Dysautonomia- In My Head, Sort Of

Fibromyalgia, like Chronic Fatigue and other syndromes are tricky.  Why is that and why "it's all in your head" is partially correct, but misleading, not the whole story.

These syndromes fall under the umbrella of what is referred to as Dysautonomia. It is another way of saying "Your nervous system/s is/are wonky because the brain signals to it are wonky". What exactly do I mean? Everyone should understand that your body is in constant conversation with itself, particularly the brain and other systems in your body. When that signaling system is functioning properly, your fight or flight and other responses are within a certain range, even under stress. With a Dysautonomia, your body is hypersensitive, and the slightest stress, even minute physical or otherwise can heighten the fight or flight response off the charts, and this hypersensitivity means that all your systems are always on high alert, so you end up with a range of health issues, including arthritis at a younger age than perhaps you would have if you did not have the Dysautonomia. Because the signaling system between your brain and your nervous system/s is off kilter, out of synch, your responses to weather change, everything can be hyper. When doctors immediately say to someone with a range of health issues to "go see someone for counseling", are very condescending etc... or say "It's in your head", to an extent they are right it is. However, not as a psychological issue, but a messed up signals very physical issue. Patients need to always have several copies of a good article on Dysautonomia with them, so when people, even doctors make these claims, dismiss you and what is going on, you can educate them, family included. It is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and for those of us who live with it daily, it is truly a journey and test of patience, of faith.

Shalom and Amen

Where Am I At With My Goals?

http://www.amazon.com/Mosaic-Faith-Poems-Katherine-Appello-ebook/dp/B00LWGZF1A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405710327&sr=8-1&keywords=mosaic+of+life+and+faith+in+poems

http://www.katherineappello.com/

Where am I at with my goals?  What have a accomplished in terms of the goals I set in my relationship with the Lord and his calling as an artist in my life?  I realized the two are so intertwined, they can't be separated. 

The poetry e-book is published and included in that e-book are poems of faith, poems that don't water down anything, poems that stand by Israel, and also poems about my journey through life, and fibromyalgia, but also about love, nature.  My sharing the gifts of art that the Lord gave me to share has come to fruition, it has come to pass.  That goal and what the Lord placed in my heart has come to fruition.  I am also doing more examination of my conscience, and confession monthly at Church, as well as praying more regularly, studying more, listening more to Christian music, less to secular music.  I brought a friend to Mass with me, and he is exploring the Christian faith.

I still have not created the business cards, but that will come soon enough, but all in all with prayer, and strong in the faith I am making progress and have already determined the charities I will tithe to from the royalties on my artistic works, such as Dysautonomia research, and Doctors Without Borders.  I feel good about where I am at in life, even with the Dysauntonomia (Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue) because guided the Holy Spirit and in Christ all is possible.  A thank you ahead of time to all who purchase the e-book. Thank you.

Shalom and Amen

Spiritual and Artistic Goals July 2014

I have not posted for a long while as I have been posting on my website http://www.katherineappello.com 

I have set a few goals for myself for July in terms of my spirituality/faith and my artistic project, my book "Mosaic of Life and Faith in Poems".  Goals I am realizing are important, not so say they should be inflexible and writteen in stone, but they provide a guideline, something to reach for to keep one disciplined. Whether you are an artist or an admistrative assistant, even a stay at home mom, a most noble thing I might add, setting realistic monthly goals is a good thing.  They can be adjusted as needed.

July 2014 Spiritual Goals:

• Monthly Confession
• Anglican Rosary daily (I have not failed at daily rosary prayer, even to or three a day, as I love the Rosary, particularly the Anglican Rosary)
• Mass regularly, including at least one weekday mass at Our Lady of Victory
• Sharing the faith with other, not be shy about it
• Regular prayer fellowship at Our Lady of Victory at least once a week
• Seven day consecration of my life and vocation as an artist to Christ and the Blessed Mother
• Apologetics study regularly, and Bible reflection regularly

I know that the Holy Spirit will help me in this and in all things, in my jouney to Holiness.

