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TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: CATHOLIC LITURGY (Liturgy of the Eucharist) => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST => EUCHARISTIC PRAYER => ELEMENTS OF EUCHARISTIC PRAYER => COMMUNION RITE => PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS In general liturgy meant the public official service of the Church, that corresponded to the official service of the Temple in the Old Law. The word Liturgy literally means work of the people, within the Catholic Church it is used to describe all the public acts of worship that take place, as it draws the people into the work of God. Liturgy is the divine worship of the Church and includes the celebration of Mass, the celebration of the Sacraments, and the Divine Office or Daily Prayer of the Church. The Liturgy of the Catholic Church is divided into two: 1. The Liturgy of Word. 2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist. LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST Liturgy of the Eucharist is the second of the two principal rites of the mass, the central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church, the first being the liturgy of the Word. This is the most solemn part of the Mass, from the Presentation of the Gifts to the Post Communion prayer. The Church has arranged this part of the Mass so that its several parts correspond to the words and actions of Christ at the Last Supper. The mass is at once a memorial and a sacrifice. In the Eucharistic prayer, the church commemorates Jesus Christ and his redeeming work, especially his sacrifice for the sake of all humankind through his crucifixion . The church also recalls the origin of the Eucharist in the Last Supper , when Jesus, anticipating his imminent death, offered his disciples bread and wine, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you,” and, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood,…which will be poured out for you." Jesus instructed the disciples to perpetuate this banquet in his memory. According to church teaching, Christ’s sacrifice is not only recalled in the mass, it is made present. In the Eucharistic prayer, the church asks God the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine on the altar so that by his power they may become the very body and blood that Christ offered on the cross ( see transubstantiation ). That change having occurred, Christ is offered anew to God the Father, and the church unites with him in that offering. EUCHARISTIC PRAYER The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In this prayer, the celebrant acts in the person of Christ as head of his body, the Church. He gathers not only the bread and the wine, but the substance of our lives and joins them to Christ's perfect sacrifice, offering them to the Father. The introductory dialogue, establishes that this prayer is the prayer of the baptized and ordained, is offered in the presence of God, and has thanksgiving as its central focus. Following this dialogue, the celebrant begins the Preface. The Eucharistic Prayers make clear that these prayers are offered, not to Christ, but to the Father. It is worship offered to the Father by Christ as it was at the moment of his passion, death and resurrection, but now it is offered through the priest acting in the person of Christ, and it is offered as well by all of the baptized, who are part of Christ's Body, the Church. This is the action of Christ's Body, the Church at Mass. The priest offers the Eucharistic Prayer in the first person plural, for example, "Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you…" This "we" signifies that all the baptized present at the Eucharistic celebration make the sacrificial offering in union with Christ, and pray the Eucharistic Prayer in union with him. And what is most important, we do not offer Christ alone; we are called to offer ourselves , our lives, our individual efforts to grow more like Christ and our efforts as a community of believers to spread God's Word and to serve God's people, to the Father in union with Christ through the hands of the priest. Most wonderful of all, although our offering is in itself imperfect, joined with the offering of Christ it becomes perfect praise and thanksgiving to the Father. ELEMENTS OF EUCHARISTIC PRAYER The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (no. 79) provides the following summary of the Eucharistic Prayer: The main elements of which the Eucharistic Prayer consists may be distinguished from one another in this way: a) The thanksgiving (expressed especially in the Preface) in which the Priest, in the name of the whole of the holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks to him for the whole work of salvation or for some particular aspect of it, according to the varying day, festivity, or time of year. b) The acclamation by which the whole congregation, joining with the heavenly powers, sings the Sanctus ( Holy, Holy, Holy ). This acclamation, which constitutes part of the Eucharistic Prayer itself, is pronounced by all the people with the Priest. c) The epiclesis in which, by means of particular invocations, the Church implores the power of the Holy Spirit that the gifts offered by human hands be consecrated, that is, become Christ's Body and Blood, and that the unblemished sacrificial Victim to be consumed in Communion may be for the salvation of those who will partake of it. d) The Institution narrative and consecration by which, by means of the words and actions of Christ, that Sacrifice is effected which Christ himself instituted during the Last Supper, when he offered his Body and Blood under the species of bread and wine, gave them to the Apostles to eat and drink, and leaving with the latter the command to perpetuate this same mystery. e) The anamnesis by which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, celebrates the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven. f) The oblation by which, in this very memorial, the Church, in particular that gathered here and now, offers the unblemished sacrificial Victim in the Holy Spirit to the Father. The Church's intention, indeed, is that the faithful not only offer this unblemished sacrificial Victim but also learn to offer their very selves,and so day by day to be brought, through the mediation of Christ, into unity with God and with each other, so that God may at last be all in all. g) The intercessions by which expression is given to the fact that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church, of both heaven and of earth, and that the oblation is made for her and for all her members, living and dead, who are called to participate in the redemption and salvation purchased by the Body and Blood of Christ. h) The concluding doxology By which the glorification of God is expressed and which is affirmed and concluded by the people's acclamation "Amen." COMMUNION RITE The Communion Rite follows the Eucharistic Prayer, leading the faithful to the Eucharistic table. The rite begins with the Lord's Prayer. Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples when they asked how to pray (cf. Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:2-4). In this prayer, the people join their voices to pray for the coming of God's kingdom and to ask God to provide for our needs, forgive our sins, and bring us to the joy of heaven. The Rite of Peace follows. The celebrant prays that the peace of Christ will fill our hearts, our families, our Church, our communities, and our world. As a sign of hope, the people extend to those around them a sign of peace. In the Fraction Rite, the celebrant breaks the consecrated bread as the people sing the Agnus Dei or "Lamb of God." John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). The action of breaking the bread recalls the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, when he broke the bread before giving it to his disciples. One of the earliest names for the Eucharistic celebration is the breaking of the bread (Lk 24:35; Acts 2:42, 46). Before receiving Holy Communion, the celebrant and assembly acknowledge their unworthiness to receive so great a gift. The celebrant receives Holy Communion first and then the people come forward. Those who receive Holy Communion should be prepared to receive so great a gift. They should fast (except for medicines) for at least one hour before receiving the Eucharist and should not be conscious of having committed serious sin. Because sharing at the Eucharistic Table is a sign of unity in the Body of Christ, only those in communion with the Catholic Church may receive Holy Communion . To invite others present to receive Holy Communion implies a unity which does not exist. Those who do not receive Holy Communion still participate in this rite by praying for unity with Christ and with each other. The people approach the altar and, bowing with reverence, receive Holy Communion. The priest or other minister offers the Eucharist to each person saying, "The Body of Christ." The person receiving responds by saying, "Amen," a Hebrew word meaning, "So be it" ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2856). As the people receive Holy Communion, the communion chant/song is sung. The unity of voices echoes the unity the Eucharist brings. All may spend some time in silent prayer of thanksgiving as well. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION The Communion Rite ends with the Prayer after Communion which asks that the benefits of the Eucharist will remain active in our daily lives. That end the liturgy of the Eucharist. CONCLUSION ‘Liturgy is not an event that depends on good ideas and great songs. No one makes up or invents a liturgy. It is something that grew over millennia of faith.’ YOUCAT (paragraph 167) The community of worshippers, through participation in the mass, expresses unity and dependence upon God and seeks spiritual nourishment in the attempt to share the gospel, by word and deed, with all people. In the sacrificial banquet of the mass, the church accepts Christ’s invitation to eat his body and drink his blood under the appearances of the consecrated bread and wine. By partaking in this sacred meal, the members of the church join in intimate fellowship with Christ and with one another. Having taken Christ’s sacrifice into themselves, they are spiritually sustained and strengthened to make that sacrifice their own by serving God through serving others. REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.britannica.com => https://www.usccb.org => https://www.catholicculture.org We have come to a conclusion on the topic CATHOLIC LITURGY (Liturgy of the Eucharist) Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS WONDERFUL TOPIC EITHER BY ASKING OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

