The 500 Year Old Attack on Holy Matrimony...

How did we get to the point where matrimony, an institution founded by God with our first parents Adam and Eve, became so misunderstood and perverted? The Church will never abandon the sacrament of holy matrimony, but natural matrimony and its recognition by the State is almost entirely lost.

Here's the historical progression:

In AD 30, the infallible Son of God declared:

“For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh. Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Matthew 19:5–6, D-R)

Yet for the first time in 1500 years, marriage was declared non-sacramental and determined by the State and not the Church? Check. (Thank you Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Cranmer)

Divorce accepted as "just fine"? Check. (Thank you Henry VIII)

Contraception accepted as "morally responsible"? Check (Thank you 1930s Anglican Communion)

Homosexual "marriage" declare an inalienable human right given to us by the Creator? Almost there.

Notice that the destruction of marriage is an "inside job." It was almost always baptized people who worked it over. Satan finds it much more amusing to accomplish his deeds in this way.

Blessed Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin, pray for us.

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Special Coronation of Pope on Ascension Thursday in Medieval Times

In ancient days, when the liturgy of Roman Church was regal and glorious, a pious custom was observed on Ascension Thursday.

In Rome, Ascension Thursday was always celebrated at the Basilica of Saint Peter (the Vatican). The Holy Father the Pope would celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the high altar over the tomb of Saint Peter.

After Holy Mass, the Cardinals would gather around the Pope for a coronation ceremony. The cardinals would solemnly crown the Pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth. Then the Pope and the cardinals would go to Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral Church of Rome, the Mother and Mistress of all Churches.

What does all this mean?

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the true King and High Priest of Heaven and Earth. He is the King of Glory. Now Our Lord appointed Saint Peter and gave him a divine name used for God in the Psalms: Rock or Petrus. He also committed to Peter the Keys of the Kingdom and gave to him universal jurisdiction of the entire earth: "whatever you bind on earth." I would like to remind the separated Easterns that Peter was not merely the Patriarch of the West (Christ did not say, "whatever you bind in Europe") but was the Supreme Pontiff over the entire earth.

So then, Ascension Thursday marks the earthly reign of the Saint Peter. When Christ leaves the earth by ascending to the right hand of God the Father, Saint Peter at that moment officially became the "Vicar of Christ on earth." Vicar, of course, means "in the place of," as in "Vice-President."

So Peter is not God. He is not Jesus Christ. He is not even an angel. He is certainly not sinless. However, Peter is the divinely appointed chief of the Church of Christ on earth. He reigns for his Lord in Heaven. This is true for all the Popes who have succeeded Saint Peter in this office.

So then, the cardinals symbolically crowned the Successor of Saint Peter on this day to signify this profoundly biblical truth of Saint Peter's office and role.

Let us pray that our rich liturgical tradition is resurrected to the greater glory of God.

ad Jesum per Mariam

Taylor

PS: There is nothing pompous or audacious about the Pope wearing a crown or papal tri-regnum. The Pope always wears a ceremonial hat (the mitre). It might as well be a hat that properly identifies his authority.

Here's a video of the inaugural coronation of His Holiness Pius XII:

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Did Christ Experience an Ascension or an Assumption or Both? Checking the Greek and Latin

Catholics sometimes make the claim that while Christ "ascended" into Heaven, our Blessed Mother was "assumed" into Heaven. The difference, they say, is that Christ ascended by His own divine power; but that Mary was raised by the power of God. The apologist using this argument usually seeks to show Protestant objectors that Mary's assumption is categorically different than Christ's ascension.

Such an argument is fundamentally correct and in accordance with orthodox theology, but the vocabulary isn't correct. As a result the argument can be a little confusing. 

The Language of Ascension and Assumption

The Greek and Latin used in the Gospels (and Acts) employ terminology of "assumption" for the ascension of Christ. First let us examine three verses that describe Our Lord's ascension in terms of assumption, and then describe the theological significance.

