How to explain the faith to non-believers

When author F.X. Cronin returned to the Catholic Church, many of his friends reacted with disbelief. Even his Catholic friends denied the truth of the Faith — and the existence of truth itself! In response to these objections, Cronin has composed a lucid, incisive book that takes skeptics and believers alike on a delightful tour of reality. Beginning with proofs for the existence of truth itself, Cronin considers — and refutes — step by step most of our culture’s common relativistic beliefs, demonstrating not only the existence of God but also the truth of Christianity, and in particular of the Catholic Faith. Doubters will be won over by Cronin’s gracious exhortations to set aside their often reflexive assumptions in order to ponder with him the evidence he brings forth. Believers will be surprised by his piercing insights into realities that, if truth be told, most of us have insufficiently contemplated ourselves. All will be delighted by his lyrical appeals to mind and heart, both of which must be engaged by anyone who seeks to understand our remarkable world and its abundant evidence for the reality and glory of God. Among the dozens of topics Cronin explores here are:   Science: How, in too many ways, modern science has actually become anti-scientific   Materialism: Why faith isn’t blind — but materialism and moral relativism are   Knowledge: How we can know for certain the right answers about life and living   Miracles: Why God’s nature requires that He answer prayers — and even perform miracles!   Morality: Why it’s not just a list of prohibitions, but the very gateway to love and peace   And much more, to immerse you in the whole world according to God and guide you through its wonders! The World According to God: The Whole Truth About Life and Living by F.X. Cronin Paperback | eBook 320 pages  Paperback List Price: .$18.95 Today's Sale Price: $15.99 BUY NOW What Readers Are Saying:  "A detailed and comprehensive philosophical series of arguments for the existence of God and the correctness of the Catholic Church's position. Very thoughtful, provoking, and interesting." "This book tries our modern, relativistic culture in the court of reason and logic and exposes its flaws and fallacies and will embolden you with the tools to do the same." "This book is beautifully written. It is a helpful resource to all of us: those who are questioning their faith, those who do not consider God a reasonable possibility and those with strong faith but who are not able to readily explain their faith in its fullness to others." "I think this book could go a long way toward helping our country find its moorings again. I plan to re-read it, and give it as a gift to friends and family. Highly recommended."   If you enjoy F.X. Cronin's work, you'll delight in this handy volume by renowned Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft. In these delightful pages and with characteristic flair, celebrated Catholic author and speaker Peter Kreeft gives forty succinct reasons why he is a Catholic. The reasons range from the truth of its claims to the beauty of its cathedrals (which themselves testify to the majesty of God) and to the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Forty Reasons I am a Catholic is a wise, informative, and fun read. Reasons include: Because it’s the best of five choices     Because Jesus is really, truly, personally, literally present in every consecrated Host in the world   Because only the Church can whup the devil   Because of the unprecedented historical fact that the Church has never once lowered her standards, never changed her teaching   Because only the Catholic Church can save humanity   Because of the personality of the Church's saints Because of cathedrals     Because I want to believe the same things that Jesus taught and that His apostles and their successors and every single Christian in the world believed for fifteen hundred years       Because I want the strongest reason to believe the Bible        Because of my mother    Because of the angels, and their invisible and anonymous mediation   Because the Catholic Church has been infallibly right about everything she has ever claimed to be infallibly right about Get BOTH books for only $24.99! BUY NOW Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com   Invite friends to receive our newsletters and get FREE books! LEARN MORE Get one discounted book per month—and never pay shipping! Learn more:

Daily Quote - When Mary holds you up...

Daily Quote - The most deadly poison of our times is...