Saint Scholastica was born on March 2, 480 (based on the reported date for her twin brother). She died in 542. She was the twin sister of Saint Benedict. Image of Saint Scholastica and Saint Benedict obtained from https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/02/saint-scholastica-of-nursia-sister-of.html Very little is known about Saint Scholastica's early life. She was born to wealthy parents in Nursia, Italy, and was the twin sister of Saint Benedict of Nursia. As is not uncommon with twins, Scholastica shared some of the very same interests as did her brother. For instance, they both started monasteries within five (5) miles of each other - Benedict at Monte Casino and Scholastica at Plombariola. It is said that Scholastica and Benedict met once a year at a farmhouse where they discussed spiritual matters and in pious prayer. They had to meet in a farmhouse because Saint Scholastica was not allowed inside the monastery at Monte Casino. Not only did Saint Scholastica found the monastery at Plombariola, she governed it. It appears that Saint Benedict directed his sister and the nuns at Plombariola. On the last such occasion that brother and sister met, Saint Scholastica must have sensed that her death was near, and she asked her brother to stay the night with her in pious prayer and discussion of spiritual matters. Saint Benedict refused, citing the Rule of Saint Benedict, which prohibited the monks from remaining outside the monastery overnight. Saint Scholastica then prayed to God that her brother stay the night with her. Out of nowhere, a severe thunderstorm appeared with a lot of lightening. This storm prevented Benedict and his monks from leaving the farm that night. According to Pope Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Benedict asked Saint Scholastica what she had done. Her response? Something along the lines of "I had asked you to stay and you rejected it, so I asked God and he granted it." The next morning, they left each other's company for the last time. Three days later, Saint Scholastica died. Saint Benedict had a vision of her death and saw her soul leave her body in the form of a dove that flew on to Heaven. He sent several of his monks to retrieve her body and he buried her in a grave that he had prepared for himself. She died on February 10, 543, just under a month shy of her 64th birthday. She is a patron saint of cloistered nuns, and against lightening, rain and storms. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (Franciscanmedia.org) is another site that I peruse regularly.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich was born in 1774. She died in 1824. She was a mystic and visionary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She also had the stigmata of Jesus. Image located at https://saintscatholic.blogspot.com/2014/03/blessed-anne-catherine-emmerich.html?m=1 Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich was born September 8, 1774. She was born in Flamshen, a small farming community located in Coesfield in the Diocese of Münster, Westphalia, Germany. She died on February 9, 1824 at the age of 49 in Dülman. That is where she had been a nun. At the end of her life, she was bedridden. At an early age, Anne displayed a strong spirituality In 1813, she began displaying the stigmata. They were exhibited on her body for only a short time of a couple of years, with the bleeding stopped and the wounds closed in 1818. She was moved for a time due to accusation of Blessed Anne being a fraud. However, after investigation, it was determined that there was no fraud. Blessed Anne experienced visions of the life and the Passion of Christ as revealed to her by the Blessed Virgin Mary in a state of religious ecstasy. This article will not go into much details on the works by Clemens Brentano, as there is much controversy with them. The accusations are that Brentano, a romantic poet, may have embellished some parts of his interviews with Blessed Anne. One of the Brentano books is called The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although neither Emmerich not Brentano had ever been to Ephesus and Ephesus had not yet been excavated, the book was quite helpful in finding what is believed to be the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary prior to her death and Assumption into Heaven. What follows is an excerpt from the book regarding Mary's house: "The Blessed Virgin's dwelling was not in Ephesus itself, but from three to four hours distant. It stood on a height upon which several Christians from Judea, among them some of the holy women related to her, had taken up their abode. Between this height and Ephesus glided, with many a crooked curve, a little river. The height sloped obliquely toward Ephesus." In 1881, French priest Abbé Julien Gouyet utilized the book and found what is widely speculated to be the home of Mary. While the Vatican has taken to official position on the house, Pope Pius XII declared the house to be a holy place in 1951. Pope John XXIII made the declaration permanent. The house has been visited and treated as a shrine by three popes: Pope Saint Paul VI (1967), Pope Saint John Paul II (1979) and Pope Benedict XVI (2006). Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich died on February 9, 1824. She was buried in a graveyard outside of the town of Dülman. The grave was opened twice in the weeks following her burial based on rumors that the coffin and body had been stolen from her grave. Each time, they were found to be in the grave and intact. Her remains were moved to the Holy Cross Church in Dülman in 1973. Her remains remain there to this day. The Bishop of Münster opened the cause for the canonization of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich in 1892. The cause was officially opened by the Vatican in 1899. The cause was suspended in 1928 when it was discovered that Brenton may have fabricated some of the material in the books. The cause was reopened in 1973 when the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints agreed to re-open the investigation, provided that the cause focused solely on her merit and virtue and not on the possibly-fabricated books. She was beatified on October 3, 2004 after the Congregation had issued a decree of a miracle attributed to her. Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friends, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I regularly mention in my broadcast include: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Franciscan Media (franciscanmedia.com) is another site that I peruse regularly.

St. Josephine Bakhita was born ion the Darfur area of Sudan. She was of royalty, so she had a great life growing tup, until she was kidnapped by some Araba and sold into slavery. Thery gave her the Arab name Bakhita, which means "Fortunate" in Arabic. She was kidnapped when she was but nine years old. Image from https://fineartamerica.com/featured/st-josephine-bakhita-samuel-epperly.html St. Josephine was born somewhere around 1869. She was captured into captivity and sold as a slave around 1877 (she was between 8 and 9 at the time). Sher was sold some 12 times over a 12-year period of time. She has good and gentle masters and she had cruel masters who would beat her with a , or draw designs own her back in flower and then sketch them out with a knife and drawing blood, being sure too pour salt in there wound to ensure that it would leave a scar. One of her masters, an Italian consul, agreed to take her to Italy. She was given as a wedding gift to an Italian family. When her Italian family took an excursion to the Sudan, they left St. Josephine in the care of a group of Canossian sisters in Venice. It was with the Canossian Sisters of Charity that she learned about God. St. Josephine had always believed in a god who created everything, but now, she came to know Him. When her mistress returned, St. Josephine refused to leave the convent, which led to a court battle. The Italian Courts sided with Josephine, holding that, because slavery had been outlawed in Sudan before she was kidnapped, Sty. Josephine could not bear s slave and she was declared a free woman. for the first time her her life, St. Josephine was truly free! St. Josephine chose to remain with the Canossian sisters and was baptized on January 9, 1890. She received her first Holy Communion and was confirmed on that date. She was confirmed by the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, Giusseppe Sarto, the future Pope Saint Pius X. She took the name Josephine Margaret Fortunata (the Latin translation of her slave name). On December 7, 1893, St. Josephine took her novitiate vows with the4 Canossdian Order. She took her permanent vows on December 8, 1896. She was assigned to the convent at Schio, Vicenzia, Italy. For the next 42 years, she would serve as the cook and doorkeeper pot the convent. She was also given the opportunity to travel to other convents, where she would share her story and preparing the sisters for their missionary work in Africa. She was known for her tender and loving voice sand was lovingly referred to as the "Little Black " or ass the "Brown Sister". When she spoke of her enslavement, she often said that she would thank her kidnappers. If not for them and their action, she would never have come to known God and His Son, Jesus. During World War II, the people of Schio would refer to St. Josephine as their protector because, while bombs did fall in the city, not a single civilian was killed. As she grew older, St. Josephine required the use of a wheelchair. When anyone asked how she was doing, her response would be "as the master desires". It was on February 8, 1947 that St. Josephine spoke her last word, which were, "Our Lady, Our Lady." and then she died. Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friend, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I mention in my broadcast are: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org). Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friend, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I mention in my broadcast are: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org).

