The Virgin Mary in Cairo, Egypt.

The Word "Religion" In the Bible.

The word "Religion" is in the Bible. Some says that we should not be a member of Religion because it is not in the Bible. But, sorry to those who says this. The word "Religion" is in the Holy Scriptures. The Bible clearly says that Religion is in the Bible. The Bible says...

"but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive." - Acts 25:19 (The Jerusalem Bible)

"They have known me for a long time and could testify, if they would, that I followed the strictest party in our religion and lives as a Pharisee." - Acts 26:5 (The Jerusalem Bible)

"Nobody must imagine that he is religious while he still goes on deceiving himself and not keeping control over his tongue; anyone who does this has the wrong idea in religion. Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world." - James 1:26-27 (The Jerusalem Bible)

See. The word Religion is in the Bible. We should not take this as an issue or a problem. This is not a problem, this is just a result of not understanding and reading the Bible and by only taking verses that is supportive on their doctrines.

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Purgatory in The Bible.

The Purgatory is in the Bible. In fact it is very Biblical. But, according to several Protestants, the word "Purgatory" itself is not in the Bible. Can I ask the Protestants, where in the Bible can you find the word "Bible" itself? There's none. Like the word Purgatory. The word Purgatory cannot be found in the Holy Scriptures, but the Bible tells about it. The Bible says about the Purgatory doctrine...

"Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you most solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny" - Matthew 5:25-26 (The Jerusalem Bible)

That is according to the Bible itself. Here's another verse telling about the Purgatory doctrine...

"For example: when you go to the court with your opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.'" - Luke 12:58-59 (The Jerusalem Bible)

Actually, in these verses I quote straight from the Holy Scriptures, the opponent is Satan and God is the judge. The prison is purgatory and you will not get out there until you paid the very last penny (which means you have to pay for your sins and you need to repent there).

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Born Again is Not a Denomination, It's an Event.

The Baptists or so-called Born Again Christians believes that they are the only people who can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. According to the Born Again Christians, their group can be founded in this verse of the Bible (using the NIV)...

"In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." - John 3:3 (New International Version - Protestant Bible)

That is the basis of the Born Again Christian. They use the term "born again" very literal. For them, the term "born again" is a denomination. It is a religion for them. They can't understand the real meaning of the term "born again." In the Roman Catholic Bible, John 3:3 is...

"Jesus answered: 'I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" - John 3:3 (The Jerusalem Bible)

For the Jerusalem Bible, it's not Born Again but Born from Above. What does born from above means? Let us take a look in the Holy Scriptures again...

"Jesus replied: 'I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born through water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God:" - John 3:5 (The Jerusalem Bible)

Even the NIV Bible deals with that passage from the Roman Catholic Bible...

"Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit" - John 3:5 (New International Version - Protestant Bible)

Now. I have a question for you. What event do you think where you can be born of water and the Spirit (the Holy Spirit)? Of course, in Baptism. That is the only event I know that you can be born of water and Spirit. That's all and God Bless. Shalom.

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Calling a Man Father?

According to several Protestants, those who call a man father is a blasphemer and against God. The Protestants believe that only God the Father and Jesus Christ. Like what we Catholics are doing. We call our priests, father. And the pope, Holy Father. Why are we calling a priest father? Why we call the pope Holy Father? Because the priest is the leader of it's parishioners. And we call the pope Holy father because the pope is the head of the whole Roman Catholic Church. Just as like Abraham as the Father in faith and Father of all nations. The Bible says God promise Abraham to have many sons, and this sons will call him father. But, still, the Protestants still consider it wrong. Okay, now let us talk about this more Biblical. I don't think Isaiah committed blasphemy here in this verse...

"our holy and glorious Temple, in which our fathers prayed to you, is burnt to the ground; all that gave us pleasure lies in ruins." - Isaiah 64:10 (The Jerusalem Bible)

I don't even think Daniel is a blasphemer...

"In your kingdom there is a man in whom lives in the spirit of God Most Holy. In your father's day, he was known for having percipience, intelligence and wisdom comparable to that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him head of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldaeans and wizards." - Daniel 5:11 (The Jerusalem Bible)

I think we should go back to the 1st book of the Bible...

"For your part, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a ripe old age." - Genesis 15:15 (The Jerusalem Bible)

Protestants, still believing? God Himself is the one who is talking on Genesis 15:15. So, Protestants, do you consider God Himself is a blasphemer? What a shock. God said Abraham that he is going to be the father of a multitude of nations...