“Et Dominus quidem Jesus postquam locutus est eis, assumptus est in cælum (He was assumed into Heaven), et sedet a dextris Dei.” (Mark 16:19, VGCLEM)


“usque in diem qua præcipiens Apostolis per Spiritum Sanctum, quos elegit, assumptus est (He was assumed)” (Acts 1:2, VGCLEM)

“qui et dixerunt : Viri Galilæi, quid statis aspicientes in cælum ? Hic Jesus, qui assumptus est (Who was assumed) a vobis in cælum, sic veniet quemadmodum vidistis eum euntem in cælum.” (Acts 1:11, VGCLEM)

For our Greek scholars, the Greek word here in Mark and Acts is the aorist passive form of ἀναλαμβάνω. It corresponds to "taken up" or "assumed."

The conclusion is that Scripture uses the language of ascension and assumption for Our Lord's transition into Heaven. (Saint John's Gospel frequently uses the language of ascension.)

The Theology of Ascension and Assumption

The obvious difference between the terms is that to ascend is active and to be assumed or to be taken up is passive. Ascension denotes an agent going up by his own power. He ascended the mountain. Assumption denotes that an object was moved by an agent. It's passive. The office was assumed by soldier.

Now Our Lady's body did not go to Heaven by its own natural power. Hence, we usually refer to her transition to Heaven as an assumption. Christ actively raised her to His right hand. However, Christ's bodily transition was both an ascension (active) and an assumption (passive).

With regard to the activity of His divinity, Christ's body ascended. With regard to humble obedience of His human soul, He was assumed into Heaven. 

According to the Sixth Ecumenical Council, Christ possesses two wills - the divine will of the Holy Trinity and His created human will corresponding to His created human soul. When we remind ourselves of this mystery, we can see more clearly how Christ both ascended with divine power and willed to be received and elevated by the Father. Hence, both Saint Mark and Saint Luke use the language of assumptus est to describe the ascension of Christ.

Happy Feast of the Ascension! We have a High Priest in Heaven who intercedes for us from His Sacred Heart at every second of the day. 

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Is Christ Literally Sitting on God's Right Hand? - Saint Augustine Explains

Tomorrow is the Ascension of Christ and this holy day sometimes prompts the question, "When Christ ascended to the Father how exactly did He sit at His right hand if God the Father doesn't have a hand?"

Saint Augustine of Hippo answers this question for us in his homily on the Creed. He explains first how sedit need not literally mean sit down. This is important since St Stephen saw Christ "standing" at the right hand of the Father. Sitting refers to His habitation, not His position. 

Regarding whether God the Father has a fleshly hand - well this is clearly anthropomorphic metaphor. Saint Augustine explains:

He ascended into heaven: believe. He sits at the right hand of the Father: believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years. The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time. Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes). Where people are seated (in this sense), are they always sitting? Is there no rising, no walking, no lying down? And yet they are called seats (sedes). In this way, then, believe an inhabiting of Christ on the right hand of God the Father: He is there. And let not your heart say to you, What is He doing? Do not want to seek what is not permitted to find: He is there; it suffices you. He is blessed, and from blessedness which is called the right hand of the Father, of very blessedness the name is, right hand of the Father. For if we shall take it carnally, then because He sits on the right hand of the Father, the Father will be on His left hand. Is it consistent with piety so to put Them together, the Son on the right, the Father on the left? There it is all right-hand, because no misery is there.

from Saint Augustine's "A Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed"

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How Will the Catholic Faith Change Your Marriage?

Most adult Protestants are married and value marriage. Nevertheless, Protestants are adamant that marriage is not a sacrament. Hence, Protestants and Catholics have a fundamental disagreement over the nature of marriage. So then, one of the most neglected considerations regarding a conversion to the Catholic Faith is how it will affect your marriage. How?

I will say with 100% certainty that every convert that I know (perhaps up to 100 of them) have each said that Catholicism has enriched their marriage. The difference of course is that Protestantism sees matrimony as regulated by the State as a rite situated in the created order, but the Catholic Church teaches that matrimony was raised to the dignity of sacrament and that it pertains to the supernatural order. This places holy matrimony under the watch of the Church just like baptism or the Holy Eucharist.

This also entails that there is explicit theology about marriage and explicit rules about marriage in canon law. It’s not up to the local pastor to use his view of the Bible to decide if a couple can marry. Instead, canon law is used to determine everything – just like the other sacraments.

Yet this is a rather stuffy explanation. What you probably want to know is how will Catholicism change your life. Right?

Here are five ways in which it will change your marriage for the better:

1. You will be going to confession regularly and so will your spouse. Guess what? Your spouse will be confessing all the sins that they commit against you: losing tempers, complaining, not taking care of the children, fighting in front of the children, complaining about money, arguing over budgets . . . you get the picture. Meanwhile, you’ll be doing the same. The priest will be in your grill (and your spouse’s grill) all the time about it. He will know the details you reveal and he will begin challenging you (and your spouse) about it. Suddenly you have secret referees that are challenging you to be a better parent and spouse. Whenever I go to confession, I usually come out thinking, “I need to go apologize to Joy about that last week.” And my wife does the same when she goes to confession.

2. You will cease from contraception and other illicit actions. You marriage will be rightfully ordered to the procreative act. Intimacy will not be just for pleasure. This may strike you as a negative, but trust me, it will radically improve your marriage. Just ask anyone on CtC or any convert who lives the Faith.

3. You may start having more children. The old adage that you cannot take anything to heaven isn’t entirely true. You can, by the grace of God, take your children with you. Your portfolio, your house, your car, your boat, your everything will cease to be. But children are forever. Their souls will never be snuffed out. The procreative power is very powerful!

4. You marriage will become your vocation. I don’t want to make a caricature here, but my experience is that Protestants are usually very interested in their vocation being related to a role at Church – Sunday school teacher, women’s ministry coordinator, small group leader, music minister, pastor’s wife, youth minister, deacon, elder, etc. For Catholics, it is commonly understood that your vocation is marriage, which is to say, your vocation is to your spouse and children. I really do think the Catholic way expresses the Biblical notion of matrimony. Take this verse as an example:

“Yet she shall be saved through child bearing; if she continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.” (1 Timothy 2:15, D-R)

As a Protestant, I didn’t know what that meant. Yet if our salvation depends on faith and works, and a married woman’s vocation (the way she primarily expresses her good works) is through being a wife and mother – then this verse makes perfect sense. On judgment day, Christ will judge a mother primarily on her work as a mother, not on her small group Bible study. The same goes for husbands.

5. Fifth and last, your children will be united to your devotion as parents. Catholicism doesn’t have the divide of “Big Church” and “Children’s Church.” The Holy Mass is for everyone. This means that babies, toddlers, children, and teens sit with their parents. They have years of seeing dad kneel, fold his hands, pray, genuflect, receive Communion, etc. It makes for a strong family.

Godspeed,

Taylor Marshall, Ph.D.

PS: This is the last one for the “Becoming Catholic Series.” Please take time to look at the other posts: click here and scroll down.

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Introducing Fisher More College - A Renewed Catholic College in Fort Worth Texas

In March, I was appointed Dean of the College of Saint Thomas More in Fort Worth Texas. As you may know there are two other Colleges with the name "Saint Thomas More" in the United States - the one in New Hampshire being the best known.

Our Name

Beginning on May 5th, the College began a new chapter by expanding the name of the College and creating a new website. The Board of Visitors of the College has approved the elevation of Saint John Fisher—the great contemporary, co-martyr, friend, and confidant of Saint Thomas More—to the official name. The name recognizes the thirty-year legacy under the patronage of Saint Thomas More, but also brings distinction and clarity with the priestly and academic patronage of Saint John Fisher.

The College of Saints John Fisher & Thomas More or as it is being colloquially called “Fisher More College” concurs with the launch of our new coat of arms and website.

Our Coat of Arms

The Fisher More Coat of Arms incorporates the shields of Saint John Fisher (the black fish panel) and Saint Thomas More (the gold cock panel). The Latin script reads “to know, to love, and to serve God”—hearkening back to the Baltimore Catechism.