By Ken Litchfield Many Christians believe in the Rapture. Some believe the Bible says there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Some say the Bible says there will be a Mid –Tribulation Rapture. Some say the Bible says there will be a Post-Tribulation Rapture. Some say there will be all three. All these interpretations come from some verses in the Bible and some persons understanding of them. But some churches don’t teach the doctrine of the Rapture. All of the churches started before 1800 don’t teach the Rapture. These Churches include the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Lutheran, Reform and Presbyterian Churches, the Anglican, Episcopal, Methodist and Wesleyan Churches, the Quakers, the Church of Christ, and the Amish. Some modern Evangelical Bible churches teach you are saved by confessing Jesus as your Savior. Then you are guaranteed to go to Heaven. And you can develop your own personal relationship with Jesus on your terms. Some also teach that the "rapture" will take all the believers away before anything really bad happens. It is a great promotional idea that has brought many people into their churches. The reason so many Protestant churches don't teach the Rapture doctrine is because the Rapture doctrine was invented in the 1830s by a man named John Nelson Darby who was inspired by the private, fever induced, revelations of a 16-year-old girl named Margret MacDonald. Darby's interpretation of the Bible was promoted through the Moody Bible Institute, the Scofield Study Bible and the Dallas Theological Seminary. John Walvoord is considered the Dean of the Pre-tribulation Rapture at Dallas Theological Seminary. He wrote a book called “The Rapture Question”. In his book he writes: “The early Church did not teach 20th century pre-tribulationism.” ‘The early church teaching can only be described as post tribulational.’ ‘The Early Church Fathers were post tribulational Protestants that believe in the pre-tribulation rapture point to this part of the Bible as the foundation of their belief. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 where it says "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up (raptured) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus, we shall always be with the Lord." Pre-tib rapture believing Protestants support this catching away of believers with verses from Matthew ch24 and Luke ch17 where it says One will be taken and one will be left. 1 Corinthians ch15 gives us a good foundation on what will happen when Jesus returns, “50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” In 1 Thessalonians ch4 it says "The Coming of the Lord 13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; 17 then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words." No where does this chapter say that Jesus returns to Heaven after catching up the faithful living and dead. Also, the loud trumpets and people rising from the grave tell us that Jesus second coming will not be a mysterious disappearance of believers. In Matthew chapter 24 it says 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 28 Wherever the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together. The Coming of the Son of Man 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; 30 then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; 31 and He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. The Necessity for Watchfulness 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. From this we learn that after the Tribulation the coming of the Son of Man will be accompanied by lightning, the earth shaking, and the sun and moon will be darkened. We also see that the bad people are end up where vultures gather. In Luke chapter 17 we get the same story of the 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was in the days of Lot—they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together.”  The coming of the Son of Man will be accompanied by lightning flashes, thunder, and earth shaking. It will be like the days of Noah and Lot where the bad people were taken away in the flood or the destruction of Sodom and the good people were left behind in the ark or as Lot and his family. It also provides clarification where the people taken away go to. Jesus tells us about the second coming is in John ch6 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  Chapter 11 tells us 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. John ch12 tells us 48 He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. These chapters tell us that Jesus will raise us and judge us on the last day. The last day is when Jesus returns to the earth. The Bible says we are not appointed to wrath but it doesn't say we are not appointed to tribulation. Wrath is punishment by God. Tribulation is testing by God. In 1 Thessalonians ch3 Paul says we have to endure tribulation. In John ch16 it says, “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In Matthew ch24, it says we will have to endure the “Great Tribulation”. In Acts 14:22 it says “…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” In Revelation ch1 it says that when Jesus comes back, He will be coming in the clouds and every eye will see Him including those who pierced Him. All believers and non-believers will see Jesus when He returns.  Only those that are fully Holy will enter Heaven according to Revelation chapter 20. The Book of Revelation covers events from the point where Satan was expelled from Heaven, to the destruction of the first Jerusalem, to the construction of the New Jerusalem. How ever, when you look at the Book of Revelation as it relates to the Mass, you see the reading of the letters in the first 4 chapters. This corresponds to the Liturgy of the Word (4 Bible readings) in the Mass. Then John is caught up to Heaven for the Heavenly Eucharistic Liturgy. This is the Wedding Supper of the Lamb where Jesus and His Church bride are permanently united at His Second Coming. John ch6 tells us Jesus will raise us on the Last Day. John ch12 tells us the Final Judgement at the Last Day. 1 Thessalonians ch4 tells us there will be a loud trumpet call and the faithful dead and living will be caught up in the air to meet Jesus as He comes down to earth. Matthew ch24 and Luke ch17 tell us that the Jesus is only coming back once, On the Last Day, not one and a half times. Church Fathers on the Rapture Some “Rapture” believers refer to some early Church Father writings to support their doctrine. When read with a “Rapture” doctrine mindset, they can be interpreted to support the “Rapture”.  When these writings are read in context of all of the author’s writings and the struggles of the Catholic Church in the first 300 years, they are easily interpreted as referring to the struggles of the Church in their times. To interpret them as referring to the “Rapture” would also put the “Rapture” in their time as well not ours.  Knowing the BIG Picture keeps a person from seeing the “Rapture” in these few sentences of the many that these Catholic Christians wrote. All of the Catholic Christians referred to here also taught the same Catholic understanding of Baptismal Regeneration, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the primacy of the Church in Rome. and the sinlessness of Mary as the New Eve. None of the Protestant churches of the first 300 years after 1520, taught the doctrine of the “Rapture”. Didache “Watch for your life’s sake. Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ye ready, for ye know not the hour in which our Lord cometh. But often shall ye come together, seeking the things which are befitting to your souls: for the whole time of your faith will not profit you, if ye be not made perfect in the last time. For in the last days false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate; for when lawlessness increases, they shall hate and persecute and betray one another, and then shall appear the world-deceiver as Son of God, and shall do signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands, and he shall do iniquitous things which have never yet come to pass since the beginning. Then shall the creation of men come into the fire of trial, and many shall be made to stumble and shall perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved from under the curse itself. And then shall appear the signs of the truth; first, the sign of an out-spreading in heaven; then the sign of the sound of the trumpet; and the third, the resurrection of the dead; yet not of all, but as it is said: The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.” In 150AD Justin Martyr wrote in his Dialogue with Trypho chapter 80 Trypho: But tell me, do you really admit that this place, Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt; and do you expect your people to be gathered together, and made joyful with Christ and the patriarchs, and the prophets, both the men of our nation, and other proselytes who joined them before your Christ came? Justin: I am not so miserable a fellow, Trypho, as to say one thing and think another. I admitted to you formerly, that I and many others are of this opinion, and [believe] that such will take place, as you assuredly are aware; but, on the other hand, I signified to you that many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true Christians, think otherwise. But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare. Here Justin is speaking about the New Heavenly Kingdom Jesus will bring at His second coming. Justin does not specifically mention a new Temple, just a new city. The thousand-year reign is the new everlasting kingdom of God here on earth. For Jews the number 10 was the number of completion. To multiply 10 by 10 by 10 which equals 1,000 is to show that it is completely, complete. In 180AD Irenaeus: Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 29, Paragraph 1. “And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be." For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they over-come, they are crowned with incorruption.” A Rapture believer might take this to say that Christians will be caught up before the tribulation. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 tells us that believers will be caught up to meet Jesus as He returns to establish His new Kingdom here on earth. Neither 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 or Irenaeus tell us that these believers are caught up to Heaven while the rest endure tribulation on earth. The great tribulation will be the last contest for the righteous. They will need to be on earth to endure it to show their faithfulness. Therefore, they won’t be caught up until after the tribulation. Treatises of Cyprian “We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that BY AN EARLY DEPARTURE YOU ARE TAKEN AWAY, AND DELIVERED FROM the SHIPWRECKS and DISASTERS that are IMMINENT? Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which SNATCHES US HENCE, and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom.” Cyprian says here that the terrible times (tribulation) have begun and will get worse soon. If these sentences refer to the rapture than it already happened in HIS time. The great advantage of departing quickly is when the Christians were martyred without torture. There were many waves of persecution during the Roman empire which could appear as the ship wrecks coming SOON which again was then, not now. These sentences do not refer to the rapture since Cyprian says “Let us greet the day which assigns each of us his own home… can also refer to the individual’s death when they would then go to the paradise of the Kingdom (Heaven). You have to start with a “rapture” mentality to read the rapture into these sentences. Cyprian is writing about the troubles of HIS time not ours or the time to come. He is offering encouragement to the Christians of HIS time who are suffering persecution. Treatises of Cyprian Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: “Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord!” For ALL the SAINTS and elect of God are GATHERED, PRIOR TO THE TRIBULATION that is to come, and are TAKEN TO THE LORD lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins. And so, brothers most dear to me, it is the eleventh hour, and the end of the world comes to the harvest, and angels, armed and prepared, hold sickles in their hands, awaiting the empire of the Lord. And we think that the earth exists with blind infidelity, arriving at its downfall early. Commotions are brought forth, wars of diverse peoples and battles and incursions of the barbarians threaten, and our regions shall be desolated, and we neither become very much afraid of the report nor of the appearance, in order that we may at least do penance; because they hurl fear at us, and we do not wish to be changed, although we at least stand in need of penance for our actions!” Here again Cyprian is writing about Christianity at HIS time. He refers to HIS time as the eleventh hour, wars with the barbarians and the end of the world which would therefore have happened in HIS time not ours. Cyprian encourages Christians to not ignore the chance to do penance before the end of the world. Again, you have to start with a “rapture” mindset to see the rapture in these sentences. Again, they actually refer to events of Cyprian’s time not ours. Early Rapture Teachers The idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, as it is taught today, didn't come up until John Nelson Darby in the 1800s, who invented dispensationalism which led to his new interpretation of the Bible. Darby thought that God’s salvation plan for the Jews was still in effect. Therefore, he had to invent a way for the Christians to be taken away from the earth so God could save the Jews again. In the last eight years three writings have been discovered that show a pre-tribulation rapture was believed and taught by some earlier Christians, but this idea was not present among most early Christian writers.  In 1260, Gerard Sagarello founded the Apostolic Brethren after his application for membership with the Franciscans was rejected. At that time the founding of new religious orders was strictly forbidden by the Pope and several Church Councils. Therefore, the Church tried to abolish the Apostolic Brethren. In 1300 their leader, Gerard, was arrested, and subjected to an inquisition. After he refused to accept correct Church teaching, he was turned over to the State for sentencing. Since citizens were required to hold the Faith of the State, Gerard was burned at the stake for treason. Brother Dolcino, who had been a member of the Apostolic Brethren for a number of years, took over leadership of the order around 1304. At one point under his leadership, the Apostolic Brethren had grown to about 4,000 members. The persecuted order under Dolcino’s leadership withdrew to the mountainous areas of northern Italy, near Novara and Vercelli. But the size of the order and their need for daily sustenance, resulted in clashes with local authorities. In 1306, a bull was drawn up by Pope Clement V, and a crusade was launched against them. In 1307, over 400 members of the Apostolic Brethren were killed by armed forces with the Authority of the Pope. Dolcino was captured, mutilated, and burned at the stake for treason. Morgan Edwards discovered a statement by Pseudo-Ephraem in 1744 and later published them in 1788. Edwards claimed that Pseudo-Ephraem wrote about his pretribulation rapture beliefs. The original writing was delivered by the church father Ephraem of Nisibis, but was Published soon after in the name of Pseudo-Ephraem. However, the fact that the Apocalypse of Ephraem of Nisibis was replicated centuries later by Pseudo-Ephraem has led to confusion about identities of the two persons and the dating of the manuscript. In addressing the question of the authorship of the sermon, this article examines the political and religious milieu and mind-set of Ephraem of Nisibis and Pseudo-Ephraem respectively within late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. This writing recounts the events of the Book of Revelation, but does not include a "rapture" of believers before the bad things happen. A Catholic view on the End Times. The Catholic Church and the Bible teach that Jesus can come back at any time and we should always be prepared for His second coming. Jesus says No man knows the day or the hour and that His return will be like a thief in the night (Mt ch24). This is why we always need to keep ourselves in a State of Grace. One of the signs of Jesus’ return is the rise of the Anti-Christ. There will be a large percentage of the Jews will turn to Jesus and become Christians or fulfilled Jews. Those anticipating Jesus' return may be caught up to meet Him as He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. Then there will be the Final Judgement where all our past deeds will be revealed, and we will see how they effected the rest of the world (Rev ch20). We will see God’s justice for those that are headed to Hell. We will also see how our good deeds affect others and how many times God has forgiven us for our sins. Everyone heading to Heaven will be fully filled with Grace, but some will have a greater capacity to be filled with Grace based on their deeds in this life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church covers the End Times in paragraphs 668-682; 1021; and 1038-1041. JESUS' SECOND COMING IN BRIEF 680 Christ the Lord already reigns through the Church, but all the things of this world are not yet subjected to him. The triumph of Christ's kingdom will not come about without one last assault by the powers of evil. 681 On Judgment Day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil which, like the wheat and the tares, have grown up together in the course of history. 682 When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace. DEATH AND JUDGMENT 1021 Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ. The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul -- a destiny which can be different for some and for others. JUDGEMENT IN BRIEF 1051 Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead. 1052 "We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ's grace . . . are the People of God beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when these souls will be reunited with their bodies" (Paul VI, CPG § 28). 1053 "We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is and where they are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their fraternal concern" (Paul VI, CPG § 29). 1054 Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God. Failed Predictions There have been many failed predictions over the past 2000 years about the Jesus' second coming and the end of the world. In the first century Christians thought Jesus was coming back before the Apostle John died. In the 200s the Montanists taught that Jesus would return in that century. In the late 300s Augustine wrote about how the "1000 Years" of Christ's Reign was the Church age which was currently happening here on earth. In Jewish literature, 10 is number of fullness or completion. They would use the same word in multiples for emphasis so 10x10x10=1000 which is fully complete. During the plagues of the Middle Ages, many people thought they were signs of the second coming of Jesus. In the 1500s Martin Luther and John Calvin thought of the Pope as the Anti-Christ and Jesus was coming back soon. In the 1840s, William Miller taught his Millerite followers that the second coming was going to be in 1843 or 1844. In 1914 the Jehovah Witnesses taught that Jesus was coming back. In 1971 Hal Lindsey published his book the and predicted Jesus would return in the 1970s. In 1983 Hal Lindsey published his book Rapture Truth or Consequences. Edgar Whisenant published his book, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988 with an expectation of Jesus return around September 11 to 13. When that prediction failed to happen, he predicted the same event for 1989. In 1994 Harold Camping predicted the second coming of Jesus. Many people predicted the end of the world for the year 2000. Harold Camping promoted the second coming again for May 21, 2011: Judgment day? Through his 55 radio stations and 6000 billboards. Many people predicted the end of the world for 2012 based on the end of the Mayan calendar. John Denton has predicted the second coming of Jesus for 2034 based on his calculation that God made His first covenant with Abraham in 1968BC. Jesus' new covenant in 33/34AD. So, Jesus second coming should be in 2034 to keep the 2 covenants of equal length. We shall see. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Library of Date Setters of The End of the World The end is coming, but over 200 human predictions have come and gone! False prophet Harold Camping last predicted the end of the world in 1994. Camping then predicted May 21, 2011 at exactly 6pm (sunset in Jerusalem). Date setters make irresponsible predictions, misleading the ignorant masses for higher TV ratings and book sales! Many people have tried to predict the Lord's return by using elaborate time tables. Most date setters do not realize mankind has not kept an unwavering record of time. Anyone wanting to chart for example 100 BC to 2000 AD would have contend with the fact 46 BC was 445 days long, there was no year 0 BC, and in 1582 we switched from Julian Years (360 days) to Gregorian (365 days). Since most predictors are not aware of all these changes in the calendar, their math is off by several years from the beginning. Library of Date setters for end of the world!