July 2014 Artistic Goals

• Have an artist brochure ready by the early July  
• Have a stamp with my name and website to stamp the brochures by mid-July 
• Have business cards ready by mid-July 
• Launch book for sale early July 
• Engage full online promotion of book as of 
• Attend events where I can network and distribute brochure at least twice a month, or organize events via meet up groups I belong to myself
• Have begun putting together material for the keepsake to add to the Print version of the book to be released later on this year for the holidays

Artist Website and Blog

Hello Everyone,

http://www.katherineappello.com

I hope you are all having a blessed day and a blessed week.  I have created a website, where I am going to be God willing, selling my music as well starting in Summer or Fall of this year, as well as my e-books.

I hope you will visit it regularly to see what blog posts I have put up and what is going on.  

Katherine

Getting Past the Frustration Isn't East

With each step, pain in the heel, knees, and hips, not drop to the floor pain, thanks to shots I get periodically and medication I take daily, but still, slows things down a bit.  It takes a lot of patience, a lot. Why?

I used to, at one time, walk 20 blocks going and coming back without any problems, briskly, I could go out twice a day walk 10 blocks each way, then in the evening to to the Village with my friend/s have dinner, go listen to some music, and then walk around the village for a while and then back home.  I was a spitfire in the physical sense, though in the vocal sense, poetry and songwriting arena I still am.  However, those days of walking 20 blocks etc... are long gone.  Today after six blocks my heels hurt so much and my knees felt sore to where I was limping.  Still, my reaction was, thought was "Buy thicker insoles, or add another layer of insoles, and walk slower."  I was still frustrated that I had to slow down, but then I started breathing, thinking of the Lord and I got peaceful, calm, and all was well in the world.  It takes a heck of a lot of patience to deal with the fibro etc. day to day and some days where when I get up from the couch, just walking from the couch to the kitchen is painful, quite painful, but I have learned to breathe through it and be greatful for all I have in my life and the direction I am blessed for my life to be taking in terms of re-discovering Catholicism and all its' truth, wisdom.  Quite amazing all the wisdom God's Church has to offer and the healing of spirit and soul our Lord provides.

Shalom and Amen

Turning God's Gifts Against Us and Him

As I engage in discussion with atheists, agnostics, see what goes on with liberals, progressives I realize that Satan has really done sin proud, and particularly the sin of deciet, smoke and mirrors, creating confusion, turning things upside down so bad is good and good is bad on a pretty wide scale.  He has been particularly good at doing so starting with the great schism in the Catholic Church that greated Orthodoxy and Greek Orthodoxy, then the Protestant Reformation, followed by Feminsm and Freedom of the 60's, and then science as the ultimate weapon against God.  How did Satan use deciet to achieve a destruction of society to move it away from God, from truth, unity under God, Chirst, and the Holy Spirit?

Let's start with the Church.  Society goes how the Church goes.  The Church is meant and charged to be the shepard of society, to guard moral truths, fixed, absolute moral truths across all time and space, regardless of what happens in society or the direction that society takes, so we don't all go down the path of Adam and Eve, of Sodom and Gomorrah beyond repair.  Paul charges the chuch not to divide, even if there may be some disagreements because a house divided, falls.  If the house falls, those in the house are confused etc.., and we see this with children of divorced families often.   Satan knows this, so what does he do, he first works on attacking the church, getting it to divide, early on gets people to think all kinds of wonky doctrines, out of line with the Old Testament, with what Jesus taught, what the Apostles taught, generating confusion.  That is why councils were created to have unity, to create unified doctrine and why Paul wrote to the churches, to Timothy, why Peter did also, to clarity, to bring cohesion.  He also says to honor what was passed down orally, not just in writing, so there is oral tradition from the Jewish faith, and the early church that is also to be honored.  What The Catholic Church does that, has done that, with councils, the Canon, theology, and also honoring the mystics of the Church, as John was a mystic, and Peter had his mystical experience, as did Paul, so the Church honors all of that.  Satan decided it had to divide it and did so beginning with the schisms of the Greek and Orthodox churches, which up until the Nicean Council had accepted that councils determined unified doctrine for the universal catholic church. That was Satan's first major attack on Christ's institution.  Then he decided, well that's not a large enough attack, so he then decided to use internal flaws of men of the church to create the Reformation, and that to entice a king to create his own state church so he could violate God's law divorce and re-marry, though he had no grounds to do so.  From that, the had a field day, creating more and mroe division, using vanity of men, obsessions of men,  to create division after division within the Protestant branch.  Was there then no unity, not unifying body?  Yes, the Roman Catholic Church, the one built upon the Rock Peter, as Rome was the place of authority everyone recognized early on as the center of the Church.  The Roman Catholic Church has a plethora of wisdom, theological and moral understanding that can unite the world in holy truth, God's holistic, just moral truth.  Even those in other denominatons are coming to realize that the fullness of truth is in the Roman Catholic Church, and Satan's lies. Hopefully soon many more will.

