Podcasts about roman catholic mass

When you partake of communion, are you literally feasting upon the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? And in every Roman Catholic Mass does a priest truly reach up into the heavens and bring down Christ from his throne in order to offer him up as a victim once again, for the sins of man during their representation? Today we take a look at the view of the Roman Catholic Church and whether or not it holds weight when it comes to partaking of the Lord's Supper. Follow Good Fight Ministries on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodfightministries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodfightministries Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/goodfightmin TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodfightministries We're on Rumble! https://rumble.com/GoodFightMinistries Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/goodfight

As a grape's flavor is influenced by the soil in which it is grown, the early Church also grew to reflect the beauty of the communities in which it spread. In this month's episode, our cohosts discuss this “exchange of gifts” between diverse expressions of faith in the Archdiocese of Detroit – including expressions related to ethnicity and culture as well as different liturgical rites. 0:25 – Archbishop Vigneron and Mike Chamberland greet each other and welcome this month's guest host, Vickie Figueroa, Director of Cultural Ministries and Coordinator of Black Catholic Ministries for the Archdiocese of Detroit. 0:45 – Vickie introduces herself to our hosts and listeners. 5:16 – Mike introduces this month's topic: the “exchange of gifts” between diverse expressions of faith in the Archdiocese of Detroit – including expressions related to ethnicity/culture as well as different liturgical rites. He asks Archbishop Vigneron to share a little about the history of different liturgical expressions, particularly Eastern and Roman rites. 9:29 – Archbishop Vigneron speaks about the Eastern parishes in southeast Michigan and their relationship to the Archdiocese of Detroit. 13:58 – Archbishop Vigneron clarifies that Roman Catholics are permitted to attend Eastern Catholic liturgies—even to fulfill the Sunday obligation—and to confess to Eastern Catholic priests. 14:46 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to speak about the extraordinary form of the Roman Catholic Mass. 18:32 – Vickie shares about the importance of cultural diversity within the Church and its influence on liturgical expression. 22:09 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron and Vickie to share some of the efforts underway to strengthen the Church's missionary presence in the Central Region of the Archdiocese, which includes Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. 29:47 – Mike asks Archbishop Vigneron to speak about the Mass of the Sacred Heart, a gospel music-based Mass setting that he commissioned a few years ago. 32:25 – Vickie highlights some additional liturgical gifts that have been shared by the African American community. 36:11 – Archbishop Vigneron and Vickie share concrete examples of when different cultures in the Archdiocese have influenced their own faith expressions. 42:20 – Archbishop Vigneron answers listener questions about his home life growing up, etiquette for receiving the Holy Eucharist, and whether he would have believed and followed Jesus if he had met him on earth two thousand years ago. 46:29 – Archbishop Vigneron shares his prayer intentions for the month and closes the episode with a prayer and blessing.

Most Catholics, and many lawyers, know the meaning of the Latin phrase, "mea culpa." The phrase is literally translated as "through my fault." It is the foundation of a traditional prayer sometimes recited during the Penitential Act of the Roman Catholic Mass: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Recently, Maryland's Attorney General issued a report that calls to mind a less well-known Latin phrase: "tu culpa." Your fault! Our special guest, attorney F.J. Collins, takes issue with the AG's segregation of liability and joins Serge and Clarke for an interesting, and perhaps provocative, two-part podcast on the Attorney General's Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. 

Deut. 12:8–14 1 Kgs. 12:25–33 Mk. 7:1–13 1 Cor. 11:27–34 Today's catechism sermon seeks to clarify two things: (1) What kind of meal the Lord's Supper is, which we discuss by comparing it to the Roman Catholic Mass. (2) What kind of person should come to this meal, which we discuss by seeing what kinds of things are required for us to come in a worthy manner. The Lord's Supper is a meal that offers Jesus' true body and blood, and that this is to be spiritually eaten, by repentant sinners. 

Sunday Service (6/11/23) // Mark 7:1-13 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org Follow us to remain connected: Facebook: https://facebook.com/mbc.chicago Instagram: https://instagram.com/mb.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others To support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Web: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal/Credit: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... Maranatha Bible Church (MB Church) (Northwest Chicago Area) #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #BibleStudy | #livechurch | #churchlive #sola_scriptura Mark 7:1-13 (ESV) Traditions and Commandments 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,[a] holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.[b] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.[c]) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother'; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”' (that is, given to God)[d]— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Footnotes a. Mark 7:3 Greek unless they wash the hands with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing b. Mark 7:4 Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves c. Mark 7:4 Some manuscripts omit and dining couches d. Mark 7: 11 Or an offering

Pastor Doug Link teaches about what occurs during a typical Roman Catholic Mass. The post The Roman Catholic Mass appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.

Special Guest Host Ken Hensley – Many young people are leaving their Christian upbringing and buying into atheistic views of life Rich - Absolute morality: I know a woman who debated this with me. She stuck with her opinion about there being no morality even on hard topics. Rudy - Where did the kinetic energy that causes the big bang come from? Ruben - How do you respond to people who say Jesus was just performing magic tricks? Frank - I worked in India for 6 years. I have some comments on the objectivity of reality that was shown because of all the bad things going on around there. Marco - How much can I do if I attend a Roman Catholic Mass as an Eastern Orthodox? I was invited to Mass and am not sure if I'm welcome. Fred - Muslims do believe that babies do not have a soul right away when they are conceived.

TRADCAST EXPRESS - Episode 171 Topics covered: Bergoglio's Church of Sinners. Bergoglio and Paganism. 'Cardinal' Arthur Roche and the Theology of New Mass vs. the Theology of the Traditional Latin Mass. Links: Interview with Francis, Vatican News (Mar. 10, 2023) Antipope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (Mar. 19, 2018) Hannah Brockhaus, "Pope Francis: A Christian life based on achieving higher positions is ‘pure paganism'", Catholic News Agency (Mar. 15, 2023) "Francis warns: Traditionalism is ‘Paganism of Thought'!", Novus Ordo Wire (Aug. 5, 2022) For ‘Access to the Sacred Circle of Spirits': Francis participates in Native American Smudge Ceremony, Novus Ordo Wire (Aug. 5, 2022) 'Cardinal' Arthur Roche on BBC Radio (Mar. 19, 2023) Michael Haynes, "Cdl. Roche says Latin Mass needs to be restricted because the ‘theology of the Church has changed'", Life Site (Mar. 20, 2023) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, first edition 1969, Rorate Caeli (Sep. 30, 2011) "Is the New Mass of Paul VI the true Roman Catholic Mass?", Novus Ordo Wire (Apr. 9, 2020) Denzinger: The Sources of Catholic Dogma (1954 ed.) Antipope Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution Missale Romanum (Apr. 3, 1969) Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, et al., Short Critical Study of the New Order of Mass ("Ottaviani Intervention", Sep. 25, 1969) Sign up to be notified of new episode releases automatically at tradcast.org. Produced by NOVUSORDOWATCH.org Support us by making a tax-deductible contribution at NovusOrdoWatch.org/donate/