"Here is my covenant with you: you shall become the father of a multitude of nations." - Genesis 14:4 (The Jerusalem Bible)

So, God is a blasphemer for Protestants because God called Abraham the father of a multitude of nations? What a shock. Here is God again calling Abraham father of a multitude of nations...

"You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I make you father of a multitude of nations." - Genesis 17:5 (The Jerusalem Bible)

Now, in this verse God call Ishmael father of twelve princes...

"For Ishmael too I grant you your request: I bless him and I will make him fruitful and greatly increased in numbers. He shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation." - Genesis 17:20 (The Jerusalem Bible)

See. Protestants, don't tell me that God is a blasphemer and He disobey himself. Another verses with the word father...

"The elder said to the younger, 'Our father is an old man, and there is not a man in the land to marry us in the way they do the world over. Come let us ply our father with wine an sleep with him. In this way we shall have children by our father.'" - Genesis 19:31-32 (The Jerusalem Bible)

There are lots of verses in the Bible that calls a man father. I can't tell all of them here. If the Bible calls a man father, then why not we call a priest father. A pope Holy Father. That's all and God bless us.

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Why Luther Removed the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books?

The Roman Catholic Apocrypha/Deuterocanon are the books in the Holy Scriptures mostly seen in the Old Testament. According to Wikipedia, the Deuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. Marin Luther, the founder and leader of Protestantism, removed the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books because the Apocryphal books doesn't support Luther's Protestant Teachings. Example the salvation because of good works. The Protestants really deny it, they believe that only the Word of God (The Bible) will only save them. But the Apocrypha says...

"...Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin..." - Tobit 12:8-9 (The Jerusalem Bible)

But even the New Testament agrees with this statement that salvation should be with works...

"There you see it: faith and deeds were working together; his faith became perfect by what he did." - James 2:22 (The Jerusalem Bible)

"A body dies when it is separated from the spirit, and in the same way faith is dead if it is separated from good deeds." - James 2:26 (The Jerusalem Bible)

See. The New Testament even agrees with the Apocryphal passage. The Apocrypha supports the Purgatory doctrine which is against Martin Luther's Doctrine...

"after this he took a collection from them individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae, and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered... so that they might be released from their sin." - 2nd Maccabees 12:43, 45 (The Jerusalem Bible)

That's why the Protestants are not including the Apocryphal Books as part of the Holy Scriptures. The Protestants can't accept that their doctrines are wrong. The Protestants are only picking Bible verses that supports their doctrine and anti-Catholic doctrines. That is why Martin Luther removed the Apocryphal books in his Bible (Luther Bible) and some other Protestant Bibles (New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version etch.) removed it too. It's really scary.

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Jesus Loves You. But, Do You Love Him?

I've got a question for you. Please answer this question with all your heart. God loves you so much, friend...

"Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life." - John 3:16 (The Jerusalem Bible)

But, the question is, Do you love Him? The Bible or neither I can't answer that question, it's your own decision. Loving God is not just by praying, praying the Holy Rosary, walk kneeling at Churches from the door to altar, etch. When you are doing all religious things should be with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. It's not good for a Roman Catholic to do a religious thing not from his/her heart. Example a Catholic attends the Holy Mass and received the Body of Christ. But he said on his/her mind I don't like doing this, I'm just doing this because my friends are also doing this. Or for example a male Roman Catholic attends a Holy Mass and Received the Body of Christ, he also do confession before Holy Mass. But after Mass he is doing lots of sins. It's not a good attitude of a Roman Catholic. If any Roman Catholic is doing this, he/she should learn more about good manners and right conduct.

Okay. I think I need to give you a story just to show what I mean...

One day, in the Our Lady of Fatima Parish, there was a Knight serving the LORD. In his face he was so happy and if you hear his words, you will think he is very religious and God-fearing. But, in reality, behind the face of their leader, he hate being a Knight. One day, while serving at the Holy Mass. The leader of the Knights of the Altar in their parish ask him to be the holder of the censer. While holding it, the Knight forgot to get the incense from the priest first. Then, he tells the people to stand/rise up to be blessed with the incense inside the censer. Then he blessed them with NO incense. All people were shocked that there is no incense. And he even forgot to bless the priest. He didn't even blessed the priest. (Note: This story is not true.)

Now. Why do you think the boy failed? Because he didn't do it will all his heart. From now on, the Knight learned that he should do all his works with all his heart.

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