The other thing Satan used against us and God is freedom.  Freedom, in terms of a nation's Constitution, and found in Christ within the boundaries of the Ten Commandments and reasonable laws are a good thing, as they create stability for individuals, families, society, and nations, so it's good.  What Satan did was to say that freedom meant no rules, no authority of morality of any kind, other than what you decide, so NAMBLA thinks that a four year old should be able to have sexual relations.  If we go by relative morality, and say there is no fixed morality, then that man who wishes to have sex with that four year old would be within his rights.  However, because we are a society that to some extent, thank the Lord, has a semblence of fixed morality, we don't permit that.  We understand that no only it that child not capable of making that choice, but there is a moral reprehendsible component to that kind of relationship.  Anyone with any semblance of a conscience does anyway.  Satan has twisted freedom to mean that women having access to birth control ought to hate men on some level, see them as prisoners if they become husbands, to see marriage and motherhood as the enemy of happiness and joy, to see sexual pleasure as a means to an end, along with climbing the corporate ladder to have that big career as a measure of success in life, lots of money in the bank, swanky place to live, awesome night life and all that jazz.  That's the measure of woman, be like a gigilo man adn that makes you a success, that's freedom babe, yeah, that's freedom.  What has that really done for soceity, for men, for women, family etc...? Can you really think of anything really positive that this type of freedom had given women or men?   Turning women into sex and money making machines just like men, turning men into wimps and the enemy, had in essence for men made women the enemy, so I wonder the rise in homosexuality in both sexes, what contribution this definition of freedom might have contributed to it.  The freedom, free will given in love by God to us, has been twisted to something else, including the freedom to kill one's unborn child for any reason, even because it makes me look fat, or my dress wont fit, or I can't climb the corporate ladder fast enough if I'm pregnant.  What God intended for good, Satan has turned against us and God, creating a very topsy turvy, and not so nice society to live in.  Prayer is ongoing for this to change and hopefuly it will.

Science, a wonderous, amazing gift from the creator, from Yahweh.  However, one which has also been turned upside down.  Educators, having been inspired by Satan to live by almost the Sola Sciprtura, if it's not strictly in print, b/w in the bible I don't accept it, motto, to use God's gift to know him and his creation better, as a tool against him and even us.  What Satan has convinced humanity, portion of it is that if you can't put God and The Holy Spirit, angels in a petrie dish, they don't exist.  Creation, love, every human experience is evidence of God and Satan, yet Satan had managed to create the geatest deception, illusion of all time, that neither he, nor God etc.. exist.  He has also managed to inspire wickedness in some hearts and minds to use science in the most awful ways. The experiments done during the Nazi era,  here in the states by our own military and throughout history, abortion, especially late term are ways Satan has influenced science for the worst.  God has influenced it to save lives, to cure, not to destroy.  Satan will continue to try to influence to use science in the worst ways, the most destructive ways for soceity, and it is up to the Roman Catholic Church to speak truth and fight against the deceptions of science, as inspired by Satan.

There are many ways Satan wil try to inspire to have God's gifts turned against him and us, so that why a unified church with councils, theology, philoophy, scientific investigations, being appraised of all that is going on in the world is necssary and a church that is a unifiying shepard, that honors tradition of the OT, of the Jewish faith in some aspects at least, that has apostolic continutiy matters a great deal to socity and must never buckle to change and be what society wants it to be, but only what the Holy Trinity wants it to be, what the Bible says it ought to be, what the  Church Councils determine it ought to be.

Shalom and Amen

Medieval and Sacred Music

Midieval Times and Music

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RCM2IeiB00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrIgvzkPFzE&list=PL3C5D49C847DEC992

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ubvYqOh1M

Music is such a blessing, can be on any number of levels, when it is not used to seduce, entice to sin, to debauchary. When a blessing, it can be a means to meditate, to connect to somehting wonderful.

