No subject

=E2=80=9D Catholic?=0ABy Leon Suprenant | August 18, 2008=0AA Catholic scho=
ol teacher recently posed this question to me: =E2=80=9CProtestants always =
have signs, t-shirts, and the like with John 3:16, so it seems that for the=
m that is the one definitive verse of the Bible. If you had to sum up the C=
atholic faith in one Bible verse or passage, what would it be?=E2=80=9D=0AO=
bviously our faith isn=E2=80=99t reducible to individual verses or passages=
 or =E2=80=9Csound bites,=E2=80=9D but I still thought this was a most inte=
resting question.=0AI began by acknowledging=C2=A0that Protestants and Cath=
olics alike rightly=C2=A0emphasize John 3:16: =E2=80=9CFor God so loved the=
 world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not p=
erish but have eternal life.=E2=80=9D=0AIt=E2=80=99s a beautiful verse that=
 succinctly captures much of the Gospel message or, in more technical terms=
, the Gospel kerygma.=C2=A0 It shows God=E2=80=99s love for the world, the =
shared divinity of Father and Son, Our Lord=E2=80=99s saving mission, the n=
ecessity of faith, and the goal of eternal life=E2=80=94not bad for just on=
e verse!=C2=A0 Catholics do well to proclaim that verse in season and out.=
=0ANonetheless, I came up with five other verses or passages that I think a=
re especially=C2=A0significant for Catholics and indeed for all who believe=
 in Christ: =0A(1a) 1 John 3:1=E2=80=94See what love the Father has given u=
s, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.=0A(1b) Galatian=
s 4:4-7=E2=80=94But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, b=
orn of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, s=
o that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has=
 sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, =E2=80=9CAbba! Father!=
=E2=80=9D So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son =
then an heir.=0AOkay, I cheated by pairing up those two passages. What has =
always struck me about these passages and others like them are the fact tha=
t the =E2=80=9Ceternal life=E2=80=9D spoken of in John 3:16 is to be experi=
enced as truly sons and daughters of God, as what St. Peter describes as be=
ing =E2=80=9Cpartakers of the divine nature=E2=80=9D (2 Pet. 1:4). Our =E2=
=80=9Csonship=E2=80=9D is a present reality, which among other things makes=
 us =E2=80=9Cheirs=E2=80=9D of the fullness of eternal life in heaven. I th=
ink these verses also help us to understand the problem with a =E2=80=9Conc=
e saved, always saved=E2=80=9D theology that implicitly denies the freedom =
we have as children of God to turn away from Him through mortal sin.=0A(2) =
Acts 2:42=E2=80=94And they devoted themselves to the apostles=E2=80=99 teac=
hing and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. =0AThese fou=
r activities are described as the pillars of the first Christians, and they=
 continue to be the pillars of the Christian life today and in fact are exp=
ressed in the four pillars of the Catechism, which is the basic structure o=
f the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Namely, =E2=80=9Capostles=E2=80=99 =
teaching=E2=80=9D refers to the Creed; =E2=80=9Cbreaking of the bread=E2=80=
=9D refers specifically to the Eucharist and more generally to the Sacramen=
ts; =E2=80=9Cfellowship=E2=80=9D refers to Christian morality and a Christi=
an understanding of the Ten Commandments; and =E2=80=9Cthe prayers=E2=80=9D=
 refers to Prayer, typically summarized by the Our Father.=0A(3) Philippian=
s 2:5-11=E2=80=94Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ =
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with G=
od a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant=
, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbl=
ed himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore=
 God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above eve=
ry name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on =
earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lo=
rd, to the glory of God the Father.=0AI have always been especially moved b=
y this passage. Also, scholars generally believe that this passage from St.=
 Paul was quoting an ancient Christian hymn, which also demonstrates the ro=
le of Tradition and the function of the liturgy as the Church=E2=80=99s =E2=
=80=9Cmemory=E2=80=9D of what God has done for us through His Son.=0A(4) Ma=
tthew 5-7=E2=80=94Christ=E2=80=99s Sermon on the Mount=0AThis is a little l=
onger, but it is truly the =E2=80=9CMagna Charta=E2=80=9D of the life Chris=
t calls us to lead. Here we see Christ as the New Moses giving us a New Law=