Forgotten Catholic traditions to aid your spiritual life

Why pray to St. Anthony to find something lost? Why keep a St. Christopher medal in your car? Why bury a statue of St. Joseph (upside down!) in your yard when selling your house? New converts and cradle Catholics alike are often perplexed by the myriad of devotions, traditions, practices, and beliefs that the Catholic Church has accumulated over the past twenty centuries. How can we understand these many practices and devotions? In these pages, Dr. Helen Hoffner explains how the treasures and traditions of our Faith remind us of our roots and also lead us toward our heavenly destination. With lovingly-illustrated, encyclopedic pages you’ll find succinct, and sometimes amusing, answers to hundreds of questions relating to Catholic practices. Author Helen Hoffner This delightful book explains the origin and nature of most of the common traditions of the Catholic Faith, as well as the source and meaning of many of the quaint and obscure ones. From Forty Hours to First Fridays and from Holy Hours to Holy Days, you’ll find in these pages an informative, delightful compendium of the Catholic way of life. Among the many traditions and treasures explained are . . . Advent Calendars     The Angelus     Bathtub Madonnas     Crucifixes     Divine Mercy     The Divine Office     First Fridays     Genuflecting     Holy Cards     Holy Days     Holy Oils    The Holy See     House Blessings     Icons     Jesse Trees     Litanies     The Liturgical Year   Marian Apparitions     Novenas     Patron Saints   Penance     Prayer Corners     Prayers for the Dead     Relics     Religious Medals     Religious Orders     The Roman Curia     The Sacraments   The Sacred Heart   St. Francis Statues     Stations of the Cross     Vestments     Votive Candles   And more! Catholic Traditions and Treasures: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Written by Helen Hoffner Illustrated by Deirdre Folley Hardback — 144 pages List price: $19.95  Today's Sale Price: $15.99! BUY NOW One of the greatest treasures of our Catholic Faith is the Communion of Saints. Their lives and writings are powerful sources of inspiration and support on our journey to Heaven. How often do you find time to read the saints' writings? My Daily Visit with the Saints makes it easy to stay close to the holy men and women who have gone before you. Meditations from over 65 saints cover 139 vital topics ranging from anger to mortal sin to death and much more. In strong, clear voices the saints left us these prayerful meditations, sure protection against sudden temptations, and lucid answers to sharp questions about the Faith. This rich volume will serve you as a deep catechism, a spur to conscience, and a call to prayer. Let your daily visit with God’s faithful servants breathe into you a strong new spirit of piety and devotion, and bring you the everlasting consolation known only to those who stay close to Jesus in all that they do.   Get BOTH books for only $19.99! BUY NOW Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com   Invite friends to receive our newsletters and get these books for FREE! LEARN MORE Get one discounted book per month—and never pay shipping! Learn more:

Daily Quote - The Seven Sacraments...

More Wisdom from St. Benedict of Nursia

The first degree of humility is obedience without delay... This obedience, however, will be acceptable to God and agreeable to men then only, if what is commanded is done without hesitation, delay, lukewarmness, grumbling or complaint, because the obedience which is rendered to Superiors is rendered to God.

— St. Benedict of Nursia

Daily Quote - I recommend to you...

Wisdom from St. Benedict of Nursia

Be careful to be gentle, lest in removing the rust, you break the whole instrument.

— St. Benedict of Nursia

Daily Quote - They cannot enter…

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, August 23, 2020

1st READING

One of the symbols of leadership is a father. A father cares for his family and protects them against dangers. All leaders, especially spiritual leaders, should remember this. To abandon his flock is one of the worst things a leader can do. It is like the captain of a sinking ship—he must be the last one to leave the ship. May our leaders always care for their flock as their first priority.

Isaiah 22:15, 19-23

 Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:  “I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.  On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;  I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.  I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.  I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family.”


PSALM

Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

R: Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple. (R) I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth; when I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R) The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

2nd READING

Paul’s words indicate a heart rejoicing in the wisdom and ways of God. Given this context, Paul’s dilemma is about the Jews who reject the Gospel and what God intends to do with them.

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?  Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

GOSPEL

“But who do you say that I am?” is Jesus’ ultimate question to His disciples. If we do not believe Jesus is the Son of God, Redeemer, and Savior, then we ignore the Gospels and live without its revelation and graces. If we do not believe, we will be frustrated and unfulfilled. But if we do believe, we will be eternally content and fulfilled.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Reflect: “Lord Jesus, shelter our Holy Father the Pope under the protection of your sacred Heart. Be his light, his strength, and his consolation. Amen.” – Prayer for the Pope

LET US LOVE THIS CHURCH

Peter recognized and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of the Living God. It was a revelation gifted by the Father to Peter. Through this revelation, Jesus instituted the Church under the leadership of Peter, the Rock on which it will be founded.

It is a good opportunity for us today to understand the Church—the one founded by the Lord and does not refer only to the building but to the members and leaders as well. The members are the baptized and the leaders are those who were ordained according to Church traditions dating back to the time of the Lord Jesus. The Church is us—with our leaders and Jesus. The proclamation of the Good News, according to Jesus, for the salvation of souls is Her main purpose. The Church is the Sacrament of Jesus’ presence. She performs Jesus’ threefold function: prophetic, priestly, and kingly.

She is both sinful and holy, hypocrite and authentic. She is sinful and hypocrite because Her members are human beings with limitations and weaknesses. She is holy and authentic because of the presence of the Lord. The Church has existed and served since Peter’s designation as Her leader. She has her ups and downs, successes and failures, scandals and glories, due to human weakness. But she persisted and continues to exist because nothing, not even the gates of hell, can prevail over Jesus, the Son of God.