When I listen to this type of music, I am transported to angelic realms, to a place of beauty, where there is love, kindness, joy, where babied are not killed, but loved, cherished, as is all life, are all people.  I hope to find a way to record some of this wonderful music myself in the near future.

Shalom and Amen.

Understanding The Prophetic Books

Understanding the Prophetic Books

There are several prophetic books in the Bible, all of which have great significance in history of Israel, and also for our world today, as well as for the what's to come.  However, which books pertain to what time period, as well as how they can also connect to our own personal lives and struggles isn't always so clear.  This is where the Catholic Church, as I am now appreciating has a great clarity.

While they do represent history and also what is and what will be, they also in a sense represent the ongoing struggle between the secular and spiritual world, the Church of Christ and the world outside that Church that constantly attacks it, as well as our own struggles between choosing God's way or Satan's.  These prophetic books are amazing in their ability to tell of Israel's, the world and humanity's past, present,  and future.  What do they tell us about the struggles of the secular and the spiritual, the Godly?  They have existed since the beginning and it seems at times as if Satan and his secular ways have the upper hand, so we become discouraged.  However, we forget the grand design, the overall plan of redemption salvation, get lost in Satan's deceptions and fall for his lies, his parlor tricks of secularism.  The struggles is created by our own rejection of God's very logical, reasonable fixed morals, concepts and precepts to create our own moral whims and such.  Naturally, the result is disaster, as history proves again and again.  The prophets understood this, foresaw this and history proved them right.  The Old Testament Prophetic books have all been fulfilled, but the book of Revelation, that's a different story, that one has yet to fully come to fruition, as does the tribulation in full vigor, which humanity in its' secularism and rejecting Christ, all that is holy, sacred, prayerful, mindful, kind, brings upon itself.  When we look at the prophetic books, we need to realize they say a lot about history Old Testament and Israel, look at how history might repeat itself, what it says about personal struggles and when we look at Revelation, look at it holistically in terms of what historically has been fulfilled in the OT Israel and what has yet to be fulfilled, what is happening now that it speaks to, in terms of what is still to be fulfilled in terms of the Anti-Christ, a singular global governance and such.

The book of Revelation tells us that the new technologies, and growing secularism we see Christianity in particular pushed more and more underground so to speak, attacked, and Christians made out to be villains, monsters and such for standing up for fixed moral values, tenets, concepts, precepts.  Even in the Pledge of Allegiance God is being replaced with the word peace, a student can't read a Bible during study time, reading time, and handing out the Constitution is seen relegated to the back of the university where no one can see you.  Every one of our sacred rights is being taken away, especially our Freedom of Religion and once that is taken, every other right follows and is taken.  When there is no regard for God, Christ, Holy Spirit, the Church, the teachings of the Magisterium, the wisdom of the early Church Fathers, and Doctors, for the contributions of Christianity to the West, to civilization, founding of America, there is nothing.  Revelation tells us of the plague of secularism, of greed, of self-indulgence on grand scales to where life is nothing, means nothing, has no value.   Pope Frances spoke wisely when he said the following about what was happening and coming:

“You must obey the orders which come from worldly powers. You can do many things, beautiful things, but not adore God. Worship is prohibited. This is at the center of the end of time.”

Once we “reach the fullness of this pagan attitude,” the Pope continued, “then yes, he will come…’ truly the Son of Man will come in a cloud with great power and glory.’”

Christians who “suffer times of persecution, times of prohibition of worship” because of their beliefs, are a prophecy of what will happen to us all,” he emphasized.

It is sad, but true, but we will face what Daniel faced, where we will have to decide if we are loyal to the world or the Lord, and his Church. We may have to decide just how deep our faith is, and how much we value our souls and eternal life soon enough if things keep going the way they are going.  Myself, I am praying daily, even praying the rosary once again because prayer is the only real tool we have against the darkness. Let us all pray daily for each other and our world, for all to come home to Christ and to his Church.  

