away but Thanksgiving should be celebrated every day. Even if it is only for a few seconds. We have a lot more to be thankful for than we will probably ever come to realize.

Peace to you,

© Michael J. Cox

A Case For The Sign of the Cross

The making of The Sign of the Cross, or crossing oneself, is often mistakenly believed to be a purely Catholic ritual. Comedian Bill Cosby once joked about Catholics, calling us quiet people and that we "could communicate with God using hand gestures." Cosby also joked and said that us Catholics didn't have to shout the way Protestants did.

But crossing oneself is not just a Catholic ritual. It is used by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy and to various degrees in Protestant denominations like Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist and Anglican churches.

Understanding The Sign of The Cross

The making of The Sign of the Cross isn't (or shouldn't be) an empty hand gesture, it should be used to begin prayer, in blessings by priests and accompanied by the words "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit." The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say about the Sign of the Cross:

CCC 2157 The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.

How Do You Make The Sign of The Cross?

One takes their right hand touches their forehead (which symbolizes Heaven and the Father for wisdom), then their stomach (which symbolizes the earth and the Son who became incarnate) and then shoulder-to-shoulder (which symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit). Catholics make the motion from their left shoulder to right but many Orthodox Christians go right-to-left.

There are various ways to use the right hand for crossing oneself. Some Christians use an open hand to represent the five wounds of Christ. Others use two fingers (index and middle finger together or crossed) to represent the human and divine nature of Christ. The more common way in Catholicism is to place the thumb, index and middle fingers together to represent the Holy Trinity.

Criticism Of Its Use

Some Christians have criticized usage of making the Sign of the Cross as not scriptural. However, making the Sign of the Cross on the forehead has been a part of the early Church since the 2nd Century. But it begs the question: Does everything have to be in the bible in order for it to be a good or Holy thing? We greet people with a handshake, we wave at friends when we see them in public places, so why can't we use our hands for prayer? Prayer helps us establish and keep a friendship with God.

There are many different religions in the world whose followers all pray to a God or Gods. The use of the Sign of the Cross easily identifies us a Trinitarian Christians (those who believe in the Holy Trinity). Making the Sign of the Cross also reminds us of our baptismal promise since we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And having sat in a special Mass for the deaf and hearing impaired, where we had someone translating the Mass readings into Sign language, it was quite moving and unifying to see these people all make the Sign of the Cross in unison with the rest of the congregation.

Why We Shouldn't Take It For Granted

I remember watching a video of the 1981 Canada Cup with a Russian hockey player friend of mine named Mikhail Kravets. In the championship game, the Soviet Union faced Canada and playing in the nets for the Soviets was the great goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Tretiak had come under fire from Soviet hockey coach Tikhonov.

In the 1972 Summit Series, Tretiak gave up a goal to Canadian Paul Henderson with 34 seconds left in Game 8 to give Team Canada the win in the series. In the 1980 Olympics, Tretiak was pulled and replaced in the first period of Soviet Union-USA game which saw the upstart Team USA comprised of college kids defeat the Soviets in what is now called "The Miracle on Ice."

Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, Americans were led to believe that most Soviets were atheist because atheism was the official religion of the Soviet Union. In fact, the Soviet Union discouraged religion and oppressed it. My friend Kravets was Russian Orthodox and he smiled and pointed out to me in the video of the championship game (between the Soviet Union and Canada) how the Vladislav Tretiak inconspicuously made the Sign of the Cross in the nets just prior to the drop of the puck. Tretiak, hunched over, disguised crossing himself by fidgeting around with his goalie glove but it was an obvious Orthodox right-to-left Sign of the Cross.

Tretiak and the Soviets went on to win that game 8-1 and take the Canada Cup. Tretiak was named Tournament MVP. Ten years later, the Iron Curtain fell and today, 72% of Russia's population consider themselves Christian.

And if anything, making the Sign of The Cross before prayer serves as a visual reminder to others of what Jesus said in Luke 14:27:

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

The Cross, whenever and however we see it, also should remind us as Christians that it represents the greatest evil--the creature kills The Creator--but more importantly, the greatest love--that Christ willfully suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us.

