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The Bible Mini Series - Catch it now

Did you miss the Bible mini series that was shown on the History Channel? Or did you watch it and want to watch it again?

Maybe you're wondering what I'm rambling about.

The Bible is breathtaking in scope and scale. It features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectular life into the dramatic stories of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event has entertained and inspired the whole world and beaten secular TV show ratings.

It's now been released as a 4-DVD set that includes all 10 episodes. The running time is 440 minutes. These are the 10 episodes:

1. The Beginning - Noah, Abraham thru Jacob, Israel begins    

2. The Exodus - Pharaoh, Moses, Red and Ten Commandments 

3. The Homeland - Joshua, Samson, Judges, David & Goliath 

4. The Kingdom - David, Saul 

5. The Survival - Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 

6. The Revolution - Roman, birth of Christ, John the Baptist, Jesus, 

7. The Mission - Pharisees, Jesus, miracles, Disciples 

8. The Betrayal - Last supper, Judas, Peter's Denial 

9. The Passion - Nicodemus" Pilate, Crucifixion, Resurrection 

10. The Courage - Jesus returns, Holy Spirit comes, Disciples die, John survives death, exiled to Patmos, Revelation 

This movie stars Portuguese actor Diogo Morgados as Jesus Christ and is narrated by Emmy award winning actor Keith David.

This miniseries was produced by the husband and wife team of Roma Downey and Mark Brunett.

Irish-born Roma Downey is best known for her role as Monica on the hit TV series "Touched by an Angel': Now Downey and her husband, Mark Brunett, best known for producing prime-time hit reality shows (The Voice; Survivor).

Downey stars as Mother Mary in the series. In a recent interview with Catholic Digest, Downey said, "I was raised a Catholic; I've loved the Lord my whole life, and I've loved Mary my whole life. What a privilege to portray her on screen through her eyes and feel the story through her heart."

When asked how she prepared herself to play the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Downey simply replied: "I prayed. And my prayer was the Hail Mary. My father slept with a rosary under his pillow every night, and when he passed away, his rosary was given to me. I had the rosary on the set WIth me, and I made sure it was always near me. I actually wore it around my neck, hidden inside my tunic."

Playing the role of Mary has also influenced her life as a parent of 3 teenagers. "Loving Mary has widened my heart. She fills me with strength... I can't even begin to imagine as a parent what she must have been going through and feeling."

"Every day, my husband and 1 pray that there will be less of us and more of Him."

You can get you own set here on Amazon, by clicking the image...

Once Saved, Always Saved - The Biggest 500 Year Old Lie

I'm not sure how old this heresy is. The one that says that once you're saved, you're salvation cannot be canceled. I guess it began during the Protestant Reformation, but it could have existed as far back as Arianism.

Anyway, it's probably one of the oldest lies, still making it's rounds especially among the Evangelicals and several mainstream Protestant denominations.

Many Protestants and almost all Fundamentalists believe that private interpretation of the Bible thumps Church authority. In most cases there's no central Church authority, except probably the pastor who set up his church. Firstly, it's interesting that members of a Fundamentalist church give more respect to their Pastor (whom the Scriptures never confirmed that Jesus built His Church upon that guy) but are dead against the Catholic Pope (whom Scriptures confirm Jesus built His Church upon)!

Back to today's theme, based on my private interpretation.

The premise behind this fallacy is that once you say a magical phrase, a force field envelopes you and even God can't prevent you from entering Heaven. That abracadabra phrase is, "Jesus Christ is my personal Savior." Guess what, this theory is not found in the Bible. Maybe I missed it and hope you can point out to me the verse.

Too many Protestants believe that either you can't sin, because you made that declaration, or the sin can't stop you from entering Heaven.

In today's reading for the day, in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, St. Paul makes it very clear that God wants us to live Holy lives. He wants us to keep away from sin. Now why would the Wise One want us to do that, if sin can't affect me? After all St Paul was writing to Christians, people who have apparently been saved and can never falter.

St Paul goes on to talk about karma - what goes around comes around. There will be pay back day, if you sin. So how can anyone claim they can't sin because Jesus' Precious Blood automatically stops them from sinning, or that they won't ever see punishment for sins committed after taking Jesus as their personal savior.

Finally, St. Paul says that anyone who sins, is rejecting God, by rejecting the Holy Spirit. Now, as I understand it, if you don't have the Holy Spirit, you don't enter Heaven. Period. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if St. Paul has a good understanding of this hypothesis about "once saved, always saved." If he did, why waste time writing a letter that is useless to people who have been saved and will remain saved, whatever they do. To be saved means you have been cloaked with the Holy Spirit and Paul is warning that you can easily chuck the Holy Spirit aside by sinning.

Without the Holy Spirit, you don't have the force field anymore and you're doomed. Now that's the reason why Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So that the Holy Spirit will return to you and help you so that you can eventually enter Heaven.

Catholic theology simply teaches that salvation is not a one off event that occurs when you say some magical phrase but you build on your salvation as you walk through the temptations of life and come our victorious through God's graces. And that's why also Scripture teaches us to work out our salvation.

Sure, Jesus has done the heavy lifting, but we too have some light lifting to do. It's like Jesus's death blasted a path through a mountain, but we have to clear the debris along the path that leads to Heaven.

This is the reason Protestants poke fun at Catholics because they are never sure if they're goint to enter Heaven. Now you know. We don't pretend that we cannot sin because of baptism or by saying that Jesus is my personal savior.

Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25:1-13, just proves that this thinking is false. Why would Jesus warn people to be ready for the Savior to return? What do they have to be ready for, if they've already accepted Jesus as their personal saviour? What else is there to do?

Obviously, a lot. That's why those who knew Jesus can go astray and be surprised that they were locked out of the Biggest Party in the Universe. They tried to claim to know Jesus by calling Him Lord.  And God said, "and who are you again?"

God doesn't owe you Heaven just because you claim He's your buddy. You got to prove it, just as you prove to your spouse by remembering the wedding anniversary. You can't tell her, since you've taken her as your personal wife, that you don't need to work on your marriage.

The world has abandoned belief in Hell because they assume that God being the Ultimate Benevolence can make Hell disappear and force everyone (including those who hate Him) to sit with Him in Heaven for eternity - what torment that must be for those who hate Him.

The Creation Story - Alternate Version

Here's an alternative creation story...

First God created the Cow and said, “You must go with farmer daily to the field all day long and suffer under the Sun, have calves, give milk and help the farmer. I give you a span of sixty years.” The Cow said, “That’s surely tough. Give me only twenty years. I give back forty years.”




On Day Two God created the Dog and told him, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at strangers. I give you a span of twenty years.” The Dog said, “Too long time for barking. I give up ten years.”




On the third day God created the Monkey and said to him, “Entertain people. Make them laugh. I give you Twenty years.” The Monkey said to God, “How boring, Monkey tricks for twenty years. Give me only Ten years”. Lord agreed. 




On the fourth day God created Man. He told him, “Eat, sleep, play, enjoy and do nothing. I will give you twenty years.” 
Man said, “Only twenty years. No way.

I will take my Twenty and give me the Forty the cow gave back, the Ten that the Monkey returned, and the Ten the Dog surrendered. That makes eighty. OK?” OK said God. 




That is why for the first twenty years we sleep, play, enjoy and do nothing. 


For the next forty years we slave in the sun and at work to support our family. 


For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain our grandchildren. 


And for the last ten years we sit in front of the house and bark at everybody. 

The Assumption of Virgin Mary

During the sermon today, our parish priest told us the story of his RCIA facilitator's experience attending a Protestant meeting in the 60s. The facilitator was a 18-year old.

That was the time when there no detente between the Protestants and Catholics.

During the meeting, the Pastor started berating Catholic theology and insulting Mother Mary. He said that she was a mere simpleton who the wayward Catholic Church elevated to the lofty position of Mother of God.

After a while, he asked members of the congregation to come up and say their piece. Several of them went up one after the other. The all parroted the Pastor by condemning Mother Mary.

Eventually, this RCIA facilitator raised his hand for permission to speak and the Pastor invited him up, not knowing he was Catholic.

The RCIA facilitator went up and said that he was an 18 year old boy and the person he loved the most in the world was his mother. He acknowledged his love for his mother because of how she looked after him. He then said that if anyone were to deride his mother, the congregation had done to Jesus' mother, he would kill the person. And he walked away...

Our parish priest didn't mention what the reaction of the congregation was.

There are some lessons from the story, that I see.

1. Protestants say they were right in forming their respective churches, because the Catholic Church became corrupted and was teaching wrongs as opposed to truths. It always surprises me that Protestants haven't figured out that each time they repeat such things, they are effectively saying that they praise and worship a liar. They don't seem to understand that the guy they pray to is not trustworthy!

How can they believe and trust in a Trinity that can't even be truthful. One of their members said that He would be with the Church and the gates of hell will not prevail until the end of time.

Protestants claim that the Catholic Church meandered, means that Jesus lied because He didn't guide the Popes and Magisterium and the Holy Spirit was on extended leave and returned during the Reformation?

If these Two Persons of the Trinity did this to the Catholic Church, what guarantee is there that they won't repeat their shenanigans and abandon them too?

2. I'm always amused that almost all Protestants love their mothers and take pride in reciting the Commandment that says honor your mother and father and in the same breath they insult their Saviour's mother. As if this is going to make Him leap and do cartwheels.

Can anyone gain brownie points by telling their boss that he admires the boss so much but thinks the boss' mother is an uncouth person?

I guess at the end of the day, we can only say the prayer Jesus said on the cross - "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."

God and Satan - Food Creation Story

Watch this funny creation story about how food came to be as it is today...