I have several articles on my other blog (www.TheMassNeverEnds.com) relative to the Christmas season, some of which were printed as columns in the U Matuna - when it was still a Catholic paper. So for these last days before Christmas, I'd like to share a few.
I was motivated to research and write this one after hearing about the 2008 Christmas movie "The Nativity." In the movie, Mary is characterized as a rebellious teenager who gets pregnant out of wedlock. And delivering Jesus, she goes through all the pains (and screams) of normal labor.
Of course such a scenario is a direct contradiction to what our Church actually teaches (which shall be demonstrated in the following article), but then the movie was made by protestants who do not believe that Mary was anything more than exactly how they portrayed her.
Truth be told, I was really motivated to research and write this after Archbishop Apuron was interviewed on KOLG. He said that it was a "beautiful movie" that everyone should see.
Since the movie openly denied two essential Marian dogmas (Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity), I felt my bones grind when I heard him say that. But I wasn't at war with him back then, so I kept it to myself and decided to get the truth out anyway.
Since the movie openly denied two essential Marian dogmas (Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity), I felt my bones grind when I heard him say that. But I wasn't at war with him back then, so I kept it to myself and decided to get the truth out anyway.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
THE SYNOD OF CAPUA AND THE VIRGIN BIRTH
As you may know, a Synod is a gathering of church leaders, convened under hierarchical authority, to discuss matters of the Faith: a strategy meeting of the church brass, you might call it.
The Synod of Capua was convened awhile ago, in the year 392, as a matter of fact. Among other items on the agenda, the Synod condemned the teachings of an ex-monk named Jovinian.
Now why are we bothering with an obscure synod and a heretical ex-monk, especially during the Christmas season?
As we shall see, the Synod of Capua and the Jovinian heresy are intimately connected to what exactly happened on that first Christmas when Christ left His mother's womb, or more precisely, HOW He left His mother's womb.
The Synod of Capua was convened awhile ago, in the year 392, as a matter of fact. Among other items on the agenda, the Synod condemned the teachings of an ex-monk named Jovinian.
Now why are we bothering with an obscure synod and a heretical ex-monk, especially during the Christmas season?
As we shall see, the Synod of Capua and the Jovinian heresy are intimately connected to what exactly happened on that first Christmas when Christ left His mother's womb, or more precisely, HOW He left His mother's womb.
Continued here
Oh yes, and I recommend the description of the Virgin Birth given by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. It is truly beautiful and edifying - in fact, all her visions are wonderful:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.catholicplanet.com/ebooks/Life-of-Blessed-Virgin-Mary.pdf
(page 119 and following)
May God bless you. This free 230-page e-book is a wonderful read for Christmas.
Delete