The Catholic Church teaches that the Apostles were given the ability to forgive penitents of their sins. One of the frequent objections to this is that “It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Ironically, that objection originally comes from the Scribes and Pharisees, and Jesus’ response explains precisely how we can know that the Apostles were given authority to forgive sins.
Tag: confession
Behold, the Wood
It was through wood that we fell, and it is through wood that we have been redeemed. It goes back to Adam and Eve. The Fall of Man happens after the serpent tempts them into eating from the fruit of the forbidden tree. But from the very moment of the Fall, we’re promised that sin and rebellion aren’t the end of the story.
God promises that a Redeemer will come who will crush the serpent, Satan, underfoot. And the passage in Genesis ends with a tantalizing clue: an angel with a fiery sword is sent to guard the Tree of Life, lest man eat of it and live forever. Salvation, eternal life, will come through the tree, but we can’t reach it on our own.
Facing Our Giants: A Call to Come Back to Confession
Before entering the Promised Land, Moses sent twelve men to scout out the area. When they returned, they announced that the land was just as God had promised, but that it was occupied by some fierce warriors living in fortified cities (Numbers 13:25-29): Giovanni Lanfranco (1582–1647), Moses and the Messengers from Canaan (1624) At the… Continue reading Facing Our Giants: A Call to Come Back to Confession
A Sacramental Look at Holy Thursday
Jaume Huguet, Last Supper (1470) Today is Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday. One of the very first posts that I wrote was about the significance of Maundy Thursday. It’s here, at the Last Supper, that we see: (1) the institution of the Eucharist, (2) the institution of the sacramental priesthood, and (3) references… Continue reading A Sacramental Look at Holy Thursday
Adam’s Rib and the Side of Christ
I originally posted this yesterday, but I think it got lost between the post on bin Laden and the LDS post I put up right after it:I heard something this past weekend I’d never noticed before, about how the wound on Christ’s side ties in with the rib taken from Adam. To put it into some context, yesterday was… Continue reading Adam’s Rib and the Side of Christ
Are Catholic Rituals, Teaching Authority, and Church Structure Biblical?
This post is in response to a comment I received from a man named Austin here. His criticisms are ones frequently heard by Evangelicals, so Catholics and Evangelicals might both do well to read on. Austin, First off, thanks for following up, and proving me too much a cynic. I think your second comment crystallizes… Continue reading Are Catholic Rituals, Teaching Authority, and Church Structure Biblical?
Setting the iPhone “Confession App” Story Straight
The media’s been going crazy over a new iPhone app for Confession, the aptly named “Confession: A Roman Catholic App.” So let’s just make one thing clear: the iPhone app helps to remind people of their sins by asking personalized questions. That is, if you put that you’re a seven-year old girl, the app will have… Continue reading Setting the iPhone “Confession App” Story Straight
Fr. James Searby on the Woman Who Washed Jesus’ Feet
I mentioned earlier today about Alexandria’s Theology on Tap Program. During my free time last summer, I caught up on a bunch of the speakers I’d missed. One of them was Fr. James Searby no the subject of, “Lights, Camera, Faith!: A Catholic At the Movies.” I thought the priest speaking was a good speaker,… Continue reading Fr. James Searby on the Woman Who Washed Jesus’ Feet
Why I Love Arlington (and Her Bishop)
Mark Shea, sending a lengthy update during his visit to Sydney, remarked off-hand that “The future looks very bright for the Church in Sydney” from his experience at a Theology on Tap with hundreds of orthodox young Aussie Catholics. This is good news, given some of the more negative signs we’ve seen from down under.… Continue reading Why I Love Arlington (and Her Bishop)
The Wages of Sin Are… Mental Anguish?
Today, in the Metro Express (a free newspaper given out by the Washington Post for those of us who ride the Metro subway), I came across an article, written to coincide with Yom Kippur, about the effects of wrongdoing and sin. I was surprised to find “sin” used in a newspaper article in a non-ironic… Continue reading The Wages of Sin Are… Mental Anguish?