It is for this reason that we ought to trust the Church, Her members and leaders. Her many years of experience through history should attest for Her knowledge of the truth. Coupled with the guidance of the Spirit of Jesus, the Church, through the pope, is infallible. This is what the Church leaders, bishops, and priests, teach us. They are not free to teach their own knowledge and understanding of what Jesus taught. The Church’s Sacred Scriptures and Tradition combine to provide us with the truth and the context in which Jesus taught.

Let us love this Church. Jesus gave this to us. Fr. Benny Tuazon

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Do you trust that the Church will prevail despite the current wave of persecution and attacks from evil forces?

Thank You for giving us the Church, dearest Father. Through Her, we find refuge. Amen.

Today, I pray for: __________________________

Daily Quote - He who praises himself...

More Wisdom from Holly Ordway

Our Lord calls us to be ‘like little children’, not childish in understanding, but childlike in trusting love. I feel this most keenly in the moment of receiving the Host on the tongue: mouth open, like a little bird. At first, it made me feel awkward, abashed, not like an adult. This was all to the good. I am reminded that it is not by being a confident academic, a defender of the faith, that I somehow merit this grace; rather, I am a child coming to her Father, secure in the knowledge that she is loved completely.

— Holly Ordway from her book Not God's Type

Daily Quote - Preserve the warmth...

More Wisdom from Takashi Nagai

All of us will have to render an account of our lives when we die. God will not be interested in who or what we were. No, only in this: how did we live? That will be the sole matter for judgment. A company director won't be able to pull rank on a waiter, and a fisherman's wife will be on a par with a millionaire's wife. Ships' officers will receive no preference over ships' cooks. All will be judged by exactly the same measure: did we use our talents well and for His glory?

— Takashi Nagai from the book A Song for Nagasaki

Wisdom from Takashi Nagai

Unless you have suffered and wept, you really don’t understand what compassion is, nor can you give comfort to someone who is suffering. If you haven’t cried, you can’t dry another’s eyes. Unless you’ve walked in darkness, you can’t help wanderers find the way. Unless you’ve looked into the eyes of menacing death and felt its hot breath, you can’t help another rise from the dead and taste anew the joy of being alive.

— Takashi Nagai from the book A Song for Nagasaki

First-ever Catholic Reader's Bible

Have you ever been so immersed in a book that you couldn’t put it down? Now imagine that this same book had tiny font, countless small numbers peppered throughout the text, and narrow, tightly-aligned columns. It would be a whole different reading experience, would it not? Yet, this is what it’s like to read the Bible. To help you immerse yourself in the Word of God like never before . . . . . . Sophia Institute Press has reformatted the New Testament. We’ve increased the font size, removed the chapter and verse numbers, and expanded the spacing for ease of use and minimal distraction. Introducing . . . the first ever Catholic Reader’s Bible! Experience Holy Scripture the way it was meant to be read. The most prized translation, the Challoner-Rheims, is presented here in the form in which the Scriptures were originally written — without all the organizational distractions. And what a difference it makes to one’s reading experience! With this Catholic Reader’s Bible, you can, for the first time, read the inspired Word of God as the early Christians did. Instead of double columns that squeeze narrow lines of text up against each other, here you’ll find generous, single-column pages graced with handsome, readable type. For navigation purposes, the top of each page notes the range of verses on that page. This venerable translation by Bishop Richard Challoner derives from the long-revered Douay-Rheims Bible and employs language that is more intelligible and familiar today while remaining accurate to St. Jerome’s original. A boon for those who open their Bibles not as scholars but as seekers of an interior experience, the Catholic Reader’s Bible is ideal for both brief devotional moments and lengthier periods of extended reading. If you’ve never read God’s Word in this way — as it was written — then you’re in for an exciting and inspiring experience. Catholic Reader’s Bible: The Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles by Sophia Institute Press Hardback — 364 pages $24.95 BUY NOW PREVIEW NOW Save 25% with promotion code: BIBLE25 Code expires:  August 11th at 11:59 p.m.   Catholic Reader’s Bible: The Epistles and Revelation by Sophia Institute Press Hardback — 320 pages $24.95 BUY NOW PREVIEW NOW Order online above, or call 1-800-888-9344 www.SophiaInstitute.com   Invite friends to receive our newsletters and get these books for FREE! LEARN MORE Get one discounted book per month—and never pay shipping! Learn more: