Giby writes:
The ONLY mediator between man and GOD is Jesus Christ!
Mary and all the saints are only people God used for his purposes. We respect but do NOT worship them. Do NOT make them mediators.
Our whole praise goes to God the heavenly Father only. God bless you!
Father Joe responds:
It is true that our one Mediator is Jesus Christ. He is the bridge or pontifex between heaven and earth. He heals the breech with our heavenly Father caused by sin. Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. There is no way to the Father except through the Son. All this is Catholic teaching… YES!
However, our Lord can use human beings and sacraments as his instruments. We see this especially in the ministry of priests in whom Christ makes himself and his power active… as in the absolution of sin and in the Eucharist. The saints are like windows that allow the light of Christ to shine through. We might even say that some magnify or help us to discern this light. The saints have an intercessory role than cannot be dismissed. We come to God, not just as individuals, but as members of a faith community, the Church. This Church is also a unique vehicle of the Lord’s presence, as the Mystical Body of Christ. The Catholic view of intercession and mediation must take into consideration the full significance of the incarnation. We ask the saints to pray for and with us. All true prayer, even intercessory prayer, has as its true object, almighty God. Peace!
Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Catholic |
Blogger Priest 
I love your blog, Father! In an age where even some priests turn themselves into a “Fr. Feelgood” and think more about pleasing people than pleasing God, I am very thankful to see you giving good solid answers to people’s questions and comments that defend and support Mother Church (much like my own pastor defends her). Thank you, dear Father, for being such a faithful shepherd! 😀 If I could make one request, would you please hide the four-letter words in people’s quotes with a first-letter-and-three-asterisks thing? Thanks!
Praying for you always,
Grace
There are a number of comments that are not posted because of highly derogatory, bigoted and/or profane language. One who is now banned from this site for his anti-Catholic intolerance is the Australian David J. Hageman. He is the author of a peculiar blog at Word Press that targets politics and religion with which he disagrees. He thinks that we have all been living under a “mass delusion” designed by the Vatican to destroy the fruits of the Protestant “revolution.” Using terminology from similar hate-sites, he asserts that Catholicism is a pagan “Babylonian system” and that we are now engaging the biblical Apocalypse with the Vatican “papal government” as enemy number one.
While people might disagree about various truths in a civil manner, this is how he starts his evaluation on this post: “Ha ha— Catholic teaching my arse.” He begins with mockery and vulgarity. Such is demonstrative of one who is intellectually impoverished and must resort to emotional rhetoric and name-calling as a poor substitute.
Next, he writes, “Geez Joe you better ask Jesus to forgive you that lie. Oh you could absolve yourself perhaps. And doesn’t the pope call himself god?” Note that he calls me neither Father nor Pastor nor Reverend, but maligns me as a minister of Christ by omitting my title. Then, again not appealing to any logical argument, he undermines my honesty as a teacher of faith. However, what I teach is what I believe and what is taught in the universal catechism. He cannot accept that my motives might be sincere and good. Belittling the mercy of Christ in the sacrament of Penance, he makes a jab at it, as well. Reconciliation is offered by the priest so that we might be healed as members of the Church. He seems ignorant of the fact that the absolution offered by a priest cannot apply either to an accomplice in sin or to himself.
Finally, he echoes a deception made popular in anti-Catholic books from the late 1800’s that the “Pope” (with a capital P) considers himself as God or as his equal. This is, of course, a lie, due to both bigotry and an inability to properly translate Latin. It is often repeated by those who like to reckon the Holy Father as the anti-Christ. It is all quite ridiculous! He is the Vicar of Christ, but he is not God. He is the servant of the Word, not its master. He can interpret and teach from the deposit of faith but all saving revelation ended with the apostle John. That is the issue with so many progressives. They would have the Pope revoke teachings on matters like divorce, abortion and homosexuality; and yet, he cannot. He is not God and does not have such power.
He would urge Amolesu to his brand of ignorance and hatred. But then writes, as a backhanded concession, “As a protestant I must respect your freedom to worship the very antichrist. And suckle on the teat of the whore.” Again, we see vulgarity. Such does not come from the Spirit of God but from a different source. Catholics disagree with but love our Protestant brothers and sisters. We affirm our common love for Jesus Christ and reckon them as members of the Christian family. Our doctrinal differences are many and serious, but where there is love, there is hope. We pray that one day all God’s children will be fully united.
As a former Protestant, I used to be of the same opinion as Giby. Excellent explanation!
Amen, Father!