You may recall some time ago when I wrote about Saint Winnebald (https://www.the4persons.net/post/saint-of-the-day-saint-winebald), I mentioned that he was a saint that came from an entire family of saints, including both of his parents and his uncle, Saint Boniface of Mainz (my Confirmation Saint). Today is the feast day of Saint Richard, the father of Saint Winnebald and brother-in-law of Saint Boniface (Winfred). Image of Saint Richard from https://catholicfamilymen.com/blog/catholic-saints-husbands-and-fathers/ Saint Richard was there father of Saints Winnebald, Winnebald and Walburga. He was married to Saint Wunna. He was the brother-in-law of Saint Boniface. His birthplace may have been Wessex, England. It is said that, when his son, Saint Willibald was gravely ill as a child, Saint Richard's prayers saved his life. He was on pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land with his two sons, Saint Willibald and Saint Winnebald, when he took ill at Lucca, Italy. He died there and was buried there. Great miracles were widely reported at his tomb and he was, thus, venerated in and around Lucca. Over time, the locals embellished his story and he was identified as Saint Richard, King of the English. Although may have been King of Kent and related to the royals by blood, he was not THE king of the English. When he left for pilgrimage, Saint Richard gave up his claim to royalty. Some of his relics were transported to the church in Eichstatt, Germany. His son, Saint Willibald, would become bishop there. Saint Willibald also wrote the biography of Saint Boniface. The information for this article was gleaned from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=135 and https://www.morningoffering.com/?ltkSubKey&submissionGuid=99ef8ad1-a6ac-4d90-86cd-5d0cfe6fa55d Please join me at 3:30 pm Eastern (US) time for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Saint of the Day and Daily Update. Please visit our friend, Tony and Paulette Rock at the Rock Company Shop. Websites I mention in my broadcast are: Morning Offering (www.mortningoffering.com) and Catholic Online (www.catholic.org).

Background: In what can only be described as cruelly ironic, A group calling itself The prophetic grace network recently produced a show that betrayed a staggering lack of understanding of either prophecy or grace. The number of inaccurate and unbiblical claims are too numerous to list here. We will focus tonight's broadcast on proving the falsity of one specific assertion. That assertion is that John's Revelation is describing the Catholic church in it's depiction of Mystery Babylon, the mother of all harlots and abominations of the earth (Revelation 17 & 18). Our sincere attempt is to keep the focus of this debate as narrow as possible and to bring in peripheral facts only as they support the case we are about to make. Having never met these individuals, we cannot know their hearts and do not presume to. Moreover, the arguments we make may be used in future debates on the same subject. As such, we intend to keep focused on the deconstruction of their position and the establishment of the facts. Let us begin. OPENING ARGUMENT I have little doubt that I get any argument from my opponent in my assertion that the Holy Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God. Anyone who claims to be a Christian will say as much. However, there are qualifiers to that statement and they must be addressed. The Bible is the inerrant and inspired Word of God when it is properly translated, contexed in a complete and proper canon, and properly interpreted. The Word of God is not man's plaything and it sacredness is safeguarded only by proper exegesis rather than reckless Eisegesis. We apprehend the text and expose the truth within it. We dare not approach the sacred text with man-made novelties, seeking to impose them on God's Word. Sadly, that is exactly the sacrilege committed by my opponents that I must correct tonight. The contrast is about to be clearly shown from their wildly errant conclusions borne of man-made interpretive novelties and what I will show you. What I will show you is the plain and irrefutable truth, properly exegeted from the sacred text, with nothing added or subtracted. Throughout this open, I will make you aware of preconceptions that they subtly insert that are not supported by the text. Let's deal with the first now. My opponents claim that the Book of Revelation is a chronology of end-times events shown to John as a documentary. Nothing in the 22 chapters of the book support this notion yet my opponents suggest it as a precondition for understanding the Book. Rather, the Book presents itself as a mural of God's salvation story, presenting past, present and future events. Past, present and future with respect to the writer and the audience he wrote to in 68 AD, the year of the 4 emperors. Before John's time: Revelation 12: 7 And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. In John's time: Revelation 1: 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, And those that were imminent. Imminence is the clear message. The urgency of John’s warnings cannot be missed. Nearly all of the things that he is warning of are to be seen soon and by the people still living at the time. 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John, 7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. Even so. Amen. John is not talking about the return of Jesus at the end of time but about His coming in vengeance as foretold in the Gospels. Jesus makes a very clear distinction between those things which occur at the end times and those things that will be visited on the current generation living at that time. I will clearly show this as we go. Suffice it to say (and I will show) that John’s Gospel is the only Gospel that does not include these short-term prophecies. There are 2 reasons. 1. John’s is the only Gospel of the 4 written after these events occurred. 2. He deals with them in this Book written as they were on the very doorstep. Let’s start to progress through the passages about the Whore and I will bring all of this to light. Chapter 17 :1 And there came one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials, and spoke with me, saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the great harlot, who sitteth upon many waters, 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they who inhabit the earth, have been made drunk with the whine of her whoredom. The first thing to note is that John is not just told by the Angel that he is simply about to show him the great harlot but that he will show him the condemnation of the great harlot. The Greek word is Krima and indicates a sentence that has already been handed down. The harlot has already been found guilty and John is present, not for the crimes, not even for the trial, but for the sentence. The harlot is being sentenced in 68 AD (I will demonstrate that that is when this is written). This is the first proof that John's vision refers to an entity that existed in 68 AD when his vision occurred, and said entity had committed crimes before then. The first premise of anti-catholic interpretation of these chapters is that this vision refers to something in the distant future, long beyond John's years. As you will see, that is a man-made construct that runs directly counter to the text. Verse 1 says the harlot sits on the many waters (peoples, nations et v15) It is a combination of the Greek word Kathemi- meaning to sit and a modifier that specifically denotes present tense. Present tense, folks. 68 AD. Verse 2 says The Kings of the earth have had intercourse. Have had intercourse. This is from the Greek word porneue and a modifier indicating active tense. These things are occurring even as John sees the vision in 68 AD. To win this argument, my opponent literally must explain why John is using the wrong words here and this is actually a far-future event. The same is true with "they who inhabit the earth" Present tense. "Have been made drunk" Active tense. That the whore, the kings and the inhabitants of the earth all existed in the 1st century is unarguable from the standpoint of the etymology of the words. Since the whore represents the religious world having spiritual intercourse with the pagan world, the allusion of Jerusalem and Pagan Rome, respectively, is impossible to escape and there are just pages and pages of Scripture to support this. In Isaiah Chapter 1, the prophet heralds a warning that he specifies as pertaining to Jerusalem. In verse 21, He says: 21 How is the faithful city, that was full of judgment, become a harlot? justice dwelt in it, but now murderers. Jeremiah 3:6 6 And the Lord said to me in the days of king Josias: Hast thou seen what rebellious Israel hast done? she hath gone out of herself upon every high mountain, and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there. There are many others I could cite but the point is clear. In God's Holy Word, Israel in general and Jerusalem were referred to as the harlot too many times to count. We continue..... 3 And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications, and the abominations of the earth. First, we must address the beast because this is a typology that cannot be missed. In Revelation 12, we first see the Seven-headed, ten horned beast that wages war against the Child of God and His Mother. That beast is specifically identified as Satan. Here again, in chapter 17, we see the seven-headed, ten horned beast but as we will see, it is associated with "Kings of the earth". In other words, this beast is a Kingdom that the Whore (Jerusalem) was currently riding upon in a spiritual sense. Again, the woman is sitting- present tense. This kingdom, by comparison, represents the very evil and malice of Satan himself as it is portrayed as the same dragon. This kingdom can be none other than pagan Rome. Detractors of the Catholic church like to seize on verse 4 and the golden cup- which they allude to the communion chalice, and the purple and scarlet- which they infer to be the official colors of the Catholic church. Let me deal with the last point first. The official colors of the Catholic church are Gold and White. True, Priestly vestments have been Red and Purple but they have also been Gold, White, Black, Green, Rose and multiple other colors. This allusion is very tenuous at best. They have a slightly stronger argument in the inference of the golden cup but it is still only an inference. Remember, this debate is based on proof. You will notice that they do not even mention the precious stones and pearls? Did they forget about those or just couldn't make the allusion fit? I'll tell you where you find all these things. In Exodus Chapter 25 in the materials for the Temple in Jerusalem. The Purple and Scarlet yarn is found in many verses- verse 4 for example. The precious stones appear in verse 7. Look it up folks! The golden cups are right there in verse 29 and gold is throughout the chapter. The only clue missing is the pearls which seem to refer to the woman's vanity and certainly cannot be ascribed to the Catholic church. So, my