The three collegiate colors of black, gold, and scarlet signify priesthood, the Kingship of Christ, and the blood of martyrdom. Most importantly, the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ tops the coat of arms. Drops of the Precious Blood descend downward over the shield. The inclusion of the Sacred Heart over the shield signifies that College seeks all graces through the Precious Blood of Christ poured forth in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The roses are gifts to Our Lady. The bloody axes reproduce the instruments used to kill our two saints. (Here's some discussion on another site over whether the "bloody axes" are legit. I think they're fantastic.)

The Significance of May 5th

May 5th was chosen for the public release date for two reasons. First, the day denotes the College’s filial devotion to the Immaculate and Blessed Virgin Mary. May is the month of Our Lady, and May 5th is the First Saturday of the month. The First Saturday devotion revealed by Our Lady of Fatima is beloved by the faculty and students of the College. Just as the mystery of the Incarnation begins with Mary, so also we begin our new endeavor under the protection of her motherly mantle.

Secondly, May 5th is the feast day of Pope Saint Pius V. Saint Pius V is important to the identity of our College for at least five reasons:

First, Pope Saint Pius V declared Saint Thomas Aquinas as a Doctor of the Church. Saint Pius V had been trained in the Dominican tradition and was himself an accomplished Thomist. The universal status held by Saint Thomas Aquinas in theology and philosophy was augmented by this great pope’s endorsement. This connection with Saint Pius V confirms Fisher More College’s commitment to Saint Thomas and the Thomist tradition.

Secondly, Pope Saint Pius V successfully executed the Council of Trent and advanced the Counter-Reformation against the errors of Protestantism. Saint Pius V was arguably one of the greatest reforming pontiffs in the history of the Church. It was none other than Saint Pius V who executed the reforms of the Council of Trent affirming the nature and extent of the sacramental economy within the new and everlasting testament of Christ our Lord. Seeking the intercession of Saint Pius V, the College prayerfully seeks to assist the family and the Catholic Church with devotion to the other great reformers of the Counter-Reformation: St Ignatius of Loyola, St Francis de Sales, St Teresa of Avila, St Charles Borromeo, St John of the Cross, St Philip Neri, and others.

Thirdly, Pope Saint Pius V is remembered for his liturgical reform in standardizing the Roman Rite. Liturgically, Fisher More College reveres the usus antiquior standardized by Saint Pius V. The days, weeks, and semesters of the College are punctuated by the daily celebration of the extraordinary form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and with other devotions such as the Holy Rosary, the Angelus, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Fourthly, Saint Pius V instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory—a particularly fond title of Our Lady to certain members of our faculty. This feast was instituted in gratitude for victory in the Battle of Lepanto since the victory was attributed to Our Lady after all of Europe prayed the Rosary for aid. Fisher More College seeks success in the same way—by falling to our knees and beseeching graces from our pure Mother through the Holy Rosary promoted by Saint Pius V.

Fifthly, Saint Pius V was the saintly pope who withstood the challenges against the Church initiated by King Henry VIII of England, the monarch responsible for the murder of Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More. Saint Pius V formally excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I for continuing the legacy of her father Henry VIII—a legacy of schism and persecution against the Catholic Church. Saint Pius V, then, vindicated the bloody martyrdoms of Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More who resisted the tyranny of the English crown.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Extraordinary Form) was offered in the College Chapel of Christ the Teacher daily.

If you're in Fort Worth, please stop by.

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.

Saint Pius V, pray for us.

Saint John Fisher, pray for us.

Saint Thomas More, pray for us.

ad Jesum per Mariam,

Taylor R. Marshall, Ph.D.

Dean of the College & Professor of Philosophy

The College of Saints John Fisher & Thomas More

PS: We're offering some full scholarships to Fisher More for Fall of 2012. Please click here if you are serious about applying. If you know of some Catholic 18-year-olds who would benefit from a College committed to the magisterium, please tell them about the Fisher More College. We are vigorously recruiting.

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Live FSSP Ordinations to the Priesthood on LiveMass.net

Blogging has been lighter lately. One reason for this is that I was visiting the FSSP's Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary with Michael King, President of Fisher More College. It was a great trip and an honor to meet Fr. Bisig, the Rector of the Seminary. Fr. Lee was a kind and gracious host.