Shalom and Amen

What I Love About the Saints of the Church

Perseverance, Faith, Depth of Soul and Reason, But Not Perfect

Many Protestants love to bash the Catholic faith about our saints, praying to saints, that it's not directly in scripture.  Then again I have to point out, there is much that is not directly given in scripture, such as the words Trinity, Communion and Last Rites.  However, through a deep, profound prayer life, diligent interconnection of scriptures, looking at the culture of the times, oral traditions passed down in the Eastern and Orthodox faith, we can come to understand much about the Church, the culture of the Church, its' truths, given by the apostles, as all could not be written down, the Bible tells us that.   Saints are a part of the Bible, tradition, even in a sense Jewish tradition, Orthodox Jewish tradition, that's right Orthodox Jewish tradition. Why do I love saints and am going to be delving more into saints, their lives?

Saints tell me God doesn't expect perfect, but he does expect a continuous work in progress, and for me to be very aware that I am a work in progress, who requires help not to sin, fall into sin, due to the sin nature.  They also tell me that with prayer, with that awareness, development of a good, sacred relationship with the Holy Trinity, I can make progress, be perfect no, but progress.  Saints like St. Monica, they teach me about perseverance, praying for years for her son to turn his sinful life around and he did, became a saint of the church, dedicated to living a holy life, to the study of the Gospel and living the teachings of Christ.  Saints like St. Andrew, the patron saint of my mother's town can teach me about honor, doing what is right and walking away from what is wrong, corrupt.  He was a lawyer, but when he was asked to lie and manipulate to win cases, when that started to come into play, he walked away from that profession.  He wouldn't compromise what were principles of honor, ethics etc... for money or career.  They were loyal to the faith, to the teachings of fixed ethics, morals and many were loyal to the point of life and death to the truth of the Gospel, and the Church, knowing it was truth.  I love in them that dedication, loyalty to God's truth, surrender to it, not violence against others, for a true holy person never seeks violence against others, for that is misguided, but surrenders to the full truth of the Gospel and is firm in loyalty to the truth of the Magisterium understanding it is a representative of Christ, the apostolic lineage, full, expansive, holistic understanding of the bible through reason, faith, philosophy, via the Holy Spirit inspiring and directing.

Saints are guideposts, road maps  to look to throughout life, not as perfection, but as works in progress and potential for what that means, what that is  and can be when in prayer, in study, in truth.  They are example of courage, fortitude, love, and so much more, who live in heaven in sublime peace, and love, able to advocate for us with perfect clarity, along with the Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  The bible tells us that angels and saints pray for us, even for those that did harm in heaven and I have included some links as reference to this point.   Having re-discovered truth, I look to Christ, the Holy Spirit, as well as the saints for advocacy to the Father for all my needs, hopes, dreams. 

http://completelybiblical.blogspot.com/2009/01/saints-pray-for-us.html
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-intercession-of-the-saints
http://www.angelfire.com/home/protestantchallenges/saints.html

Shalom and Amen

Videos of Gardens in My Area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HflWNW5zWGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL6ZLqqmbKY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Sne-1PEes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hydgcLUTrYw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzHEb3r0xVA

Another AHA Moment

AHA Moment!!

For so long it seems I was running away from home, who I was, and thought I didn't know myself, but that was a lie that society and Lucifer, as Satan, fallen, a deceiver, lier whispered into my heart, spirit and soul.  The Lord did try to get be to see the truth, I kept trying to define myself by terms of the world, a mistake I pray never to make again.  Today, as I thought about my writing, poetry, songs, friendships, I had another "AHA" moment.  What was that moment?

