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Oct 25 12 6:04 PM
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The Power of the Cross
JESUS has always many who love His heavenly kingdom,
but fewwho bear His cross.
He has many who desire consolation, but fewwho care for trial.
He finds many to share His table, but few to takepart in His fasting.
All desire to be happy with Him; few wish tosuffer anything for Him.
Many follow Him to the breaking ofbread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion.
Manyrevere His miracles; few approach the shame of the cross.
Manylove Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise andbless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him.
But ifJesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall eitherinto complaints or into deep dejection.
Those, on the contrary, wholove Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own,bless Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the blissof consolation.
Even if He should never give them consolation, yetthey would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Himthanks.
What power there is in pure love for Jesus—love that isfree from all self-interest and self-love!
Thomas à Kempis,Imitation of Christ
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Member Since: 02/22/12
Oct 26 12 3:03 AM
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Member Since: 07/01/10
Oct 26 12 3:54 AM
Posts: 5783
Member Since: 02/19/08
Oct 26 12 3:56 AM
Midgie wrote:The Power of the Cross failed? You can't be serious, Paul! It's through the Power of Cross we enter Heaven! You know NOT what you speak! You can quote Scripture all you like, Paul, but it doesn't mean you understand it! God bless you
English Standard Version (ESV)
29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Oct 26 12 4:36 AM
Oct 26 12 1:18 PM
Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him — his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men —so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. ISAIAH 52:13–53:12
ROME, Italy (Catholic Online) - After the Way of the Cross, Pope Benedict XVI gave this wonderful reflection and encouragement to the faithful gathered in Rome's collisseum at the conclusion of the Way of the Cross: ***** Dear Brothers and Sisters, Once more in meditation, prayer and song, we have recalled Jesus's journey along the way of the cross: a journey seemingly hopeless, yet one that changed human life and history, and opened the way to "new heavens and a new earth" (cf. Rev 21:1). Especially today, Good Friday, the Church commemorates with deep spiritual union the death of the Son of God on the cross; in his cross she sees the tree of life, which blossoms in new hope. The experience of suffering and of the cross touches all mankind; it touches the family too. How often does the journey become wearisome and difficult! Misunderstandings, conflicts, worry for the future of our children, sickness and problems of every kind. These days too, the situation of many families is made worse by the threat of unemployment and other negative effects of the economic crisis. The Way of the Cross which we have spiritually retraced this evening invites all of us, and families in particular, to contemplate Christ crucified in order to have the force to overcome difficulties. The cross of Christ is the supreme sign of God's love for every man and woman, the superabundant response to every person's need for love. At times of trouble, when our families have to face pain and adversity, let us look to Christ's cross. There we can find the courage and strength to press on; there we can repeat with firm hope the words of Saint Paul: "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Rom 8:35,37). In times of trial and tribulation, we are not alone; the family is not alone. Jesus is present with his love, he sustains them by his grace and grants the strength needed to carry on, to make sacrifices and to evercome every obstacle. And it is to this love of Christ that we must turn when human turmoil and difficulties threaten the unity of our lives and our families. The mystery of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection inspires us to go on in hope: times of trouble and testing, when endured with Christ, with faith in him, already contain the light of the resurrection, the new life of a world reborn, the passover of all those who believe in his word. In that crucified Man who is the Son of God, even death itself takes on new meaning and purpose: it is redeemed and overcome, it becomes a passage to new life. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit" (Jn 12:24). Let us entrust ourselves to the Mother of Christ. May Mary, who accompanied her Son along his way of sorrows, who stood beneath the cross at the hour of his death, and who inspired the Church at its birth to live in God's presence, lead our hearts and the hearts of every family through the vast mysterium passionis towards the mysterium paschale, towards that light which breaks forth from Christ's resurrection and reveals the definitive victory of love, joy and life over evil, suffering and death. Amen.
Oct 27 12 6:57 PM
The Power of the Cross failed? You can't be serious, Paul!
It's through the Power of Cross we enter Heaven!
You know NOT what you speak!
You can quote Scripture all you like, Paul, but it doesn't mean you understand it!
Oct 28 12 7:56 AM
Oct 28 12 10:37 AM
Had2 wrote:As a reminder LN.We use the crucifix as a symbol because we realize that at Mass the sacrifice of Calvary is re-presented (not represented like a symbol) in a non-bloody manner. So the crucifix gives us a visible sign of what is happening on the altar. We also embrace the crucifix because we believe in redemptive suffering. Because we are baptized, we are truly part of the Mystical Body and thus truly part of Christ. Therefore, when we suffer and "offer it up" we really do help sanctify ourselves and the rest of the world. This is why St. Paul says we "make up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ"-Colossians 1:24. As Catholics, we acknowledge that suffering has value because Christ's suffering has value. It brings us eternal life. Thus, we promote the crucifix.More here>http://sttimothyfaith-question.blogspot.ca/2008/02/cross-vs-crucifix.htmlA cross without a figure of Jesus on it is called a cross. A cross with a figure of Jesus on it is called a crucifixJesus' open arms on the cross can also be seen as an invitation for you to come to Him so why would you take that concept away.
Oct 29 12 2:27 PM
Oct 31 12 12:29 PM
Had2 wrote:Did you forget to respond LN? Why did you copy what I wrote?
Oct 31 12 2:03 PM
Loose Nut wrote:Had2 wrote:Did you forget to respond LN? Why did you copy what I wrote? Why do Roman Catholics still have Jesus on their crosses?Jesus said it is finished!Loose Nut
Oct 31 12 7:55 PM
Paul, you don't understand because you're under the mistaken belief that you've reconciled yourself to God.
That's not possible without the Cross of Christ!
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
When the people of Israel were afflicted with serpents in the wilderness because of their sin, God instructed Moses: "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
The bronze serpent points to the Cross of Christ which defeats sin and death and obtains everlasting life for those who believe.
The result of Jesus "being lifted up on the Cross" and His rising and exaltation to the Father's right hand in heaven, is our new birth in the Spirit and adoption as sons and daughters of God.
God not only redeems us, but He fills us with His own divine life and power that we might share in His glory.
Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit that we may have power to be His witnesses and to spread and defend the gospel by word and action,
and to never be ashamed of Christ's Cross.
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
Nov 1 12 4:20 AM
Nov 1 12 5:32 AM
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Member Since: 12/03/06
Nov 1 12 5:48 AM
The Power of the Cross failed? You can't be serious, Paul! It's through the Power of Cross we enter Heaven! You know NOT what you speak! You can quote Scripture all you like, Paul, but it doesn't mean you understand it!
I believe both Paul and yourself are following a gospel of works, of self righteousness that is not entirely dependant after the words of Christ and therefore not the true gospel, and both would come under the teaching in Mathew 7 where Christ says depart form me, I never knew you, as if we could add something we could do to His finished work which of itself provided all the fullness of His grace necessary for us to enter heaven as white as snow without spot or blemish .
The power of the cross is made to no effect through the many Catholic additions coming from the oral traditions of their Bishops.
Rather than His work actually effectually paying for the full wages of sin (every one) which is eternal in nature, coming from the fullness of His grace (100%) Catholic teach is was only a down payment that must be accompanied by their good works.
Instead of His work of faith coming as a labor of His love providing 100% of the grace needed to pay the eternal wage of sin, the work that Christ provided becomes an unknown amount perhaps 17% for one person as a down payment, while His grace provided 100 % for our dear sister in the Lord, Mary, as if God was a respecter of person..
So the power of the cross becomes to them a unknown portion of what is needed to enter heaven and must be made up as the final payment in a place called purgatory which is another unknown factor as to length of time or severity of the suffering that one must do to make themselves clean enough to enter.. and therefore preach another gospel, other than the gospel Christ preaches.
Paul on the other hand seems to have developed his own purgatory doctrine where the suffering comes in as he attempts to fulfill the requirement of Old testament ceremonial laws which were already (past tense) fulfilled at the cross and are identified by the law of God as weak and useless in light of Christ's fulfillment of them. But Christians are the freed men and not in bondage to ceremonial laws as if keeping them is ones own purgatory.
Galatians 4:9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
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