. While Moses brought the Old Law down to us from Mt. Sinai, Our Lord takes=
 the crowd (and us) up on the mountain to give us His blueprint for our ete=
rnal happiness or =E2=80=9Cbeatitude.=E2=80=9D=0A(5) Matthew 28:18-20=E2=80=
=94And Jesus came and said to them, =E2=80=9CAll authority in heaven and on=
 earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations=
, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy S=
pirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am=
 with you always, to the close of the age.=E2=80=9D=0AThese are the instruc=
tions of Christ to His Church before His Ascension. He instructs His Church=
 to go out and make disciples=E2=80=93baptizing and teaching with His autho=
rity, and also promising His continual presence in His Church.=0AObviously =
many other passages or verses can be cited. Let me know if you think of any=
 others that should have cracked my top five.=0ALike a deer that=C2=A0longs=
 for running=C2=A0waters so my soul=C2=A0longs for you,=C2=A0O God.=0APs 42=
:1=0A=0A=0A      
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<html><head><style type=3D"text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></he=
ad><body><div style=3D"font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:1=
2pt"><table width=3D"100%" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" align=3D"cen=
ter"><tbody><tr><td height=3D"200" bgcolor=3D"#f2fff2" background=3D"cid:12=
19178940113 at dclient.mail.yahoo.com" valign=3D"top"><table width=3D"100%" ce=
llspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" align=3D"center"><tbody><tr><td width=3D"=
10"> </td><td valign=3D"top"><table width=3D"100%" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpa=
dding=3D"0"><tbody><tr><td height=3D"10"> </td></tr><tr><td><font face=3D"G=
eorgia,Times New Roman,serif" size=3D"2" color=3D"#794a72" style=3D"font-fa=
mily:Georgia,Times New Roman,serif;font-size:12;color:#794a72;"><div style=
=3D"text-align:undefined;"><DIV></DIV>=0A<DIV>From <A href=3D"http://www.cu=
fblog.org/?p=3D410">http://www.cufblog.org/?p=3D410</A><BR> </DIV>=0A<=
DIV>=0A<H2 id=3Dpost-410><A title=3D"Permanent Link: Protestant =E2=80=9CVe=
rses=E2=80=9D Catholic?" href=3D"http://www.cufblog.org/?p=3D410" rel=3Dboo=
kmark><FONT color=3D#800080>Protestant =E2=80=9CVerses=E2=80=9D Catholic?</=
FONT></A></H2>=0A<P><B>By Leon Suprenant</B> | August 18, 2008</P>=0A<DIV c=
lass=3Dpostspace2></DIV><!--content with more link-->=0A<P>A Catholic schoo=
l teacher recently posed this question to me: =E2=80=9CProtestants always h=
ave signs, t-shirts, and the like with John 3:16, so it seems that for them=
 that is the one definitive verse of the Bible. If you had to sum up the Ca=
tholic faith in one Bible verse or passage, what would it be?=E2=80=9D</P>=
=0A<P>Obviously our faith isn=E2=80=99t reducible to individual verses or p=
assages or =E2=80=9Csound bites,=E2=80=9D but I still thought this was a mo=
st interesting question.</P>=0A<P>I began by acknowledging that Protes=
tants and Catholics alike rightly emphasize John 3:16: =E2=80=9CFor Go=
d so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in hi=
m should not perish but have eternal life.=E2=80=9D</P>=0A<P>It=E2=80=99s a=
 beautiful verse that succinctly captures much of the Gospel message or, in=
 more technical terms, the Gospel kerygma.  It shows God=E2=80=99s lov=
e for the world, the shared divinity of Father and Son, Our Lord=E2=80=99s =
saving mission, the necessity of faith, and the goal of eternal life=E2=80=
=94not bad for just one verse!  Catholics do well to proclaim that ver=
se in season and out.</P>=0A<P>Nonetheless, I came up with five other verse=
s or passages that I think are especially significant for Catholics an=
d indeed for all who believe in Christ: <SPAN id=3Dmore-410></SPAN></P>=0A<=
P><STRONG>(1a) 1 John 3:1=E2=80=94See what love the Father has given us, th=
at we should be called children of God; and so we are.</STRONG></P>=0A<P><S=
TRONG>(1b) Galatians 4:4-7=E2=80=94But when the time had fully come, God se=
nt forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who we=
re under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because yo=
u are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, =E2=
=80=9CAbba! Father!=E2=80=9D So through God you are no longer a slave but a=
 son, and if a son then an heir.</STRONG></P>=0A<P>Okay, I cheated by pairi=
ng up those two passages. What has always struck me about these passages an=
d others like them are the fact that the =E2=80=9Ceternal life=E2=80=9D spo=