I realized I have always been Catholic, Universal and Ecumenical, without losing ever the core of who I am. I realized that is what is to wonderful about the Catholic faith, especially at this point in time, is its' ability to be active in the world, every aspect of the world, of life, and still if one is truly Catholic, keep to the tenets and teachings of the magisterium that have foundation in the Bible, great theological and philosophical study, as well as respecting mystical experiences we might have within our faith, that intuitiveness and such.   I have had friends, even when I was younger from all different cultures and faiths, including Muslim, and even now I would have no problem being friends with people of different cultures and faiths, so long as no one tried to shove anything down each other's throat.  I have no problem going to a synagogue service, which I have, to a mosque, which I have etc... in friendship.   When I was there I prayed my Christian prayers and asked for all to be illuminated to come to Christ to the Christian faith.  Now I pray for all to discover the Church of Christ the Catholic Church and unite with in and Christ as redeemer and savior, the only way, truth and life.  The Holy Spirit ultimately is the one who changes lives etc... and I wont ever do door to door or any of that.   Unlike Fundamentalists, though there are a few within the Catholic Church, for the most part, Catholics and the Catholic Church has reached out to others groups, especially fellow Christians in friendship and solidarity.  The Church realizes, as I am realizing more an more that every tradition of faith has a cultural history that if they could be reminded of it, learn to appreciate it, and change how they view the world, without changing moral fundamentals, we might have some peace in this world, until Christ returns to set it right completely.  Where Ecumenical used to be something I would see as awful, and unholy, I now see as a great hope for peace.  We must however, never compromise on certain core principles of faith, such as the five points of Catholicism who Christ is, Trinitarian doctrine, definition of the family, and such.  That is crucial.  When one is strong in one's own identity, which not many are, especially Universalists because they don't have a fixed belief system, it's all over the place, it's a stew of a bit of everything and they often contradict themselves in their beliefs, then one can mix with everyone and never lose one's fixed morals, fixed identity and salvation in Christ.

Shalom and Amen

Passover, Easter and Why Death Doesn't Scare Me

                                    

Easter morning we received the news of my aunt's passing in Italy.  She had died that very morning, Easter morning.  This Easter season is also Passover, both of which have Christ at their center, for it is Christ that redeems and brings us from the dark etc... What does this have to do with death and my not fearing it? Much.

Passover showed us that God, the Word of God, the Logos made flesh in and as Jesus, meant what he said and said what he meant, that he was and is ultimately in control, for the greater good of those who seek him, truly heart and soul, seeking to be and stay free of sin.  He is their advocate, victor, and will part the waters to bring them out of the darkness, out of Egypt, slavery etc... when he determines it is time to do so.  He will deliver them, and he does deliver them.  Thus  he will do the same for me, so long as my heart is true, truly seeks him, in Christ, by power of the Holy Spirit, and trusts his Word, what he inspired to be written, and when I fall get back up repentant.  Until my time to leave this earth comes he will deliver me in any number of ways here on earth, through good friends, love of family, opportunities to share my gifts, abundance, any number of positive ways.  That's where we have the hope given to us in the Resurrection.  When it is time to leave this earth, he will set me free to a place of cleansing if I need that for a period of time, and in the Jewish tradition it is believed for a year after the person dies, in what they refer to as a place of truth, and what we Catholics might refer to as purgatory, with the difference that we don't put a set amount of time on it.  I know by trusting in him, my soul will find its' light, its' peace when that time comes.  Death is not death, but a different stage of being, one of being with the Trinity, with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost until we can be in our glorious body when Christ creates the new heaven and new earth.  Meantime, I seek fellowship with those of my Catholic faith, and also with non-Catholics within my association in Catholic Societies, that I might share of myself and what Christ means to me, my life, even through the arts.  Passover is as wonderful for Christians as Easter in my view because it is a glimpse of what was to come, the Resurrection, so death does not scare me and nothing in life can ever make me bitter, or angry towards God, or life or unforgiving, not possible, not when I have the Passover, Birth of Christ and the Resurrection to recall each year among other wonderful aspects of my Biblical faith.

Shalom and Amen.

Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ.

 

