eChurch Blog

“And while Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are out of your mind!” (Acts 26:24). Paul answered the charge by insisting that he was speaking “words of sober truth.” The Greek word translated “sober” denotes “mental soundness, moderation, good sense, self-control.” Certainly Paul’s measured and controlled response to Festus bears out the truthfulness of his soundness of mind.

Poor Festus! He’s new to the Jews and their problems. Perhaps he had never heard of Jesus of Nazareth. He had lived a world away from the miracles and the controversy surrounding the man of Galilee. Also, it is probable that he knew little if anything about the Prophets and Moses. Festus’ frustrated cry was one borne of his own ignorance as he tried to follow Paul’s defense but simply did not have the knowledge necessary to put it all together. It reminds me of today, as folks who know little about what the Bible actually says make similar baseless charges against believers. Humanists, atheists, feminists, hedonists and others mock that which is holy, true and righteous, not knowing at all what they are talking about. It is a matter of the blind leading the blind and everyone ending up in the ditch.

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Thanks go to Goy for sending this one in to me.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth,

O Lord: consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 7:14-23

Alleluia, alleluia!
Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.
Alleluia!Jesus called the people to him and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
When he had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, ‘It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

On Sunday I received notice of an intent to pursue me legally for this blog post which would presumably come under the law of defamation and specifically libel.

This was part of the correspondence I received:

I have referred the rest of your grossly inaccurate comments about the situation with [names forum] to my legal advisors, and have sent them a copy of what you have published here.

Confusingly, today there appeared to be something of a backtrack with a denial of intent to pursue legal action. Apparently, passing information relating to an accusation of libel to your legal advisors, should not be conflated with a threat to pursue me legally?

Not exactly sure how else you could view it!

This chap is now awaiting to hear from his legal advisors, to weigh his options, even though of course, he’s never threatened me with legal action!

This was the second comment I received:

Still lying, Stuart, don’t worry, so many people on [names forum]  know what you have done I doubt you will ever be able to show your face there again without people laughing at you. You have made a mockery of a religion that used to be mine but will never be yours, you will never make any sort of Catholic, your behaviour demonstrates that you know nothing of the Christian faith at all, only the words.

Which speaks for itself.

Today a request was made for me to demand the removal of blog posts written by other bloggers on this incident.

I’d like at this point to mention that this particular guy had been previously suspended from the forum, due to his malicious comments towards me.

The unending stream of continuous attacks against me still rumble on….

Gospel Acclamation 

Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!

The Gospel Mark 7:1-13

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.
The worship they offer me is worthless,
the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God), then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother.” In this way you make God’s word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.’

A few links I found interesting for one reason or another:

Catholic Boy Richard – “Getting It Straight” on Same-Gender Attraction…And Rick Santorum

A Grain of Sand – Fairness

Liberal Conspiracy – Why was my friend jailed over botched attempt to end his own life?

Dreaming Beneath the Spires – Successful Christians; Hidden Christians

Get Religion – Last temptation of Castro

Psych Central – Are You In Recovery But Not Really Recovering?

From a sermon by Saint Sophronius, bishop

In honour of the divine mystery that we celebrate today, let us all hasten to meet Christ. Everyone should be eager to join the procession and to carry a light.

Our lighted candles are a sign of the divine splendour of the one who comes to expel the dark shadows of evil and to make the whole universe radiant with the brilliance of his eternal light. Our candles also show how bright our souls should be when we go to meet Christ.

The Mother of God, the most pure Virgin, carried the true light in her arms and brought him to those who lay in darkness. We too should carry a light for all to see and reflect the radiance of the true light as we hasten to meet him.

The light has come and has shone upon a world enveloped in shadows; the Dayspring from on high has visited us and given light to those who lived in darkness. This, then, is our feast, and we join in procession with lighted candles to reveal the light that has shone upon us and the glory that is yet to come to us through him. So let us hasten all together to meet our God.

The true light has come, the light that enlightens every man who is born into this world. Let all of us, my brethren, be enlightened and made radiant by this light. Let all of us share in its splendour, and be so filled with it that no one remains in the darkness. Let us be shining ourselves as we go together to meet and to receive with the aged Simeon the light whose brilliance is eternal. Rejoicing with Simeon, let us sing a hymn of thanksgiving to God, the Father of the light, who sent the true light to dispel the darkness and to give us all a share in his splendour.

 Through Simeon’s eyes we too have seen the salvation of God which he prepared for all the nations and revealed as the glory of the new Israel, which is ourselves. As Simeon was released from the bonds of this life when he had seen Christ, so we too were at once freed from our old state of sinfulness.

 By faith we too embraced Christ, the salvation of God the Father, as he came to us from Bethlehem. Gentiles before, we have now become the people of God. Our eyes have seen God incarnate, and because we have seen him present among us and have mentally received him into our arms, we are called the new Israel. Never shall we forget this presence; every year we keep a feast in his honour.

I want to publicly apologise to Paul Priest who I have recently treated in a contemptible, uncharitable, and mocking manner, and have done so in public.

So I offer this public apology. Sorry Bro. Forgive me.

Diadochus of Photica, “On Spiritual Perfection”

The light that true knowledge gives out is the ability to distinguish unerringly what is right from what is wrong. This being so, the path of uprightness – which leads the mind towards God, the radiant sun of righteousness – takes that same mind into an unbounded light of knowledge and then leads it on to seek trustingly for love.

Those who are struggling in battle ought always to keep their souls free of the tumultuous waves of distraction. If they do this, the mind will be able to distinguish among the thoughts that come to it. The good thoughts, sent by God, they can store in the treasure-house of their memory. The evil thoughts, sent by the devil, they can throw out. In just the same way, when the sea is calm, the fisherman can see to the bottom of it and practically no fish can escape his gaze; but if it is stirred up by wind and storm, it becomes opaque when in calm times it was transparent – and when that happens, even the wiliest fisherman is wasting his time.

Clearing and purifying the mind is the task of the Holy Spirit alone – just as when a house is being burgled, the spoils can only be recovered if a strong man bursts in and despoils the burglar. Therefore we ought to keep our souls at peace so that the Holy Spirit is welcome there, so that the lamp of knowledge will always be lit – for when it is, the dark and bitter impulses of the devil will be easy to see and they will be reduced to creeping helplessness as they are caught in that holy and glorious light.

This is why St Paul says ‘Do not extinguish the Spirit’ – that is, do not sadden the Holy Spirit with evil acts and thoughts, or his light may cease to protect you. Of course the eternal and life-giving Spirit is not actually extinguished: rather, it is the sad turning away of the Spirit that leaves the mind wrapped in gloom and without the light of knowledge.

The mind has a perfect sense of taste that is able to discern and distinguish. When we are healthy, our body’s sense of taste can unerringly distinguish good from bad, so that we desire only what is good for us. The same applies to our mind, as long as it is in perfect health and not disturbed by too many cares: it can very well perceive and desire the consolations that God offers.Through the action of love, it has an unfading memory of their taste, and so it can always seek what is best.

As St Paul says: My prayer is that your love may increase and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception, so that you can always recognise what is best.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!

 Gospel Mark 6:1-6

Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

I read recently a comment saying that, in the future, when Christianity has largely died out in a secular and decadent West, Christians will not be known for how they worship or who they follow, but simply as that strange bunch of people who don’t kill babies and don’t kill their old people. I could live with that.

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