Some religion thoughts

19,842 Views | 259 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Redstone
Redstone
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AG
Rex Mundi is Latin for King of the World. This "king" is the source of "worship" for our many Gnostic heresies.

At its heart is a hatred of the material world - in particular, the human body.

Gnostics rejected the material world as the evil creation of an inferior Demiurge, the world-making deity that the Gnostic heretics identified with Creator God revealed in the Old Testament. Against the orthodox understanding of the goodness of all creation, they believed that the material world was irredeemable, and therefore that human redemption meant salvation of the immaterial soulthe divine sparkfrom its imprisonment. "Salvation" is through gnsis ("knowledge" in Greek) .....wrong answer.

Worship the Logos Incarnate, who has given you your particular station, for all its burdens.
Redstone
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AG
To God, the past, present, and future of the human heart are all present. He sees where He can break through and communicate. Do not harden your heart via sin!
Redstone
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AG
Methods to counter the new religion of Woke -

value truth over everything
cultivate cultural memory
treat families as resistance cells
receive suffering as a gift to draw closer to the Suffering Savior
Redstone
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AG
The descent into hell is gradual.

You are "yourself" only when you serve God.
Redstone
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AG
Memento mori

Remember you must die
Redstone
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AG
You were loved into existence, and you have free will so you may truly love in the image and likeness of the Creator.

You will be judged by Him.
Redstone
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AG
Difficulties build faith. The reason we suffer is that God loves us.

We must disconnect ourselves from the world even as we live in it, to prepare for our next life. So if suffering builds faith, may we endure it and respond to it with the same love that He has for us.
Redstone
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AG
Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalms 124:8
AF DOC
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AG
Fascinating thread.

Does anyone have a good short read on the origins of The Catholic Mass?

Strongly considering a conversion to an Apostolic faith.

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jkag89
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Only somewhat in gest: Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-23; I Corinthians 11:23-25

Liturgy of the Mass
aggiedad20
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Here's a good article on the Lord's Supper. This was instituted in the Lord's church that we can actually read about it in Scripture. The catholic "mass" isn't scriptural and was started centuries after the early church began.

Today, churches of Christ (Rom 16:16) still observe the Lord's supper each Sunday and we are simply Christians. Not a denomination, just simply worshiping/assembling just as the early church did.

https://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1254
Zobel
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AG
Contrary to what people may tell you, the evidence for the various ancient liturgical practices in Christianity is pretty substantial. We have several witnesses to the continuity of the liturgical practice from people like St Justin Martyr (~130 AD, First Apology, Ch. 67 here) and Hippolytus of Rome (~215 AD, you can read his Apostolic Tradition here). Among other sources, of course. When you read these two in particular, though, you'll find that not only the original form or outline of the service has remained unchanged since the 2nd century but in many cases the prayers are word for word identical to what is served today.

We have also historical evidence in the form of archaeological findings. The earliest house church we have found is in Dura-Europos and dates to around 235 AD. This church contained a baptistry and icons, and parchment fragments that match the Eucharistic prayers of the Didache (chapter 9, here). Ancient churches like this and the one at Megiddo also had places for the celebration of the Eucharist.

The very most basic history is that the earliest Christians were Jews and gentile God-fearers. As such they went to Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and this is where St Paul was accustomed to going first in each city. The followers of Christ who would become Christians would also meet on the Lord's Day (Sunday) for the love-feast, the Eucharist, Communion. The earliest description of the Church in Acts 2:42 says that those who believed devoted themselves to three things with definite articles: the teaching (didache) of the apostles, and in fellowship (koinonia, communion) the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. When the Christians were put out of the Synagogues this worship practice continued, and they more or less smooshed the two together: the liturgy of the word, and the liturgy of the faithful.

The former is incredibly similar to synagogue services, which should be no surprise as that is where it is derived from. The latter is uniquely Christian, and culminates in the celebration of the Eucharist. Incredibly ancient practices such as the chanting of antiophonal psalms and hymns and the words themselves are no different than they were practiced by Jews and Christians in the first and second century. The entrance processions in the Divine Liturgy correspond to synagogue practices which are maintained today in Orthodox Jewish synagogues. The agape meal itself is ingrained in the Orthodox Church practice of the after-service meal - affectionally known as "Coffee Hour."

There are several very ancient liturgies - the Liturgy of St James, and the the Liturgies of St John Chrysostom and St Basil the Great. They all pull from extant practices. It seems likely that the form of the liturgy we celebrate today (St John Chrysostom most often, but also St Basil ~10 times a year) was a combination of a more monastic tradition with the cathedral tradition in the cities. This is things like which prayers are said when, whether some parts are done in silence vs with prayers or chanting, and so on. You can read more here.

The Latin rite is a translation and has its own history. There are also other liturgical practices such as vespers (the oldest hymn we know of is Phos Hilarion, O Gladsome Light, which is sung at Vespers and was referred to as an ancient in the 4th century) and the Presanctified Liturgy of St Gregory the Dialogist. All of these have ancient roots, and a pedigree that is a matter of historical fact.

Fun note. The Latin rite is named from the word "missa" in the dismissal, "Ite, missa est." Which means "go, it is finished" or "go, it is sent" or "go, it is the dismissal."
Redstone
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AG
Redstone
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AG
"When politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much. Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes not divine, but demonic."

- Father Joseph Ratzinger
Redstone
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AG
What is amidst the gray between birth and cemetery? The fullness of liturgical life, where Sacramental forgiveness restores dignity of being toward the image and likeness of Creator. The Apostolic Church is Christ's body continued in history. His body moves as one, and yet sin steps us out of the procession.

In summary, sin points to the very glory it avoids and corrupts.

Christ is King!
Redstone
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AG
"The more a person gets to know himself, the more the eyes of his soul will open and he will see his vast weakness all the more clearly. He becomes aware of his own wretchedness and ingratitude, as well as God's infinite nobility and compassion, and he is crushed internally; he is humbled exceedingly and he eventually comes to love the Lord even more."
Paisios of Mount Athos
 
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