tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post1420940351898134404..comments2024-03-25T06:39:42.081-04:00Comments on Bonfire of the Vanities: The prophet's choice (Sunday homily)Fr Martin Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-81651793438662003032009-02-03T10:01:00.000-05:002009-02-03T10:01:00.000-05:00Thank you, Father for teaching us. I know I yearn...Thank you, Father for teaching us. I know I yearn for homilies such as this.<BR/><BR/>Regarding what Jennifer's deacon said about people believing in Satan. I have recently been reading accounts from those (pre-Vatican II) who claim to have had visions of Hell and actually one account where someone was *warning* a friend (through, as she put it not her free will) about Hell and telling her friend that praying for her was useless. My point, aren't there valid accounts from saints depicting Hell and/or devils? Seems we have gotten away from reading and telling accounts such as these. Do you think this may be a reason why more Catholics do not believe there are demons and hell?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-44502594625960367192009-02-02T00:15:00.000-05:002009-02-02T00:15:00.000-05:00Also want to thank you for sharing your homily to ...Also want to thank you for sharing your homily to the broader community. <BR/>The Church/Magisterium as our modern day prophet is easy to remember and powerful. <BR/>Joe K (Mason, OH)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-44413233162085127002009-02-02T00:05:00.000-05:002009-02-02T00:05:00.000-05:00Another great homily. Having been very sick over ...Another great homily. Having been very sick over the past couple of weeks, my wife and I have been unable to get out to mass. We watch on EWTN and reading homilies such as this are very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to post on your blog.grampshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15458042134293544734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-55797054760084707422009-02-01T14:41:00.000-05:002009-02-01T14:41:00.000-05:00Excellent homily, Father. I greatly appreciate you...Excellent homily, Father. I greatly appreciate your insightful comments and want to let you know that I used your reflection of the Church as prophet in today's world in our RCIA session. Tying Our Lord's authority to the Churches Magisterium turned out to be the most thought-provoking part of our session. They actually "got it" about the need to think with the mind of the Church.<BR/><BR/>Thank you, Father. Without first having read your homily on the blog, that point would never have been made. Blogging priests have a much greater impact that they even realize. Please remember that on those days when it just doesn't seem worth the effort.<BR/><BR/>Paul in Long BeachPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18096302258366436651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-83719945416354865792009-02-01T14:03:00.000-05:002009-02-01T14:03:00.000-05:00Jennifer:Thanks for your kind words.About your dea...Jennifer:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your kind words.<BR/><BR/>About your deacon's comments...<BR/><BR/>It may be he misspoke, or didn't express himself as clearly as he might, but--there's an obvious flaw with that argument. <BR/><BR/>All one has to do is examine all the healings described in the Gospels; one will see that only occasionally are healings tied to casting out a demon; the majority of the time, the Gospels merely describe a healing--no mention of demonic power.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, there are clear cases of demons being cast out, without any clear tie to a physical healing. So--with this evidence (which anyone can examine very easily in the Gospels), it seems clear that the Gospel writers were perfectly capable of making the distinction your deacon seems to think they couldn't make, between "healing" and "casting out demons" -- sometimes combining them, other tmes doing one or the other.<BR/><BR/>There's another discontinuity in that theory -- which I've heard before -- and it is this: the Hebrew mindset, expressed throughout the Old Testament, stayed away from ascribing supernatural action to any power but God. You see this in how the Old Testament rarely even mentions demons or evil spirits altogether; and when they are mentioned, they are described as being "sent by God." This is odd to us, but the Hebrew mindset did not always express a distinction between God <I>allowing</I> things and God <I>causing</I> them directly. <BR/><BR/>The thinking of scholars is that, insofar as they were surrounded on all sides by polytheism and paganism, God's People were very concerned to lift up the one, true God, as the only God, the only source of Creation and all power.<BR/><BR/>My point is that historically, the Jewish mindset tended <I>against</I> ascribing things to demonic power; it is true that Jews in the Greek era (i.e., that of the Maccabees forward, including the New Testament), were more open to consideration of angels and demons--but this was a controversial view, as seen by the Sadducees and Pharisees being at odds on such questions. The Sadducees tended to the older view which ascribed it all to the Lord God alone.Fr Martin Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01375628123126091747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-68282770737831594532009-02-01T11:08:00.000-05:002009-02-01T11:08:00.000-05:00Thank you, Father... I always look forward to read...Thank you, Father... I always look forward to reading your homilies! I was pretty surprised to hear our deacon's homily yesterday evening. He reminded us that the ancient people blamed physical afflictions on unclean spirits because they did not know any better, and that it "surprises" him that people today still believe in Satan. :-(<BR/><BR/>BTW, I pray that you are recovered from your fall the other day! With prayers...!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13406769565980166550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-21934768806205560062009-01-31T18:08:00.000-05:002009-01-31T18:08:00.000-05:00A pastor who speaks about current events IN THE CH...A pastor who speaks about current events IN THE CHURCH in his homilies! Intelligently! Without dissenting! And tells it like it is!<BR/><BR/>May God pour forth His grace upon you!Jeffrey Pinyanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08758581112217835988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14168956.post-13334164237792878262009-01-31T17:32:00.000-05:002009-01-31T17:32:00.000-05:00This is one of your best, Father. Thanks!This is one of your best, Father. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com