Here is some interesting news related to the seminary.

Dear Friends of LiveMass.net and iMass

The broadcast of the Pontifical Solemn Mass for Candlemas from Miami was a tremendous success for LiveMass.net. We had thousands of viewers watching as it was streamed live on the web and on iMass. 

In a few weeks LiveMass.net will broadcast its second remote event. Please put it on your calendar, tell your friends, spread the word!

The Priestly Ordinations for Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary will broadcast LIVE from the Cathedral of the Risen Christ, Lincoln Nebraska, on Saturday May 19th 2012 at 10:00 AM Central Time, (11:00 AM Eastern, 8:00 AM Pacific), on www.LiveMass.net and iMass.
The Priestly Ordinations will be administered by His Excellency Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln Nebraska.

The following candidates will be ordained priests for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter:

Rev. Mr. Gregory Eichman FSSP
Rev. Mr. Karl Marsolle FSSP
Rev. Mr. Brian McDonnell FSSP
Rev. Mr. Kevin O'Neil FSSP
Rev. Mr. Kenneth Walker FSSP

Commentary will be given during the broadcast by Rev. Fr. Calvin Goodwin FSSP.
This is an opportunity for many people who have never seen an Ordination (nor may likely ever attend one), to be able to view and unite their hearts to this Holy Sacrament and view this breathtaking ceremony from their homes or mobile devices. Please join me in prayers of gratitude for the benefactors of LiveMass.net who are making this possible!

For other news - we have begun a channel on YouTube.com called: "LiveMass Channel"
Sermons etc., will be posted on the channel little by little.

God bless you always,
Fr Fryar

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Bible Verses on Eating Too Much Food

Here are some good verses to tape up on the refrigerator.

Proverbs 23:20-21 “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.”

Proverbs 28:7 “He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.”

Proverbs 23:2 “Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.”

How to Describe Confession to Protestants (Part 5 of Becoming Catholic)

For Protestants, the most unknown aspect of Catholic devotional life is confession. Unless you’re Catholic, you cannot experience it. A Protestant can attend a Catholic baptism, confirmation, wedding, ordination, and Holy Mass; however, he cannot attend a confession or know what it’s like until he actually makes one for the first time.

Now most Protestants have seen it in movies. You go into the wooden box, a door slides behind a screen, and the Catholic says, “Bless me Father for I have sinned, etc.”

Okay, that’s pretty much how it begins, but let’s look at it from a devotional point of view – how it really goes for a Catholic.

Ideally, a Catholic makes a nightly examination of conscience every evening. This means that he prays to the Holy Spirit in order to remember his faults during the past day. He then prays an act of contrition at this moment with the intent of confessing these faults in confession.

Before entering the confessional (that is, the box), he prays to the Holy Spirit (and to Mary and other saints) that he might make a good confession and be given the gift of true repentance and contrition. My practice is to ask the Holy Spirit for the light to see all my sins. Then I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to obtain for me the grace to be truly sorry for my sins. You see, confession isn’t just about forgiveness of sins, it’s also about growing in sacramental grace.

In the confessional, there is sometimes the option to go behind the screen or face to face (I always choose the screen). The priest will recite a prayer and then you say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned, it has been # weeks since my last confession and I accuse myself of the following sins.”

Next you list all your sins in kind and number. If the priest cannot hear you or understand you, he’ll stop and ask questions. When you get to the end, you say, “For these sins and all those that I cannot remember, I humbly repent and ask for absolution, counsel, and penance.”

The priest will then give you some advice or encouragement. He may make a general judgment that your struggles are related to a common vice. If you cry, he will comfort you. If you are scared to confess a sin, you say, “Father, I’m afraid to confess something.” He’ll walk you through it. If you are unsure if something was a sin or not, you ask him and talk it out. It’s very pastoral and safe. Then the priest gives you your penance. The penance is the sign that you wish to start a new life in Christ – that you’re going to make a change. The penance also shows a willingness to make reparation for the harm you’ve caused (for example, to return stolen money or apologize to a wounded spouse). A common penance is “Three Hail Mary’s” or “a decade of the Rosary” or “Three Our Fathers so that you’ll grow in the virtue of temperance.”