Aaand we're back! We're down to the semi-finals of our Merc Madness bracket! We're getting down to the wire now. It's Richard Cottingham vs. Clementine Barnabet!!Who do you think should advance? Grab your beers and let us know who you think should make the finals!Da MassIt's a Roman Catholic Mass...for misfits...conducted by professional misfit and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

This week, we're tackling the world of sports murders, i.e. murders by or against athletes! While we may not be the biggest sports fans, these cases range from the salacious and controversial, to the straight up horrifying. Featuring a cyclist love triangle, the downfall of a beloved skater, a notorious murder through a bathroom door, and the NFL scrambling its players' brains. Get ready to run, ski, cycle, and skate with us on a bloody, brutal journey through some of the worst crimes the world of sports has ever seen!Check out our website! www.twistedlisterpod.comBrought to you by Podmoth Media Network podmoth.networkJoin us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/twistedlistersFollow us on Instagram: @twistedlisterspcastTiktok: @twistedlistersWant to start a podcast? Sign up HERE Cases Covered:1. Celia Barquin Arozamena2. Spider Sabich3. Oscar Pistorius4. Eric Naposki5. Agnes TiropSources:https://www.thedailybeast.com/murdered-olympic-star-agnes-tirop-had-just-decided-to-divorce-husband-over-fears-he-would-kill-herhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/11/16/agnes-tirop-husband-charged-with-murder/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Sabichhttps://snowbrains.com/murder-glory-money-fame-scandal-the-spider-sabich-story1/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Naposkihttps://www.si.com/nfl/2019/02/01/eric-naposki-ex-patriots-player-murder-case-nanette-johnson-violent-lifehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Oscar_Pistoriushttps://www.foxnews.com/us/blade-runner-oscar-pistorius-olympians-meteoric-rise-fallhttps://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2019/09/17/spanish-golfer-celia-barquin-arozamena-iowa-state-cyclones-golf-murder-one-year-ames-remembrances/2347730001/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-who-murdered-iowa-state-golfer-celia-barqu-n-arozamena-n1045776Da MassIt's a Roman Catholic Mass...for misfits...conducted by professional misfit and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

What doesn't happen at the Lord's Supper? What about the Roman Catholic Mass?

What doesn't happen at the Lord's Supper? What about the Roman Catholic Mass?

Today we are going to discuss the Sacrifice of the Roman Catholic Mass. This is something many Roman Catholics do not understand about their own system. The Mass is a sacrifice… complete with an altar, and a victim to be offered. LISTEN EVERYWHERE: https://instabio.cc/extraordinarylives FOLLOW US: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ordinarypeoplepodcast/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ordinarywith Check out our website: http://ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives.com/ Find us on the BAR Network: https://www.instagram.com/thebarnetwork/ SUPPORT US! Patreon: Become a Patron! www.patreon.com/Ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives WANT TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY WITH US? Email us: podcast@ordinarypeoplewithextraordinarylives.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ordinarypeoplepodcast/support

Missionary Evangelist Robert Breaker talks about why he personally does not celebrate the Roman Catholic Mass, choosing rather to follow the BIBLE than TRADITION. 

From APO-01 – What is Romanism? 990829PM The post ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS IS NOT IN THE BIBLE appeared first on Discover the Book Ministries.

From APO-01 – What is Romanism? 990829PM The post ROMAN CATHOLIC MASS CRUCIFIES CHRIST OVER AND OVER AGAIN appeared first on Discover the Book Ministries.

Here is a short video regarding the counterfeit teaching of the Roman Catholic Mass. I attended tons of Catholic Masses for years, and I was an altar boy as a young man also. I had no idea that I was lost and on my way to HELL until the Lord Jesus Christ rescued me from that false religious system!

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that their "sacrifice of the Mass" is the same sacrifice as the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross! The only difference is that it is done sacramentally on their altars in an "un-bloody" manner. They believe that the "sacrifice" of the Mass is a propitiatory sacrifice, and that it SATISFIES the justice of God for sins committed against him. Does the Bible teach those things? How can we know if those things are true or not? Tune in for the answers to this e questions.

Our experience in Christ cannot be defined by obedience to physical observances and ceremonies. Today so many within the Church call themselves ‘Christians', not because of a born again experience, a new birth, but simply because they are adhering to the teachings and traditions, of the ‘Church'. Church, as the world sees it, is more identified by its ceremonial, than by the reality of the new birth. So many things are considered to be the way into salvation, even the Roman Catholic Mass (communion) is seen as a sacrament, adding grace upon grace each time it is received. I take communion, I'm sure you do, but this does not replace Christ's command that, in order to enter into your salvation and to see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again!

Mark Lefebvre is back in after visiting the Billy Graham shrine near his home and a local Roman Catholic Mass with his aunt and he's got some ideas about how the church is failing it's job. Mark is an active part of the Awakening from the Meaning Crisis discord community and is starting his own Youtube channel and website about his ideas. He and I spoke before and we often chat on the Bridges of Meaning discord server. The Navigating Patterns YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgIbaWd7raqeIGUS1cHNgPg The ugly but personal website of Mark Lefebvre: http://www.arxveritatis.com/ Please join our meaning community project at: https://meaningcommunity.com/   Discord link. Good for just a few days. Check with more recent videos for a fresh link. https://discord.gg/TNWnRpKe Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ If you want to schedule a one-on-one conversation check here. https://paulvanderklay.me/2019/08/06/converzations-with-pvk/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  To support this channel/podcast on Paypal: https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin (BTC): 37TSN79RXewX8Js7CDMDRzvgMrFftutbPo  To support this channel/podcast with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) qr3amdmj3n2u83eqefsdft9vatnj9na0dqlzhnx80h  To support this channel/podcast with Ethereum (ETH): 0xd3F649C3403a4789466c246F32430036DADf6c62 Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay Powerpoints of Monologue videos are available for Patrons at https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640