ken of in John 3:16 is to be experienced as truly sons and daughters of God=
, as what St. Peter describes as being =E2=80=9Cpartakers of the divine nat=
ure=E2=80=9D (2 Pet. 1:4). Our =E2=80=9Csonship=E2=80=9D is a present reali=
ty, which among other things makes us =E2=80=9Cheirs=E2=80=9D of the fullne=
ss of eternal life in heaven. I think these verses also help us to understa=
nd the problem with a =E2=80=9Conce saved, always saved=E2=80=9D theology t=
hat implicitly denies the freedom we have as children of God to turn away f=
rom Him through mortal sin.</P>=0A<P><STRONG>(2) Acts 2:42=E2=80=94And they=
 devoted themselves to the apostles=E2=80=99 teaching and fellowship, to th=
e breaking of bread and the prayers. </STRONG></P>=0A<P>These four activiti=
es are described as the pillars of the first Christians, and they continue =
to be the pillars of the Christian life today and in fact are expressed in =
the four pillars of the Catechism, which is the basic structure of the Cate=
chism of the Catholic Church. Namely, =E2=80=9Capostles=E2=80=99 teaching=
=E2=80=9D refers to the Creed; =E2=80=9Cbreaking of the bread=E2=80=9D refe=
rs specifically to the Eucharist and more generally to the Sacraments; =E2=
=80=9Cfellowship=E2=80=9D refers to Christian morality and a Christian unde=
rstanding of the Ten Commandments; and =E2=80=9Cthe prayers=E2=80=9D refers=
 to Prayer, typically summarized by the Our Father.</P>=0A<P><STRONG>(3) Ph=
ilippians 2:5-11=E2=80=94Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in=
 Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equalit=
y with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a=
 servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form =
he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. T=
herefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is a=
bove every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven=
 and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Chri=
st is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.</STRONG></P>=0A<P>I have always=
 been especially moved by this passage. Also, scholars generally believe th=
at this passage from St. Paul was quoting an ancient Christian hymn, which =
also demonstrates the role of Tradition and the function of the liturgy as =
the Church=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Cmemory=E2=80=9D of what God has done for us t=
hrough His Son.</P>=0A<P><STRONG>(4) Matthew 5-7=E2=80=94Christ=E2=80=99s S=
ermon on the Mount</STRONG></P>=0A<P>This is a little longer, but it is tru=
ly the =E2=80=9CMagna Charta=E2=80=9D of the life Christ calls us to lead. =
Here we see Christ as the New Moses giving us a New Law. While Moses brough=
t the Old Law down to us from Mt. Sinai, Our Lord takes the crowd (and us) =
up on the mountain to give us His blueprint for our eternal happiness or =
=E2=80=9Cbeatitude.=E2=80=9D</P>=0A<P><STRONG>(5) Matthew 28:18-20=E2=80=94=
And Jesus came and said to them, =E2=80=9CAll authority in heaven and on ea=
rth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, b=
aptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spir=
it, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am wi=
th you always, to the close of the age.=E2=80=9D</STRONG></P>=0A<P>These ar=
e the instructions of Christ to His Church before His Ascension. He instruc=
ts His Church to go out and make disciples=E2=80=93baptizing and teaching w=
ith His authority, and also promising His continual presence in His Church.=
</P>=0A<P>Obviously many other passages or verses can be cited. Let me know=
 if you think of any others that should have cracked my top five.</P></DIV>=
=0A<DIV> </DIV>=0A<DIV>=0A<DIV>=0A<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000bf><EM><FONT=
 face=3D"comic sans ms">=0A<DIV><EM><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#0=
000bf>Like a deer that longs for running waters so my soul l=
ongs for you, O God.</FONT></EM></DIV></FONT></EM></FONT></DIV>=0A<DIV=
><FONT color=3D#0000bf><EM><FONT face=3D"comic sans ms">Ps 42:1</FONT></EM>=
</FONT></DIV>=0A<DIV><EM><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=3D#0000bf size=
=3D1></FONT></EM> </DIV>=0A<DIV><EM><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" color=
=3D#0000bf size=3D1></FONT></EM> </DIV></DIV></DIV>=0A<DIV></DIV></div=
></font></td></tr><tr><td height=3D"10"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td><td=
 width=3D"10"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><b=
r>=0A=0A      </body></html>
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