Then the priest says, “Now please make an Act of Contrition.” This is a prayer you say to God out loud and the priest listens to you say it. It’s proof to him that you really are sorry for your sins and not just playing “pinball Catholicism” (click here to see what I mean by that).

The Act of Contrition goes like this:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

Then the priest gives you absolution: “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father and of Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The priest then tells you to go in peace and usually asks you to say a prayer for him.

After that, you leave the confessional and go into the church where you pray your penance quietly and pray about anything else that is on your heart.

That’s confession. It is certainly one of my top three favorite things about Catholicism.

Godspeed,

Taylor Marshall, Ph.D.

PS: If you would like to read Parts 1-4 of “Becoming Catholic” please click here and scroll down a little to see the previous posts.

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Salvation Pinball & the Devotional Life of Catholics (Part 4 of Becoming Catholic)

Last week, we examined difficulties that Catholic converts experience in the context of family life. Today we look at how how your devotional might change when you become a Catholic. What would change?

For a Protestant looking in from the outside, it might appear that Catholics are mechanical about their devotional life. I remember seeing Catholicism as a giant machine with handles and levers. Catholics scurried around it pulling levers and pulling knobs hoping that grace would come out. As a Protestant, I thought that being a “good Catholic” was like working a soft-serve ice cream machine or a soda fountain. If you learned how to use the system, you can get grace and hopefully earn salvation.

More accurately, I suspected that the Catholic salvation was more like a pinball machine. The ball was grace and Catholics were constantly mashing the buttons to keep the flippers moving and the ball in play. However, all pinball players know that eventually the ball gets past you and your game is over. How could Catholics honestly believe that human effort could keep the ball in play for decades and decades of human life? Why can’t they just trust in the finished work of Christ and relax…?

So now that I’m Catholic, am I playing salvation pinball?

I don’t think so. Salvation only appears mechanistic to Protestants because they haven’t experienced it. For example, the sacrament of Penance is not at all like getting your time card punched. There is a real human being behind that screen! He asks questions. He challenges you. He loves Christ. You love Christ. You’re both praying that you will grow in Christ. It’s extremely intimate and the opposite of mechanical.

Take the Holy Mass. Most Protestants are not familiar with liturgical worship. What they see seems robotic. But when you know it, it’s like an elegant waltz. You can even do it with your eyes closed. If you don’t know how to waltz and you’ve never seen it, one might look at people waltzing and say: “This is so hard and those people are slaves to this music. How could they be enjoying this?”

Yet the couple might be having the dance of their lives…the formal aspect makes it all the more intimate.

All important things in our lives are ritualized – Sunday dinner, weddings, sports, and anniversaries come to mind. The repetition makes them more important and more intimate.

In order to understand Catholic devotion, don’t think of it as a machine…think of it as a mother. Mothers and babies seem to have a mechanical relationship. Baby sucks milk from breast. Spits up. Mommy cleans it. Baby cries. Mommy bounces. Baby poops. Mommy changes the diaper. Repeat cycle, non-stop, for nine months. But that is not all there is. They are the cues. There are the moments when the mommy gazes with love on the nursing baby. The nursing baby caresses the hair of the mother. The mother smiles and talks to the baby during the diaper change. It’s all very loving and intimate. To an outsider looking in from the outside, it could appear like an endless hell. But ask any old lady and she will tell you that those were great days. And all of us are grateful for the maternal care. None of us think of mom as “mechanical.”

Of course, you won’t ever experience this if you don’t become Catholic so you won’t ever really understand. I hope that if you’re reading this, you’ll take a moment and pray to Christ and ask Him to give you special gifts of the Holy Spirit. You have to deal with the Catholic question, so you be sure that you pray to Christ at every step of the way.

Please read Taylor’s Parts 1, 2, and 3 on “Becoming Catholic” by clicking here and scrolling down.

ad Jesum per Mariam,

Taylor Marshall, PhD

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