MIKE POMPEO, former US Secretary of State under President Trump joins us to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis and lawlessness at the US-Mexico border, the World Health Organization's findings on the origins of COVID and much more. SHANNON BREAM, host of FOX News @ Night talks about her brand-new book, The Women of the Bible Speak. DAVID ALTON, member of the UK House of Lords joins us to talk about the sanctions placed on him and 4 other members of the UK Parliament by the Communist Chinese government for speaking out against human rights abuses in China. DECLAN GANLEY, Irish entrepreneur and former candidate for EU Parliament discusses the recent criminalization of the public celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass in Ireland due to COVID19. FR. PETER VASKO, O.F.M., President of The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land with Stations of the Cross from the Holy Land.

MIKE POMPEO, former US Secretary of State under President Trump joins us to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis and lawlessness at the US-Mexico border, the World Health Organization's findings on the origins of COVID and much more. SHANNON BREAM, host of FOX News @ Night talks about her brand-new book, The Women of the Bible Speak. DAVID ALTON, member of the UK House of Lords joins us to talk about the sanctions placed on him and 4 other members of the UK Parliament by the Communist Chinese government for speaking out against human rights abuses in China. DECLAN GANLEY, Irish entrepreneur and former candidate for EU Parliament discusses the recent criminalization of the public celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass in Ireland due to COVID19. FR. PETER VASKO, O.F.M., President of The Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land with Stations of the Cross from the Holy Land.

4035 SM110820 What Is The Mass?- The True Partaking Of The Body Of Christ- It Isn't The "Roman Catholic Mass" (Eating Human Flesh - Cannibalism)- A Message To John MacArthur

4035 SM110820 What Is The Mass?- The True Partaking Of The Body Of Christ- It Isn't The "Roman Catholic Mass" (Eating Human Flesh - Cannibalism)- A Message To John MacArthur

4035 SM110820 What Is The Mass?- The True Partaking Of The Body Of Christ- It Isn't The "Roman Catholic Mass" (Eating Human Flesh - Cannibalism)- A Message To John MacArthur

4035 SM110820 What Is The Mass?- The True Partaking Of The Body Of Christ- It Isn't The "Roman Catholic Mass" (Eating Human Flesh - Cannibalism)- A Message To John MacArthur

20200705 030 Roman Catholic Mass American Council of the Blind (ACB) 2020 Virtual Conference and Convention

Fr. Donald Kloster of the Diocese of Bridgeport is Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis’ guest on Episode 14 of “Vows, Vocations, and Promises: Discerning the Call of Love.” In this episode, Fr. Kloster discusses his private research regarding the resurgence of the Tridentine – or- Extraordinary Form- of the Roman Catholic Mass. Fr. Kloster will be celebrating his 25th anniversary of ordination in July. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1989 and spent a year in postulancy as the historic Abbey of Disentis in Switzerland. Fr. Kloster earned an M.A. in Moral Theology and defended a thesis on the death penalty in 1995. Father served as a missionary priest in Ecuador for 7 years and was the pastor of one of the largest and poorest parishes in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil. Fr. Kloster is currently the Chaplain of St. Joseph’s Manor in Trumbull, Connecticut.In this episode, Fr. Kloster presents his private research regarding the growing number of families and young adults who are discovering the beauty and spiritual depth of the Traditional Latin Mass- often called the TLM. Fr. Kloster has a profound love for the Tridentine Mass and in Episode 14, he relates to Dr. Urlakis the evidence that a growing number of Catholics share his devotion to this ancient form of the Holy Mass.

The Catholic Mass - Part 3 - Father and Tim continue their discussion about the Roman Catholic Mass, including the Liturgy of the Word and the Homily.We are all Disciples in Progress, AKA, Discipuli In Via.Be sure to bookmark DiscipuliInVia.com and save it as a favorite.Do you like what you hear? Visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/InViaPodcast to keep DiscipuliInVia going and growing.Join the Discipuli In Via conversation by following @InViaPodcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Sport your favorite Discipuli In Via apparel, or have a reminder in your home or car by clicking the "Merch Store" link on DiscipuliInVia.com

Father and Tim continue their discussion on The Roman Catholic Mass, including some often overlooked aspects of the Procession at the beginning of the Mass.  From an outsider's perspective, the procession at the beginning of Mass may be a confusing time, and many Catholics may have even forgotten what it is all about.  As with every aspect of the Mass, each element of the procession carries a certain meaning and significance.We are all Disciples in Progress, AKA, Discipuli In Via.Be sure to bookmark DiscipuliInVia.com and save it as a favorite.Do you like what you hear? Visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/InViaPodcast to keep Discipuli In Via going and growing.Join the Discipuli In Via conversation by following @InViaPodcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Sport your favorite Discipuli In Via apparel, or have a reminder in your home or car by clicking the "Merch Store" link on DiscipuliInVia.com

Part one of the Discipuli in Via series on the Roman Catholic Mass.  Why do Catholics claim to be Special? What makes it Real? Father and Tim kick off their Discussion about the Roman Catholic Mass with a walk through of what happens at Mass in a Roman Catholic Church, and Father adds some further explanation and deeper understanding. We are all Disciples in Progress, AKA, Discipuli In Via.Be sure to bookmark DiscipuliInVia.com and save it as a favorite.Do you like what you hear? Visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/InViaPodcast to keep Discipuli In Via going and growing.Join the Discipuli In Via conversation by following @InViaPodcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Sport your favorite Discipuli In Via apparel, or have a reminder in your home or car by clicking the "Merch Store" link on DiscipuliInVia.com

