A Faith Based on the 12 Apostles

The Da Vinci Code. The Gospel of Judas. What's a Christian to Believe?

You may have been taught that our Christian faith is based on the bible. Well, what if I told you that the books that were deemed to be the inspired word of God were not declared so until around the 4th Century. And the first printed bible didn't exist until the invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg in Germany. He printed the first bible around the year 1455. Read more about Guttenberg

The first mention of the official list of the books of the bible or canon ("kanonika biblia") was at the Council of Laodicea that took place some time prior to the Council of Ephesus, held in 325. The synod in Hippo in the year 393, and three synods in Carthage (393, 397, and 419) all listed the official books of the bible. This determination was made based on the oral tradition of the Church (what the Church leaders had learned from the Apostles) and the use of these scriptures in the Church services. St Augustine was a participant and leader in all of these synods.

As we are well aware today, just because someone writes something down, doesn't make it the truth. A written lie is just as much a lie as a spoken lie.

There were many ancient texts that didn't make it into the bible. Some of these are: Gospel of Thomas,Gospel of Truth, Gospel of the Twelve, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Basilides Gospel of the Egyptians, Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of Matthias, Preaching of Peter, Acts of Andrew, etc. The reason these gospels didn't make it into the bible is because they didn't square with the oral testimony given by the Apostles. So the discovery of a gospel of Judas or a myth about Mary Magdalene shouldn't alarm us.

Our faith is not based on myths, it is based on the eye-witness testimony of 12 credible men, the Apostles who were personally chosen by Jesus. Albeit, Judas was one of the original Apostles, but after he betrayed Jesus he killed himself. And the remaining 11 Apostles chose Matthias to take his place (Acts 1:26). One of the criteria for choosing a replacement for Judas was that this disciple walked and talked with Jesus, in other words, that the person was an eye witness to what Jesus taught and the miracles he performed.

For more information read: Canon of Scripture

Lent

In darkness shines
a lone light of faith,
and through the emptiness,
He comes to fullness in prayer.

Tears, my drink,
A heavy heart, my food:
These are His joy,
and His joy becomes mine.

Spend a Day

Spend a day before God,
and what becomes of fear,
what becomes of pride?

Spend a day before God,
and what becomes of love,
and what of humility, too?

Spend a day before God,
and the talk between the two
that make the whole
is less a groan or mumbled breath,
and more an awakening,
a condition of the soul.

Catholic Group to Evangelize in St. Patrick's Day Parade

For the third year in a row, One Bread Lay Apostolate, a worldwide Catholic Evangelization group based in Sanford, North Carolina, will be marching in the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade to spread the good news. This year’s parade is scheduled for Saturday, March 11.

As with many holidays that have their origins as Christian feast days, St Patrick’s Day has become secularized and its Christian meaning obscured. One Bread seeks to bring back the true spiritual meaning of these holidays by using them as evangelization opportunities and a means to educate people about Christ, his holy Catholic Church and the heroes of the faith, like St. Patrick.
 
Parade participants will be wearing Catholic Evangelist T-shirts and distributing St. Patrick prayer cards with a bio of St Patrick and an invitation to attend Mass at nearby Catholic Church on the back of the cards. The Diocese Web site is listed on the cards so people can go online to locate a Catholic church close to them. They also include a link to the One Bread Website (http://1bread.catholic.org) where they can receive free information about the Catholic faith.

To encourage youth groups to participate, One Bread will be having its first annual "Catholic Youth Evangelization Award." The youth group with the best costumes, signs, and performance in the parade wins a trophy, St Patrick medals, and more.

After the parade, One Bread will be hosting a fundraiser by selling baked Irish goodies, drinks, and religious items including books, jewelry, rosaries, and many Irish gifts. There will also be FREE information about the Catholic Church available for people to pick up and take home.

One Bread is a Catholic lay apostolate dedicated to evangelization and primarily evangelizes on the Internet through their Web site http://1bread.catholic.org. Now in their fourth year of operation, One Bread has distributed hundreds of free pamphlets and rosaries to countless of people who have requested them from around the world.

A Prayer for Darkness

Lord, thank you
for the clarity
of darkness,

and thank you
for the simplicity
of loneliness,

for alone in the dark
I find you,
my most bright companion.

--In Christ, our most bright companion,

Tim Guile, Okinawa, Japan

Poems to Comfort the Soul

When we go through troubles, stray from God, or just feel lonely, it's good to know God's consoling grace is there for us. Our board member in charge of prison ministry writes these beautiful poems to comfort prisoners, whether in the confines of an actual jail, or imprisoned by feelings of doubt, guilt, sorrow, or suffering.