opponent ascribes Gold, Golden cups, precious stones and Purple and Scarlet to the Catholic church by inference. The Bible, however, assigns these things-specifically to Jerusalem and the Temple. Wouldn't it be strange for so-called Biblical Christians to dismiss proof that comes straight from the pages of Scripture? What about her name? Babylon? The term is used derisively, of course. It is not referring to the actual historical nation of Babylon. Our opponents obviously concede this point because they try to juxtapose it to Rome and, by consequence, the Catholic church that they posit as an offshoot of that Roman empire. That's where the anticatholic paradigm hits a brick wall. Foundational to their refutation of Peter as the first Pope is the blanket denial that Peter was ever in Rome. This contention on their part is historically untenable but it also presents them the Biblical problem. In Chapter 5 of his first epistle, Peter says 13 The church that is in Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you: and so doth my son Mark. This puts our anti-catholic friends in quite a pickle. They either have to admit that Babylon refers to Jerusalem (the elected church) or admit that Peter was in Rome. That's their only 2 options. However, since pagan Rome, having never been God's people, could thus not be guilty of spiritual adultery, the conclusion is inescapable. The Whore is Jerusalem, mother of all whores and abominations. Let us continue: 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration. This is another verse for anticatholics to latch on by inference. They will bring up the inquisitions and the crusades and all the killing done by crooked kings on all sides, multiply it by 10,000 and juxtapose it all on the woman as an indictment of the Catholic church. They are once again hoisted by their own petard and the plain etymology of the words, for they would clearly argue that the Catholic church did not even exist in 68 AD. That the greek term portrays the woman's drunken state as present tense- 68 AD is inescapable. They can infer that this points forward centuries but the greek verbiage doesn't support that. However, a similar verse that comes later, really slams the door on their arguments. For now, though they can argue that this verse can be applied to the Catholic church, there is no arguing that it can be applied to Jerusalem who had killed many Christians by this point, Stephen being just one. Let's continue. 7 And the angel said to me: Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit, and go into destruction: and the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was, and is not. 9 And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings: 10 Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time. 11 And the beast which was, and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction. First, with respect to the Beast, John is again alluding it with the Devil. While He calls Jesus "He who was and is and is to come", the devil is he who was and is not. This is the demonic character of the beast in general, again reflecting back to chapter 12. Later, you will see him draw the lens in closer by looking at the heads of the beast. Verse 9 is very important and the anti-catholics always get it wrong. I'm using an accurate translation that gets it right. The woman sits on 7 mountains (the Greek word Oros) not on 7 hills (the Greek word Boonos). This is not Rome. It certainly isn't the Vatican which sits on it's own, 8th hill on the other side of the Tiber river. For people of John's day, it would have been automatic for them to recognize what was widely known as the city on 7 mountains- Jerusalem. They are the Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, Mount of Corruption, Mount Ophel, the Original Mount Zion, the New Mount Zion and the Mount on which the Antonia Fortress was built. Once again, the harlot is proven to be Jerusalem. The Kings, on the other hand, belong to the beast, not the harlot. 5 have fallen, one is, one to come. The first 5 Roman emperors were Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. All 5 were dead by the end of 68 AD. Nero is the beast whose name adds up to 666, the number announced in chapter 13. The sixth king, who was emperor when this book was written was Galba. The 7th was Otho. This proves that John wrote this book in 68 AD during the reign of Galba and the "Fall of Babylon" he was warning so urgently about was the destruction of Jerusalem by Vespasian who John allegorically calls an 8th king and a reincarnation of the fallen beast- Nero. and, skipping ahead a few verses, here is the proof... 15 And he said to me: The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire. 17 For God hath given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest, is the great city, which hath kingdom over the kings of the earth. In verse 16, we see that the Roman Beast turns on the whore and burns her with fire. This happens in 70 AD. I am often amused when zealous anti-catholics call the church both the beast and the whore as if the church could wage war on herself! The woman herself is identified as "The Great city" and that great city is identified in Revelation 11:8 as a spiritual Sodom and Egypt to go along with her derisive title of Babylon. The verse also clearly tells us that it is the city where Our lord was crucified, and we all know that that city was Jerusalem. By virtue of this one verse, I could declare victory in this debate but there is more. Moving on.... Chapter 18 1 And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power: and the earth was enlightened with his glory. 2 And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen; and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird: 3 Because all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; and the merchants of the earth have been made rich by the power of her delicacies. Verses 1 and 2 hearken to Isaiah chapter 21 7 And he saw a chariot with two horsemen, a rider upon an ass, and a rider upon a camel: and he beheld them diligently with much heed. 8 And a lion cried out: I am upon the watchtower of the Lord, standing continually by day: and I am upon my ward, standing whole nights. 9 Behold this man cometh, the rider upon the chariot with two horsemen, and he answered, and said: Babylon is fallen, she is fallen, and all the graven gods thereof are broken unto the ground. Pretty tough not to see the imagery of the Lion crying out and the rider upon an ass as pointing towards Jesus. As you know, He rode an ass on His entry into Jerusalem. This is very important because it directly links the warning of the fall of Babylon with Jesus. Jesus' warnings about Jerusalem's demise were stark. In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24, verses 1 and 2, Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, exclaiming that not one stone (Lithos meaning little pebble) will be left upon another. In verse 34, He predicts correctly that it will happen within one generation (40 years). In verses 15-22, He gives His famous warning that those in Judea should flee to the mountains. This dire warning is echoed in Mark's and Luke's Gospels. Luke 21 20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army; then know that the desolation thereof is at hand. 21 Then let those who are in Judea, flee to the mountains; and those who are in the midst thereof, depart out: and those who are in the countries, not enter into it. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written. 23 But woe to them that are with child, and give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword; and shall be led away captives into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles; till the times of the nations be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves; 26 Men withering away for fear, and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved; The imminence of these warnings and their urgency cannot be overstated and John repeats them even more urgently in verses 4-8 of Chapter 18 of Revelation. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Go out from her, my people; that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and the Lord hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her as she also hath rendered to you; and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup wherein she hath mingled, mingle ye double unto her. 7 As much as she hath glorified herself, and lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give ye to her; because she saith in her heart: I sit a queen, and am no widow; and sorrow I shall not see. 8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall be burnt with the fire; because God is strong, who shall judge her. These are yet more verses that anticatholics use falsely against us. Once again, every sentence proves the sins are past, the judgement is current and the wrath is imminent. John is literally conveying the angel's message to get out now! This is not a warning for centuries down the road. Finally, we close our case by skipping ahead to verse 24 which as the absolute checkmate of verses in this case. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. I alluded to this earlier. Though anti-catholics can falsely claim that the Roman Catholic church has the blood of saints inside her, even they cannot argue that it can be said the Catholic church is guilty of the blood of the prophets nor of the blood of all who have been slain upon the earth, up to at least the time of John. Remember, anticatholics claim the Roman Catholic church did not even exist at that point. So, what city can be held to account for the blood of the prophets? What city can be held to account for all those slain on earth? I will let Jesus answer for you in His own words. Luke 13 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow, and the day following, because it cannot be that a prophet perish, out of Jerusalem. 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children as the bird doth her brood under her wings, and thou wouldest not? 35 Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. And I say to you, that you shall not see me till the time come, when you shall say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matthew 23 31 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: Verse 35 exactly parallels Revelation 18:24 and proves that all of this occurs to Jerusalem in 70 AD 35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. Revelation 18: 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Let's summarize. The Whore is: Guilty of the blood of prophets- Jesus says That's Jerusalem. Guilty of all the blood shed on the earth- Jesus says that's Jerusalem. The city God's people must flee- That's Jerusalem according to Jesus. The city thrown down in a single day, within 1 generation of Jesus. Once again, Jerusalem. The case I just made is impenetrable. You now know the truth. God will not hold you blameless if you continue to persist in this slander against Catholics.. The whore of Babylon is Jerusalem. Period. Full stop. You are welcome to attempt to rebut.