Intro…Welcome to the Cornerstone Baptist church podcast. My name is Justin Wheeler, I am the preaching pastor for Cornerstone and today we are in week 30 of our journey through the Heidelberg Catechism. Today, I will be talking to you about questions 80-82.Transition…This week, we are talking about the difference between our Protestant views on the Lord’s Supper and the Roman Catholic views of the Mass. This week things will get a little heated. So far, Heidelberg has kept the dialogue pretty mild and has aimed more toward articulating Protestant Orthodoxy than at attacking Catholic teaching, but not today. The final statement in the Answer to question 80 states that the Catholic Mass is, “Nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and the condemnable idolatry.”When you call a church practice a condemnable idolatry you have taken the gloves off. So let’s jump into this discussion and try to get our minds around why things have gotten so heated over bread and wine.Lord’s Day Focus...Question 80: How does the Lord’s Supper differ from the Roman Catholic mass?Answer: The Lord’s Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with His very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where He wants us to worship Him.This part of A/80 is summarizing what we have learned over the past few weeks. The Lord’s Supper is, within our Protestant understanding, a memorial meal declaring that we who trust in Christ by faith have had our sins forgiven. When Jesus died on the cross His body was broken for us, His blood was shed for us and His sacrifice, on the cross, secures our forgiveness once and for all. No additional sacrifice is needed.But the Supper also declares that we are united to Christ by faith and are His very body, bride and family. Our Lord is alive in Heaven with the Father and we worship Him as Lord. The Supper reminds us of these truths and celebrates these truths until the day when He returns to be with us and eat this meal with us.So, there is a two-sentence summary highlighting the importance of the Lord’s Supper for us. But the question is how does this differ from what the Roman Catholic church teaches?But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus, the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and the condemnable idolatry.Heidelberg points out three ways that our theology differs: (1) the Mass doesn’t declare our sins forgiven, (2) the Mass is not just a memorial of Christ’s but a time when Christ is actually present in the bread and wine and therefore is to be worshipped as such and (3) the Mass teaches that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was not a once-for-all sacrifice. All of this causes Heidelberg to condemn the Roman Catholic Mass as accursed idolatry.For some of you the theology of the Mass is something of a mystery so let’s take some time to talk about what the Catholic Church actually teaches. The word Mass refers to the Eucharist which is the ceremony commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with bread and wine. The term Mass actually means to dismiss the people and early on the church celebrated two Masses.The early church divided their liturgy into two separate parts. The first part was the service of the word, where anyone was permitted to attend to hear the Scriptures taught and when this service was complete the people would be dismissed (Mass). Then a second service of the Table would begin, and only baptized believers were admitted to this table. This was often called the mass of the faithful and included the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.[1]Over the years this practice has changed in the RC church, but the language is still the same. Today, the Mass refers to the Catholic worship service and, in this service, the main event is the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper. Catholic priests may give a short ten-minute homily or teaching from the Scriptures, but the main event is the bread and wine, which they believe to be the actual body and blood of Jesus.We learned last week that the heart of the Catholic understanding of the Lord’s Supper is that, “during the mass a miracle takes place by which the substance of the ordinary elements of bread and wine changes into the substance of the body and blood of Christ.”[2] This is called transubstantiation and it means that the Catholic Mass is not just a service where we remember Jesus death, the Eucharist is a sacrifice.In their theology, Jesus is actually present in the bread and wine. His sacrifice on the cross is brought into the room and the faithful feast on Christ again and again to obtain new mercy and find new grace, which means your sins aren’t’ forgiven. The Eucharist is often referred to as the bloodless sacrifice, but make no mistake, the RC church teaches that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Jesus.Scott and Kimberly Hahn are popular Catholic apologists, and they help us understand what it is like to experience Mass with these things in mind.One evening, we had an opportunity to be at a Mass where there was a Eucharistic procession at the end. I had never seen this before. As I watched row after row of grown men and women kneel and bow when the (Elements)[3] passed by, I thought, these people believe that this is the Lord, not just bread and wine. If this is Jesus, that is the only appropriate response. If one should kneel before a king today, how much more before the King of Kings? But, I continue to ruminate, what if its not? If that is not Jesus in the elements, then what they are doing is gross idolatry?[4]That is the same conclusion that Heidelberg has come to. If the bread and wine are only bread and wine, meant to remind us of the once for all sacrifice of Jesus, then the Catholic Mass is idolatry and should be condemned as such.Question 81: Who are to come to the Lord’s Table?Answer: Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their continuing weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves.Communion is for the broken believer who has come to understand that we needed a Savior and Christ died to save us. It is not for people who profess something that isn’t true of them. It is not for religious people who simply want to be part of a mystical service. It is not for those who think the meal actually affords them some saving merit. It is for the broken.We come to the table because we hate our sin. We come to the table because we know we need forgiveness. We come to the table in our weakness and we find our strength and hope in the finished work of Christ on the cross.The supper strengthens our faith because it reminds us of our need and of Jesus’ supply. The supper calls us to repentance and faith again, it refocuses our desire to live a faithful life in response to Jesus’ saving grace.Question 82: Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly?Answer: No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and His apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives.When unbelievers come to the Table, they aren’t welcome because the Lord’s Supper is a family meal. For an unbeliever to eat the bread and drink the cup is a form of hypocrisy.The Supper is not for perfect people, it is for broken people; but that doesn’t mean that everyone can come. There are times in the life of the church when sin has to be addressed and unfortunately there are times when those being rebuked refuse to repent. When members are under discipline and they refuse to turn from their sin, it has been the practice of Jesus’ followers to withhold the elements of bread and wine from themWe do this to show that unrepentant sin separates us from fellowship with the Lord and it creates a barrier to fellowship with His people. So not everyone can come, but only those true baptized believers who have come to see their sin for what it is and who have put their hope in Jesus to redeem them and bring them to GodNext week we will continue our study of the ordinances and I hope that you will join me again next week as we look at Lord’s Day 31 and questions 83-85.Conclusion…If you want to learn more about Cornerstone Baptist church, you can find us online at Cornerstonewylie.org. You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @cbcwylie. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/cornerstonewylie. You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or google play to stay up to date on all the new content.Thanks for listening.[1] Walter Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker, pg. 697)[2] R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Tyndale, pg. 235)[3] Monstrance is the vessel used to carry the host and the wine that have been transubstantiated so they can be revered and adored by the people.[4] Scott and Kimberly Hahn, quoted from Kevin DeYoung THe Good News We Almost Forgot (pg. 148)

What mainstream Christianity has erroneously called The “Last Supper” & “Holy Communion” are actually the Passover Meal that our Messiah ate with his disciples the night before he died! Find our YouTube Channel here. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZcAnYtTJRTp8U_gOlHYZ7g Additionally, what most Christians refer to as “Palm Sunday” was actually a “Palm Sabbath,” which, according to Exodus 12:3 is to take place four days before the lamb is slain! See these blogs: The Triumphal Entry of the High Priest & the Lamb https://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2018/03/what-is-triumphal-entry_24.html?fbclid=IwAR0BdPanh2QF-zaSZ2IZEhqgpurBuvzNdY6E6P08CWxK3OYtSVgHv9B9szM The “Last Supper” & “Holy Communion” Exposed! https://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2018/03/no-such-thing-as-last-supper.html What is the Roman Catholic Mass? https://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-is-catholic-mass-why-is-it.html

TRADCAST 023 (12 NOV 2018) Contents Segment 1: Introductory comments; giving up on Francis; anything but Sedevacantism; the last Catholics; Vatican-China deal; "Abp." Georg Ganswein canonizes Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Faith, reason, and Modernism; the Vatican and environmentalism; Francis' silence on the Asia Bibi case Segment 2: Thank you to our donors; the Roman Catholic Mass vs. the Novus Ordo "Mass"; Francis says Christ received his authority from the people; book recommendation: Contra Crawfordby Dylan Fellows and Christopher Conlon Total run time: 1 hr 1 min Links to Items mentioned in the Show & Related Information Novus Ordo Watch, "Anything but Sedevacantism! Analysis of a Curious Phenomenon" (Apr. 25, 2017) Novus Ordo Watch, "Missing the Forest for the Trees: The Remnanton Schism and Sedevacantism" (Nov. 9, 2018) News Article: "Provisional Agreement between Holy See and China", Vatican News (Sep. 22, 2018) News Article: Edward Pentin, "Holy See Signs Provisional Agreement With China on Appointment of Bishops", National Catholic Register (Sep. 22, 2018) News Article: Sandro Magister, "In the Match with the Vatican, China Calls the Shots", Settimo Cielo (Sep. 30, 2018) Novus Ordo Document: Francis, "Message to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church" (Sep. 26, 2018), Vatican.va Church Document: Pope Pius XII, Encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis (1958) Book: Rod Dreher, The Benedict Option (New York, NY: Sentinel, 2017) Article: "Abp." Georg Ganswein, "The 'Nine-Eleven' of the Catholic Church", Catholic News Agency(Sep. 11, 2018) Novus Ordo Watch, "HERESY: Vatican 'Archbishop' Gänswein says 'No Proof' for God’s Existence" (Dec. 26, 2016) Church Document: Pope St. Pius X, Encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907) News Article: "The Vatican creates an International Observatory against Cyberbullying", Rome Reports (Nov. 8, 2018) News Article: "Vatican Observatory hosting conference for meteorite care", Crux (Sep. 10, 2018) News Article: "Church Worldwide Calls for Ambitious and Urgent Climate Action", Zenit (Oct. 26, 2018) Novus Ordo Document: Francis, "Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation" (Sep. 1, 2018), Vatican.va Article: Alexander Kissler, "Ein relativ katholischer Papst", Cicero (May 19, 2016) Novus Ordo Watch, "A Perfect Example of Naturalism: Francis reflects on Death without mentioning Judgment, Heaven, or Hell" (Feb. 1, 2018) News Article: Carlos Esteban, "Francisco, al Príncipe Federico de Dinamarca: 'El medio ambiente es el reto más importante de nuestra era'", Info Vaticana (Nov. 8, 2018) Wikipediaentry: "Asia Bibi Blasphemy Case" YouTube Video: "Pope Francis meets the husband of Asia Bibi, a Christian sentenced to death in Pakistan", Rome Reports in English (uploaded Apr. 16, 2015) News Article: Sandro Magister, "Asia Bibi Sentenced To Death For Faith. But in the Vatican Her Case Is Taboo", Chiesa (Apr. 5, 2016) News Article: "Pope prays for and with victims of religious persecution", Vatican News (Feb. 24, 2018) Novus Ordo Watch, "Francis: 'It is not right to convince others of your Faith'" (Oct. 25, 2016) Support TRADCAST/NovusOrdoWatch by making a tax-deductible donation HERE "Pope" Francis, Tweet of Nov. 4, 2018 (Twitter/@Pontifex) Novus Ordo Watch, "The Holy Catholic Mass: How the Vatican II Sect transformed the August Sacrifice of the Altar into a Liturgical 'Happy Meal'" News Article: Sr. Bernadette Reis, "Pope Francis at Mass: Jesus the icon of the meek and compassionate pastor", Vatican News (Sep. 18, 2018) Novus Ordo Watch, "What you need to know about the man who claims to be the Pope'" Book: Dylan Fellows and Christopher P. Conlon, Contra Crawford: A Defense of Baptism of Desire and Periodic Continence (Lulu Press, 2018) Novus Ordo Watch, "A New Book defending Baptism of Desire and Blood: Contra Crawfordby Dylan Fellows and Chris Conlon" (Nov. 8, 2018) Catholic magisterial pronouncements: Henry Denzinger’s Sources of Catholic Dogma (1954 ed.) TRADCAST: Complete Episode List TRADCAST EXPRESS: Complete Episode List Support TRADCAST/NovusOrdoWatch by making a tax-deductible donation HERE Follow Novus Ordo Watch on Twitter Follow TRADCAST on Twitter Automatic Subscription Options for TRADCAST TRADCAST by Email (receive automatic notifications of each new episode by email) The TRADCAST RSS Feed (for use with any podcast service) TRADCAST on iTunes TRADCAST on Stitcher TRADCAST on Google Play TRADCAST on Soundcloud More Information at TRADCAST.org

Composer Francis Poulenc maintained that one need not be solemn to praise God, and that belief is echoed is his "Gloria." Indeed, listeners not otherwise informed may not guess it's the setting of a sacred text (in this case, the second part of the Roman Catholic Mass liturgy). Poulenc's score is by turns melodic, rhythmic, serene, piquant, high-spirited, slightly dissonant, subdued, or strident, but is never less than charming. Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 33377]

Composer Francis Poulenc maintained that one need not be solemn to praise God, and that belief is echoed is his "Gloria." Indeed, listeners not otherwise informed may not guess it's the setting of a sacred text (in this case, the second part of the Roman Catholic Mass liturgy). Poulenc's score is by turns melodic, rhythmic, serene, piquant, high-spirited, slightly dissonant, subdued, or strident, but is never less than charming. Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 33377]

Composer Francis Poulenc maintained that one need not be solemn to praise God, and that belief is echoed is his "Gloria." Indeed, listeners not otherwise informed may not guess it's the setting of a sacred text (in this case, the second part of the Roman Catholic Mass liturgy). Poulenc's score is by turns melodic, rhythmic, serene, piquant, high-spirited, slightly dissonant, subdued, or strident, but is never less than charming. Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 33377]

Composer Francis Poulenc maintained that one need not be solemn to praise God, and that belief is echoed is his "Gloria." Indeed, listeners not otherwise informed may not guess it's the setting of a sacred text (in this case, the second part of the Roman Catholic Mass liturgy). Poulenc's score is by turns melodic, rhythmic, serene, piquant, high-spirited, slightly dissonant, subdued, or strident, but is never less than charming. Series: "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 33377]

This coffee breaks ends the examination of music that represents death by listening to extraordinary works by two great composers, music that takes us through the darkness into the afterlife. Sinfonia da Requiem was Benjamin Britten's antiwar piece that was structured similarly to the Roman Catholic Mass for the dead. Britten's War Requiem brings choir, soloist, poetry and two orchestras together to create an amazing vision of life and death. Death and Transfiguration is Richard Strauss's tone poem about a dying man's thoughts on his life's experience and he finally receives his transfiguration "from the infinite reaches of heaven." Powerful ideas and music. contact the show at: yccb@mauriceriverpress.com

The Sacrament of the Eucharist This now being our fourth teaching part on the sacraments, we come at last to set in focus, the sacrament of the Eucharist.  The questions that we want to ask in this teaching part are two in number.  Firstly, we want to ask; for what reason is the sacrament of the Eucharist so important and secondly; is the sacrament of the Eucharist biblical?  Biblical support to substantiate the sacrament of the Eucharist fails at every point.  Scripture stands in direct contradiction to the Roman Catholic Mass.  Biblically, Christ is not and cannot be present in a consecrated piece of wafer; eternal life cannot be received by ingesting the body and blood, of Jesus Christ; a man cannot have power on earth to change the substance of that bread and wine into the body, blood, soul and divinity Jesus Christ; and finally, Eucharist adoration aka idolatry is flatly condemned in the pages of Scripture!!  At best, the crowning sacrament of the Roman Catholic is a fraud and at worst utterly damnable to millions who celebrate and partake of it!! Download teaching notes (pdf) http://traffic.libsyn.com/bethesdashalom/9_Is_Roman_Catholicism_True_Christianity_Pt9.pdf

This Episode of CS is titled, “Orthodoxy, with an Eastern Flavor.”We need to begin this episode by defining the term “Orthodoxy.”It comes from Greek. Orthos means “straight” & idiomatically means that which is right or true. Doxa is from the verb dokein = to think; doxa is one's opinion or belief.As it's most often used, orthodoxy means adherence to accepted norms. In reference to Christianity, it means conforming to the creeds of the early Church; those statements of faith issued by the church councils we've looked at in recent podcasts and we have a series on in Season 2.In opposition to orthodoxy is what's called heterodoxy; other-teaching. Heterodoxy deviates from the Faith defined by the Creeds. Specific instances of heterodoxy, that is - deviant doctrines are called heresy; with those who hold them known as heretics. When heresy causes a group of people to remove themselves from the Communion of Saints so they can form their own distinct community, it's called a Schism.But there's another, very different way the word Orthodox is used in Christianity. It's the name of one of the 4 great branches of the Church; Roman Catholic, Protestant, & Eastern Orthodox. The fourth is that branch of the Faith we've been looking at for the last couple episodes – The Nestorian Church, AKA The Church of the East.In the West, we're familiar with Roman Catholicism & Protestantism. We're less aware of Eastern Orthodoxy and most people haven't even heard of the Nestorian Church. Ignorance of Eastern Orthodoxy is tragic considering the Byzantine Empire which was home to the Orthodox Church continued to embody the values & traditions of the Roman Empire until the mid-15th C, a full millennium after the Fall of Rome in AD 476.It'll be many episodes of CS before we get to the year 1054 when the Great Schism took place between the Eastern & Western churches. But I think it helpful to understand how Eastern Orthodoxy differs from Roman Catholicism so we can stay a little closer to the narrative timeline of how the Church developed in upcoming episodes.One of the ways we can better understand the Eastern Orthodox Church is to quickly summarize the history of Roman Catholicism in Europe during the Middle Ages as a contrast.In the West, the Church, led by the Pope with cardinals & bishops, oversaw the spiritual & religious aspects of European culture. The affiliation between church & state that began with Constantine the Great & continued for the next century & a half was at best a tense arrangement. Sometimes the Pope & Emperor were close; at other times they were at odds & competed for power. Overall, it was an uneasy marriage of the secular & religious. During the Middle Ages, the Church exerted tremendous influence in the secular sphere, & civil rulers either sought to ally themselves with the church, or to break the Church's grip on power. Realizing how firm that grip was, some civil rulers even sought to infiltrate the ranks of the church to install their own bishops & popes. The Church played the same game & kept spies in many of Europe's courts. These agents reported to Rome & sought to influence political decisions.The situation was dramatically different in the East where the church & state worked in harmony.  Though foreign to the Western Mind, & especially the Modern Western Mind which considers a great barrier between Church & State, in the ancient Byzantine Empire, Church & State were partners in governance.  They weren't equivalent, but they worked together to shape policies & provide leadership that allowed the Eastern Empire to not only resist the forces that saw the West collapse, but to maintain the Empire until the 15th C  when it was finally over-run by the Ottoman Turks.In our attempt to understand Eastern Orthodoxy, we'll look to the description Marshall Shelly provides in his excellent book, Church History in Plain Language.The prime starting point for understanding Orthodoxy isn't to examine its basic doctrines but rather its use of holy images called icons. Icons are highly stylized portrayals of one or more saints, set against a golden background and a halo around the head. Icons are crucial in understanding Eastern Orthodoxy. Orthodox believers enter their church and go first to a wall covered with icons called the iconostasis. This wall separates the sanctuary from the nave. The worshipper kisses the icons before taking his/her place in the congregation. A visitor to an Orthodox home will find an icon in the east corner of the main room. If the guest is him/herself Orthodox, they'll greet the icon by crossing themselves & bowing. Only then will they greet the host.To the Orthodox, icons are much more than man-made images. They're manifestations of a divine ideal. They're considered a window into heaven. In the same way grace is thought to be imparted through the Roman Catholic Mass, grace is thought to flow from heaven to earth thru icons. Protestants can better understand the importance of icons to the Orthodox by considering how important The Bible is to them.  As Scripture is the written revelation of God's will & truth, so icons are considered as visual representations of truth that have as much if not more to impart by way of revelation to believers. In fact, icons aren't painted, they are said to be “written,” conveying the idea that they fulfill the same role as Scripture. The Bible is the Scripture in words; icons are scripture in images.As I said, an icon is a highly stylized portrayal of saints or Bible scenes on panels, usually made of wood, most often cypress which has been prepped with cloth & gesso. The background is gold leaf, depicting the glory of the divine realm the image is thought to come from, with bright tempura paint making the figures & decoration. When dry, the panel is covered in varnish. Some ancient icons are amazing pieces of art. Icon artists consider the writing of icons as a spiritual act & prepare by fasting & prayer, after having completed laborious technical training.Strictly speaking, Eastern Orthodox theology says icons are not objects of devotion themselves. They're thought to be windows into the spiritual realm by which the divine is able to infiltrate & effect the physical.  Though that's the official doctrinal position on icons, they are kissed & venerated at the beginning & at various points during a service.  Icons aren't worshipped, they're venerated; meaning while they aren't given the worship due God alone, they are esteemed as a medium by which grace is bestowed on worshippers. While this is the technical explanation for the use of icons, watching how worshipers use them and listening to how highly they're regarded, I'm hard-pressed to see how in a practical sense, there's any difference between veneration & worship. To many objective observers, the use of icons seems a clear violation of the Second Commandment prohibiting the use of images in the worship of God.Scholars debate when Eastern Christians began to use icons. Some say their use began in the late 6th or 7th C. Before icons became popular, relics played an important part of church life. Body parts of saints as well as items connected to Biblical stories were thought to possess spiritual power.Caution: I know opine à All of this was superstitious silliness, but it framed the thinking of many. Since there were only so many holy relics to go around and each church made claim to one to draw worshippers in, icons began to be used as surrogates for relics. If you can't have a piece of the cross, maybe a golden painting of Mary holding the baby Jesus would do the trick. If you can't have Stephen's index finger, how about his icon? Miraculous stories hovering round relics & icons were legion, each claiming some special connection to God & saints. Relics were said to bring healing. Icons were said to weep tears or bleed. The fragrant scent of incense was said to attend many of the greatest icons. The tales go on & on.The question in all these claims is; where do we find the use of such things in Scripture? By way of reminder, Evangelical Christians determine what defines Biblical as opposed to Eastern Orthodoxy by this set of questions –1) Did Jesus teach or model in in the Gospels? 2) Did the Early Church practice it in the book of Acts? 3) Do the NT epistles comment on or regulate it as normative for faith & practice?Using this 3-fold filter, the use of relics & icons isn't orthodox.The Eastern Orthodox church refers to itself as the Church of the 7 Councils. It claims a superior form of the Christian Faith because it draws its doctrine from what it says are the main Church Councils that defined normal Christian belief. The last Council, Nicaea II in AD 787, came about as a response to the Iconoclast Controversy which we'll talk about later. The point here is that Nicaea II declared the veneration of icons to be good & proper. What we're to glean from this is that claiming to be a church that adheres to the creeds of the 7 Councils doesn't mean much if those councils were just gatherings of men. It isn't their Creeds that are important & that define the Faith; It's Scripture alone that has that role. Creedal statements are only so good in as much as they are proper interpretations of the Word of God. But they are not themselves, that Word.Another important distinction between the Eastern & Western Church is how they view the object of salvation.Western Christians tend to understand the relationship between God & man in legal terms. Man is obliged to meet the demands of a just God. Sin, sacrifice, & salvation are all aspects of divine justice. Salvation is cast primarily in terms of justification.In Roman Catholicism, when a believer sins, a priest determines what payment or penance he owes to God. If he's unable to provide enough penance for some especially heinous sin, then purgatory in the afterlife provides a place where his soul can be expiated.In Protestantism, penance & purgatory are set aside for the Biblical doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Christ whose work at the cross atones for all sin, for all time. Justification by grace through faith is a keystone of evangelical theology. But here still, the issue is legal & forensic.This legal emphasis is continued in Roman Catholicism's view of the papacy. According to Rome, Christ commissioned & authorized Peter & his successors, the popes. That legal authority is seen in the symbols of the papacy – a set of keys.Eastern Orthodoxy presents a contrast to this legal emphasis in Roman Catholicism & Protestantism. The core of Orthodox theology is the incarnation of God & how it effects the restoration & re-creation of fallen man. In Orthodoxy, sin isn't so much a violation of God's law as it is a denigration of God's image. Salvation is less an issue of making sinners just before a holy God as it is a restoration of God's image in them.In Western Christianity, Jesus is seen primarily as the substitutionary sacrifice Who atones for sin & reconciles sinners to God. There's a great burden of guilt due to the penalty of sin God's righteous justice must be paid for. His law has been broken; it must be set right. Jesus sets it right by the cross, His resurrection vindicating & validating His sacrifice as sufficient. This is why the crucifix is such a prominent feature in Roman Catholicism & the Cross is central to classic Protestant preaching.In Eastern Christianity, Christ is God incarnate & on mission to restore the image of God in man. And when I say ‘image,' think “icon”.  