So in essence, it is a sign language of FAITH and LOVE

But to those who live or lived in countries where Christianity was oppressed, it was a sign language of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

In the name of The Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Will of God

A recent trip to Minnesota, where I visited the beautiful Cathedral of St. Paul, caused me to delve more into Paul's life and his letters. Apostle Paul authored the majority of the New Testament Non-Gospel books (His first encounter with Christ was the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus). Anyway, I noticed a number of times Paul identified himself as:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God"

So, I got a little curious and decided to do a search of the exact phrase "Will of God" in the NIV version of the bible on www.biblegateway.com: (Click HERE)

Curiously enough this exact phrase seems to be associated with most of the books attributed to Paul.

Here is one of my favorites scriptures using "Will of God":

• Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As Father Corapi brilliantly said in one of his talks, God is reality and a good working definition of insanity is to to be out of touch with reality. And the world we live in is out of touch with reality.

Will of God vs. Will of Man

But how many Christians--in their day-to-day lives--can discern the "Will of God" and do the right thing and take a stand for our Heavingly Father?

Jesus warns us about doing the will of the Father:

• Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
  

How do you discern the Will of God?

Well, you have to be connected to the Holy Spirit. How do you do this? Through prayer, reading The Word and Godly Counsel. Because if you aren't connected with the Holy Spirit, you will become influenced by other type of spirits not from God--those from Satan.

Whenever you are making a decision and unsure about God's Will, ask yourself if it will please self, man or God and remember who comes first:

• Colossians 3:23: And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men
  

But realise that being a Christian and being true to the Lord won't always endear you to those of the fallen world.

But as Saint Peter says:

• 1 Peter 3:17: It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

As Jesus says:

• Mark 3;35:"For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
  

And always remember:

• 1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

The Way

Many people go through life in search of love and happiness. At one time in our life we have all thought we knew how to get there and have felt that we control our own destiny. It is true that God gave us free will, so we do control a large percentage of our own destiny. We can chose to follow God and His plan and have true happiness in our life or we do it our own way and accept the consequences--which might provide short-lived happiness.

If you experience hardship in your life and are unhappy, get close to Christ. You will find peace and love:

Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" -- St. Augustine

And remember that God is a loving god and He will do whatever it takes to get our attention:

• Hebrews 12:6: because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.
  
• Hebrews 12:10: Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

We are no different than God's Son who suffered. Christ suffered a humiliating, brutal death out of love for us:

• Luke 24:26: "Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

What is the benefit of being a follower of Christ? He will do whatever you ask in His name as long as it is good for us or not a selfish, materialistic request:

• John 14:13: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

As Christians, we sometimes get discourged or get comfortable and slip back to ways of our past when we didn't live as Christians to find happiness. As Satchel Paige once said:

"Don't look back. Something could be gaining on you."

That something is probably Satan and his false hopes and lies.

Christ said something important here to his followers about not looking back:

• Luke 9:62: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

But still, many people try to do it their own way to find happiness and love. Why is this when we have Jesus Christ?

Quite a few times in scripture, Christ said "Follow me." However, Christ did not say that he knew "The Way."

Christ said He was THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE:

• John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox

Faith, Hope and Love

Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Why is love the greatest of them all? Paul tells us:

• 1 Corinthians 13:1: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
• 1 Corinthians 13:2: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
• 1 Corinthians 13:3: If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is the greatest of them all because it "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:7

If you want great love, you have got to be strong in faith and hope:

Faith is what gets you started. Hope is what keeps you going. Love is what brings you to the end.

~ Mother Angelica

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life; that word is love.

~ Sophocles

What is love? God.

• 1 John 4:8: Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
• 1 John 4:16: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Where there is love, there is God also.

~ Leo Tolstoy

If you want great love, get close to God and strengthen your faith. And have hope:

• Romans 5:3-5: Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

~ Mother Teresa

Peace be with you,

© Michael J. Cox