Clergy/Minister as Confessor, Representative of Christ

Passages and points imortant to understanding the sacrament of Penance and Confession:  God had sent Jesus to forgive sins, but after his resurrection he told his apostles, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23). Only twice are we told that God breathed on man, the other being in Genesis 2:7, when he made man a living soul. This brings home  how important the establishment of the sacrament of penance was.  There are those that believe that any power given to the apostles died with them.  Some most likely did, such as the ability to write Scripture. However, those necessary to maintain the Church as a living, spiritual society needed to be passed down from generation to generation. If they suddenly ceased, the Church would cease, except as an abstract entity. Christ ordered the apostles to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.", which was going to  take much time, but  he promised them assistance: "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matt. 28:19–20). Not only this but he also said that they would do not only what he did but greater and that in the end age sons and daughters would prophecy and in John 20:21-23 Jesus tells the apostles after his resurrection that any sins they forgive are forgiven and any they retain are retained.  This tells us quite clearly that they were to be representatives to and much more. Also important to note as pointed out in my research.  The power Christ gave the apostles was twofold: to forgive sins or to hold them bound, which means to retain them unforgiven. Several things follow from this. First, the apostles could not know what sins to forgive and what not to forgive unless they were first told the sins by the sinner. This implies confession. Second, their authority was not merely to proclaim that God had already forgiven sins or that he would forgive sins if there were proper repentance.  How does this all relate to the sacrament of Penance and Confession? Also, again  there is church history.  The earliest Christian writings, such as the first-century Didache, are indefinite on the procedure for confession to be used in the forgiveness of sins, but a verbal confession is listed as part of the Church’s requirement by the time of Irenaeus (A.D. 180).   Later writers, such as Origen (241), Cyprian (251), and Aphraates (337), are clear in saying confession is to be made to a priest. (In their writings the whole process of penance is termedexomologesis, which means confession—the confession was seen as the main part of the sacrament.) Cyprian writes that the forgiveness of sins can take place only "through the priests." Ambrose says "this right is given to priests only." Pope Leo I says absolution can be obtained only through the prayers of the priests. These utterances are not taken as novel, but as reminders of accepted belief.

Let me say that Protestants are a funny and sometimes silly bunch.  They get all dogmatic about The Word being the literal Word of God, but they when the Catholic Church gets literal and sacramental, they suddenly go "no, it's not literal, it's symbolic, contexua;." whatever.  Even in context, you can't get clearer than if they forgive sins they will be forgiven etc.., whatever they bind is bound etc..., so whether Protestants like it or not, the clergy are Christ's representatives on earth and as such are to do what Christ did including heal, forgive sins the whole enchilada.  Does that mean that the priest is the one absolving the sin or cleansing the sin, no.  It is the Holy Spirit doing so, but the clergy in his capacity as such, as representative of Christ does what Christ did, with the help of the Holy Spirit, gives witness to the confession and affirms what Christ would do were he physically on earth at that moment.  It is Christ forgiving, and with the Holy Spirit petitioning for us always with the Father, and the clergy is but a vessel, a representative, just like the poet, the musician, the writer etc...  There is a peace that comes from sharing, unburdening the sins periodically and having a representative of Christ give that verbal absolution, something pretty wonderful.  Like other traditions of my childhood faith, I didn't quite understand or appreciate it and neither do Protestants, many of them, which is really sad for them.

For further clarification you can go to http://www.scripturecatholic.com/confession.html, as well as http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/confess.html.  If memory serves me, even in the Old Testament we see it practiced if I recall correctly. 

Shalom and Amen

John 20-21, Reflection

Peter the Vicar and Gatekeeper

I've read the bible a number of time, does a number of Protestant based studies on the Bible and one or two initial Catholic studies, but never really went in depth on the Catholic understanding of the Bible, or asked the Holy Spirit to help me connect the dots Biblically on some key aspects of Catholicism.  This Easter, John 20 and 21st, those readings while I was watching a TV program jumped out at me, though the subject I am covering here was not what was spoken of on the program.   I once again realized why God keeps pulling me back to the Roman Catholic faith and Church, because it is the fullness and splendor of truth.  What do certain passages tell us about Peter in 20 and 21?

John is one of my favorite books and he is one of my favorite apostles because he has this wonderful faith on sight, and gets the human/divine of who Jesus is, the resurrection right away, one of favorite apostles.  Combined with other aspects of the Bible, connecting the dots, John 20:5-6 and 21:15-19 give us a good sense of Peter's authority, position etc... in the group of the apostles and in the Church, the Catholic Universal Church, from the very beginning.  What are those dots that we can connect and what do they tell us Peter is that the Church honors still today in the hierarchy and structure of the institution?  They are the revelation of the Christ given only to Peter, the Keys of the kingdom given to Peter only, at the tomb, John wont go in until Peter comes and goes in first, Peter alone asked to feed the flock, not once but three times, for the Trinity.  What does all this mean?  It means a lot.  Really think about it in terms of a company, government, any situation, even family and trust, absolute trust and care for what is most precious.  Once I did that and stopped putting God in this narrow literal words only Sola Scriptura erroneous silly box Protestants do, especially fundamentalists, then things got clearer.

