A Meeting of Pharisees

IS 63:
8For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

are holy to the Jews. You could just as easily as if the crucifix, which still has Jesus hanging on it, is truly a symbol if Christianity. To the Catholics, it is. To my husband, the former Catholic, it's offensive because he understands it as a denial of the resurrection.

If it were me, as a Christian, I would opt not to go to the Western Wall if I had to leave Christ behind, but I don't think the cross I wear is actually Christ, so maybe I'd just leave it behind in the hotel room and pray to Jesus at the Wall instead.

I can't type today.

How sad. Two Pharisees meet: One denies Christ
is their Redeemer while the other denies He truly
redeemed.(i.e. purgatory and indulgences)

By definition a Pharisee is one who emphasizes the outward forms of righteousness to be seen of men. Jesus said that the righteousness of those in the kingdom must exceed that of the Pharisees. He taught us that true religion is of the heart. Sin originates from the heart, and therefore the righteousness of faith must also come from the renewed heart.

There is another significant ‘but’ in Ephesians 2…

‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ’ [Ephesians 2:13].

Good to hear from you. Hope you and family are well and enjoying spring in Alaska.

Going or not going to the Western Wall is a matter of liberty. My point is that it depends on how we view it. Certainly it is a point of historical significance, but the holy ground these days is in the local church; that is, among the saints gathered together to worship the living God according to His revelation.

Cringe -- Forgive -- Forget

Sorry to delay so long. My blood has just now ceased to boil. Do these posts make it any clearer to you how difficult it is for a catholic to post here?

That catholics believe that Christ did not Redeem, because of purgatory and indulgences, is hog-wash. HOG-WASH!
It's as far as I can go on such ignorant a claim.

As for the Crucifix (The Corpus On The Cross) being a denial of the Resurrection (and this from someone I thought a friend), well, what can I say!

Tonight catholics around the world will remember The Lord's Last Supper. We will also remember His Agony in the Garden. Tomorrow, His Passion. And on Sunday, believe it or not, we will celebrate our Lord's Resurrection from the dead.

The Corpus on the Cross is offensive. It's a constant reminder to me what my sins have caused. It's a constant reminder to me of God's love.

In John's Gospel (3:14, 8:28, 12:37) Jesus relates three times how He, the Son of Man, will be lifted up on the Cross. And that when He is lifted up He will draw all men to Himself.

One of my prayers at Mass tonight will be that "all" the readers of VfT will have a Happy and Holy Easter.

How good to hear from you and thanks for giving us your perspective. I would hope that you would feel free to engage those who differ and give us a reason for the hope that is in you. Because of your testimony on justification, I consider you a brother in the Lord and will continue to treat you as such.

Not a rebuke to anyone, but a suggestion for all of us including VfT. Let’s make sure we understand the meaning of a comment before we react. To ask for clarification is always preferable for those who are quick to listen and slow to anger. For example, let’s ask ‘but god: eph. 2:4’ what he means by the word ‘redeem’. His meaning may be different than yours.

I thought my meaning of Pharisee was clearly stated, but looking at the article from a RC perspective I can see that it is offensive. Ed, we are imperfect on our best days, so thank God that love covers a multitude of sins.

Let’s be accountable to one another and help increase our understanding of one another with the goal of abounding in love for one another as the people of God. Thank you for your prayers. I will return your Easter greeting this evening.