Dave Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Do Catholics Have A Personal Relationship with Jesus? Source: Peter and Paul Ministries Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? How many times have Catholics heard this question from Fundamentalists and never known what to say? The response to this question is quite simple: As a Catholic, I have the most personal relationship possible with our Lord. Would you like to know how? * A Catholic’s personal relationship with God begins when they are "Born Again" through the sacrament of baptism. In this sacrament, the Lord forgives mortal, venial, and original sin as well as permanently marking the soul with a sign of His grace. One must remember Christ words, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit." (Jn 3:5) * When a Catholic does good works for their neighbor they are meeting Christ face to face. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." (Matt 25:35-36) * The sacrament of confession is a personal encounter with Jesus. Christ established this beautiful sacrament to free us from our sins when He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:22-23) * When a Catholic reads or hears Scripture they are experiencing the Lord in a profound and intimate way. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17) * Personal Prayer is a one on one conversation with God which takes many forms such as, a novena, praying a rosary, or a simple petition from the heart. "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matt. 6:6 ) * The worthy reception of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is the most personal experience one can have with our Savior. One truly receives the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him." (John 6:55-56) * Catholics encounter Jesus in very special way in the sacrament of anointing of the sick or commonly call the last rites. In this sacrament bestowed through and only through a Catholic priest, Christ forgives sin, heals the body if it is His will, and strengthens the soul for the journey home. "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he is in sin, they shall be forgiven him." (Jm 5:14) Note: Catholics are not alone on the road to salvation, but are assisted and strengthened by the Communion of Saints, which is the spiritual solidarity of the faithful Church upon the earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Adam Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Come quickly Lord Jesus :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Cool... *drools* Seriously, nice article! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 I get really annoyed with that question. I always answer "No I have a personal and communal relationship with God." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulls Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 why does it annoy you? why can't you just say 'yes' to people who really don't understand, rather than a witty comeback? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Mulls, When you say that you are a Presbyterian, or that you go to a Presbyterian church, do people immediately as "Oh, do you know Jesus"? My guess is no. Other Christians never asked me that, until I became a Catholic. It does get tiresome. Just this weekend, very sweet Christians tried to tell me that Catholics don't read the Bible, and don't "know" God. The temptation to give a "witty comeback". Please pray for our charity. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Its not a witty comeback. If you read the Old Testament God formed a Community, a chosen people, Israel. Their relationship was thru their community and family. Sin and salvation was not just individual. In the New Testament Jesus left us a visible organization : a community of believer bound not by blood but by faith, united in the sacraments through the Body of Christ. And while yes it is personal when I recieve Jesus in the Eucharist, it is a communal celebration. Its why we say "Our Father", not my Father. And I am tired of the Jesus is my best friend / buddy stuff. It makes him sound like somebody I would go to a bar with. Jesus is God. He is Other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuba steve Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Jesus is my best friend.... He walks beside me everyday... he guides me he shows me whats right and wrong he gives me wisdom he has made all the power and authority under heaven available to me he died for me... ME...... Unlike your beliefs when someone is sick and the priest come in and prepare them for the journey or whatever.... our priests come in and heal them because that's what Jesus did and expects us to do... all about faith in Jesus... not what old guys with beards say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 28, 2003 Author Share Posted August 28, 2003 (edited) Jesus is my best friend.... He walks beside me everyday... he guides me he shows me whats right and wrong he gives me wisdom he has made all the power and authority under heaven available to me he died for me... ME...... Unlike your beliefs when someone is sick and the priest come in and prepare them for the journey or whatever.... our priests come in and heal them because that's what Jesus did and expects us to do... all about faith in Jesus... not what old guys with beards say Well, we as Catholics would agree with all of that except that last little paragraph. The sacrament of the sick is meant for those who are near death or at least seriously ill. It's supposed to strengthen the soul AND, if it's God's will, heal the person physically. Sorry, Steve, we do exactly what God wants us to do. And I don't know what you mean by "old guys with beards," but if you mean the Church hierarchy, then that is HIGHLY DISRESPECTFUL, and you owe us all an apology! We do what the hierarchy tells us because they are the successors of the 12 Apostles. Take any bishop, and you'll see they were ordained by a bishop who was ordained by a bishop, who was ordained by a bishop, and so forth all the way back to an apostle! Jesus said to his disciples that whoever listens to them, listens to Him, and that whoever rejects them, rejects Him. Edited August 28, 2003 by Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulls Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 haha, old guys with beards. where did that come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 haha, old guys with beards. where did that come from? yeah, i'm wondering that too.....wait! steve! are you talking about Santa? B) nah, he only comes around in christmas......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicAndFanatical Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Unlike your beliefs when someone is sick and the priest come in and prepare them for the journey or whatever.... our priests come in and heal them because that's what Jesus did and expects us to do... all about faith in Jesus... not what old guys with beards say Thats an amesome article..thanks for posting it. God Rocks! as for the quote from Steve..uh, you said 'our priests come in and heal them because that's what Jesus did...' if you're not Catholic you dont have Priests, so that kinda excludes you there..sorry. and as for the 'old men with beards' comment..i always associated old men with beards as being very wise and humble..unless you really was talking about Santa Clause.. you do know he doesnt exist right?? Or did i just spoil your Christmas list for this year? opps CatholicAndFanatical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Skuba, Again, I ask for you to be more respectful when dealing with people on this board. We have done nothing to warrant your sarcasm, and your disrespect. Please, following the dictates of Sola Scriptura, supply scriptural support for the following: "Jesus is my best friend" "He has made all power in heaven and earth available to me" I'm not sure where you are coming from with this. You remain in my prayers. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mateo el Feo Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 Hi Pedro, I think the "Jesus is my best friend" phrase could come from John 15:14-15. I know you were asking Scuba...sorry. Here's the text: John 15:14-15 -- "You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father." It's kinda interesting, in the 14th verse, Our Lord teaches that friendship with Him is conditioned on faithfully doing what God commands. There is no "Faith Alone" friendship with Our Lord. (Matthew 7:21, Matthew 15:8) As a Catholic, the idea of being in friendship with Our Lord is quite normal; but when I hear it phrased as above ("...my best friend"), it just sounds like "Barney the Purple Dinosaur" theology. That's just me, though. "I love you, you love me..." Enjoy, Mateo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted August 28, 2003 Share Posted August 28, 2003 B) nah, he only comes around in christmas......... Sounds like how often some go to church!!! Seriously, SkubaSteve, did you know that the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is found in the Bible? Look at James 5:14-16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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