Let's connect the dots.  In the Old testament and in any situation, giving the keys to your home, castle, your company, in any form is a huge sign of trust, sharing a major secret and piece of information is a huge deal.  It's not something that is done lightly by humans, so much less so is it going to done lightly and without heavy significance by God, which Jesus would have clearly understood.  In the Old Testament times, even Medieval times, times of castles and kings, when you gave keys to someone, even the chambermaid, you were giving the keys to everything most precious to them.  Even now, if you give the nanny keys to your home, a live in nanny and you travel, you are giving this person a level of huge trust with all that is most precious to you.  God is giving Peter the keys to The Kingdom, to bind and loosen, based on this revelation he received, one that no other apostle received, only him.  That puts him in a category above all the other apostles, as even John knew and which is why he stood aside at the tomb of our Lord and waited for Peter to come before even going in to see about the body and what was going on.  Then Jesus asks Peter, three times, not once, but three, a number representative of the Trinity to care for his sheep, something he asks of none of the others, only Peter, whom he gave the keys to.  He then tells Peter, only Peter that he will be dressed and have to go where he may not want to go.  This reminds me of the Papacy, a role that is not chosen but given by others and one where there is no choice, you are chosen and you accept, no arguments.  You are dressed, crowned and you are the Vicar of Christ, die to the world, to any life other than total service to the Church to maintaining the teachings, traditions etc... of the Church against any outside heresy and influences.

There is also history, and the Papacy, the authority of the office, the Roman Catholic Church has been recognized since early days. Up till the Council of Nicaea, there was one unified Catholic Universal Church in Rome, doctrines, after reflection, study, reasoning and such were debated and agreed upon.  Then the Eastern churches decided they didn't like that arrangement, or to be under any central authority and split.   St Cyprian calls Rome "The Chair of Peter" in 252 AD, the earliest prominent Christians, such as Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and others considered Rome the trustworthy center of Christianity and doctrine.   Every nation that converted from Paganism to Christianity received the transmission of the fullness of faith from missionaries sent from Rome, the Universal Catholic Church, the Chair of Peter.   Clement admonished the church in Corinth that if anyone disobey the things of Rome they will be in transgression and in danger of losing their soul, no small thing.  St. Cyprian affirms the authority of Rome in the middle of the third century, and speaks of anyone other than those appointed by the seat of Rome as false bishops.  If we look at corruption and such overall, there has been true unity and continuity in the Roman Catholic Church of doctrine, holistically and of the offices.  The Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox and Protestants can't say the same, can they?  In the  book "Patriarchs of Constantinople" it is noted that 95 patriarchs resigned in one year alone.  Not only that, but of over 300 vacancies between the year A.D. 36 and 1884, over 100 were by disposition, 41 by poisoning, and so in the end with strangulation and other incidents, only 137 apparently died of natural death in office.  That's not  good.  Historically, even the doctrinal aspect of Orthodoxy has not been stable, whereas, the Roman Catholic Church has maintained doctrinal stability.  Seeds of theology were, by the saints and church doctors developed over time, made clearer, given more definition.  Protestantism is so fragmented, who knows what the heck it is doctrinally or in any way shape, form.  Again are there perfect people, no, and have mistakes been made due to religious zeal, by those of the faith in any denomination, including non-Christian? Yeah, but you don't throw God, and the Church of Christ, the one established upon the Rock, because the people are not perfect. History tells us that the Church of Rome, the Universal Catholic Church of Rome is the one of Apostolic succession and the Chair of Peter, and that is what is crucial, along with the continuity and very well developed theology, compatible with the Word, when understood rightly and holistically, something it has taken me a long time to understand and am only now beginning to realize.

As I look at the Papacy now and connect the dots, I can piece it all together and see that the Papacy, the structure of the Church, the gatekeeper role of all the ongoing theological study, the engagement of the Church in and with the world in a wise, and tough love, but loving way is crucial and quite biblical at that.  The Pope, Vicar of Christ on earth is the protector of the fullness of the allegorical, symbolic and literal truth of the bible on every possible level of understanding and living it day to day.



Shalom and Amen