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: CATHOLIC LITURGY (Liturgy of the Word) => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => THE LITURGY OF WORD => COMPONENTS OF LITURGY OF THE WORD => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS In general liturgy meant the public official service of the Church, that corresponded to the official service of the Temple in the Old Law. The word Liturgy literally means work of the people, within the Catholic Church it is used to describe all the public acts of worship that take place, as it draws the people into the work of God. Liturgy is the divine worship of the Church and includes the celebration of Mass, the celebration of the Sacraments, and the Divine Office or Daily Prayer of the Church. The Liturgy of the Catholic Church is divided into two: 1. The Liturgy of Word. 2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist. THE LITURGY OF WORD According CCC 1154 the liturgy of the Word is an integral part of sacramental celebrations. To nourish the faith of believers, the signs which accompany the Word of God should be emphasized: the book of the Word (a lectionary or a book of the Gospels), its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (lectern or ambo), its audible and intelligible reading, the minister's homily which extends its proclamation, and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith). Most of the Liturgy of the Word is made up of readings from Scripture. On Sundays and solemnities, there are three Scripture readings. During most of the year, the first reading is from the Old Testament and the second reading is from one of the New Testament letters. During Easter Time, the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles which tells the story of the Church in its earliest days. The last reading is always taken from one of the four Gospels. In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church feeds the people of God from the table of his Word (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium , no. 51). The Scriptures are the word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the Scriptures, God speaks to us, leading us along the path to salvation. COMPONENTS OF LITURGY OF THE WORD The liturgy of the word is section into the following: A). The First Reading: The Hebrew Scriptures : The first reading is mostly chosen from the Old Testament and during some seasons the Book of Acts might be read. This reading usually harmonizes with the Gospel reading (see below). This reveals the continuity between Israel and Jesus who comes not to replace but to fulfill Israel. B). The Responsorial Psalm The Psalm reflects themes in the readings. The Psalm consists of an antiphon. This is a vehicle of prayer and praise – an atmosphere of prayer within which the readings occur. C). The Second Reading The Christian Scriptures : This reading is also referred to as the Epistle, is usually from one of the letters in the New Testament which may also include the Book of Acts or the Book of Revelations. While the letters address particular situations in the early Church, their message transcends the centuries to motivate contemporary Christians and deepen our appreciation of the mystery of Christ. D). The Gospel – Alleluia: “Alleluia” is a Latin echo of the Hebrew acclamation “Praise God!” and is a key word in Christian worship. Here it heralds the Gospel. In a solemn celebration the church deacon goes to the altar where the Gospel is enthroned. He lifts the book and, accompanied by servants (altar-boys) with candles and on some occasions incense (symbols of Christ’s light), processes with the Gospels held high while choir and community acclaim the good news with “Alleluia,” alternating with verses appropriate to today’s Gospel. Christians acclaim the most wonderful deed of God among humankind, Jesus Christ, here made visible in the book containing His words and message to us all. E). The Gospel Reading The Gospel is the climax of the liturgy of the word. Catholic faith teaches that in proclaiming the Gospel, Christ is truly present to the community. For this reason the community stands to witness to Christ’s resurrection which allows him to be present to his people. As the deacon or priest introduce the Gospels all in the community sign themselves with the sign of the cross traced on the forehead, the lips and over the heart. This signing reminds us “Christ in my thoughts” , “Christ from my lips or what I say” and “Christ in my heart” Hearing the Gospel proclaimed also reminds and identifies Catholics with the first community which heard these words for the mouth of Jesus. On the conclusion of the reading the minister proclaims, “This is the Gospel of the Lord.” He means not the book, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the “Good News” itself. The community affirms in faith by responding, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ”. -Liturgical Cycles You may have noticed that the Gospel readings stay in one book of the Gospels throughout a given year (with some exceptions), this is due to what we call Liturgical Cycles. Cycles A, B, and C go through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Gospel of John is read around Christmas, during Lent, and during the Easter season through all three cycles. Although there are twenty seven books in the New Testament, there are only four Gospels so every Mass, 364 days a year (there is no Mass on Good Friday, the only day of the year that there isn’t), you will hear a reading proclaimed from one of these four. F). The Homily (ormini-sermon) Christians believe that “faith comes through preaching.”(Romans 3:13-15). This idea is rooted in Jewish belief that the creative power of God’s word transforms human life. The Scriptures are not always easy to understand and apply to present life. For this reason the homily breaks open the Scriptures, showing how the word of God addresses us today. What import does the Gospel have for our lives today, for the world we live in, for issues in the community forum? G). The Profession of Faith The Creed: The Creed is a written profession summarizing the community’s search for an ever deepening understanding of Jesus and His message. The Nicene-Constantinople Creed is most often used at Mass, although the Apostles’ Creed may be used at some liturgies. Please note that both creed’s are used by not only the Catholic Church, but also by Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Orthodox and many other Christian faiths. H). General Intercessions ( Prayers of the Faithful) : The people petition God for the needs of the Church, society, the parish, people in need, the sick and suffering, and those who have died. They direct our faith which has been deepened through prayer and listening to God’s word to specific situations today. These prayers conclude the Liturgy of the Word. The prayers follow a pattern on most days, as laid out in the GIRM, GIRM 70. As a rule, the series of intentions is to be a. For the needs of the Church; b. For public authorities and the salvation of the whole world; c. For those burdened by any kind of difficulty; d. For the local community. After the prayers, the people sit while the gifts are prepared and brought forward to the altar. This ends the Liturgy of The Word. CONCLUSION ‘Liturgy is not an event that depends on good ideas and great songs. No one makes up or invents a liturgy. It is something that grew over millennia of faith.’ YOUCAT (paragraph 167) In the liturgy of the word Christians come together to thank God for God’s gifts. Listening to God’s word (the Bible) they grow in faith more conformed to the mind of Christ. Liturgy celebrates the wonders of creation and gives thanks for the reality of redemption. The liturgy is a celebration not of what God has said, but of God today speaking to our hearts and souls. REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.britannica.com => http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org => https://ourcatholicfaith.org => https://www.newadvent.org We have come to a conclusion on the topic CATHOLIC LITURGY (Liturgy of the Word) Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN TOPIC: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => BRIEF HISTORY => THE PROFESSION OF FAITH => THE PROFESSION OF FAITH BIBLE REFERENCES => WHY PROFESSION OF FAITH? => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS To profess something is to declare it openly. Usually the term "profession of faith" refers to a public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. This profession showcases a person's intention to follow Christ in all their ways. Romans 10:9–10 says: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." A public declaration, or confession, of faith is an excellent way to demonstrate the intention of one's heart. Walking out that faith always requires concrete action steps. In the Roman Catholic Church faith, we profess our believe: in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, In the incarnation of God the son through the Virgin Mary, And in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. The profession of faith is observed using the NICENE OR APOSTOLIC CREED. BRIEF HISTORY The Nicene Creed is a statement of belief widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because it was originally adopted in the city of Nicaea (present day İznik, Turkey) by the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople, and the amended form is referred to as the Nicene or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. The Apostles' Creed is also used in the Latin West, but not in the Eastern liturgies. On Sundays and solemnities, one of these two creeds is recited in the Roman Rite Mass after the homily. An early version of what later became the Apostles’ Creed, called the “Old Roman Creed,” was in use as early as the second century (Kelly, Creeds, 101). The earliest written form of this creed is found in a letter that Marcellus of Ancyra wrote in Greek to Julius, the bishop of Rome, about AD 341. About 50 years later, Tyrannius Rufinus wrote a commentary on this creed in Latin (Commentarius in symbolum apostolorum). THE PROFESSION OF FAITH NICENE CREED I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. APOSTOLIC CREED I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born from the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, descended into hell, on the third day rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, thence He will come to judge the living and the dead; I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and eternal life. Amen. * THE PROFESSION OF FAITH BIBLE REFERENCES I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth (Gen 14:19), of all things visible and invisible (Col 1:16). I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God (Jn 1:18), born of the Father before all ages (Lk 1:35), God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made (Jn 1:1-4). For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and became man (Jn 3:13), and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man (Mt 1:18). For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate (Jn. 19:16); he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). He ascended into heaven (Lk 24:51) and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1). He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1), and his kingdom will have no end (Lk 1:33). I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father (Jn 15:26) and the Son, who with the Father and the Son he adored and glorified (Jn 14:16), who spoke through the Prophets (1 Pet 1:10-11). I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church (Mt 16:18). I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Eph 4:4-6), and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come (Rom 6:5). Amen. * WHY PROFESSION OF FAITH? While an outward profession of faith is important, as are actions of faith, these are not what save us ( Matthew 7:21–23 ). We are saved by grace through faith ( Ephesians 2:8–9 ). We must repent of our sins ( Mark 6:12 ; Acts 2:38 ; 26:20 ) and be born again ( John 3:3 ). When we confess our sins and place our faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us and transforms our hearts ( Ephesians 1:13–14 ; Galatians 5:16 ; Romans 8:29–30 ). As we submit to the Holy Spirit's work in us, our own desires and perspectives begin to shift into alignment with the Word of God. We lay down our fleshly self daily for the sake of Christ ( Luke 9:23 ; Galatians 2:20 ). The Creed is also part of the profession of faith required of those undertaking important functions within the Catholic Church. The actual purpose of a creed is to provide a doctrinal statement of correct belief or orthodoxy. The creeds of Christianity have been drawn up at times of conflict about doctrine: acceptance or rejection of a creed served to distinguish believers and deniers of particular doctrines * CONCLUSION Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything. Faith in the heart always needs to be accompanied by action. The apostle James says that faith is dead unless it is accompanied by works (James 2:17, 26). You can say you believe in something, but those are just words until you back them up with your actions. Even demons acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but that doesn't make them saved or surrendered to Him (James 2:19). Early church Christians in Rome were persecuted when they professed faith in Christ. Their profession was met with the need for extreme action, requiring faithfulness to Christ sometimes to the point of death (Acts 2:1–41; 4:1–4; 8:1–3). * REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.catholic.org => https://www.rca.org => https://www.compellingtruth.org => https://blog.faithlife.com We have come to a conclusion on the topic THE PROFESSION OF FAITH. Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.

TODAY'S CATECHISM . WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AMEN Topic: FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD => INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS => BRIEF HISTORY/ORIGIN => THE LORD’S BAPTISM => WHY SHOULD JESUS BE BAPTISE? => MYSTERIES OF THE LORD’S BAPTISM => CONCLUSION => REFERENCE INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord brings to an end the season of Christmas. The Church recalls Our Lord's second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan. Jesus descended into the River to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget sons of God. The event takes on the importance of a second creation in which the entire Trinity intervenes. In the Eastern Church this feast is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan God appeared in three persons. The baptism of John was a sort of sacramental preparatory for the Baptism of Christ. It moved men to sentiments of repentance and induced them to confess their sins. BRIEF HISTORY/ORIGIN The Baptism of the Lord has historically been associated with the celebration of Epiphany. Even today, the Eastern Christian feast of Theophany, celebrated on January 6 as a counterpart to the Western feast of Epiphany, focuses primarily on the Baptism of the Lord as the revelation of God to man. After the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) was separated from Epiphany, the Church in the West continued the process and dedicated a celebration to each of the major epiphanies (revelations) or theophanies (the revelation of God to man). There was the Birth of Christ at Christmas, which revealed Christ to Israel; the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles, in the visit of the Wise Men at Epiphany; the Baptism of the Lord, which revealed the Trinity; and the miracle at the wedding at Cana, which revealed Christ's transformation of the world. Thus, the Baptism of the Lord began to be celebrated on the octave (eighth day) of Epiphany, with the miracle at Cana celebrated on the Sunday after that. In the current liturgical calendar, the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the Sunday after January 6, and, a week later, on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the Gospel of the Wedding at Cana. THE LORD’S BAPTISM Christ did not need the baptism of John. Although He appeared in the "substance of our flesh" and was recognized "outwardly like unto ourselves", He was absolutely sinless and impeccable. He conferred upon the water the power of the true Baptism which would remove all the sins of the world: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sin of the world". Many of the incidents which accompanied Christ's baptism are symbolical of what happened at our Baptism. At Christ's baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism the Trinity took its abode in our soul. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the "Beloved Son" of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons of God. At Christ's baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid actual sin. WHY SHOULD JESUS BE BAPTISE? Since the Catechism teaches that the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for the remission of sins, particularly Original Sin, why was Christ baptized? After all, He was born without Original Sin, and He lived His entire life without sinning. Therefore, He did not need the sacrament, as we do. Nevertheless we should know that "Christ's Baptism Foreshadows Our Own​" In submitting Himself humbly to the baptism of St. John the Baptist, however, Christ provided the example for the rest of us. If even He should be baptized, though He did not need it, how much more should the rest of us be thankful for this sacrament, which frees us from the darkness of sin and incorporates us into the Church, the life of Christ on earth! His Baptism, therefore, was necessary—not for Him, but for us. Many of the Fathers of the Church, as well as the medieval Scholastics, saw Christ's Baptism as the institution of the sacrament. His Flesh blessed the water, and the descent of the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) and the voice of God the Father announcing that this was His Son, in Whom He was well pleased, marked the beginning of Christ's public ministry. MYSTERIES OF THE LORD’S BAPTISM In the mystery of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan River, we again encounter and represent the truth of the Lord’s incarnation and His manifestation as the Christ. Jesus’ Baptism is in fact His definitive manifestation as the Messiah or Christ to Israel, and as the Son of the Father to the entire world. Here we find the dimension of the Epiphany which was His manifestation to all nations. The Father’s voice from heaven shows that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows the Trinitarian nature of the Christian God. The true and unique God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, shows Himself in Christ, through Him, with Him and in Him. The Baptism in the Jordan returns to the great Christmas theme of ‘Christification,’ Jesus of Nazareth's spiritual anointing, His presentation as the Anointed One par excellence, the Messiah or the One sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind. The Spirit that descended on Jesus shows and seals in an incontrovertible way the ‘Christification’ of Jesus’ humanity that the Word had already fulfilled from the first moment of His miraculous conception by Mary. Jesus, from the very beginning, was always the Lord’s Christ, He was always God. Yet, His one, true humanity, that which is perfect in every way, as the Gospel records, constantly grew in natural and supernatural perfection. ‘And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men’ (Lk2:52). In Israel at 30 years of age, one reached full maturity and therefore could become a master. Jesus came of age and the Spirit, descending and remaining on Him, definitively consecrated His whole being as the Christ. The same Spirit, that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realised what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners’ (Joseph Ratzinger, Jesus of Nazareth, Bloomsbury 2007, p 18). CONCLUSION The most holy one placed Himself among us, the unclean and sinners. The Son of God freely humbled Himself at the hand of the Baptist. By His baptism in the Jordan, Christ manifests His humility and dedicates Himself to the redemption of man. He takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and buries them in the waters of the Jordan. Each Sunday in church when we take the sacrament, we should remember Jesus Christ’s Atonement as well as the promises we made to our Heavenly Father when we were baptized. REFERENCE => The Holy Bible => Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) => https://www.catholicculture.org => https://www.learnreligions.com => https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org We have come to a conclusion on the topic FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD. Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen