Sacramentals

Despite what many analysts and voters may think, being a successful entrepreneur is not synonymous with having qualities to meddle in politics, much less to try to command a nation. Donald Trump is clearly one of the richest businessmen in the United States. Its hotels, casinos and television are clear evidence of his fortune. But despite apparently knows how to handle their millions, he has committed gross errors in their attempt to occupy the White House. It is inaccurate, dishonest and overly…

the service, ushers go around during collection and people put their contribution to the church in a basket. While this is happening the altar servers start preparing the altar. Once money is collected, a group of people bring up the wine, host (sacramental bread), and the money. This is called the presentation of the gifts. The priest then prays over the gifts. Around this time is when we all kneel. During the Eucharistic prayer there is a series of songs that are sung: “Holy, Holy, Holy” and…

that unity, is to violate the essentials of Christian charity. Augustine argued that the Donatist notion that the sacraments administered by a sinful priest or bishop were invalid. He said that Jesus Christ is the source of any grace conveyed in sacramental actions. Therefore, even when a minister is guilty of the gravest sins, the effectiveness of the sacraments themselves remains unchanged 8. What were the main ideas of the monk Pelagius? What were Augustine's primary theological arguments…

“The chief place in Christian worship belongs to the sacraments or, as they are called in Greek, the mysteries. ‘It is called a mystery,’ writes Saint John Chrysostom of the Eucharist, ‘because what we believe is not the same as what we see, but we see one thing and believe another ... When I hear the Body of Christ mentioned, I understand what is said in one sense, the unbeliever in another’ (Homilies on 1 Corinthians, 7:1 (P.G. 61, 55)). This double character, at once outward and inward, is…

Marcelina Delgado-Walker Saint Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential philosophers of the early Christian faith. He lived from 354 AD to 430 AD in Northern Africa before traveling to study in Italy for several years. After his conversion, he moved back to Northern Africa, Algeria to be exact, and became a Catholic bishop. His birth and conversion occurred several years after Constantine had first declared Christianity to be a state religion and played an important role in…

Our local church highlights the institutional and sacramental aspects of the Church encouraging critical thinking on renewal, sense of identity, endorsing traditions of church teaching (in the herald model) and understanding that grace reaches beyond the bonds that unifies each member of the Church (in the…

Ghost Busting Being part of a pastoral family exposes preachers kids - “Pks” - to all different kinds of experiences. While much ministry is confidential, they can put two and two together when they see a certain packsack come out. “Dad is going ghost busting tonight!” I prepared for this ministry very carefully and prayerfully and never took it lightly nor travelled alone if possible. These moments opened the way to introduce “Jesus” to families who had no spiritual background and show them…

generation would say they are boring, nothing new or out of the ordinary. According to Torrance, "Unitarian has no doctrine of the mediator or sole priesthood of Christ, is human-centered, has no proper doctrine of the Holy Spirit, is too often non-sacramental, and can engender weariness." (20) This worship is not Jesus oriented because it produces selfishness, worry, hopelessness, and unhappiness; all the opposite of Jesus character. The Bible says that Jesus inhabits the praises of His…

The “Ego conjugonos” formula became widespread and tended to be looked upon as the sacramental formula, comparable to “Ego te baptizo.” The Roman Ritual published in 1614 emphasised the role of the priest at the expense of that of the couple. In addition, the rite, which was to take place in the church (with the couple kneeling before the…

This past Thanksgiving, people were worrying about many things. They were worrying about the results of our past Presidential election, the possibility of terrorist attacks, the safety of loved ones defending us overseas, making sure everything would be perfect for Thanksgiving Dinner, would the Lions win the football game, and getting some shopping done after the family dinner to name a few. It is our human nature to worry, especially when it is a big event like the Birth of Our Lord. We worry…