Friday, April 17, 2009

The Tomb is Empty

My Dear People,

The joy of Easter message rings loudly throughout the next eight days (Octave) of the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene and the other women rose early to go to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Fearing that the body had been taken, they ran to tell the other disciples.

Peter peers in first, and finds the tomb empty as well. They saw and believed. Our whole Christian Faith is based on these Easter testimonies. For without the Resurrection the Christian message would be very different. Rejoice in the Good News of Easter. Allow God's special Light to shine in you and your families.

May the celebration of Easter may help us become more grateful for the sacrifice Christ made for us; and more willing to make our own sacrifices to continue His work.

Entrusting you to the care of Our Lady,
Fr. Mark

9 comments:

Easter Almuena said...

John Michael,

A joyful, joyful Easter to you, dear brother! The best part of the news here is knowing you got a job. What a joy to hear this!!! Another prayer answered! Alleluia!

Have you considered becoming a deacon? My husband has applied.

Blessings to you and your family!

John Michael said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Deacon?

Actually, yes I have. It was the easiest discernment ever.

And the answer is not yet. I can't work full time, raise a growing family and meet the requirements for being a Deacon.

When the kids are older, the discernment will start. Until then I will focus on filling heaven with family members:-)

We will diffidently keep your husband and your family intentions in our prayers.

JMJ

Nick said...

Wow, cool.

Do you know where I can find St Robert's works online and in English? I've heard he was a great apologist but I can't find his work online (nor even in print now that I think about it). That's got to be a loss for all of us.

John Michael said...

Nick,

Never in the history of the Church has one man been so effective in writing in the defense of the Church. We can base this on the amount written by our separated brethren to refute his writings. King James even paid Christians scholars to debunk him.

Alas, you are correct about finding works written by him. Oddly enough the only thing current on his writings are on holiness and not apologetics.

To find his writings online, go to www.books.google.com and do an author search for Bellarmine and Bellarmino. If you do an advanced search, you can search full view only and get all of his works available online.

BTW That site is a goldmine for Catholic references especially apologetics.

God bless!

Nick said...

John,

Thank you so much for telling me about the 'advanced search'! I knew about google books but I totally forgot 'advanced" to look up the author!

I see a lot of his work online, but a lot of it is not in English. Also, I honestly have no idea what his major Protestant apologetics is.
Could you give me some titles of St Robert's 'important' apologetics work?

I consider myself an amateur apologist and am just finishing a debate on Penal Substitution on my blog.

John Michael said...

Your welcome Nick,

St. Bellarmine did virtually all of his apologetics while teaching seminarians. I can't remember the location. He was requested to do so when St. Peter Canisius didn't feel he was qualified.

The Protestant reformation was getting really good at using the Church Fathers to defend their teachings. The priest did not have the education to properly defend the "new found discover" of the protestants. They turned to St. Bellarmine to champion the cause. He was a walking library, he could read something once and recite it even if it was 2 hours long.

The works you are looking for come from a series of books compiled into what is known as Controversies. One such title is known as "Power of the Pope in temporal affairs, against William Barclay."

You can see if you can check it out University of Detroit Mercy Library.

Link: http://udm.dalnet.lib.mi.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=new&profile=dmmc&uindex=SW&term=Barclay,%20William,%201546%20or%207-1608.%20De%20potestate%20Papae.&aspect=&menu=search&source=~!mercy

Very little of St. Bellarmine's work is translated. The Controversies is no exception. If you find that book current enough, you could always self-publish it using something like Lulu.

Good luck and God bless!

John Michael

Nick said...

Hi,

I've actually emailed a few people at universities and a jesuit institution about this and told them the situation. I suggested a project to them for someone working on a graduate degree that they translate Disputationes into English. Maybe even get the copyright.

I've gotten 'favorable' response in that I have gotten feedback saying it's an idea they will look into and forward onto those who might know more. I also talked with some Catholics who said they had an interests in translating it as well. This is all very early on, so we shouldn't get too excited, but it's clearly a hopeful sight.

John Michael said...

Nick,

May your work bring great fruit. St. Bellarmine has been hiding long enough.

JMJ

Easter Almuena said...

Thank you, John Michael!

I am proud of you!!!