Lift Away the Thorn, O Lord

O Lord, I am not
an instrument of your love.
I am, today,
the nail in your hand,
a thorn above your brow,
a spear in your side.
I cut you dying in the flesh,
and feel not your
life-giving spirit.
Yet you love me
who I hate.
Please, lift away
the thorn, take out,
O Lord, the nail,
the spear, and give
back to me this day
my life.

--Tim Guile, Okinawa, Japan
 

 
To All Things Broken

To all things broken,
I am a brother.
To the fallen, crumpled
autumn leaf,
I am a brother.
To the splintered mirror,
I am a brother.
To the shattered heart,
I am a brother.
To countries bound
and oppressed,
I am a brother.
To all human history,
I am your imprisoned
brother.
And I am your God.

--Tim Guile, Okinawa, Japan

Healing

Come my sorrow,
come my sorrow,
come my sorrow,
come.

Long I stumbled
over the naked plain
looking for sweet grasses
of my own choosing.

But these did not fill me.
How could they?
Oh come, my sorrow,
come.

The wind, instead, off
the stoney plain, my only
friend, except the howl
of wolves.

These became my fill.
And with what was I filled?
Oh come, my sorrow,
come.

Then, huddled under a camel thorn,
He found me.
He looked and loved and
folded me into His warm arms.

No more I hunger,
no more I hunger,
no more.

--Tim Guile, Okinawa, Japan

Evangel - Are You One?

As Executive Director of a non-profit organization dedicated to Catholic Evangelization, I call myself a Catholic Evangelist. A few days ago, the Holy Spirit gave me the inspiration for another term for someone who evangelizes, no matter what denomination they belong to. That word is “Evangel” and comes from the words “evangelist” and “angel.” 

Here are the attributes of an Evangel:

• Spreads the Christian gospel in a respectful way
  
• Never talks derogatory about any other Christian, no matter what Church they go to
  
• Evangelizes as much by their good behavior as with words
  
• Attracts people to the Christian faith by acts of love and kindness
  
• Exudes holiness – do you see that halo?

 

What do you think an Evangel is? Do you have any attributes you’d like to add to this list? We’d love to hear your comments.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

"Our Father, who art in heaven, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9-10.

How many times have we prayed this prayer? As I ponder these words, I wonder, "Has the Father's Kingdom already come? Do we really try do His will on earth?"

In John 18:36, Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world. When Pilate asked Jesus if he were a king, "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."

In the above verse, Jesus indicates that he has a heavenly kingdom and it's not here yet. But elsewhere in scripture, Jesus indicates that his kingdom is already here.
 
In Matthew 5, verse 17, the scripture says: "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And in Matthew 10, verse 7, he sends out his apostles to announce the kingdom to the people: "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Again in Matthew 12, verse 8: "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

How can God's Kingdom already be here and at the same time, not be here yet? As I ponder the fact that Jesus is a King, I realize that since He is my brother, I am royalty too.

In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. "

Which brings me to thoughts of Jesus' Church. Shouldn't this King who has a Kingdom both here and in the therafter have a Church that resembles a Kingdom? It makes sense to me? So what is a Kingdom-like? Well, it has a court with administrators who carry out the work of the King...who govern the Kingdom according to the King's decrees and laws. So if the Church resembles a Kingdom, it should govern us, according to the King's precepts, shouldn't it?

Honestly, I can think of no Christian Church on earth that looks and acts more like a Kingdom than the Catholic Church. This Church with its headquarteres in the former capital of the Roman Empire, the Empire that put their King to death, but that the Church later conquered. This Church with a hierarchical structure of Pope and bishops from all over the world that govern this Kingdom with what some might call "an iron rod." [Revelation 2:27]. I hear of more people rejecting the Catholic Church because they don't think it has a right to tell them what to do, and yet the Catholic Church claims to have Christ's authority to teach right from wrong and to govern his flock when it comes to faith and morals.

This Church with majestic buildings filled with gold vessels that hold the body and blood of their King and house fine art masterpieces depicting their King and his subjects. This Church whose leaders parade around in royal garb conducting elaborate ceremonies to accept new souls into the Kingdom and annoint them with oil, bless them with holy water and incense and feed them heavenly food.

So is Christ's Church a democracy whose members decide what doctrines to believe and what preacher preaches to their liking? Or is it a Kingdom that lords over its subjects with edicts and decrees that it receives from the King, guided by the King's advocate, the Holy Spirit?

Is Christ's Kingdom already here or is it yet to come? I believe that His Kingdom can be experienced here "on earth" as much as it can be experienced here "on earth" in his holy, Catholic Church.

After all, Jesus did give the keys to his Church to St. Peter, the first pope, who was martyred in Rome and is buried underneath the Vatican.

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven" [Matthew 16:18-19]