Some of my favorite sayings . . .

Some of my favorites . . .

The image of God in man is effaced but not eased.― Unknown

God's grace co-operative, not just operative.―  Unknown

The Gates of Hell are locked from the inside.― Unknown
C.S. Lewis

Good works works protect good faith. ― Karl Keating, Catholic apologist

Fundamentalism says miracles stop at the death of the last Apostle. Secularism says miracles never happened in the first place. The Bible says miracles never ceased. ― Karl Keating, Catholic apologist

Seek a convenient time to attend to thyself; and reflect upon the benefits of God to thee. Let curiosities alone. – Thomas à Kempis

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” ― Thomas à Kempis

Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.― Thomas à Kempis

“If God were our one and only desire we would not be so easily upset when our opinions do not find outside acceptance.” ― Thomas à Kempis

“The more humble and obedient to God a man is, the more wise and at peace he will be in all that he does.” ― Thomas à Kempis (The Inner Life)

“Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of its trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse for impossibility, for it thinks all things are lawful for itself and all things are possible” ― Thomas à Kempis (The Imitation of Christ)

“Every time I catch myself trying to figure out other people's motives, I'll stop and ask myself: "What did I say or do that prompted the action? Why did I react to it as I did? Does what happened make a major difference to me, or am I making something big out of a trifle?"― Thomas à Kempis

Leave off that excessive desire of knowing; therein is found much distraction There are many things the knowledge of which is of little or no profit to the soul.”
― Thomas à Kempis (The Imitation of Christ)

“A book has but one voice, but it does not instruct everyone alike.”
― Thomas à Kempis

“All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.”
― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

As long as you live, you will be subject to change, whether you will it or not - now glad, now sorrowful; now pleased, now displeased; now devout, now devout; now vigorous, now slothful; now gloomy, now merry. But a wise man who is well taught in spiritual labor stands unshaken in all such things, and heeds little what he feels, or from what side the wind of instability blows.” ― Thomas à Kempis, (The Imitation of Christ)

“Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good.
By itself it makes that which is heavy light;
and it bears evenly all that is uneven.
It carries a burden which is no burden;
it will not be kept back by anything low and mean;
It desires to be free from all wordly affections,
and not to be entangled by any outward prosperity,
or by any adversity subdued.
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble,
attempts what is above its strength,
pleads no excuse of impossibility.
It is therefore able to undertake all things,
and it completes many things and warrants them to take effect,
where he who does not love would faint and lie down.
Though weary, it is not tired;
though pressed it is not straightened;
though alarmed, it is not confounded;
but as a living flame it forces itself upwards and securely passes through all.
Love is active and sincere, courageous, patient, faithful, prudent, and manly.”
― Thomas à Kempis

Anxiety and Worry

Personally, I love to collect proverbs—you know those short, pithy statements that make us think about life in general. Here are a few of my latest ones:

• The first one is by an unknown author, who said, “Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” 

• Then there is one by Charles M. Schulz, the cartoonist of Charlie Brown fame, who said, “I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time.” 

• Here’s another good one, I think. It is by Katherine Paterson the author of Jacob Have I Loved. She said this: “ To fear is one thing.  To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.”

• What about this one by Glenn Turner? He said, “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” 

• I also like the old Swedish Proverb that says, “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” 

• Or the German Proverb that says, “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.”

• Then of course there is famous one by Mark Twain, the author and humorist, who said: “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.  “

• Finally, I like the one by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American essayist and poet who write with such profound insight when he penned these words, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”  

A man called Cephas . . .

A man called Cephas . . . 

Question: Pray tell me what does Matthew 16:18 mean?

Answer: To answer this, I shall leave this up primarily to one who is revered by Catholics and Protestants as well, St. Augustine (A.D. 354—A.D. 430) Bishop of Hippo is without a doubt, in my opinion, the greatest theologian since the Apostle Paul. The renowned church historian William Jurgens makes these laudatory comments about his importance— 

If we were faced with the unlikely proposition of having to destroy completely either the works of Augustine or the works of all the other Fathers and Writers, I have little doubt that all the others would have to be sacrificed. Augustine must remain. Of all the Fathers it is Augustine who is the most erudite, who has the most remarkable theological insights, and who is effectively most prolific (William Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers (Collegeville: Liturgical, 1979), Vol. 3, p. 1). 

Fortunately, however, we do not have to make that choice. Had we, it is doubtful that the erudite luster which surrounds his contribution to theology would have been possible. The truth is that much of his of his theology rest on the shoulders of his predecessors, as well as that of many of his contemporaries. This is not, however, the time or place to discuss or defend that assertion, although I feel certain of the conclusion. Therefore, let us continue to think of the unity that must rest upon the foundation of the pillar and foundation of truth the church of the living God. 

In that regards Christ’s reference to Peter as the petra or rock upon which he was to build his church is a hotly debated passage of Scripture; albeit, central to our discussion. In his interpretation of this passage of Scripture — which is found in Matthew 16:18 and repeated in The Gospel of John 1:42 that St. Augustine had this to say—

"Because thou hast said unto me, 'thou art the Christ the Son of the living God;' I also say unto thee, 'Thou art Peter.' For before he was called Simon. Now this name of Peter was given him by the Lord, and in a figure, that he should signify the Church. For seeing that Christ is the rock (Petra), Peter is the Christian people. For the rock (Petra) is the original name. Therefore, Peter is also called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. Therefore he saith, 'Thou art Peter and upon this rock' which thou hast confessed, upon this rock which thou hast acknowledged, saying, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' will I build my Church' that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, 'will I build My Church.' I will build thee upon me, not myself upon thee . . . For men who wished to be built upon men, said 'I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; and I of Cephas,' who is Peter. But others did not wish to be built upon Peter, but upon the Rock, said, ‘But I am of Christ.' And when the Apostle Paul ascertained that he was chosen, and Christ despised, he said, 'Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?' And, as not in the name of Paul, so neither in the name of Peter; but in the name of Christ.; that Peter might be built upon the Rock, not the Rock upon Peter." (Philip Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956, Volume VI, St. Augustine, Sermon XXVI.1-2, p. 340)

The primary consideration of St. Augustine’s interpretation is found in the phrase,

“Therefore, Peter is also called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. Therefore he saith, 'Thou art Peter and upon this rock' which thou hast confessed, upon this rock which thou hast acknowledged, saying, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' will I build my Church' that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, 'will I build My Church.' I will build thee upon me, not myself upon thee …”

Now, let's use a little commonsense here. What if Simon Peter had answered: "Thou art a French bull dog." Would that have made any difference? Well, certainly not in who Christ is, but a world of difference in what Peter thought he was. So, the strength of Christ's assertion rest in the revelation, that is the confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Therefore, it is an inconvertible truth that the truth lay in Peter's confession, and the Rock of that confession was Christ. 

The claims of the papacy must, therefore, rest on something else and not Matthew 16:18, in my opinion. 

 JimR_/