This is not to say that in Orthodoxy there's no mention of justification or that in Romanism there's no suggestion of restoration. There is. It's more about where the emphasis lies.In Orthodoxy, the church is far less the formal institution that developed in the West. It's conceived more as the mystical body of Christ continually renewed by the Holy Spirit. This seems a rather odd claim to Protestants who've visited an Eastern Orthodox church, which is filled with images & a formal liturgy that's quite formal. Compared to the spare architecture & decoration of Protestant churches, Orthodoxy does appear formal, but that formalism doesn't extend to the hierarchy of the church. There's no pope in the Eastern Orthodox church. Each of the major branches of Orthodoxy has its own patriarch, but there's no one over-arching head bishop who oversees the Orthodox Church, as the Pope rules in Rome. The Eastern Church sees itself as a community where men & women are restored to the likeness of God.So, we might ask: When did this fundamental difference between doctrinal emphases begin? That's difficult to say for certain because the theology grew through a slow, steady progression. But we could say the differences emerged when the Gospel arrived in Corinth, then Rome in the 1st Century. Corinth was Greek; Rome Latin. The Greeks were more philosophical by nature & the Gospel appealed to their ancient quest to perfect man. The Latin Romans were fascinated by all things legal. They were a race of lawyers. A brief look at the history of Rome's rulers reveals the importance the law played. Whoever could manipulate the courts & Senate ruled.A good way for us to get a handle on the difference between Eastern & Western Christianity as it exists today is this – many Western Christians look back at Constantine's uniting Church & State as a negative development. At the time, it seemed a blessed relief to a church hammered by 2 centuries of persecution, but looking forward form that ancient place, knowing what's coming, we lament the corruption that's in store for the church. So historians of Western Christianity speak of the enslavement of the church by the state.For Eastern Christians, Constantine is regarded as a hero & saint. Orthodoxy considers his reign as the climax of the Roman Empire. According to this view, Rome evolved into a religious monarchy with the emperor as the connecting link between God & the world.  The civil authority of the State was the earthly reflection of divine law while the Church was the religious reflection of Heaven on Earth. In Orthodoxy, the emperor was the place where the civil & religious authorities united. While the church & state were different entities, they weren't seen as separate spheres. They worked together to govern all of human society.Constantine's imprint on Eastern Orthodoxy is undeniable. He considered the empire the “bearer” or litter that carried the Church. As Emperor, his role was to lead both church & state. Recognizing the need to mark this new moment in history, Constantine moved his capital to what was called – “New Rome” or what the people called Constantine's City – Constantinople.  He built the splendid Church of the Holy Apostles to shift the center of Church life to the East. To indicate the importance of the Emperor as God's agent, in the midst of the 12 symbolic tombs of the apostles in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantine built a 13th for himself, making it clear he considered himself foundational to the faith & an equal to the Apostles.This helps us understand why Constantine was so zealous to find a solution to the trouble the heresy of Arianism caused. As Shelly says, Constantine was superstitiously anxious that God would hold him personally responsible for the divisions and quarrels among Christians. If Christianity lacked cohesion and unity, how could it be a proper religion for the empire? So Constantine and the emperors who followed him made every effort to secure agreement about the Christian faith.  Constantine thus adopted the practice already in use by Christians to settle differences on a local basis. He called ALL the leaders of the church to meet & agree upon proper belief & practice. This policy became an integral part of the Eastern Christian tradition. From the first Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325, to the 7th in 787, also held in Nicaea, Emperors called the councils & imperial power presided over them.  That's why to this day the Eastern Orthodox Church refers to itself as the “The Church of the Seven Councils.”These councils produced the creeds which embody orthodoxy.  That orthodoxy was then enforced in society by the civil authorities. Faith ceased to be a purely spiritual or church matter; it took on a political dimension.[1]While the Byzantine Empire had several notable rulers, the most significant after Constantine was Justinian the Great who ruled from 527-65. Constantine maintained a distinction between being a Christian & the Emperor. Justinian merged the 2 to become a Christian emperor. And this reveals one of the fundamental differences between East & West.In the East, the head of the State & the head of the Church were fused into 1 office.In the West, while there were times when a pope wielded tremendous political power, it was in a covert manner. Civil rulers were also at times given great influence in church affairs but typically sought to use that influence behind the scenes. Church & state were kept in separate spheres in the West. In the East, they merged.Justinian thought himself God's agent & the executor of his will. The empire was God's instrument in the world. It bent its knee to Jesus, then rose to enforce its vision & version of Jesus' will on the Earth.This union of church & state continued on in the years that followed. Even under Communism, the Russian Orthodox Church, a branch of Eastern Orthodoxy, continued to operate through State license.It was under Justinian that the unique Byzantine merger of Roman law with Christian faith & Greek philosophy took place, all of it flavored by a dash of Orientalism. This is seen most clearly in Byzantine art. Whereas the West had gone in for the realism of the Greek Classical Age, the Byzantines submerged the physical world of human experience under the supernal & transcendent realm of the spiritual. Nothing revealed that more than the Church of Holy Wisdom, known today as the Hagia Sophia. Justinian's church was a remodel of an earlier church constructed by Constantine. Justinian gave the order it was to be the grandest building on the face of the Earth. Constructed in record time, it was indeed an amazing feat. When it was consecrated in 538, Justinian exclaimed he'd outdone Solomon. The dome, the largest to date, was thought to hang by a golden chain from heaven. It was so immense & high above the ground some thought it was a piece of the sky. The mosaics that made up the floor of the church dazzled the eye.Years later when emissaries from the king of Ukraine visited Constantinople on a quest to find a suitable new religion for the Ukrainians, they were overwhelmed by the Hagia Sophia. It may well have been their report back to their monarch that moved him to choose Christianity as the new state religion. The emissaries said when they stood in the Hagia Sophia, they didn't know if they were in heaven or on earth.It's important to mention here the Byzantines rarely if ever identified themselves as such; they were Romans. Constantinople was New Rome but they were not part of a new Empire called Byzantine. That's a label applied by much-later historians. They were Romans and part of the Roman Empire. The Western half of the Empire may have fallen to barbarian invaders, but the Empire lived on in the East & would do so for another thousand years.[1] Shelley, B. L. (1995). Church history in plain language (Updated 2nd ed.) (141–145). Dallas, Tex.: Word Pub.

In this episode I discuss the basics of Roman Catholic Mass and define some key terms: Mass, Eucharist, Transubstantiation, Liturgy.ResourcesCatholic Answers Tract: The Institution of the MassBook: The Faith of Millions by John O'BrienUSCCB.org (Order of Mass)YouTube Video: A Step by Step Guide to Catholic MassCatechism of the Catholic ChurchThe Council of Trent: Session 13Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist (Book recommended by Trent Horn from Catholic Answers)Debate: James White vs. Mitch Pacwa (Audio only)The Roman Catholic Controversy by Dr. James WhiteMy Friend's Podcast“Andrew's Daily Five” - Music countdowns. A great way to discover music, both new and old!MusicMusic by MichaelKobrin from Pixabay (Intro/Outro)Music by JuliusH from Pixabay (Sponsor/Commercial)EmailBearChristianity@gmail.com