Today I played for a funeral at a Catholic church 76 miles away. I play for many funerals and weddings at Catholic churches because they have many Irish-descent families, and they like the bagpipes.
Catholic funerals are always so sad for me, because the liturgy and rituals, including the Mass, only demonstrate how lost they are in their traditions, and how burdened these people are with all the works they feel are necessary for salvation. In fact, the priest said of the deceased that he was afraid of dying because he didn't think he was good enough to go to heaven! What a burden!!!
(Of course I never participate - e.g., today I just sat in the balcony until time to play at the end of the service.)
Today, while waiting around, I picked up two items from a display - sort of like a tract rack. They are such good examples of what is wrong with the doctrine of the RCC that I decided I had to write about them!
This picture is the front side of the first one. It is posted by the "Knights of Columbus," and the image is titled, "Immaculate Conception," by Sister Marie de i'Eucharistie.
"We fly to thy protection, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen."
If we have Christ as our mediator, and our protection comes from God, why would we pray to a mere dead human for protection?!?! And how can she provide protection for everyone who prays to her unless she is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent? (i.e., God-like)
The next painting is a scene from the book of Tobias in the Apocrypha. It is called, "Raphael and Tobias," by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488).
"Saint Raphael, Angel Guardian of our Archdiocese of Dubuque, who stands before the Divine Majesty, and is sent by God to bring healing to those who suffer and help those who journey, hear our prayer.
"As you were an Angel Guide to Tobias, attend now to people still on the way towards discovering, embracing, and living God's plan, whether to be: a priest or deacon in the Archdiocese of Dubuque; a religious sister, brother or father; a wife or husband; or a dedicated single person.
"And then, once having arrived at that destination, be our constant companion as we do our part to carry on the Church's mission, as we imitate Jesus' gift of self in service of others, and as we make our pilgrim way through this life to our true home in heaven.
"St. Raphael the Archangel, pray with us that we will all hear, answer, and live our vocation, for the glory of God and the benefit of others. And pray too that we will always have priests to heal and help us in the future.
"Conscious of our need and confident of God's help, we say, Amen! May it be so!"
Now, I had some questions while reading this:
1. How do they know that "Raphael" is their guardian angel? Did someone in the Dubuque Archdiocese have a vision from God to tell them? Did "Raphael" visit them?
2. How do they know that "Raphael" is sent to help "those who journey"?
3. Why are they praying to an angel?!?! Is there anywhere in the Bible in which people pray to angels? Are we ever instructed to pray to angels?
4. If we can pray directly to God through our mediator, Jesus Christ, what is the purpose of praying to an angel?
5. If every Catholic prayed to "Raphael," wouldn't that mean that, like Mary, he'd have to have the attributes of God?
It is truly sad that Roman Catholics have been so deceived to the point where they have no idea that they have no need of saints or Mary, because they have ONE mediator between them and God (1 Tim. 2:5), and our prayer are to be to the Father in Jesus' name.
5 comments:
The Mary photo... in my understanding, the stars around her head are based on a RC misunderstanding of Revelation 12:1 (which actually refers to the nation of Israel, not Mary as RC believes). Mary stepping on the snake is a distorted RC teaching from Genesis 3:15, where they ascribe Mary as conquering the devil, not Christ.
Regarding "Raphael", he's a prominent figured in the apocrypha. http://www.gotquestions.org/angel-Raphael.html
The apocrypha of course is not God-breathed Scripture, and contains many historical and doctrinal errors.
What a sad funeral that must have been.
1 Tim 2:5 indeed, Praise the Lord!
-Carolyn
I know about their twisting of Rev for the stars, and I know about the snake (I had an article a couple years back about a statue I saw of Mary standing on the snake, but deleted accidentally a while back). Its the rest of the stuff which baffles me -- cherubs (including one with a beard) the crescent and ball she stand on.
And it looks like a third foot or a hand on the snake's head.
I noted that the picture with "Raphael" was from Tobias in the Apocrypha - just before the photo.
The Apocrypha has some very odd stuff; I haven't read it for several years.
Hi Glenn, sorry I didn't see your note about Tobias. I missed it because my eyes skipped the intro and went to the text right below the picture.
I can't help you with the strange cherubs, or the crescent and ball, or the weird 'third foot'. I will say, that picture is disturbing.
-Carolyn
I think the red triangle of fabric on the snake obscures the upper definition of the snake's body, giving the appearance indeed of a third foot. Either that, or the snake is wearing a bad wig.
Can't account for the crescent, but it does make it convenient to allow R.C. to bump up against Islam. We were in Italy last year and artwork showing Mary in this way is everywhere! The Child is always smaller than Mary, also. In one church's very old painting, Mary was about 25 times bigger than baby Jesus.
Enjoy your blog!
Anonymous,
Thank you for that very interesting information.
As for the relative size of Mary and Christ, well, he is supposed to be a baby.
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